People who value the art of the film more than “extras” (a ghastly marketing term) buy these Essential Art House editions, that’s who.
If it’s a film I cherish or find difficult to fathom I may buy the additional “film school” content; although, I love Grand Illusion and bought the EA edition because I know it and love it too well to need the extras (that word again!). Also, it was easy to plunk down $17. I need to think long and hard before I pay 45-70 Canadian bucks for a full Criterion.
“I know the price is lower but that makes little difference to me.” Paris Hilton, is that you?
It’s curious to see a Criterion sister site like this supporting a thread linking to illegal copies of theirs and others’ films. Long live free speech…uh, I guess.
I was in Tokyo on business a month ago. I managed to catch Scorsese during filming of his new movie. It looked from the costumes like he was doing a period piece, exploring some obscure mafia-Samurai connection. Looked very cool and it was great to see De Niro and Scorsese working together again.
Or did I dream that?
On another note; it’s great to see Malick back in action so soon after The New World.
Well, sorry for being all male hetero on your asses (pun unintended):
Stefania Sandrelli
Scarlett Johannsson
Sandra Milo
Claudia Cardinale
Marilyn Monroe
Faye Wong
Audrey Hepburn
Ingrid Bergman
That chamber maid in Rules of the Game
That’s enough; sorry, I have a testosterone imbalance. Oh, and yes, definitely Paul Newman.
Unfortunately, the “free monthly film festival” seems to have fallen to the wayside as of late. I don’t want to sound greedy I realize having the films to watch for free is a great favor, but I’ve been checking for a week now and the same few films are still there. So, no new free ones have been offered in well over a month. Oh well, all good things pass. At least I have my new editions of “The Exterminating Angel” and “Two-Lane Blacktop” to keep me happy ’til my next pay check.
@ Justin Biberkopf – The “cardboard packaging” is beautiful and is in no way cutting a corner. If anything it would be more expensive than cheap snap-cases and it’s definitely more difficult for a bootlegger to replicate.
As for Blu-Ray vs. DVD – don’t care I just want the movies. The DVDs look fine to me while I’m watching them and I"m in no hurry to help the next gen throwing of the coal on the consumerist fire BS.
There’s a thread like this, but asking about “most beautiful actor”. Look for it Mr. Wise. I posted to it because I didn’t realize this thread existed and wanted to offer some non-male choices. On it I offered a list – Marilyn is on it of course. She’s breathtaking and holy. Hope you feel better now : )
Ah ha. I sought it out and I see my post seemed to end the thread. Maybe you’re on to something.
A poster by the name of Anna said The Conformist. Is that right? Was that movie actually on the Criterion Collection at one time? On laser disc or something? God, I’d love to have a CC of that one. The current Paramount is good though.
My first was either 8 1/2 or an overpriced Seven Samurai. I’ve never rented or borrowed them – nothing against this I simply don’t have those options where I live.
My memories of first discovering the Criterion Collection are sunkissed memories of spring; Amarcord, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Notorious, M, Fanny and Alexander, Au Hazard Balthazar, M. Hulot’s Holiday, The Red Shoes, Withnail & I, The Lady Eve, The Pornographers, and the two mentioned above all in a short period of time. Ah, to be young again!
You know that’s Criterion’s greatest gift – discovering a new film is rejuvenating.
Prozac Nation. Palindromes. More than 20 minutes of any Kevin Smith film – I like the guy, but his writing should be confined to a high school creative writing assignment. Ug.
I too have been frustrated by the lack of access here in Canada. I could care less about the lack of access to Canadian films though – I do, after all, live here! What does “films for Canadians” mean? It sounds literally and figuratively provincial. I want access to great films in general from around the world. I want access the all those highly rated films given exposure on this site, films that are at the moment serving as taunts; reminders of stuff I’m not allowed to see. I want access to great Criterion titles. If I’m given second-bests forget about it. If “films for Canadians” means films made by Canadians then someone is greatly overestimating my patriotism. I don’t like the idea of some lawyers thinking they know what I like based on my passport. I want this site as a gateway to world cinema.
