Why should a set of films that you love be considered anything more than the films that you love? This set, while some, might be considered to a neglected few as depressing, are also (Annie Hall and Dr. Strangelove) seen on the AFI’s top 100 comedies list. Annie Hall is as honest a movie as you will ever see and because of that, you can’t help but laugh at almost everything that comes forth. Anna said it perfectly, most of these films are close examples of life without any added sugar, it’s black as hell, but isn’t that the way it should be? I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of Lost in Translation, but if one film on your list really struck me as depressing, that would be it. Spirit of the Beehive is one of my all time favorites as well, and because of that, very few films make me as happy. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a feel good film to me, when it ended my heart was racing and I couldn’t help but start it over again, no other film at the time made me feel that overwhelming energy. And Wings of Desire, possibly my all time favorite film, is another one of those experiences that, in the midst of entrancement, I was almost jumping up and down through the whole thing, because Wim Wenders words were so powerful that it moved me beyond anything I could have ever experienced with laughter. These films move because they speak. That is why you love them. They bring originality; they show you things that you have never seen. Once again, that is why you love them. The greatest films have no genre, just a voice.
I agree that Max Ophuls gets a little more credit than he deserves, that’s only because I’m not one for period pieces. I also think that anyone who uses the word dumb to describe an opinion is obviously lacking, and that their viewpoint should automatically be looked at in the same sense in which they feel their word of choice symbolizes. I’m going to agree on George Lucas being overrated, his main event STAR WARS was based on Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress- that doesn’t leave much else- he’s still working on them, yet his name is still valuable- I’ll never understand the using of that force. But since Kurosawa was mentioned, let me just say that I do feel that The Seven Samurai is overrated, I prefer some of his others films more: Ikiru, Stray Dog, High and Low, and Red Beard. Another overrated film, Citizen Kane, don’t get me wrong it is a great film, but in no way would I label it the greatest film ever made. Honestly though, I don’t think much about the rating of a director, his films should speak for themselves, why should the words of another be valuable enough to persuade you beyond your own point of view?
Haha, tell me about it what in God’s name were they thinking with the Michael Bay films?
Willem Dafoe would make a marvelous fishing buddy- I loved the story of the roadkill deer. Matt Dillon on the other hand… what was his deal? It was hard enough for him to even respond to John. Overall, having loved Tom Waits in Down By Law and also as a musician, his real personality wasn’t as appealing. Really a fantastic little series.
MY LIST OF DON’T AGREE’S: Youth of the Beast is fantastic, as is The Bank Dick, and I honestly loved Robinson Crusoe on Mars- the old scifi films are so bad you can’t help but love them and this really held me in, Fishing with John is great, Kicking and Screaming is brilliant, Contempt I also love, Rushmore and Bottle Rocket are fantastic additives to Criterion- The Life Aquatic not so much, The Royal Tenembaums sure, Honestly I really enjoyed The Ice Storm as well, The Night Porter was clearly distributed for historical purposes only- another shock value film, but without Criterions release I would never have seen what that famous image was connected to, Oh and my God please forgive me, but I loved Sweet Movie- that’s the film I show to anyone who thinks they can handle it all haha, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm is a filmmakers film- there is so much to like in this if you have ever worked with actors and a production crew that thinks they’ve got all the answers, Grey Gardens is a classy documentary almost as good as Salesman, Man Bites Dog is unbeatable in regards to something that appears so real it makes you sick, Brazil, Maitresse, My Own Private Idaho- all magically original, Shock Corridor is one of the greatest asylum films ever produced, The Harder They Come is a classic, Slacker is absolutely brilliant like a deadpan Rope with all the continued shots, and THE ELEMENT OF CRIME is a masterpiece, the images are breathtaking, I was blown away, anything by Lars Von Trier is brilliant, I loved Europa/Zentropa- he is more of a visual filmmaker so I tend to almost ignore the story and just allow the hypnosis of his visuals take over. That about does it.
