The Baron of Arizona is a favorite.
Dated, paced, but I love it.
I Shot Jesse James gave me goosebumps.
The Steel Helmet was amazing.
But I thought Fixed Bayonets! was better.
Exactly, NEH. Since I was grateful to be alive on Thanksgiving and saddened for the people and vacationers of Mumbai that day, I am now grateful for Criterion and them having saving me the trip to the library as well as guiding us to such terrific films as the ones they have placed in their “library”. For Christmas I will show my love for Baby Jesus and Criterion as well. I love these Eclipse titles they have chosen and am grateful.
Postwar Kurosawa…Though I have to agree with whoever posted about needing an early Kurosawa set..I would love to see his first 4 or so films collected. Some of the VHS copies I have had to watch those movies on are simply awful..
Also, I have the Samuel Fuller collection but haven’t had time to dig into…damn college. Still I am encouraged by the positive posts about it on here.
I own the Late Ozu & First Flims of Samuel Fuller sets and love them. All the films are great. The highlight for me were “Equinox Flower” & “The Steel Helmet”.
I’d buy the Kaurismaki set if I hadn’t already lost patience with R1 distributors and bought the Artificial Eye R2 Complete films of Aki Kaurismaki Vol 1 & 2. Glad I did, only because “Drifting Clouds” (on Vol. 2) is now one of my favorite films of all time.
“Ariel” and “Shadows in Paradise” are great, and I would recommend the Eclipse set on the strength of these two films. I also agree that it is a US import of Artifical Eye Vol 1.
I’ll probably pick up Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women in the near future.
I own the Bergman, Kurosawa, Klein, and Kaurismäki sets.
I have one favorite from each:
Bergman—Crisis
Kurosawa—One Wonderful Sunday (I was reading the bio The Emperor and the Wolf about Kurosawa and Mifune around the same time, so it was interesting to read more in depth behind the scenes stuff before and after watching the films…)
Klein—I loved the Model Couple, thought it was just hilarious.
Kaurismäki—Ariel was the coolest! Post-jailbreak, deadpan-cool! I bought the set on eBay for $20…new! Apparently, it was a gift they didn’t want…
Also, I have a thing for K directors…
I have them all and anxiously await each new announcement. My only grievance is…HURRY UP AND ANNOUNCE SOMETHING NEW!!!
I can’t recommend the Lubitsch Musicals enough. The Smiling Lieutenant is full of joyful naughtiness and it alone makes the entire set worthwhile.
Late Ozu is great and contains three of Ozu’s ten best films, including Equinox Flower, which is my personal favorite.
I’m waiting on my folks to get me the Mizoguchi set for my b-day, but I expcet it to be the best set of all the eclipse.
Has anyone been able to access the individual pages for Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu?
It looks like a sign that it might be delayed in release.
I cannot access the individual pages too, I hope that Robert Nishimura is wrong.
I have Late Ozu, Raymond Bernard, Postwar Kurosawa, William Klein, Silent Ozu, Aki Kaurismaki, Larisa Shepitko and Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Woman and my favorites are:
Late Ozu My favorite eclipse by far.
Silent Ozu: I WAS BORN BUT … is one of his best films.
Aki kaurismaki Proletariat Trilogy, all the films are fantastic, minimalistic and funny It is like a comic version of the cinema of Robert Bresson.
Larisa Shepitko (although i didn’t like WINGS, but ASCENT is good enough to recommend this set)
Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women WOW this set is great.
I hope they release soon the Mikio Naruse set and More Mizoguchi please.
¡Viva Eclipse!
I wish “Mr. Freedom” and “The Steel Helmet” had their own separate releases from Criterion. I love Eclipse in the sense that you get to watch more movies for the money (compared to Criterion’s pricing for it’s movies) but if you really like one of the films you see, you don’t get to dive into bonus features or any other goodies for that matter. You win some, you lose some
As already stated many times, the Early Bergman set is fantastic, especially Torment and Thirst. Highly recommended.
I also have the Raymond Bernard set. Both films in the set are wonderful in very different ways. Les Miserables is probably the most faithful rendition of the book ever filmed and very enjoyable, despite being almost 5 hours long. Wooden Crosses is stunning and thought provoking, even though its more than 75 years old.
