The Criterion Collection

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Whoa, hope you did something to spoil her too

Damn, I'm thinking I should get married one of these days. She got any sisters in India

Yes, she definitely got just as spoiled as me! And our kids did amazing. A pretty wonderful Christmas all around at our house, especially seeing the kids faces. Magical!

And I am not try to brag or be showy... It was only a few years ago that I was poor as dirt and we had very small Christmases. And if there is anyone here in that situation, just roll with the punches and work very hard... Life will help you out! I hope that everyone is doing great!

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

I finally watched 8 1/2 (I bought it a year or two ago) and HATED it. I've never had this kind of reaction to a Criterion movie before! I just hated watching the main character and found the movie noisy and incoherent. He was such an emotional cripple and not in an interesting way, he just was a boring turd whose treatment of everyone else was offensive and whose exhausted demeanor made watching him a chore! I don't really even know how to rationalize my reaction to the movie, it was just some kind of violent, visceral hatred. I dunno what the story is. I love a lot of other Italian movies from the time, everything from the weirdo exploitation movies to horror movies to Antonioni, but this just was like fingernails on a blackboard for the entire running time. I had a similar reaction to La Dolce Vita back in college, but I figured that was just me being in a bad mood that day or something and figured several years later that it was time to give Fellini another shot.

My film snob credentials are forever revoked!

I did manage to wash the bad taste out of my mouth by watching "Two Days and One Night," and I sure hope Marion Cotillard gets some more recognition for this. She did win a few awards like the NYFCC best actress, but I am guessing the Oscars will just nominate Jennifer Aniston over her or something.

I feel the same way about 8 1/2. I own the blu ray, I blind bought it years ago. Thought that the movie wasn't funny, the surreal elements were kind of lame, and it was rather incoherent. I usually love this kind of stuff, but couldn't get into it at all. I suppose I should revisit it when I gets a chance, because I have avoided all Fellini because of it.

[ijustblumyself]

I loved 8 1/2 the very first time I saw it. It's one of my all time favourites.

[jw007]

I'm having trouble falling asleep because my mind is racing with all of these ambitious ideas after having just watched an amazing film called 20,000 Days on Earth. It's an innovative fiction-documentary on Nick Cave and there were just so many things in this film that inspired me. I'm already a fan of his but now this guy just blows me away even more after having seen this movie. Amazing picture quality, sound and its a well edited film.

[Vinyl]

I think it took me 8 years to buy 8 1/2. The first time watching it I liked it but had no idea what was going on plot-wise so watched it quickly after so I wouldn't feel so confused.

The next time was a few years after and enjoyed it even more and got more out of it because of my experiences from the first viewing.

The next time was years after that and I thought it was a masterpiece.

It definitely requires at least 2 viewings to appreciate and understand what Fellini was trying to convey and get out of his head.

[SammyJankis]

My second viewing of 8 1/2 had left me wondering what I found so difficult in the first place. It's easier to grasp on repeated viewings. It also helps if you work with some of Fellini's earlier films and move on up.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

My second viewing of 8 1/2 had left me wondering what I found so difficult in the first place. It's easier to grasp on repeated viewings. It also helps if you work with some of Fellini's earlier films and move on up.

I've seen 8 1/2 twice on the big screen, and while I appreciate it as art, it's not a film that resonates for me emotionally. I much prefer those earlier Fellini films you alluded to, especially I Vitelloni and La Strada. The latter is my favorite of the director's entire canon; Giulietta Masina's performance is astounding.

Another Fellini film that I am not particularly fond of is the forthcoming Criterion addition, Fellini Satyricon. I have seen it once on the big screen during a Fellini retrospective, and then purchased the DVD. Perhaps I should be embarrassed to admit it, but it's apparently way over my head.

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Another Fellini film that I am not particularly fond of is the forthcoming Criterion addition, Fellini Satyricon. I have seen it once on the big screen during a Fellini retrospective, and then purchased the DVD. Perhaps I should be embarrassed to admit it, but it's apparently way over my head.

While it does help to have some background for that one, it is probably not as over your head as you think! This is a comical film, give up trying to take it serious or put it all together and laugh with it. might help you appreciate it a bit more.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

I got a nice little haul from my family today: 'The Killing' to finish off my Kubrick collection, 'Sanjuro', and 'The Uninvited' on Criterion, and 'Hang 'em High'. It's going to be a nice weekend lol.

Nice... queue up the popcorn and beverages!

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

The fiancé got me La Dolce Vita, which I love. Fun fact: she spent two months in Rome last summer for a law school study abroad program, so it'll be fun to have her point out some of the spots she's been!

