The Criterion Collection

[SlickDamian]

My girlfriend and I watched Boyhood a couple of nights ago for the first time. I was enthralled by it. It was a very unique and moving experience watching the characters grow up in front of your eyes. Obviously it's incredible and the central part of the movie watching Mason grow from a boy to a man, but all of the characters, even the adults, grew in profound ways. And it all felt so natural and organic. This is probably the best movie of the decade, and an instant classic. Linklater definitely deserves the Oscar for Best Director, and the film should win Best Picture.
Now I really want Criterion to release the Before trilogy, and for that matter, more of Linklater's filmography.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I've been collecting Criterion blu-rays for years and consider myself a serious film fan, even if I don't get a chance to watch as many as I'd like. However, I don't own any samurai films in my Criterion collection, and I feel that this is the one area where my collection is lacking. Can you guys recommend the best Criterion blu-ray as a starting point for samurai films? For whatever reason, I've never felt the desire to buy Seven Samurai, which I'm sure is where I should probably start.

I think Seven Samurai will be the first people will recommend

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

My girlfriend and I watched Boyhood a couple of nights ago for the first time. I was enthralled by it. It was a very unique and moving experience watching the characters grow up in front of your eyes. Obviously it's incredible and the central part of the movie watching Mason grow from a boy to a man, but all of the characters, even the adults, grew in profound ways. And it all felt so natural and organic. This is probably the best movie of the decade, and an instant classic. Linklater definitely deserves the Oscar for Best Director, and the film should win Best Picture.
Now I really want Criterion to release the Before trilogy, and for that matter, more of Linklater's filmography.

I couldn't stand Boyhood, it was for me a HUGE let down. The sae characters used over the year felt like a gimmick for me, also the acting was terrible, Patricia Arquette was great though and she felt th most genuine and real to me.

I also found the story to be a bit... empty? I think it would have been a better film had the run time been a bit longer so certain scenes could have developed a bit further... I don't know lol

[deepbreathsanddeath]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I've been collecting Criterion blu-rays for years and consider myself a serious film fan, even if I don't get a chance to watch as many as I'd like. However, I don't own any samurai films in my Criterion collection, and I feel that this is the one area where my collection is lacking. Can you guys recommend the best Criterion blu-ray as a starting point for samurai films? For whatever reason, I've never felt the desire to buy Seven Samurai, which I'm sure is where I should probably start.

As far as overall packages go, Seven Samurai is the best for a single samurai film. The best samurai film I've seen is Harakiri though. VERY different to Seven Samurai (which I really enjoy, don't get me wrong. Sword of Doom will probably be the next samurai film I buy. I seem to prefer dark, edgy samurai films over the ones Kurosawa makes.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

My girlfriend and I watched Boyhood a couple of nights ago for the first time. I was enthralled by it. It was a very unique and moving experience watching the characters grow up in front of your eyes. Obviously it's incredible and the central part of the movie watching Mason grow from a boy to a man, but all of the characters, even the adults, grew in profound ways. And it all felt so natural and organic. This is probably the best movie of the decade, and an instant classic. Linklater definitely deserves the Oscar for Best Director, and the film should win Best Picture.
Now I really want Criterion to release the Before trilogy, and for that matter, more of Linklater's filmography.

I've not watche sit yet, but try Throne of Blood, its the Macbeth story but in a samurai film (I think!) If you are a fan of that story you may find ti easier to enjoy? Or Hidden Fortress which inspired Star Wars.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I can only think of Breaking the Waves in terms of the destruction of the soul. But off the top of my head I can't think of many that focus on suicide or true misery.

Louis Malle's The Fire Within, which is available on Criterion DVD, is the best film about suicide that I have ever seen.


On a somewhat lighter note, I adore David Cronenberg's Videodrome. "Long live the new flesh."

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Congratulations, my friend! Since your posts are always interesting and informative, I think your achievement is significant.

Thanks! I try to add content, but I'm sure there is always some fluff.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by Gusto-Guus

Well, Criterion has decided to announce releases early. What do you guys think?

[Show spoiler]

Those are pretty cool. Dude Where's My Car kind of has that existential feel to it.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I think Seven Samurai will be the first people will recommend



I couldn't stand Boyhood, it was for me a HUGE let down. The sae characters used over the year felt like a gimmick for me, also the acting was terrible, Patricia Arquette was great though and she felt th most genuine and real to me.

I also found the story to be a bit... empty? I think it would have been a better film had the run time been a bit longer so certain scenes could have developed a bit further... I don't know lol

Couldn't disagree more about all of your points on Boyhood.

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I've been collecting Criterion blu-rays for years and consider myself a serious film fan, even if I don't get a chance to watch as many as I'd like. However, I don't own any samurai films in my Criterion collection, and I feel that this is the one area where my collection is lacking. Can you guys recommend the best Criterion blu-ray as a starting point for samurai films? For whatever reason, I've never felt the desire to buy Seven Samurai, which I'm sure is where I should probably start.

