The films of the Criterion Collection

[TylerDurden182]

Each day or so I will try to post a film from the Criterion Collection until we get through all 402 of them. The purpose of this thread is to get more people to watch some of these films. You can comment on the film posted by simply rating it, or writing a paragraph or two on how you feel about the particular film.

Spine #1: Grand Illusion
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/1_box_348x490.jpg

One of the very first prison escape movies, Grand Illusion is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. Jean Renoir’s antiwar masterpiece stars Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay, as French soldiers held in a World War I German prison camp, and Erich von Stroheim as the unforgettable Captain von Rauffenstein. Following a smash theatrical re-release, Criterion is proud to present Grand Illusion in a new special edition, with a beautifully restored digital transfer.

[Gordon]

Jean Renoir is a fucking genius.

I'm not sure how many other people have seen it, but I really believe that without it we wouldn't have been able to get movies like Shawshank, except I might even go further, and say movies like Saving Private Ryan. I honestly think it's had a profound affect on the modern day war film, and prison film.

[therealjohng]

I've always wanted to see that movie. Just not enough to rent it or buy it. I've gotten the feeling lately to add a bunch of Criterions to my queue. Now might be the time.

[TylerDurden182]

Originally posted by therealjohng
I've always wanted to see that movie. Just not enough to rent it or buy it. I've gotten the feeling lately to add a bunch of Criterions to my queue. Now might be the time.

It's well worth it.

[Tyler_Durden_208]

Originally posted by therealjohng
I've always wanted to see that movie. Just not enough to rent it or buy it. I've gotten the feeling lately to add a bunch of Criterions to my queue. Now might be the time.
Same here. As soon as I get the rest of the movies Rifftrax has done and Scrubs: Season Five, I'm going to be watching a shitload of Criterion DVDs.

[Pulp_Joker]

One of my all-time favorites and Jean Gabin is one of my favorite actors. A true cinematic masterpiece in every sense-writing, directing, cinematography, acting, etc. A must see for every film fan.
10/10

[QUENTIN]

In my top 20 of all-time, anyone who considers themselves a movie fan has to see this movie. Erich Von Stroheim gives one of the most memorable performances in cinema and it's the best work of Jean Renoir, one of filmmaking's greatest pioneers.

[bankholdup]

Nice idea for a thread...

I haven't seen this one all the way through in maybe 3-4 years, so I can't say I remember a whole lot. However, I remember not being that blown away by it. Then again, I wasn't a very "experienced" filmgoer, at least compared to now. I'll give it another spin someday down the road.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #2: Seven Samurai
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/2_box_348x490.jpg

One of the most beloved movie epics of all time, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride—featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura—seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope.

[Cronos]

Seven Samurai, one of the greatest films ever made - 10/10

[therealjohng]

Originally posted by Cronos
Seven Samurai, one of the greatest films ever made - 10/10


Probably no better way to describe the movie than that right there.

[ChemicalRomance]

Grand Illusion 8/10

- A much more scathing and powerful look at social classes (this one during wartime) within France...vastly superior to Renoir's THE RULES OF THE GAME.

Seven Samurai 8/10

-It's good and it's style has been emulated and copied many times but it just goes on far too long and the ending message is one I could see coming. Still: a very very important film.

[Tayzlor]

Have anything to add Tyler?

[TylerDurden182]

Originally posted by Tayzlor
Have anything to add Tyler?

After I post 10 or so I will give my opinions of each.

You?

[Danger^Cart]

I hate Seven Samurai. Kurosawa desperately needed to take a course on film editing, and the swordplay is beyond laughable. I refuse to accept, "Cut it some slack, it was made in 1954" as an excuse.

I won't deny it's influence, but I refuse to acknowledge it as a good movie. I fucking refuse.

[Lazy Boy]

It's one of those classics that I find hard to agree with the popular consensus. I mean, I think it's good, certainly well made, but far below in the pantheon of Kurosawa films, of which I still find, to this day, the best being The Hidden Fortress.

[Lost in Space]

Originally posted by Danger^Cart
I hate Seven Samurai. Kurosawa desperately needed to take a course on film editing, and the swordplay is beyond laughable. I refuse to accept, "Cut it some slack, it was made in 1954" as an excuse.

I won't deny it's influence, but I refuse to acknowledge it as a good movie. I fucking refuse.

as long as you recocnize its profound influences then make what you will of it. Personally i fucking loved it 10/10

[bowieee]

Seven Samurai is one of the reasons I'm addicted to fiilm. It was one of the first movie that I cana cross as a teen that made me want to look for more in what I expect from a movie. That movie will always have a nice little home in my heart.

[dman476]

Originally posted by Lazy Boy
It's one of those classics that I find hard to agree with the popular consensus. I mean, I think it's good, certainly well made, but far below in the pantheon of Kurosawa films, of which I still find, to this day, the best being The Hidden Fortress.
Yeah, I agree. I liked it a lot more before (before when? Who knows :p). Still, I guess I'd give it a 9/10, but it's definitely not my favorite of his. I like Ikiru and Rashomon more.

[ChemicalRomance]

Know what Criterion I'm excited for? EYES WITHOUT A FACE.

That's a frickin' awesome movie.

[Sixgun]

One of my favorite movies of all time, a masterpiece. Too bad it's so hard to find in this country.

[Le_Big_Mac]

I've got both Seven Samurai and Grand Illusion fairly high up on my Netflix queue already. Even though I already tried Seven Samurai once and got bored (it didn't help that I'd already seen The Magnificent Seven), I'm excited to give it another shot, and give Grand Illusion a first try.

[TylerDurden182]

Originally posted by ChemicalRomance
Know what Criterion I'm excited for? EYES WITHOUT A FACE.

That's a frickin' awesome movie.

Indeed.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #3: The Lady Vanishes
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/3_box_348x490.jpg

In this best-loved of Hitchcock’s British-made thrillers, a young woman on a train meets a charming old lady (Dame May Whitty), who promptly disappears. The other passengers deny ever having seen her, leading the young woman to suspect a conspiracy. When she begins investigating, she is drawn into a complex web of mystery and high adventure.


Mmmmmmm... early Hitchcock.

[ChemicalRomance]

I have this movie on my shelf and got 10 minutes in but fell asleep.

Not because it was bad, because I was tired. From what I saw it seemed like a movie commenting on social classes which I usually don't bode well with. I'll finish it one day :).

[Le_Big_Mac]

10/10. One of my favorite movies.

[TylerDurden182]

I'm going to try and pick up the pace a little. Still post thoughts on whichever one you want to.

Spine #4: Amarcord
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/4_box_348x490.jpg

In this carnivalesque portrait of provincial Italy during the Fascist period, Federico Fellini's most personal film satirizes his youth and turns daily life into a circus of social rituals, adolescent desires, male fantasies, and political subterfuge, all set to Nina Rota’s classic, nostalgia-tinged score. The Academy Award-winning Amarcord remains one of cinema's enduring treasures.

[dman476]

Amarcord = AWESOME!

I love it, it's one of my favorite Fellini films (and boy, I'm a guy who loves his dose of Fellini :p).

[Fisting Ackbar]

GRAND ILLUSION and AMARCORD are on my "must-see" list. Although I don't have high expectations for the latter, given that my experiences with Fellini films weren't great.

SEVEN SAMURAI is one of my all time favorites. THE LADY VANISHES was boring and unfunny, despite Hitchcock's attempt to lighten up the proceedings with the many supporting characters.

[Strider]

Of the first four films in the Criterion Collection, Seven Samurai is the only one I have seen and own. Although it's a solid film and a very imporant piece of cinema, it's not a masterpiece in my eyes. I still have a lot of Kurosawa films to see, but as of right now, I think Rashomon is his best picture.

Strider

[therealjohng]

The last two films I have not seen, but intend to. Armacord I've never had any interest in (but still will), but Lady Vanishes I really want to see.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #5: The 400 Blows
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/5_box_348x490.jpg

François Truffaut’s first feature, The 400 Blows (Les Quatre cents coups), is also his most personal. Told through the eyes of Truffaut’s life-long cinematic counterpart, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), The 400 Blows sensitively recreates the trials of Truffaut’s own difficult childhood, unsentimentally portraying aloof parents, oppressive teachers, petty crime, and a friendship that would last a lifetime. The film marks Truffaut’s passage from leading critic of the French New Wave to his emergence as one of Europe’s most brilliant auteurs.

[Pulp_Joker]

Seven Samirai, Amarcord, and The 400 Blows are all masterpieces and 10/10 and The Lady Vanishes is great also, 9/10.

[Hannibal21]

Of the films mentioned here thus far, The 400 Blows (10/10) is the only one that I would put in my top 100. It's Francois Truffaut's masterpiece, anchored by what is possibly the greatest child performance of all time from Jean Pierre-Leaud, portraying one of the most relatable adolescent characters in cinematic history.

[dannywalker17]

Originally posted by TylerDurden182
Spine #3: The Lady Vanishes

I was very disappointed by it. I love Hitchcock, but this one was completely void of any suspense or atmosphere. Flightplan is a much better treatment of the premise.

[Cronos]

400 Blows - 4/10
very uninteresting and boring film

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #6: Beauty and the Beast
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/6_box_348x490.jpg

Once upon a time, in a world of magic and wonder, the true love of a beautiful girl may finally dispel the torment of a feral but gentle-hearted beast. Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête) is a landmark feat of cinematic fantasy in which master filmmaker Jean Cocteau conjures spectacular visions of enchantment, desire, and death that have never been equaled. The Criterion Collection proudly presents the original film version of Mme. Leprince de Beaumont’s fairy-tale masterpiece in a newly restored spectacular new special edition.

[ChemicalRomance]

THE 400 BLOWS defies the words "essential cinema": 10/10.

How anyone can shake off that final shot is beyond me...it gets inside you.

[Lazy Boy]

Beauty and the Beast - 9/10

One of the all-time greats. It was my pleasure to do an analysis of the art design/direction for Cocteau's masterpiece for a film class years ago...of course, my knowledge wasn't that extensive, but I did highlight the key scenes with the human candle holders and moving statues.

[dman476]

Originally posted by ChemicalRomance
THE 400 BLOWS defies the words "essential cinema": 10/10.

How anyone can shake off that final shot is beyond me...it gets inside you.
Absolutely. It's (worthy of and) in my top 10.

[bowieee]

a surreal masterpiece almost as good as Orpheus.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #7: A Night to Remember
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/7_box_348x490.jpg

On April 14, 1912, just before midnight, the unsinkable Titanic struck an iceberg. In less than three hours, it had plunged to the bottom of the sea, taking with it 1,500 of its 2,200 passengers. A Night to Remember depicts the ship’s final hours in an unforgettable rendering of Walter Lord’s book of the same name. Now, aficionados of this terrific film can compare it to the facts with Criterion’s special edition, which features screen-specific commentary by Titanic experts Don Lynch and Ken Marschall.

[Cronos]

A Night to Remember - 7/10

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #8: The Killer (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/8_box_348x490.jpg

Hong Kong’s preeminent director John Woo transforms genres from both the East and the West to create this explosive and masterful action film. Featuring Hong Kong’s greatest star, Chow Yun-fat, as a killer with a conscience, the film is an exquisite dissection of morals in a corrupt society, highlighted with slow-motion sequences of brilliantly choreographed gun battles on the streets of Hong Kong.

[therealjohng]

The Killer is a great action movie, but if I had to choose, I'd take Hard-Boiled any day of the week.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #9: Hard-Bolied (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/9_box_348x490.jpg

Violence as poetry, rendered by a master—brilliant and passionate, John Woo’s Hard Boiled tells the story of jaded detective “Tequila” Yuen (played with controlled fury by Chow Yun-fat). Woo’s dizzying odyssey through the world of Hong Kong Triads, undercover agents, and frenzied police raids culminates unforgettably in the breathless hospital sequence. More than a cops-and-bad-guys story, Hard Boiled continually startles with its originality and dark humor.

[A.J. Hakari]

Lemme play catch-up here...

SEVEN SAMURAI - Not as much time was devoted to fleshing out all the samurai as I would've liked, but this is epic adventure at its best, with great action, great drama, and great cinematography. (9/10)

THE 400 BLOWS - A little predictable at times (the effect of having seen countless similar coming-of-age films before this), but Truffaut does the formula right and does it compellingly here. (9/10)

HARD BOILED and THE KILLER - It's been a while since I've seen both of these, but I remember them as being perfectly solid and entertaining ballets of bullets. (7/10 each, maybe 8/10 for THE KILLER)

[Danger^Cart]

Hard Boiled gives me a headache. Whether that's the desired effect, I'm not sure.

[Cronos]

The Killer - 10/10
Hard Boiled - 10/10
= awesomeness, The Killer (my favourite John Woo flick) is one of the first action films (also one of the first subtitled films) i remember seeing that i completely fell in love with (muist have been 7 or 8 or something), the action, direction, plot and characters are great, Hard Boiled is just as damn good. excellent gunfights, loads of action and damn good fun

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #10: Walkabout
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/10_box_348x490.jpg

Nicolas Roeg’s mystical masterpiece chronicles the physical, spiritual, and emotional journey of a sister and brother abandoned in the harsh Australian outback. Joining an Aborigine boy on his walkabout—a tribal initiation into manhood—these modern children pass from innocence into experience as they are thrust from the comforts of civilization into the savagery of the natural world.

[TylerDurden182]

Grand Illusion- 8/10

A film every buff should see. Jean Renoir's finest effort.

Seven Samurai- 8/10

No one can deny it's influence, but I don't see it as a masterpiece. It is one Kurosawa's best, but not the best.

The Lady Vanishes- 7/10

Been a long time since I saw this, I remember liking the premise and execution, but as far as early Hitch goes, I'll take The 39 Steps.

The 400 Blows- 9/10

Truffaut's best film. The ending is one of my favorites.

Beauty and the Beast- 9/10

Simply... beautiful.

The Killer- 8/10

My favorite John Woo flick and one of the best action flicks ever made.

Hard Boiled- 7/10

The action is intense, but I didn't really care for the story. Still another one of greats of the action genre.

Walkabout- 8/10

The film that introduced me to Roeg. I fell in love with it, everything from the beautiful cinematography to the journey of the characters.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #11: The Seventh Seal
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/11_box_348x490.jpg

After a decade of battling in the Crusades, a knight challenges Death to a fateful game of chess. More than forty years after its initial release, Ingmar Bergman’s stunning allegory of man’s apocalyptic search for meaning remains a textbook on the art of filmmaking and an essential building block in any collection. Criterion is proud to present The Seventh Seal in a pristine new transfer.

[Cronos]

Walkabout - 3/10
really didnt like this very much, found the actors and characters to be very annoying

Seventh Seal - 10/10
as with Seven Samurai, one of the greatest films ever made

[therealjohng]

The Seventh Seal was ok. I dozed off a couple of times. 7/10.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #12: This is Spinal Tap (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/12_box_348x490.jpg

Rob Reiner’s directorial debut has developed into a cult phenomenon. The film that invented the “rockumentary” has now outlasted most of the bands it mocked. Following the ill-fated American comeback tour of an aging heavy metal group, this film has joined the ranks of the greatest comedies ever made.

