The Criterion Collection

[MeMynonsense]

My B&N loot arrived this morning.

[Show spoiler]

Criterion's In a Lonely Place is really a thing of beauty.
It features a choleric Bogie at his most vulnerable who is perpetually on the brink of violent outbursts, it’s one of his most complex turns and according to legend one that cut very close to his real self.
(I think his Dix Steele gives his widely celebrated, manic portrayal of Dobbs in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre a solid run for its money.)
Gloria Grahame is magnetic as Laurel who’s unconditional love for Dix is only rivalled by her forever escalating paranoia yet she remains a deluded optimist.
Nicholas Ray in his fourth feature was more than equipped to deal with film’s pessimistic and daring themes and possessed that scarce ability to extract uninhibited performances without indulging into hysterical melodrama.
The movie itself is very hard to describe as it deceptively exploits typical noir conventions to explore its miserable characters while it ambiguously approaches its bleak finale.
I would also go out on a limb and posit that IALP rocks one of the best noir-themed covers criterion or otherwise.

Kiss Me Deadly is one of those instances of movie clicking on the second viewing. I was somewhat caught off-guard with its unorthodox and bizarre tone the first time around, but it proved to be an immensely rewarding and stylish little noir with a badass lead on a reappraisal. Robert Aldrich has helmed some fascinating projects in his time. Right from his famous Bette Davis demented-doulogy to The Dirty Dozen to my fav - The Flight of the Phoenix (Hope criterion get their hands on the latter as Eureka has disappointingly dropped the ball in the extras dept).

Bicycle Thieves was one of the first foreigns I saw, and it continues to command its “Top 5” status as of this day.

I first saw The 39 Steps some 4-5 years back on DVD and while I didn’t love it, it was most certainly upper echelon Pre-Hollywood Hitchcock. A re-watch beckoned.

I briefly caught It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World recently and despite its repetitive nature it was consistently amusing.

Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir was one of several highly-recommended books on the Film-Noir thread, after having gone through the first chapter I can see why.

[MifuneFan]

Nice, hope you enjoy the book

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by MeMynonsense

Kiss Me Deadly is one of those instances of movie clicking on the second viewing. I was somewhat caught off-guard with its unorthodox and bizarre tone the first time around, but it proved to be an immensely rewarding and stylish little noir with a badass lead on a reappraisal. Robert Aldrich has helmed some fascinating projects in his time. Right from his famous Bette Davis demented-doulogy to The Dirty Dozen to my fav - The Flight of the Phoenix (Hope criterion get their hands on the latter as Eureka has disappointingly dropped the ball in the extras dept).

Kiss Me Deadly is a strange film in a great way. I like the opening titles in reverse, the answering machine unit in Hammer's wall, the gorgeous women at the pool, Meeker's aggressiveness, the heavy's calm, cool and collected demeanor and the ever-present sense that something really twisted is going on.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by moviecriticsonline

Whatever floats your boat.

I can't afford a boat. All my money goes to blu-rays.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

but would you say that happens more times than watching a movie you thought you loved only to find out that you either don't love it any more or you simply have grown out of it?

I'm not sure this has ever happened to me. The closest I can think of is watching a movie that i loved when younger (something like The Black Hole), only to discover it isn't nearly as good as the younger me thought. Even in that situation, the nostalgia makes it still loved and watchable.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by MeMynonsense

Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir was one of several highly-recommended books on the Film-Noir thread, after having gone through the first chapter I can see why.

Dark City is an excellent read. It's one of the few noir books that is fun to read from cover to cover, as opposed to using the book as a mere reference on occasion. Eddie Muller has a distinct voice.

[jayembee]

I'm trying to remember...did Criterion say at one of their Wexner talks a few years back that they were helping with the restoration of Abel Gance's Napoleon? I see that BFI has just announced a UK BD release of it.

[cbb223]

Just watched The Graduate and I absolutely loved it. What a great movie. Probably the most fun I've had with a Criterion title and it makes me want to watch more stuff with Dustin Hoffman in it lol.

[theater dreamer]

It's still my favorite silent movie. I went into it with pretty high expectations, based upon where it ranked in all-time lists. And, those expectations were met, and, I dare say, exceeded. I don't know if I could write anything that hasn't already been said. Great film writers have done a more eloquent job than I could ever do. But what I can relate is my experience watching the film. From the first few moments, when the unveiling took place, and Chaplin was spied sleeping, startled by the crowd, at first, and then greeted with his customary doff of his Bowler hat....I found myself smiling, and laughing, with great regularity. And if the reason to watch a film, ultimately, is to experience something, be it an emotional response, or perspective on another culture....City Lights succeeded with flying colors. I was entertained, and that has been one enduring goal of movies since the earliest silent films.

