The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Firecrackker

If you had to choose 3 of these 4, which one would you leave off and why?

8 1/2
My Darling Clementine
Orpheus
M

Orpheus because, like Edward said, there is little to no replay value in it (at least for me).

In terms of the Orpheus story, Black Orpheus is a far superior film.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Anyone here have lukewarm feelings about the Apu Trilogy?

All I'm reading are glowing posts about what a moving classic it is.

...anyone not like it?

I really liked The Apu Trilogy, but I wouldn't say it's the greatest thing that I've ever seen.

I found the middle of Pather Panchali to be a bit dragged out, but I particularly like everything else about it, especially

[Show spoiler]the first visit of the train until the end.

Aparajito is good. Many consider its greatest aspect to be its commentary on how

[Show spoiler]parents sacrifice for their children all of their lives, just for the children to toss them aside in the end.

I particularly enjoyed the ending of the film when

[Show spoiler]Apu learns of his mother's death.

I think my favorite film of the trilogy was Apur Sansar because it's basically Apu's transition from a young adult into a man. He's learned about the world, but he's never really lived in it. Furthermore, for someone who has suffered almost all of his life, it's quite easy to see why

[Show spoiler]he'd want to give up.

I particularly loved when he

[Show spoiler]tossed his novel to the wind and just went down his own path.

Of course, the finale is quite great where

[Show spoiler]Apu takes responsibility for his life and walks off into an uncertain future with his son.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I really liked The Apu Trilogy, but I wouldn't say it's the greatest thing that I've ever seen.

I found the middle of Pather Panchali to be a bit dragged out, but I particularly like everything else about it, especially

[Show spoiler]the first visit of the train until the end.

Aparajito is good. Many consider its greatest aspect to be its commentary on how

[Show spoiler]parents sacrifice for their children all of their lives, just for the children to toss them aside in the end.

I particularly enjoyed the ending of the film when

[Show spoiler]Apu learns of his mother's death.

I think my favorite film of the trilogy was Apur Sansar because it's basically Apu's transition from a young adult into a man. He's learned about the world, but he's never really lived in it. Furthermore, for someone who has suffered almost all of his life, it's quite easy to see why

[Show spoiler]he'd want to give up.

I particularly loved when he

[Show spoiler]tossed his novel to the wind and just went down his own path.

Of course, the finale is quite great where

[Show spoiler]Apu takes responsibility for his life and walks off into an uncertain future with his son.

Great response.

...thank you.

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I really liked The Apu Trilogy, but I wouldn't say it's the greatest thing that I've ever seen.

I found the middle of Pather Panchali to be a bit dragged out, but I particularly like everything else about it, especially

[Show spoiler]the first visit of the train until the end.

Aparajito is good. Many consider its greatest aspect to be its commentary on how

[Show spoiler]parents sacrifice for their children all of their lives, just for the children to toss them aside in the end.

I particularly enjoyed the ending of the film when

[Show spoiler]Apu learns of his mother's death.

I think my favorite film of the trilogy was Apur Sansar because it's basically Apu's transition from a young adult into a man. He's learned about the world, but he's never really lived in it. Furthermore, for someone who has suffered almost all of his life, it's quite easy to see why

[Show spoiler]he'd want to give up.

I particularly loved when he

[Show spoiler]tossed his novel to the wind and just went down his own path.

Of course, the finale is quite great where

[Show spoiler]Apu takes responsibility for his life and walks off into an uncertain future with his son.

Apur Sansar was my favorite too, very moving, I got teary eyed at the end. Very few films do that to me.This will probably my Criterion of the year.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Anyone here have lukewarm feelings about the Apu Trilogy?

All I'm reading are glowing posts about what a moving classic it is.

...anyone not like it?

I was underwhelmed by them when I saw them, some.... oh, 8-10 years ago. I've since seen The Music Room (), Mahanagar, Charulata (), The Coward and perhaps one or two more and I've come to realize that I just was not prepared for what Ray was showing. I will definitely make this part of my collection at some point.

[Pryme]

Picked up Mulholland Drive ,Theif and The Killing. Was about to blind buy Videodrome but the guy ahead took so long to get rung up I talked myself out of it in line. Looked like a pretty weird movie.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

I was underwhelmed by them when I saw them, some.... oh, 8-10 years ago. I've since seen The Music Room (), Mahanagar, Charulata (), The Coward and perhaps one or two more and I've come to realize that I just was not prepared for what Ray was showing. I will definitely make this part of my collection at some point.

That's interesting.

So you think you've essentially grown into them over the years?

I have read some reviews that say they're pretty slow films.