Bottom line: what films is this distributor offering? Let me know and then I’ll say if I’m onboard or not. Please, no Beach Combers movie.
p.s – What’s with this BS of Criterion not allowing my access to so many of their own titles? Do they own the rights or not? Region 1 is North America. If they practiced a similar approach in the brick and mortar world or at online retailers… they would be out of business.
High Fidelity is one. It’s funny, smart, well acted, and the music is important to me. I also love stereo equipment and vinyl and it fulfills some of that for me too.
I came up in the 80s and some films carry the zeitgeist of the time: Paris Texas, Stranger Than Paradise, and Wings of Desire come to mind.
I could go on and on. And BoogieBoy, I remember skipping school and seeing Big Trouble in Little China at the local theatre with my best friend. We had no idea what it was, but damn we thought it was great at time. :)
Tokyo-ga by Wim Wenders is a good one. I don’t know if Chris Marker’s Sans Soleil counts, but I could watch that all day long. And Herzog has said that Fitzcarraldo is his best documentary. I can see what he means.
I know it sounds like wishy-washy hair splitting, but I prefer the word “spiritual” over “religious”, as Jason has done. I’m thinking here of the notion of religion being indicative of following specific doctrine. I don’t think either man espoused allegiances of that sort. They were concerned with personal struggles and an understanding of a world beyond “this veil of tears”.
To be sure Bresson came up in Catholicism and it informed his work, but so did classical mythology (I’m thinking of the subtle reference to The Rape of Persephone in Au Hazard Balthazar). Also, Kent Jones has had some interesting things to say about how the repetition of phrases in Biblical verse (among other things a memory divise) informs Bresson’s use of repetition in his work. Again and again Bresson would have us hear or read about an action and then he would show us. This is a superficial example of religion being an influence on Bresson, but I think it’s interesting.
Dreyer too, though thoroughly Protestant, had no use for organized religion, but the man was spiritual. In Ordet he was critical of doctrine (religion) and favored a human approach to faith, courage, love. The “resurrection” was affected by a child and a madman after all.
Bondarchuk (Solaris) said that Russia did not officially recognize eternity and that, “we were a nation of grave diggers”. Tarkovsky was trying to dig them out in his own inimitable way.
I could be waaaaay off with with all this rot I’ve been writing so take it with a grain of salt. :)
Jeez that was pretentious; I’m off to watch an episode of South Park as a tonic.
It’s all about who owns the rights. So what we think is of little consequence. Criterion cares of course, but, well you see my point. And yes I would love Stalker – Criterion are you listening? – I’ll do the commentary for a 6-pack of Becks and a bag of Doritos.
There are many mysterious and beautiful moments in Godard where his women will cast a glance at the viewer. It always startles and exhilarates me because it re-enforces the voyeuristic act of watching a film. And Karina is beautiful; being a shy cineaste, her looking at me makes me blush : )
I like the moments of breaking the secondary fourth wall happening behind the primary fourth wall of Peeping Tom.
@ STEVE OERKFITZ – I was joking actually (sort of fantasizing aloud), but thanks for replying because I had no idea he’s filming another movie with Daniel Day-Lewis, in Japan. Great news!
ps – I changed my user name to an anagram of my real one
The 100th spot was taken 26 hours before the Oscars (my time). Now to make sure everyone gets their votes in. I wonder if anyone’s campaigning behind the scenes like Harvey Weinstein; madly PMing Auteurs members in support of some obscure 1920s Mongolian film.
Well for one, I can imagine Adam would like to forget about stage one. Now he can relax and collate the 50 or so lists already submitted – adding the others as they trickle in. Also, I don’t get how it will magically make the final result more diverse to allow more people. In the end the final 10 is achieved via consensus. I could even see a larger group giving rise to a less surprising top ten, but I may be wrong about that. More people would certainly add to the diversity of the submitted films. Also, when do we stop? If you want to dismiss the 100-person limit, why not move the March 1st deadline as well?