Chaplin's film making just resonates with me. His creativity, his ingenuity, and, his joie de vivre seeps through the celluloid. I know it's a film I'll keep coming back to. And knowing it's sitting in my collection means I can watch it any time I want.

Originally Posted by iScottie

What are everyone's thoughts on City Lights?

[maytropolees]

Originally Posted by cbb223

Just watched The Graduate and I absolutely loved it. What a great movie. Probably the most fun I've had with a Criterion title and it makes me want to watch more stuff with Dustin Hoffman in it lol.

If you haven't seen Rain Man, check it out immediately!

[JoeBuck]

Of course pretty much EVERYTHING I actually wanted it now listed as Out of Stock
Was fine two days ago, but now that I have my money GONE!
Hopefully will come back in stock within the next day or so though, from what I remember Carnival Of Souls has been in and out quite a bit throughout the sale.

[sem]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I strongly dislike both Brazil and Terry Gilliam.

I am with you. The guy is hack. Poor artistic judgement and tasteless audience manipulation aside, he is just a terrible human being. Watch his interview on the disc where he is bragging about intentionally deceiving Brazil's producer...

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by sem

I am with you. The guy is hack. Poor artistic judgement and tasteless audience manipulation aside, he is just a terrible human being. Watch his interview on the disc where he is bragging about intentionally deceiving Brazil's producer...

As in the same producer who wanted to release the hack job "Love Conquers All" version?
Good man.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by sem

I am with you. The guy is hack. Poor artistic judgement and tasteless audience manipulation aside, he is just a terrible human being. Watch his interview on the disc where he is bragging about intentionally deceiving Brazil's producer...

While I don't have very strong feelings for Brazil (I like it though).

The guy co-directed Monty Python and the Holy Grail and directed Twelve Monkeys those more than make up for his bad ones, oh and The Fisher King is also very good.

[MeMynonsense]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Nice, hope you enjoy the book

It wasn’t much of a gamble really, The Official Film Noir Thread has often yielded some terrific recommendations and cool old-school trivia. It’s one of my fav threads and over time I’ve found that it really facilitates comprehensive discussions. Kudos!

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Kiss Me Deadly is a strange film in a great way. I like the opening titles in reverse, the answering machine unit in Hammer's wall, the gorgeous women at the pool, Meeker's aggressiveness, the heavy's calm, cool and collected demeanor and the ever-present sense that something really twisted is going on.

I remember that answering machine as well! I think Kiss Me Deadly very shrewdly, both defies and honours signature noir tradition. For instance, initially we’re led to believe that Hammer is another archetypical misanthropic shamus in the vein of Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe who had little respect for authority and loathed the tedious legal processes. But Meeker's violent and misogynistic portrayal almost depicts him as a frustrated, lousy bad guy by the time the credits roll.
Right from that disorienting credit sequence to that zany highway prologue it keeps things relentlessly downbeat while exuding a palpable sense of foreboding.
Like any great noir the story and the characters are driven by their obsessions, and that ending sure packed a wallop.

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Dark City is an excellent read. It's one of the few noir books that is fun to read from cover to cover, as opposed to using the book as a mere reference on occasion. Eddie Muller has a distinct voice.

Yeah, I’m really digging its pertinently witty sub-genre classifications!
Cant wait to enter “Vixenville”.

[davidson]

Just got this package from B&N. All are blind buys except Speedy. Was so impressed from watching Speedy in my Uncle's house that I went ahead and bought all of Harold Lloyd's Criterions. Hope they're all as enjoyable.☺

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

For the people who get rid of films in your collection, what is the motivation. Space? Money? I almost never have a desire to remove something from my collection. I'm not trying to be critical of those who do, I'm just curious of the motivation.

The only films I get rid of are DVD versions of films I upgrade. Or, in the rare instance, a Blu-ray version that I upgrade to a better version, as in the recent instance of The New World. I just give them to the library.

[sem]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

As in the same producer who wanted to release the hack job "Love Conquers All" version?
Good man.

That's his right, he paid for it.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

OTOH, I still haven't finished Out 1 -- but it's 13 hours long.

Actually your post set me to thinking that Out 1 may be something to tackle while my wife is away for a week or so, coming up soon. I think I did that with Berlin Alexanderplatz during one such previous opportunity, but that was several years ago.

Kind of rusty with this, used to be she would travel a few times a year. Now it's been a few years since she's traveled at all (and left me behind).

Maybe throw in Shoah while I'm at it. But one giant step at a time.

[Samantha]

Here's what I ended up buying during the sale. I'm happy with my choices and stayed within my spending limit.

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