The Criterion Collection

[SlickDamian]

I don't "get" Fellini films. 8 1/2 was one of the biggest letdowns for me.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by tenia

You should, because you would find that there is not a lot of things repulsive in the movie itself. I thought it would be worse than a Saw sequel. Turned out it's an old B horror movie, closer to something like The house of the Devil.

I'm not really into horror at all.
I'm more into foreign, art-house films with fart jokes

[Sagacious Koreo]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

I'm not really into horror at all.
I'm more into foreign, art-house films with fart jokes

And great films like Branded to Kill.

I was always more of a Tokyo Drifter fan myself. Branded to Kill is just a little too out there. Still love it though.

[BluPops]

FYI - Turner Classic Movies will be showing a bunch of Criterion titles this month in case folks want to check them out... On today are Charles Laughton films REMBRANDT (1936), SPARTACUS (1960), and HOBSON'S CHOICE (1954). Tomorrow 8/8 has MR. ARKADIN (1962), and THE THIRD MAN (1949). On 8/25 are SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957), BRUTE FORCE (1947), THE LEOPARD (1963), and THE KILLERS (1946). There may be some others that I missed...

Schedule here - http://www.tcm.com//schedule/monthly.html

Originally Posted by BillyJack

I hope if Mr. Arkadin make it to blu-ray it will also contain the 2 Spanish versions as well, for a total of ALL 5 cuts of the film, then it would truely be "The Complete Mr. Arkadin"

Over the last few days I have watched ALL 3 films on the CC so-called complete set, still have to listen to the 3 radio programs, I think this film is on par w/ Citizen Kane!

even though it's on DVD's, the $14.50 + tax I payed for it during the BN sale was a stael IMO for such a great package, I hopefully will get to reading the included novel next week.

[exolstice]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

Can I just ask, what's with your use of the word "repulsive"?
I get that Fellini is not to everyone's taste and you're not a fan of the fart jokes, etc, but I think "repulsive" should be reserved for films such as The Human Centipede.
[Full disclosure: I've not seen The Human Centipede and I never will.]

The Human Centipede leaves a surprising amount to the imagination, but from what I read, the sequel is definitely "repulsive."

[wilky61]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

Can I just ask, what's with your use of the word "repulsive"?
I get that Fellini is not to everyone's taste and you're not a fan of the fart jokes, etc, but I think "repulsive" should be reserved for films such as The Human Centipede.
[Full disclosure: I've not seen The Human Centipede and I never will.]

I found the film degrading to women, to boys, and to Italians in general. I didn't see much regard or respect for human beings presented in the film. Urinating on somebody's head? Urinating on the floor in front of the teacher? Farting in class as an excuse to skip school? (btw I teach 14-year-old boys, not amusing) Adults farting by themselves to amuse themselves? Characters farting at one another in the middle of conversations? The camera zooming in on the teacher's breasts and the red haired lady's ass as male characters croon?

I sat down to watch a Fellini film ranked at #74 on TSPDT's aggregated critics list, I ended up watching a Tom Green movie. Repulsive.

Oops, maybe I should've put spoiler tags.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by Sagacious Koreo

And great films like Branded to Kill.

I was always more of a Tokyo Drifter fan myself. Branded to Kill is just a little too out there. Still love it though.

I've only seen Tokyo Drifter the once, but I did like it. However, Branded To Kill was my first Seijun Suzuki and it was such a strange and cool film. It's definitely out there.
Would love to get a nice blu-ray of both of those Suzuki films.
I'd also love to see Youth of the Beast, but I'm reluctant to get the Criterion DVD in case it gets upgraded some time soon.

[Dosto]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I don't "get" Fellini films. 8 1/2 was one of the biggest letdowns for me.

It was for me too; the first time. But I watched it again a few years later, and ended up liking it very much. La Dolce Vita, however, is Fellini's crown achievement. I didn't think much of Amacord though.

[Monty70]

I sent the following email to Masters of Cinema.


Hello, just started to take interest in your catalog recently. Is there any chance that Murnau's film Faust will be released on Blu-ray?

Regards
Jeff


Hiya Jeff,

It would need an expensive new HD scan - which has not been done yet, and is not on the cards, as far as I know. We'd love to do it, though.

Thanks for your interest,

Nick Wrigley
Founder & Director

[RichardP]

Originally Posted by wilky61

I found the film degrading to women, to boys, and to Italians in general. I didn't see much regard or respect for human beings presented in the film. Urinating on somebody's head? Urinating on the floor in front of the teacher? Farting in class as an excuse to skip school? (btw I teach 14-year-old boys, not amusing) Adults farting by themselves to amuse themselves? Characters farting at one another in the middle of conversations? The camera zooming in on the teacher's breasts and the red haired lady's ass as male characters croon?

I sat down to watch a Fellini film ranked at #74 on TSPDT's aggregated critics list, I ended up watching a Tom Green movie. Repulsive.

Oops, maybe I should've put spoiler tags.

I think you just need to lighten up a bit. Sounds like you take stuff far too seriously. I can't imagine you were "repulsed" by farts jokes and big boobs and shit when you were 14. Unless, you were that 14 year old in turtlenecks, sipping coffee, reading the paper, and generally scoffing at your fellow "heathen" teenagers around you. In which case, if you were, you really missed out on some fun.

[rock, stone]

Well, I don't love Fellini, but I expect to at some point in my life see the merits. I was a teenager when I saw the Fellini's I have seen. Of those, I found Juliet of the Spirits the most charming but not extraordinary. Amacord was the one that made me stop trying though.