Is Ray like the Indian Ozu or something?

...that's not a shot at Ozu by the way.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Pryme

Picked up Mulholland Drive ,Theif and The Killing. Was about to blind buy Videodrome but the guy ahead took so long to get rung up I talked myself out of it in line. Looked like a pretty weird movie.

Videodrome is awesome.

...and definitely weird.

[jw007]

Alright folks...I've decided to ask everyone here what are your top 5 LEAST FAVORITE blind-buys?

I'm sure many of you have done what I've done...during those holiday 50% off sales, where we were feeling gluttonous and thrifty and "threw in" another Criterion because, well, it was 50% off! We skimmed the back cover of the blu-ray or dvd release and thought to ourselves: "Well, shit, this looks interesting, and I think it might be worth buying."

And then when it came time to watch it, we found out just how much we couldn't relate to or enjoy the movie we bought. But rather try and sell it on Ebay or go to a second hand movie/record store, we tucked it away in guilty fashion amongst our big stack of films and on our shelves and media cabinets and in storage bins, knowing we'll probably never ever again watch it.

So I will start with my top 5 LEAST favorite or regretful Criterion blind-buys:

1. Che
2. George Washington
3. White Dog
4. Life During Wartime
5. Chronicle of a Summer

Others that didn't make the list but came close (despite being from great directors): Red Desert, Pierrot le Fou, World on a Wire, The Last Emperor, La Jetée/Sans Soleil, The Milky Way and Medium Cool. Keep in mind that I'm judging this all on personal overall satisfaction with my purchases and in no way judge any of the films I mentioned to be inferior or bad in any way.

[LPMA]

I just watched Love Streams, and I noticed the screen goes black for a few frames around the 1:59:28 mark, when she drops the "popcorn" on her ex-husband. Is that my copy or is that the film itself?

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

That's interesting.

So you think you've essentially grown into them over the years?

I have read some reviews that say they're pretty slow films.

Is Ray like the Indian Ozu or something?

...that's not a shot at Ozu by the way.

That's not too bad a comparison, though Ozu is stylistically more rigid. Ray does, though, share Ozu's fondness for the small family drama and the Apu trilogy (the first in particular) is a low-key slice of life, where I'd expected more of a "classic" drama with a strong storyline.

[Bandit Tajomaru]

Originally Posted by jw007

Alright folks...I've decided to ask everyone here what are your top 5 LEAST FAVORITE blind-buys?

I'm sure many of you have done what I've done...during those holiday 50% off sales, where we were feeling gluttonous and thrifty and "threw in" another Criterion because, well, it was 50% off! We skimmed the back cover of the blu-ray or dvd release and thought to ourselves: "Well, shit, this looks interesting, and I think it might be worth buying."

And then when it came time to watch it, we found out just how much we couldn't relate to or enjoy the movie we bought. But rather try and sell it on Ebay or go to a second hand movie/record store, we tucked it away in guilty fashion amongst our big stack of films and on our shelves and media cabinets and in storage bins, knowing we'll probably never ever again watch it.

So I will start with my top 5 LEAST favorite or regretful Criterion blind-buys:

1. Che
2. George Washington
3. White Dog
4. Life During Wartime
5. Chronicle of a Summer

Others that didn't make the list but came close (despite being from great directors): Red Desert, Pierrot le Fou, World on a Wire, The Last Emperor, La Jetée/Sans Soleil, The Milky Way and Medium Cool. Keep in mind that I'm judging this all on personal overall satisfaction with my purchases and in no way judge any of the films I mentioned to be inferior or bad in any way.

Marketa Lazarová is the only Criterion I regret buying.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Bandit Tajomaru

Marketa Lazarová is the only Criterion I regret buying.

I somewhat regret that one too...but I wanted to like it so much. I didn't add it to my list or "close calls" simply because of the otherworldly cinematography.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by jw007

Alright folks...I've decided to ask everyone here what are your top 5 LEAST FAVORITE blind-buys?

I'm sure many of you have done what I've done...during those holiday 50% off sales, where we were feeling gluttonous and thrifty and "threw in" another Criterion because, well, it was 50% off! We skimmed the back cover of the blu-ray or dvd release and thought to ourselves: "Well, shit, this looks interesting, and I think it might be worth buying."

And then when it came time to watch it, we found out just how much we couldn't relate to or enjoy the movie we bought. But rather try and sell it on Ebay or go to a second hand movie/record store, we tucked it away in guilty fashion amongst our big stack of films and on our shelves and media cabinets and in storage bins, knowing we'll probably never ever again watch it.

