The Criterion Channel

[DaBargainHunta]

Gloria (1980)



John Cassavetes' Gloria is a crime chase picture about a former mob associate (Gena Rowlands) who ends up taking care of her neighbor's 6-year-old son - albeit very reluctantly - after he and the rest of his family are "marked" by mobsters. The boy has in his possession a book of vital information the goons want for themselves. Most of the film is spent with the woman and the boy on the run, going from taxi cabs to hotels to restaurants to train stations, as she tries to protect him.

Even at a running time of 2 hours and 1 minute, the movie flies by, because the chase is on and something is always happening. Filmed in the late 1970s, the movie makes great use of gritty New York street locations. There's no gentrification in sight here!

Rowlands' Gloria is tougher than a $2 steak and she deservedly earned an Oscar nomination for the role. The boy, on the other hand, was unfairly nominated for a Razzie "award." (The Razzies are and continue to be a joke!) No, he's obviously not a professional actor. Yes, there are scenes that feel like he's reading his lines rather than saying them. Still, the real issue is that he was given unrealistic dialogue no kindergartner could possibly say convincingly. Rowland's lines are written and delivered in a "heightened" fashion as well, but unlike her little co-star, she has the experience necessary to be able to handle the material expertly. Despite all of that, it's easy to see why Gloria continues to protect him. Since that's the whole crux of the movie, the boy did the absolute best he could considering the circumstances and obviously pulls off the role well enough.

DaBargainHunta's Decree: Even though Gloria isn't a perfect movie

[Show spoiler](the ending is so beyond saccharine that I was almost convinced everyone really died and I was watching some kind of dream or afterlife sequence - I'm surprised there's no alternate theory to that effect)

, it's compulsively compelling - you won't be able to keep your eyes off the screen. (Subtitles: Yes!)

Note: There's a remake with Sharon Stone, which I haven't seen, but I have a feeling it's not very good because I don't remember hearing about it at the time. Plus, as much as I like Stone, I can't imagine any other than Gena Rowlands playing this part.

[DaBargainHunta]

Hey, yo! Two films about outsiders expiring from The Criterion Channel...



My Own Private Idaho (1991)

River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves play gay hustlers in a film by Gus Van Sant. I was expecting a much grittier movie. The artifice of the dialogue didn't quite work for me most of the time. I realize it's meant to be Shakespearean, poetic, lyrical, but it's inconsistently applied and creates a disconnect. It's probably no accident that the best scene in the movie - the campfire scene, which sounds completely natural - wasn't even written by Van Sant. Phoenix wrote and helped direct it, according to IMDb. It's also not surprising to find out that this was originally three scripts combined into one. That accounts for its meandering dream-like quality, which is both a pro and a con. This is a flawed movie, but I think those flaws somehow work and actually accentuate the material, creating something wholly original and memorable. (Subtitles: Yes!)

The Boy With Green Hair (1948)

An anti-war parable starring Dean Stockwell as the titular boy, who is a war orphan. It's easy to see why Stockwell had such a long and successful career. Even at 11-12 (but looking and presumably playing much younger), he was a very good actor. His relationship in the movie with his "gramp" (Pat O'Brien) is lovely. While this is definitely a crowd-pleasing kids' movie and doesn't overstay its welcome at a brief but effective running time of 1 hour and 21 minutes, its message is surprisingly, quietly, effective and profound. (Subtitles: Yes!)

[DaBargainHunta]

Walk on the Wild Side (1962)



BARBARA STANWYCK AND JANE FONDA WERE IN THE SAME MOVIE? Why, yes they were! Expiring from The Criterion Channel, I wasn't even originally planning to watch Walk on the Wild Side - also starring Laurence Harvey and Capucine (who was also in Red Sun - which I watched last month before it expired) - but the casting so intrigued me that I couldn't resist. It is always incredible when two cinematic icons from different eras share the same screen, especially when you had no idea that could ever possibly be the case. What a delightful discovery. (For any wrestling fans reading this, it reminds me of a clip I saw the other day of Gordon Solie interviewing the future Triple H in WCW. Who knew they were around at the same time?)

The basic premise: Laurence Harvey meets Jane Fonda on the streets but really pines for his old flame, played by Capucine, who is now a sex worker at a New Orleans brothel run by Barbara Stanwyck. If that sentence alone isn't enough to sell you on the movie, nothing will.