I’m just throwing some things out there. I’m not trying to exclude anyone; if Adam wants to expand this, fine by me. I’ll even help with the data.
There are few rules. Choose ten films you love. Your choices can include short films and animation; old or new. For Adam’s sake submit the list alphabetically and include the director’s full name – you can simply send your ten to Adam Cook. That’s about all. He would like everyone’s lists by March 1st. Hope that helps.
On a side note – I just finished watching Frozen River (2008). Wow, good film. :)
We should be grateful for Yi YI on Criterion at least. No?
There seems to be plenty written about A Brighter Summer Day. There must have been a retrospective of his films traveling around the country in 2002 or so. With this sort of praise and with the popularity of the Criterion disc I have some hope that we will have more Yang at some point. And, I hate to say this, but the poor guy’s death in the summer of ’07 may help to bring his films some exposure. Absence makes the heart…
He died in Beverley Hills; I like to think that means he had some commercial success.
Thank god I picked up Bresson’s L’Argent. NY’er had some good films, but they sucked at putting together quality DVDs. They put out DVDs at Criterion prices that were nowhere Criterion quality – so f’em. There will always be more great films for me to see – it’s like removing a bucket from a swimming pool. Our access to great cinema is not affected as much as is our access to specific great cinema. If you had your heart set on L’Atalante then this is indeed a sad day; it’s a beautiful film. I too put off getting it, along with some other NY’er discs from Bresson and Godard. It sucks, but wait and they’ll come out somehow. In the mean time everyone here aren’t rich enough (at least in time) to see a small piece of what is available.
This solves a little mystery. I was wondering why so many New Yorker titles all went OOP at the same time. And I may be too hard on them – my copy of L’Argent is quite good. I may have been thinking of Fox Lorber. Now Fox Lorber discs blow!
Perhaps I’m way off base, but I don’t understand the many users saying things like, “I still have so many films to watch”. I had a terrible time choosing as has everyone, but that was because I had 100 films that could honestly fill a list. The trouble was choosing which ones; in the end I chose a quick ten and sent it off. It’s just by misplaced opinion, but if you haven’t lived with a film for months better yet a few years it has no business being on your top ten list.
ESSENTIAL ARTHOUSE discs - Who's buying them? over 3 years ago
People who value the art of the film more than “extras” (a ghastly marketing term) buy these Essential Art House editions, that’s who.
If it’s a film I cherish or find difficult to fathom I may buy the additional “film school” content; although, I love Grand Illusion and bought the EA edition because I know it and love it too well to need the extras (that word again!). Also, it was easy to plunk down $17. I need to think long and hard before I pay 45-70 Canadian bucks for a full Criterion.
“I know the price is lower but that makes little difference to me.” Paris Hilton, is that you?
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FREE Movies Online over 3 years ago
It’s curious to see a Criterion sister site like this supporting a thread linking to illegal copies of theirs and others’ films. Long live free speech…uh, I guess.
Go to Comment
What Film Are You Most Looking Forward To In 2009? over 3 years ago
I was in Tokyo on business a month ago. I managed to catch Scorsese during filming of his new movie. It looked from the costumes like he was doing a period piece, exploring some obscure mafia-Samurai connection. Looked very cool and it was great to see De Niro and Scorsese working together again.
Or did I dream that?
On another note; it’s great to see Malick back in action so soon after The New World.
Go to Comment
I've never seen any David Lynch over 3 years ago
Simon – if you can watch Eraserhead and love it on your first viewing you’re hip, dude.
Some of you folks need to go into drug rehab. Sorry, I forgot to use allegory. Some of you folks need to watch some Michael Bay films.
