The Criterion Collection

[Namuhana]

Originally Posted by R o d

Another great Powell and Pressburger film in the Criterion Collection (although only on DVD at present) is I Know Where I'm Going! A beautiful film about unlikely love in the Scottish Islands, this one is well worth checking out. Maybe one day we'll see an upgrade to Blu.

I just saw this a week or so ago and I really fell in love with it. The DVD is a little rough, and I would love to see a Blu upgrade.

My favorite Powell/Pressburger film is definitely The Red Shoes. It was my first Powell/Pressburger film, and it was also my first Criterion purchase. I just find it to be entrancing--it sucks me in every time. Moira Shearer is perfect as Vicky, and I don't think the film would be as great is she wasn't in the film; and, of course, Cardiff's work is remarkable. I understand some of the complaints about melodrama and how the film could become boring at the end, but I just can't agree. I love the film to death, and it's currently my second favorite film.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by bdmartin134

Which Powell/Pressburger is your favorite?

I just watched The Red Shoes last night, and really wasn't impressed (besides Cardiff). I heard such praise for it, and I can understand it's merits, but I just didn't connect with it as much as I wanted to and by the end I was bored.

[Show spoiler]I thought the character of Lermontov was interesting, but the story just dragged, then completely went another direction resulting in even more melodrama.
I had a much better experience with The Black Narcissus when I watched it a few months ago. There were some elements that I thought didn't really work, but definitely could be overlooked overall.
Next up I have The Life and Death of Col Blimp. Going to check my expectations before jumping into this one.

I felt much the same way after my one (and only) viewing so far ... but I haven't given up on it. Going through the supplements helped give me a better understanding and appreciation of the film. I respect the opinions of many people in his forum who praise the film ... and keep wondering why I'm not "getting it". I had the same sort of feeling for Black Narcissus, but I'm not giving up on that film either. I bought The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp too, and like you, am trying not to go in with overly high expectations.

I often wonder if going into a film with high expectations (because of reading so much praise) is the cause of the blasé feeling afterwards ... which is why I don't like knowing *too* much about a film before seeing it.

This is going to sound terrible, but I had the same kind of feeling when seeing Charade and Night of the Hunter. I know what you're thinking ... "blasphemy". ... Here, I'll save you all the trouble. .....

[JHas]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I like these as well if they make sense in context to the rest of the film.

On an amusing note, I love watching the audience reactions to ambiguous endings in the theater when I happen to enjoy the film. I walked out of the theater with a big smile after No Country for Old Men and The Grey, for instance, but all of the other people in the theater were grumbling and demanding their money back.

I loved experiencing the ending to No Country in the theater. I saw it in central Minnesota, I remember a very loud collective groan when it was over, and then an old fella with an accent right out of Fargo says, "now dey gotta make a sequel!"

[Tin Drum]

Originally Posted by JHas

I loved experiencing the ending to No Country in the theater. I saw it in central Minnesota, I remember a very loud collective groan when it was over, and then an old fella with an accent right out of Fargo says, "now dey gotta make a sequel!"

When I found out that No Country was being made into a film by the Coen Bros I read the book. Regarding the ending I, literally, flipped the pages backwards thinking that I had missed the climax! I knew that if they kept the entire final third of that book in many audience members would not care for the film. It seems I was somewhat wrong - many loved the film but there seemed to be many that did not like the missing finality.

BTW, if anyone is wanting to start in on McCarthy - NCFOM is a very quick read and probably his most accessible book in terms of reading difficulty.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Its a fantastic film indeed. But be careful, there are other users who found the film's portrayal of the family not very empathetic and "dismissively smug".

Haha. Guilty as charged (in my review of Bigger Than Life).

I compared Bigger Than Life to The Ice Storm, American Beauty, and Revolutionary Road. Of those three, American Beauty would be the most "dismissively smug", because it implies that people who are actually happy in their suburban existence are ignorant sheep. The Ice Storm is not quite as guilty of that, but I definitely think that Bigger Than Life was more empathetic than any of those other suburban misery films.

It might not hurt me to give The Ice Storm another chance, because I rented it way back when it was first released on VHS, but I did not take to it all that well back then.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bdmartin134

Which Powell/Pressburger is your favorite?

I've only seen Black Narcissus and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, and I saw both of them for the first time earlier this week.

They are both perfect ten movies in my book, but I would rank The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp as the best if I had to make a choice.

I'm still stunned by that first viewing of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, and I will probably revisit it again in the next week or two. It instantly moved up the rankings on my list of favorite Criterion titles.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is, at the very least, one of the best-looking Blu-rays that I have ever seen. The Technicolor picture comes across strikingly well.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Namuhana

My favorite Powell/Pressburger film is definitely The Red Shoes. It was my first Powell/Pressburger film, and it was also my first Criterion purchase. I just find it to be entrancing--it sucks me in every time. Moira Shearer is perfect as Vicky, and I don't think the film would be as great is she wasn't in the film; and, of course, Cardiff's work is remarkable. I understand some of the complaints about melodrama and how the film could become boring at the end, but I just can't agree. I love the film to death, and it's currently my second favorite film.

The Red Shoes will probably be my next Criterion purchase, although I'm not sure when my next Criterion purchase will be. I'm quite full and satisfied with my current meal of Criterion movies, and I should take some time to let these movies digest.

I've never seen The Red Shoes, and the descriptions of the film have never really quickened my pulse in the past. My experience of watching Black Narcissus and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp this week, however, has endeared me to the Powell/Pressburger films in a big way, and I intend to buy all of their Criterions that are released on Blu-ray. If nothing else, their movies have a splendid visual sense about them.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

It might not hurt me to give The Ice Storm another chance, because I rented it way back when it was first released on VHS, but I did not take to it all that well back then.

