The Criterion Collection

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Okay...today's discussion about "highly regarded movies that we dislike" compels me to ask a fun question to everyone in the thread.

This may sting a little, but...

If you had to give up one Criterion movie in your Blu-ray collection, what would you give up?

I am still building my blu-ray collection and am trying not to buy impulsively. I have seen, however, many of these films and “Medium Cool” would be the first to go if I owned it. I’m about to hear a chorus of “we’re happy for ya” being that I’ve mentioned it before about another Criterion title, but I saw this at Ebert’s Film Festival a few years back. Robert Forster was there, which was cool, but the film was too avant-garde for my liking.

[klauswhereareyou]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I love the Island of Lost Souls Blu-ray, and I'm proud of what they did with the image, considering the source material. The extras are a trip, especially the Devo short. The makeup in Island of Lost Souls is still flawless even by today's standards.

I still have a soft spot for the 1977 film, The Island of Dr. Moreau, with Burt Lancaster as the lead role. Barbara Carrera (Never Say Never Again) is quite wonderful. The original film on the Criterion Blu-ray still rules all, though.

The Devo stuff was great (and this is coming from someone that never really had any interest in their stuff).

I haven't seen the '77 film in many years and would be interested in watching it again. I remember thinking it was okay, and had nice make-up and a haunting musical score.

[ravenus]

I found the Devo stuff quite boring. If the MoC version had a Guillermo Del Toro commentary like they had for Vampyr I would have opted for that one instead.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Roninblues

He has many films besides his work with Kurosawa but keeping this "Criterion", I take any Blu-Ray upgrades for either of.

Toshiro Mifune was an early candidate to play Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid (1984) and he auditioned for the role, but the filmmakers found his portrayal too intense, since he apparently played the character in the same way that he acted as samurai warriors in his earlier works.

I have always been a huge fan of The Karate Kid, I proudly own the Blu-ray, and I love Pat Morita's acting in the film. Still, the idea of Toshiro Mifune as Mr. Miyagi is a rather fascinating "alternate history" scenario. It would have been fun to have seen Daniel administer a Sanjuro-style artery spray blow to Johnny instead of simply using a crane kick, methinks.

[Ausjdm]

I was think of buying afew movies before Halloween myself. I have House already on blu. Was gonna buy Suspiria maybe even the terrible looking The Stendhal Syndrome...

But anyway, Just wanted to know how's the picture quality difference for Eyes Without a Face and Island of Lost Souls bluray CC vs their DVD CC counterparts? Worth the upgrades?

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

I was think of buying afew movies before Halloween myself. I have House already on blu. Was gonna buy Suspiria maybe even the terrible looking The Stendhal Syndrome...

But anyway, Just wanted to know how's the picture quality difference for Eyes Without a Face and Island of Lost Souls bluray CC vs their DVD CC counterparts? Worth the upgrades?

My Island of Lost Souls Blu-ray looks better than my Criterion DVD looked. The improvement does not jump out of the screen at me, but there is a noticeable improvement.

The DVD Beaver review of Eyes Without a Face indicates that the picture quality is quite good for the Blu-ray, and that it improves over the DVD.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I've never seen Minority Report, or War of the Worlds. With two exceptions, I gave up on Spielberg after Schindler's List. Sorry, but I think his films are "all sound and fury, signifying nothing". In a couple of cases (Jaws and Raiders) they still manage to be extremely watchable, but the rest I can live without. Although I have to say I loved Always just for Audrey Hepburn.

The two post-Schindler exceptions were:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which I watched (in HD) on USA because they happened to air it one night without commercials, and I found it more entertaining than I expected, but it's not something I'd particularly want to see again, and

Lincoln, which I wanted to see because of the cast and the subject matter, and I found it a crushing disappointment.

Anyway, to answer your question, JW, I'd choose virtually anything over E.T.. I loathe that movie with a passion beyond human understanding.

I do not loathe any Spielberg film (though The Temple of Doom comes close), but I implore you to at least watch Minority Report just once. It's nothing like any of his other sci-fi films.