I got both during the online sale Criterion was running late last year at 40% off. Great deal.
I would like to see an eclipse release of Abbas Kiarastami (sp?) films. The criterion taste of cherry is pretty vanilla and most of his films speak for themselve that you don’t need extras. Plus loads of them aren’t availible.
http://criterion.com/boxsets/618
Eclipse Series 16:
Alexander Korda’s Private Lives
includes
~ Rembrandt
~ The Private Life of Don Juan
~ The Private Life of Henry VIII
~ The Rise of Catherine the Great
I desperately want to see the movies from the Korda set but can’t afford to buy it at least until the Summer.
Korda boxset is a brilliant brainwave.
I have seen every Eclipse series up to series 13. My feelings on each set is that all the films are definetly overlooked in some way, none are a waste of time, many are intriging, but each set has one or two films that stand out as the best and the true treasures of the series.
My thoughts on each…
Eclipse Series 1: Early Bergman is a worthy first entry, Torment by Alf Sjöberg is a wonderful rare look at a Bergman script throught the eyes of another director, (Faithless by Liv Ullman is another) Torment is an excellent Swiss nior. The other films were quite enjoyable, representing a lost golden era in European filmmaking, but the other film that stands out in the set is Thirst, I believe it is good enough to be seen as a true Bergman classic, showing off the great director’s abily to examine psycological complexities in his characters.
Eclipse Series 2:The Documentaries of Louis Malle is a bit overwhelming, being that it is the entry that boast the most titles and the longest running time. I personally love the short Vive le Tour, a whimsical look at the tour de france, and God’s Country, it paints an unflattering but mezmerizing portrait of Regan era America. This set proves that Louis Malle was a versatile filmmaker, and these documentaries are certainly not like each other, each are crafted differently and together make a set that is anything but monotonous.
Eclipse Series 3: Late Ozu is an emotionally overwhelming set of the late directors final films, although they tend to blend together in my mind, with the exception of the tragically dark Tokyo Twilight and the irresistably sweet Late Autumn. Ozu is a master, and this set demonstrates his subtle ablity to tell powerful tales about ordinary people. Eclipse Series 4:Raymond Bernard is when Eclipse really acomplished what it set out to do; unearth forgotten materworks. Les Miserables has since become one of my all time favorites, and Wooden Crosses is an outstanding war film, hopefully both film will now be viewed as classics thanks to Eclipse. Eclipse Series 5: The First Films of Samuel Fuller has two good films and the outstanding Steel Helmet, gives the viewer a taste of Fullers brutally honest and uncompromising storytelling. Vincient Price is delightful in The Baron Of Arizona as well. Eclipse Series 6:Carlos Saura’s Flamenco Trilogy has three films, each different in style, but all about the language and life of dance. I think all three are equally qood, and the sexy Antonio Gades is in all three, if I had to choose which one I like the best I would choose the docudrama Blood Wedding. Eclipse Series 7: Postwar Kurosawa showcases a set of mostly average Kurosawa films. Undenably, it seems he was in a phase where he is working out the kinks in his style, which can clearly be seen in the butchered but interesting The Idiot. One Wonderful Sunday is a Capraesque sweet film, but the best two films in this set to me were Scandal (I never knew Toshiro Mifune was so handsome) and No Regrets For Our Youth (it makes one wish that Kurosawa made more films with the lovely Setsuko Hara, who plays the strongest female protagonist of all Kurosawa’s films). Eclipse Series 8:Lubitsch Musicals is probably the most delightful of the Eclipse serise so far. The Smiling Lieutenant is my favorite in this set. Anyone who has seen and loved the film Love Me Tonight, will get similar pleasure here with these films. Eclipse Series 9:The Delirious Fictions of William Klein is easily the most unusual and mind boggling set of the series so far. Mr Freedom is the most outlandish film I ever seen, Who are you, Polly Magoo? is just under Mr. Freedom. Thes leaves The Model Couple, the most accessable film here. All are filmed beautifully (Polly Magoo is like 60s clad David Lynch meets Alice In Wonderland in beautiful b&w) but this set to me was a bit of an aquired taste. Eclipse Series 10:Silent Ozu—Three Family Comedies is a charming set of silent films, as others have mentioned, it