AGREE’S OR UNNECESSARY FOR THE CRITERION STANDARD (or at least what I assumed the standard was): Don’t think Robocop, Armegeddon, The Rock, Time Bandits (all the Monty Python films- even though I enjoy this one), Fiend Without a Face, Beastie Boys Anthology, Hopscotch, Chasing Amy, Jubilee, Naked Lunch (the book is too good for an adaptation), Videodrome (I like the movie but not in my criterion collection), Indiscretion of an American Wife/Terminal Station- terribly relies on the obnoxious soundtrack for drama, haven’t seen Border Radio yet, but there is a reason, I can almost guarantee that it ranks even lower than Jubilee.
Does anyone else love the film Paper Moon? I’ve always loved that film, Peter Bogdanovich is due for a film, he’s done a number of introductions for Criterion.
So this is sure to get some activity, I am very curious to know what films you would all like to see released through the Criterion Collection. I’ve listed my top 15 that I feel deserve the treatment- some mainly just for a wider audience, as well as better tranfers and special features, and others just for high def transfers and special features.
Wings of Desire (1987)- Wim Wenders
Paris, Texas (1984)- Wim Wenders
Badlands (1973)- Terrence Malick
Delicatessen (1991)- Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Belle De Jour (1968)- Luis Bunuel
Jalsaghar (The Music Room) (1958)- Satyajit Ray
My Life to Live (1962)- Jean-Luc Godard
Landscape in the Mist (1988)- Theodorus Angelopoulos
Eternity and a Day (1998)- Theodorus Angelopoulos
The Little Fugitive (1953)- Ray Ashley
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)- Sam Peckinpah
Sleuth (1972)- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
The Entertainer (1960)- Tony Richardson
Taxi Driver (1976)- Martin Scorsese
Paper Moon (1973)- Peter Bogdanovich
What are your top films that deserve the treatment?
Thank God a few of you seriously put thought into it without writing (forgive me) what I like to call dirty words on the bathroom wall (some of the mentioned films make me question how serious some of you are, not that it really matters, but I would like to hear of titles that really haven’t seen as much of the light of day as they should) The American Friend is another fantastic Wim Wenders film, maybe a three disc set like Hiroshi Teshigahar’s box set, I was so happy when they released Woman in the Dunes, that was up for like $200 on Amazon because it was out of print. I would love to see The Devils as well, completely agree that anything they can dig up of Satyajit Ray would be great considering the limited supply of films coming out of India, Los Olvidados would have been the first Bunuel film I would have chosen simply because the only print seems to be a washed out VHS transfer, where as Belle De Jour was released with a decent print with the help of Martin Scorsese. Red Desert as well, and I have always wanted to see The Dead, I may have seen it awhile back but can’t remember it. Un Flic should be coming, it has Criterion written all over it. I am also excited to hear that Wings of Desire and Paris, Texas are finally getting their wings, I can’t wait.
Shotzi, how do you find out what titles they are “hopefully” releasing? I was trying to find information even futuristically hoping for it and I couldn’t find any.
The Night of the Hunter would actually be a great add on, the MGM copy I’ve got is okay but it really makes it feel like a cheap film when it is so much more. If they can release The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, there is no excuse, that’s been a $5 DVD since it was released some odd years ago and now Criterion is releasing it for what $30? I don’t know about the special features, but there are plenty films that I would consider far more valuable. I highly doubt that Night of the Hunter would have too many hoops to jump through to get permission (but who knows some titles you would never expect so much of a hassle from).
Brother’s Keeper’s a great film, It’s been awhile, need to watch it again, I was going to guess Tony Kaye’s Lake of Fire, although I have yet to see it, anyone seen it?
There is no way Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is better than the original, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory- I’m not ashamed to admit my love for the original, Gene Wilder is the ultimate Willy Wonka, everything that I loved about the original was nowhere near the remake, and for that I am thankful, thus, there was nothing in the remake that was watchable.
