Let's Get Criterion!

[DFA1979]

Hey look my first thread here wink wink. Anyways I'm going through my all Criterions, starting with my large backlog of unseen ones. Some are going to be second or in the case of a certain horror favorite, a 6 or 7th time viewing. List so far, also all reviews are being linked to my blog which no one reads since they're my writings. No one is here anyways:

The Phantom Carriage (1920)
I Married a Witch (1942)
Design For Living (1933)
The Awful Truth (1937)
Rules of the Game (1939)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Detour (1945, 2nd viewing)
Black Narcissus (1947)
A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
Panique (1946)
Odd Man Out (1947)
Red River (1948)
Night and the City (1950)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955. 2nd viewing)
Forty Guns (1957)
Eyes Without a Face (1959, 2nd viewing)
Black Orpheus (1959)
Purple Noon (1960)
Il Sorpasso (1962)
Carnival of Souls (1962, 2nd viewing)
Sanjuro (1962)
The Exterminating Angel (1962)
The Executioner (1963)
The Naked Kiss (1964)
Three Outlaw Samauri (1964)
Chimes At Midnight (1965, 2nd viewing)
Cul-De-Sac (1966)
The Shooting (1966)
Ride The Whirlwind (1966)
Le Samourai (1967, 2nd viewing)
Branded To Kill (1967)
Don't Look Back (1967)
Weekend (1967)
Night of the Living Dead (1968, 7th viewing? 8th?)
Montery Pop (1968)
Memories of Underdevelopement (1968)
Medium Cool (1969)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
One-Eyed Jacks (1961)
Walkabout (1971, 2nd viewing)
Smooth Talk (1985)
Crash (1996, 2nd viewing)
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
Lady Snowblood (1973)
Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance (1974)

[Ezee E]

The Criterion Collection continues to amaze me in whenever I take a look at a set at a store or someone else's collection, I notice something new that I didn't know was a part of the collection, and deem it a must see.

In your case, it's The Phantom Carriage.

Looking forward to your thread.

[DFA1979]

The Criterion Collection continues to amaze me in whenever I take a look at a set at a store or someone else's collection, I notice something new that I didn't know was a part of the collection, and deem it a must see.

In your case, it's The Phantom Carriage.

Looking forward to your thread.

I bought that one ages ago and so I only own it on DVD. And yes I will get to reviews although I'm already behind. It's so much easier to just watch the movies and not review them.

[Morris Schæffer]

Last one I bought was 'Come and See', which for some reason was a USA-bought Criterion that was also playable in Europe. Since a few years they do release some of their movies in territories outside of North America which is great. Regrettably not all. Would love to buy Silence of the Lambs, The Great Escape, the Bruce Lee Box (Way of the Dragon looks smashing, but so do others!) and Days of Heaven. I'm actually thinking of buying a new UHD player. The Panasonics for instance have a remote trick that allows you to circumvent the region lock with most blu-rays.

As for writing reviews, I know the feeling. Every time I sit down to transfer my thoughts to 'paper', it's just like I don't know how to phrase my thoughts. Maybe I try too hard, also wondering why bother? It's not like it's my profession.

Anyway, I'll check the thread.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm very close to opening up the Tote from my move that has my collection in it.

It's going to be like opening up a time capsule.

[Ezee E]

I'm very close to opening up the Tote from my move that has my collection in it.

It's going to be like opening up a time capsule.

I basically did the same and pulled the Criterion movies out, leaving my other DVDs inside. I haven't watched majority of the special features, so as I go through the movies here and there, I'll do that.

The Criterion Subscription service would be awesome if it worked on PS4. It's definitely curated well for the film buff. However, with HBO Max having a good amount of those, I'm hitting that at the moment.

[Ezee E]

50% off sale at Barnes & Noble going on btw.

[Ivan Drago]

50% off sale at Barnes & Noble going on btw.

Salò is sold out already. Damn.

[Dukefrukem]

Amazon is matching the discounts.

This has been in my cart foooooooooorever

[DFA1979]

I have zero interest in the Criterion Channel because it will just be another streaming service I end up paying for that I don't use enough. And I like owning the movies.

