Ash Ketchum

I'd love to watch my WEST SIDE STORY Blu-ray for this Challenge, but I had no idea it was a Criterion title. My Blu-ray is MGM. I've never seen it on the shelves at B&N during their Criterion 50% off sales. I wonder what extras Criterion has got...

Whiskey Warfield

If anyone needs help with the "Watch a Criterion not on DVD" part, here is a list of all Criterion laserdiscs, with those that never made it to DVD checked. How did Jason and the Argonauts not make the transition? To avenge this terrible insult, I'm watching it next.

mrcellophane

Criterion's West Side Story release was a laserdisc. It's one of the films that they released in that format but never gained the rights to do a DVD and/or BD version.

Mondo Kane

When I first rented a VHS copy of this in the 90's, only certain lines were subtitled. After re-watching the movie on (Criterion) DVD, I realized that everyone (Aside from the radio DJ) needed subtitles!

ntnon

Should have clarified that, thanks for doing so!

I think the only current Prime/CC crossover is My Man Godfrey (assuming the PD version is still at Amazon). They've had Last Emperor and Time Bandits in the past, but there's usually only EX-CC (i.e. laserdisc) titles available free at Amazon.

shadokitty

I've got the first audio commentary on Armageddon almost done, and so far Michael Bay seems like the reason he loves explosions, is he's basically a big kid. Haven't decided if I'll do more Criterion tonight or not. A lot of times I'm more of a spur of the moment kind of guy.

Ash Ketchum

I watched the Criterion Blu-ray of IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD (1963). It's the first time I've seen this particular extended version (197 min.). The restored bits are all obvious from a change in video and/or audio quality. Some bits have visual but no audio and some have no video (with stills substituting) but complete audio. It's nice to see scenes we've never seen, but very little strikes me as something the film couldn't have done without. There's a dialogue scene with Buster Keaton (minus the video) that I would have liked to have seen in the release version and a cute slapstick bit with Edie Adams doing a pratfall in the park as they search for the Big W. And it's nice to see some of the character actors playing the highway patrolmen keeping busy, e.g. Roy Roberts and James Flavin. But the next time I watch the film, it will be the 163 min. release version.

And I don't recommend the long version for newbies. The changes in video/audio quality would prove too distracting. The shorter version is much tighter and more concise. I love the film as it is (I've seen it umpteen times in different formats including on the big screen multiple times), but one can argue that it could be tightened up even more.

Also, the Criterion set has 5 discs, 2 Blu-ray and 3 DVD. God knows when I'll get through the rest of it. I could spend the whole challenge just watching the different versions of the film and the extras. And I've got box sets of Kurosawa, Ozu and Pierre Etaix to get through.

ntnon

At least it's "two" OR "three" and not like the multi-disc Last Emperor (is that the only four discs-one film set?)...

I saw it for the first time last(?) year and certainly felt it was overlong. Which disappointed me, as I was expecting to love it but... too long.

mrcellophane

I've been writing thoughts on my list and thought I would also post them here.

Blow Out
--- Sound guy Jack (John Travolta) records the assassination of a popular governor and rescues the dead man's escort (Nancy Allen). Both characters get entangled in the political conspiracy surrounding the assassination. De Palma uses myriad cinematic flourishes to explore filmmaking, paranoia, and how they effect our idea of Truth. There's a lot of wonderful commentary on the seedier sides of film and politics as well as blind patriotism.

The Rose
--- Rose (Bette Midler) is a rock goddess with real talent, adoring fans, and a brutal addiction. She's both buoyed and bullied by her manager (Alan Bates) and her new man (Frederic Forrest). The film looks at the toll celebrity can take, creating a world that brings out the worst tendencies in people. Rose has constructed a world for herself that allows her to act out and feel completely justified. Considering we still have celebrities who overdose or randomly announce their future Presidential campaign at awards shows, the film's themes feel timely.

Kind Hearts and Coronets
--- Driven by greed, avarice, and the desire to avenge his disinherited mother, Louis (Dennis Price) starts murdering his family members (Alec Guinness) to get the earldom. Each of the unfortunates embodies a quirk or foible of the ruling class, and the comedy keeps getting darker and darker. Much of the humor comes from the way British civility persists even in the face of absurdity and ruthlessness. Also, the incomparable Joan Greenwood plays Sibella, Louis's childhood friend and love interest, and she has the best voice.

