Citizen Kane (1941) (70th Anniversary Edition)

[Blu Dude]

Originally Posted by film11

Right...that's why every other movie nowadays is a remake of a decades old film...and are unable to even approximate what the originals achieved. Then there are those movies that try to recreate or pay homage to older films, such as CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER which tried to recreate the tone of 70s political thrillers. And you didn't mention 2001...I used it as a further example to illustrate the brain-dead capacities of the students you mentioned...who probably could not handle one of the greatest motion-pictures of all time. They probably couldn't last 10 minutes.

We do agree on one thing however...$250 is too much money for a movie

We agree on 2 things actually, because no one hates reboots more than me.

But you can't really blame kids for not being entertained by older stuff, that's just how life is. I consume tons of classics, but I don't invite my friends over to watch Newhart or Dick Van Dyke, or Odd Couple, or Get Smart, etc even though I love them.

Like I said Citizen Kane was an O.K. film, just didn't live up to the hype when I watched. It's worth a watch but not at $270 is all I am saying.

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by Blu Dude

my main point is that $80-$270 for any movie, is asinine regardless if it's your favorite or not. I own several movies that I would never buy now as the price is inflated to well beyond what it is worth. I just happened to glance and see Citizen Kane was in that beyond overpriced category.

Price has absolutely nothing to do with the artistic value of a film. It's all supply and demand. People spending $80-$270 for a Blu-ray of CITIZEN KANE are not really buying it simply because they like the movie or may think it's a classic. They are buying an artifact because it is a specific limited edition that is rare and prices are set by what the market will bear. Fans can own the movie much cheaper on DVD and for next to nothing on VHS if all they want to do is see it. A modern acclaimed classic with Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Screenplay, Actress, and Supporting Actor like WINTER'S BONE (2010) can be bought new on Blu-ray for $2 to $6, when it should be selling for at least $10 to $20. The distributor simply printed more copies than people were out there willing to buy, even with a major breakout role by a current superstar like Jennifer Lawrence.

As far as CITIZEN KANE being "dated," it's certainly made in a style that is a bit different from today's typical Hollywood mainstream movies, but anyone who cannot find the film relevant to today is simply not paying attention or incapable of recognizing what all is going on in it, over and above the expertly contrived visual and audio techniques or out-of-the-ordinary plot structure that they might grudgingly recognize. That's all there just to tell the story and reveal character. A man spends all his money doing what he wants, buying whatever he wants, and still finds he can't buy love or happiness (wasn't there a song by The Beatles about something like that? But that was some 50 years ago, so it's dated too I guess). That's a cliché maybe, but the film is hardly "dated" other than its topical references that no one can understand without knowing a little about U.S. and world history and culture in the 1930s and before (such as the brutal satire of William Randolph Hearst -- wait, who? He was a guy that among other things owned newspapers, by the way). A young idealist fights for the rights of the common people over big money interests, trying to get the truth out to the public until he starts making so much money by doing it that he becomes corrupted into the very thing he started out fighting (and moreover actually realizes with regret at one point what he's become and what he might have been). A portrait of journalism and the media out for nothing more than sensational stories that will sell newspapers or appeal to viewers of newsreels and be forgotten the next day for the next sensational story. This is no less the media of 2016 than it was the media of 1941 or in 1898 when journalists helped rile up readers for the Spanish-American war. The story works on multiple levels, many of which may not even be noticed until the 10th viewing, or maybe the 100th viewing for those too busy checking their phones. Not just CITIZEN KANE, but all movies designed for showing in theatres were intended to be watched, and watched constantly from beginning to end.

CITIZEN KANE is so far from dated, it might have been made this year, and it was the first feature-length movie by its 25-year-old director. CITIZEN KANE may not be the "greatest film ever made" as over-enthusiastic critics might like to think (and it is not my favorite film or even my favorite Orson Welles film), but the DVD release is a film school in a box, and any film student who simply dismisses it is not someone whose films I would ever expect to or want to watch.