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Who Was/Is The Most Beautiful Film Actor Ever? over 3 years ago
Well, sorry for being all male hetero on your asses (pun unintended):
Stefania Sandrelli
Scarlett Johannsson
Sandra Milo
Claudia Cardinale
Marilyn Monroe
Faye Wong
Audrey Hepburn
Ingrid Bergman
That chamber maid in Rules of the Game
That’s enough; sorry, I have a testosterone imbalance. Oh, and yes, definitely Paul Newman.
Go to Comment
No such thing as a free lunch over 3 years ago
Unfortunately, the “free monthly film festival” seems to have fallen to the wayside as of late. I don’t want to sound greedy I realize having the films to watch for free is a great favor, but I’ve been checking for a week now and the same few films are still there. So, no new free ones have been offered in well over a month. Oh well, all good things pass. At least I have my new editions of “The Exterminating Angel” and “Two-Lane Blacktop” to keep me happy ’til my next pay check.
Go to Comment
WHO IS / WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FILM ACTRESS EVER? over 3 years ago
Stefania Sandrelli from around the time of The Conformist; grrrrrrrrowl.
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Criterion Coming Soon and Discussion over 3 years ago
@ Justin Biberkopf – The “cardboard packaging” is beautiful and is in no way cutting a corner. If anything it would be more expensive than cheap snap-cases and it’s definitely more difficult for a bootlegger to replicate.
As for Blu-Ray vs. DVD – don’t care I just want the movies. The DVDs look fine to me while I’m watching them and I"m in no hurry to help the next gen throwing of the coal on the consumerist fire BS.
Go to Comment
WHO IS / WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FILM ACTRESS EVER? over 3 years ago
There’s a thread like this, but asking about “most beautiful actor”. Look for it Mr. Wise. I posted to it because I didn’t realize this thread existed and wanted to offer some non-male choices. On it I offered a list – Marilyn is on it of course. She’s breathtaking and holy. Hope you feel better now : )
Ah ha. I sought it out and I see my post seemed to end the thread. Maybe you’re on to something.
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WHO IS / WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FILM ACTRESS EVER? over 3 years ago
A chubbier and therefore sexier Christina Ricci, from say Gallo’s Buffalo 66. Do I have a “hell yeah” for Rubens women?
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What was the first Criterion movie you watched? over 3 years ago
A poster by the name of Anna said The Conformist. Is that right? Was that movie actually on the Criterion Collection at one time? On laser disc or something? God, I’d love to have a CC of that one. The current Paramount is good though.
My first was either 8 1/2 or an overpriced Seven Samurai. I’ve never rented or borrowed them – nothing against this I simply don’t have those options where I live.
My memories of first discovering the Criterion Collection are sunkissed memories of spring; Amarcord, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Notorious, M, Fanny and Alexander, Au Hazard Balthazar, M. Hulot’s Holiday, The Red Shoes, Withnail & I, The Lady Eve, The Pornographers, and the two mentioned above all in a short period of time. Ah, to be young again!
You know that’s Criterion’s greatest gift – discovering a new film is rejuvenating.
Go to Comment
What Is "Movie Hell" For You? over 3 years ago
Prozac Nation. Palindromes. More than 20 minutes of any Kevin Smith film – I like the guy, but his writing should be confined to a high school creative writing assignment. Ug.
Go to Comment
Films for Canadians over 3 years ago
I too have been frustrated by the lack of access here in Canada. I could care less about the lack of access to Canadian films though – I do, after all, live here! What does “films for Canadians” mean? It sounds literally and figuratively provincial. I want access to great films in general from around the world. I want access the all those highly rated films given exposure on this site, films that are at the moment serving as taunts; reminders of stuff I’m not allowed to see. I want access to great Criterion titles. If I’m given second-bests forget about it. If “films for Canadians” means films made by Canadians then someone is greatly overestimating my patriotism. I don’t like the idea of some lawyers thinking they know what I like based on my passport. I want this site as a gateway to world cinema.
