The Criterion Collection

[GRD43L]

Originally Posted by jw007

The craziest thing is, I've only seen Saving Private Ryan once in my life, when it came out in theaters, while I've watched The Thin Red Line about 5 or 6 times since it was released. It's hard to compare 2 notable directors such as these. There is no doubt, Steven Spielberg is an amazing director, but to me he appeals to the masses. He makes Hollywood movies, and he makes them well. Terrence Malick is the opposite, he's known best to cinephiles and film buffs and his movies are anything but Hollywood movies.

I agree.

Spielberg is an excellent technical NARRATIVE director where he excels telling interesting stories of character-character/situational interactions. His early works, I find, are a hit or a miss. Jaws, great. ET, meh. E. of the 3rd kind, meh. 1941, awful.

Malick brings deep feelings and characters into his films so his movies are CONTEMPLATIVE and the struggles are frequently within the characters. I personally find this approach extremely appealing. Malick's early works, Badlands and Days of Heaven are both beautiful capture of characters in America at those times.

As for Saving Private Ryans and Thin Red Line, I rate them equally good at this time. I find SPR little less attractive each time and TRL little more attractive on every rewatch though...

[Jospef]

Originally Posted by Al3xanderdelag

Does this give hope for other Czech releases?

Originally Posted by mmarczi

I hope so, and there are some positive indications. With Diamonds of the Night, then the Zeman box set, and now this, it wouldn't surprise me. Perhaps at least some Blu-Ray upgrades of Closely Watched Trains or The Firemen's Ball.

About possible Czech releases: they theoretically could use those films which already have the restoration done - as I once did this list of possible releases.

From those there could be Forman box set - as all his three films were already restored; or The Shop On Main Street and Closely Watched Trains - as both are Oscar winners and were on Criterion DVD.

Or there could be chance for Extase (Ecstasy) that won an award for "best restored film" on Venice Festival last year.

Originally Posted by mmarczi

Thrilled to see Criterion releasing The Cremator. Probably my favorite Czech New Wave film. The Second Run release contains a Kat Ellinger audio commentary, however. I haven't bought that one yet, and now find myself tempted to double-dip.

Not the audio commentary itself, but the other extra from the UK release - The Projection Booth podcast with Mike White and Samm Deighan is here.

[BamaDullard]

Army of Shadows coming back into print is fantastic news. I think it’s Melville’s best film, and it will hopefully set a precedent for the return of more Studiocanal titles.

[Ray Jackson]

Great...another Wes Anderson film.

The Collection didn’t have enough of those.

...I’m so happy.

[Show spoiler]

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by perrinjuve

Army Of Shadows announced for April 7th...about time they brought it back in print...

Of course...of their two OOP Melville's, they first bring back the one I already have.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Of course...of their two OOP Melville's, they first bring back the one I already have.

Probably for the best since SC is remastering "Le Cercle Rouge" for this year.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Probably for the best since SC is remastering "Le Cercle Rouge" for this year.

Yeah, this least raises the chances that when Le Cercle Rouge gets released it will be the new remaster. If I have to wait, it will be worth it and I will double dip for it despite having the older version from the Essential Melville box. I really need to get to watch my copy of Army of Shadows from the box set.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by joy-division

Need to watch it with the commentary.
Would you say it ranks amongst the best, if not the best anti-war films?

I guess many not deeply into films just see it as a war film

Yes, a lot of people including myself originally assumed a movie about war or that took place during a war was automatically a "war film". I'd love to see a new genre created (on Netflix or Hulu for example) not for war but for "anti-war". I can think of a number of great films that would be classified as such including Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter, Full Metal Jacket, Casualties of War, All Quiet on the Western Front, Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, Paths of Glory (but not Glory), and of course The Thin Red Line. Perhaps every war film made is secretly an anti-war film, no? I can't really think of a single classic modern day war movie that isn't criticizing war in some way or another.

