The Criterion Collection

[jw007]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I like Red best out of the three. All three films stand up well on their own terms, but Red has such a great pairing of actor talent and such an interesting setting that it stands a little taller.

I had a great time going through Blue again tonight, though. I love how we see a healing process unfold before our eyes, both in physical and emotional terms.

I miss the blissful ignorance that I had about the film's framing that I had before reading about the complaints in this forum. I never noticed when I watched the film on the Criterion DVD. I'm all good with the presentation, though.

very cool... i think irene jacob stole the show in terms of that trilogy...binoche was good too but it was jacob's defining role...the movies in that trilogy are so sublime that its hard to put into words the feelings a person can experience from watching it all... i think that trilogy defines what "Arthouse cinema" truly is.

[Namuhana]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

In the event they don't have it on the shelf (July 30th street), you can always order from B&N.com (I know abt coups & picking your copy). I pre-ordered and

[Show spoiler]got mine yesterday

.

I keep checking the B&N site to see if it's still at my store, but, unfortunately, it now says it's out of stock. I might just order it from B&N.com then (I hate paying sales tax, though; it's always been free on Amazon in Ohio).

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

very cool... i think irene jacob stole the show in terms of that trilogy...binoche was good too but it was jacob's defining role...the movies in that trilogy are so sublime that its hard to put into words the feelings a person can experience from watching it all... i think that trilogy defines what "Arthouse cinema" truly is.

I went to college in Atlanta during the early 1990s, and remember seeing ads for the Three Colors movies in the newspaper back then. Before I even saw the movies, I associated them with art house cinema, because of the ads and the off-the-beaten-path theaters where the movies were featured.

That was actually my first time seeing Julie Delpy, because her image in this ad was featured prominently at the time...

[Show spoiler]

Like most dudes in the early 1990s who stumbled across this poster ad, I was immediately intrigued. Delpy's character is not even the main character, but it's a wonderful ad nonetheless, and it captures the focus and intent of the plot. Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to see the movie until many years later.

I get to revisit it tonight, in fact, barring any unforeseen plans.


I did take a look at my Blu-ray disc of White, and I do not see anything on the disc indicating that it is a second printing. I'm going to watch it in sequence with the other movies this weekend anyway, since I likely won't notice any audio shortcomings on my current setup, but I'm planning to mail my disc back to get a "future proof" copy for when I do upgrade my audio gear.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

I've seen Carrie and loved it. I also picked up Dressed to Kill today, so hopefully I can squeeze that in soon. I was interested in Body Double, but couldn't suck up the $40 (after Canadian shipping).

Dressed to kill is an awesomely sleazy treat. There are some sweet nods to Hitchcock too.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

However, I expect Casualties of War to rank near the bottom for you.

This brings back some memories. I rented Casualties of War back in the late 1980s when it first came available for VHS rental.

This was an edgy film at the time, because most of us associated Michael J. Fox with the Family Ties TV show and the (awesome) Back to the Future movies. Casualties of War and Bright Lights, Big City were two Michael J. Fox roles that pushed the envelope for the public perception of him as an actor without pushing the envelope too far. I give him credit for being willing to go for the variety in his roles.

I'm sure that Casualties of War is still an edgy film, because of the subject matter. I never had an urge to see it a second time, though.

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

I love all the films in the three colors trilogy but I always wondered why White doesn't get much attention. I think it's the most accesible of the three and has the most replay value. I guess cause it's kinda the oddball of the three. Being the only one with a male protaganist and a comedy of sorts. I think all three bring something different to the table and couldn't pick a favorite.

Because by going for a few laughs and not being as 'serious and heavy' as the others therefore it *must* be a lesser film, so it goes, unfortunately.

The cycle is about as good as such thematic trilogies get, as each film is remarkable enough on its own but only embellished by their relation to one another. I'll echo that Red remains the pinnacle of the cycle for me: a transcendent rumination on love and friendship (presaging the just-as-excellent Lost in Translation, a film of kindred spirit)--as well as the foibles of time. I also love how the place of Geneva is captured.

But similar such can be said about each film in the trilogy. A must-have Criterion offering, if you ask me.

[Abdrewes]

This is the problem with Casualties of War: it's a hollow film. DePalma, at his best, is a meta-reflective filmmaker: someone who plays with images and genre tropes, not a filmmaker whose strong suit is interpreting real world events. The joy of watching his films is in the constant winking he levied at his audience, however Casualties of War, he's dead serious...and I don't buy it. Keep it sleazy, visually dazzling, and meta.

DePalma is one of my favorite filmmakers, yet Casualties of War ranks among my least favorite war films alongside Pearl Harbor.

