Disappointing Criterions

[Drop]

Originally Posted by AGameWithStones

Looking back, I'm surprised at how many Criterion discs I initially was left cold by, but later warmed up to (to say the least).

This is a great point. I believe most, if not all, Criterion films are worth multiple views. For the most part people go in thinking every film will be incredible, and that will lead to dissappointment, but when you get over that and watch it again, you may be more inclined to appreciate the film for what it is, and why it's an important film. You may not love it, but I hope you'll see something in it you didn't the first time.

I love to revist films years later, because I may find I don't like it as much as I used to, or I like it more.

[Ralph Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Kerborus

Give it another chance.

Kagemusha dragged a bit for me, too. It's a good movie, but I much prefer RAN (and I highly recommend the Criterion release of that).

[Nick Danger]

Fellini. Both Amacord and 8-1/2 had me checking my watch. I don't understand why he always used to be mentioned in the same breath as Bergman.

A Nous La Liberte was a fun little movie, but it wasn't the work of genius that I'd been led to expect.

[An4h0ny]

Originally Posted by The Eliminator

Overlord

I find that more than half of Criterion Eds I watch are very 'meh' to me.

Not b/c they are bad movies, but just b/c CC picks out those kinds of films that are so niche and specific to a time, place, political and/or art movement, etc... that if you don't already have some sort of perspective or appreciation for them, they can leave you fairly uninspired. I AM very glad they do this since if they didn't nobody else would care as much about these films. Even titles I despise should be restored and reproduced with care since I know that I want the same attention given to those little films I happen to love that not many others seem to.

Sometimes I read up on the director or the film first if it's something that's very obscure to me (Sweet Movie is a good example) and that can make it somewhat more interesting... but lots of the 'greatest films of all time' only strike me as average as best.

Just watched Grand Illusion and Rififi last week and while I recognize both as masterpieces in their own right, I wasn't blown away by them in any cinematic way. The best part of G.I. was the short intro by Renoir....

It's also just good for me (I do a lot of writing) to know these films more intimately even if I don't particularly enjoy watching, so that when someone references a scene to me I know what they are talking about without a lot of explanation.

I did like Picnic At Hanging Rock, Hopscotch and Lacombe Lucien more than I thought I would.

*edit* kind of agree on Fellini. BUT he has that way of finding the EXACT moment where I'm thinking... "C'mon dude. What the hell are you...." and then springing something wacky on me. David Lynch does the same thing, imo. But yeah, FF can head down some mystifying paths on occasion.

[chente]

Alphaville. I just couldn't get into it. I hated that computer voice too.

[Nidreu]

Double Suicide and La Commare Secca are my least favorite.

[Takeshi357]

Seven Samurai.

I first saw it in a very substandard transfer which definitely affected my enjoyment of the film a lot, but the 3-disc Criterion only made me appreciate so much more. I still prefer Yojimbo and Sanjuro.

[james2025a]

Originally Posted by Trevor

I couldn't finish Withnail and I.

Its a great movie....but definitely for more English tastes. I still find it hard that you couldn't make it through it.

For me the only two Criterions that i have had problems with are Salo (just an attrocious movie in every respect) and F for Fake which i found to be very slow and meandering even though the subject of the documentary is very interesting.

[Chill Pill]

Originally Posted by Paul_SD

The Last Wave didn't work for me either.

Watched this one last night and liked it quite a bit. Kinda creepy similarities to my life, I had many nightmares as a kid about the rain never stopping. I still sometimes have nightmares about huge tidal waves.

Anyway, someone mentioned Jigoku. I thought that one was a little weak as well.

[Giles]

wow five pages so far, entertaining read...

[Egon's Ghost]

I don't understand this thread. The Criterion editions of certain films are disappointing, or the films themselves?

[hanshotfirst113]

Originally Posted by Paul_SD

Watched it in my early twenties and thought it made for a great experience.
Watched it a few years ago in my late 30s and it left me cold. I ebayed it after one viewing.
It's a good movie, but the Scandinavian angst worked more magic when I was younger and more inclined that way myself. My reaction to WS this last time, was the reason I was so suprised how much I enjoyed Seventh Seal. I think that was due it being more playful, subversive, and blackly humourous compared to WS.
It still had the angst, but the gallows and liberal earthy humour, leavened it out a lot.

Hmmm. That's odd. Personally, I thought that Bergman wouldn't be the type to click with a "younger" audience (I'm 20, and a fan, but I thought that I was a bit of an exception, though I have a non-film-buff friend who loved The Seventh Seal too, so maybe I'm generalizing.). I just thought that many looked upon Bergman as the archetypal stereotype of "long, boring, black and white, and subtitled."

This is a great point. I believe most, if not all, Criterion films are worth multiple views. For the most part people go in thinking every film will be incredible, and that will lead to dissappointment, but when you get over that and watch it again, you may be more inclined to appreciate the film for what it is, and why it's an important film. You may not love it, but I hope you'll see something in it you didn't the first time.