Actually, I'd recommend YOJIMBO first (preferably in the double-feature with SANJURO). It was probably the first samurai film I saw back in college (on a 16mm pan & scan print) and bears up well under numerous revisits. It was also remade as the western FISTFUL OF DOLLARS with Clint Eastwood and 1930s gangster noir LAST MAN STANDING with Bruce Willis, so the story has obvious appeal beyond the samurai genre.

As already mentioned, SEVEN SAMURAI is great, of course, as are HARA-KIRI, THRONE OF BLOOD, HIDDEN FORTRESS, and others. The SAMURAI TRILOGY is also very good, much more low-key and philosophical than most. Then there's GATE OF HELL for its early and vivid use of color. Once you get hooked on the genre you can work your way through the Zatoichi set.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Couldn't disagree more about all of your points on Boyhood.

That's fine - well all see things differently! When it comes out I will give it a second viewing.

When I saw it there was a constant beeping sound in cinema dn people kept talking so maybe I just wasn't in mood to watch??

I'll deffo give it another try though :-)

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I don't know if this a bit grim or weird but what are the best films in collection that revolve around suicide or the degradation of the human spirit?

It's Kino rather than Criterion, but THE BLUE ANGEL would certainly qualify for the latter, along with at least half or more of the films starring Emil Jannings, who made a specialty of the degradation/fall-from-prestige & power genre. On Criterion but unfortunately DVD-only, for example, there's THE LAST COMMAND. Another Criterion DVD, but not Jannings, would be BICYCLE THIEVES.

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Those are pretty cool. Dude Where's My Car kind of has that existential feel to it.

Did they rip off the title of Dude Where's My Car from the Dude? "where's your car, dude?"

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

It's Kino rather than Criterion, but THE BLUE ANGEL would certainly qualify for the latter, along with at least half or more of the films starring Emil Jannings, who made a specialty of the degradation/fall-from-prestige & power genre. On Criterion but unfortunately DVD-only, for example, there's THE LAST COMMAND. Another Criterion DVD, but not Jannings, would be BICYCLE THIEVES.

Thanks! I've only been buying Blurays a the moment so have neglected Criteriona huge collection of DVDs, as I said before I keep discovering some incredible stuff! Come on C more upgrades lol!

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

That's fine - well all see things differently! When it comes out I will give it a second viewing.

When I saw it there was a constant beeping sound in cinema dn people kept talking so maybe I just wasn't in mood to watch??

I'll deffo give it another try though :-)

You definitely should, I feel as though just about any film buff will love this movie.

[SlickDamian]

Thanks for the advice regarding samurai films, everyone!

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by kuro_sawa

Did they rip off the title of Dude Where's My Car from the Dude? "where's your car, dude?"

Donnie was really astounded by it.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

Thanks for the advice regarding samurai films, everyone!

For a non-Criterion suggestion, I would recommend Yōji Yamada's The Twilight Samurai, on Blu-ray from Twilight Time. It's a wonderful deconstruction of the samurai film.

[Infernal King]

re: Criterion changing their Facebook cover photo to the Onibaba mask

I am really going to be pissed and disappointed if they don't announce a Blu-ray upgrade this year.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I don't know if this a bit grim or weird but what are the best films in collection that revolve around suicide or the degradation of the human spirit?

There's an incredible film coming in April from Twilight Time that might intrigue you ... Truffaut's The Story of Adele H (1975), based on the life of writer Victor Hugo's daughter. Isabelle Adjani is heartbreaking in the title role and not only gave the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1975 (although she lost the Oscar to Louise Fletcher), but one of the greatest performances by an actress ever.

[The Great Owl]

I just finished watching the Criterion Blu-ray of It Happened One Night, and I loved it.

It Happened One Night makes such ingenious use of lighting. There's something insanely sexy about the way that Claudette Colbert is barely seen from the light of the window in an early bedroom scene. The cinematography of the movie, in fact, has a magical intimacy to it, as if to convey the notion that, although Colbert and Clark Gable are bickering at a particular moment, they fit best into the world when together.

Since I was a 1980s kid, I am a big fan of the The Sure Thing (1985), which was strongly influenced by this Capra film. As I watched It Happened One Night, I chuckled at the parallels between the characters played by Claudette Colbert and Daphne Zuniga, as well as the parallels between the characters played by Clark Gable and John Cusack. I'm sure that many romantic movies featuring couples drawn together by circumstance who bicker during a trip while falling in love are influenced by the Capra film, but The Sure Thing is the one that sticks out the most in my mind.

It Happened One Night has quite a few interesting acknowledgements of the Great Depression during which the story takes place. Both of the characters certainly learn a thing or two during their time out in the real world of America.

I hope that Criterion continues to release well-loved titles like this one alongside the more obscure films.


After watching both The Palm Beach Story and It Happened One Night this weekend, I've decided that Claudette Colbert looks nice in men's pajamas.