Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I saw that it was based, loosely, on a real actress but didn't know who it was. I'll have to get one or two just for that reason, to watch.

Very cool! It sounds like you've been able to interview quite of a few people. I feel like I'm a bit late to this anime/Japanese animation scene, and it's always nice to get some background!

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

List Thread is up. I still need to tinker with the language a bit, but I wanted everyone to have a chance to get their lists in order before the challenge officially begins.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

It was for a magazine and it was around the time TOKYO GODFATHERS came out, but years later, after Mr. Kon died, I found the original transcript and posted it on my J-pop blog:

http://madara-blog.livejournal.com/58530.html

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I made a little trip to the library today. I think I'm ready to start the Criterion Challenge!

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

:jawdrop:

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

How long can you keep those out! Mine only allows a week unless it's a TV show, and then it's only two weeks!

Agreed!

I put in some request of my own to the library. I have 6 coming in, but one has a short wait. I try to stick with 5 at a time; for me that is a good number and not as overwhelming. :)

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Impressive pile to say the least. If you wanted recommendations for priorities, I'd suggest the Fuller and Kurosawa sets, two of my favorite filmmakers, and films that are unlike anything else in that pile. The Kurosawa set has both a war propaganda film he made during WWII, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, which is pretty astounding in its own right, coming from Kurosawa, but also a 180-degree turn in the opposite direction after the war with NO REGRETS FOR OUR YOUTH, which is critical of the war and stars Setsuko Hara in an incredible performance. These two are, possibly, Kurosawa's only films with female protagonists.

Fuller's THE STEEL HELMET is a masterpiece, unlike any other Hollywood war film of the 1950s. Fuller was a veteran of WWII, an infantryman who survived Omaha Beach (see SAVING PRIVATE RYAN), yet the Pentagon wouldn't give its support to this film. It was too bleak, too honest.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Two weeks minimum, with opportunities to renew three times. The sad thing is many of them were just sitting there on the shelves. I have more on hold. Trying to focus on ones I haven't seen before and unopened titles that I bought.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

We can renew ours if there is no holds on them. Depending on how new the release is, this can be a problem, but I don't foresee any with these Criterion's really, but it can happen occasionally. But nice that you can keep yours two weeks!

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Some of my Criterion box sets (below SHINOBI and KILLING MACHINE):

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2849/9...8914a146a2.jpg

I've only completed two of them and parts of two others, so I have a lot to get through, plus another couple of shelves worth not pictured.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

That Postwar Kurosawa has I Live in Fear in it which involves the story of a man who wants to move to South America to avoid atomic destruction. Since you were involved in the Gojira conversation, I thought I should mention it. It's really an underrated Kurosawa film and it deals well with postwar sentiment and, of course, fear.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I know everyone holds Kurosawa in a high regard, deservedly so. For some reason, I am more drawn to Ozu. Last year was the first time I watched anything by him. During the Challenge, I watched Floating Weeds. Besides the awesome transfer, I was immediately drawn to his director style.

Oh, by the way, I picked up a few more today. Think I'm good for now. ;)

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I've only seen Ozu's Tokyo Story and, while I liked it OK, it didn't draw me in for more exploration. I'm going to have to look into Floating Weeds...I've heard good things.

I'm like Kurosawa because of Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Ikiru, I Live in Fear, but I didn't care much for Sanjuro, Yojimbo, Kagemusha.

That's a nice haul from the library. I think Revanche is one of the most underrated Criterion titles. I have heard zero about it, before and after seeing it, and it's one of my favorite titles. I went in with no expectations, which is a rarity within the collection.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I recently saw FLOATING WEEDS for the first time--on the big screen at an Ozu retrospective at the Film Forum in Manhattan. Great movie. But then I think most Ozu movies I've seen are great, especially the ones made from 1949 on. I've seen far more Kurosawa films and there's a greater range among them in terms of films that strike me as great (SEVEN SAMURAI, YOJIMBO, IKIRU) and films that are flawed but highly interesting (HIDDEN FORTRESS, RAN, some of his 1940s movies). I think the two men are Japan's two greatest filmmakers and among the top five filmmakers in the world--ever. Everything they've done is worth seeing.

My big challenge for this Challenge is to finally watch some Bresson movies, a filmmaker I've never seen a complete work by. I picked up three of his movies at the last Barnes & Noble Criterion 50% off sale, so I'm ready to start.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

My library limits DVD check-outs to just 3 days!

As far as Kurosawa and Ozu, last year was my introduction to both. The Hidden Fortress for the former; The Only Son and There Was a Father for the latter. My favorite of the three was The Only Son, by far. Still, it's much too small a sample size for me to commit to either over the other.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Ozu and Kurosawa were amazing directors, but Kenji Mizoguchi was every bit their equal. His films, like Oharu Monogatari and Chikamatsu Monogatari, are brilliant critiques of Japanese cultural mores, especially regarding the status of women. The Mizoguchi Eclipse box has a great selection of his later work; his last film, Street of Shame, is probably the best film in the set.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

All this talk of Ozu, Kurosawa, and Mizoguchi have me chomping at the bit. I hope to get to all three in the following month. While I'm enjoying all the cartoons, I really want to delve into some serious cinema. I'm all ready for the challenge, and dusk on the 31st cannot get here soon enough!