Stanwyck and Fonda share only one or two scenes at most, but it's still a thrill seeing them together. Capucine is always lovely, and Laurence Harvey's easy charm is definitely something I will be seeking more of in the future (I knew of him mainly from the odd Tony Scott movie about his daughter, Domino, and the only thing I remember about that is the weird Beverly Hills 90210 reunion in it).

DaBargainHunta's Decree: Probably not the best movie any of them have ever done, but it's still a fun time. Bonus point for the weird decision to have Stanwyck's husband (played by Karl Swenson) without legs for absolutely no reason whatsoever. (Subtitles: Yes!)

[DaBargainHunta]

The Criterion Channel now works on Chromebooks, finally, after a year and a half. The boggling and nonsensical "external monitor" error is now a thing of the past. Not sure when it started working, just that it is.

[Lynos]

I find the experience of using the Criterion Channel very frustrating. It seems to be two things at the same time: a collection of the greatest films ever made, trapped inside one of the worst streaming sites ever made. It seems like every other day the films just keep buffering and buffering and buffering, until I have to abandon the film.... This never happens with Netflix, or with YouTube.

Do you experience extraordinary technical difficulties when using the site?

My internet speed is 100 mbs, and this happens on both Chrome and Firefox. (I use a browser. Let's just say that the Criterion channel is not "officially" available in my territory).

Thanks!

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by Lynos

I find the experience of using the Criterion Channel very frustrating. It seems to be two things at the same time: a collection of the greatest films ever made, trapped inside one of the worst streaming sites ever made. It seems like every other day the films just keep buffering and buffering and buffering, until I have to abandon the film.... This never happens with Netflix, or with YouTube.

Do you experience extraordinary technical difficulties when using the site?

My internet speed is 100 mbs, and this happens on both Chrome and Firefox. (I use a browser. Let's just say that the Criterion channel is not "officially" available in my territory).

Thanks!

The Criterion Channel website flat out wouldn't play movies on a Chromebook until recently (I'd get a bizarre "external monitor" error, which never made any sense), so I can't comment on the site. But it works wonderfully on a Roku - I would recommend going that route if you can.

[Lynos]

Sadly I do not have Roku nor any official apps available in my territory. I have to rely on the website.

[regeyer]

I use the entry-level Roku on my HDTV and I have no issues streaming the Criterion Channel. It's great. Don't know what my internet speeds are, but I have FIOS.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by Lynos

Sadly I do not have Roku nor any official apps available in my territory. I have to rely on the website.

I know you've already said you tried Firefox and Chrome, but are there any other browsers you can try, or other devices? The Criterion Channel website is unfortunately very finicky with certain browsers.

[meremortal]

Need to get this eventually, but there are just so many streaming services and I can't keep up with even one of them at a time. Criterion titles can be really hit or miss story-wise with me and the blus aren't always the cheapest. Might just sell a few of them to cover a year's membership.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by meremortal

Need to get this eventually, but there are just so many streaming services and I can't keep up with even one of them at a time. Criterion titles can be really hit or miss story-wise with me and the blus aren't always the cheapest. Might just sell a few of them to cover a year's membership.

If you do get it, your Brother-in-Arns is happy to recommend some movies.

[Lynos]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

I know you've already said you tried Firefox and Chrome, but are there any other browsers you can try, or other devices? The Criterion Channel website is unfortunately very finicky with certain browsers.

I tried the new Microsoft Edge, and this one doesn't even play the movie. I mirror the computer to my PC when I watch the CC, (and I need to leave the monitor open or else I get an annoying message of "you can't watch it through an external monitor"). Anyway, when I use Edge the movie doesn't play on the TV, or doesn't even load.

Bear in mind, this doesn't happen all the time. You can have a week where everything is going smoothly, I may only get one or two bufferings in a film, or none at all. But then this is followed by a stretch of a few days where it's impossible to watch anything. So essentially it's a roulette, I can never know if I'll be able to finish the movie I'm beginning to watch. As you said, "finicky" is a great way to describe this website.

I've cancelled and renewed a few times, always hoping that by the time I renew the website has become more stable, but it's been like that since the beginning. And it's really a shame, because the content is so amazing. I do collect Criterion in physical media as well, but the website has more than 2000 titles. Come on.