[SammyJankis]

Three Colors can stand on their own as separate pieces. You can pluck one out and judge them for their own merits and they'll still shine as a cinematic gem, but it's when you place them together, one by one, that the richness, brilliance and beauty becomes apparent. The buildup to that very last scene in Red is one of the most rewarding and powerful moments in film. Rarely has freeze-frame been utilized so successfully.

And I love Jacob, but Binoche, for my money, gives the performance in the trilogy. One of the all time great performances. I think Jacob gives a better performance in Veronique.

[Lutz]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

This is the problem with Casualties of War: it's a hollow film. DePalma, at his best, is a meta-reflective filmmaker: someone who plays with images and genre tropes, not a filmmaker whose strong suit is interpreting real world events. The joy of watching his films is in the constant winking he levied at his audience, however Casualties of War, he's dead serious...and I don't buy it. Keep it sleazy, visually dazzling, and meta.

DePalma is one of my favorite filmmakers, yet Casualties of War ranks among my least favorite war films alongside Pearl Harbor.

You didn't find anything sleazy and self reflexive in DePalma turning Vietnam into an exploitation film? Those elements certainly clicked for me after the first 15mins when you discover that the story is about

[Show spoiler]soldiers who get themselves a rape victim

which in true DePalma fashion he then deadpans to the extreme. All of the sleazy, visually dazzling, meta elements are there even if it is still second rate DePalma.

[Abdrewes]

Lutz, I felt that plot element was there for cheap effect, it kind of turns the film into a flaccid morality play. I didn't really view it as anything meta.

[Lutz]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Lutz, I felt that plot element was there for cheap effect, it kind of turns the film into a flaccid morality play. I didn't really view it as anything meta.

And I don't really believe that DePalma is meta.

[The Bronx Bull]

Originally Posted by sc1957

Babette's Feast
A film for "foodies?" Hardly something that would interest me. But something did, and I sat down to watch.

On a barren coast of Denmark a group of strictly religious elderly people is led by two women... the daughters of the Dean and prophet who founded the group. These people care nothing for the joys of life on Earth. For them, life won't really begin until they enter Heaven. Since they care nothing for Earthly matters, they're satisfied with a daily diet of boiled cod and soup made of bread, ale, and water. Their clothes are simple and black, and their houses are grey.

Into their lives comes a refugee from the upheavals of revolutionary France. Babette has nothing and has nowhere else to go. The sisters take her in as a cook and housekeeper, and Babette thrives even though she speaks very little Danish.

When the sisters declare that there will be a special celebration in honor of their deceased father, they're expecting a simple quiet gathering with the usual ale bread soup. But Babbete surprises them by asking if she can prepare a real French dinner. The sisters agree, but as Babette gathers the quail, turtle, wines, and other components of the dinner she's planning, the congregation looks on with trepidation. They resolve to eat the dinner but to not speak a single word -- either praise or distaste -- about the food.

Eleven members of the congregation attend the dinner. There's also one outsider. He's a worldly man who's lived in Paris and has enjoyed fine dining. And only he understands the artistry and effort that Babbette has put into the meal. But the congregants, even though they don't realize it, also come to learn something about the joys of Earthly pleasures.

Criterion's package includes the short story that the film is based on. It was written by a Danish author (Karen Blixen writing as Isak Disnesen) and it first appeared in 1950 in the quintessential American homemaker's magazine Ladies Home Journal. I think it's fascinating that such a magazine -- a magazine my grandmothers read -- would publish such as story.

You have a knack for summarizing, sans spoilers, in such a way that amplifies the anticipation of watching a film. Thanks!

[nametag]

Originally Posted by sc1957

The Devil's Backbone
I've always been on the fence about Guillermo del Toro's films. I own Pan's Labyrinth and think it's beautiful, but I don't watch it often. I thought Cronos was OK but nothing special (though Ron Perlman is fantastic). I thought the Hellboy films were awful (and still don't know why I went to see Hellboy II.) And I think "horror" films suck. Their central ideas may be scary, but the execution of those ideas is always a let down. And they're usually full of false jump scares -- cats hiding behind curtains, and so on. But I don't think The Devil's Backbone is a horror film, although it features a ghost and although horrible things happen.

The scene is an orphanage in the middle of a desolate plain. This orphanage quietly cares for the children of Republicans... the forces in 1930s Spain who were loyal to the democratically elected government when military forces staged a coup and overthrew that government. The orphanage is just barely hanging on, and almost everyone involved with it is haunted by something in their past. And there's a ghost that's haunting the orphanage... a boy who drowned there. But he's not the ghost that's important. There's another ghost... the still-living ghost of a man who will destroy the orphanage.