Awesome! That'd be a great way to watch the film!

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

I worked with someone years ago, who was in her late 40s or early 50s, and would not watch any movie that wasn't in color. I couldn't believe it. When I asked her about classics like Casablanca, and her answer was if it's really that good they'll remake it in color.

I had a similar experience. It was back when Woody Allen's Manhattan was released, and a work colleague who was about my age (mid-20s at the time) complained about feeling "cheated" when he saw the movie because it was in black and white. He said he felt the same way about Young Frankenstein a few years earlier.

There's nothing to be done with a person like that, other than to smile and back away slowly.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jmclick

I do watch some TV series, like The Walking Dead, but not on broadcast television; I wait and buy them on blu-ray. When someone starts to ask, "Have you seen the commercial where ..." I enjoy being able to start shaking my head before they've finished the question.

I watch a fair amount of TV shows. I don't often watch them as they're broadcast, though. Everything that my wife and I like to watch is programmed on the DVR, and we typically watch whatever it is the following day, and fast-forward through the ad breaks.

That said, we actually do find some commercials entertaining to watch, and will pause during our fast-forwarding through the ad breaks to watch particular ones. There are some that no longer get aired that we actually miss, like the phone company "It's not complicated" campaign where an adult asks a group of children a question, and they give very funny, unscripted answers. The funniest one is the man asking if it's better to be fast or slow, and this girl answers "Fast, because if you're slow, you might get bitten by a werewolf, and then you'll have to stay indoors, and get shaved all the time because you're too hot..."

More often than not, however, the commercials that we find truly creative and entertaining are the ones that don't really do their job, because we rarely remember what product or service they're trying to sell. The aforementioned ad campaign is for a phone company, but we're damned if we can remember which one.

Monica Vitti certainly is gorgeous, but Gene Tierney will always be "it" for me.

There are far too many actresses who are gorgeous beyond reason (and not in a generic Hollywood model sort of way). The one who never fails to make me sigh, though, is Maureen O'Sullivan.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I had a similar experience. It was back when Woody Allen's Manhattan was released, and a work colleague who was about my age (mid-20s at the time) complained about feeling "cheated" when he saw the movie because it was in black and white. He said he felt the same way about Young Frankenstein a few years earlier.

There's nothing to be done with a person like that, other than to smile and back away slowly.

Yeah, it's pretty true. Most people I have met that feel that way about B&W movies, they usually don't have what I call "good film acumen." I know that sounds snobish, and it really is, but I just feel that way sometimes. I get so frustrated by things like that, and people who think the Fast and The Furious movies are the greatest movies ever made (and just to be honest, I did see the first two).

So if that makes me a film snob, then so be it, I'm used to it... because when it comes to music, here is a prefect representation of my friends and I:

[Show spoiler]

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Yeah, same here. My tastes run from southern gospel style music, to thrash, metal, and other such music on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

There are a number of genres of music that I don't tend to listen to, but almost none that I really can't abide listening to. My preferences, however, run to 60s rock/pop, blues, big band, and British/Celtic folk rock. Three of those four are the most played Sirius XM channels in the car: 40s on 4, 60s on 6, and B.B. King's Bluesville. I keep meaning to look for an SXM channel for the B/C folk rock.

On a completely different note, re: The Last Emperor:

yeah, i've always found it a little odd, and a little sad, that it wasn't in Chinese...

Well, I'm sure it wouldn't have been easy for Bertolucci to film it in Chinese, given that (as far as I know), he doesn't speak it.

I love the film, but find it somewhat depressing to watch. There's a particular Chinese-American actress in the film, Maggie Han (she played the collaborator Eastern Jewel), who I think is a terrific actress, but this film was her only real claim to fame (she also had a couple of short-run TV shows where she was the female lead).

The last thing I saw her in was a very funny and clever mid-90s indie film directed by Robert Wuhl called Open Season. I first saw this film at the Boston Film Festival, and got a chance to talk with Wuhl afterwards. He told me that Han had gotten discouraged by her failure to get a successful acting career going, and gave it up to go to medical school.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Marlow27

I'd also hope that people who are passionate about great filmmaking don't deprive themselves of some of the great art that tv has produced i.e. The Sopranos, Deadwood, Twilight Zone, and a whole bunch of others.

Generally, when someone has an agenda to present, they might refer only to the best examples of what they think is good, while referring only to the worst examples of what they think is bad. It's far too easy to dismiss television by pointing to the bad shows, while saying that film produces some great art by citing some of the finest examples from the world of cinema. The truth is that there are a lot of TV shows that are far, far better works of art than a lot of movies.

