The Criterion Collection

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by mja345

I have the German BD of "Ghost World" and, in the bonus interviews, ScarJo sounds like she could play middle linebacker in the NFL if you just heard her voice haha. It's that deep and husky.

I initially saw that movie when I was about 16 and I was a big Thora Birch fan at the time. My buddy and I would argue who was hotter of Thora or Scarlett, like 16 year old dorks do. It's crazy that Thora's career went in the toilet while Scarlett's career took off into the stratosphere. Thora just never had a couple of parts like "Match Point" and "Lost in Translation" which IMO catapulted Scarlett into being a fantastic adult actress.

Ghost World was the first movie where I noticed Scarlett Johansson. It wasn't so much her prettiness as it was her oddly husky voice. I had a feeling that I would see her in more movies, but I didn't expect her popularity to explode so much. I'm glad that it did.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Ghost World was the first movie where I noticed Scarlett Johansson. It wasn't so much her prettiness as it was her oddly husky voice. I had a feeling that I would see her in more movies, but I didn't expect her popularity to explode so much. I'm glad that it did.

I loved her in "Ghost World", but really found her irresistible in "Lost in Translation". Her voice went from awkwardly husky, at times, to sultry very quickly as I'm sure she became more confident with it. It's a shame what happened to Thora Birch's career. She's a beautiful woman who can really act, but, for some reason, her career stalled out.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by mja345

I have the German BD of "Ghost World" and, in the bonus interviews, ScarJo sounds like she could play middle linebacker in the NFL if you just heard her voice haha. It's that deep and husky.

I initially saw that movie when I was about 16 and I was a big Thora Birch fan at the time. My buddy and I would argue who was hotter of Thora or Scarlett, like 16 year old dorks do. It's crazy that Thora's career went in the toilet while Scarlett's career took off into the stratosphere. Thora just never had a couple of parts like "Match Point" and "Lost in Translation" which IMO catapulted Scarlett into being a fantastic adult actress.

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Ghost World was the first movie where I noticed Scarlett Johansson. It wasn't so much her prettiness as it was her oddly husky voice. I had a feeling that I would see her in more movies, but I didn't expect her popularity to explode so much. I'm glad that it did.

Yeah, she's got that voice, for sure.

And it is interesting how Thora never really made it, while, as you say, Scarlett's career went into the stratosphere. I was rooting for Thora to make something of it. Oh well.

But Scarlett has been in some spectacular pictures. I mean, forget about the gigantic comic book movies. But stuff like Lost in Translation, Match Point, Girl With a Pearl Earring, Vicky Christina Barcelona and the rest made all the difference in the world. But Thora was something early on.

But yeah, that voice. I really love it.

[oildude]

I wouldn't leave out The Horse Whisperer on a list of Scarlett Johansson films. She was only 14 but carries much of the movie. Excellent performances all around.

[pedromvu]

For those wanting to take advantage of Criterion movies on Hulu while they are still there, I made a sort-able list with all the films currently playing there that are either in the main line or Eclipse, I also added if they are in HD, and their TSPDT rank in case you don't know where to begin or need to prioritize what to watch.

Edit: hmm can't make the link work for some reason, here is the url:

tinyurl.com/jmy3bar

Edit 2: Here is a working link with google docs instead of one drive: List

Main line and Eclipse are in separate sheets, If you want to remove the films you have seen you will need to download the file first.

I recommend to give priority to the ones in HD, because the SD quality on Hulu can be pretty bad depending on the title.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Just Like Honey perfectly captured the mood I had at the end of the film the first time I saw it.

[Show spoiler]The line "walking back to you is the hardest thing that I can do" echoed the melancholy I felt at Bob and Charlotte's parting. In such a short amount of time, they'd established this incredible bond that is so rare in today's increasingly impersonal world, and it saddened me that they had to go back to their old, mundane lives. Bob's spirit had been reinvigorated by Charlotte, and Charlotte found in Bob someone who could relate to her on a deeper level. In other words, they'd both found what was lacking in their lives. Bob wasn't meant to spend his days sifting through wallpaper samples; Charlotte wasn't meant to spend her evenings trying to escape one mindless conversation after another. However, now that I know what Bob whispered in Charlotte's ear at the end of the film (a line that was ad libbed by Murray), I feel somewhat better. Yet, at the same time, I want to know what happens next.