It didn't upset me like it seems to upset some, but I have never loved children coming of age films, and fart jokes have always made me look at my watch.

I blind bought 8 1/2 a while ago, but haven't gotten around to it yet, for fear of being in the wrong mood.

Full disclosure: I have seen Stardust Memories at least 10 ten times.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by wilky61

Those three, I think you can chalk up to my personal preference, but I'm more interested to see if anyone else finds Amarcord to be as universally repulsive as I.

It's not one of my favorites, and was a bit tough to get through the first time (the original non-anamorphic dvd), but it wasn't too bad the second time (the same dvd). Look forward to checking out the blu-ray at some point, presumably there are some nice supplements that go with it (vs. the original issue dvd, if it even had any, don't really remember).

But realize that you have to meet Fellini half way if you ever expect to appreciate some of his films. There's a difference between them and your typical check your brain at the door popcorn flick. Maybe check out some of the supplements to give you a better context about the films and about Fellini. (Yes, do your homework.) Also with any film older than a few years, keep in mind the context of the time it was made and in this case the context of the time it was representing, and also take into account the context of the other films he created..

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by capnnarcolepsy

I don't think I've seen anyone post this before, but I just took a gander at Criterion's "contact us" section and thought this was pretty funny:

To report a technical problem with your DVD or Blu-ray disc; for television, public performance, and nontheatrical sales;
for queries, threats, or bribes related to our future release schedule;
for praise and/or criticism of our releases or the state of the film world in general;
to report that a DVD booklet has been mauled by a dog or baby;
for clarification of the information on our FAQ page;
to whinge about region encoding;
or for any and all Criterion-related anecdotes or curiosities, please e-mail Jon Mulvaney at mulvaney@criterion.com (he lives for this stuff!).

Aaaaaaaand, that's awesome.

Best use of "whinge" ever.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

Full disclosure: I have seen Stardust Memories at least 10 ten times.

+1

Fan: I love your films! You have such a degenerate mind!
Sandy: oh, thank you

[deltasun]

Man, people in here really go after you when you dislike a (classic) Criterion film, huh? And now, they have to dictate what type of mindset you have to be in so that you can change your opinion (which is proclaimed wrong) to liking it. Not only that, but the degree to which you disliked the film (repulsed) has to be corrected too.

Come on, guys...less pretension and more respect. These films are not everyone's cup of tea. Then you have someone take a crack at another film (The Human Centipede) without even having seen it! Yet you have a strong opinion on why Wilky should like Amarcord, which he did see. Doesn't make sense.

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by wilky61

Trust me, the feeling is mutual. Every time I sit down to watch another top-100-alltime Fellini film, I think to myself "This is gonna be the film where I finally see the genius in the man that everybody else sees." But it just doesn't work out that way for me. I end up surprised, disappointed, and confused.

I read your other posts following and the problem I see is the bolded line. Why are you looking for something in his films? That is your first problem. Fellini's style is just that, a style. It shouldn't mean that he is brilliant to you or any other person because he is regarded as 'brilliant'. I see many new viewers of classic films, especially foreign in this thread, that post how 'they did not get it.' The problem is that there is really nothing to 'get' A film is an interpretation. Whether you like that 'interpretation' is entirely up to you. If you somehow have a yearning to 'get it', then do what others do when they seek information, watch the supplements, read the booklets that come with the film, read articles on this vast tool, the internet. IMO, you should never go into a film to 'get it' or understand some deep meaning, but rather enjoy it for what it is, entertainment. Frankly, its either entertaining to you, or not. Everyone has different tastes, I would just leave it at that. It looks like you have viewed a few of his films and are still not entertained. I would leave it at that.

[CaptYamato]

Originally Posted by Sagacious Koreo

And great films like Branded to Kill.

I was always more of a Tokyo Drifter fan myself. Branded to Kill is just a little too out there. Still love it though.

Greatest use of a theme song in a movie.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Originally Posted by AgentOrange

60 years ago I doubt it was viewed as funny or cheesy, it's only humorous in hindsight because we know how off the mark they were as to the reality of radiation exposure and whatnot

I'm not defending the ending, I also found it abrupt. But it wasn't as disastrous as you are making it out to be just for the "sci-fi" elements.

Strange that Kiss Me Deadly should get the science so wrong (still a favorite movie of mine, though), when only a few years later the movie City of Fear (1959) presented a more believable portrait of radiation contamination and poisoning.

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/articl...y-of-Fear.html

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by jcs913

I read your other posts following and the problem I see is the bolded line. Why are you looking for something in his films? That is your first problem. Fellini's style is just that, a style. It shouldn't mean that he is brilliant to you or any other person because he is regarded as 'brilliant'. I see many new viewers of classic films, especially foreign in this thread, that post how 'they did not get it.' The problem is that there is really nothing to 'get' A film is an interpretation. Whether you like that 'interpretation' is entirely up to you. If you somehow have a yearning to 'get it', then do what others do when they seek information, watch the supplements, read the booklets that come with the film, read articles on this vast tool, the internet. IMO, you should never go into a film to 'get it' or understand some deep meaning, but rather enjoy it for what it is, entertainment. Frankly, its either entertaining to you, or not. Everyone has different tastes, I would just leave it at that. It looks like you have viewed a few of his films and are still not entertained. I would leave it at that.

I love you. I think we would make a great, heterosexual quasimodo-sexual couple.

[TriuneImpurityRites]

any chances we'll see these on Blu soon ?


Vampyr
Notorious
La Strada
Magician
Virgin Spring