The Criterion Collection

[monque]

I watched a Zatoichi dvd last night and during the precredits the Criterion & Janus logos appeared. Did Criterion own the rights to the Zatoichi film library at one time? It would be awesome if they could obtain the rights again for Blu-ray release.

[Daikichi Kawachi (河地大吉)]

I just ordered my first Criterion BD.

[greekak229]

Originally Posted by Hendershot737

One thing that really sucks is I kept putting off buying The Third Man...and low and behold, I'll suffer for it. Wish I could find it somewhere for regular price.

One that I'll buy next, for sure: The Seven Samurai

but I'll wait for B&N deal for that one

Same here. I didn't get into buying Criterion Blus until a couple months back, so I too missed out on the great Criterion release of The Third Man. I picked up the StudioCanal version of it instead, and it's a pretty decent alternative, just to let you know.

[Hendershot737]

Originally Posted by greekak229

Same here. I didn't get into buying Criterion Blus until a couple months back, so I too missed out on the great Criterion release of The Third Man. I picked up the StudioCanal version of it instead, and it's a pretty decent alternative, just to let you know.

I considered it...but it would be glaring at me, mocking my every movement Maybe one day I'll splurge and spend too much money on the Criterion one

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

I agree. Do you have any more recommendations of movies full of art please?

Basquiat

Originally Posted by Hendershot737

I considered it...but it would be glaring at me, mocking my every movement Maybe one day I'll splurge and spend too much money on the Criterion one

What's wrong with the SC version?

[Hendershot737]

What's wrong with the SC version?[/QUOTE]

It's not criterion. I'm a stickler, I guess.

[myka22]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

What's wrong with the SC version?

The Blu-Ray review says the Criterion version is better, but the Studio Canal version is still quite adequate.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Hendershot737

What's wrong with the SC version?

The SC version has a greenish glow present. On its own it doesn't look too bad but when compared to the CC version it looks putrid.

[painted_klown]

So, I go to my local video rental palace a couple of days ago and much to my happy shock and surprise they had the Criterion dvd of Antichrist available for rent!

I IMMEDIATELY snapped it up (along with Machete) for a fun double feature.

My GF really wanted to see Machete so we watched that first...then I watched Anichrist alone.

The first 6 and a half minutes or so are the best film making I have ever seen. I was REALLY hoping the entire film would have that "high art" feeling to it, but it did not.

I had read that some of the on screen action was a bit brutal, so I was prepared for the "worst" to be honest. Aside from a shocking moment involving a pair of scissors, it wasn't anything any more extreme than modern horror films portray...and this film was FAR more tame than any of the Saw films and the like.

The opening segment I will give an easy 4/4 stars...the rest of the film 3/4 stars...overall I would score Antichrist a 3/4 stars. Good film, with some interesting behavior from the two main characters but I felt this film lacked a "point of view" or that the director had absolutely no message or meaning behind any of it...it was simply as if he were making this film simply because he wanted to make a movie. Yes, it was very well crafted, supremely acted, and shot nicely...but it lacked a reason to exist. I hope that makes sense.

Thanks for reading.

-Dave

[Hendershot737]

Originally Posted by painted_klown

So, I go to my local video rental palace a couple of days ago and much to my happy shock and surprise they had the Criterion dvd of Antichrist available for rent!

I IMMEDIATELY snapped it up (along with Machete) for a fun double feature.

My GF really wanted to see Machete so we watched that first...then I watched Anichrist alone.

The first 6 and a half minutes or so are the best film making I have ever seen. I was REALLY hoping the entire film would have that "high art" feeling to it, but it did not.

I had read that some of the on screen action was a bit brutal, so I was prepared for the "worst" to be honest. Aside from a shocking moment involving a pair of scissors, it wasn't anything any more extreme than modern horror films portray...and this film was FAR more tame than any of the Saw films and the like.

The opening segment I will give an easy 4/4 stars...the rest of the film 3/4 stars...overall I would score Antichrist a 3/4 stars. Good film, with some interesting behavior from the two main characters but I felt this film lacked a "point of view" or that the director had absolutely no message or meaning behind any of it...it was simply as if he were making this film simply because he wanted to make a movie. Yes, it was very well crafted, supremely acted, and shot nicely...but it lacked a reason to exist. I hope that makes sense.

Thanks for reading.

-Dave

I agree that the prologue was beautiful (even if I did see more of Willem Dafoe than I ever cared to) and perfect film making. The rest of the movie didn't do much for me. I understood the film to be a somewhat visual representation of what it is to grieve...but it seemed much more forced than anything else, if that makes sense. I would rather watch In The Bedroom which is a great film that deals with grief...speaking of which: Criterion? What say you give In The Bedroom some of that fine treatment of yours?

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Basquiat

The question was for boxterduke. He is the only one around here that knows what he is talking about.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by painted_klown

Good film, with some interesting behavior from the two main characters but I felt this film lacked a "point of view" or that the director had absolutely no message or meaning behind any of it...it was simply as if he were making this film simply because he wanted to make a movie. Yes, it was very well crafted, supremely acted, and shot nicely...but it lacked a reason to exist. I hope that makes sense.

Thanks for reading.

-Dave

Hmmm...

My initial (and so far only) reactions were very similar but also very different.

While 'well, umm, okay' could pretty fairly sum up my overall reaction there was also a very strong feeling that there was a lot more there than met the eye (or my eye, at any rate).

I plan to delve into the supplements and do a bit of outside reading but I first want to give it another viewing or two on my own. In that sense at least it was a lot more thought-provoking that most of the - for lack of a better term - 'what the hell' films I've encountered.

Edit: oh, and some of the editing was flat out brilliant. I usually find jump cuts to be little more than a director's way of saying 'hey, look at me, aren't I clever' but these (particularly early) cuts were perfectly executed. They were just close enough to traditional cuts to be disturbing and unsettling rather than distracting. The first couple seemed like mistakes (or even dropped frames) but as they progressed they had me doing 'wait..what?' double-takes that had me questioning my perceptions in a way that films like Shutter Island or Inception could only dream about.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

The question was for boxterduke. He is the only one around here that knows what he is talking about.

That isn't fair. I have a pretty good idea of things during my brief moments of lucidity...

[italy12]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

I agree. Do you have any more recommendations of movies full of art please?

By Brakhage.

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

The question was for boxterduke. He is the only one around here that knows what he is talking about.

Come on, man. Everyone knows what movies you think are good and no one bothers to taunt you about it.

Let the thread grow up a little.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by italy12

By Brakhage.

You were the first to take that serious.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

Come on, man. Everyone knows what movies you think are good and no one bothers to taunt you about it.

Let the thread grow up a little.

I don't think my "taunt" was anything near him telling another poster, "With all do respect, I don't think you know what you are talking about."

Me asking him for recommendations of films he likes for telling another he doesn't know what he is talking about actually puts me in the hero spot.

[italy12]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

lol

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

You were the first to take that serious.

I am always serious.

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

I don't think my "taunt" was anything near him telling another poster, "With all do respect, I don't think you know what you are talking about."

Me asking him for recommendations of films he likes for telling another he doesn't know what he is talking about actually puts me in the hero spot.

Trolling out justice, so to speak?

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by italy12

I am always serious.

I'm not always serious.