[English Patient]

Even though Citizen Kane isn't my all-time favorite film, it is a remarkable, fascinating, well-done and unconventional movie, especially compared to the movies of the period. I doubt many modern moviegoers are going to blown away by the movie but it really did seem to be a step forward in filmmaking, in the technical sense and in the storytelling realm (e.g., its nonlinear structure). Even though the Ultimate Collector's Edition had a lot of good material (particularly the PBS documentary "The Battle Over Citizen's Kane"), this was such a rich, fascinating movie that I wanted even more background info on the production and its place in history. It's probably unlikely that Kane will get a Blade Runner-like edition, with multiple discs full of interviews, appreciations and similar stuff, but I think the movie deserves it.

[MifuneFan]

[blurayfriend]

Originally Posted by Blu Dude

Everybody understood the camera blocking, dolly shots, etc. However, The movie itself has dreadfully slow pacing and not a good fit for 2016. People much more enjoyed Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, which has great shots, editing, effects, mise en scene, etc and is made for modern society.

It was revolutionary in its day, but all anyone ever mentions are the technical aspects of the movie. It's not that great or edge of your seat riveting, story wise however and today's directors are doing much cooler stuff than back when Citizen Kane was made.

Like I said, it was okay for what it was, and the camera tricks were great for its day but it's pretty "meh" as a movie overall and certainly not worth $80-$270. $5-$10 tops.

Eternal Sunshine is garbage compared to Kane. It holds up just fine 75 years later. It sounds like your class was full of pretentious hipster doofuses who can't appreciate fine art after it's been imitated too many times!

[78deluxe]

Originally Posted by Blu Dude

Nothing to be sad about, it's extremely dated at this point and not worth $270. Shows like Big Bang Theory and whatever is current and popular now will be dated 70 years from now as well. Movies like Godfather, Goodfellas, Scarface, Rocky, etc all will be looked at the same way in the future as well.

Trust me I love my classic TV and movies, but Citizen Kane is one I can take it or leave it. I just saw the price of it and fell out of my chair and that was my main comment on it and as I said NO movie is worth $80-$270, that is insane for any film.

I'm going to guess you are under 30 and have little long term experience with film, history and art.

Laser Discs used to cost over $80, even for movies that were not worth the first view, let alone something like Citizen Kane that can be watched over and over gaining new things on subsequent viewings. Not to mention the historical importance.

Look at the cost to license the public showing of a film and then compare that to owning one of the most important films of all time on Bluray (in basically the same quality they show in theatres), and $80 doesn't look so absurd.

I agree, it is more than I'd like to pay (I have an unopened copy of it ). But that has to do with many factors. If it was super limited production and not to be released in that kind of quality again. I'd buy it at that price, and I can think of a couple other movies I'd do the same.

[Scarface32]

After reading the whole debate between Blu Dude and everyone else, all I have to add is that it's a damn shame when film students can't appreciate masterful films such as Citizen Kane, and if I was the professor I would have taken note of those that fell asleep or skipped out, and failed them. People that join a class looking for an easy A are the worst. They have no respect for the craft that they are learning. Same crap happened in my college in both Circus Art and Acting 1, half the class were goofballs just looking for an easy A and not taking it seriously; and they all failed the class.

[MifuneFan]

He's not a film student. He took a film class. Big difference.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by Blu Dude

Nothing to be sad about, it's extremely dated at this point and not worth $270. Shows like Big Bang Theory and whatever is current and popular now will be dated 70 years from now as well. Movies like Godfather, Goodfellas, Scarface, Rocky, etc all will be looked at the same way in the future as well.

Trust me I love my classic TV and movies, but Citizen Kane is one I can take it or leave it.

I am sorry, but if you can't even be consistent about whether you blanketly believe all old things are dated in the "same way", or you are simply specifically being critical of Citizen Kane, then I have to say, this whole things comes off as straight-up trolling to me, and I am genuinely surprised that anybody can take it seriously.

