Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > DVD Discussions > DVD Reviews and Recommendations
Reload this Page >

recommend some recent Criterions...

Community
Search
DVD Reviews and Recommendations Read, Post and Request DVD Reviews.

recommend some recent Criterions...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 10-21-03, 11:14 AM
  #1  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Thread Starter
 
rocket1312's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 6,225
Likes: 0
Received 982 Likes on 692 Posts
recommend some recent Criterions...

...please!

I haven't been paying too much attention to what Criterion has released in the past year or so, and I'd love some recommendations. The only relatively recent titles I've checked out were STRAW DOGS and THRONE OF BLOOD.

These films are usually new to me, so I rely on you guys to let me know what's worth my time and money.

I've got my eye on THE RED CIRCLE and NAKED LUNCH, but I don't think those two are out yet. KATHARIANA BLUM sounds interesting, and I might try SOLARIS (I thought the remake was decent). What do you guys think?
Old 10-21-03, 11:23 AM
  #2  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: North east England UK
Posts: 1,688
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
By Brakhage

May not appeal to everyone but for me personally i would say it's probably the one Criterion title i'm most pleased to own.

I've also recently been very impressed with the Fassbinder BRD Trilogy.
Old 10-21-03, 11:38 AM
  #3  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Hokeyboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 20,406
Received 696 Likes on 430 Posts
You must take a look at Tokyo Story when it comes out. Ozu's film is one of the greatest pieces of cinema ever produced.

And, if I might hype my own review, out of the most recent Criterions, I have really loved The Devil and Daniel Webster. The movie is a classic piece of fantasy and Americana, and the DVD itself is pretty gosh darn good!

Last edited by Hokeyboy; 10-21-03 at 03:41 PM.
Old 10-21-03, 12:10 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 315
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
LA CERCLE ROUGE and TOKYO STORY are both must-buys. UMBERTO D and KNIFE IN THE WATER are also well worth a look, among the stuff the CC has released in the last 3 or 4 months.
Old 10-21-03, 02:30 PM
  #5  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: City of Chicago
Posts: 1,583
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It's all about The Devil and Daniel Webster. Wonderful movie, wonderful DVD.
Old 10-21-03, 02:56 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Seattle
Posts: 788
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Here's how I would rate Criterion's releases in 2003:


Highest Recommendation
Trouble in Paradise (Lubitsch/1932)--one of Lubitsch's best sophisticated comedies; excellent commentary
Band of Outsiders (Godard/1964)--my favorite Godard film, very accessible
My Life as a Dog (Hallström/1985)--I simply love this coming-of-age film about a Swedish boy
Straw Dogs (Peckinpah/1971)--great film, commentary
The Adventures of Antoine Doinel Box Set (Truffaut/1959-79)--not all of the films are great, but this box set is one of Criterion's crowning achievements
Throne of Blood (Kurosawa/1957)--Kurosawa's take on MacBeth. 2 different subtitle choices, excellent commentary
Il Posto (Ermanno Olmi/1961)--I love both of these Olmi films; most people prefer Il Posto
I Fidanzati (Olmi/1961)
Night and Fog (Resnais/1955)--brilliant Holocaust documentary (30 minutes)
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (Fassbinder/1974)--a revelation to me. I found it very moving, and a good place to start if you haven't seen any Fassbinder before.
Umberto D. (De Sica/1952)--a wonderful sad Italian neorealist film
A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman: Through a Glass Darkly/Winter Light/The Silence (Bergman/1961-3)--three of Bergman's greatest films with a 2.5 hour documentary. Essential for anyone with an interest in Bergman
The Devil and Daniel Webster (Dieterle/1941)--a wonderful, forgotten film from Hollywood's Golden Age. Excellent
Fassbinder's BRD Trilogy: The Marriage of Maria Braun/Lola/Veronika Voss (Fassbinder/1978-82)--perhaps Criterion's greatest release so far


Recommended
Pépé le Moko (Duvivier/1937)--significant print & sound damage, but a very good movie
The Killers (Siodmak/1946 & Siegel/1964)--I enjoyed the noirish '46 version more than the '64 TV movie
Hiroshima mon amour (Resnais/1959)--Resnais puts a lot of people off with his style. I'd rent first


