What are you watching on the Criterion Channel?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Electric, Jan 2, 2020.

  1. palisantrancho

    palisantrancho Forum Resident

    Looks amazing. Criterion is having their 50 percent off sale. I’m tempted! I wish I had a few hundred dollars to spare during one of these flash sales! Now with so many great films being played on the channel I don’t buy many anymore.
     
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  2. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    It's hard to save money when Criterion keeps having these flash sales!! The site is pretty slow so I think a lot of people are pouncing., but I finally got my order in. Always fun to have a new batch of Criterions to work through.
     
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  3. Tanx

    Tanx Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Watched Pierrot le Fou last weekend at my daughter's request. In the past few months, we've also watched Breathless, Weekend, and La Chinoise. I really liked the last, but I'm ready to leave Godard alone for awhile.
     
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  4. palisantrancho

    palisantrancho Forum Resident

    I love Pierrot le Fou and several other of his films, but you do have to be in the mood and a little goes a long way. I started watching Masculin Feminin last night, which I’ve seen many years ago and liked, but I turned it off after 20 minutes. I just wasn’t getting into it last night.
     
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  5. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    I love some of his movies but I had a hard time getting through Pierrot le Fou. I do love his weirdness but perhaps when it peppers a more linear story like Band of Outsiders or Breathless. I guess I need that narrative anchor.
     
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  6. NickySee

    NickySee Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York, NY
    True, but there's always that old chestnut that you've been meaning to buy. For me it's The Killers (2 version/2 DVD set), which is cheaper through the sale than anywhere else right now. And it's seldom streaming on the channel. Since we've already gone slightly off the rails here's a flash suggestion vid to go along with the sale -

     
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  7. NickySee

    NickySee Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Shhhhhhh. Just found a streamer. :cool:



    I'm fairly certain the Criterion Edition comes with Tarkovsky's student film version of it, too. Keeper.
     
  8. Finally saw The Honeymoon Killers as part of the “Lovers on the Run” collection; not as good as its reputation, but still a worthwhile viewing. I wish more care had been put into recording the speech though, as the room reverb sometimes made dialogue unintelligible. And I wonder if Divine picked up some of his acting style from the female lead here.
     
  9. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Me too! It feels kind of like Divine picked up his/her whole shtick from the Big Nurse. I think John Waters was probably a big sexploitation fan in general. The more of that stuff I see, the more little bits and pieces remind me of his work.
     
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  10. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Yeah since most of the movies I wanted haven't been released yet, I finally crossed some items off the wishlist. The Phantom Carriage, Orpheus, Vampyr and the Bunuel box. I should have enough weirdness to last me for a little while now. At least until the next Flash sale...:laugh:
     
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  11. NickySee

    NickySee Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York, NY
    [​IMG]
    For me it's Grant's female counterparts that intrigue me most. Any actress that could stand up next to him - and even outshine him - were his best films (imo).

    Did the Hepburn thing a few weeks ago. It's Mae West's turn. Think this is the best of the two streaming -

    [​IMG]
    I'm No Angel (1933, Wesley Ruggles)
     
  12. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    Ha!

    Elliot, as seen in this video, is from my home town. He used to work in a local music/film retail store. The COVID beard is new.
     
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  13. Claus LH

    Claus LH Forum Resident

    I am familiar with Oshima's reputation, but he is one of the directors whose works I have yet to see in full. "Senses" is on my list.
    "Lawrence", to me, feels like he's reaching for something that doesn't get fully articulated.

    C.
     
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  14. Electric

    Electric The Medium is the Massage Thread Starter

    Watched my first Kieślowski film yesterday after reading the discussion here. Can't say I'm totally impressed like I would be with any Tarkovsky film. There is something missing for me, not sure exactly what? Perhaps an unsustainable metaphysics and therefore a film that ends up promising more than it delivers. Will watch one more of his soon to find out if this is his pattern, or not?