I think 3:10 to Yuma is one of the finest examples of a good remake you can find, aside from The Wizard of Oz, and yes, The Thing. I adore the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, honestly thought the remake was terrible. I have yet to see Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu, I loved the original one.
I think the one thing that destroys most remakes is the use of CG and special effects, and actors like Keanu Reeves- what were they thinking when they remade The Day the Earth Stood Still- that drove me off the deep end- there are so many films that need to be banned from secondhand runarounds- American’s are getting desperate these days- I can feel a remake of Casablanca and Citizen Kane on their way…. what will become of America’s lack of ideas?
Why do I feel as though this place is turning into Youtube…another out of order vending machine with pretty things that never come out into the open. It hurts me to think of mindless children ranting over scratch.
And Christopher, the best version of The Talented Mr. Ripley, in my mind, is Wim Wender’s The American Friend with Bruno Ganz and Dennis Hopper, why don’t they have that on here? They’ve got at least 10 of his films on here.
I LOVE Noah Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming- brilliant. It kills me that everytime I mention it I have to say, not the Will Ferrell piece of shit. That film will never get the attention it deserves because of it.
Nathan- sadly that is true, the only reason I stumbled upon it was because I had to double check and see what the hell it was doing in the Criterion Collection, then I saw that Noah Baumbach wrote and directed it, I enjoyed the Squid and the Whale and love Wes Anderson, so I decided to check it out mainly out of curiousity, but I must say, I really enjoyed the dialouge and delivery, the film itself was really just a hole for a bunch of catchy, yet, pointless dialouge, which in turn is probably why a lot of people don’t enjoy the film, it’s so careless that it seems like a waste of time, and hell maybe it is, but in a tiresome way, it makes me smile.
I never had anyone around me, growing up, who enjoyed film the way that I did, in fact, I grew up in a home that knew nothing about film- it was basically a secret; so it was very difficult to express myself. Especially when I came across the criterion collection, I used to check out 25 dvds at a time (no joke, sometimes I’d walk out with two bags from the library- free films- I was hooked- my mother was not) and I made it a goal to watch all of them in a week (hello, big black cave, goodbye civilization). I started a journal of reviews for no reason aside from that lost expression. I remember one weekend I watched something like 40 films, some of them being silent’s, like Laurel and Hardy’s The Music Box at an hour’s length- I had friends coming over and knocking on the door, and I just pretended like I wasn’t there, nothing made me feel as up as cinema did (…Goodbye, civilization). The first film that really pushed me down the rabbit hole was On the Waterfront, naturally my first glimpse into cinema was American Cinema, but it wasn’t until I witnessed the films of the world like Wild Strawberries, Landscape in the Mist, Black Orpheus, Woman in the Dunes, Satyajit Ray’s Jalsaghar, and Au Hasard Balthazar, that I found the oasis of film masterworks, there was no turning back. I felt like an explorer who had come across an undiscovered island, and I wanted to share it with everyone, but as most of us know, very few are interested in feeling a film, most just want a momentary thrill, a laugh, and a happy ending. The Auteurs gave all of us film loners a community to share with, and that to me, is what dreams are made out of.
Damn there seems to be some good ones coming out. I know the guy who edited the script for Tree of Life- I hear good things- getting to work with Malick would be a dream come true.
