The Criterion Collection

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by JasonMichael

I like 4 because of the presence of Corinne Bohrer, who I always had a crush on. (It's also the first credit for David Spade) The first four were good, dumb, fun comedies. I think I will throw one on now.

Poor Corinne Bohrer, in Police Academy 4 she plays Zed's love interest, in Revenge of the Nerds 4 she plays Booger's love interest.

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

As tempting as Police Academy 2 always is, I went with RCRochester's advice (I'm not the OP, BTW) and watched Honky Tonk Freeway.

HOLY CRAP! How have I never heard of this before???

The cast is loaded! Everyone you can think of shows up here: Beau Bridges and Beverly D'Angelo, Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, Howard Hesseman and Teri Garr, Daniel Stern pre-Home Alone and Peter Billingsley before A Christmas Story, and William Devane as the mayor who is also the minister and who knows what else.

If you're like me and this is one of the few '80s movies you've never seen (and/or heard of), do yourself a favor and track it down (or watch it on The Criterion Channel).

Thanks, RC!

Glad you liked it!

I had never heard of it before either, but I was intrigued when I saw the picture of the elephant on waterskis and was pleasantly surprised because I enjoy this type of early 80s comedy. Geraldine Page is also in it and I watched it about a week after I watched her Oscar winning performance in The Trip To Bountiful and I thought it was just a strange contrast.

I'm gonna throw another comedy recommendation from the Criterion Channel out there for everyone: Uptown Saturday Night - airing as part of the Sidney Poitier tribute, as long as you're not triggered by the presence of Bill Cosby it's another fun comedy from the era of black themed movies from the 70s.

[zw94]

We need to get some Denis Villeneuve in the collection!

August 32nd on Earth and Maelstrom have never been released on Blu-ray, and Polytechnique is out of print.

These 3 films would make a nice boxset showcasing his early work!

[chocolat]

Polytechnique is definitely worthy imo. Haven't seen the other two so can't comment

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

I'm gonna throw another comedy recommendation from the Criterion Channel out there for everyone: Uptown Saturday Night - airing as part of the Sidney Poitier tribute, as long as you're not triggered by the presence of Bill Cosby it's another fun comedy from the era of black themed movies from the 70s.

On the one hand, I've wanted to see this for years.

On the other hand, I have never, ever found Bill Cosby funny - even before he was exposed as a serial rapist. His slow way of speaking, befuddled dad act, judgmental diatribes - I just never got the appeal. (Ditto for Louis C.K. He's another one who does nothing for me.)

I did like The Cosby Show as a kid, but when I tried to rewatch it 10+ years ago (again, before all of this really came out), I found it hadn't aged well at all. A Different World has aged very well though. I think it's better now than it was then.

Sidney is amazing though!

(BTW, are any of the Sidney movies expiring right away? If not, I'll marathon most/all of them at some point.)

[LPMA]

Originally Posted by chocolat

Polytechnique is definitely worthy imo. Haven't seen the other two so can't comment

Polytechnique would make for a nice package too as they filmed a French and an English version simultaneously. There's also a LOT of material they could use if they wanted to include things about the real life events that inspired the film.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

On the one hand, I've wanted to see this for years.

On the other hand, I have never, ever found Bill Cosby funny - even before he was exposed as a serial rapist. His slow way of speaking, befuddled dad act, judgmental diatribes - I just never got the appeal. (Ditto for Louis C.K. He's another one who does nothing for me.)

I did like The Cosby Show as a kid, but when I tried to rewatch it 10+ years ago (again, before all of this really came out), I found it hadn't aged well at all. A Different World has aged very well though. I think it's better now than it was then.

Sidney is amazing though!

I used to watch Cosby Show as a kid too and liked it back then, though I have yet to revisit it (and have no desire to either). I remember my dad though would tell me that it was crap and that he couldn't stand Cosby. I guess he was on to something back then. But prior to the controversy, I also came to see what my dad was getting at because I got tired of Cosby's act real fast, particularly the sanctimonious attitude he took towards other comedians.

Back to Uptown Saturday Night, there is one scene where Cosby does a bit of his old "flizzim, flozzum, bizzim, bozzum" routine, or whatever you want to call it, but apart from that he just kind of plays the character as normal. The movie also co-stars Harry Belafonte, who like Sidney is another class act, and there is a cameo by Richard Pryor, so they more than make up for things and I was able to really enjoy the film and I want to see the two pseudo-sequels now.