Je tu il elle
--- Chantal Akerman plays a woman who lives in isolation. When she finally leaves, she has romantic trysts with a truck driver and an old girlfriend. The film is broken up into large takes that often depict mundane activities (driving, eating, sex). In the early parts of the film, the character narrates her actions in a austere room. Several times she eats spoonfuls of sugar from a bag, and I got very anxious; it made me feel like I do when friends eat sour cream or butter straight. Writing about this makes me shudder. The film focuses on themes of depression, isolation, and sex. The trucker gives a long monologue about the role of sex in his life and how the years change it, and the lesbian sex scene goes on for a rather long time.

mrcellophane

I've also been delving into the special features. The interviews on Blow Out are informative and fun. However, Noah Baumbach interviews Brian De Palma, and while he is obviously a fan of De Palma and the film, he is very passive and flat as an interviewer. In contrast Charles Dennis interviews Mark Rydell about The Rose and is expressive and boisterous. Thankfully, De Palma has some great stories to tell and insights to impart.

shadokitty

I woke up in the middle of the night, and since I wasn't tired, plus having to get up early for an early doctor appointment tomorrow, decided to finish the first audio commentary on Armageddon. One thing near the end was Michael Bay said the shoot could have been a real cluster f, but he said it was the smoothest shoot ever. Also the last thing he said was God Bless America.

Ash Ketchum

I mostly watched half-hour TV episodes for the Animation Challenge but now each film I've seen so far for this Challenge has been over two hours. So it's down to one film a day.

The one first-time viewing so far is Ozu's LATE AUTUMN (1960), as close to perfection as a film can get. It's a remake of LATE SPRING (1949), with the actress who played the daughter in that film playing the mother in this one (Setsuko Hara). It's about pressure on the mother, a widow, to get her grown daughter married. And that soon extends to pressure on the widow to remarry herself so her daughter can get married without feeling like she's abandoning her mother. Neither one wants to get married. How it all turns out is very interesting and quite a significant difference from the earlier film (also a masterpiece), which I now need to re-watch for this challenge. (I bought a Blu-ray of it recently at the last 50% off B&N Criterion sale.)

shadokitty

I decided to move onto my next movie, though haven't decided what yet. I'm tired of Armageddon.

Giles

maybe it didn't help that my air-conditioning and fan were on full blast while watching it, but I thought the dialogue on The Rose bluray seemed mixed to low versus the concert scenes - fantastic transfer!

Mondo Kane

Re-visited Killer's Kiss last night. I admired it more this time around. Never noticed how short it actually is and, after watching TCM's Summer of Darkness (Noir marathon) a few months back, I appreciated Kubrick's choice for minimal dialogue. That sure made it a stand-out among the pack.

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

I liked Red River. It's not fancy but when I would go to watch a few minutes just to kill some time, I'd end up not stopping it.

I'm watching some of the supplemental material for White Dog and then I'll jump into that.

Trevor

Doubt I'll be in the mood for anything that requires thinking this month, so that rules out a good chunk of the Criterion line. Nothing non-English, and nothing I haven't seen before.

shadokitty

I haven't really been in the mood for anything this month either for some reason.

ntnon

Just finished Green Grow the Rushes on Hulu and enjoyed it immensely!

I shan't describe the plot, partly because it'd give it away and partly because 'it's the journey not the plot', but it was hilarious and fun.

Honor Blackman was particularly enjoyable to watch - funny and clearly having fun.

Everyone should watch this - I hope it's Collectioned or Eclipsed soon.


(Accidentally stumbled on a trend, too: husbands and/or wives who remain married but wander apart for several years. The Woman in Question had several, one plays a big part in Green Grow the Rushes and now Laurence Olivier's found one in 21 Days!)

ntnon

If you havr Hulu, there are some great British films from the 30s and 40s that are fairly easy watching, but also enjoyable and perfectly understandable even as a first time view: Scarlet Pimpernel, Green Grow the Rushes, a dozen with Laurence Olivier, etc.


The biggest problem with Criterion-on-Hulu is that there seems to be no way to list them all, or filter properly. Or even search properly half the time. Yesterday I searched "Hitchcock" and it told me they had a few episodes of AH Presents only. Then I found two by title, and then five by moving sideways... where were they on first search?

shadokitty

I decided I might as well finish Armageddon, so I just listened to the second audio commentary. I found it more interesting than the first, as it was educational as well as entertaining. I plan to hit the challenge hard today.

ntnon

Time Without Pity is another fairly-formulaic murder mystery/innocent accused unentanglement story that's elevated by a good script and great performances: Michael Redgrave and Peter Cushing, Joan Plowright, a younger-than-usual Leo McKern and young Lois Maxwell. Very enjoyable z but also one of the few I can think of that really attempt to show the desperation of the about-to-be-hanged-for-murder cases.

Mondo Kane

Watched Truffaut's Soft Skin last night. Movie was alright, but I loved the extras. I could've listened for hours about the Truffaut/Hitchcock bromance. There's even one supplement (For French television) that has Truffaut basically doing a scene-specific audio commentary. It was quite surreal.

Ash Ketchum

Other cast members on the set: "You're looking younger than usual, Leo. What have you been taking?"

It can be argued that SOFT SKIN is Truffaut's most Hitchcockian movie.
And it's got the beautiful Francoise Dorleac in it, against whom even her illustrious sister Catherine Deneuve pales.

shadokitty

Taking a little break from the Armageddon supplemental material at the moment. Watched the first two episodes of Fishing with John on Hulu so far. Plan to get quite a bit of challenge viewing in tonight.