    The Double Life of Véronique
    Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski • 1991 • France
    Starring Irène Jacob, Philippe Volter, Sandrine Dumas

    Krzysztof Kieślowski’s international breakthrough remains one of his most beloved films, a ravishing, mysterious rumination on identity, love, and human intuition. Irène Jacob is incandescent as both Weronika, a Polish choir soprano, and her double, Véronique, a French music teacher. Though unknown to each other, the two women share an enigmatic, emotional bond, which Kieślowski details in gorgeous reflections, colors, and movements. Aided by Slawomir Idziak’s shimmering cinematography and Zbigniew Preisner’s haunting, operatic score, Kieślowski creates one of cinema's most purely metaphysical works. THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VÉRONIQUE is an unforgettable symphony of feeling.

    [​IMG]
     
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  15. Don P.

    Don P. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Upstate NY
    This is the only film that I bought on vhs and upgraded to dvd and currently own on blu-ray. Well worth it to me. Terrific film.
     
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  16. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    Véronique is a masterpiece, IMO, and one of Kieślowski’s finest works. If this didn’t blow you away, it’s possible you’ll never quite get on the director’s wavelength.

    That said, you’re willing to try another, which is a positive. My recommendation is A Short Film About Love, which is the theatrical version of Dekalog #6. The television version was my gateway into Kieślowski, more than 30 years ago, and it’s still a personal favourite.

    A Short Film About Killing (Dekalog #5) is also a powerful piece of work.
     
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  17. polchik

    polchik Forum Resident

    this is an interesting comment!

    it makes me want to revisit the film, as i've never encountered such a reaction.

    and you know what .... i have this on blu, after owning the dvd for years, and i have not yet viewed it. so you've given me a wonderful excuse to watch it again LOL.

    glad you're still interested in exploring his work.

    and as much as i love his final work, the three color trilogy, i'd recommend 'blind chance' and 'dekalog' (the entire 10 short film suite) ... but as that is a serious commitment stepeanut's suggestions of #6 and #5, is also another great choice.

    either way i salute you for your curiosity!
     
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  18. Electric

    Electric The Medium is the Massage Thread Starter

    Yes, I'm all eyes! ;) Let's converse again after your revisitation.
    Will be watching Blind Chance next. :)
     
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  19. Juan Matus

    Juan Matus Reformed Audiophile

    I watched Kaili Blues last night. Fantastic film.
     
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  20. Juan Matus

    Juan Matus Reformed Audiophile

    I liked Lady Snowblood as well. It seemed like Kill Bill took some ideas and was influenced by this film. Haven't seen it in a while though so I could be mistaken.
     
  21. palisantrancho

    palisantrancho Forum Resident

    Really enjoyed this first Fellini film.

    Variety Lights
    Directed by Federico Fellini and Alberto Lattuada • 1950 • Italy
    Starring Peppino De Filippo, Carla Del Poggio, Giulietta Masina

    Made in collaboration with Alberto Lattuada, Federico Fellini’s directorial debut unfolds amid the colorful backdrop of a traveling vaudeville troupe whose quixotic impresario (Peppino De Filippo) is tempted away from his faithful mistress (Giulietta Masina) by the charms of an ambitious young dancer (Carla Del Poggio). Though the details of what the division of duties was between the two directors are unclear, this lively backstage capriccio is unmistakably Felliniesque in its whimsical fascination with the heightened reality, carnivalesque characters, and exotic allure of the world of show business. In the first of her celebrated collaborations with her director husband, Giulietta Masina displays the spirited vulnerability that would soon become an archetype of cinematic emotiveness.

    [​IMG]
     
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  22. palisantrancho

    palisantrancho Forum Resident

    And loving these early Bergman films. Can't wait to watch more! Loved this one and I also watched Smiles Of A Summer Night. Harriet Andersson was fantastic!

    Summer with Monika
    Directed by Ingmar Bergman • 1953 • Sweden
    Starring Harriet Andersson, Lars Ekborg

    Inspired by the earthy eroticism of Harriet Andersson, in the first of her many roles for him, Ingmar Bergman had a major international breakthrough with this sensual and ultimately ravaging tale of young love. A girl (Andersson) and boy (Lars Ekborg) from working-class families in Stockholm run away from home to spend a secluded, romantic summer at the beach, far from parents and responsibilities. Inevitably, it is not long before the pair are forced to return to reality. The version initially released in the U.S. was reedited by its distributor into something more salacious, but the original SUMMER WITH MONIKA (SOMMAREN MED MONIKA), presented here, is a work of stunning maturity and one of Bergman’s most important films.