My parents got me the BD release of In the Mood for Love, and that is where I intend to start. I have my viewing list mapped out, but I almost always deviate and end up sidetracking myself. Hope to get some films out of my unwatched pile and list of shame. Like other people's lists of shame, mine is quite extensive.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I'm starting by unwrapping my new Blu-ray copy of 12 Angry Men. Funny huh? I have that large stack of unseen gems but I'm starting with my favorite Lumet film.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Now I'm jealous! I don't have that BD (yet). Hmm... now I'm tempted to add my old "Vintage Classics" DVD to my ever-growing pile. Such a great film!

I got Criterion's newsletter today and was pleasantly surprised to see that Kazu Kibuishi had contributed a Top 10 list. I'm a huge fan of his work and have followed his website for many years after discovering his online comic, Copper. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that it is doable to watch his list. I own a lot of his selections, and my local library has the rest. I may join Trevor and try to finish a Top 10 list! (Did I mention how excited I am about the challenge?)

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Moving into a new apartment and a new city over the next few days, but I'm still going to participate as time warrants. I have quite a number of unwatched Criterions and without setting any goals, I'll hope to get through a handful of quality films.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Forgive me if I missed it in this year's discussion, but have we already listed the items that would count for crossover Challenge double credit with animation August and Horror October? The two lists shouldn't be too unmanageable to make and update yearly and cut-n-paste into each year's threads.

We probably have done this in at least one past discussion thread. If I have a slow day at work I'll try to find it.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I only have a bicycle, and my nearest library is a small farm town library about 3 miles away.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Someone should probably audit this, but here's what I've pieced together offhand. This includes LaserDisc titles, but not HuluPlus.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Which King Kong is eligible? I own the 1933 version.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

That'd be the one. 'Twas LaserDisc #002.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Cool, another DVD in my limited selection available for this Challenge. I have King Kong, Robocop, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Ghostbusters, Gojira, Godzilla King of the Monsters, Cat People, and Halloween. Used to have Life of Brian, but use got it too scratched up to play anymore, and used to have Dazed and Confused, but the binder it is in, is missing.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I picked up THE LIFE OF OHARU and UGETSU in the recent B&N 50% off Criterion sale. UGETSU's chief extra is a feature-length documentary on Mizoguchi directed by Kaneto Shindo.

While Mizoguchi is a great director, I happen to place him in the top ten of Japanese directors rather than the top five. I tend to like Mikio Naruse better and think his films about women are emotionally richer than Mizoguchi's. Mizoguchi keeps too much of an artistic distance for my tastes and can get preachy at times. I'd also put Masaki Kobayashi (THE HUMAN CONDITION) over Mizoguchi. Mizoguchi is to Ozu, Kurosawa and Naruse the way, say Elia Kazan is to John Ford, Orson Welles and Billy Wilder when it comes to my Hollywood pantheon. Great director and Kazan's best films (e.g. STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, EAST OF EDEN) are superb, but there's such a love of filmmaking that permeates every frame of Ford and Welles that even guys like Kazan and William Wyler (another great director) are overshadowed by them. In fact, for a whole set of different reasons, too complicated to go into now, I find myself thinking of Mizoguchi and Wyler as counterparts.

But Mizoguchi's films are important and all worth seeing, esp. that "Fallen Women" Eclipse set that you cite, which I watched for the 2011 Challenge. I was amazed to see so much location shooting and sync-sound recording in his 1930s movies, OSAKA ELEGY and SISTERS OF THE GION, which are, quite possibly, my favorite Mizoguchi movies.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

So, are there NO selections that can crossover Animation and Criterion? I guess, if you're liberal you could count Holy Grail?

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

^ Much of the By Brakhage set counts.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Can't get a hold of that by tomorrow. I guess I should have asked the question sooner! :)
Thanks though.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

At the top of my cobbled-together list, you'll see Akira listed for Animation.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Thanks, Travis. I just saw the question from Trevor, but it's one that I wouldn't want to touch. Each year, I feel confused about what counts for the Horror Challenge and what doesn't. I feel lucky to host one with easily defined guidelines.

Really looking forward to tomorrow evening...not sure what I'm going to cue up first.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I've been chomping at the bit for horror, so probably one of the horror Criterions.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Have you seen House or Cronos?

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Like I said, someone should audit that list to make sure that 1) everything on it is eligible (paging Chad...paging Chad...!) and that 2) it's complete.

TV on DVD* is pretty clear, but Historical Appreciation is so frustrating that I have host envy!

I was looking forward to starting early (I hit my wall with Animation awhile ago), but now it seems I'm going to have my niece spend the night tomorrow. I think Criterion is gonna have to wait until Sunday for me.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

No.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Out of curiosity, I checked Hulu, and I saw both Cronos and at least one of the Zatoichi movies started playing. So unless my Hulu Plus Sub started again and I didn't know or forgot, those movies are free.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Hehe! Yeah, the discussion surrounding the Historical Appreciation challenge gets pretty intense. And every year I've participated, I've felt bad for you since you have to navigate and facilitate the discussion. My philosophy is to keep (relatively) quiet, do my best to follow the rules, and hope no one yells at me. :D

I may be in the same type of predicament. I'm taking an impromptu trip to my parents' house this weekend so my days will be pretty stuffed. I'm hoping to sneak off to one of the television in the house to get in some views. Unfortunately, my family does not care for foreign or art house films. I did show my parents The Royal Tenenbaums when I got the BD, but I made sure to carefully set it up before we watched. They really enjoyed it (or at least told me they did), and Dad said he appreciated my disclaimer, so I may use that tactic to get them to watch something!

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

There's a good selection of Criterions that are not foreign or art house films.

Re: 5th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I haven't looked at Hulu in at least 6 months, but noticed a charge for it on my credit card bill yesterday. Shenanigans!