Bottom line: what films is this distributor offering? Let me know and then I’ll say if I’m onboard or not. Please, no Beach Combers movie.
p.s – What’s with this BS of Criterion not allowing my access to so many of their own titles? Do they own the rights or not? Region 1 is North America. If they practiced a similar approach in the brick and mortar world or at online retailers… they would be out of business.
Go to Comment
The Auteurs "Sight & Sound" Poll over 3 years ago
I would like to take part in this.
If I’m still able put me down; 89, a good sensible number.
I’ll send my choices soon.
Thanks!
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The Auteurs "Sight & Sound" Poll over 3 years ago
Adam, I wanted to point out that 91 individual users posted to your thread. Did you miss two people? That is, assuming I’m number 89.
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Comfort Movies over 3 years ago
High Fidelity is one. It’s funny, smart, well acted, and the music is important to me. I also love stereo equipment and vinyl and it fulfills some of that for me too.
I came up in the 80s and some films carry the zeitgeist of the time: Paris Texas, Stranger Than Paradise, and Wings of Desire come to mind.
I could go on and on. And BoogieBoy, I remember skipping school and seeing Big Trouble in Little China at the local theatre with my best friend. We had no idea what it was, but damn we thought it was great at time. :)
Go to Comment
P.T. Anderson's Best Film? over 3 years ago
People don’t credit Kieslowski as enough of an influence.
And my pick is Boogie Nights, but all his movies are great imo. His last I like the least even though Daniel Day-Lewis is the boo- in my booyakasha.
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The Auteurs "Sight & Sound" Poll over 3 years ago
I PM’d my choices; well, at the very least my liste pour aujourd’hui.
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Documentaries over 3 years ago
Tokyo-ga by Wim Wenders is a good one. I don’t know if Chris Marker’s Sans Soleil counts, but I could watch that all day long. And Herzog has said that Fitzcarraldo is his best documentary. I can see what he means.
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What Makes Tarkovsky and Bresson "religious"? over 3 years ago
I know it sounds like wishy-washy hair splitting, but I prefer the word “spiritual” over “religious”, as Jason has done. I’m thinking here of the notion of religion being indicative of following specific doctrine. I don’t think either man espoused allegiances of that sort. They were concerned with personal struggles and an understanding of a world beyond “this veil of tears”.
To be sure Bresson came up in Catholicism and it informed his work, but so did classical mythology (I’m thinking of the subtle reference to The Rape of Persephone in Au Hazard Balthazar). Also, Kent Jones has had some interesting things to say about how the repetition of phrases in Biblical verse (among other things a memory divise) informs Bresson’s use of repetition in his work. Again and again Bresson would have us hear or read about an action and then he would show us. This is a superficial example of religion being an influence on Bresson, but I think it’s interesting.
Dreyer too, though thoroughly Protestant, had no use for organized religion, but the man was spiritual. In Ordet he was critical of doctrine (religion) and favored a human approach to faith, courage, love. The “resurrection” was affected by a child and a madman after all.
Bondarchuk (Solaris) said that Russia did not officially recognize eternity and that, “we were a nation of grave diggers”. Tarkovsky was trying to dig them out in his own inimitable way.
I could be waaaaay off with with all this rot I’ve been writing so take it with a grain of salt. :)
Jeez that was pretentious; I’m off to watch an episode of South Park as a tonic.
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Who wants "Stalker" to appear on Criterion? over 3 years ago
It’s all about who owns the rights. So what we think is of little consequence. Criterion cares of course, but, well you see my point. And yes I would love Stalker – Criterion are you listening? – I’ll do the commentary for a 6-pack of Becks and a bag of Doritos.
Go to Comment
BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL over 3 years ago
There are many mysterious and beautiful moments in Godard where his women will cast a glance at the viewer. It always startles and exhilarates me because it re-enforces the voyeuristic act of watching a film. And Karina is beautiful; being a shy cineaste, her looking at me makes me blush : )
I like the moments of breaking the secondary fourth wall happening behind the primary fourth wall of Peeping Tom.