It's a film filled with sensitive portraits of every character, beautiful images, and thought-provoking ideas.

I posted this on another forum, but I've never quite seen the love for Devil's Backbone, personally, though I do like it. It has an interesting premise, sure, but I didn't find it particularly scary, and the narrative and pacing just seemed 'off' somehow. The relationships between the characters (particularly between Jacinto and Carmen) never seemed that realistic or developed to me, and I found it hard to emotionally engage with any of them. I feel like Pan's Labyrinth explored similar themes far more effectively.

Separately, I saw Wild Strawberries for the first time last night, wow, really loved it. It felt surprisingly accessible for its age, really well-written, and I like how it didn't end with a completely A Christmas Carol-like transformative happy ending, but something a bit more subtle and bittersweet. Having seen Fanny and Alexander, Cries and Whispers, Persona, and now this one thing that I think Bergman does really well is dream sequences and/or surrealism. It never seems thrown in to seem weird for the sake of it, but always has a point and isn't overplayed.

I need to re-watch the Seventh Seal, the only other one of his I've seen, as I was 18 and didn't really get it when I first watched it. But any others at the top of peoples lists that would be recommended? Autumn Sonata, Hour of the Wolf and Scenes from a Marriage sound interesting, but what of the others Criterion have released?

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Lutz

And I don't really believe that DePalma is meta.

Not even Body Double?

[The Great Owl]

An upcoming film, Enemy, which is directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Isabella Rossellini, is about a man (Gyllenhaal) who who hunts down his exact look-alike after seeing him in a movie.

The movie is based on a novel, The Double, by Jose Saramago, but, obviously, I started thinking about The Double Life of Veronique when I read the news story in the Movies forum earlier.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

An upcoming film, Enemy, which is directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Isabella Rossellini, is about a man (Gyllenhaal) who who hunts down his exact look-alike after seeing him in a movie.

The movie is based on a novel, The Double, by Jose Saramago, but, obviously, I started thinking about The Double Life of Veronique when I read the news story in the Movies forum earlier.

Yeah, I thought that too. lol.

[Namuhana]

Could anyone give me some suggestions for my collection? So far I have:

Beauty and the Beast
The Seventh Seal
The Red Shoes
Charade
Rushmore
Black Narcissus
Rashomon
8 1/2
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Breathless
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Hunger
Vivre Sa Vie
The Thin Red Line
The Night of the Hunter
Kiss Me Deadly
Weekend (2011)

And I have The Devil's Backbone and 3 Films by Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman pre-ordered. Are there any essential films that I should have in my collection? I've watched many films released by Criterion this summer, so I might have seen one of your suggestions already (which could be a good thing).

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Namuhana

Could anyone give me some suggestions for my collection? So far I have:

Beauty and the Beast
The Seventh Seal
The Red Shoes
Charade
Rushmore
Black Narcissus
Rashomon
8 1/2
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Breathless
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Hunger
Vivre Sa Vie
The Thin Red Line
The Night of the Hunter
Kiss Me Deadly
Weekend (2011)

And I have The Devil's Backbone and 3 Films by Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman pre-ordered. Are there any essential films that I should have in my collection? I've watched many films released by Criterion this summer, so I might have seen one of your suggestions already (which could be a good thing).

You might really enjoy The Wages of Fear, Stagecoach, M, Sweet Smell of Success, or Bigger Than Life.

Check out the reviews here to see if any of those quicken your pulse.

[Abdrewes]

I own every release except for Fat Girl and Tiny Furniture now

[nametag]

Originally Posted by Namuhana

Could anyone give me some suggestions for my collection? So far I have:

Beauty and the Beast
The Seventh Seal
The Red Shoes
Charade
Rushmore
Black Narcissus
Rashomon
8 1/2
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Breathless
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Hunger
Vivre Sa Vie
The Thin Red Line
The Night of the Hunter
Kiss Me Deadly
Weekend (2011)

And I have The Devil's Backbone and 3 Films by Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman pre-ordered. Are there any essential films that I should have in my collection? I've watched many films released by Criterion this summer, so I might have seen one of your suggestions already (which could be a good thing).

My fave modern films you've put there are Weekend and Hunger, and my fave classics are probably the Powell/Pressburgers and Night of the Hunter. Snap decision for me - Weekend and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. VERY modern gay relationship drama and epic, life-spanning rumination on war, love and friendship. And both British

However these questions are slightly pointless since it's hard to know what you're looking for, what you care most about as far as your BD purchases go, and what your tastes are....