That said, I do believe that half of any given class of film students would be bored. I went to film school, one-third of the people who are there don't care about movies at all and another third won't watch anything that from before they were born, to say nothing of the people who simply won't watch movies that are in English (their pretentiousness brings up the average to make up for the others I mentioned). Having lived more than a decade since graduation, for whatever it's worth to people, the people who can't sit still for Citizen Kane are the people who don't work in film now.

[cheez avenger]

Yeah, the film class tends to be part of the general education curriculum, so students tend to sign up for it thinking that it's an easy A.

I would have failed all of those students caught sleeping or sneaking out.

[blurayfriend]

Who would be bored by Kane? It's universally hailed because it's a great movie. I've seen it many times and it's never boring, and is actually paced like a modern film in many ways. OP has been smoking too much weed in college.

On another note, has there been any word on if there indeed will be a 75th anniversary release and what form it'll take? I'm starting to doubt if it'll indeed come.

[Dragun]

Originally Posted by blurayfriend

Who would be bored by Kane? It's universally hailed because it's a great movie. I've seen it many times and it's never boring, and is actually paced like a modern film in many ways. OP has been smoking too much weed in college.

The first time I tried to watch it in high school it bored me, and I turned it off. I tried again a few years later and was captivated.

[tangledupinblu]

Originally Posted by blurayfriend

Who would be bored by Kane? It's universally hailed because it's a great movie.

currently there are 1351 reviews up on Amazon for Kane , 11% are 1 star. some of those are for technical reasons having nothing to do with liking or not liking the film but many are like this random example:

[Show spoiler]This movie is number one alright, but only on the list of most over-hyped films of all time! I will acknowledge the technological achievements that went into the production and their legacy in the films that would follow it, however the script is just bad. This thing plays like a bad soap opera with wholly unforgettable characters. At least the sled provided plenty of opportunities for comedic parody over the years. Unfortunately, as a whole, the film has no redeeming qualities.

I, personally do not like it and yes find it boring as watching paint dry. This doesn't make me a mental defective or morally bankrupt.Yes, I watched the whole tedious thing to the end. Of course, I also subscribe to the "to each his/her own" philosophy. It doesn't bother me that lots of people claim to love this film, I am just not one of them. Hell, I know a guy who doesn't even own a TV of any kind, whatever floats your boat, or doesn't.

It is light-years away from being "universally" hailed is my whole point.

I have personally never met anyone who said they don't like The Wizard of Oz though. I'm sure there are a few.

[roguejp]

I'm just gonna sit back and watch this thread explode .

[Herandar]

Coming out 11/15/2016, apparently.

[stvn1974]

I always find it amusing reading reviews of classic films by 22 year olds who think they know everything. My favorite was a one star review of Citzen Kane where the reviewer complained that it was in black and white and that Marlon Brando couldn't act. Go watch The Dark Knight again.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by stvn1974

I always find it amusing reading reviews of classic films by 22 year olds who think they know everything. My favorite was a one star review of Citzen Kane where the reviewer complained that it was in black and white and that Marlon Brando couldn't act. Go watch The Dark Knight again.

This is total sacrilege, but I do think based on the rich B&W deep focus photography and unique angles used, that this would look amazing in 3D.

[WeeBey]

Has Citizen Kane been scanned in 4K or 8K?

I wonder if they plan a UHD release at some point.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by weebey

has citizen kane been scanned in 4k or 8k?

I wonder if they plan a uhd release at some point.

4k

the 4k restoration of citizen kane was completed at warner brothers motion picture imagery by colorist janet wilson, with supervision by ned price. The image was reconstructed from three nitrate fine grain master positives as the original camera negative no longer survives. Optical soundtrack "rca squeeze duplex format."

[javy]

"At the rate of a million dollars a year I'll have to close this place in...sixty years."

Welles is soooo smooth. And you know this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzhb...ature=youtu.be