[DFA1979]

The Phantom Carriage (1920)

[Ezee E]

Nice review MadMan. Gives me more reason to want to see it.

[DFA1979]

Nice review MadMan. Gives me more reason to want to see it.

You should. I'm sure it inspired a lot more movies than I can think of.

[DFA1979]

I Married a Witch (1942)

[DFA1979]

Design For Living (1933)

[DFA1979]

The Awful Truth (1937)

[DFA1979]

The Rules of the Game (1939)

[DFA1979]

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

[DFA1979]

Detour (1945)

[DFA1979]

Black Narcissus (1947)

[DFA1979]

A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

[DFA1979]

Panique (1946)



Early on in the film Panique my attention was grabbed by the reactions to the murder that occurs early on in the film. Then my attention did wane a bit since it's an older foreign film and I'm easily bored sometimes. Then the movie featured two people using a misanthrope to their own ends and my attention returned. The film's title means panic, and while it is aimed at how many in France behaved during WW2 it could also apply to any situation in general where the mob can be easily manipulated into suspecting and hunting an innocent individual.

Monsieur Hire (Michel Simon) is the mark, and his lack of connection with the people in his building proves to be his undoing. Alice (Viviane Romance) and Alfred (Paul Bernard) are the couple who go after him, for reasons I won't disclose here. Even though Hire comes off as cold and uncaring I think he was just a man who wanted to be left alone. I can relate to that, and the movie goes from being a crime drama to film noir by the conclusion. The bumper cars scene is a very obvious, yet sad metaphor that is one of the film's best scenes.

If the final act does not enrage you, I might be concerned about your lack of caring about the human condition. Panique left me feeling angry and disgusted at how easily the human race can be tricked into becoming an unfeeling and brutal mob. I'm reminded of this lesson during this year, where myself and others witnessed people being selfish and refusing to wear a mask, social distance and observe basic protocols. Too hard to remain sober in a country gone insane and run by the stupid and corrupt.

[Morris Schæffer]

It always amuses me how the great Jack Cardiff is also the cinematographer of Rambo: First Blood part 2. Not in a deriding way to Mr. Cardiff or Rambo 2. Just something that amuses me.

I believe I would like A Matter of Life and Death, but the Criterion is region A currently and I'm not sure how the UK version fares in terms of A/V quality.

[DFA1979]

It always amuses me how the great Jack Cardiff is also the cinematographer of Rambo: First Blood part 2. Not in a deriding way to Mr. Cardiff or Rambo 2. Just something that amuses me.

I believe I would like A Matter of Life and Death, but the Criterion is region A currently and I'm not sure how the UK version fares in terms of A/V quality.

I didn't know that but it does explain why Rambo 2 looks so great. The copy of A Matter of Life and Death that I own is on Blu-ray and it looks fantastic. I never think about how films have different regions overseas.

[DFA1979]

Odd Man Out (1947)



I only knew James Mason when he started playing older man roles and villains in later films. So it was a pleasant surprise to see him playing a younger man engaged in criminal enterprise with a group of men desperate to fund their movement opposing the British. Odd Man Out is considered Carol Reed's dress rehearsal for The Third Man, yet I think it is almost equal to a film that is one of my favorites. Mason is likable in a role as a man who is haunted by his stint in prison and not the same man, yet he has no choice but to go along on a heist since he is the group's leader.

Reed once again uses shadows and glorious black and white cinematography to his advantage, giving Mason a haunted feeling as naturally the heist goes terribly wrong. Wounded and hunted he faces his past and wonders if he even has a future as he stumbles through London, dodging the police in ways ranging from help from others to dumb luck. One part I liked was how a cab driver actually unintentionally helps him get past a road block in what is a suspenseful and well done scene.

Kathleen Ryan is also equally adapt in her part as Kathleen, a woman who loves Mason's Johnny and tries to help him. Odd Man Out even features both existential and religious overtones, and is thus very satisfying and more interesting than your average film noir. Having loved two movies from Reed I would like to see what else he made and I think I rather like British film noir a lot.