[AaronJ]

I was unaware that Polytechnique was OOP. I'm glad I grabbed a copy while it was available.

I totally concur that it would be an excellent addition to the Collection. As would, frankly, any of his films. He's one of my favorite contemporary directors, so I'm biased.

[BluProofie]

Anyone have noir recommendations for this sale?

[joy-division]

Would love a Diff'rent Strokes collection

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

Anyone have noir recommendations for this sale?

"The Asphalt Jungle", "Sweet Smell of Success", and "Thief".

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

Anyone have noir recommendations for this sale?

The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Seconds, Fail-Safe.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Seconds, Fail-Safe.

I wouldn't consider "Seconds" a noir personally but it's still an excellent film regardless.

[145gtw]

Originally Posted by bluproofie

anyone have noir recommendations for this sale?

Probably not the purest noir examples, but still in the ballpark.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

I'm gonna throw another comedy recommendation from the Criterion Channel out there for everyone: Uptown Saturday Night - airing as part of the Sidney Poitier tribute, as long as you're not triggered by the presence of Bill Cosby it's another fun comedy from the era of black themed movies from the 70s.

I have (on DVD) and enjoy that entire "trilogy": Uptown Saturday Night, Let's Do It Again, and A Piece of the Action, though there definitely are diminishing returns as you go from one to the next. I put "trilogy" in quotes because they really aren't connected, other than all being directed by Poitier and co-starring him and Cosby. A lot of fun, and a lot of great black character actors.

It's a shame that they'll probably never get BD releases from WAC, given Cosby's current reputation.

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

On the other hand, I have never, ever found Bill Cosby funny - even before he was exposed as a serial rapist. His slow way of speaking, befuddled dad act, judgmental diatribes - I just never got the appeal. (Ditto for Louis C.K. He's another one who does nothing for me.)

I did like The Cosby Show as a kid, but when I tried to rewatch it 10+ years ago (again, before all of this really came out), I found it hadn't aged well at all. A Different World has aged very well though. I think it's better now than it was then.

I always enjoyed Cosby, going back to his days as a stand-up who released some hysterically funny comedy albums. His albums Why Is There Air? and Wonderfulness are comic gold. And I remember back as a kid, one of the local (Boston-area) radio stations would air a syndicated 15-minute radio show of his on Sunday nights that I'd listen to under the covers on my transistor radio.

And I loved him in the TV series I Spy. He and Robert Culp played really well off each other.

I think that's why a lot of people, certainly those of my general age, were crushed to learn that he was such a despicable person. A lot of people would say, "Don't confuse Bill Cosby with Cliff Huxtable", but I rarely watched The Cosby Show, and my prior opinions of him weren't based on that series, but what he'd done before that.

Sidney is amazing though!

As an actor, very definitely. As a director, he was a mixed bag. His early films -- from Buck and the Preacher (1970) through Stir Crazy (1980) -- were lots of fun, but his final three were "meh" at best, with his final film as director, Ghost Dad being largely reviled (and for good reason).

I really wish Sony would release (or license to Criterion, Indicator, or anyone) The Bedford Incident. And that WAC would do the same with Blackboard Jungle.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

I wouldn't consider "Seconds" a noir personally but it's still an excellent film regardless.

My bad, I completely skipped over the noir part of the tiny sentence.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

Anyone have noir recommendations for this sale?

Detour

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I really wish Sony would release (or license to Criterion, Indicator, or anyone) The Bedford Incident. And that WAC would do the same with Blackboard Jungle.

The Bedford Incident would be a perfect film to go alongside Fail-Safe and Dr. Strangelove. Someone released it in France but I haven't heard anything about that release PQ or AQ wise. I also will second, Blackboard Jungle.

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

Anyone have noir recommendations for this sale?

My favorite noir in the entire collection. Blew me away the first time I watched it and has continued to impress me with subsequent viewings. It's easily entrenched in my all time top ten regardless of genre.

[145gtw]

Received my email from Susan at Criterion. Flash sale starts tomorrow at noon.

[JasonMichael]

Originally Posted by bonehica

My favorite noir in the entire collection. Blew me away the first time I watched it and has continued to impress me with subsequent viewings. It's easily entrenched in my all time top ten regardless of genre.

Amazing film.