[Cronos]

Spinal Tap - 10/10
one of the funniest films ive ever seen

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #13: The Silence of the Lambs (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/13_box_348x490.jpg

From Thomas Harris’ novel, director Jonathan Demme explodes and reconstructs a classic genre, laying a foundation of emotional and political commitment beneath a perfectly constructed psychological thriller. Fourteen years after her controversial role in Taxi Driver, Jodie Foster finally makes the transformation from helpless victim to rescuing hero in this dark, gender-bending fairy tale of an American obsession: serial murder. As Hannibal “the Cannibal” Lecter, Anthony Hopkins is the archetypal antihero—cultured, quick-witted, uncontainable—a portrait of all the sharpest human faculties gone diabolically wrong. Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay Adaptation for Ted Tally.

[Hominid]

Grand Illusion -8
Seven Samurai-10
The Lady Vanishes-7
Amarcord -9
The 400 Blows -9
Beauty and the Beast -7
A Night to Remember -7
The Killer-8
Hard Boiled-8
Walkabout -8
The Seventh Seal -10
This Is Spinal Tap-9
The Silence Of The Lambs-10

[therealjohng]

This is Spinal Tap is one of the worst movies I've ever seen and Silence of the Lambs is a decent but overrated thriller.

[Hominid]

Originally posted by therealjohng
This is Spinal Tap is one of the worst movies I've ever seen and Silence of the Lambs is a decent but overrated thriller.

If it helps...It's not actually a documentary...

[Cronos]

The Silence Of The Lambs-10/10

[Danger^Cart]

Originally posted by Cronos
The Silence Of The Lambs-10/10

Damn straight.

I bow to Ted Levine.

[Hannibal21]

Beauty and the Beast - 10/10
A Night to Remember - 9/10
The Killer - 8/10
Walkabout - 7/10
The Seventh Seal - 8/10
This Is Spinal Tap - 7/10
The Silence of the Lambs - 10/10

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #14: Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/14_box_348x490.jpg

Hiroshi Inagaki’s acclaimed Samurai Trilogy is based on the novel that has been called Japan’s Gone with the Wind. This sweeping saga of the legendary seventeenth-century samurai Musashi Miyamoto (powerfully portrayed by Toshiro Mifune) plays out against the turmoil of a devastating civil war. The Trilogy follows Musashi’s odyssey from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. In the first part, Musashi Miyamoto, the hero’s dreams of military glory end in betrayal, defeat, and a fugitive lifestyle. But he is saved by a woman who loves him and a cunning priest who guides him to the samurai path. This installment won the 1955 Academy Award® for Best Foreign Film.

Spine #15: Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/15_box_348x490.jpg

Hiroshi Inagaki’s acclaimed Samurai Trilogy is based on the novel that has been called Japan’s Gone with the Wind. This sweeping saga of the legendary seventeenth-century samurai Musashi Miyamoto (powerfully portrayed by Toshiro Mifune) plays out against the turmoil of a devastating civil war. The Trilogy (whose first part won an Academy Award®) follows Musashi’s odyssey from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. In the second and most violent installment, Duel at Ichijoji Temple, Musashi beats a samurai armed with a chain-and-sickle and is later set upon by eighty samurai disciples—orchestrated by the sinister Kojiro—while the two women who love him watch helplessly.

Spine #16: Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/16_box_348x490.jpg

Hiroshi Inagaki’s acclaimed Samurai Trilogy is based on the novel that has been called Japan’s Gone with the Wind. This sweeping saga of the legendary seventeenth-century samurai Musashi Miyamoto (powerfully portrayed by Toshiro Mifune) plays out against the turmoil of a devastating civil war. The Trilogy (whose first part won an Academy Award®) follows Musashi’s odyssey from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. In the third installment, Duel at Ganryu Island, Musashi reunites tragically with the women who love him, and battles for samurai supremacy in a climactic confrontation with his lifelong nemesis.

[Danger^Cart]

I'm ashamed to say I've never seen the Samurai Trilogy. If the Schmoe response is majorly positive, I might be spurred into a prompt viewing.

[damien22]

The 400 Blows - 8/10
Beauty and the Beast - 9/10
This is Spinal Tap - 8/10
Silence of the Lambs - 9/10

[Le_Big_Mac]

The Samurai Trilogy gets recommended to me a lot on Netflix. I may have to put them in some time soon.


Originally posted by Cronos
The Silence Of The Lambs-10/10

[QUENTIN]

The Gone With The Wind comparisons are apt because both feature some great direction and cinematography, but tell melodramatic, uninvolving stories and are waaay too long. Each installment in the Samurai trilogy is better than the one that came before it, but I think they're influential and important movies much more than they are great movies.

I'm not really sure about the ratings, but it would probably be something like:

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto -5/10
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple -6/10
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island -7/10

The worst of the films so-far listed from the Criterion Collection.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #17: Salo (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/17_box_348x490.jpg

A loose adaptation of the Marquis de Sade’s The 120 Days of Sodom, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salò is perhaps the most disturbing and disgusting film ever made. It is also one of the most important, offering a blistering critique of fascism and idealism that suggests moral redemption may be nothing but a myth. Criterion presents Salò in its uncut, uncensored version.

[A.J. Hakari]

THIS IS SPINAL TAP and THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS - What can be said about these classics that hasn't already been said? (9/10 for TAP, 10/10 for LAMBS)

I didn't care much for the SAMURAI trilogy m'self either. Toshio was terrific and did a great job of maintaining a good chunk of interest in the character's personal growth, but the stories were just too thinly-plotted and offered little to justify an entire trilogy of movies. (6/10 for parts one and three, 7/10 for part two).

[Cronos]

the Samurai trilogy has been on my to see list for a few years, still havent gotten round to it...Salo wasn't as terrible as i'd heard it was, i also didnt find it at all shocking, mostly just dull or unintentionally hilarious, 5/10

[ChemicalRomance]

SALO is interesting for some parts but after a while it's all about trying to tell more disgusting stories about defecating and such. The end goes way off the deep end too.

4/10

[Fisting Ackbar]

THE KILLER and HARD BOILED are awesome. I actually prefer the former over the movie that inspired it (LE SAMOURAI).

Thought SPINAL TAP was merely okay, but I need to rewatch it. SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is solid, like the general consensus indicates.

Don't get me started on THE SEVENTH SEAL and SALO. :mad:

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #18: The Naked Kiss
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/18_box_348x490.jpg

The setup is pure pulp: A former prostitute relocates to a buttoned-down suburb, determined to fit into mainstream society. But in the strange, hallucinatory territory of writer/director/producer Sam Fuller, perverse secrets simmer beneath a seemingly wholesome facade. Criterion is proud to present The Naked Kiss in a beautiful widescreen transfer.

[Hannibal21]

Salo is, to put it mildly, one of my least favorite films of all time. 1/10

The Naked Kiss earns points for dealing with subjects that were ahead of its time and for a great opener, but it's really a movie that I appreciate more than love. The acting (Constance Towers aside) and dialogue are simply painful at times, and the campy melodramatic scenes are infuriating, but by B-movie standards, I'd probably give them a mild pass. 7/10 (closer to a 6)

[Pulp_Joker]

Beauty and the Beast-a truly amazing and beautiful film. 10/10

Walkabout-Interesting and some great cinematography, but I didn't get completely into it, but still very good. 8/10

The Seventh Seal-Probally my fav. Bergman film along with Fanny and Alexander. 10/10

Spinal Tap-One of the greatest comedies of all-time, period. 10/10

Silence of the Lambs-A modern masterpiece. 9.5/10

Salo-The only film I hate more than this is Titanic, but I do give it credit because some of the directing is very good. 3/10

The Naked Kiss-I adore Fuller and this is one of my 15-20 favorite movies of all-time. The dialogue isn't great, but its pure unadulterated pulpy film noir. Not a film for everyone just because I know people who hate it, but for me it is one of Fuller's masterpieces. 10/10

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #19: Shock Corridor
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/19_box_348x490.jpg

Seeking a Pulitzer Prize, a reporter has himself committed to a mental hospital to investigate a murder. As he closes in on the killer, madness closes in on him. Writer/director/producer Samuel Fuller masterfully charts the uneasy terrain between sanity and dementia. Criterion is proud to present Shock Corridor in a gorgeous, black and white widescreen transfer with its rarely-seen color sequences.

[therealjohng]

Shock Corridor is predictable but still a very good movie.

[A.J. Hakari]

It's been four years since I've seen SHOCK CORRIDOR, so I really don't remember much of it, but I remember really digging it back then and, thus far, being my only exposure to the work of Sam Fuller. I'll vouch for the flick.

[therealjohng]

Originally posted by Adam J. Hakari
thus far, being my only exposure to the work of Sam Fuller.


The Big Red One is a decent flick.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #20: Sid and Nancy (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/20_box_348x490.jpg

A lacerating love story, Sid & Nancy chronicles the brief, intense attachment of two of punk’s most notorious poster children, Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen. Director Alex Cox balances a bleak evocation of star-crossed love with surreal humor and genuine tenderness, creating a compelling portrait of the late ’70s punk scene. With brilliant performances by Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb, the film’s haunting imagery and black comedy resonate long after the final frames.

[A.J. Hakari]

Another one I haven't seen in a long time, but I remember quite a bit, especially the fucking perfect performances from Oldman and Webb. Intense flick, but a brilliant one too.

[QUENTIN]

Sid & Nancy -10/10

In my top 50 of all-time, the best portrait of doomed love ever committed to celluloid. Gary Oldman gives one of the best and most intense performances ever (he was repeatedly hospitalized throughout shooting after losing more than 50 pounds) and is matched by Chloe Webb as his doe-eyed, smack-addict groupie girlfriend. The story is a simple one, but this is a movie like Raging Bull or Last Tango in Paris, where you watch just to marvel at the performances. I own a worn VHS copy and didn't realize the Criterion was out of print, I've got to try and find a copy now.

[TylerDurden182]

The Seventh Seal- 10/10

Bergman's masterpiece and one of the best foreign films ever made.

This Is Spinal Tap- 7/10

Funny, but not hilarious.

The Silence of the Lambs- 9/10

Yet another masterpiece of filmmaking from the 90's. Creepy and effective.

Samurai I- 5/10
Samurai II- 6/10
Samurai III- 7/10

I agree 100% with what Quentin said.

The Naked Kiss- 6/10

The acting and campiness pretty much ruin this one.

Sid and Nancy- 9/10

Sid Vicious + Gary Oldman = Fantastic fuckin' film. Makes me want to go and watch it again... possibly tonight.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #21: Dead Ringers (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/21_box_348x490.jpg

In Dead Ringers, David Cronenberg tells the chilling story of identical twin gynecologists—suave Elliot and sensitive Beverly, bipolar sides of one personality—who share the same practice, the same apartment, the same women. When a new patient, glamorous actress Claire Niveau, challenges their eerie bond, they descend into a whirlpool of sexual confusion, drugs, and madness. Jeremy Irons’ tour-de-force performance—as both twins—raises disturbing questions about the nature of personal identity.

[Cronos]

Dead Ringers - 9/10
great and at times creepy flick, great performance by Irons

[zeppelin]

This is my first visit to this thread, so I'll just do a big catch-up here:

2. Seven Samurai- ****
Although I loved it from the first time I saw it, it was only on about the 3rd viewing that it became my favorite Kurosawa movie. Until then, I was all about Rashomon. But Seven Samurai is the only movie over 3 hours long that I think is never dull for a moment, even on subsequent viewings. And to use that old cliche, it's got a little bit of everything. Actually, make that a LOT of everything. One of the best movies ever made, easily.

3. The Lady Vanishes- ****
I love this movie! It's my favorite of Hitchcock's British movies by far, and is even better than most of his American movies. I think the humor is what really makes it for me, though the suspense aspect is obviously thrilling as well.

4. Amarcord- ***
I don't think it's one of Fellini's best, but certainly not one of his worst either. It's an interesting view of adolescence, but is ultimately too self-indulgent to be a truly moving coming of age story. Usually, Fellini is one of those rare directors who can make self-indulgence mesmerizing and personal (8 1/2 comes to mind), but I don't think it works quite as well when you're also trying to be touching.

5. The 400 Blows- ***
I don't think it's the masterpiece it's made out to be, but is definitely a good movie, and I'm not going to deny that the ending is great. One of the most iconic final shots in movie history.

6. Beauty and the Beast- *** 1/2
Well, I'm not sophisticated I suppose, because I still like the Disney version more. But this is still an incredibly beautiful movie. The magical feeling throughout it is virtually unrivaled.

10. Walkabout- **
Great to look at, and interesting in some places, but it never really clicked with me. Neither have any of the other Roeg movies I've seen after this. He's just not my cup of tea, I guess.

11. The Seventh Seal- ****
There are some scenes in this movie that are so profound, it's almost painful. And yet I don't consider this to be a depressing movie at all...in fact, it's very fun. It might be Bergman's most accessible movie, now that I think about it. But it's also one of his best (my second favorite).

12. This Is Spinal Tap- ****
Helps to be a musician, which I am. So for me, this might be the funniest movie ever made. A lot of the jokes are so subtle. I've yet to watch this movie without laughing at least a few times, and I've seen it probably 5 or 6 times now. What no one really mentions though is how absolutely PERFECT the acting is.

13. The Silence of the Lambs- *** 1/2
Creepy as hell. The scene where Clarice tells her story that gives the movie (and novel) its title always bothers me in some very personal way. It's the most disturbing part of the movie to me. Thrillers don't really get much better than this.

20. Sid & Nancy- ***
Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb are both so good in this movie that I'm not even going to attempt to think of an adjective for them. They are both two of the best performances I've ever seen in a movie. This is much more than what most of the music biopics coming out nowadays are doing.

21. Dead Ringers- *** 1/2
Another one of the best performances I've ever seen. Well, two of them, technically. And yet neither Jeremy Irons for this movie nor the duo from Sid & Nancy were even nominated for Oscars. I think that goes beyond ridiculousness. Anyway, Dead Ringers is psychologically complex and has Cronenberg's trademark grotesqueness. I don't like every Cronenberg movie, but when he's good, wow is he good.

[Hannibal21]

Originally posted by Adam J. Hakari
my only exposure to the work of Sam Fuller.

What about 'Pickup on South Street'? I'm pretty sure you've seen that one.

Haven't seen Shock Corridor or Sid & Nancy, but the latter is something that I'm very interested in.

[A.J. Hakari]

Originally posted by Hannibal21
What about 'Pickup on South Street'? I'm pretty sure you've seen that one.

Dammit, you're right. Forgot all about it. Another flick I dug quite a bit. Thanks for the reminder! :cool:

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #22: Summertime
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/22_box_348x490.jpg

An American spinster’s dream of romance finally becomes a bittersweet reality when she meets a handsome—but married—Italian man while vacationing in Venice. Katharine Hepburn’s sensitive portrayal of the lonely heroine and Jack Hildyard’s glorious Technicolor® photography make Summertime an endearing and visually enchanting film.