If I had to make a "desert island" selection, the very first thing that would go on it is the five seasons of The Wire. I wouldn't even hesitate.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Esquire Magazine has this list of 75 Movies Every Man Should See. A friend posted this on my Facebook wall earlier, and I had fun going through all of the selections.

The Criterion Collection is represented quite well on the list.

In the comments below the list, somebody helpfully posted all of the titles for people like me who dislike the slideshow interface on websites. I took it upon myself to bold the Criterion titles.

I took it upon myself to bold (in red) the eight Criterion films you missed because they were only released by Criterion on laserdisc.

(You also missed Broadcast News.)

[Show spoiler]In the Heat of the Night
Slap Shot
Iron Man
Jaws
Save the Tiger
12 Angry Men
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Chinatown
The Godfather
Fitzcarraldo
Ghostbusters
Glory
Wall Street
Runaway Train
Rosemary's Baby
North by Northwest
Lone Star
The Good, Bad and Ugly
The Conversation
The Thin Blue Line
Johnny Dangerously
The French Connection
Miller's Crossing
The Great Escape
Dawn of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead
Hate
First Blood
Bottle Rocket
Bad Day at Black Rock
Tootsie
Broadcast News
The Terminator
Shakes the Clown
Dirty Harry
Straw Dogs
Raging Bull
Citizen Kane
The Shining
Fatal Attraction
The Incredibles
Blade Runner
Sling Blade
Giant
Glengarry Glen Ross
Serpico
Down by Law
The Searchers
Do The Right Thing
Gone Baby Gone
The Big Kahuna
Mash
The Verdict
The Warriors
Alien
Stalag 17
Bridge on the River Kwai
The Misfits
Reservoir Dogs
The Maltese Falcon
Dr. No
Cool Hand Luke
The Road Warrior
Patton
True Romance
Run Silent Run Deep
All Quiet on the Western Front
Platoon
Caddyshack
Hud
Blazing Saddles
Three Kings
Paths of Glory
On the Waterfront

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Hubunkey

And these were released by CC on LD so they should count also

You beat me to it.

Ghostbusters
North By Northwest
The Great Escape
Bad Day At Black Rock
Raging Bull
Citizen Kane
Blade Runner
Sling Blade
Bridge on the River Kwai
Dr. No

However, The Bridge on the River Kwai was never released by Criterion, even on LD. On the other hand, you caught Sling Blade and I didn't.

[MifuneFan]

Deep Discount currently has a 15% off site-wide sale. They also have a Criterion sale going on as well, so most $39.99 MSRP titles go down to under $20. The sale is good for the next 3 days.

Code: MYGIFT
Criterion Sale


I noticed they also have An Autumn Afternoon discounted too even though it's a pre-order (all others aren't). Might be the best price you get on it until the next 50% off sale from Criterion or B&N

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Deep Discount currently has a 15% off site-wide sale. They also have a Criterion sale going on as well, so most $39.99 MSRP titles go down to under $20. The sale is good for the next 3 days.

Code: MYGIFT
Criterion Sale


I noticed they also have An Autumn Afternoon discounted too even though it's a pre-order (all others aren't). Might be the best price you get on it until the next 50% off sale from Criterion or B&N

Thanks for the info... going to go raid my piggy bank.

[jayembee]

I didn't get any Criterions for Christmas, but (a) I didn't expect to, and (b) I'm not done yet. The wife and I spent Christmas Eve with her parents (along with her brother's family) and Christmas Day with her sister's family. Tomorrow, we spend with my family.

I still don't expect any specific movies. My family never counts on being able to guess what I have in my collection already, and what I don't. I did get an Amazon gift card from one sister, but I'll probably use that for some Cinema Guild or Cohen Media titles that I've been faunching after.

I did get three Scandanavian crime novels I wanted, though, so I'm happy.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I had a similar experience. It was back when Woody Allen's Manhattan was released, and a work colleague who was about my age (mid-20s at the time) complained about feeling "cheated" when he saw the movie because it was in black and white. He said he felt the same way about Young Frankenstein a few years earlier.

There's nothing to be done with a person like that, other than to smile and back away slowly.

I had this conversation with my mother on the way to see Exodus (which, wasn't really that good, because we both kept comparing it to The Ten Commandments and felt Bale was phoning it in), and she said part of the reason why she doesn't necessarily watch B&W films really depends on genre. For example, Night of the Hunter is a film she has no problem viewing in B&W, because it suits it. However, in comparison, she said she wishes a film like The Big Sky would be better off in colour, just given the name and the wide landscapes. She thinks the Western genre is better suited for colour than B&W.