It has other issues, like the fact I can't get rid of the "continue watching" titles, the fact there are no hyperlinks, or the fact that when you save a movie to your watch list it doesn't save the collection, only the title, so you can easily miss out on the special features if you don't pay attention. But at least all those things don't impact the actual viewing experience.

I think the website needs to get a tech overall and be built from the ground up again by someone who knows what they're doing. It has many similarities to the regular Criterion website, same menus and search functions, so I suspect is was built by the same people, but a streaming website is a totally different thing then a text website. It needs to work SMOOTHLY all the time, and not be smothered in DRM that most likely slows it down.

[fdm]

Last I tried, Roku and Apple TV were working fine, and I likely would have no problems watching on Firefox if I could stand watching anything longer than a few minutes on my computer (I just watched a few seconds there so it is an option for me). I usually just stick with Roku.

Buffering problems have been really rare (more likely due to the wife doing something on her computer than anything else, given our somewhat limited bandwidth).

If only they supported DD 5.1 audio... (instead of "you want decent audio, buy the disc")

[DaBargainHunta]

To anyone responding to Lynos and suggesting a Roku, etc. (like I did at first), I believe he's not in the U.S. and the Channel isn't "officially" supported in his region, so set top boxes either aren't available where he is or won't give him access to the Channel.

Originally Posted by Lynos

I tried the new Microsoft Edge, and this one doesn't even play the movie.

Have you tried Safari (I believe there's a PC version) and Opera? I think Opera is Chromium (Chrome) though, so that might be the same difference.

Originally Posted by Lynos

It has other issues, like the fact I can't get rid of the "continue watching" titles

I think fast forwarding to the end will work. May not work the first time. This is definitely buggy at best.

Sometimes if something expires before you're finished watching, it will stick around for a while and you can't remove it. That happened to me with What's Up, Doc? (I did finish the movie, but I went back to look for something, I think) and it stuck around in my "continue watching" for a month after it expired before finally disappearing.

Originally Posted by Lynos

or the fact that when you save a movie to your watch list it doesn't save the collection, only the title, so you can easily miss out on the special features if you don't pay attention.

It saves the collection for me. The problem is, the site is so confusing and has multiple listings for the same movie: individual movie, collection, Saturday matinee, double feature, special themes (Columbia Noir, Queersighted, Directed by...), etc.

[Lynos]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

Have you tried Safari (I believe there's a PC version) and Opera? I think Opera is Chromium (Chrome) though, so that might be the same difference.

I have not tried Safari. I always thought it was only for Macs. But I will try it. It will be browser no. 4...

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

I think fast forwarding to the end will work. May not work the first time. This is definitely buggy at best.

It seems to work for some titles but not others. In any case, I'd have to do this for dozens of titles and I can't be bothered. Btw, when you finish watching a movie, your only option to exit the screen is to return to previous screen, which immediately starts the movie again, which immediately puts it into your "continue watching" pile.

Another btw, when I try to clear some titles from my watch list (click the "v" at the top right), they won't go away. They just stay there until they expire.

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

It saves the collection for me. The problem is, the site is so confusing and has multiple listings for the same movie: individual movie, collection, Saturday matinee, double feature, special themes (Columbia Noir, Queersighted, Directed by...), etc.

Yeah, I know, you can save a collection to your watch list, I only figured that one out very late, but it's still confusing as hell to navigate.

I could handle all these annoyances if not for the buffering, the buffering just kills it, because you can't watch the sctual movie

[DaBargainHunta]

Into the West (1992) - Expiring from The Criterion Channel



Into the West about two boys and their "magical" horse, but it's set in the gritty backdrop of modern (1990s at the time) Dublin, Ireland. That's quite a juxtaposition - one that takes time to get used to - but it creates a movie unlike any other I've ever seen. It may be one of the best I've ever watched on The Criterion Channel.