[Hannibal21]

^My second favorite David Lean film (first being the masterful Brief Encounter). I would surely be left with a broken heart if I had a double bill with these two understated, intimate (albeit brief) romances, though Summertime is somewhat lighter in tone, with moments of humor that counter the more genuinely sadder and bittersweet scenes. Kate Hepburn has rarely been better (this is her second best performance after Woman of the Year) in an internal and delicately restrained turn, surprisingly devoid of too many histrionics. She really is what holds the picture together.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #23: RoboCop (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/23_box_348x490.jpg

Called by Ken Russell “the greatest science-fiction film since Metropolis,” controversial director Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop is a special effects-laden cult phenomenon. The film features a resurrected and roboticized hero (Peter Weller) in a new, supercharged cyborg body, struggling to reclaim his memory and avenge his own death. Writtern by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner, this film is a grown-up superhero fantasy come to vivid, bloody life.

[JackassFan]

Whoo Robocop!!

9/10

Awesome movie.

[The Pin]

10/10 baby!

One of the best and most violent action movies to come out of the 80s! Still remains a classic and uses stop motion wonderfully.

[bankholdup]

Plenty of catch-up to do here...

Seven Samurai - 9/10
The Lady Vanishes - 9/10
Amarcord - n/a
The 400 Blows - 9.5/10
Beauty and the Beast - 9.5/10
A Night to Remember - 8/10
The Killer - n/a
Hard Boiled - n/a
Walkabout - n/a
The Seventh Seal - 6/10
This is Spinal Tap - 8/10
The Silence of the Lambs - 10/10
Samurai Trilogy - n/a
Salo - n/a
The Naked Kiss - 8/10
Shock Corridor - 8/10
Sid & Nancy - 9/10
Dead Ringers - n/a
Summertime - n/a
Robocop - n/a

[Powerslave]

I'm seen a shamefully small amount of the movies posted, but whatever...

The Grand Illusion - N/A (on my queue, need to see it)
Seven Samurai - 10/10
The Lady Vanishes - N/A
Amarcord - 9/10
The 400 Blows - 9.5/10
Beauty and the Beast - 7/10
A Night to Remember - N/A
The Killer - N/A
Hard Boiled - 8/10
Walkabout - N/A
The Seventh Seal - 10/10
This is Spinal Tap - 9/10
The Silence of the Lambs - 10/10
Samurai Trilogy - N/A
Salo - N/A
The Naked Kiss - N/A
Shock Corridor - N/A
Sid & Nancy - 8/10
Dead Ringers - 8/10
Summertime - N/A
Robocop - 9/10

[A.J. Hakari]

The Criterion synopsis just about sums up my feelings for ROBOCOP. :cool:

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #24: High and Low
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/24_box_348x490.jpg

Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a ruthless kidnapper in Akira Kurosawa’s exemplary film noir. Based on Ed McBain’s detective novel King’s Ransom, High and Low is both a riveting thriller and a brilliant commentary on contemporary Japanese society. Criterion is proud to present High and Low in a luminous new Tohoscope transfer with new electronic subtitles.

[Cronos]

Robocop - 10/10
hugely entertaining and violent sci-fi flick

[Le_Big_Mac]

Robocop - 8/10

One of the best action movies of the '80s and, in fact, has some quite incredible visuals. However, some of the dialogue is a little stale and it ends kind of abruptly.

[Pulp_Joker]

Shcok Corridor- Another very good Fuller film. I like it a lot, but it doesn't stick with me that much. 8/10

Sid and Nancy-Decent film that is good largely for the fine performances bey Webb and Oldman. 7/10

Robocop-Extremely enjoyable sci-fi film. It's impressive in special effects and stop-motion and I think the story and script are actually not half-bad. 9/10

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #25: Alphaville
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/25_box_348x490.jpg

A cockeyed fusion of science fiction, pulp characters, and surrealist poetry, Godard’s irreverent journey to the mysterious Alphaville remains one of the least conventional films of all time. Eddie Constantine stars as intergalactic hero Lemmy Caution, on a mission to kill the inventor of fascist computer Alpha 60. Criterion’s edition of this seminal film features a new digital transfer.

[Cronos]

Alphaville - 3/10
really didn't like this one very much

[Obergeist]

Grand Illusion - N/A
Seven Samura - 10/10
The Lady Vanishes - 6/10 Not one of my favourite Hitchcocks.
Amacord - N/A
The 400 Blows - 10/10 One of my favourite movies ever.
Beauty And The Beast - N/A
A NIght To Remember - N/A
The Killer - 8/10
Hard Boiled - 10/10 Action masterpiece.
Walkabout - N/A
The Seventh Seal - 10/10 Introduced me to Bergman and I have loved his work ever since.
This Is Spinal Tap - 8/10 Hilarious.
The Silence Of The Lambs - 6/10 I used to love this movie. Maybe it was Hannibal and Red Dragon that made me lose my love for it. Also Brian Cox was a better Hannibal Lector in Manhunter.
Samurai Triolgy - N/A
Salo - N/A
The Naked Kiss - 8/10 The pulpiest noir I have ever seen.
Shock Corridor - 8/10
Sid And Nancy - N/A
Dead Ringers - 8/10 Pure Cronenberg
Summertime - N/A
Robocop - 9/10 Brilliant 80's action with awesome gore.
High And Low - N/A
Alphaville - 6/10 Not my favourite Godard.

There's 10 minutes killed. Now what to do...

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #26: The Long Good Friday
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/26_box_348x490.jpg

Bob Hoskins, in his breakthrough film role, stars as a London racketeer fast losing control of his gangland empire; Helen Mirren shines as his classy moll. John Mackenzie’s stylish thriller is a marriage of gangster flicks from both sides of the Atlantic. Criterion presents The Long Good Friday in an exclusive widescreen transfer.

[Pulp_Joker]

Alphaville-One of my favorite Godard films. Extremely innovative and imaginative film that fits in perfectly with the French New Wave. 9.5/10

The Long Good Friday-Hoskins and Mirren are great and this is one hell of a film. Extremely disappointed that it is being remade as I can not see how anyone can improve on this great British gangster romp. 9.5/10

[Cronos]

The Long Good Friday - 8/10

[therealjohng]

1. This thread rules all.

2. This thread reminds me of how many great movies I still have to see. And buy.

[TylerDurden182]

Keeping things rolling because there are still a shit load of films left...

Spine #27: Flesh for Frankenstein (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/27_box_348x490.jpg

Maverick filmmaker Paul Morrissey’s Flesh for Frankenstein reevaluates the horror film, infusing it with satiric wit and sexuality. Morrissey’s tale of the mad Baron Frankenstein and his perverse creative urges was heavily edited upon initial release; Criterion presents the restored director’s cut—fully intact after 25 years—in a new widescreen transfer.

[Cronos]

Flesh for Frankenstein - 2/10
hated this, found it really dull and annoying

[bankholdup]

High and Low - 5/10
Alphaville - n/a
The Long Good Friday - n/a
Flesh for Frankenstein - n/a

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #28: Blood for Dracula (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/28_box_348x490.jpg

Paul Morrissey’s moralistic take on modern values is a brash mixture of humor, horror, and sex – and a revelation to fans of the horror film. In Blood for Dracula, the infamous count searches Italy for virgin blood. Criterion presents the long-suppressed director’s cut of this outrageous cult classic in a new widescreen transfer.

[Fisting Ackbar]

I saw BLOOD FOR DRACULA years ago, but am in no position to rate it - as I don't remember anything remarkable or bad about it.

Playing catch-up: ROBOCOP was a great addition to the Criterion Collection, particulary since they released the X-rated Director's Cut.

[Danger^Cart]

RoboCop is legend.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #29: Picnic at Hanging Rock
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/29_box_348x490.jpg

Twenty years after it swept Australia into the international film spotlight, Peter Weir's stunning 1975 masterpiece remains as ineffable as the unanswerable mystery at its core. A Valentine's Day picnic at an ancient volcanic outcropping turns to disaster for the residents of Mrs. Appleyard's school when a few young girls inexplicably vanish on Hanging Rock. A lyrical, meditative film charged with suppressed longings, Picnic at Hanging Rock is at long last available in a pristine widescreen director's cut with a newly-minted Dolby® digital 5.1 channel soundtrack.

[damien22]

Robocop - 8/10

Awesome movie.

[Fergus]

THE SEVEN SAMURAI - 9/10

THE LADY VANISHES - 8/10 Very funny and entertaining Hitchcock, though its been like 8 years since I've seen it.

Fellini's AMARCORD - 9/10

THE 400 BLOWS - 10/10 Great film, one that I would love to watch again and again, Truffaut is one of cinema's great filmmakers.

THE KILLER - 9/10 I haven't seen Hard Boiled or Better Tomorrow but this is Woo's best so far.

THE SEVENTH SEAL - 9/10 First Bergman film I watched, and he's probably my second or third favorite director of all time.

THIS IS SPINAL TAP - 8/10 Very funny, but I vaguely remember it.

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS - 9/10 Far too many sequels. They should've stopped after this great film.

SALO - I refuse to rate this gross and disgusting movie, I wonder why Pasolini was killed.

SID AND NANCY - 9/10 One of the great screen romances.

DEAD RINGERS - 7/10 Found it to be extremely slow.

ROBOCOP - 9/10 One of my all-time favorite films and one I've seen more times than I can remember, yet it still holds up. Now that's a great film.

12 out of 29 (ouch, I need to see more Criterion flicks)

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #30: M
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/30_box_348x490.jpg

A simple, haunting phrase whistled off-screen tells us that a young girl will be killed. "Who is the murderer?" pleads a nearby placard as serial killer Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) closes in on little Elsie Beckmann. In his harrowing masterwork M, Fritz Lang merges trenchant social commentary with chilling suspense, creating a panorama of private madness and public hysteria that to this day remains the blueprint for the psychological thriller. The Criterion Collection is proud to present a new restoration of this landmark film.

[bankholdup]

.

[Pulp_Joker]

M-A great film in every respect. 10/10

[Hannibal21]

M - Great atmosphere, stunning performance from Peter Lorre. 9/10

[Obergeist]

Flesh For Frankenstein - 5/10
Blood For Dracula - 5/10
Picnic At Hanging Rock - 5/10
I could never get into this movie

M - 10/10
I love this movie.

[TylerDurden182]

Dead Ringers- 8/10

Classic Cronenberg.

RoboCop- 7/10

Good bloody fun.

The Long Good Friday- 8/10

Bob Hoskins is great.

Flesh for Frankenstein- 3/10

Fuckin' stupid and annoying.

Blood for Dracula- 3/10

See above.

M- 9/10

My favorite Fritz Lang film. So close to being perfect. Peter Lorre is astounding.

[zeppelin]

30. M- ***
Peter Lorre really makes this movie. Not to diminish Fritz Lang's astonishing work in developing the atmosphere, but it's Peter Lorre that makes it believable, and makes it human. I'll never hear "In the Hall of the Mountain King" in the same way again. The middle section of this movie, I must admit, didn't really have me hooked, but the beginning is creepy as hell, and the ending is of course one of those great moments that just gets you where it hurts.

[sAtAn666]

Seven Samurai - 9/10
The Lady Vanishes - 8/10
Amarcord - 7/10
The 400 Blows - 7/10
Beauty and the Beast - 6/10
The Killer - 7/10
Hard Boiled - 6/10
The Seventh Seal - 9/10
This is Spinal Tap - 9/10
The Silence of the Lambs - 7/10
Dead Ringers - 9/10
RoboCop - 8.5/10
High and Low - 9/10
Alphaville - 8/10
M - 9/10

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #31: Great Expectations
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/31_box_348x490.jpg

One of the great translations of literature into film, David Lean’s Great Expectations brings Charles Dickens’ masterpiece to robust onscreen life. Pip, Magwitch, Miss Havisham, and Estella populate Lean’s magnificent miniature, beautifully photographed by Guy Green and designed by John Bryan.

Spine #32: Oliver Twist
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/32_box_348x490.jpg

Expressionistic noir photography suffuses David Lean’s Oliver Twist with a nightmarish quality, fitting its bleak, industrial setting. In Dickens’ classic tale, an orphan wends his way from cruel apprenticeship to den of thieves in search of a true home. Here Alec Guinness is the quintessential Fagin, his controversial performance fully restored in Criterion’s new digital transfer.

Spine #33: Nanook of the North
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/33_box_348x490.jpg

Robert Flaherty’s classic film tells the story of Inuit hunter Nanook and his family as they struggle to survive in the harsh conditions of Canada’s Hudson Bay region. Enormously popular when released in 1922, Nanook of the North is a cinematic milestone that continues to enchant audiences. Criterion is proud to present the original director’s cut, restored to the proper frame rate and tinted according to Flaherty’s personal print.

Spine #34: Andrei Rublev
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/34_box_348x490.jpg

Immediately suppressed by the Soviets in 1966, Andrei Tarkovsky’s epic masterpiece is a sweeping medieval tale of Russia’s greatest icon painter. Too experimental, too frightening, too violent, and too politically complicated to be released officially, Andrei Rublev has existed only in shortened, censored versions until the Criterion Collection created this complete 205-minute director’s cut special edition, now available for the first time on DVD.

[Hannibal21]

Great Expectations and Oliver Twist are the only works of Charles Dickens that I really like, and David Lean more than does them justice with two stellar adaptations. The man can create mood unlike any other filmmaker, and in these two films he also elicits exceptionally strong performances from the key child actors.

9/10 for both

[zeppelin]

31. Great Expectations- *** 1/2
Very easily one of the best Dickens adaptations ever done, with fantastic performances all around and stunning cinematography. I've always liked the childhood scenes the most in the book, and in the movie it's the same way. It's done so well. I read Roger Ebert's review of this movie for his "Great Movies" series, and he said something to the effect of it's as if David Lean were glancing over our shoulders as we read the book. I thought that was quite an apt description.

32. Oliver Twist- ***
Not quite as good as Great Expectations, which is a surprise become I actually like the book Oliver Twist more than the book Great Expectations. Nonetheless, it's still a very good movie with yet another fantastic Alec Guinness performance (that man can do anything).

33. Nanook of the North- ***
The template for every documentary that followed, and it's somehow still quite fascinating after 85 years. It really brings you in close to this family. I have still yet to see a more informative or interesting look at Eskimo life.

[dman476]

Andrei Rublev - 9/10

Interesting film. I love the end...

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #35: Diabolique
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/35_box_348x490.jpg

An acknowledged influence on Psycho, Henri-Georges Clouzot’s horror classic is the story of a sadistic headmaster who brutalizes his fragile wife and his headstrong mistress. The two women murder him and dump his body in a swimming pool; when the pool is drained, no corpse is found. Criterion presents Diabolique in a new digital transfer.