Trust me, you might actually enjoy Minority Report.

[Carletty]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

what criterions are you gonna get in the next B&N sale?

i will go for kubrick& polanski i dont own yet + antichrist and probably a few of the eclipse japanese box sets.

(preordered zatochi already at amazon)

Blu-ray: Cassavetes Collection, Fanny and Alexander, 8 1/2, Autumn Sonata, Beauty and the Beast, Black Narcissus, Black Orpheus, A Christmas Tale, Design for Living, Diabolique, The Earrings of Madame De..., Eyes Without A Face, The Forgiveness of Blood, La Jetee/Sans Soleil, The Magician, La Notte, Purple Noon, The Seventh Seal, Smiles Of A Summer Night, Summer with Monika, Tokyo Story, Vanya on 42nd Street, Wild Strawberries, Zazie Dans Le Metro, Secret Sunshine.

Eclipse: Documentaries of Louis Malle, Flamenco Trilogy, Dusan Majaviev, Chantal Akerman, Sascha Guitry, Raffaelo Matarrazzo, Leningrad Cowboys, Jean-Pierre Gorin, Pearls of the Czech New Wave, Jean Gremillon, When Horror Came To Shochiku.

____

And today I bought America Lost and Found + David Lean Directs Noel Coward.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I bet you loved that Devo extra included in the set. Dream Criterion box set: one containing dozen or so never-before-seen New Wave concerts!

That DEVO supplement was a gem. I enjoyed every second of Mark Mothersbaugh talking. And his glasses are cooooool.

[jw007]

So anyone here ever see My Dinner with Andre?

I watched it last night and I absolutely loved it. For some reason Louis Malle's films are so enjoyable to watch. I already understood that 95% of the film was about 2 guys talking to one another at a restaurant, but I found myself nodding my head often to Andre's comments and philosophy. It was uncanny. I didn't like Wallace though at all. He was a boring, everyday NYC conformist who lacked any imagination or bravery.

I think this is one Criterion title that needs to be talked about a bit more.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jw007

So anyone here ever see My Dinner with Andre?

I watched it last night and I absolutely loved it. For some reason Louis Malle's films are so enjoyable to watch. I already understood that 95% of the film was about 2 guys talking to one another at a restaurant, but I found myself nodding my head often to Andre's comments and philosophy. It was uncanny. I didn't like Wallace though at all. He was a boring, everyday NYC conformist who lacked any imagination or bravery.

I think this is one Criterion title that needs to be talked about a bit more.

Whoah! I think you kind of missed the point. Andre was a bit of a phony.

[smoss469]

Anyone have an answer to the Eclipse question I asked a few pages back?

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Whoah! I think you kind of missed the point. Andre was a bit of a phony.

Really? I guess I didn't catch that. Lol.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by smoss469

Anyone have an answer to the Eclipse question I asked a few pages back?

Originally Posted by smoss469

Slightly off topic, but how often does Criterion release the Eclipse sets? I've got 1 or 2 in my wish list and I know I'm almost certainly getting the Nikkatsu Noir set for Christmas, but are they included in any of the monthly releases or do they have their own schedule?

How often have they (historically) added new ones?

I think that Criterion releases them sporadically, but I'm not sure.

I've got The First Films of Akira Kurosawa, Postwar Kurosawa, and When Horror Came to Shochiku.

...and I will completely throw any indie credibility under the dust by saying that I revisit the films in When Horror Came to Shochiku set more often than I revisit the Kurosawa films.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jw007

Really? I guess I didn't catch that. Lol.

You didn't get the impression that Andre was kind of full of himself? As in, he could never really appreciate someone else's experiences because he is too busy poeticizing his own. Yes, it is true that Wallace is just an average New Yorker, but at the end of the day, he's more down to earth.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

You didn't get the impression that Andre was kind of full of himself? As in, he could never really appreciate someone else's experiences because he is too busy poeticizing his own. Yes, it is true that Wallace is just an average New Yorker, but at the end of the day, he's more down to earth.

