|
FitFortDanga posted:I believe Secret Sunshine would be their first Korean film. Wow, really? I could have sworn that there were a few others. I even went to look at my own collection (I have quite a few) and I couldn't find any. I'd expect there would be a few by this point, but I guess you're right. Are Korean pictures just difficult to get the rights to?
|
#
?
May 16, 2011 20:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 23:48 |
|
|
The Killing and Algiers are absolutely no-brainers for me. Good month.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2011 20:26
|
|
|
Why, Criterion? Why must I feel compelled to buy everything in August? 
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2011 20:28
|
|
|
That Kurahara set looks really interesting, looking forward to checking it out. A little strange to see "Secret Sunshine" there. I thought the movie was kinda interesting, and did think the movie was well shot and had some great performances (though I didn't love the movie). I just think its a little weird that this is the what they pick as their first Korean release, the movie is really not that remarkable. I kinda assumed that "The Housemaid" (the original) would be their first Korean movie since it is on the Aueter's website and is also considered one of the best classic South Korean movie made. I'm in agreement with FFD though, it's great to have more countries represented, and with so many great Korean movies that exist its great to see Criterion taking some. quote:Wow, really? I could have sworn that there were a few others. I even went to look at my own collection (I have quite a few) and I couldn't find any. I'd expect there would be a few by this point, but I guess you're right. Are Korean pictures just difficult to get the rights to? I can't imagine that's true since some trashy US companies have released Korean movies under their "shock" labels, so I don't think it's a matter of difficulty.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2011 20:33
|
|
|
zandert33 posted:A little strange to see "Secret Sunshine" there. I thought the movie was kinda interesting, and did think the movie was well shot and had some great performances (though I didn't love the movie). I just think its a little weird that this is the what they pick as their first Korean release, the movie is really not that remarkable. I kinda assumed that "The Housemaid" (the original) would be their first Korean movie since it is on the Aueter's website and is also considered one of the best classic South Korean movie made. Excited for the Jean Vigo disc though, even though I've seen them all, and The Killing, especially if it has Killer's Kiss on it.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2011 20:49
|
|
|
robix smash posted:YA released Peppermint Candy a barebones few years ago on DVD. That would have been my choice for the first South Korean title in the Collection. Odd that it's the same director. I know it made the rounds on the festival circuit when it came out, but Secret Sunshine would have been one of my last choices for a Korean film in the collection. The original The Housemaid didn't knock my socks off either (the new version, which is not really a remake, did however). Poetry would have made a lot more sense and was by far the better film. I understand what you are saying about the original "Housemaid", but often Criterion is concerned with releasing "important" films just as much as "good" films. I don't think "Housemaid" is one of the greatest movies ever, but it clearly an "important" one for Korean cinema. Can't say I agree about the "remake", thought it was freaking horrible, and the ending was disastrously hilarious in all the wrong ways. Completely agree with your comment about "Peppermint Candy" though. Hell, Criterion should have tried to put out a Chang-dong Lee boxset similar to what came out in South Korea a couple years back with "Green Fish", "Peppermint Candy" and "Oasis", and they could have thrown "Secret Sunshine" in there as well. Obviously they don't own the rights to the others, but doubt they were going for that much, and it would have included some actually great Korean movies.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2011 21:09
|
|
|
Too many good releases in August. I'll probably pick up The Killing, Battle for Algiers, and If. If... isn't the best movie ever but I'm a sucker for the school age drama genre. edit: The Killing announcement reminded me that I should get Paths of Glory and it turned out to only be 18 bucks on Amazon if anyone else was thinking about buying it long-ass nips Diane fucked around with this message at 22:04 on May 16, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 16, 2011 22:02
|
|
|
The Killing is day-one pre-order. Even better they're putting Killer's Kiss as a "bonus feature". Paths of Glory is equally necessary to pick up, especially with the sale at Amazon.
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2011 01:00
|
|
|
zandert33 posted:I understand what you are saying about the original "Housemaid", but often Criterion is concerned with releasing "important" films just as much as "good" films. I don't think "Housemaid" is one of the greatest movies ever, but it clearly an "important" one for Korean cinema. I think it's been said before though that Eclipse mostly exists to get rid of the backlog of films they own the rights to so the film's producers will stop breathing down their necks about profits. I would have loved a Lee Chang-dong box set though. Or some sort of 90s box set, maybe stuff like A Single Spark, A Petal, Sopyonje or something. Secret Sunshine appeals more to people who heard about Jeon Do-yeon winning at Cannes than it does Korean film fans. Which is fine, of course. Way more people interested in Cannes titles than Korean film. I'm barely interested in Korean film anymore.
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2011 03:59
|
|
|
It's a shame that Korean cinema isn't as acknowledged as it should be as some of the best filmmakers working today are Korean. Only genre pictures seem to become popular here (Oldboy, or I Saw the Devil recently) but I think that's true of other countries too. Maybe Secret Sunshine will sell well and they'll want to release more stuff 
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2011 04:07
|
|
|
JohnWilkesGoonth posted:If... isn't the best movie ever but I'm a sucker for the school age drama genre. 