Spine #36: The Wages of Fear
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/36_box_348x490.jpg

In a squalid South American oil town, four desperate men sign on for a suicide mission to drive trucks loaded with nitroglycerin over a treacherous mountain route. As they ferry their explosive cargo to a faraway oil fire, each bump and jolt tests their courage, their friendship, and their nerves. The result is one of the greatest thrillers ever committed to celluloid, a white-knuckle ride from France’s legendary master of suspense, Henri-Georges Clouzot.

Spine #37: Time Bandits
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/37_box_348x490.jpg

In Terry Gilliam’s fantastic voyage through time and space, a young boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) escapes his gadget-obsessed parents to join a band of time-traveling dwarves. Armed with a map stolen from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they plunder treasure from Napoleon (Ian Holm) and Agamemnon (Sean Connery)—but the Evil Genius (David Warner) is watching their every move! Featuring a darkly playful script by Gilliam and costar Michael Palin, Time Bandits is all at once giddy fairy tale, revisionist history lesson, and satire on technology gone awry.

Spine #38: Branded to Kill
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/38_box_348x490.jpg

Branded to Kill, the wildly perverse story of the yakuza’s rice-sniffing “No. 3 Killer,” is Seijun Suzuki at his delirious best. From a cookie-cutter studio script, Suzuki delivered this brutal, hilarious, and visually inspired masterpiece—and was promptly fired. Criterion presents the DVD premiere of Branded to Kill in a pristine transfer from the original Nikkatsu-scope master.

[therealjohng]

Diabolique is one of the greatest thrillers ever made.

[Cronos]

Time Bandits - 8/10
strange and very entertaining film

[Hannibal21]

Man, I haven't seen a shitload of these.

Diabolique (9/10) is quite brilliant though.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #39: Tokyo Drifter
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/39_box_348x490.jpg

In this free-jazz gangster film, reformed killer “Phoenix” Tetsu drifts around Japan, awaiting his own execution until he’s called back to Tokyo to help battle a rival gang. Seijun Suzuki's “barrage of aestheticised violence, visual gags, [and] mind-warping color effects” got him in more trouble with Nikkatsu studio heads, who had ordered him to “play it straight this time.” Instead he gave them equal parts Russ Meyer, Samuel Fuller, and Nagisa Oshima. Criterion presents the DVD premiere of Tokyo Drifter in a lush color transfer from the original, glorious Nikkatsu-scope master.

Spine #40: Armageddon
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/40_box_348x490.jpg

Bruce Willis and and an all-star cast of roughneck oil drillers blast off on a mission to save the planet in Michael Bay’s doomsday space epic.

Spine #41: Henry V
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/41_box_348x490.jpg

Olivier mustered out of the navy to film this adaptation of Shakespeare’s history. Embroiled in World War II, Britons took courage from this tale of a king who surmounts overwhelming odds and emerges victorious. This sumptuous Technicolor® rendering features a thrilling recreation of the battle of Agincourt, and Sir Laurence in his prime as director and actor.

Spine #42: Fishing with John
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/42_box_348x490.jpg

John Lurie knows absolutely nothing about fishing, but that doesn’t stop him from undertaking the adventure of a lifetime on Fishing With John. Traveling with his special guests to the most exotic and dangerous places on earth, John Lurie battles sharks with Jim Jarmusch off the tip of Long Island, goes ice fishing with Willem Dafoe at Maine’s northernmost point, braves the Costa Rican jungle with Matt Dillon, takes Tom Waits to Jamaica, and searches for the elusive giant squid with Dennis Hopper in Thailand.

[Cronos]

Armageddon - 10/10
quite possibly the ultimate popcorn movie :D

[A.J. Hakari]

BRANDED TO KILL and TOKYO DRIFTER were both decent, kinda funky little thrillers, but I'd give the edge to BRANDED for being more entertaining.

ARMAGEDDON is one I admittedly haven't seen in ages, but I remember it being big, loud, goofy fun.

FISHING WITH JOHN was just flat-out bizarre. The Dafoe episode is classic, as is the beginning of the next one, both of which tie together and form one weird little connection.

[Obergeist]

Great Expectations - N/A
Oliver Twist - 8/10
Nanook Of THe North - N/A
Andrei Rublev - 7/10
Diabolique - 9/10
The Wages of Fear - 10/10
Time Bandits - N/A
Branded To Kill - 8/10
Tokyo Drifter - 10/10
Armageddon - 4/10
Henry V - N/A
Fishing With John - N/A

[sarah1980]

Originally posted by Cronos
Armageddon - 10/10
quite possibly the ultimate popcorn movie :D

i love you :D

[bowieee]

Fishing with John is great. I mean you can't go wrong with a grumpy Tom Waits in the jungle and Searching for a giant squid with Dennis Hopper.

Time Bandits is and will always be a childhood favorite. midgets can be so damn cool.

[TylerDurden182]

Great Expectations- 8/10
Oliver Twist- 8/10

Both are great, and contain some of the best black and white cinematography.

Andrei Rublev- 10/10

Possibly my favorite Tarkovsky. Masterful filmmaking.

Diabolique- 9/10

I prefer Psycho, but this is one superb thriller.

The Wages of Fear- 10/10

Even better than Diabolique, and that's saying something.

Time Bandits- 5/10

If I had saw it as a kid I would probably appreciate it more, but I didn't.

Armageddon- 3/10

Give me a break.

[Le_Big_Mac]

Armaggedon - 5/10

I know the Criterion Collection is supposed to include "classic and contemporary" films but at least they should do their best to include good movies.

[Monotreme]

The inclusion of Michael Bay films, namely Armageddon, in the Criterion Collection is one of the biggest mysteries on this green earth that I have been trying to understand for a LONG long time. I love the contemporary movies Criterion picks - Silence of the Lambs, Traffic, Dazed and Confused, Brazil, Royal Tenenbaums, etc. But Armageddon? Seriously... :rolleyes:

[QUENTIN]

Armageddon -4/10
Henry V -4/10 (Olivier's version is terrible, Branagh's adaptation was leagues better)

[zeppelin]

Originally posted by Monotreme
The inclusion of Michael Bay films, namely Armageddon, in the Criterion Collection is one of the biggest mysteries on this green earth that I have been trying to understand for a LONG long time. I love the contemporary movies Criterion picks - Silence of the Lambs, Traffic, Dazed and Confused, Brazil, Royal Tenenbaums, etc. But Armageddon? Seriously... :rolleyes:

Even Criterion needs to make money. That's the most logical explantion I can arrive at.

35. Diabolique- ***
Creepy atmosphere, leading up to a great ending. I love ironic twists like this. Henri-Georges Clouzot deserves his reputation as "the French Hitchcock," though I personally think the two directors are very different. But he sure knew how to build up suspense, and that's what I'm referring to. This is a good example of that, but is nothing compared to...

36. Wages of Fear- ****
...his masterpiece. One of the best suspense movies ever made, easily. It even manages to top anything Hitchcock has done, in my humblest of opinions. This is harrowing, intense, emotional, involving, and about a dozen other similar adjectives. It's one of the best movies I've seen, period.

37. Time Bandits- ***
Not Gilliam's best by any means, but an entertaining fantasy story with some very funny parts. Michael Palin and Shelley Duvall nearly steal the whole movie in their brief appearance together.

I've wanted to see Fishing with John for the longest time, being a huge fan of literally everyone involved (especially Tom Waits though). The one time I actually found a copy of it to rent, I got home and the disc was scratched to the point that the DVD player couldn't even read it. So much for that. I've been keeping my eye out ever since, and that may explain why I'm having trouble seeing it.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Dammit, this is a great thread because up 'till recently I had no bloody clue what the hell this 'Criterion' business was.

Too bad I haven't found myself interested in one of these titles except the ones I've already seen (Seven Samuari).

[bowieee]

Originally posted by zeppelin

I've wanted to see Fishing with John for the longest time, being a huge fan of literally everyone involved (especially Tom Waits though). The one time I actually found a copy of it to rent, I got home and the disc was scratched to the point that the DVD player couldn't even read it. So much for that. I've been keeping my eye out ever since, and that may explain why I'm having trouble seeing it. [/B]

http://www.amazon.com/Fishing-John-Collection-Willem-Dafoe/dp/0780022076/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0137767-6394405?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1180833692&sr=8-1

It's worth the moolah and actually that's pretty affordable for the amount of material on it.

I love the episode of sponge bob when they use the jim jamurch footage mixed in with the episode.

[Hannibal21]

Henry V - 8/10
Armageddon - 3/10 :rolleyes:

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #43: Lord of the Flies
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/43_box_348x490.jpg

Lord of the Flies is famed theater director Peter Brook’s daring translation of William Golding’s brilliant novel. The story of 30 English schoolboys stranded on an uncharted island at the start of the “next” war, Lord of the Flies is a seminal film of the New American Cinema and a fascinating anti-Hollywood experiment in location filmmaking. As the cast relived Golding’s frightening fable, Brook found the cinematic “evidence” of the author’s terrifying thesis: there is a beast in us all.

Spine #44: The Red Shoes
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/44_box_348x490.jpg

A glorious Technicolor epic that influenced generations of filmmakers, artists, and aspiring ballerinas, The Red Shoes intricately weaves backstage life with the thrill of performance. A young ballerina (Moira Shearer) is torn between two forces: the composer who loves her (Marius Goring), and the impresario determined to fashion her into a great dancer (Anton Walbrook). Criterion is proud to present The Red Shoes in its DVD premiere.

Spine #45: Taste of Cherry
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/45_box_348x490.jpg

Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, Iranian auteur Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of Cherry is an emotionally complex meditation on life and death. Middle-aged Mr. Badii (Homayoun Ershadi) drives through the hilly outskirts of Tehran—searching for someone to rescue or bury him. Criterion is proud to present the DVD premiere of Taste of Cherry in a beautiful widescreen transfer.

Spine #46: The Most Dangerous Game
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/46_box_348x490.jpg

“One of the best and most literate movies from the great days of horror,” The Most Dangerous Game stars Leslie Banks as a big game hunter with a taste for the world’s most exotic prey—his houseguests, played by Fay Wray and Joel McCrea. Before making history with 1933’s King Kong, filmmakers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack wowed audiences with their chilling adaptation of this Richard Connell short story. Criterion is proud to present the DVD premiere of The Most Dangerous Game in a new digital transfer.

[Fisting Ackbar]

Catch-up time!

Forgot DEAD RINGERS in my previous post. Decent movie, but definitely uncomfortable and the ending left me with a WTF? feeling. Jeremy Irons was great though.

M is excellent.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS was splendid, with the exception of the horrible miscasting of the lead actor (the guy is supposed to look 20, yet he has wrinkles on his face!?).

DIABOLIQUE and THE WAGES OF FEAR both rock. The latter was actually the best movie I saw in 2006.

I need to rewatch TIME BANDITS, but I remember loving it.

The less said about the aberration known as ARMAGEDDON, the better. ;)

I've had THE RED SHOES and TASTE OF CHERRY on VHS for more than a year now. Should really get around to watching them.

[A.J. Hakari]

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME is a true classic, a spiffy and swift adventure. One of the absolute best of its genre. (10/10) :cool:

[zeppelin]

43. Lord of the Flies- * 1/2
Granted, I never thought the book was as good as it's made out to be, so if you're a fan of the book, by all means disregard my opinion. But even with that being said, the book was still pretty good. This adaptation is not.

44. The Red Shoes- ***
Of course, the actual performance of the ballet is one of the most astonishing sequences in movie history. Everything about it is perfect, and I assure you I have absolutely no interest whatosever in ballet. The rest of the movie is merely good. Basic melodrama stuff. But still good.

45. Taste of Cherry- ***
A quiet, haunting movie about death. There are some pretty difficult questions this movie asks, and it doesn't even attempt to answer them, but what it does do is provide for a lot of contemplation. The ending scene is very puzzling, but somehow fits.

[bankholdup]

.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #47: Insomnia
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/47_box_348x490.jpg

Disgraced Swedish detective Jonas Engström (Stellan Skarsgård) travels to northern Norway to solve a brutal murder in Insomnia. Unable to sleep through the night of the midnight sun, Engström quickly loses his grip on the case and his mind. Erik Skjoldbjærg’s debut feature is a deft amalgam of psychological thriller, morality play, and police procedural. Criterion presents the DVD premiere of Insomnia in a new widescreen transfer.

Spine #48: Black Orpheus
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/48_box_348x490.jpg

1960 Academy Award Winner and winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival, Marcel Camus’ Black Orpheus retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice against the madness of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. With its magnificent color photography and lively soundtrack, this film brought the infectious bossa nova beat to the United States. Criterion is proud to present the extended international version of Black Orpheus in a gorgeous new transfer.

Spine #49: Nights of Cabiria
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/49_box_348x490.jpg

Giulietta Masina won Best Actress at Cannes as the title character of one of Fellini’s most haunting films. Oscar® winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Nights of Cabiria (Le Notti di Cabiria) is the tragic story of a naive prostitute searching for true love in the seediest sections of Rome. Criterion proudly presents the restored director’s cut in a breathtaking new transfer.

Spine #50: And the Ship Sails On
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/50_box_348x490.jpg

In Fellini’s quirky, imaginative fable, a motley crew of European aristocrats (and a lovesick rhinoceros!) board a luxurious ocean liner on the eve of World War I to scatter the ashes of a beloved diva. Fabricated entirely in Rome’s famed Cinecittà studios, And the Ship Sails On (E la nave va) reaches spectacular new visual heights with its stylized re-creation of a decadent bygone era. Criterion is proud to present this rarely-seen gem in an exclusive widescreen transfer with new English subtitles.

[Hannibal21]

The Lord of the Flies - 8/10 (just saw this the past month and thought it was a pretty good albeit flawed adaptation, leagues better than the remake though)

The Red Shoes - 9/10 (that ballet sequence is everything it's made out to be and more)

[Pulp_Joker]

Great Expectations - 8/10
Oliver Twist - 9/10
Nanook of the North - 9.5/10
Andrei Rublev - 10/10
Diabolique - 10/10
The Wages of Fear - 10/10
Time Bandits - 7/10
Branded to Kill - 5/10
Tokyo Drifter - 9.5/10
Armageddon - 4/10
Henry V - 6/10
Fishing with John - 7/10
Lord of the Flies - 7/10
The Red Shoes - 9/10
Taste of Cherry - 9/10
The Most Dangerous Game - 8/10
Insomnia - 9/10
Black Orpheus - 10/10
Nights of Cabiria - 9.5/10
And the Ship Sails On - 9/10

[zeppelin]

48. Black Orpheus- ***
An interesting take on the classic Orpheus myth, but what's far more interesting is the look at Brazilian culture this movie offers. It's fascinating, or at least it is to me. The music is also fantastic. If you like the music as well, look into Vince Guaraldi's album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus. It's beautiful.

49. Nights of Cabiria- ***
All the classic Fellini elements are here, but it still somehow falls short of his masterpieces. Still, it's a very good movie, bittersweet and with yet another mesmerizing performance by Giulietta Masina. She's easily one of my favorite actresses ever.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #51: Brazil
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/51_box_348x490.jpg

Pitting the imagination of common man Sam Lowry (the brilliantly befuddled Jonathan Pryce) against the oppressive storm troopers of the Ministry of Information, Terry Gilliam's Brazil has come to be regarded as an anti-totalitarianism cautionary tale equal to the works of George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Gathering footage from both the European and American versions of this masterpiece, Gilliam has assembled the ultimate, 142-minute director’s cut of his most celebrated film.

