The Criterion Collection

[Santos L Halper]

I'm very curious about the The Qatsi Trilogy. Have any of you all seen any of the films in the trilogy? If so, what did you think?

[Something Underneath]

I'm very curious about the The Qatsi Trilogy. Have any of you all seen any of the films in the trilogy? If so, what did you think?

Koyaanisqatsi is pretty much a masterpiece. The second movie didn't hit me nearly as hard. And I almost fell asleep on the third one. That's what I remember about this trilogy but I haven't seen it in like 10 years.

[Swykk]

Seems kinda likely Gregg Araki’s The Doom Generation and Nowhere could be getting physical releases #soon

Both got recent 4k updates and TDG has been on a mini theater tour as of late. I think TDG is even streaming at their site.

Fingers crossed

[Santos L Halper]

What's everyone picking up during the Criterion Sale at Barnes and Noble?

[burnmotherfucker!]

What's everyone picking up during the Criterion Sale at Barnes and Noble?

Not sure what I'll end up getting. I want to pick up Stalker, Paris Texas, and Inland Empire for sure but there's a few others I'm looking at like Shame and Drive My Car. My funds for films are low at the moment because I just overpaid by about $20 for The Kino Blu Ray of Fallen Angels. But fuck it, I'd wanted that copy for over a year and finally found it at a semi-decent price.

What are you looking to pick up?

[Santos L Halper]

Not sure what I'll end up getting. I want to pick up Stalker, Paris Texas, and Inland Empire for sure but there's a few others I'm looking at like Shame and Drive My Car. My funds for films are low at the moment because I just overpaid by about $20 for The Kino Blu Ray of Fallen Angels. But fuck it, I'd wanted that copy for over a year and finally found it at a semi-decent price.

What are you looking to pick up?

I'm looking at Cure, Thelma and Louise 4K, After Hours 4K and maybe 1 or 2 others.

[chuckrh]

Can't wait for the 4K of "Moonage Daydream".

[Jon]

What's everyone picking up during the Criterion Sale at Barnes and Noble?

Pasolini 101 BD box set

I might pick up the BRD Trilogy or World on a Wire DVD editions (I already own the Blu-rays).

[marodi]

I would have gotten something but those assholes (pardon my French) had marked everything I wanted as not available to be shipped "internationally". BECAUSE CANADA IS SO FAR AWAY FROM THE US.

Band of mofos. I'll never get my Fanny and Alexander set! *cries*

[botley]

I would have gotten something but those assholes (pardon my French) had marked everything I wanted as not available to be shipped "internationally". BECAUSE CANADA IS SO FAR AWAY FROM THE US.

Band of mofos. I'll never get my Fanny and Alexander set! *cries*

Unobstructed View is the Canadian store I use, and generally they pass on the savings from Kino Lober and Criterion store sales...

[marodi]

Unobstructed View is the Canadian store I use, and generally they pass on the savings from Kino Lober and Criterion store sales...

Thank you very much, kind sir. I'll remember that for the next sale.

There's hope, Fanny and Alexander! Seriously, it's an absolute masterpiece. I can watch the 5 hours "mini series" version in one sitting without losing interest for one second.

[GulDukat]

Just saw Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles and don't know what to make of it.

[burnmotherfucker!]

Just saw Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles and don't know what to make of it.

Well, was it the best film of all time? lol

I want to see it too but just haven't gotten to it. Mostly because of the runtime.

[GulDukat]

Well, was it the best film of all time? lol

I want to see it too but just haven't gotten to it. Mostly because of the runtime.

It's a great film, but it's a commitment and needs your full attention for 3.5 hours. There are scenes like watching a meatloaf being made that go on for five minutes. I'd watch it with a friend to discuss it with.

[chuckrh]

The Criterion 4K/UHD of Moonage Daydream is fantastic. I don't buy many movies anymore but this one is fantastic. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is amazing. Well worth the purchase.

[GulDukat]

I just saw Pickpocket by Robert Bresson. Excellent movie. It's been compared to Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.

[burnmotherfucker!]

I just saw Pickpocket by Robert Bresson. Excellent movie. It's been compared to Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.

I caught that film last year and while I did find it to be good I just didn't connect with it. Perhaps you can tell me what I'm missing, because you're in good company with your opinion.

Paul Schrader gave it all the praise in the world so maybe my expectations were too high going into it.

Come to think of it, I have a really hard time with Bresson's work in general. I'm almost certain it's my own fault, because way too many great writers and filmmakers love his filmography.

Tarkovsky once famously said “I am only interested in the views of two people: one is called Bresson and one called Bergman.”

I'm with him on Bergman, but Bresson I just don't get for some reason. Balthazar is probably the closest I've come to enjoying a Bresson film. More recently I watched L'Argent thinking a more modern film might do the trick, but I ended up feeling exactly the same way about that one I do about Pickpocket. They all just feel so lifeless to me. Which I would never say about Tarkovsky or Bergman, for example.