No, I don't think he was full of himself at all. Like Andre, I've experienced similar things like him as I see myself as a staunch non-conformist in western society. I enjoy poeticizing my own experiences as well (and I even write poetry) and I enjoy informing others and making them aware of the possibilities of creating a different type of society (that is, after a full apocalyptic meltdown). Wallace might be down to earth but he's just part of the rat race and he is seriously insecure with his life, feeling the need to always fill in "empty" moments with something productive, as opposed to just "being" and observing and meditating. Some people like Wallace are just so cynical and insecure with the fear of "not doing anything" that they keep contributing to the problem of "workaholism" and die terrible, meaningless deaths, wondering if they could have seized life before they got to the point of disease in disease-ridden society.

Oh, Andre is the kind of guy I'd be great friends with. Sorry to hear you don't see him that way.

[Abdrewes]

We can still be friends, JW, just don't invite Andre to next week's Pacific Rim party because he would ruin it by going on and on about some chic souvenirs he bought five years ago.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

We can still be friends, JW, just don't invite Andre to next week's Pacific Rim party because he would ruin it by going on and on about some chic souvenirs he bought five years ago.

You got Andre's philosophy all wrong, young man.

I'm sad to hear you don't understand his/my views on life.

Like Andre, I found myself in exotic Native American medicine ceremonies under full moons and realized that "THIS" is really living! And yes, I talked to trees as well. Oh, yes, I'm all about dropping out of society for a while. That's what real living is all about. It's about going to the beat of your own drum. You might think I'm a quack, but that is the typical viewpoint of one who has never experienced what Andre and I experienced!

But I'll still be Blu-ray friends with you.

So anyone else out there have anything to say about My Dinner with Andre? Comeon, comeon! Where are my fellow intellectuals, snobs and visionaries!?

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I implore you to read that Rosenbaum piece I linked. After viewing it, I saw that Rosenbaum's piece greatly expands on my topical reading-- one of "mecha vs orga", "Kubrick vs Spielberg". I think it's one of the greatest films ever made because of the innate odd tension it has. It's in the movie's DNA & that's what makes it so intriguing.

I don't see it as Spielberg trying to do Kubrick, I see it as (to repeat myself) Kubrick providing the cold, analytical side (ever always reminding us that this boy is mechanical in the way a toaster is) and the gooey, soft humanist side in Spielberg (trying to prove to us that there can be no "artificial intelligence", that this boy is gifted a soul, not just a powerful OS).

I really think its a masterpiece and one that never fails to make me think.

I'll read it later tonight and get back to you.

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

My God, Sammy... I was going to throw in my 2 cents about A.I., but there is no need to. To a tee, you described my sentiments on this film. Kubrick is all cold and detached and Spielberg is all warm and fuzzy. The juxtaposition just does not work.

Regarding the final 10 minutes.. shamelessly sentimental. More contrived and weepy than "Safe Haven". That kind of sentimentality is the reason why I, too, would not rank him alongside the greats.

I live to serve.

I'm of the opinion that Kubrick isn't cold or detached, though. I think he's a pretty emotional director and has a lot to say about being human, something Spielberg significantly lacks. Whenever he does try to make some grand gesture (like with A.I.) the results really aren't much.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jw007

You got Andre's philosophy all wrong, young man.

I'm sad to hear you don't understand his/my views on life.

Like Andre, I found myself in exotic Native American medicine ceremonies under full moons and realized that "THIS" is really living! And yes, I talked to trees as well. Oh, yes, I'm all about dropping out of society for a while. That's what real living is all about. It's about going to the beat of your own drum. You might think I'm a quack, but that is the typical viewpoint of one who has never experienced what Andre and I experienced!

But I'll still be Blu-ray friends with you.

I'm not going to lie: I just chuckled a little bit.

So anyone else out there have anything to say about My Dinner with Andre? Comeon, comeon! Where are my fellow intellectuals, snobs and visionaries!?

You crack me up, JW.

Sammy, I look forward to reading what you think of the piece. It is a great well-articulated piece of writing.