France: Landscape in the Mist, Au Hasard Balthazar, Jules and Jim
Italy: Fists in the Pocket, Nights of Cabiria, L’ Eclisse
Korea: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring, Oldboy, Tae Guk-Gi
Hong Kong: In the Mood For Love, 2046, Fulltime Killer
Germany: Wings of Desire, Fitzcarraldo, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Sweden: Wild Strawberries, My Life as a Dog, Smiles of a Summer Night
Denmark: The Element of Crime, Ordet, Europa
Spain: Spirit of the Beehive, Sex and Lucia, Cria Cuervos
ADD ON’S (had to)
Czech Republic: The Shop on Main Street, Closely Watched Trains, Loves of a Blonde
Japan: Woman in the Dunes, Ikiru, Kwaidan
In many cases, I would call the editor the ultimate auteur, it is his/her job to compose something out of everything that was shot- which can be more than enough and other times, the editor has to make due with what he has and build a story out of it. For instance, Bonnie and Clyde, that film is just as much Dede Allen’s as it is Arthur Penn’s, in fact, it may be safe to say that the cinematographer, the editor and our two stars, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunnaway are responsible for the success of that film. Now there are directors who deserve the title, and those are the ones who stand behind everything and call the shots, the cuts, the style, the delivery, the persona, whatever it may be- Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, Woody Allen (almost too much, everyone in his films becomes him), and Akira Kurosawa are great examples- you have to be a monster to be called an auteur, in that I mean, you have to be the man with the ingredients, the recipe, and the taste. There are too many directors who get credit for just making a few demands, when the heart of the film is determined by the real carpenters, call them what you will: the cinematographer, the editor, the writer, and yes, the monster, the dictator, the man with the directions. The cinematographer is the eye through which we perceive the story. So, my last note: if the director embedded that eye in his cinematographer and forced a style on his editor, he is an auteur, and vice versa.
Yeah, it’s actually Italian isn’t it? it says France on it’s home page, switch out L’ Eclisse and place Landscape in the Mist, and Shoot the Piano Player for France.
Akira, do you really think any film that Howard Hughes was on the set of would be directed by anyone else, Hughes is a director’s worst nightmare, he put far too much money into his pictures to let anyone else really have the final say. He’s the type of producer who thought that producing meant creating. If he was put on an island by himself with a video camera he would have made Swiss Family Robinson After the Divorce, which would then become Howard Hughes’ Lord of the Flies- once the insanity kicked in, and it would. Would it have been good, probably not, but an achievement yes. And honestly, can any of us say that Howard Hughes really made any BRILLIANT films, if you ask me, he’s up there with Ed Wood.
The outlaw IS Russell’s bra, her tits, her cleavage- and that was Hughes! Do you think we would be talkiing about The Outlaw right now, or give two shits about it, if it wasn’t for the controversy that that chest created? No! And like I said, Hughes is just as good as Ed Wood, the only difference, Ed Wood happened to make films that were too bad to be true and some people like to feed on that. Neither deserve to be considered Auteurs, but under definition they both are, because both of them convinced enough people that they were somebody. I will agree with you, Hughes couldn’t direct his way out of a paper bag, he probably would have filmed the folds and the light coming through it- and he would have called it art- but like I said, under definition, for this particular film, he is the one who made it something, and to me, that is the actually auteur, not just a man with a script.
Do great films have to be depressing and bleak to be great? over 3 years ago
Why should a set of films that you love be considered anything more than the films that you love? This set, while some, might be considered to a neglected few as depressing, are also (Annie Hall and Dr. Strangelove) seen on the AFI’s top 100 comedies list. Annie Hall is as honest a movie as you will ever see and because of that, you can’t help but laugh at almost everything that comes forth. Anna said it perfectly, most of these films are close examples of life without any added sugar, it’s black as hell, but isn’t that the way it should be? I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of Lost in Translation, but if one film on your list really struck me as depressing, that would be it. Spirit of the Beehive is one of my all time favorites as well, and because of that, very few films make me as happy. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a feel good film to me, when it ended my heart was racing and I couldn’t help but start it over again, no other film at the time made me feel that overwhelming energy. And Wings of Desire, possibly my all time favorite film, is another one of those experiences that, in the midst of entrancement, I was almost jumping up and down through the whole thing, because Wim Wenders words were so powerful that it moved me beyond anything I could have ever experienced with laughter. These films move because they speak. That is why you love them. They bring originality; they show you things that you have never seen. Once again, that is why you love them. The greatest films have no genre, just a voice.