is probably easy to describe these films as silent Japanese versions of the Little Rascals, but I would say with a little bit more heart. The one I like best in this set is Tokyo Chorus. Eclipse Series 11: Larisa Shepitko hails two masterworks from a filmmaker whose life was tragically cut short. Wings is an intimate and personal film with an outstanding lead performance. It is a character study of an unhappy woman who is long past her “glory days.” The Ascent is a devestating allegorical film set in world war two. Both films are excellent. Eclipse Series 12: Aki Kaurismäki’s Proletariat Trilogy is the final word in the language of deadpan cinema. I like this set very much, fans of Jim Jarmusch should definetly check this set out. The Match Factory Girl, is my favorite of the three.and finally
Eclipse Series 13:Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women features the two early classics Sisters Of The Gion and Osaka Elegy. Women of the Night is a brutally honest but uneven film that bears a similarity to Italian neorealism. However, this brings us to my favorite film out of all the Eclipse series, one I think could and should have been a Criterion Collection disk itself, Street Of Shame. What can I say other than that I loved the story, cinematography, acting, and direction and the film was moving, complex, and haunted me for days after I saw it.And in Street of Shame, what an extraordinary shot to end a film and career on. An interesting comparison with the end of Osaka Elegy, and its heroine’s very different- defiant rather than timid- attitude. The music in Street of Shame is very strange, almost like some eerie 50s sci-fi b movie. When i first saw it i was disappointed as it seemed less refined and beautiful than Mizo’s late period masterpieces like Sansho Dayu, The Life of Oharu and Ugetsu, but then it’s a different setting, and the scene where Machiko Kyo turns on her hypocritical father and gives him what for is priceless. I don’t think there’s a lot to choose between those four in quality, Osaka Elegy probably my favourite, i agree Women of the Night is a bit uneven, with a hysterical edge, though generally very rewarding There are some who prefer the calmer understatement of Naruse and Ozu, Mizo was one for heightened emotion and (albeit high quality, even exquisite) melodrama, but life does involve hysteria and viciousness, and the top Japanese critic Tadao Sato has rated it among Mizo’s and therefore Japan’s very best.
I have them all, why?
Kenji, you know I’m with you about that film. Mizoguchi great till the end.
Fortunately I work at an independent video rental store, so I have access to all the Criterion and Eclipse releases. I just finished watching the four Hiroshi Shimizu films, and it is definitely astonishing that he is so neglected and unknown. The silent “Japanese Girls at the Harbor” is achingly beautiful and “Ornamental Hairpin” is wonderfully romantic. I love how “The Masseurs and a Woman” is paced and “Mr Thank You” is so fun and deceptively light. Wonderful films!
Oh yes, Shimizu is magnificent- that set is an absolute must. He’s a master of composition and camera, with a free spirit and a love of nature, and he makes it look so easy.
Erik Swallow, that set is surely the most relevant!
I’ve been trying to add him to my auteurs list on my profile page, but to no avail. I especially love Ornamental Hairpin. Naruse is another who’s been unfairly neglected but Shimizu more so, and he suits me more too
I think Kenji is my other self. I also love incredibly Kanzashi! Maybe the best Shimizu I’ve seen.
shoosh, Dan, they’ll cotton on we’re the same slightly scizophrenic person. He has wit, an eye for beauty, he’s daring enough to experiment, there’s a relaxed charm and kindness about these films, but something deeper too- at his best, like a mix of Satyajit Ray and Vigo with a hint of both Ozu and Mizoguchi. Yes, he really does manage some Mizoguchi standard compositions, and with a beguiling lightness of touch.
Oh, and even better, Ornamental Hairpin has both Kinuyo Tanaka and Chishu Ryu!
You guys are killing me. Literally killing me…
I have no money, otherwise the Shimizu would be at the top of my list.
Just killing me…
NE1
Hazzah, Jerome the Red Hulk!!
It’s like the Return of Thanksgiving, for filmnerds!
Thank you Criteron | Auteurs people. Spread the gratefulness!!
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…in case you didn’t hear
!! http://theauteurs.com/criterion !!
THIS MONTH
http://criterion.com/festival
CRITERION FESTIVAL
http://criterion.com/festival
FEATURES SIX ECLIPSE TITLES
!! http://theauteurs.com/criterion !!