The Criterion Collection

[biglou114]

My local half price books has used copies of Summer Hours and A Christmas Tale. And I was planning to get one of them on Sunday, as they have a 50% off coupon (making each $10). I was wondering what your feelings on these films are. Are they worth picking up?

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by biglou114

My local half price books has used copies of Summer Hours and A Christmas Tale. And I was planning to get one of them on Sunday, as they have a 50% off coupon (making each $10). I was wondering what your feelings on these films are. Are they worth picking up?

Summer Hours is one of the gems of Criterions blu-ray collection and is a film that for whatever reason isn't talked about too much. It's an exceptional film, with themes that are easy to relate to. A Christmas Tale came out the same year but isn't nearly as good of a film. It's more artfully directed but its direction feels much too forced at times. It's a film that could've been great but isn't.

[Jimbo976]

Summer Hours is one of my very favorites.

[biglou114]

Well I guess it's settled then. Looks like I'll pick up Summer Hours on Sunday.

[greekak229]

Got Paris, Texas today for $13.50. I think I might take advantage of that 25% coupon once more before it expires with either Last Year at Marianbad or The Magician. Hm.

[Volume11]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Summer Hours is one of the gems of Criterions blu-ray collection and is a film that for whatever reason isn't talked about too much. It's an exceptional film, with themes that are easy to relate to. A Christmas Tale came out the same year but isn't nearly as good of a film. It's more artfully directed but its direction feels much too forced at times. It's a film that could've been great but isn't.

+1

Summer Hours is a subtle and engaging film about generational and societal gaps and how that affects a familial unit. It was well made, entertaining, and very touching WITHOUT hitting you over the head with cynicism and awkwardly forced relationships with even sillier pay offs.

A Christmas Tale is the opposite of the aforementioned. Somewhere underneath the bloated script, meandering plot line, and terribly inexplicable outcome was a great film...

[chetripley80]

Originally Posted by biglou114

My local half price books has used copies of Summer Hours and A Christmas Tale. And I was planning to get one of them on Sunday, as they have a 50% off coupon (making each $10). I was wondering what your feelings on these films are. Are they worth picking up?

Do you live in Omaha? I saw both of those at the Half-Priced Books in Omaha, along with "Everlasting Moments", last weekend.

[BlackRiderX]

I'm still waiting on The Thin Red Line. Rep told me that have 18 on the way in, hope they get here soon.

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by blackriderx

I'm still waiting on The Thin Red Line. Rep told me that have 18 on the way in, hope they get here soon.

Seems like they are getting a lot of copies of TRL back in stock. Mine was scheduled to ship on 11/29 and it shipped today.

[tfunk]

Just watched Bigger Than Life. What a terrifying look at the complete and total downward spiral of prescription drug abuse in the middle of the American Dream. If there was one thing I wasn't expecting out of this movie that I ended up getting, it was

[Show spoiler]a happy ending

.

[jwoodwar]

Originally Posted by aggienader08

It's a great movie! Have you taken the time to watch The Darjeeling Limited?

OF COURSE!!!!!! I love every Wes anderson film!!

[blkhrt]

I feel pretty silly for not knowing this before, but I just realized that Bigger Than Life was directed by Nicholas Ray, who directed In a Lonely Place, one of my favorite movies, and arguably (at least I would argue it is) Bogart's best performance. Now I definitely want to pick up a copy!

[biglou114]

Originally Posted by chetripley80

Do you live in Omaha? I saw both of those at the Half-Priced Books in Omaha, along with "Everlasting Moments", last weekend.

I actually just go to school here. I saw that they had Everlasting Moments there, but that is one I have no interest in.

[deadkidsean]

Originally Posted by biglou114

I actually just go to school here. I saw that they had Everlasting Moments there, but that is one I have no interest in.

That's a shame. It's definitely one of the better modern films in the collection.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by blkhrt

I feel pretty silly for not knowing this before, but I just realized that Bigger Than Life was directed by Nicholas Ray, who directed In a Lonely Place, one of my favorite movies, and arguably (at least I would argue it is) Bogart's best performance. Now I definitely want to pick up a copy!

I'm prob the biggest Ray fan on this forum. You should get Bigger Than Life ASAP. My fav film of his is hard to pick, but They Live By Night is always a fav of mine, and the first that pops in my head. And of course everyone should know Rebel Without a Cause and Johnny Guitar

[neo78956]

Picked up Antichrist today. God I hope I don't regret this purchase later, but I am intrigued to see the supplements and maybe get a better insight into Lar Von Trier's goals for what he was trying to say in the film.

[greekak229]

Originally Posted by neo78956

Picked up Antichrist today. God I hope I don't regret this purchase later, but I am intrigued to see the supplements and maybe get a better insight into Lar Von Trier's goals for what he was trying to say in the film.

Awesome pick-up. You get some great shots of "Willem Dafoe's" balls, too, so that's a treat.

Anyway, I just watched Paris, Texas for the first time and I absolutely loved it. Great sceneries, great acting, and just beautifully filmed. However, I do not know what else to pick-up this weekend. I'm stuck on Days of Heaven, Walkabout, Last Year at Marianbad, and Wings of Desire. So many to choose.

[neo78956]

Originally Posted by greekak229

Awesome pick-up. You get some great shots of "Willem Dafoe's" balls, too, so that's a treat.

Anyway, I just watched Paris, Texas for the first time and I absolutely loved it. Great sceneries, great acting, and just beautifully filmed. However, I do not know what else to pick-up this weekend. I'm stuck on Days of Heaven, Walkabout, Last Year at Marianbad, and Wings of Desire. So many to choose.

DAYS OF HEAVEN. Go now!

Re: Antichrist. I found the film fascinating but incredibly frustrating the first time I watched it. The craft behind it is amazing, and Gainsbourg and Dafoe are fantastic, but the film didn't really work 100% as a film. But I definitely want to watch it with commentary or interviews to get some insight.

[keldons]

Originally Posted by greekak229

Awesome pick-up. You get some great shots of "Willem Dafoe's" balls, too, so that's a treat.

Anyway, I just watched Paris, Texas for the first time and I absolutely loved it. Great sceneries, great acting, and just beautifully filmed. However, I do not know what else to pick-up this weekend. I'm stuck on Days of Heaven, Walkabout, Last Year at Marianbad, and Wings of Desire. So many to choose.

The first 3 are all great. I haven't seen Wings of Desire though. I don't really understand the lack of love for Days of Heaven on this board...

[greekak229]

Originally Posted by neo78956

DAYS OF HEAVEN. Go now!

Re: Antichrist. I found the film fascinating but incredibly frustrating the first time I watched it. The crfat behind it is amazing, and Gainsbourg and Dafoe are fantastic, but the film didn't really work 100% as a film. But I definitely want to watch it with commentary or interviews to get some insight.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was leaning towards that one.

But what I love about Antichrist is the cinematography. It truly is one of the most beautiful works I have seen in awhile. It's just an incredibly well-made film. People need to look past at the violent scenes in this movie and just watch the damn thing, because visually, it's just fantastic, in my opinion.