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Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Verdoux is not a weak film at all. It's a bit odd in that it isn't really constructed in a way that plays to Chaplin's trademark strengths, and it's a bit long, but it's a great dark comedy.

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Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Glad to see someone discovering Rohmer. I think the big distinction between him and Godard/Truffaut in terms of popularity is that the latter two made films that were at least partially about the medium itself whereas Rohmer's are much more about the characters as people. It's much easier to get broad appeal from film lovers when your films are clearly steeped in the cinematic tradition whether accepting it or rejecting it.

It sucks that Rohmer's 80s and 90s films are unavailable in the US, they're really great.

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

codyclarke posted:

So, I just absolutely devoured the Moral Tales box set. Adored everything on it. Where do I go from here? What films of his should I check out next? I'm feeling withdrawals already.
All of them, watch all of them.

Unfortunately, most are out of print in the US, but if you can play PAL DVDs this set is pretty great and has most of his 80s films. Le rayon vert, L'ami de mon amie and Pauline à la plage are my favourites from there, but they're all great.

His four big ones from the 90s are great too, particularly A Summer's Tale which may be his best film, but that DVD set is a bit more expensive here.

After that there are a couple of stray films from the 80s and 90s and a couple from the 2000s that are also very good, but a bit harder to find.

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Swagger Dagger posted:

It's not like they can just dump them all out at once anyway, that's just basic business stuff.
They probably don't have the cash flow to release a lot more each month, but I have little doubt the market could bear them doubling the amount of releases per month. The people who buy every release can mostly afford to buy a few more each month and those who pick and choose would still buy the same ones. And especially when it comes to re-releases there are certainly people holding back purchasing older DVD-only releases in anticipation.

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Is it bad that I don't care about blu ray upgrades and just want them to release more films that aren't on DVD anywhere? Because I feel like I've stopped really caring about their announcements.

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Zogo posted:

Tracking down Manila in the Claws of Neon and Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son is proving to be the greatest challenge I've ever faced.
The latter is available on amazon: $30 DVD or $5 instant video
Claws of Neon is exactly the kind of film Criterion should release. Fantastic and accessible obscure cinema that could really find an audience and is completely unavailable on DVD. I really enjoyed it.

FitFortDanga posted:

It depends. I care if it's an upgrade of a DVD I own (or want to own but have been holding out for a Blu-Ray). I'd rather they upgrade 5 movies I love than do 5 new releases of movies I don't give a poo poo about. On the other hand, I'd rather they do 5 new releases of movies I've been dying to own than upgrade 5 I never wanted in the first place.
Yeah, my sentiment is stronger than that. I'd take almost any reasonable new release, even if it's something I don't personally care for, over a blu-ray upgrade of almost anything. The caveat being that new release means something actually unavailable on DVD, not something released by Masters of Cinema last year, or an independent movie from last year that would have easily found another distributor anyway.

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Zogo posted:

:waycool: It's good to know that it's on DVD even if it's hard to obtain. It looks like that Amazon instant is for a shorter version.
Oops, you're right I guess there's always this if you want to pay a bit extra to not have a DVD http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Pipers-Son-Institutional-Use/dp/B002QQNSVO/

I swear there used to be a reasonably priced instant video rental version.

Peaceful Anarchy fucked around with this message at 06:57 on Jan 31, 2013

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Shoah, especially at the $99 price tag, is probably meant more as an institutional buy. Which makes sense since I can't imagine anyone wanting to watch it more than once. I have some problems with Lanzmann as an interviewer, which bleeds into the core structure of the film, but it's still an incredible document that deserves to be seen once.

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

SubG posted:

What problems? The most common complaint about Lanzmann I hear is how he badgers some of the subjects of his interviews. This is true, but I don't know why it is a problem unless we for some reason want to pretend that genocide is a subject upon which we should be expected to keep an open mind.
Yes, his badgering of the interviewees is a big part of my problem. It has nothing to do with being open minded and more about how the technique inhibits truth. There are several subjects in the film who I felt could have given much more complex and revealing answers who clearly become guarded and defensive about what they are saying. As such, his badgering harms the historical record that the film is trying to present and it brings him into the movie for little purpose. I'm not against badering interviewers all the time, I think it works for something like The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On where the interviewer is as much a subject of the film as the Japanese military structure it's investigating, but not so much in a film that is purportedly about the Holocaust where there is little direct information about Lanzmann's experience but a ton of implied information about his point of view. I don't think this makes the film less of a landmark cinematic achievement, or a less worthwhile watch, but I do think it makes it a less complete and informative document about the Holocaust.

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Sure it's not Pole and Giggle?

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

November's Titles
City lights
Frances Ha
Some small samurai set

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Is what they've done/are doing with the Chaplin films also just waiting for a good transfer/extras? Criterion absolutely toys with release dates, and sits on films for profit margin reasons. Sure they're a business and I suppose if its the best way for them to make money off things and keep releasing the occasional rare gem then so be it. But let's not pretend Criterion is just some altruistic company whose only goal is to release films no one else will. They found a niche and that niche is high quality transfers of indie films and classic films and they can charge a premium because of the brand cachet they've built. I don't fault them for it, and if the alternative is Kino or Facets then I'm glad Criterion exists, but it's fair to be annoyed by their pricing and release schedule.

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

The_Rob posted:

I don't think its too bad if it's official. It fits the movie.
Out of focus and with occasional lens flares? I don't remember the look of the movie so I don't know if that's accurate

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Buy the Rohmer set because Rohmer is the best. The other two sets are cool too, beautiful cinematography in those Eisenstein and Bergman films, but no one does conversations like Rohmer.

Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Hector Beerlioz posted:

Not familiar with this guy, whatd he do?
Fly on the wall documentaries of institutions and the people in them (primarily the people). Some are reasonable length, most are super long. Very interesting insights for the most part and worth watching. Start at Titicut Follies and then keep going.

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Peaceful Anarchy
Sep 18, 2005
sXe
I am the math man.

Cemetry Gator posted:

I think David Lynch is one of the few directors to do a film with every rating between G and R. Which I find kind of fascinating.
I don't know if that's all that rare. First one that come to mind
Cuaron:
A Little Princess G
Harry Potter PG
Gravity PG13
Roma R

G rated movies are hard to come by admittedly, so yeah it's rare. But that speaks more to the lack of non animated G rated movies than about the breadth of any given director. Given the list below the quality of a director who does so is very variable.

Edit: Lasse Hallström
Hachi: A Dog's Tale G
A Dog's Purpose PG
Safe Haven PG13
Casanova R

Garry Marshall (has actually made two of each!)
The Princess Diaries G
Runaway Bride PG
Beaches PG13
Pretty Woman R

Stephen Herek
101 Dalmatians G
Mr. Holland's Opus PG
Life or Something Like It PG13

Robert Zemeckis
The Polar Express G
A Christmas Carol PG
Beowulf PG13
Flight R
Rock Star R

Agnieszka Holland, Gary Winick, George Miller, Mike Mitchell, Yimou Zhang
My favourite (and also my favourite director, and most appropriate for the Criterion thread):
Éric Rohmer (this shows how arbitrary ratings are, especially for foreign films, his G, PG, PG13 and R rated movies are all incredibly similar in style and content)

Peaceful Anarchy fucked around with this message at 04:59 on Feb 16, 2019

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