I love to revist films years later, because I may find I don't like it as much as I used to, or I like it more.

Very true. Maturity, experience, and simple changes in mood can really affect my opinion of a film.

[Giles]

Originally Posted by Egon's Ghost

I don't understand this thread. The Criterion editions of certain films are disappointing, or the films themselves?

I perceive it as being the latter.

[Zen Peckinpah]

Good Burger. I mean, come on, this is the same company releasing Seven Samurai, M, and Armageddon, and I completely expected this to blow all of those out of the water after all I heard about this. How could a movie with Kenan and Kel surfing on a giant wave of orange soda NOT be the best movie Criterion ever released!? Well, maybe I like it as much as Armageddon.

[murphy_wmm]

Well, here's what I think of the Criterions in my collection. The general consensus from me seems to be mixed... some great films, some not so great, but nothing awful. I'm just the kind of person who has a difficult time getting into slow-moving films if I can't get myself involved in the story, and many Criterion dvd's seem to focus on more thoughtful, generously paced films. On the other hand sometimes I can get involved in a slower-moving film if there's enough to grab me.

I'll divide them into a few categories:

Great dvd, great film:
Fat Girl
Short Cuts (one of the best dvd's ever, IMO)

Great dvd, mixed reactions with film:
An Angel at My Table
Man Bites Dog
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Naked

Great dvd, disappointing film:
A Nos Amours
My Own Priate Idaho

Great film, disappointing dvd:
Autumn Sonata
Hard Boiled

Disappointing all around:
The Night Porter


So as you can see, Criterion films aren't really my cup of tea on first viewing, and the high price of the editions doesn't encourage a blind buy. However, I would like to revisit most of these that I found to be "mixed reaction" or "disappointing" since I know what to expect now, as I find this way I can focus on the story much better and let myself get into the film.

[MikeDeN2K]

The Vanishing, only because of the lack of a commentary or any other bonus features. It's still a great film and a beautiful transfer, though, so I'm really pushing it by saying that it's disappointing.

[cranberries fan]

My pick is Rebecca (1940) the movie is Ok but nothing to special about I love Joan and Oliver.
But the flim is very odd and not very Hitchcock like (Think this has talked about before).

[DonnachaOne]

Originally Posted by cranberries fan

My pick is Rebecca (1940) the movie is Ok but nothing to special about I love Joan and Oliver.
But the flim is very odd and not very Hitchcock like (Think this has talked about before).

That's one of my faves, actually.

[mikelowry]

I love Criterion's Vengeance is Mine but the lack of audio commentary was a big letdown.

[Paul_SD]

Rebecca, regardless of how anyone feels about the film, is (or rather was) an insanely great Criterion disc set. The screen test footage alone I consider near priceless.
That said, the movie is more David O Selznick than Hitchcock- and while there are some early films of AH I absolutely love (Notorious, Shadow Of A Doubt)- most of his stuff leaves me cold or indifferent. Rebecca as a film, is more the later for me.

I just ordered Two Lane Blacktop. I used to have the AB disc (and sold it for a nifty profit 2 yrs back) so I know what to expect- but I can easily see that title showing up in this thread in the future.
In fact, if I had bought it blind and paid a criterion-sized price for it, I would have likely been disappointed. I didn't miss it when I sold it- but its the kind of film that works its way under your skin, unnoticed, and stays with you. For seemingly no reason its come to my mind a lot in the last year or so.

[chris_sc77]

Yeah I love my 2-disk Criterion Rebecca. That is actually IMO one of the most enjoyable and easy-to-watch hitchcock films.

[MBoyd]

off topic but the only Hitchcock I never really liked was Mr and Mrs Smith. ugh.

All the Criterion Hitchcock's are fantastic in my opinion. I need the new Lady Vanishes. And I wish they would get more of the Public Domain ones out.

Another (non film) forum I frequent, a poster called Two Lane Blacktop the worst film he had ever seen. I haven't ever seen it, but will get to it eventually.

[TheDuke]

Originally Posted by jrsl76

Wow, how can someone hate so many great movies. 1 of those is even in my top 10 movies of all time (Seven Samurai)? And what is Crisis? Was this one of the Bergman films in the Eclipse set, the name sounds familiar, but I'm not placing it.

Yes, it was in the eclipse line. As to how someone can hate so many great movies: just because they were well made doesn't mean they won't be boring as hell.

[domino harvey]

You get out what you put in

[BuckNaked2k]

I'm embarrassed to say this, but I was very disappointed with Breathless.

I thought this film was going to have the same energy and impact as La Dolce Vita (yes, yes, different director, I know).

This is so often cited as a seminal or landmark film from that era, but it just went nowhere for me. It seemed a full third of the movie was that one scene where the two principals are engaging in dialogue in that small appartment.