Translation is effective on many levels. As I've already alluded, it's a deeply personal film, and, I think in a way, partially a commentary on what's coming out of Hollywood now. I find it interesting that all the other American characters that serve as background noise are so cliched. It's also a love letter, of sorts, to Tokyo, showcasing the clear dichotomy that exists: a struggle to find balance between the modern, and the old ways. One minute, Charlotte is lost amidst an endless sea of video games. The next, she is observing an ancient wedding procession. Japan, and Tokyo in particular, have always fascinated me, but after seeing this film, I wanted to go there more than ever. What a strange, yet beautiful, land.

Gorgeous commentary on that movie sir. I couldn't agree more. The only negative I could think of about this film, and I can understand why its justified, is the xenophobia on the part of the American characters and their ignorance towards Japanese culture. I never thought there was any racist element in this film until I met a native Japanese citizen, a young woman whom I was penpals with right after college, and she told me how offensive the movie was to her. I suppose I see the beauty in this film from the standpoint of a foreigner, but at the same time I could realize that the lack of sarcasm and cynicism in Japanese culture can mean this film is greatly misunderstood and misinterpreted unless you're coming from a Western mindset.

[Namuhana]

I just saw a link on Facebook that Ghost World is now on Hulu. What a coincidence! I've added it to my queue and I'll have to watch it soon. I saw the trailer and it looks like my kind of movie.

[ThisKid]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Had a strange nightmare where the Manchurian Candidate went OOP and Criterion's website was gone.

The next B&N sale can't get here fast enough.

Originally Posted by belcherman

Funny, I had a nightmare where B&N went out of business, and Criterion stopped having flash sales. I woke up in a cold sweat shouting "Retail! Retail!" Talk about staring into the abyss.

You think you guys have bad nightmares. I've had multiple dreams on which I get a LaserDisc player and lots of titles to go with it, and they felt so real, only to then wake up! Now THAT'S a nightmare!

[llj]

Originally Posted by mja345

I loved her in "Ghost World", but really found her irresistible in "Lost in Translation". Her voice went from awkwardly husky, at times, to sultry very quickly as I'm sure she became more confident with it. It's a shame what happened to Thora Birch's career. She's a beautiful woman who can really act, but, for some reason, her career stalled out.

After Ghost World, I was sure Thora Birch would become a bigger star than ScarJo. Go figure.


I've heard rumors that Thora has a real "Stage Dad" and often goes to her shoots and starts bossing people around. I don't know if that's the main reason her roles dried up, but it's something that's been repeated to me several times.

Anyway, I just watched Future Criterion (Probably Someday, Maybe) Nymphomaniac and Diary of a Teenage Girl back to back. So now I've got an extra fill of insights into female sexuality, and I'm probably still none the wiser for it (not that those films aren't recommended by me, but I'm just a thick headed guy when it comes to women)

I don't know if I have the guts to watch the extended cut of Nymphomaniac though. The abortion scene sounds brutal, and I have a fairly strong stomach for graphic films.

As for Diary of a Teenage Girl, I think Bel Powley is gonna have a great career. What a brave, smart and fantastic young talent. But then, I said the same about Thora Birch about 15 or so years ago. I hope I'm not jinxing Powley here.

[AaronJ]

I saw A Diary of a Teenage Girl in the theater, and it was killer. What an amazing film with a great performance by the central character. It's sad that it got so little get-go from people. I just don't think many people saw it.

I went and saw it as a double feature with Carol.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by belcherman

Funny, I had a nightmare where B&N went out of business, and Criterion stopped having flash sales. I woke up in a cold sweat shouting "Retail! Retail!" Talk about staring into the abyss.

Did it stare back at you?

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by jw007

Gorgeous commentary on that movie sir. I couldn't agree more. The only negative I could think of about this film, and I can understand why its justified, is the xenophobia on the part of the American characters and their ignorance towards Japanese culture. I never thought there was any racist element in this film until I met a native Japanese citizen, a young woman whom I was penpals with right after college, and she told me how offensive the movie was to her. I suppose I see the beauty in this film from the standpoint of a foreigner, but at the same time I could realize that the lack of sarcasm and cynicism in Japanese culture can mean this film is greatly misunderstood and misinterpreted unless you're coming from a Western mindset.