Spine #52: Yojimbo
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/52_box_348x490.jpg

The incomparable Toshiro Mifune stars in Akira Kurosawa’s visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo. To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade twice, by Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars) and Walter Hill (Last Man Standing), this exhilarating genre-twister remains one of the most influential and entertaining films ever produced. Criterion is proud to present this Kurosawa favorite in a new, high-definition digital transfer.

Spine #53: Sanjuro
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/53_box_348x490.jpg

Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Akira Kurosawa’s tightly paced, beautifully composed Sanjuro. In this sly companion piece to Yojimbo, the jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan’s evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a “proper” samurai on its ear. Less brazen in tone than its predecessor but just as engaging, this classic character’s return is a masterpiece in its own right, now presented in a new high-definition digital transfer.

Spine #54: For All Mankind
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/54_box_348x490.jpg

In July 1969, the space race ended when Apollo 11 fulfilled President Kennedy’s challenge of “landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” No one who witnessed the lunar landing will ever forget it. Breathtaking both in the scope of its vision and the exhilaration of the human emotions it captures, For All Mankind is the story of the 24 men who traveled to the Moon—told in their words, in their voices, using the images of their experiences. Criterion is proud to present Al Reinert’s award-winning documentary in a new special edition.

Spine #55: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Out of Print)
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/55_box_348x490.jpg

Philip Kaufman achieves a delicate, erotic balance with his screen version of Milan Kundera’s “unfilmable” novel. Adapted by Kaufman and Jean-Claude Carrière, the film follows a womanizing surgeon (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he struggles with his free-spirited mistress (Lena Olin) and his childlike wife (Juliette Binoche). An intimate epic, The Unbearable Lightness of Being charts the frontiers of relationships with wit, emotion, and devastating honesty.

[dman476]

Nights of Cabiria - 10/10
And the Ship Sails on - 8/10
Brazil - 10/10
Yojimbo - 7/10
The Unbearable Lightness of Being - 7/10

[Gordon]

Originally posted by dman476
Brazil - 10/10


Fuck an a.

Nights of Cabiria - 10/10
And the Ship Sails on - 8/10
Brazil - 10/10
Yojimbo - 9/10
Time Bandits - 10/10 (Haven't seen it in a while. I know it isn't a 10/10 film, same as Brazil really, but I just have an unreasonable love of them for some reason.)

[dman476]

Originally posted by Gordon

Nights of Cabiria - 10/10
And the Ship Sails on - 8/10

Fuck an a right back at ya'. :D

[Cronos]

Brazil - 10/10
Yojimbo - 8/10
Sanjuro - 8/10

[damien22]

Brazil - 8/10

[Le_Big_Mac]

Yojimbo - 9/10

[Powerslave]

Brazil-10/10
Yojimbo-9/10
Sanjuro-7/10

[A.J. Hakari]

Been ages since I've seen BRAZIL, but I remember it being pretty okay. Not as spectacular as I had heard it made out to be, but not a bad flick by any means. (6/10 or 7/10)

YOJIMBO was a rousing adventure, with a sharp pace, great thrills, and terrific acting. (9/10)

SANJURO was a surprisingly disappointing follow-up, entertaining at times but not as suspenseful or edgy at YOJIMBO. In the first flick, part of the fun was seeing Toshiro play both gangsters against one another; in SANJURO, Toshiro seems like a disgruntled babysitter. (6/10)

[zeppelin]

51. Brazil- *** 1/2
Though I personally prefer The Fisher King, this is still worthy of being Gilliam's most popular movie, and one of the best sci-fi movies ever made. And it's not just a sort of 1984 with a Monty Python twist on it either. It's a thought-provoking, unique movie. And it's pretty funny too.

52. Yojimbo- ****
Kurosawa's tribute to westerns that was soon remade as an actual western, but you can't top this. It's one of the most exciting action movies ever, but it also has great characters, an involving story, social relevance, and above all, a huge heart. This might also be Toshiro Mifune's best performance, which is saying a lot. I know most people like it a lot, but I'm not sure many people would put it on the same level of masterpiece as Seven Samurai. I would.

[therealjohng]

Brazil is one of my favorite films.


Sanjuro>Yojimbo imo

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #56: The 39 Steps
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/56_box_348x490.jpg

The best known of Hitchcock’s British films, this civilized spy yarn follows the escapades of Richard Hannay (Robert Donat), who stumbles into a conspiracy that involves him in a hectic chase across the Scottish moors—a chase in which he is both the pursuer and the pursued. Adapted from John Buchan’s novel, this classic Hitchcock “wrong man” thriller encapsulates themes that anticipate the director’s biggest American films (especially North by Northwest), and is a standout among his early works.

Spine #57: Charade
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/57_box_348x490.jpg

A trio of crooks relentlessly pursue a young American (Audrey Hepburn) through Paris to recover the fortune her dead husband stole from them. The only person she can trust is a suave, mysterious stranger (Cary Grant). A deliciously dark comedic thriller, Stanley Donen’s Charade dazzles with style and macabre wit to spare. Unavailable for nearly three years, The Criterion Collection is proud to re-release this ’60s spy classic in a gorgeous new anamorphic transfer.

Spine #58: Peeping Tom
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/58_box_348x490.jpg

A frank exploration of voyeurism and violence, Michael Powell’s extraordinary film is the story of a psychopathic cameraman—his childhood traumas, sexual crises, and murderous revenge as an adult. Reviled by critics upon its initial release for its deeply unsettling subject matter, the film has since been hailed as a masterpiece.

Spine #59: The Night Porter
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/59_box_348x490.jpg

In Liliana Cavani’s scintillating drama, a concentration camp survivor (Charlotte Rampling) discovers her ex-torturer/lover (Dirk Bogarde) working as a night porter at a hotel in postwar Vienna. When the couple attempt to re-create their sadomasochistic relationship, his former SS comrades begin to stalk them. Operatic and disturbing, The Night Porter deftly examines the cruelty and decadence of Nazi culture.

Spine #60: Autumn Sonata
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/60_box_348x490.jpg

A stunning union of two of Sweden’s national treasures, Autumn Sonata pairs Ingmar Bergman with Ingrid Bergman for their only joint effort. Ingrid plays a mother who, after forsaking her family for a music career, attempts a reconciliation with her oldest daughter (Liv Ullmann) through a night of painful revelation. Sven Nykvist contributes glorious Eastmancolor cinematography to this quietly beautiful story of forgiveness. Criterion is proud to present Autumn Sonata in a gorgeous digital transfer.

[Cronos]

Peeping Tom - 8/10

[Hannibal21]

The 39 Steps - 9/10
Charade - 8/10
Peeping Tom - 9/10
Autumn Sonata - 9/10

Haven't seen The Night Porter but I want to. Love Charlotte Rampling.

[zeppelin]

56. The 39 Steps- ***
Unlike the BFI, I don't think it's Hitchcock's best British movie, and it's certainly not even close to being one of his best movies overall, but it's enjoyable all the same. There are only maybe 2 or 3 Hitchcock movies that haven't been for me.

58. Peeping Tom- *** 1/2
One of the best horror movies ever made. If you consider it a horror movie, of course. But I do, and while it's still a bit behind that other great horror movie that came out in 1960, it might beat it in terms of just flat-out creepiness.

60. Autumn Sonata- ***
Maybe not one of Bergman's absolute best, but still a must-see for anyone interested in his movies, if just to see his only colaboration with Ingrid Bergman. She is phenomenal in this movie, and even got an Oscar nomination for her performance (shockingly, the only performance in any Ingmar Bergman movie to do so). Movies about mother-daughter relationships are too often sentimental and cheesy. This one is deep-cutting, hard-hitting, and completely realistic.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #61: Life of Brian
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/61_box_348x490.jpg

After slaying the Arthurian legend in their now classic Holy Grail, the Pythons set their sights on the Greatest Story Ever Told. Blind faith, virgin birth, crucifixion—nothing is sacred in this epic send-up of ancient times, which draws on the cornball biblical blockbusters of the 1950s to lampoon celebrity culture in any era. Criterion has gathered the guilty parties—including John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin—for two commentary tracks as provocative and hilarious as the film itself. Available for the first time in a 16:9 enhanced transfer, Monty Python’s Life of Brian can finally be viewed in all its – ahem – glory.

Spine #62: The Passion of Joan of Arc
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/62_box_348x490.jpg

With its stunning camerawork and striking compositions, Carl Th. Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc convinced the world that movies could be art. Renée Falconetti gives one of the greatest performances ever recorded on film, as the young maiden who died for God and France. Long thought to have been lost to fire, the original version was miraculously found in perfect condition in 1981—in a Norwegian mental institution. Criterion is proud to present this milestone of silent cinema in a new special edition featuring composer Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light, an original opera/oratorio inspired by the film.

Spine #63: Carnival of Souls
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/63_box_348x490.jpg

Herk Harvey’s macabre masterpiece gained a cult following through late night television and has been bootlegged for years. Made by industrial filmmakers on a modest budget, Carnival of Souls was intended to have the “look of a Bergman” and “feel of a Cocteau,” and succeeds with its strikingly used locations and spooky organ score. Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) survives a drag race in a rural Kansas town, then takes a job as a church organist in Salt Lake City. En route, she becomes haunted by a bizarre apparition that compels her to an abandoned lakeside pavilion. Criterion is proud to present the ultimate special edition of this eerily effective B-movie classic that continues to inspire filmmakers today.

Spine #64: The Third Man
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/64_box_348x490.jpg

Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, black-market opportunist Harry Lime--and thus begins this legendary tale of love, deception, and murder. Thanks to brilliant performances by Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, and Orson Welles; Anton Karas's evocative zither score; Graham Greene’s razor-sharp dialogue; and Robert Krasker’s dramatic use of light and shadow, The Third Man, directed by the inimitable Carol Reed, only grows in stature as the years pass.

Spine #65: Rushmore
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/65_box_348x490.jpg

Wes Anderson’s dazzling sophomore effort is equal parts coming-of-age story, French New Wave homage, and screwball comedy. Tenth grader Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is Rushmore Academy’s most extracurricular student—and its least scholarly. He faces expulsion, and enters into unlikely friendships with both a lovely first-grade teacher (Olivia Williams) and a melancholy self-made millionaire (Bill Murray, in an award-winning performance). Set to a soundtrack of classic British Invasion tunes, Rushmore defies categorization even as it captures the pain and exuberance of adolescence with wit, emotional depth, and cinematic panache. Criterion is proud to present one of 1998’s most acclaimed films in a Director Approved special edition.

[A.J. Hakari]

LIFE OF BRIAN - Freakin' funny, plain and simple. (8/10)

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC - A true silent classic, featuring one of the flat-out best performances ever, let alone female performances. Stirring and unforgettable. (10/10)

THE THIRD MAN - Atmospheric, intriguing, and compulsively watchable. A noir classic. (10/10)

RUSHMORE - Bitingly funny indie mini-classic. (9/10)

[Cronos]

Life of Brian - 9/10
Carnival of Souls - 8/10
The Third Man - 8/10
Rushmore - 7/10

[Le_Big_Mac]

Life of Brian - 9/10

While Monty Python and the Holy Grail is by far the funniest of the trilogy of original Python films, Life of Brian is arguably the most intelligent. And you can't beat the "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" ending.


The Third Man - 9.5/10

In True Romance, the character Clarence Whorley talks about the difference between a "movie" (like Mad Max or The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) and a "film" (like Gandhi or Kramer vs. Kramer). Well, The Third Man is an example of "movies" at their finest. The cinematography and score is perfect. The performances are top-notch. Orson Welles has one of the greatest character entrances in the history of cinema and the film has one of the greatest endings. However, the constant use of Dutch angles gets kind of annoying after a while but that's about it.

[damien22]

The Passion of Joan of Arc - 10/10
The Third Man - 9/10
Rushmore - 9/10

[Hannibal21]

The Passion of Joan of Arc - 10/10

The best silent film ever made, anchored by the single greatest performance ever committed to the screen from Maria Falconetti and the meticulous utilization of searing close-ups to convey the gruelling emotional journey of Joan of Arc. You feel it more than watch it.

Carnival of Souls - 9/10

I have only seen this once but it really creeped the hell out of me.

The Third Man - 10/10

Beautifully filmed, with one of the most memorable movie scores, a tremendous scene stealing performance from Orson Welles, and one hell of an ending.

Rushmore - 10/10

A true cult classic that gets better and better with each viewing. Constantly hilarious but also has a real heart underneath due to the array of strong characters and indelible performances -- Bill Murray especially. The use of music is also perfect.

[zeppelin]

61. Life of Brian- ****
One of my favorite comedies of all time. It might not be as flat-out funny as Holy Grail, but it's a better movie, for sure. A lot of the humor in this is actually quite subtle, and takes repeated viewings to catch everything. I never tire of this movie. It's truly one of my favorites.

62. The Passion of Joan of Arc- ***
Obviously, Maria Falconetti's performance is a work of art unto itself. It's in a category of its own, and isn't even really worth considering on any "greatest performances" list, because I wouldn't know how to compare it to any other performance in movie history. The movie itself is also visually stunning. I wasn't as moved by it as most people seem to have been, but it was certainly very good.

64. The Third Man- ****
Few movies strike me as being "perfect." This one does. Everything just comes together so well, and it's enjoyable nearly to the point that I could watch it every week and not grow tired of it. The famous "cat in the doorway" scene is clearly one of the best scenes in movie history, and this is clearly one of the best movies ever made.

65. Rushmore- ***
One of the few recent movies that uses quirkiness in such a way that makes it charming rather than just using quirkiness for the sake of being quirky. I love Wes Anderson. He's one of the best filmmakers to come out in a while, and while I prefer the two movies he made after Rushmore, this is still hard proof of his genius.

[TylerDurden182]

Lord of the Flies- 7/10

Decent adaptation.

The Red Shoes- 8/10

Visually amazing.

Nights of Cabiria- 8/10

I <3 Giulietta Masina, but not my favorite Fellini.

Brazil- 9/10

Gilliam at his finest. I still prefer 12 Monkeys and Fear and Loathing though.

Yojimbo- 8/10

Mifune is a badass.

Sanjuro- 7/10

Need to see this one again, but from what I remember it was kind of disappointing.

The 39 Steps- 8/10

My favorite British Hitchcock film. A breeze to watch.

Peeping Tom- 9/10

The Psycho of England. Creepy as hell.

Life of Brian- 8/10

Hilarious. I agree with Zeppelin, it may not be as funny as Grail, but it is the better film.

The Passion of Joan of Arc- 10/10

Haunting and beautiful. Falconetti is astounding.

The Third Man- 10/10

Perfect in every way. Especially love the cinematography, score, and ending.

Rushmore- 9/10

My favorite Wes Anderson. Bill Murray is classic.