    [​IMG]
     
  23. Claus LH

    Claus LH Forum Resident

    "Sergeant Rutledge" (1960, John Ford)

    This film has two heavy tasks: it wants to explore the racism in the Old West, and it wants to be a sort of companion to Ford's own "The Searchers".
    There is no doubt about Ford's sincerity in telling the story of the black Sergeant (played with statue-like impressiveness by Woody Strode) who is accused not "just" of murder, but of the Ultimate Sin...(guess).

    That said, the film feels quite peculiar on several levels. Where "The Searchers" had a deep rage propelling it, in both the melodrama and the explosiveness of the material, "SR" feels almost...well-meaning...by comparison, a term Ford himself most likely would have loathed.

    Part of this is in the style of the film. Although it's good to see him again, the intense sincerity of Jeffrey Hunter and the obvious, on-the-nose setup of the love story make the film feel dated, like it could have been made in the '40s. As Rutledge, Strode delivers with great dignity and force, but the universe around him is still 'Ford's World': Monument Valley, the colorful townfolk, the corny, unnecessary humor, interspersed with lines of dialogue and images that truly grab you.

    "SR" has plenty to say about racism, mob mentality, and, particularly, about 'expected outcomes' when a black man is on trial. It is undone somewhat, however, by a feeling that Ford is soft-pedaling his film-making, relying, Griffith-like, on his many standard tricks to carry the material, as opposed to truly hitting it and fighting it out with the censors afterwards.

    C.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2021
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  24. Claus LH

    Claus LH Forum Resident

    "Rosewood" (1997, Singleton)

    In 1923, in Rosewood, Florida, a white woman is cheating and, to hide it, says she was raped by a black man. This sets off a nightmare...
    John Singleton does a lot of things right in re-telling this true story; unfortunately, the shortcomings start piling up too.

    The film looks great and authentic, and starts off just right as the black community and the white crackers start butting heads.
    You get a real sense of basic human dignity being violated, which is one of the film's strongest points.

    The problem is, Singleton wants mythology as well as reality, in pursuit of some kind of higher poetic lesson.
    When Ving Rhames, as a mysterious war veteran, enters the town, we get into John Ford/Sergio Leone territory.
    He becomes a hero who is not only an intrusion into the drama, but a fantasy figure, when the local characters themselves (good and bad) are plenty persuasive in themselves.
    Jon Voigt does a fine turn as a town businessman whose world is upended, and Esther Rolle is great as the older woman who knows exactly how the wind blows in these situations.

    The violence gets intense and exhausting, much as it would be in real life, and the Dolby sound mix slams the speakers.
    The film isn't lacking; if anything, it ladles on too much, and it weakens what is otherwise a searing examination of hatred.

    C.
     
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  25. Claus LH

    Claus LH Forum Resident

    "The Seventh Continent" (1989, Haneke)

    Austrian middle-class family lives a dull life of work/food/sleep, until they snap...

    Michael Haneke's first feature is an arch exercise in mood (bleak), detail (stylized) and expectation (according to him, whatever you think is fine.)
    In other words, it's a lot like his later films: a shell with suggestions, for the viewer to react to.
    Haneke dislikes straight commercial film style for being too obvious, and that is fine, but what we get here at the opposite end is the almost-non-film.
    For all the superlatives hoisted on this movie's behalf, it's not like the Deadliness of Modern Living was fresh news in '89 when the it was made, so its central alienation theme isn't exactly revolutionary.

    While "TSC" might be a great teaching tool in psychology, it makes for decidedly dull viewing; it feels like an intellectual having a go at film-making, rather than an actual movie, dramatic, abstract or otherwise.
    This is not Tarkovsky or Tarr, where long stretches can be rewarding with little happening; this is arid posturing.
    The "mood" is metallic and empty, and while that seems to be the intent, you look at the film and say..."So what?"
    Haneke might be pleased at the reaction of "So what?" the way a scientist looks at a lab rat, but meanwhile the viewer is reaching for the remote...

    C.
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2021

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