It depends on how sensitive you are, or what kind of person you are. My wife is Japanese, and she as well as her family love the film. I asked them if they had any problems with it and they said no. Also, Japanese people love to laugh as comedy shows are very popular over there. The humor in the film really isn't offensive. I mean, something like Breakfast at Tiffany's where a guy is painted yellow, has buck teeth, and speaks in an exaggerated "Asian" accent is far more offensive than Bill Murray getting frustrated over a shower being too small.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Did it stare back at you?

It did. That's what made it so abysmal.

[Polaroid]

Managed to get 3 Films By Rossellini for £30 off eBay (perfect condition) - thought it was a good bargain! Never seen so complete blind buy - but can't go wrong for £30, seems to contain A LOOOOT.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Managed to get 3 Films By Rossellini for £30 off eBay (perfect condition) - thought it was a good bargain! Never seen so complete blind buy - but can't go wrong for £30, seems to contain A LOOOOT.

I hate you.

Just wanted to let you know that.

[Popcorn_Bliss]

Just watched Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953) via the Criterion digipak for the first time today.

I've always enjoyed the general look and style of Japanese cinema. I have no good excuse for why I had never seen this acclaimed classic, but better late than never!

I was struck by the beautifully paced and "photograph-like" shots Ozu used. It was usually either shots at floor level (which I read the cinematographer largely took from Citizen Kane), or medium-close shots where the person is placed mostly direct in the center of the frame. I'll have to watch it with the commentary next time. I'm sure I'll uncover even more stuff!

Anyway, it was a great film. And one long overdue on my classics list!

[AaronJ]

Tokyo Story should be in the thread about the classics that one is embarrassed about not having seen.

I've seen two Ozu films. And other than Kurosawa, that's pretty much it. I just never have connected with Asian cinema in general. There's a film here, or there. But as a general thing, I've never been able to find that connection. I don't know what the reason is, either.

[Popcorn_Bliss]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Tokyo Story should be in the thread about the classics that one is embarrassed about not having seen.

I've seen two Ozu films. And other than Kurosawa, that's pretty much it. I just never have connected with Asian cinema in general. There's a film here, or there. But as a general thing, I've never been able to find that connection. I don't know what the reason is, either.

Yeah, I should have included it in that thread!

When it comes to foreign films, I started out seeing some of the European classics. Many are the best things ever made and I still love them. I actually got into Japanese films a bit late (except for Godzilla viewings growing up). Yet I've always had a fascination with Japan. Its films seem to carry a "genuine snapshot" of its land, people and cultures. I don't know if it's the mix of its cities with the mountainous areas that are filmed or the overall "glow" of the land against the Pacific. Maybe I just have more of a nostalgic attachment to Gojira (1954) than I realize...

Whatever it is, I've sort of gradually drifted towards Japanese films when it comes to foreign cinema.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Popcorn_Bliss

Yeah, I should have included it in that thread!

When it comes to foreign films, I started out seeing some of the European classics. Many are the best things ever made and I still love them. I actually got into Japanese films a bit late (except for Godzilla viewings growing up). Yet I've always had a fascination with Japan. Its films seem to carry a "genuine snapshot" of its land, people and cultures. I don't know if it's the mix of its cities with the mountainous areas that are filmed or the overall "glow" of the land against the Pacific. Maybe I just have more of a nostalgic attachment to Gojira (1954) than I realize...

Whatever it is, I've sort of gradually drifted towards Japanese films when it comes to foreign cinema.

For me, it's always been the French New Wave and pretty much everything from Sweden. I love Antonioni, but I don't know Italian cinema like I should. Although, La Dolce Vita is one of my favorite films. But ask me something about the French New Wave, and I generally know the answer. Ask me something about Italian Neo-Realism, and I am clueless.

As I said before, I am trying to fix that. Slowly, but surely.

But yikes, my knowledge of Asian cinema is just pathetic. I have a LONG way to go there. It's just going to be one of those things. I need to learn, and I am willing to. But the more Ozu and even a bit of Mizoguchi (since I've never even seen a single film by him) are moving in the right direction.

And there's the Chinese and Korean cinemas to investigate. Yeesh.

[jw007]

Fabs, I totally agree with most of what you said. I can't let one person from Japan affect my entire perspective of what an entire culture thinks of this film. It was just their opinion, and frankly, she prob. didn't really understand the movie anyway.