If you buy it during the sale, and still don't like it: I will buy your copy from you for the price you paid.

Advantage: you get to see a very gorgeous film in HD.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

If you buy it during the sale, and still don't like it: I will buy your copy from you for the price you paid.

Advantages: you get to see a very gorgeous film in HD.

That's a tempting offer, and I appreciate it, but I think that my Criterion Sweep of Summer 2013 has drawn to a close. Mission accomplished, and I'm quite satisfied for now.

I've purchased a lot of sweet Criterion titles this month, and I've finished watching all of them except for the Three Colors trilogy, which I look forward to starting tonight and experiencing on Blu-ray for the first time.

I've got a lot on my plate after that, though. My Twilight Time copy of The Driver is on its way to me, I've got three Olive Films titles to watch (The Enforcer, The Quiet Man, Sands of the Kalahari), I got the Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection box set, and I also intend to resume going through the excellent Blu-rays in The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series (I took a break halfway through Season Three).

I won't be buying any more Criterions for at least another month or so. I really want to see Seconds and The Red Shoes, but I'll wait until I come across another Barnes & Noble coupon or sale before grabbing those.

[buffetfroid]

Originally Posted by bdmartin134

Which Powell/Pressburger is your favorite?

I just watched The Red Shoes last night, and really wasn't impressed (besides Cardiff). I heard such praise for it, and I can understand it's merits, but I just didn't connect with it as much as I wanted to and by the end I was bored. I thought the character of Lermontov was interesting, but the story just dragged, then completely went another direction resulting in even more melodrama.
I had a much better experience with The Black Narcissus when I watched it a few months ago. There were some elements that I thought didn't really work, but definitely could be overlooked overall.
Next up I have The Life and Death of Col Blimp. Going to check my expectations before jumping into this one.

1) I Know Where I'm Going!
2) A Canterbury Tale
3) A Matter of Life and Death
4) Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
5) Black Narcissus
6) Red Shoes
7) 49th Parallel

Leaving off Powell solo

I love IKWIG so much I've stayed at the Western Isles Hotel and visited Moy Castle, etc

[The Great Owl]

It looks as though the Criterion Collection is slowly upgrading the Powell/Pressburger titles to Blu-ray. I hope that this continues, because there are a great many DVD titles out there that I have not yet seen, but that are probably worth the wait for a high definition presentation.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

It looks as though the Criterion Collection is slowly upgrading the Powell/Pressburger titles to Blu-ray. I hope that this continues, because there are a great many DVD titles out there that I have not yet seen, but that are probably worth the wait for a high definition presentation.

Maybe Stairway to Heaven will be the next one.

[brandon_260]

My DVD copy of Andrei Rublev showed up today. I'm not going to watch it right away though, as I'm currently reading The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A Visual Fugue and I'm going to go through Tarkovsky's filmography chronologically while reading each section of the book.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Maybe Stairway to Heaven will be the next one.

Great movie, right?

[COLD_COBRA_]

Yesterday I spent $40 on something I didn't need, and now regret it. On the way home I kept thinking that could have been been 2 more Criterions on the shelf, I could have adopted them and given them a nice home on my shelf where they would be free to bask in the glow of my plasma tv. I no longer think of $20 dollars as $20 dollars, but as a missed opportunity at another Criterion.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I've only seen Black Narcissus and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, and I saw both of them for the first time earlier this week.

They are both perfect ten movies in my book, but I would rank The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp as the best if I had to make a choice.

I'm still stunned by that first viewing of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, and I will probably revisit it again in the next week or two. It instantly moved up the rankings on my list of favorite Criterion titles.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is, at the very least, one of the best-looking Blu-rays that I have ever seen. The Technicolor picture comes across strikingly well.

I had a wonderful chat with another Criterion fan at a B&N store during one of last year's 50% off sales. I don't know how we got on the subject, because it wasn't released on bluray yet (at that time), but he couldn't praise The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp enough and told me I must buy it if it ever made it to bluray. His enthusiasm for the film along with all the enthusiasm found in posts like yours above are what led to my buying it. This man was also a big Jack Cardiff fan, so I mentioned The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus to him, which he then bought without blinking an eye ... while mumbling something about how his wife wasn't going to be very happy with all the Criterions he was buying.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by COLD_COBRA_

Yesterday I spent $40 on something I didn't need, and now regret it. On the way home I kept thinking that could have been been 2 more Criterions on the shelf, I could have adopted them and given them a nice home on my shelf where they would be free to bask in the glow of my plasma tv. I no longer think of $20 dollars as $20 dollars, but as a missed opportunity at another Criterion.

This sort of thing has been going through all of our minds this month, I'm sure, and I, for one, have been thinking of everything in terms of $20 that could have been spent on another Criterion.

This reminds me of an unfortunate experience several years ago when I was collecting DVDs. I am a huge fan of the original Planet of the Apes movies, and spent a lot of time in a store looking at this awesome Planet of the Apes DVD package where the five original movies, the 1970s TV series, and the 1970s cartoon DVDs were all housed in a bust of Caesar's head.

I decided that I did not want to shell out $150 for that box set, so I left the store empty-handed.

On the way home, I got a speeding ticket that ended up costing me almost...(drumroll, please)...$150.

I should have purchased that Caesar's Head DVD set and took my time driving home.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Maybe Stairway to Heaven will be the next one.

I think you mean A Matter of Life and Death.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Great movie, right?

I've never seen it, but it sounds rather good.

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

I think you mean A Matter of Life and Death.

I would like to see that one, too.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I've never seen it, but it sounds rather good.



I would like to see that one, too.

It's the same film.

Just the original, and much better, title. That American title.. ick.