Yes, I would say The Thin Red Line stands at the top though in terms of a film that glamorizes a reality where a man did not need to kill another in order to find peace in himself... and that a man does not need such complications such as war.

Malick is an old soul, and I feel like he had been on this planet many times before in previous lives in order to make the films he makes.

Originally Posted by Hazel Motes

The New World still holds the record for most walkouts I've ever witnessed first hand. (And I saw The House That Jack Built at the cinema). For me The New World ranks as the 3rd best film I saw in the 00's. While Days of Heaven ranks as one of the 5 best films I've ever seen. Malick is an acquired taste for some I guess.

I love The New World with all my heart. I still feel its my go-to Malick movie if I want inspiration and beauty on nature (over grace).

Originally Posted by Purplenoon

I’d recommend two rarely seen war flicks, each (maybe) better than SPR, but not as good, artistically at least, as Thin Red Line:
MY WAY: a true Korean movie about two track stars who are conscripted to fight the Russians, one Korean and one Japanese, who both end up on the beach at Normandy, where the story really takes off. No kidding.
TAE GUK GI: Brotherhood of War - an amazing film about two brothers embroiled in the forgotten war: the Korean War.
Both flicks absolutely blew me away for different reasons. The first is out on bluray, but I don’t think the second one is. I could be wrong.

Thank you for the info. I will add those to my queue.

Originally Posted by GRD43L

I agree.

Spielberg is an excellent technical NARRATIVE director where he excels telling interesting stories of character-character/situational interactions. His early works, I find, are a hit or a miss. Jaws, great. ET, meh. E. of the 3rd kind, meh. 1941, awful.

Malick brings deep feelings and characters into his films so his movies are CONTEMPLATIVE and the struggles are frequently within the characters. I personally find this approach extremely appealing. Malick's early works, Badlands and Days of Heaven are both beautiful capture of characters in America at those times.

As for Saving Private Ryans and Thin Red Line, I rate them equally good at this time. I find SPR little less attractive each time and TRL little more attractive on every rewatch though...

Spot on, yes. Spielberg is the man for biopic films (he made some good ones over the years with excellent stories). I feel Spielberg is probably the most daring director of all, taking on every genre and being able to produce something pretty good, if not genius. Science fiction is another genre he excels at (I think Minority Report is my fave. Spielberg sci fi movie... yes more than E.T. or A.I. or Close Encounters of the Third Kind). You know what you're going to get with a Spielberg movie, just as much you know what you're going to get with a Malick movie. Malick is far more abstract, and he's less concerned with the narrative and far more concerned with feeling...pure emotions...intangible characters. He's not a straight shooter like Spielberg is. I can definitely watch Malick films far more than Spielberg movies, because of their depth and intricacies and how much is stirring below the surface. With Spielberg, it feels more "shallow". Even when he tries to make a deep, dark, serious movie like Schindler's List or Munich, its not a meditation or visual poetry or open to alternative interpretations, its what you see is what you get. He's an amazing action director, and Spielberg has captured the hearts of multitudes with his imagination and childlike mind. Spielberg is for the child in every one of us while Malick is for grownups, for the adults, for those that want to ponder and use their introspection a bit more. Spielberg is a baby soul, while Malick is a very old soul.

To me, several Malick movies are not entertainment per se, but food for the soul. They are meditations, pure and simple. Some of his movies excel, and a few do not, but they're all his, and they're all unique. I wish there were more directors like him out there.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jw007

Yes, a lot of people including myself originally assumed a movie about war or that took place during a war was automatically a "war film". I'd love to see a new genre created (on Netflix or Hulu for example) not for war but for "anti-war"...Perhaps every war film made is secretly an anti-war film, no? I can't really think of a single classic modern day war movie that isn't criticizing war in some way or another.

Nah. An anti-war film may present war as a thing to be avoided, but at the end of the day, it's still a film about war. Thus, it's a "war film".