[bankholdup]

.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #66: The Orphic Trilogy
http://www.criterion.com/content/images/full_boxshot/66_box_348x490.jpg

Decadent, subversive, and bristling with artistic invention, the myth-born cinema of Jean Cocteau disturbs as much as it charms. Cocteau was the most versatile of artists in prewar Paris. Poet, novelist, playwright, painter, celebrity, and maker of cinema—his many talents converged in bold, dreamlike films that continue to enthrall audiences around the world. In The Blood of Poet, Orpheus, and Testament of Orpheus, Cocteau utilizes the Orphic myth to explore the complex relationships between the artist and his creations, reality and the imagination. The Criterion Collection is proud to present the DVD premiere of the Orphic Trilogy in a special limited-edition three-disc box set.

Spine #67: The Blood of a Poet
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“Poets . . . shed not only the red blood of their hearts but the white blood of their souls,” proclaimed Jean Cocteau of his groundbreaking first film—an exploration of the plight of the artist, the power of metaphor and the relationship between art and dreams. One of cinema’s great experiments, this first installment of the Orphic Trilogy stretches the medium to its limits in an effort to capture the poet’s obsession with the struggle between the forces of life and death. Criterion is proud to present The Blood of a Poet (Le Sang d’un poète).

Spine #68: Orpheus
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Jean Cocteau’s 1940s update of the Orphic myth depicts Orpheus (Jean Marais ), a famous poet scorned by the Left Bank youth, and his love for both his wife Eurydice (Marie Déa) and the mysterious Princess (Maria Casarès). Seeking inspiration, the poet follows the Princess from the world of the living to the land of the deceased through Cocteau’s trademark “mirrored portal.” As the myth unfolds, the director’s visually poetic style pulls the audience into realms both real and imagined in this, the centerpiece to his Orphic Trilogy. Criterion is proud to present Orpheus (Orphée) in a gorgeous new digital transfer.

Spine #69: Testament of Orpheus
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In his last film, legendary writer/artist/filmmaker Jean Cocteau portrays an 18th-century poet who travels through time on a quest for divine wisdom. In a mysterious wasteland, he meets several symbolic phantoms that bring about his death and resurrection. With an eclectic cast that includes Pablo Picasso, Jean-Pierre Leáud, Jean Marais and Yul Brynner, Testament of Orpheus (Le Testament de Orphée) brings full circle the journey Cocteau began in The Blood of a Poet, an exploration of the torturous relationship between the artist and his creations. Criterion is proud to present the last installment of the Orphic Trilogy in a new digital transfer.

Spine #70: The Last Temptation of Christ
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At last, Martin Scorsese’s most personal masterpiece can be seen outside of the controversy it engendered, and be seen for what it is: a l5-year labor of love. Nikos Kazantzakis’ landmark novel comes to breathtaking life in this moving and spiritual film. The all-star cast includes Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Harry Dean Stanton, David Bowie, and Willem Dafoe as Jesus. Criterion is proud to present this cinematic treasure in an exclusive Director Approved special edition.

[Fergus]

M - 10/10

Haunting film, way ahead of its time.

Diabolique - 9.5/10

One of the greatest thrillers I've ever seen.

Time Bandits - 6/10

Disappointing because this was great until the ending which spoils the whole movie and left a bad taste in my mouth.

Armageddon - 5/10

Taste of Cherry - 8/10

Insomnia - 8.5/10

Much better than the remake. Solid performance from Skarsgaard.

Brazil - 9/10

One of my personal favorites. Dark humor is hilarious, the setting and visuals are fantastic.

Charade - 9/10

Very funny, suspenseful and memorable thriller featuring three great Hollywood stars.

Autumn Sonata - 7.5/10

Probably my least favorite Bergman film, didn't engage me like his other films, still decent though.

Life of Brian - 8/10

Hilarious, what else do you expect from the Python troupe?

The Third Man - 10/10

One of the great classic films that still holds up.

Rushmore - 9/10

One of my favs, but can't seem to give it a 10. Highly rewatchable and the music placement is perfect.

The Last Temptation of Christ - 10/10

Haunting and thought-provoking.

25 out of 70

[Danger^Cart]

I'd just like to take a second and advocate Lord of the Flies. I fucking love that film.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #71: The Magic Flute
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Ingmar Bergman puts his indelible stamp on Mozart’s exquisite opera in this sublime rendering of one of the composer’s best-loved works: a celebration of love, forgiveness, and the brotherhood of man. The Magic Flute (Trollflöjten) stars Josef Köstlinger as Tamino, the young man determined to rescue a beautiful princess from the clutches of parental evil. Criterion’s edition features the film’s glorious soundtrack in the original stereo format.

Spine #72: Le Million
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An impoverished artist discovers he has purchased a winning lottery ticket at the very moment his creditors come to collect. The only problem is, the ticket is in the pocket of his coat. . . which he left at his girlfriend’s apartment. . . who gave the coat to a man hiding from the police. . . who sells the coat to an opera singer who uses it during a performance. By turns charming and inventive, René Clair’s lyrical masterpiece had a profound impact on not only the Marx Brothers and Charlie Chaplin, but on the American Musical as a whole.

Spine #73: Cleo from 5 to 7
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Visionary of the French New Wave, Agnès Varda captures the atmosphere of Paris in the ’60s with this portrait of a singer searching for answers as she awaits test results from a biopsy. A chronicle of two crucial hours in one woman’s life, Cléo from 5 to 7 is a spirited mix of vivid vérité and melodrama. The film features a score by Michel Legrand (Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and cameos by Legrand, Jean-Luc Godard, and Anna Karina. Criterion is proud to present Cléo from 5 to 7 in a beautiful digital transfer supervised by the director, with the color opening sequence restored.

Spine #74: Vagabond
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Sandrine Bonnaire won a César award for her portrayal of Mona, a defiant young drifter who is found frozen in a ditch. Using a largely non-professional cast, famed New Wave filmmaker Agnès Varda recollects Mona’s story through the flashbacks of those who encountered her, producing the splintered portrait of an enigmatic woman. Told in sparsely poetic images set against the frozen landscape of mid-winter Nîmes, this is Varda’s masterpiece. Criterion presents Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi) in a brilliant color transfer supervised by the director.

Spine #75: Chasing Amy
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Chasing Amy is the third installment in the “New Jersey Trilogy” from award-winning writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma). Cult comic-book artist Holden (Ben Affleck) falls in love with fellow artist Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), only to be thwarted by her sexuality, the disdain of his best friend Banky (Jason Lee), and his own misgivings about himself. Filled with Smith's unique ear for dialogue and insight into relationships, Chasing Amy offers a thoughtful, funny look at how perceptions alter lives, and how obsession and self-doubt skew reality.

[A.J. Hakari]

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST - David Bowie? Come on, that's three stars right there. (9/10)

VAGABOND - Chick walks around, trying to live, without the slightest bit of poignancy to her journey. Snore. (5/10)

CHASING AMY - I've seen this five times, and I'm determined to like it. But thus far, it's never moved beyond "close, but no cigar" for me. (6/10)

[damien22]

Chasing Amy - 10/10
One of my favorites. The only Kevin Smith movie that I really love anymore.

[dman476]

The Third Man - 10/10
Carnival of Souls - 5/10
Rushmore - 10/10
Life of Brian - 7/10
Chasing Amy - 9/10

[Hannibal21]

Orpheus - 9/10
The Last Temptation of Christ - 8/10
Cleo From 5 to 7 - 9/10
Chasing Amy - 9/10

[Cronos]

Chasing Amy - 10/10
probably me favourite of Smith's movies

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #76: Brief Encounter
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From Noël Coward’s play Still Life, legendary filmmaker David Lean deftly explores the thrill, pain, and tenderness of an illicit romance in the dour, gray Britain of 1945. From a chance meeting on a train platform, a middle-aged married doctor (Trevor Howard) and a suburban housewife (Celia Johnson) enter into a quietly passionate, ultimately doomed love affair, set to a swirling Rachmaninoff score. Criterion is proud to present Lean’s award-winning masterpiece a beautifully restored digital transfer.

Spine #77: And God Created Woman
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The astounding success of Roger Vadim’s And God Created Woman revolutionized the foreign film market and turned Brigitte Bardot into an international star. Bardot stars as Juliette, an 18-year-old orphan whose unbridled appetite for pleasure shakes up all of St. Tropez; her sweet but naïve husband Michel (Jean-Louis Trintignant) endures beatings, insults, and mambo in his attempts to tame her wild ways. Criterion presents this milestone of cinematic naughtiness in a stunning new 16x9 Eastmancolor transfer, supervised by the late director.

Spine #78: The Bank Dick (Out of Print)
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W.C. Fields stars as an unemployed, henpecked drunk who spends most of his time at the Black Pussy Cat café. Things take a turn for the absurd when he unwittingly captures a bank robber and lands a job as a security guard. Written by Fields under the pseudonym Mahatma Kane Jeeves and featuring one of his most hilarious performances, The Bank Dick is an undisputed classic of American comedy. Criterion is proud to present Fields’ last major film in a new digital transfer, with English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired.

Spine #79: W.C. Fields: Six Short Films
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W. C. Fields’ prolific career placed him at the forefront of slapstick comedy. Gathered here are six gems that feature the comic genius at his peak: The Golf Specialist, Pool Sharks (silent), The Pharmacist, The Fatal Glass of Beer, The Barber Shop, and, of course, the notorious The Dentist. This unique collection will delight new generations of viewers with Fields’ hilariously sardonic routines.

Spine #80: The Element of Crime
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Lars von Trier’s stunning debut film is the story of Fisher, an exiled ex-cop who returns to his old beat to catch a serial killer with a taste for young girls. Influenced equally by Hitchcock and science fiction, von Trier (Zentropa, Breaking the Waves, The Idiots) boldly reinvents expressionist style for his own cinematic vision of a post-apocalyptic world. Shot in shades of sepia, with occasional, startling flashes of bright blue, The Element of Crime (Forbrydelsens Element) combines dark mystery and operatic sweep to yield a pure celluloid nightmare.

[A.J. Hakari]

THE BANK DICK - Haven't seen this in ages, but I remember it being kinda blah and having only a few really good laughs. (6/10)

[Cronos]

Brief Encounter - 5/10

[zeppelin]

70. The Last Temptation of Christ- ***
Probably the best cinematic interpretation of the Christ story, or at least the best one that deals with it non-allegorically (I'm referring to Au hasard Balthazar there). It might also be the only of Scorsese's period pieces that I've really liked. Willem Dafoe is really good in the title role, and Barbara Hershey is even better as Mary Magdalene. And of course, it's always good to see David Bowie act.

76. Brief Encounter- *** 1/2
Although I still prefer the spectacle of Lean's later The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia, I think that this movie is his most controlled, well balanced effort. It's one of the best romantic dramas I've ever seen, a genre I am not a fan of, but this movie really moved me. Some people call it the "British Casablanca," and they're not too far off, not just in terms of themes and feel, but also in quality.

[Le_Big_Mac]

The Bank Dick - 8/10
Brief Encounter - 7.5/10

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #81: Variety Lights
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A beautiful ingenue joins a tawdry music hall troupe and quickly becomes its feature attraction in Fellini’s stunning debut film (directed in collaboration with neorealist filmmaker Alberto Lattuada). Featuring Giulietta Masina, Fellini’s wife and frequent leading lady, Variety Lights introduces the director’s affection for the carnivalesque characters that frequent the cinematic landscape of such classics as Nights of Cabiria, La Strada, and La Dolce Vita. Criterion is proud to present Variety Lights in a beautiful digital transfer.

Spine #82: Hamlet
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Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Sir Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet continues to be the most compelling version of Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy. Olivier is at his most inspired—both as director and as the melancholy Dane himself—as he breathes new life into the words of one of the world’s greatest dramatists. Criterion is proud to present Hamlet in a luminous black-and-white digital transfer.

Spine #83: The Harder They Come (Out of Print)
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Reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff is Ivan, a rural Jamaican musician who journeys to the city of Kingston in search of fame and fortune. Pushed to desperate circumstances by shady record producers and corrupt cops, he finally achieves notoriety— as a murderous outlaw. Boasting some of the greatest music ever produced in Jamaica, The Harder They Come brought the catchy and subversive rhythms of the rastas to the U.S. in the early ’70s. Criterion is proud to present this underground classic in a new Director Approved special edition.

Spine #84: Good Morning
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Ozu’s hilarious Technicolor re-working of his silent I Was Born, But. . ., Good Morning (Ohayo) is the story of two young boys in suburban Tokyo who take a vow of silence after their parents refuse to buy them a television set. Shot from the perspective of the petulant brothers, Good Morning is an enchantingly satirical portrait of family life that gives rise to gags about romance, gossip, and the consumerism of modern Japan.

Spine #85: Pygmalion
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Cranky Professor Henry Higgins (Leslie Howard) takes a bet that he can turn Cockney guttersnipe Eliza Doolittle (Wendy Hiller) into a “proper lady” in a mere six months in this delightful comedy of bad manners based on the play by George Bernard Shaw. This Academy Award-winning inspiration for Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady was directed by Anthony Asquith and star Howard, edited by David Lean, and scripted by Shaw himself. Criterion presents Pygmalion in a beautifully restored digital transfer.

[Hannibal21]

The Bank Dick - 5/10

Basically what Hakari said.

Brief Encounter - 10/10

One of those films that I've been watching religiously for the past few months. David Lean's direction features him at his most restrained, the leads' performances (Celia Johnson especially, she has one of the most expressive faces/pair of eyes that I've ever seen, despite and because of her plain looks) are rich with nuances that contribute to the flawless chemistry of the two characters, while the background Rachmaninoff music further reflects all the inner turmoil, desires, and/or fears that the heroine is feeling. This masterpiece is the exemplary understated romance drama, where the slightest gestures and emotions translate to the most passionate of feelings.

Hamlet - 8.5/10

Probably my favorite movie adaptation of the story, mostly because of the mood.

Good Morning - 9/10

Pygmalion - 9/10

[Le_Big_Mac]

Hamlet - 9/10

Great Shakespeare adaptation. Laurence Olivier's directorial skills are seriously understated.


The Harder They Come - 7/10

A fairly entertaining low-budget crime drama. The film's famous soundtrack is excellent, but it overpowers what's occurring on screen too often, one of the film's major flaws. The script is also subpar.

[bankholdup]

.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #86: Eisenstein: The Sound Years
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Sergei Eisenstein, long regarded as a pioneer of film art, changed cinematic strategies halfway through his career. Upon returning from Hollywood and Mexico in the late 1930s, he left behind the densely edited style of celebrated silents like Battleship Potemkin and October, turning instead to historical sources, contradictory audiovisuals, and theatrical sets for his grandiose yet subversive sound-era work. This trio of rousing action epics reveals a deeply unsettling portrait of the Soviet Union under Stalin, and provided battle-scene blueprints for filmmaking giants from Laurence Olivier in Henry V to Akira Kurosawa in Seven Samurai.