So I will start with my top 5 LEAST favorite or regretful Criterion blind-buys:

1. Che
2. George Washington
3. White Dog
4. Life During Wartime
5. Chronicle of a Summer

Others that didn't make the list but came close (despite being from great directors): Red Desert, Pierrot le Fou, World on a Wire, The Last Emperor, La Jetée/Sans Soleil, The Milky Way and Medium Cool. Keep in mind that I'm judging this all on personal overall satisfaction with my purchases and in no way judge any of the films I mentioned to be inferior or bad in any way.

Hmmm. This won't win me any friends.

5. Les visiteurs du soir - OK. Nothing special.
4. The Great Dictator - Just too real a lot of the time. Didn't enjoy watching it.
3. Riot in Cell Block 11 - Was sure I'd love it. How can an 80 minute film be so long?
2. World on a Wire - Zzzzzz
1. Something Wild - Blech. It's not even close.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by jw007

Alright folks...I've decided to ask everyone here what are your top 5 LEAST FAVORITE blind-buys?

I'm sure many of you have done what I've done...during those holiday 50% off sales, where we were feeling gluttonous and thrifty and "threw in" another Criterion because, well, it was 50% off! We skimmed the back cover of the blu-ray or dvd release and thought to ourselves: "Well, shit, this looks interesting, and I think it might be worth buying."

And then when it came time to watch it, we found out just how much we couldn't relate to or enjoy the movie we bought. But rather try and sell it on Ebay or go to a second hand movie/record store, we tucked it away in guilty fashion amongst our big stack of films and on our shelves and media cabinets and in storage bins, knowing we'll probably never ever again watch it.

So I will start with my top 5 LEAST favorite or regretful Criterion blind-buys:

1. Che
2. George Washington
3. White Dog
4. Life During Wartime
5. Chronicle of a Summer

Others that didn't make the list but came close (despite being from great directors): Red Desert, Pierrot le Fou, World on a Wire, The Last Emperor, La Jetée/Sans Soleil, The Milky Way and Medium Cool. Keep in mind that I'm judging this all on personal overall satisfaction with my purchases and in no way judge any of the films I mentioned to be inferior or bad in any way.

I can't rank them, but here are a few that I heavily regretted buying:

-L'Avventura
-Insomnia
-The Devil's Backbone
-Vengeance Is Mine
-Walkabout
-The Vanishing
-L'Eclisse

Not that they suck or anything--they're all good films that have their merits.

But I had little to no interest in watching any of them more than once.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

-L'Avventura
-L'Eclisse

Those two are very surprising!

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

Those two are very surprising!

I'm with Ray Jackson... I blind bought all the Antonioni films including those 2 and already am not sure if I'm going to enjoy watching them (they are still sealed). The only Antonioni film I actually liked was Identification of a Woman only because of the 80s new wave music used in the film that I loved.

One other note... two Criterion box sets that I already regret buying are Shoah and World Cinema Project, and I haven't even watched them yet. We shall see.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by jw007

I'm with Ray Jackson... I blind bought all the Antonioni films including those 2 and already am not sure if I'm going to enjoy watching them (they are still sealed). The only Antonioni film I actually liked was Identification of a Woman only because of the 80s new wave music used in the film that I loved.

One other note... two Criterion box sets that I already regret buying are Shoah and World Cinema Project, and I haven't even watched them yet. We shall see.

I wasn't commenting on the quality of either films, btw, as I haven't seen them myself. Just that I've never heard anything but praise.

I wouldn't take a copy of Shoah if I was offered it for free. There will NEVER be a time I would choose to watch it.

World Cinema Project has some films I'd love to see, but I'm sure the package isn't for me.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by jw007

One other note... two Criterion box sets that I already regret buying are Shoah and World Cinema Project, and I haven't even watched them yet. We shall see.

Personally, I feel that Shoah is so important a document that it doesn't matter whether it's watchable or not. Shoah is on my list for the next Criterion sale (possibly next BF sale, depending on what Criterion comes out with in 2016).

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

I wasn't commenting on the quality of either films, btw, as I haven't seen them myself. Just that I've never heard anything but praise.

I wouldn't take a copy of Shoah if I was offered it for free. There will NEVER be a time I would choose to watch it.

World Cinema Project has some films I'd love to see, but I'm sure the package isn't for me.

Sure, I'd watch it, but not own it...unless it was for future generations of people who I'd pass the movie down to, in case I move to an island commune and I'm in charge of all the cinema (historical or otherwise) for the population. And this is assuming civilization in general elsewhere is destroyed and nobody has any copies of Shoah left. I see it as a time capsule/historical document.