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Last movie you saw and rate it over 3 years ago
Fists in the Pocket: 10/10
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Who do you think the most overrated director is? over 3 years ago
I agree that Max Ophuls gets a little more credit than he deserves, that’s only because I’m not one for period pieces. I also think that anyone who uses the word dumb to describe an opinion is obviously lacking, and that their viewpoint should automatically be looked at in the same sense in which they feel their word of choice symbolizes. I’m going to agree on George Lucas being overrated, his main event STAR WARS was based on Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress- that doesn’t leave much else- he’s still working on them, yet his name is still valuable- I’ll never understand the using of that force. But since Kurosawa was mentioned, let me just say that I do feel that The Seven Samurai is overrated, I prefer some of his others films more: Ikiru, Stray Dog, High and Low, and Red Beard. Another overrated film, Citizen Kane, don’t get me wrong it is a great film, but in no way would I label it the greatest film ever made. Honestly though, I don’t think much about the rating of a director, his films should speak for themselves, why should the words of another be valuable enough to persuade you beyond your own point of view?
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Fishing With John (Criterion) over 3 years ago
Haha, tell me about it what in God’s name were they thinking with the Michael Bay films?
Willem Dafoe would make a marvelous fishing buddy- I loved the story of the roadkill deer. Matt Dillon on the other hand… what was his deal? It was hard enough for him to even respond to John. Overall, having loved Tom Waits in Down By Law and also as a musician, his real personality wasn’t as appealing. Really a fantastic little series.
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Worst Criterion DVDs over 3 years ago
MY LIST OF DON’T AGREE’S: Youth of the Beast is fantastic, as is The Bank Dick, and I honestly loved Robinson Crusoe on Mars- the old scifi films are so bad you can’t help but love them and this really held me in, Fishing with John is great, Kicking and Screaming is brilliant, Contempt I also love, Rushmore and Bottle Rocket are fantastic additives to Criterion- The Life Aquatic not so much, The Royal Tenembaums sure, Honestly I really enjoyed The Ice Storm as well, The Night Porter was clearly distributed for historical purposes only- another shock value film, but without Criterions release I would never have seen what that famous image was connected to, Oh and my God please forgive me, but I loved Sweet Movie- that’s the film I show to anyone who thinks they can handle it all haha, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm is a filmmakers film- there is so much to like in this if you have ever worked with actors and a production crew that thinks they’ve got all the answers, Grey Gardens is a classy documentary almost as good as Salesman, Man Bites Dog is unbeatable in regards to something that appears so real it makes you sick, Brazil, Maitresse, My Own Private Idaho- all magically original, Shock Corridor is one of the greatest asylum films ever produced, The Harder They Come is a classic, Slacker is absolutely brilliant like a deadpan Rope with all the continued shots, and THE ELEMENT OF CRIME is a masterpiece, the images are breathtaking, I was blown away, anything by Lars Von Trier is brilliant, I loved Europa/Zentropa- he is more of a visual filmmaker so I tend to almost ignore the story and just allow the hypnosis of his visuals take over. That about does it.
AGREE’S OR UNNECESSARY FOR THE CRITERION STANDARD (or at least what I assumed the standard was): Don’t think Robocop, Armegeddon, The Rock, Time Bandits (all the Monty Python films- even though I enjoy this one), Fiend Without a Face, Beastie Boys Anthology, Hopscotch, Chasing Amy, Jubilee, Naked Lunch (the book is too good for an adaptation), Videodrome (I like the movie but not in my criterion collection), Indiscretion of an American Wife/Terminal Station- terribly relies on the obnoxious soundtrack for drama, haven’t seen Border Radio yet, but there is a reason, I can almost guarantee that it ranks even lower than Jubilee.
Does anyone else love the film Paper Moon? I’ve always loved that film, Peter Bogdanovich is due for a film, he’s done a number of introductions for Criterion.