Spine #87: Alexander Nevsky
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Eisenstein drew on history, Russian folk narratives, and the techniques of Walt Disney to create this broadly painted epic of Russian resilience. This story of Teutonic knights vanquished by Prince Alexander Nevsky’s tactical brilliance resonated deeply with a Soviet Union concerned with the rise of Nazi Germany. Widely imitated—most notably by Laurence Olivier’s Battle of Agincourt re-creation for Henry V —the Battle on the Ice scene remains one of the most famous audio-visual experiments in film history, perfectly blending action with the rousing score of Sergei Prokofiev.

Spine #88: Ivan the Terrible Part I and II
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Navigating the deadly waters of Stalinist politics, Eisenstein was able to film two parts of his planned trilogy about the troubled 16th-century tsar who united Russia. Visually stunning and powerfully acted, Ivan the Terrible charts the rise to power and descent into terror of this veritable dictator. Though pleased with the first installment, Stalin detected the portrait in the second film—with its summary executions and secret police—and promptly banned it. Criterion is proud to present Ivan the Terrible, Parts I and II, in new digital transfers with extensive image and sound restoration.

Spine #89: Sisters
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Margot Kidder is Danielle, a beautiful model separated from her Siamese twin, Dominique. When a hotshot reporter (Jennifer Salt) suspects Dominique of a brutal murder, she becomes dangerously ensnared in the sisters’ insidious sibling bond. A scary and stylish paean to female destructiveness, De Palma’s first foray into horror voyeurism is a stunning amalgam of split-screen effects, bloody birthday cakes, and a chilling score by frequent Hitchcock collaborator Bernard Herrmann. Criterion is proud to present Sisters in a new Special Edition.

Spine #90: Kwaidan
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Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Kwaidan features four nightmarish tales in which terror thrives and demons lurk. Adapted from traditional Japanese ghost stories, this lavish, widescreen production drew extensively on Kobayashi’s own training as a student of painting and fine arts. Criterion is proud to present Kwaidan in a new ravishing color transfer.

[dman476]

Nevsky - 7/10
Ivan the Terrible(s) - 10/10

[Cronos]

Ivan the Terrible Part I - 9/10 and II - 7/10
Sisters - 7/10
Kwaidan - 8/10

[Fisting Ackbar]

INSOMNIA = a darker and better picture than Christopher Nolan's remake (although that was good too).

Only saw the European version of BRAZIL, but that's probably for the best. :cool:

I watched YOJIMBO after the two movies that it "inspired" (FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, LAST MAN STANDING), but nevertheless I had a great time with that movie.

39 STEPS = cool old school Hitchcock.

CHARADE was wonderful, with the exception of the horrible cheesy final 15 seconds (with the split screens revealing previous scenes of the movie).

LIFE OF BRIAN.... ahahahahahahaha, awesomeness.

CARNIVAL OF SOULS... sorry, that was dull and predictable.

Echoeing the concensus on THE THIRD MAN

I'm going to get shot for this, but I couldn't relate to RUSHMORE despite the real-life familiarity of many situations.

CHASING AMY may be Kevin Smith's most mature movie to date.

[Le_Big_Mac]

Sisters - 7/10

Of Brian De Palma's early Hitchcockian thrillers, this is probably the best. It's dark, moody, unnerving, and weird. However, just like with Dressed to Kill, the direct steals from Psycho are insultingly pathetic to a cultured audience member, and there are a number of them.

[Powerslave]

Alexander Nevsky - 7.5/10 (Good, but got too slow at points)

Ivan The Terrible Part 1 - 9/10 (Really cool stuff, masterful in a bizarre sort of way. Some mind-boggling compositions)
Ivan The Terrible Part 2 - 8.5/10 (same, though not as strong as Part 1. These movies stuck with me for a long time, gave me alot to think about)

Kwaidan - 7/10 (Amazing cinematography, but it was way too long and the stories varied from very cool (I loved "Hoichi The Earless") to almost entirely uninteresting. 1st was uninteresting, 2nd was pretty cool, 3rd (Hoichi The Earless) was awesome, 4th was pretty cool and eerie. Sorta got tired of watching it after a while, though. Still, very pretty to look at.)

[Hannibal21]

Sisters - 8/10

Ah, De Palma.....

Kwaidan - 9/10

The equivalent to watching beautiful paintings move, and all the stories are appropriately creepy in their own way.

[ChemicalRomance]

Just a quick 3:

BRIEF ENCOUNTER - 9.5
THE BANK DICK - 4
THE ELEMENT OF CRIME - 8.5

[damien22]

The Harder They Come - 9/10

[TylerDurden182]

The Last Temptation of Christ- 10/10

Top 5 Scorsese material. Excellent.

Vagabond- 6/10

Been a long time since I saw this, so I probably need to revisit it.

Chasing Amy- 9/10

Definantly Smith's best film.

Brief Encounter- 9/10

Lean can do it all, and this is a shining example.

The Bank Dick- 5/10

Not funny, but annoying.

The Element of Crime- 9/10

Von Trier never ceases to amaze me.

Alexander Nevsky- 7/10

Other than the ice battle, nothing special in my eyes.

Ivan the Terrible Part I- 9/10
Ivan the Terrible Part II- 8/10

Kwaidan- 8/10

A bit too long, but beautifully shot and pretty damn creepy.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #91: The Blob
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"Beware of the Blob!" One of the great cult classics, The Blob melds ’50s schlock sci-fi and teen delinquency pics even as it transcends these genres with strong performances and ingenious special effects. Made outside of Hollywood by a maverick film distributor, a crew experienced in religious and educational shorts, and a collection of theatrical talent from Philadelphia and New York, The Blob helped launch the careers of superstud Steve McQueen and composer Burt Bacharach.

Spine #92: Fiend Without a Face
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A scientist’s thoughts materialize as an army of invisible brain-shaped monsters (complete with spinal-cord tails!) who terrorize an American military base in this nightmarish chiller, directed by Arthur Crabtree (Horrors of the Black Museum). This outstanding sci-fi/horror hybrid is a special effects bonanza, and a high-water mark in British genre filmmaking.

Spine #93: Black Narcissus
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Plagued by uncertainties and worldly desires, five Protestant missionary nuns, led by Deborah Kerr’s Sister Clodagh, struggle to establish a school in the desolate Himalayas. All the elements of cinematic arts are perfectly fused in Powell and Pressburger’s fascinating study of the age-old conflict between the spirit and the flesh, set against the grandeur of the snowcapped peaks of Kanchenjunga. Criterion is proud to present Black Narcissus in a new Special Edition.

Spine #94: I Know Where I'm Going
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In Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's stunningly photographed comedy, romance flourishes in an unlikely place—the bleak and moody Scottish Hebrides. Wendy Hiller stars as a headstrong young woman who travels to these remote isles to marry a rich lord. Stranded by stormy weather, she meets a handsome naval officer (Roger Livesey) who threatens to thwart her carefully laid-out life plans.

Spine #95: All That Heaven Allows
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Jane Wyman is a repressed wealthy widow and Rock Hudson is the hunky Thoreau-following gardener who loves her in Douglas Sirk’s heartbreakingly beautiful indictment of 1950s small-town America. Sirk utilizes expressionist colors, reflective surfaces, and frames-within-frames to convey the loneliness and isolation of a matriarch trapped by the snobbery of her children and the gossip of her social-climbing country club chums. Criterion is proud to present this subversive Hollywood tearjerker in a new Special Edition.

[A.J. Hakari]

THE BLOB - Pretty damn boring and lagging for a B-movie. The sequel's even more of an ungodly mess. (5/10)

FIEND WITHOUT A FACE - Standard B-flick, until the last twenty minutes are a cavalcade of murder and flying brains. Huzzah! (6/10)

ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS - Definitely overly-emotional and sentimental at times, but there's some beautiful colors and a fine performance from Jane Wyman. (8/10)

[Powerslave]

The Blob (5.5/10) Funny in that B-movie way, but it's mostly just really boring and uninteresting.

I've been meaning to see Black Narcissus and All That Heaven Allows for a while now...

[Lazy Boy]

The Blob (6/10) - gimme the 80's version any day.

Black Narcissus (9/10) - staggeringly beautiful use of color and story.

[Cronos]

The Blob - 7/10 - fun killer jelly flick
Black Narcissus - 6/10 - looks great, not much else though

[zeppelin]

83. The Harder They Come- * 1/2
GREAT soundtrack. LOUSY movie. I know it has a cult following and all, but to me, it's not at all interesting. Jimmy Cliff actually isn't half bad as an actor, but it seems the story and characters are only there to showcase the music and make it seem more socially relevant. Just buy the soundtrack.

93. Black Narcissus- **
That's weird, I just watched this movie this morning. They showed it on my local public broadcasting station. I agree with Cronos: it's beautiful to look at, but there's not much else going on here. Well, there is, but nothing spectacular. In fact, I found a lot of it to be very corny, and unintentionally funny in some places. From their next movie, The Red Shoes (a much better movie, I might add), I knew Powell and Pressburger had a flair for melodrama, but they get a bit carried away with it in this one.

[Hannibal21]

Black Narcissus - 9/10
All That Heaven Allows - 8/10

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #96: Written on the Wind
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Bathed in lurid Technicolor, melodrama maestro Douglas Sirk’s Written on the Wind is the stylishly debauched tale of a Texas oil magnate brought down by the excesses of his spoiled offspring. Features an all-star quartet that includes Robert Stack as a pistol-packin’ alcoholic playboy; Lauren Bacall as his long-suffering wife; Rock Hudson as his earthy best friend; and Dorothy Malone (who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar© for her performance) as his nymphomaniac sister.

Spine #97: Do the Right Thing
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The hottest day of the year explodes onscreen in this vibrant look at a day in the life of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast that includes Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Robin Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Nunn, Rosie Perez, and John Turturro, Spike Lee’s powerful portrait of urban racial tensions sparked controversy while earning popular and critical praise. Criterion is proud to present Do the Right Thing in a new Director Approved special edition.

Spine #98: L'Avventura
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A girl mysteriously disappears on a yachting trip. While her lover and her best friend search for her across Italy, they begin an affair. Antonioni’s penetrating study of the idle upper class offers stinging observations on spiritual isolation and the many meanings of love. Criterion is proud to present this milestone of film grammar in a new Special Edition double-disc set.

Spine #99: Gimme Shelter
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Called “the greatest rock film ever made,” this landmark documentary follows the Rolling Stones on their notorious 1969 U.S. tour. When 300,000 members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hell’s Angels at San Francisco’s Altamont Speedway, direct cinema pioneers David and Albert Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin immortalized on film the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment.

Spine #100: Beastie Boys Video Anthology
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The Beastie Boys are among the most influential groups of the last two decades. As their music has opened hip-hop to a wider audience and changed the parameters of its sound, their ambitious music videos have carried the medium to new levels of artistic expression. This groundbreaking two-disc anthology showcases the vast potential of DVD technology, with most of the 18 videos containing alternate visual angles and multiple audio tracks. There are hundreds of possible image and sound combinations, including new surround mixes, a cappella versions, instrumentals, and more than 40 remixes (by such artists as Moby, Fatboy Slim and The Prunes), including many new remixes created exclusively for this release. Loaded with never-before-seen footage and unreleased music tracks, this special edition also contains a trove of rare still photos and exclusive audio commentary by the band and the video directors. And the coup de grâce; the world-premiere director's cut of Nathanial Hornblower's "Intergalactic" spin-off "The Robot vs. the Octopus Monster Saga."

[Powerslave]

Do The Right Thing (10/10) Brilliant, one of my favorite movies.

L'Avventura (5.5/10) Some pretty interesting things about it, but mostly I just can't forgive how unremittingly boring this movie is. I don't have any problem with a movie taking its time, but damn. Maybe if I watch it again in 10 years when I'm "wiser" I'll get a bit more out of it...

I've wanted to check out that Beastie Boys DVD for a while now, looks cool. I've seen most of their videos though, which are all awesome.

[A.J. Hakari]

DO THE RIGHT THING - Been fuckin' ages since I've seen this, yet the energy, powerful script, and raw performances still resonate. Absolutely perfect. (10/10)

[Lazy Boy]

Do the Right Thing (9/10) - still Lee's best, hasn't topped the energy created by the nervous tension, onscreen and off. The last half hour burns the screen down.

L'Avventura (10/10) - Antonioni's magnificent epic of spacial and emotional frigidness.

[Le_Big_Mac]

Do the Right Thing - 9/10
Gimme Shelter - 9.5/10

[dman476]

Do the Right Thing - 10/10
L'Avventura - 10/10

[Fergus]

Chasing Amy - 8/10

Kwaidan - 10/10

Do the Right Thing - 9/10

Gimme Shelter - 8/10

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #101: Cries and Whispers
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Legendary director Ingmar Bergman creates a testament to the strength of the soul—and a film of absolute power. Karin and Maria come to the aid of their dying sister, Agnes, but jealousy, manipulation, and selfishness come before empathy. Agnes, tortured by cancer, transcends the pettiness of her sisters’ concerns to remember moments of being—moments that Bergman, with the help of Academy Award™-winning cinematographer Sven Nykvist, translates into pictures of staggering beauty and unfathomable horror.

Spine #102: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
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In Luis Buñuel’s deliciously satiric masterpiece, an upper-class sextet sits down to dinner but never eats, their attempts continually thwarted by a vaudevillian mixture of events both actual and imagined. Fernando Rey, Stéphane Audran, Delphine Seyring, and Jean-Pierre Cassel head the extraordinary cast of this 1972 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film. Criterion is proud to present The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie in an exclusive Special Edition Double-Disc Set.

Spine #103: The Lady Eve
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A conniving father and daughter meet up with the heir to a brewery fortune—a wealthy but naïve snake enthusiast—and attempt to bamboozle him at a cruise ship card table. Their plan is quickly abandoned when the daughter falls in love with their prey. But when the heir gets wise to her gold-digging ways, she must plot to re-conquer his heart. One of Sturges’ most clever and beloved romantic comedies, The Lady Eve balances broad slapstick and sophisticated sexiness with perfect grace.

Spine #104: Double Suicide
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Many films have drawn from classic Japanese theatrical forms, but none with such shocking cinematic effect as director Masahiro Shinoda’s Double Suicide. In this striking adaptation of a bunraku puppet play (featuring the music of famed composer Toru Takemitsu), a paper merchant sacrifices family, fortune, and ultimately life for his erotic obsession with a prostitute. Criterion is proud to present Double Suicide in a stunning digital transfer, with a new and improved English subtitle translation.

Spine #105: Spartacus
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Stanley Kubrick directed a cast of screen legends—including Kirk Douglas as the indomitable gladiator that led a Roman slave revolt—in the sweeping epic that defined a genre and ushered in a new Hollywood era. The assured acting, lush Technicolor cinematography, bold costumes and visceral fight sequences won Spartacus four Oscars©; the blend of politics and sexual suggestion scandalized audiences. Today Kubrick’s controversial classic, the first film to openly defy Hollywood’s blacklist, remains a landmark of cinematic artistry and history.