The boys' father, known as Papi (Gabriel Byrne, at probably the height of his fame), used to be a Traveller (gypsy). But he gave up that life after his wife died. At the beginning of the movie, Papi and his two young sons - Ossie and Tito, obviously very Irish names - claim to be members of the Murphy family (the most common name in Ireland) along with 11 others pulling the same scam so they can all get into a housing estate and qualify for public assistance. Then their grandfather shows up with a majestic horse named Tir Na Nog (which is Irish for "Land of Eternal Youth"). One thing leads to another, and the boys are accused of stealing their own horse. They escape by taking Tir Na Nog on a grand adventure "into the west" - emulating all of their favorite American cowboy movies. As the cops look for them (including a young Brendan Gleeson with a nasty edge - before he became famous), their father enlists the help of the Travellers (Ellen Barkin, with a respectable Irish accent and red hair, and Colm Meaney are among them) to rescue them.

I expected the horse to grow wings, but that never happened. For the most part, Into the West is actually fairly realistic and down-to-earth - with a little Irish folklore thrown in.

DaBargainHunta's Decree: Such a strange movie, but utterly delightful and surprisingly poignant. (Subtitles: Yes!)

Other movies expiring from The Criterion Channel that I've already seen elsewhere and/or own

The Squid and the Whale: Jeff Daniels is one of the best and most underrated actors ever, and this proves it. Fantastic film about a couple divorcing (Daniels and Laura Linney) and their sons' reaction to it (Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline, son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates). The subject matter sounds heavy, but this is actually very enjoyable and well worth watching.

Kramer vs. Kramer: Also about divorce (Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep) and the effect it has on a child. Much heavier than The Squid and the Whale, but also a masterpiece. Might make a good double feature.

My Beautiful Laundrette: Daniel Day-Lewis plays a gay man in an interracial relationship with his Pakistani boyfriend. I assume this was "controversial" in 1985, but it certainly isn't now. What's left is a beautifully understated story with great performances.

Movies I own but haven't watched: On My Way, Vera Drake, The Last House on the Left. Of these, On My Way is probably the one I'll seek out the soonest. The other two were impulse Dollar Tree/Dollar General pickups a year or three ago.

[fdm]

Just for the heck of it I watched The Last House on the Left a couple weeks ago. Not my usual sort of thing, but figured I should probably watch it for "free" while I had the chance, and was kind of in the mood for some such thing. I found it to be pretty good for what it was.

Also as I mentioned before I watched The Girl on the Train (the French film) a while ago too, perhaps at the beginning of the month. More along the lines of what I would pick first when the chance of watching it in the future is unlikely (and which is what I apparently did ). Pretty good also, though with the way of things nowadays I kept expecting a little bit more out of it, but close enough.

Guess I'm running out of time for the rest of what's disappearing from the Channel in a couple days but will try and squeeze in a couple more from among Into the West, The Skin, Hands Of Orlac, All or Nothing.

(In the meantime, finishing up Boardwalk Empire (taking a quick break right now).)

[RCRochester]

I watched all of the Albert Brooks films that Criterion are streaming right now. I love his brand of dry wit. Real Life and Defending Your Life were my favourites. It's too bad that Brooks only directed five films, because they are all gems.

[fdm]

I started watching Almodóvar's High Heels a couple nights ago. Looked really great, got maybe a third of the way through it though. Didn't finish it as it was late, and didn't want to push too hard to watch it and not enjoy it as much as if I put it off until some other night instead where I could start watching it earlier, and I was just beginning to feel the pushing it part.

Anyway, it's leaving the channel at the end of this month, so a suggestion for something to catch this month while you still have a chance.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by fdm

I started watching Almodóvar's High Heels a couple nights ago. Looked really great, got maybe a third of the way through it though. Didn't finish it as it was late, and didn't want to push too hard to watch it and not enjoy it as much as if I put it off until some other night instead where I could start watching it earlier, and I was just beginning to feel the pushing it part.

Anyway, it's leaving the channel at the end of this month, so a suggestion for something to catch this month while you still have a chance.

I really loved Almodóvar's Bad Education when it was on the Channel last year (it has since expired). I had no idea High Heels was expiring, so I'll make it a point to check it out.

Originally Posted by RCRochester

I watched all of the Albert Brooks films that Criterion are streaming right now. I love his brand of dry wit. Real Life and Defending Your Life were my favourites. It's too bad that Brooks only directed five films, because they are all gems.

I will hopefully be able to check out a couple of these. Defending Your Life is an absolute masterpiece IMO.