I'm almost certain it comes down to the actors Bresson uses. I recently read that he hated acting. He thought acting performances took away from realism in film and he tended to cast non actors. Well, he's fucking wrong imo. I get what he was going for but I do not think it worked as he intended. Instead of realistic performances, his movies seem to be populated with people who are tense about being on camera and who may as well be reading dialogue from a cue card.

Of course his films are still great from a writing and execution standpoint. And they're economical in their story telling. But boy does all that bad acting make the dry to me.

[GulDukat]

I’m not all that familiar with Bresson’s work. If you didn’t enjoy Pickpocket or some of his other films, maybe his films just aren’t for you. I felt that way about Battle Royale, which I just recently saw. It’s a well-made movie with an interesting plot, but I didn’t like it at all. Tarantino said it’s one of the best movies made in the last 20 years.

Martin LaSalle (Michel) had not acted before Pickpocket, but I liked his performance. Pickpocket has been compared to Crime and Punishment, and one can see similarities between Michel and Raskolnikov. The character seemed very bored with life, just going through the motions, and I thought LaSalle’s performance captured that very well. Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves also used amateur actors and I feel has a similar effect.

I’m still sort of processing the movie. There is a short documentary on Criterion that discusses the film. I think I’d understand and appreciate the movie more if I watched it.

[allegate]

the 50% sale is on right now on the website, def. getting Trainspotting.

[Toadflax]

the 50% sale is on right now on the website, def. getting Trainspotting.

Thanks for the heads up! Grabbed Moonage Daydream, Thelma & Louise, Trainspotting. and David Lynch: The Art Life.

[burnmotherfucker!]

I’m not all that familiar with Bresson’s work. If you didn’t enjoy Pickpocket or some of his other films, maybe his films just aren’t for you. I felt that way about Battle Royale, which I just recently saw. It’s a well-made movie with an interesting plot, but I didn’t like it at all. Tarantino said it’s one of the best movies made in the last 20 years.

Martin LaSalle (Michel) had not acted before Pickpocket, but I liked his performance. Pickpocket has been compared to Crime and Punishment, and one can see similarities between Michel and Raskolnikov. The character seemed very bored with life, just going through the motions, and I thought LaSalle’s performance captured that very well. Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves also used amateur actors and I feel has a similar effect.

I’m still sort of processing the movie. There is a short documentary on Criterion that discusses the film. I think I’d understand and appreciate the movie more if I watched it.

I agree, sometimes a particular film just doesn't work for a person. But I've had experiences where once I gained more insight into the work I was able to shift my view on a film. And Bresson just gets so much praise from filmmakers I admire that in some ways I doubt my own opinion in this case.

LaSalle's performance, for me, was like watching paint dry. Keep in mind I've only seen it once, so perhaps I'm due for a rewatch. I'd also agree that boredom was the catalyst for his character going down that path. The problem is, he seemed to remain bored through everything he did in the film to an extent. Also, boredom is actually an interesting phenomena and there's no reason a bored character couldn't be interesting (see Jim Jarmusch). But you don't want the audience to be bored. Idk, maybe it's just me in this case.

I should say that in no way do I think Pickpocket is a bad film at all. It's just when you've got Tarkovsky and Paul Schrader saying it's one of the best ever, perhaps my expectations were too high.

I definitely see the parallels with Raskolnikov and Crime and Punishment but I think one thing the film did well was to leave the main character's internal thought process more ambiguous.

And funny you should mention Battle Royale. I randomly watched that last year. A friend of mine showed it to me and told me the same thing you did about Tarantino. I'm definitely with you on this one. I mean it was entertaining enough, but one of the best of the past 2 decades?? No, just no. I love Tarantino but his personal taste in film is sort of the opposite of a film snob in that he just loves anything that entertains him. It's part of what makes his movies so great but if he wasn't Tarantino no one would agree with his take on Battle Royale. He was also a big champion of Wong Kar Wai back in the 90s before it was cool though, so it's not like all his takes are bad, he just loves B movies more than most.

[elevenism]

@burnmotherfucker! i've a new appreciation for Kubrick's The Shining, after seeing a youtube vid wherein this cat pointed out a LOT that i missed (and some that i didn't).

And i'm not talking about the moon landing bullshit. I'm talking disappearing chairs, a VERY plausible meaning for "You've ALWAYS been the caretaker," the bat appearing early in the movie, and the impossibility of the interior architecture of the hotel. Lemme see if i can find it.

[elevenism]

I want ALL of you to watch Carlos-the whole thing, NOT the condensed movie version, and tell me you don't think Carlos is at least KIND of cool.