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WHAT FILMS NEED THE TREATMENT? over 3 years ago
So this is sure to get some activity, I am very curious to know what films you would all like to see released through the Criterion Collection. I’ve listed my top 15 that I feel deserve the treatment- some mainly just for a wider audience, as well as better tranfers and special features, and others just for high def transfers and special features.
Wings of Desire (1987)- Wim Wenders
Paris, Texas (1984)- Wim Wenders
Badlands (1973)- Terrence Malick
Delicatessen (1991)- Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Belle De Jour (1968)- Luis Bunuel
Jalsaghar (The Music Room) (1958)- Satyajit Ray
My Life to Live (1962)- Jean-Luc Godard
Landscape in the Mist (1988)- Theodorus Angelopoulos
Eternity and a Day (1998)- Theodorus Angelopoulos
The Little Fugitive (1953)- Ray Ashley
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)- Sam Peckinpah
Sleuth (1972)- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
The Entertainer (1960)- Tony Richardson
Taxi Driver (1976)- Martin Scorsese
Paper Moon (1973)- Peter Bogdanovich
What are your top films that deserve the treatment?
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What was the first Criterion movie you watched? over 3 years ago
Probably The Seventh Seal of The 400 Blows.
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How many of us work in film? (Pro or hobby) over 3 years ago
www.vimeo.com/joriahgoad
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WHAT FILMS NEED THE TREATMENT? over 3 years ago
Thank God a few of you seriously put thought into it without writing (forgive me) what I like to call dirty words on the bathroom wall (some of the mentioned films make me question how serious some of you are, not that it really matters, but I would like to hear of titles that really haven’t seen as much of the light of day as they should) The American Friend is another fantastic Wim Wenders film, maybe a three disc set like Hiroshi Teshigahar’s box set, I was so happy when they released Woman in the Dunes, that was up for like $200 on Amazon because it was out of print. I would love to see The Devils as well, completely agree that anything they can dig up of Satyajit Ray would be great considering the limited supply of films coming out of India, Los Olvidados would have been the first Bunuel film I would have chosen simply because the only print seems to be a washed out VHS transfer, where as Belle De Jour was released with a decent print with the help of Martin Scorsese. Red Desert as well, and I have always wanted to see The Dead, I may have seen it awhile back but can’t remember it. Un Flic should be coming, it has Criterion written all over it. I am also excited to hear that Wings of Desire and Paris, Texas are finally getting their wings, I can’t wait.
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WHAT FILMS NEED THE TREATMENT? over 3 years ago
Shotzi, how do you find out what titles they are “hopefully” releasing? I was trying to find information even futuristically hoping for it and I couldn’t find any.
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WHAT FILMS NEED THE TREATMENT? over 3 years ago
The Night of the Hunter would actually be a great add on, the MGM copy I’ve got is okay but it really makes it feel like a cheap film when it is so much more. If they can release The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, there is no excuse, that’s been a $5 DVD since it was released some odd years ago and now Criterion is releasing it for what $30? I don’t know about the special features, but there are plenty films that I would consider far more valuable. I highly doubt that Night of the Hunter would have too many hoops to jump through to get permission (but who knows some titles you would never expect so much of a hassle from).
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I Just Watched the Best Documentary i've Ever Seen! about 3 years ago
Brother’s Keeper’s a great film, It’s been awhile, need to watch it again, I was going to guess Tony Kaye’s Lake of Fire, although I have yet to see it, anyone seen it?
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Are there any remakes that are better than the original film? almost 3 years ago
There is no way Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is better than the original, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory- I’m not ashamed to admit my love for the original, Gene Wilder is the ultimate Willy Wonka, everything that I loved about the original was nowhere near the remake, and for that I am thankful, thus, there was nothing in the remake that was watchable.
I think 3:10 to Yuma is one of the finest examples of a good remake you can find, aside from The Wizard of Oz, and yes, The Thing. I adore the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, honestly thought the remake was terrible. I have yet to see Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu, I loved the original one.