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2011 04:22
|
|
|
A nice stacked month that should be released in time for the next B&N sale. Quick thoughts: Complete Jean Vigo -- Blind buy for me. I've never seen any Vigo but L'Atalante sounds like it'd be up my alley and how can you go wrong with a filmmaker's entire library for thirty bucks? The Killing -- Definite upgrade over the MGM DVD I just sold off. I thought Killer's Kiss was rather tame but I'll be happy to give it another spin. Orpheus -- Meh. Not very interested in this one. Possible rental. The Battle of Algiers -- Without trying to sound too much like FFD here I think it's a great movie but not one I feel the need to own. Cul-de-sac -- This movie is so weird and hilarious, I think I'll have to own it on Blu. If.... -- Great movie, definitely the type of film I'd buy on sale. Secret Sunshine -- Ehhh. The term "Intense human drama" isn't doing anything to sell me on it. The Warped World of Koreyoshi Kurahara -- Still haven't made it to his entry in the Nikkatsu Noir set, but this set will be a blind buy regardless. I love Eclipse sets!
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2011 17:55
|
|
|
Space Cooter posted:It's a shame that Korean cinema isn't as acknowledged as it should be as some of the best filmmakers working today are Korean. Only genre pictures seem to become popular here (Oldboy, or I Saw the Devil recently) but I think that's true of other countries too. Maybe Secret Sunshine will sell well and they'll want to release more stuff
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2011 18:51
|
|
|
robix smash posted:Well, the problem is that the Korean industry bought into this concept after the Asian Extreme stuff got big over here. Guys like Roy Lee started buying up remark rights and has been really bland since around 2006 because a lot of the films seemed angled to have the remake rights bought. But most of those remakes, except The Uninvited, really flopped over here. The industry kind of needs an identity again, like it did in the mid-90s. It's kind of going through what Hong Kong went through, I guess. But we're not poaching their best directors, so it should be easier for them I think. I don't want to derail too much more, since there is a SK movie thread already (but then again, nobody posts in it). I think a major hit to South Korean movies was that whole screen quota nonsense a few years back, that I'm sure still plays a factor today. Since not as many Korean movies can get play in the theaters, less are financed, less are made, and if you are a studio you're going to want to make more movies that will make the most money. Sadly American companies have jumped all over the "Extreme" South Korean titles, and usually buy them up, so South Korean studios will most likely make those movies since they sell and get the hype. The problem is that the "Extreme" movies have pretty much hit a saturation point. "I Saw the Devil" was not very good, and though I did like "Man from Nowhere" it still played into the same old themes we've seen a million times. A few years ago there seemed to be a wide variety of all types of interesting movies coming out over there, now it's mostly "revenge movies" or romantic comedies/dramas.
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2011 19:39
|
|
|
The Digital Bits confirmed Killer's Kiss will be HD.
|
|
#
?
May 18, 2011 03:00
|
|
|
zandert33 posted:I don't want to derail too much more, since there is a SK movie thread already (but then again, nobody posts in it). I think a major hit to South Korean movies was that whole screen quota nonsense a few years back, that I'm sure still plays a factor today. Since not as many Korean movies can get play in the theaters, less are financed, less are made, and if you are a studio you're going to want to make more movies that will make the most money. Sadly American companies have jumped all over the "Extreme" South Korean titles, and usually buy them up, so South Korean studios will most likely make those movies since they sell and get the hype. I was also thinking that Chingu and Spirit of Jeet Kun Do might fit in the collection. Chingu more so, but Criterion also loves to youth run amok films too (Crazed Fruit, Lord of the Flies, If....) The arthouse stuff (Im and Hong Sang-soo, Kim Ki-duk, etc) does get R1 releases, I think even a few by Home Vision. Which is half good, since they're released, but half bad since they're just kind of thrown out there, barebones with mediocre transfers. Hong Sang-soo's films are almost ideal for the Collection, especially something like Tale of Cinema. Im Sang-soo as well, especially The Good Lawyer's Wife or maybe even Tears. Ridley327 posted:Magnificent Ambersons being relegated to a DVD-only bonus feature for Citizen Kane is, quite frankly, the biggest load of loving poo poo ever. What the hell is going on at Warner?
|
|
#
?
May 18, 2011 07:32
|
|
|
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 19:33
|
|
|
Panther Panchali? I've never seen it but since they seem to be going at Satjajit Ray it makes sense.
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 19:35
|
|
|
Magic Hate Ball posted:Panther Panchali? I've never seen it but since they seem to be going at Satjajit Ray it makes sense. Except the film is called Pather Panchali and doesn't have any panthers in it.
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 19:41
|
|
|
Cat People, perhaps?