Go to Comment
What Film Are You Most Looking Forward To In 2009? over 3 years ago
@ STEVE OERKFITZ – I was joking actually (sort of fantasizing aloud), but thanks for replying because I had no idea he’s filming another movie with Daniel Day-Lewis, in Japan. Great news!
ps – I changed my user name to an anagram of my real one
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BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL over 3 years ago
Absolutely. Tom Jones’ use of women’s undergarments is without peer.
You were talking about Tom Jones, the Welsh singer and sex symbol right?
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The Auteurs "Sight & Sound" Poll over 3 years ago
The 100th spot was taken 26 hours before the Oscars (my time). Now to make sure everyone gets their votes in. I wonder if anyone’s campaigning behind the scenes like Harvey Weinstein; madly PMing Auteurs members in support of some obscure 1920s Mongolian film.
Go to Comment
The Auteurs "Sight & Sound" Poll over 3 years ago
Well for one, I can imagine Adam would like to forget about stage one. Now he can relax and collate the 50 or so lists already submitted – adding the others as they trickle in. Also, I don’t get how it will magically make the final result more diverse to allow more people. In the end the final 10 is achieved via consensus. I could even see a larger group giving rise to a less surprising top ten, but I may be wrong about that. More people would certainly add to the diversity of the submitted films. Also, when do we stop? If you want to dismiss the 100-person limit, why not move the March 1st deadline as well?
I’m just throwing some things out there. I’m not trying to exclude anyone; if Adam wants to expand this, fine by me. I’ll even help with the data.
Go to Comment
The Auteurs "Sight & Sound" Poll over 3 years ago
There are few rules. Choose ten films you love. Your choices can include short films and animation; old or new. For Adam’s sake submit the list alphabetically and include the director’s full name – you can simply send your ten to Adam Cook. That’s about all. He would like everyone’s lists by March 1st. Hope that helps.
On a side note – I just finished watching Frozen River (2008). Wow, good film. :)
Go to Comment
Edward Yang over 3 years ago
We should be grateful for Yi YI on Criterion at least. No?
There seems to be plenty written about A Brighter Summer Day. There must have been a retrospective of his films traveling around the country in 2002 or so. With this sort of praise and with the popularity of the Criterion disc I have some hope that we will have more Yang at some point. And, I hate to say this, but the poor guy’s death in the summer of ’07 may help to bring his films some exposure. Absence makes the heart…
He died in Beverley Hills; I like to think that means he had some commercial success.
I hope TAGIMAUCIA is right.
Go to Comment
New Yorker Films shuts down over 3 years ago
Thank god I picked up Bresson’s L’Argent. NY’er had some good films, but they sucked at putting together quality DVDs. They put out DVDs at Criterion prices that were nowhere Criterion quality – so f’em. There will always be more great films for me to see – it’s like removing a bucket from a swimming pool. Our access to great cinema is not affected as much as is our access to specific great cinema. If you had your heart set on L’Atalante then this is indeed a sad day; it’s a beautiful film. I too put off getting it, along with some other NY’er discs from Bresson and Godard. It sucks, but wait and they’ll come out somehow. In the mean time everyone here aren’t rich enough (at least in time) to see a small piece of what is available.
This solves a little mystery. I was wondering why so many New Yorker titles all went OOP at the same time. And I may be too hard on them – my copy of L’Argent is quite good. I may have been thinking of Fox Lorber. Now Fox Lorber discs blow!
Go to Comment
The Auteurs "Sight & Sound" Poll over 3 years ago
Perhaps I’m way off base, but I don’t understand the many users saying things like, “I still have so many films to watch”. I had a terrible time choosing as has everyone, but that was because I had 100 films that could honestly fill a list. The trouble was choosing which ones; in the end I chose a quick ten and sent it off. It’s just by misplaced opinion, but if you haven’t lived with a film for months better yet a few years it has no business being on your top ten list.
“Grumpy old man” setting – off.
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