[Lazy Boy]

Cries and Whispers - 9/10
The Lady Eve - 7/10
Spartacus - 8/10

[Cronos]

Spartacus - 9/10

[Le_Big_Mac]

Spartacus - 8/10

[Hannibal21]

Do the Right Thing - 7/10 (need to see it again)

L'Avventura - 10/10
Aside from the lead character played by (the always FANTASTIC) Monica Vitti, everyone else pretty much takes a backseat to the film's astounding visual feasts and lonely, cold, mysterious atmosphere. Antonioni's framing, the way he so gracefully pans the camera, represents filmmaking in one of its finest forms. The ending is unforgettable.

Cries and Whispers - 10/10
It drains the very life out of me.

The Lady Eve - 10/10
Easily the best and funniest screwball comedy ever made. Barbara Stanwyck has never been this entertaining, this seductive.

Spartacus - 9/10
Tremendous epic, one of Kubrick's more underrated films.

[QUENTIN]

To catch up, what I've seen but hadn't rated:

The Killer -7.5/10
Walkabout -9/10
The Seventh Seal -10/10
This Is Spinal Tap -8/10
The Silence of The Lambs -9/10
The Naked Kiss -7.5/10
Shock Corridor -9/10
Summertime -8/10
Robocop -6/10
High and Low -10/10
Alphaville -8/10
The Long Good Friday -9/10
Picnic at Hanging Rock -9/10
M -10/10
Great Expectations -8.5/10
Oliver Twist -7/10
Nanook of The North -9/10
Andrei Rublev -10/10
Diabolique -9/10
Wages of Fear -9/10
Lord of The Flies -7/10
The Red Shoes -9/10
The Most Dangerous Game -8/10
Insomnia -8.5/10
Black Orpheus -10/10
Nights of Cabiria -10/10
Brazil -7/10
Yojimbo -9/10
Sanjuro -8/10
The Unbearable Lightness of Being -9/10
The 39 Steps -8/10
Charade -8/10
Peeping Tom -9/10
Autumn Sonata -9/10
Monty Python's Life of Brian -7.5/10
The Passion of Joan of Arc -10/10
Carnival of Souls -7/10
The Third Man -10/10
Rushmore -10/10
Blood of A Poet -10/10
Orpheus -9/10
Testament of Orpheus -9/10
The Last Temptation of Christ -9/10
The Magic Flute -8/10
Cleo from 5 to 7 -9/10
Vagabond -8.5/10
Chasing Amy -10/10
Brief Encounter -9/10
...And God Created Woman -5/10
The Bank Dick -8.5/10 (I for one love this movie)
The Element of Crime -8/10
Hamlet -6/10
Ohayo -9/10
Alexander Nevsky -10/10
Ivan The Terrible Parts I -10/10 + II -9/10
Sisters -7/10
The Blob -6/10
Black Narcissus -9/10
All That Heaven Allows -9/10
Written on The Wind -7/10
Do The Right Thing -10/10
L'Avventura -10/10
Gimme Shelter -7/10
Cries and Whispers -10/10
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie -10/10
The Lady Eve -9/10
Spartacus -7/10

[Fisting Ackbar]

BLACK NARCISSUS took forever to get going, but had a great climax and gorgeous cinematography.

DO THE RIGHT THING was memorable, though I don't think I could stomach watching it again.

Watched GIMME SHELTER last night. Sans a few pointless scenes of the Stones lying around spaced, this was great stuff. And amazing that they got away with filming some of the footage without infuriating the Hell's Angels.

And unlike what Kubrick may have thought, SPARTACUS shouldn't be seen as the black sheep of his career.

[A.J. Hakari]

SPARTACUS - Incredibly underrated and incredibly entertaining. One hell of a great movie. (10/10)

[bankholdup]

.

[damien22]

Do the Right Thing - 9/10
Amazing film backed by a great script and great performances.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - 9/10
Fucking awesome movie that I really need to watch again.

Spartacus - 7/10
I remember thinking this was kinda boring, maybe needs another view.

[Fergus]

Cries and Whispers - 9/10
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - 8/10
Spartacus - 8/10

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #106: Coup de Torchon
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An inspired rendering of Jim Thompson’s pulp novel Pop. 1280, Bertrand Tavernier’s Coup de torchon (Clean Slate) deftly transplants the story of an inept police chief- turned-heartless killer and his scrappy mistress from the American South to French West Africa. Featuring pitch-perfect performances by Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert, this striking neo-noir straddles the line between violence and lyricism with dark humor and visual elegance, perfectly captured by Criterion’s glorious new anamorphic transfer.

Spine #107: Mona Lisa
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Writer-director Neil Jordan’s breakthrough film is a brilliant, noir-infused love story. Bob Hoskins (who snagged an Oscar nomination for his performance) plays George, a small-time loser employed as a chauffeur to an enigmatic, high-class call girl. His fascination with her leads him on a dangerous quest through the sordid underbelly of London, where love is a weakness to be exploited and betrayed. Criterion is proud to present Mona Lisa in a Director Approved special edition.

Spine #108: The Rock
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A highly decorated, retired U.S. Marine general (Ed Harris) seizes a stockpile of chemical weapons and takes over Alcatraz, with 81 tourists as hostages on the San Francisco Bay isle. His demand: Restitution to families of soldiers who died in covert operations. The response: An elite Navy SEAL team, with support from an FBI chemical-warfare expert (Nicolas Cage) and a former Alcatraz escapee (Sean Connery), is assembled to penetrate the terrorists’ defenses on the island and neutralize the threat before time runs out. The result: A fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller with a first-rate cast, directed by Michael Bay and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry bruckheimer.

Spine #109: The Scarlet Empress
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Filmmaker-svengali Josef von Sternberg escalates his obsession with screen legend Marlene Dietrich in this lavish depiction of sex and deceit in the 18th-century Russian court. A self-proclaimed “relentless excursion into style,” the pair’s sixth collaboration follows the exploits of Princess Sophia (Dietrich) as she evolves from trembling innocent to cunning sexual libertine Catherine the Great. With operatic melodrama, flamboyant visuals, and a cast of thousands, this ornate spectacle represents the apex of cinematic pageantry by Hollywood’s master of artifice.

Spine #110: M. Hulot's Holiday
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Pipe-smoking Monsieur Hulot, Jacques Tati’s endearing clown, takes a holiday at a seaside resort where his presence provokes one catastrophe after another. Tati’s wildly funny satire of vacationers determined to enjoy themselves includes a series of precisely choreographed sight gags involving dogs, boats, and firecrackers. The first entry in the Hulot series is a masterpiece of gentle slapstick.

[Cronos]

The Rock - 10/10

[Lazy Boy]

Mona Lisa (9/10) - the best performance by an actor of all time, Mr. Bob Hoskins.

The Rock (7/10) - cheesy and entertaining, but it makes one wonder why this deserves Criterion treatment.

M. Hulot's Holiday (5/10) - my least favorite of the Hulot trilogy.

[Hannibal21]

Mona Lisa - 9/10
The Rock - 5/10
The Scarlet Empress - 9/10
M. Hulot's Holiday - 7/10

[Le_Big_Mac]

Originally posted by Lazy Boy
The Rock (7/10) - cheesy and entertaining, but it makes one wonder why this deserves Criterion treatment.

Armageddon is there too. I think Michael Bay has blackmailed Criterion to distribute his films so intelligent people will be tricked into wanting to see them.

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #111: Mon Oncle
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Slapstick prevails when Jacques Tati’s eccentric hero Monsieur Hulot is let loose in the ultramodern home of his brother-in-law, and in an antiseptic factory that manufactures plastic hose. Tati directs and stars in the second entry of the Hulot series, a delightful satire of mechanized living.

Spine #112: Playtime
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Jacques Tati’s gloriously choreographed, nearly wordless comedies about confusion in the age of technology reached their creative apex with Playtime. For this monumental achievement, a nearly three-year-long, bank-breaking production, Tati again thrust the endearingly clumsy, resolutely old-fashioned Monsieur Hulot, along with a host of other lost souls, into a bafflingly modernist Paris. With every inch of its superwide frame crammed with hilarity and inventiveness, Playtime is a lasting testament to a modern age tiptoeing on the edge of oblivion.

Spine #113: Big Deal on Madonna Street
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An all-star cast and jazzy score highlight this charming comedy, a deft satire of classic caper films like Rififi. Big Deal on Madonna Street hilariously details the plight of a sad-sack group of bumbling thieves and their desperate attempts to pull off the perfect heist.

Spine #114: My Man Godfrey
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The definitive screwball comedy, My Man Godfrey follows the madcap antics of a wealthy and eccentric family when they hire a down-and-out “forgotten man” as their butler. My Man Godfrey features brilliant performances by Carole Lombard and William Powell, and was the first film to receive Academy Award™ nominations in all four acting categories.

Spine #115: Rififi
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After making such American noir classics as The Naked City and Brute Force, blacklisted director Jules Dassin went to Paris and embarked on his masterpiece: a twisting, turning tale of four ex-cons who hatch one last glorious heist in the City of Lights. At once naturalistic and expressionistic, this melange of suspense, brutality, and dark humor was an international hit and earned Dassin the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Criterion is proud to present Rififi in a pristine digital transfer.

[zeppelin]

97. Do the Right Thing- 10
The most profound statement on racism I've seen, and one of the most profound statements on anything I've seen in a movie. It's been one of my 10 favorite movies since I first saw it. I can remember my first viewing quite clearly. I had never felt that feeling of having the wind knocked out of me by a movie up until that point, nor have I since. A truly powerful movie.

99. Gimme Shelter- 7
It contains the exact moment that the hippie movement died, which makes it a very important documentary. I'm glad that it didn't devote any time to trying to tastelessly analyze what that moment meant, and just let it speak for itself. Aside from that, the concert footage prior to Altamont is great, especially the rendition of "Love in Vain" heard early on.

101. Cries and Whispers- 10
I wasn't even sure how I felt about it the first time I saw it, and it haunted me so much that as a result, it's the only movie I've ever watched twice in a 24-hour period. I just had to watch it again that night to try to fully grasp what it was. I still don't think I understand just what it is about this movie that strikes me so profoundly, but I think about it constantly. This movie really cuts into the soul.

102. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie- 3
I understand that the whole point that Luis Bunuel is trying to make with this movie is how utterly lifeless the characters are, but unfortunately I couldn't find it in me to be enlightened or amused by it in anyway. It's an exercise in boredom, and what do you know? It's boring.

107. Mona Lisa- 7
Bob Hoskins is excellent in this movie. He's really what makes it work, since the script feels like it's missing something. I'm not sure what, but I just felt that it never really had the sort of pull that it should have had. Still, it's a good movie, one that I'd readily recommend.

110. M. Hulot's Holiday- 3
I just don't "get" Jacques Tati. Of all the legendary comedic performers, he's the only one that I simply don't find funny. I'll admit to chuckling a little bit at his mannerisms during the tennis scene, but there was little else in the movie that I found amusing.

[A.J. Hakari]

THE ROCK - Been ages since I've seen it, but I remember it being good, loud, cheesy fun. (8/10, probably)

BIG DEAL ON MADONNA STREET - A fun little Italian comedy, one just as entertaining as its American remake, WELCOME TO COLLINWOOD. (7/10)

RIFIFI - A cool-as-ice heist flick, damn absorbing for the entire journey. (9/10)

[dman476]

Big Deal on Madonna St. - 7/10
M. Hulot's Holiday - 9/10
Mon Oncle - 6/10
Playtime - 7/10

[TylerDurden182]

Spine #116: The Hidden Fortress
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A general and a princess must dodge enemy clans while smuggling the royal treasure out of hostile territory with two bumbling, conniving peasants at their sides; it’s a spirited adventure that only Akira Kurosawa could create. Acknowledged as a primary influence on George Lucas’ Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress delivers Kurosawa’s inimitably deft blend of wry humor, breathtaking action and humanist compassion on an epic scale. The Criterion Collection is proud to present this landmark motion picture in a stunning, newly-restored Tohoscope edition.

Spine #117: Diary of a Chambermaid
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This wicked adaptation of the Octave Mirbeau novel is classic Luis Buñuel. Jeanne Moreau is Celestine, a beautiful Parisian domestic who, upon arrival at her new job at an estate in provincial 1930s France, entrenches herself in sexual hypocrisy and scandal with her philandering employer (Buñuel regular Michel Piccoli). Filmed in luxurious black-and-white Franscope, Diary of a Chambermaid is a raw-edged tangle of fetishism and murder—and a scathing look at the burgeoning French fascism of the era.

Spine #118: Sullivan's Travels
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This masterpiece by Preston Sturges is perhaps the finest movie-about-a-movie ever made. Hollywood director Joel McCrea, tired of churning out lightweight comedies, decides to make O Brother, Where Art Thou—a serious, socially responsible film about human suffering. After his producers point out that he knows nothing of hardship, he hits the road as a hobo. He finds the lovely Veronica Lake—and more trouble than he ever dreamed of.

Spine #119: Withnail and I
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London. The 60s. Two unemployed actors—acerbic, elegantly wasted Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and the anxiety-ridden “I” (Paul McGann)—drown their frustrations in booze, pills, and lighter fluid. When Withnail’s Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) offers his cottage, they escape the squalor of their flat for a week in the country. They soon realize they’ve gone on holiday by mistake when their wits—and friendship—are sorely tested by violent downpours, less-than-hospitable locals, and empty cupboards. An intelligent, superbly acted, and hilarious film, Bruce Robinson’s semi-autobiographical cult favorite is presented here in its complete and uncut version.

Spine #120: How to Get Ahead in Advertising (Out of Print)
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Richard E. Grant is the endlessly suave Dennis Bagley, a high-strung advertising executive whose shoulder sprouts an evil, talking boil. The boil speaks only to Bagley, is silent to the rest of the world, and seems to be growing. This caustic satire reunites the talented team behind the cult classic Withnail and I to create a tour de force of verbal jousting and physical comedy.

[Hannibal21]

Rififi - 9/10
The Hidden Fortress - 8/10
Diary of a Chambermaid - 7/10
Sullivan's Travels - 9/10

[A.J. Hakari]

THE HIDDEN FORTRESS - 9/10

[Cronos]

Withnail and I - 10/10
How to Get Ahead in Advertising - 8/10

[zeppelin]

116. The Hidden Fortress- 7
It might actually be my least favorite of the Kurosawa movies I've seen so far, but it says something that even this is a 7. It's good fun, and is also surprisingly funny. And yes, the influence it had on Star Wars is pretty obvious when you see it.

119. Withnail and I- 7
It wasn't what I was expecting it to be, but it was indeed good. I guess I was expecting some sort of Hal Ashby by way of Monty Python buddy movie, but it's really a bleak, often disturbing movie that deals frankly with alcoholism, a subject that often does get to me. It does have its humorous moments, but to call it a comedy would be to imply a VERY black comedy.

[Lazy Boy]

The Hidden Fortress - 9/10
Sullivan's Travels - 8/10

[bankholdup]

.

[damien22]

I remember really liking both The Rock and Mon Oncle, although I haven't seen either in really long.