I think the one thing that destroys most remakes is the use of CG and special effects, and actors like Keanu Reeves- what were they thinking when they remade The Day the Earth Stood Still- that drove me off the deep end- there are so many films that need to be banned from secondhand runarounds- American’s are getting desperate these days- I can feel a remake of Casablanca and Citizen Kane on their way…. what will become of America’s lack of ideas?
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Most Overrated Movies almost 3 years ago
Why do I feel as though this place is turning into Youtube…another out of order vending machine with pretty things that never come out into the open. It hurts me to think of mindless children ranting over scratch.
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Are there any remakes that are better than the original film? almost 3 years ago
I totally agree with you Joseph, Douglas Sirk’s Imitation of Life was a brilliant remake.
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Are there any remakes that are better than the original film? almost 3 years ago
And Christopher, the best version of The Talented Mr. Ripley, in my mind, is Wim Wender’s The American Friend with Bruno Ganz and Dennis Hopper, why don’t they have that on here? They’ve got at least 10 of his films on here.
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Reply to this thread if you want me to assign you a crazy film to watch almost 3 years ago
I LOVE Noah Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming- brilliant. It kills me that everytime I mention it I have to say, not the Will Ferrell piece of shit. That film will never get the attention it deserves because of it.
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What was the best decade for film? 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, or our present decade? almost 3 years ago
I’d have to say the 50’s; technicolor bliss, oversaturated and mesmerizing.
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Reply to this thread if you want me to assign you a crazy film to watch almost 3 years ago
Nathan- sadly that is true, the only reason I stumbled upon it was because I had to double check and see what the hell it was doing in the Criterion Collection, then I saw that Noah Baumbach wrote and directed it, I enjoyed the Squid and the Whale and love Wes Anderson, so I decided to check it out mainly out of curiousity, but I must say, I really enjoyed the dialouge and delivery, the film itself was really just a hole for a bunch of catchy, yet, pointless dialouge, which in turn is probably why a lot of people don’t enjoy the film, it’s so careless that it seems like a waste of time, and hell maybe it is, but in a tiresome way, it makes me smile.
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Your Photography/Filmography almost 3 years ago
Check out my new web series BOTSWANA, USA, the first two episodes can be seen right here: BOTSWANA, USA
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Who is the greatest film composer? almost 3 years ago
Philip Glass, that man knows how to stir.
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Movies For the Unemployed almost 3 years ago
Withnail and I is the ultimate “What to do with all this spare time?” film, and if you can’t afford the boose, there’s always lighter fluid.
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California Split almost 3 years ago
It’s nice to hear that others enjoy this film.
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IT'S HARD OUT HEEEERE FOR A ..... YOUNG CINEPHILE almost 3 years ago
I never had anyone around me, growing up, who enjoyed film the way that I did, in fact, I grew up in a home that knew nothing about film- it was basically a secret; so it was very difficult to express myself. Especially when I came across the criterion collection, I used to check out 25 dvds at a time (no joke, sometimes I’d walk out with two bags from the library- free films- I was hooked- my mother was not) and I made it a goal to watch all of them in a week (hello, big black cave, goodbye civilization). I started a journal of reviews for no reason aside from that lost expression. I remember one weekend I watched something like 40 films, some of them being silent’s, like Laurel and Hardy’s The Music Box at an hour’s length- I had friends coming over and knocking on the door, and I just pretended like I wasn’t there, nothing made me feel as up as cinema did (…Goodbye, civilization). The first film that really pushed me down the rabbit hole was On the Waterfront, naturally my first glimpse into cinema was American Cinema, but it wasn’t until I witnessed the films of the world like Wild Strawberries, Landscape in the Mist, Black Orpheus, Woman in the Dunes, Satyajit Ray’s Jalsaghar, and Au Hasard Balthazar, that I found the oasis of film masterworks, there was no turning back. I felt like an explorer who had come across an undiscovered island, and I wanted to share it with everyone, but as most of us know, very few are interested in feeling a film, most just want a momentary thrill, a laugh, and a happy ending. The Auteurs gave all of us film loners a community to share with, and that to me, is what dreams are made out of.