Recommended with some reservations (will not please all tastes):
by Brakhage: an anthology (Stan Brakhage)--Brakhage was a leader of the American avant-garde; this is modern art as film. The set is extremely well done. I'd rent if you can.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Gilliam)--the film didn't work for me at all, but the set is excellent
The Honeymoon Killers (Kastle/1969)--a pulp crime film. May remind you of John Waters without the laughs.
The Pornographers (Imamura/1966)--a very odd black comedy that didn't win me over
Schizopolis (Soderbergh/1996)--I liked the first half to two-thirds of this film; a cult film for sure.


Releases I own (with good reviews) but haven't had a chance to watch yet:
The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (Schlöndorff & von Trotta/1975)
Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne (Bresson/1945)
The White Sheik (Fellini/1952)
Quai des Orfčvres (Clouzot/1947)


Releases I don't own and haven't seen, with good reviews:
Knife in the Water (Polanski/1962)


Releases I don't own and haven't seen, with mixed or poor reviews:
I Am Curious... box set (Sjöman/1967-8)
Jubilee (Jarman/1977)
Coup de Grâce (Schlöndorff/1976)
Indiscretion of an American Wife/Terminal Station (De Sica/1953)


Coming soon & eagerly anticipated:
Tokyo Story (Ozu/1953)
Le Cercle Rouge (Melville/1970)
La Strada (Fellini/1954)


Coming soon & curious:
Naked Lunch (Cronenberg/1991)
Old 10-21-03, 06:11 PM
  #7  
SeeNo Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Why should I tell you?
Posts: 604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Knife in the Water!!! Its AWESOME!!!
Old 10-21-03, 08:05 PM
  #8  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman:

Through a Glass Darkly
Winter Light
The Silence
Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie

No kidding, the bonus disc (IB Makes a Movie) is absolutely fantastic. And the first three aren't too shabby themselves!

(I'm still debating on whether Bergman or Kieslowsky is my favorite director)
Old 10-21-03, 08:07 PM
  #9  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
oops... Kieslowski!
Old 10-21-03, 08:10 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Seattle
Posts: 788
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally posted by Steps
A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman:

Through a Glass Darkly
Winter Light
The Silence
Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie

No kidding, the bonus disc (IB Makes a Movie) is absolutely fantastic. And the first three aren't too shabby themselves!

(I'm still debating on whether Bergman or Kieslowsky is my favorite director)
I couldn't agree more. The documentary is one of the best supplements I've seen on a Criterion release. I recently watched the whole set again for a review I'm doing, and The Silence is quickly becoming my all-time favorite Bergman film. In a year of so many wonderful releases from Criterion, it's easy to overlook this gem. Worth absolutely every penny.
Old 10-21-03, 08:16 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Bat Country
Posts: 960
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Definitly La Strada when it comes out next month. And of course, The Devil and Daniel Webster.
Old 10-21-03, 08:28 PM
  #12  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Texas! Damn right.
Posts: 11,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally posted by StevenSpielberg
Knife in the Water!!! Its AWESOME!!!
Yup.
Old 10-21-03, 08:58 PM
  #13  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,331
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Night and Fog and Hiroshima Mon Amour, two classic movies.
Old 10-22-03, 02:47 AM
  #14  
Cool New Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: London, UK
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My favourites over the past year have been The White Sheik, Pepe le Moko, The Killers, Straw Dogs and The Devil and Daniel Webster. All of them simply wondrous films, and dazzling DVDs to boot.
Old 10-22-03, 03:17 AM
  #15  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,926
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Came out a little over a year ago but I enjoyed Ratcatcher.
Old 10-22-03, 08:49 AM
  #16  
New Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Le Cercle Rouge

I got Le Cercle Rouge this afternoon and the disc is terrific.
The first few minutes on train was too dark to be seen on VCD and now I can see what really happen for the entire scene.
Old 10-22-03, 01:18 PM
  #17  
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: The kackles of your heart, maybe the sub-kackle area
Posts: 126
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hiroshima mon Amour, by Brakhage, and Knife in the Water.

Spendy but well worth it.

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.