The word "genre" comes from the same root as "general" and "generic". I really don't see the point of expanding the ranks of "genres" for the sake of greater specificity. Otherwise, we'd see a dozen or more different genres of science fiction, depending on whether they were about space travel, time travel, alternate universes, future Earth, robots, alien invasions, apocalypses, und so weiter. I really don't see the point.

[dewey412]

Finally bought my 8th Criterion Blu-ray, The Circus...I now own all 8 of the Chaplin films...Love the special features...

[mmarczi]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Nah. An anti-war film may present war as a thing to be avoided, but at the end of the day, it's still a film about war. Thus, it's a "war film".

The word "genre" comes from the same root as "general" and "generic". I really don't see the point of expanding the ranks of "genres" for the sake of greater specificity. Otherwise, we'd see a dozen or more different genres of science fiction, depending on whether they were about space travel, time travel, alternate universes, future Earth, robots, alien invasions, apocalypses, und so weiter. I really don't see the point.

That's why the word sub-genre exists.

[joy-division]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnFo...ature=youtu.be

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Nah. An anti-war film may present war as a thing to be avoided, but at the end of the day, it's still a film about war. Thus, it's a "war film".

The word "genre" comes from the same root as "general" and "generic". I really don't see the point of expanding the ranks of "genres" for the sake of greater specificity. Otherwise, we'd see a dozen or more different genres of science fiction, depending on whether they were about space travel, time travel, alternate universes, future Earth, robots, alien invasions, apocalypses, und so weiter. I really don't see the point.

Thanks. Noir seems to be a real hotbed for that-Daylight Noir, Rural Noir, California Noir are a few I remember.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by jayembee

The word "genre" comes from the same root as "general" and "generic". I really don't see the point of expanding the ranks of "genres" for the sake of greater specificity. Otherwise, we'd see a dozen or more different genres of science fiction, depending on whether they were about space travel, time travel, alternate universes, future Earth, robots, alien invasions, apocalypses, und so weiter. I really don't see the point.

Yeah, but Netflix already does that anyway. They have a genre for "War Movies based on a book from the 1950s", "War Movies for ages 8 to 10", "Goofy War Comedies" (which is separate from "Goofy War Movies"), "Gory War Dramas", "Gritty War Dramas", "Understated War Dramas".... looking at the list of all the different "War" related categories, it kind of stands out that they *don't* have a specific "Anti-War Films" category.

https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/library/categories/

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Thanks. Noir seems to be a real hotbed for that-Daylight Noir, Rural Noir, California Noir are a few I remember.

I always enjoy reading the "Noir" forum on this site, but it can get a bit confusing with attempts to get all sorts of films classified under the genre - especially when "Noir Tinged" and "Noir Stained" are used as evidence.

[SleazyForWeasley]

When do we expect the next Flash Sale? March/April?

[MifuneFan]

Last year it was on March 5th, but the years before that it's been late February.

[monorail91]

Originally Posted by StarDestroyer52

The elements are probably a big reason why there is a lack of Garbo on Blu. Queen Christina is the Garbo I would like to see on Blu the most and since it hasn't a re-release by WAC believe it is probably the most likely Garbo film to get the Criterion treatment.

Hellll yeah Queen Christina! Been waiting for that since I saw it on FilmStruck.

[theater dreamer]

Tell me about Punch Drunk Love, guys.

I'm a big Paul Thomas Anderson fan, but that's one movie I have not yet seen. Most of his films, I loved with the first viewing. Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread-brilliant. The Master, however, didn't grab me. I've only watched it one time, and, quite honestly, given who was involved in the movie, and the acclaim surrounding it, I felt there was something wrong with me. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a god to me, as is Joaquin Phoenix. Rami Malek, Laura Dern, Amy Adams...I mean, that's like my dream cast. Anyway, I've ordered it, so I can watch it again.

Sell me on Adam Sandler as a dramatic actor.

[Flapperdame16]

I really wanna get in on the next flash sale- I don't wanna wait until July to get Fail Safe!!!!