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Movies to get Excited about for 2009/2010 almost 3 years ago
Damn there seems to be some good ones coming out. I know the guy who edited the script for Tree of Life- I hear good things- getting to work with Malick would be a dream come true.
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Top 3 Films from each of these countries... almost 3 years ago
France: Landscape in the Mist, Au Hasard Balthazar, Jules and Jim
Italy: Fists in the Pocket, Nights of Cabiria, L’ Eclisse
Korea: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring, Oldboy, Tae Guk-Gi
Hong Kong: In the Mood For Love, 2046, Fulltime Killer
Germany: Wings of Desire, Fitzcarraldo, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Sweden: Wild Strawberries, My Life as a Dog, Smiles of a Summer Night
Denmark: The Element of Crime, Ordet, Europa
Spain: Spirit of the Beehive, Sex and Lucia, Cria Cuervos
ADD ON’S (had to)
Czech Republic: The Shop on Main Street, Closely Watched Trains, Loves of a Blonde
Japan: Woman in the Dunes, Ikiru, Kwaidan
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The Definition of Auteur almost 3 years ago
In many cases, I would call the editor the ultimate auteur, it is his/her job to compose something out of everything that was shot- which can be more than enough and other times, the editor has to make due with what he has and build a story out of it. For instance, Bonnie and Clyde, that film is just as much Dede Allen’s as it is Arthur Penn’s, in fact, it may be safe to say that the cinematographer, the editor and our two stars, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunnaway are responsible for the success of that film. Now there are directors who deserve the title, and those are the ones who stand behind everything and call the shots, the cuts, the style, the delivery, the persona, whatever it may be- Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, Woody Allen (almost too much, everyone in his films becomes him), and Akira Kurosawa are great examples- you have to be a monster to be called an auteur, in that I mean, you have to be the man with the ingredients, the recipe, and the taste. There are too many directors who get credit for just making a few demands, when the heart of the film is determined by the real carpenters, call them what you will: the cinematographer, the editor, the writer, and yes, the monster, the dictator, the man with the directions. The cinematographer is the eye through which we perceive the story. So, my last note: if the director embedded that eye in his cinematographer and forced a style on his editor, he is an auteur, and vice versa.
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Top 3 Films from each of these countries... almost 3 years ago
Yeah, it’s actually Italian isn’t it? it says France on it’s home page, switch out L’ Eclisse and place Landscape in the Mist, and Shoot the Piano Player for France.
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The Definition of Auteur almost 3 years ago
Akira, do you really think any film that Howard Hughes was on the set of would be directed by anyone else, Hughes is a director’s worst nightmare, he put far too much money into his pictures to let anyone else really have the final say. He’s the type of producer who thought that producing meant creating. If he was put on an island by himself with a video camera he would have made Swiss Family Robinson After the Divorce, which would then become Howard Hughes’ Lord of the Flies- once the insanity kicked in, and it would. Would it have been good, probably not, but an achievement yes. And honestly, can any of us say that Howard Hughes really made any BRILLIANT films, if you ask me, he’s up there with Ed Wood.
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The Definition of Auteur almost 3 years ago
The outlaw IS Russell’s bra, her tits, her cleavage- and that was Hughes! Do you think we would be talkiing about The Outlaw right now, or give two shits about it, if it wasn’t for the controversy that that chest created? No! And like I said, Hughes is just as good as Ed Wood, the only difference, Ed Wood happened to make films that were too bad to be true and some people like to feed on that. Neither deserve to be considered Auteurs, but under definition they both are, because both of them convinced enough people that they were somebody. I will agree with you, Hughes couldn’t direct his way out of a paper bag, he probably would have filmed the folds and the light coming through it- and he would have called it art- but like I said, under definition, for this particular film, he is the one who made it something, and to me, that is the actually auteur, not just a man with a script.
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