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 19:45
|
|
|
Peaceful Anarchy posted:Except the film is called Pather Panchali and doesn't have any panthers in it.  And I thought for a moment I'd actually have the jump on one of these things.
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 19:49
|
|
|
Mario van Peebles' Panther?
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 20:30
|
|
|
Dancing Potato posted:Mario van Peebles' Panther? Oh man this would be rad, much better for me than Cat People.
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 20:34
|
|
|
Brian Fantana's "Sex Panther" maybe.
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 20:37
|
|
|
Someone at CF.org says that Island of Lost Souls features a panther woman.
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 20:38
|
|
|
kaujot posted:Someone at CF.org says that Island of Lost Souls features a panther woman. Ha, for some reason, the first thing I thought of when I saw that picture was the 1977 version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau  Island Of Lost Souls would make more sense. 
Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 21:34 on May 19, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 21:32
|
|
|
Peaceful Anarchy posted:Except the film doesn't have any panthers in it. What kind of bullshit is that? WHY NOT?
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2011 21:37
|
|
|
penismightier posted:What kind of bullshit is that? WHY NOT? Because Apu had enough problems without a panther, and because a Bengali boy and a panther would have been a little too close to Kipling for Ray. If you're looking for more arthouse panther movies, check out Tropical Malady.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2011 03:22
|
|
|
Sporadic posted:Ha, for some reason, the first thing I thought of when I saw that picture was the 1977 version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau There need to be more Michael York movies in the Criterion Collection.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2011 03:44
|
|
|
Cabaret was rumored for a while there.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2011 03:52
|
|
|
50% off Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line with the code NATURE, through 5/22.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2011 04:45
|
|
|
How's the Thin Red Line? I've never seen it, but I always thought it was just another WW2 ooh rah USA type thing...
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2011 05:40
|
|
|
appropriatemetaphor posted:How's the Thin Red Line? I've never seen it, but I always thought it was just another WW2 ooh rah USA type thing... If you're expecting that you'd be surprised by it, it's pretty unusual as war movies go, and I'd actually call it an anti-war movie.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2011 05:42
|
|
|
appropriatemetaphor posted:How's the Thin Red Line? I've never seen it, but I always thought it was just another WW2 ooh rah USA type thing... This song captures some of the tone well. A lot of the movie is dedicated to figuring out why there is so much killing and destruction in places that look like paradise. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a2jugsYQXM
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2011 06:18
|
|
|
Space Cooter posted:If you're expecting that you'd be surprised by it, it's pretty unusual as war movies go, and I'd actually call it an anti-war movie. I'm not sure who said it first, but "All sufficiently graphic war films are anti-war." Of course I think Saving Private Ryan is anti-war, so what the gently caress do I know. Although I do agree with you, and in terms of WWII films Thin Red Line is about as far from "ooh rah USA" as you can possibly get, at least from an American film. Edit: The song posted above says it better than I can. Air Skwirl fucked around with this message at 07:18 on May 21, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 21, 2011 07:16
|
|
|
I've actually heard the exact opposite argument, that the visual interest of combat makes it very difficult to pull off a totally unambiguous anti-war message in a visual medium. I think that was either Truffaut or Susan Sontag? But in any case, 'The Thin Red Line' is quite good. Very beautifully shot and although 'haunting' is sort of an obnoxious and vague adjective I think it fits here.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2011 07:21
|
|
|
Best way I've heard 'The Thin Red Line' described is a poetic Japanese film about American soldiers. Which is all the more ironic and interesting since the American soldiers are fighting the Japanese in the movie.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2011 08:20
|
|
|
I guess I'll have to check out this 'The Thin Red Line'. And it's on Netflix instant play; try before you buy!
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2011 20:37
|
|
|
appropriatemetaphor posted:I guess I'll have to check out this 'The Thin Red Line'. And it's on Netflix instant play; try before you buy! Definitely a good option. I really wanted to like the movie, because Guadalcanal was a fascinating location during the war, the cast was top notch, and the cinematography is fantastic. The problem is that the story just kind of meanders around and is painfully boring at times. It's a good example of a film where the underlying message of the movie is allowed to flourish at the expense of a solid narrative. It's too self-aware of what it is, and that makes it come off with a very amateur vibe that just doesn't make for a good movie. It's worth seeing at least once because it's a good example of a movie that tries too hard to make a point and it trips up the story. DFu4ever fucked around with this message at 22:40 on May 21, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 21, 2011 22:36
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 23:48 |
|
|
DFu4ever posted:Definitely a good option. I really wanted to like the movie, because Guadalcanal was a fascinating location during the war, the cast was top notch, and the cinematography is fantastic. The problem is that the story just kind of meanders around and is painfully boring at times. It's a good example of a film where the underlying message of the movie is allowed to flourish at the expense of a solid narrative. It's too self-aware of what it is, and that makes it come off with a very amateur vibe that just doesn't make for a good movie. You're too hung up on "story" and "narrative".
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2011 00:43
|
|
