Criterion Haul

My last Barnes and Noble box full of Criterions arrived yesterday and it's time to show you my full haul!

Unfortunately, I'm currently in assignment mode for uni and I've only been able to watch a couple but my favourites so far are Onibaba (a creepy, atmospheric Japanese film that looks incredible in glorious black and white) and Bicycle Thieves (one of the most important films from the Italian neorealist movement).

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Three Reasons: Bicycle Thieves

Directed by Vittoria De Sica

Italian neorealism broke the rule that movies had to be filmed in studio lots. By taking the camera and shooting on location they capture on film the lives of ordinary people and their problems and joys. Motivated with their conscience instead of potential profits, the result is a beautiful, sometimes painful look at what it is to be human.

Whenever I watch the Bicycle Thieves there are two states of mind I naturally fall into. One focuses on the social aspect of the film (poverty, class divisions, etc.) while the other is more concerned with the endearing portrayal of a father and son relationship. These two share a bond and fondness with one another that is so authentic it makes potentially banal scenes - such as crossing the street or sharing meal - so enthralling.

The film is always thoughtful of class divisions and the disparate existence of the rich and poor. It may not be subtle sometimes but then again why should it be?

What are your reasons?

Paris, Death, Spirits, Marilyn

This is always an exciting time for film lovers.

First there's the 50% off sale of all Criterion DVDs and Blu-Ray at Barnes and Noble. I already ordered several DVDs including a box set of five Cassavetes films which I'm really excited about. 

Then there's the announcement of new releases from Criterion. Here are the covers, screenshots and synopsis of new and upcoming releases from the Criterion Collection that I'll probably pick up during the next 50% off sale in November:

Four unnamed people who look and sound a lot like Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, and Joseph McCarthy converge in one New York City hotel room in this compelling, visually inventive adaptation of Terry Johnson’s play, from director Nicolas Roeg.

Ralph Meeker stars as snarling private dick Mike Hammer, whose decision one dark, lonely night to pick up a hitchhiking woman sends him down some terrifying byways. Brazen and bleak, Kiss Me Deadly is a film noir masterwork as well as an essential piece of cold war paranoia, and it features as nervy an ending as has ever been seen in American cinema.

 A brash and precocious ten-year-old (Catherine Demongeot) comes to Paris for a whirlwind weekend with her rakish uncle (Philippe Noiret); he and the viewer get more than they bargained for, however, in this anarchic comedy from Louis Malle, which rides roughshod over the City of Light.

With The Music Room (Jalsaghar), Satyajit Ray brilliantly evokes the crumbling opulence of the world of a fallen aristocrat (the beloved actor Chhabi Biswas) desperately clinging to a fading way of life. His greatest joy is the music room in which he has hosted lavish concerts over the years—now a shadow of its former vivid self.

The last person to die on New Year’s Eve before the clock strikes twelve is doomed to take the reins of Death’s chariot and work tirelessly collecting fresh souls for the next year. So says the legend that drives The Phantom Carriage (Körkarlen), directed by the father of Swedish cinema, Victor Sjöström. 

This spectacular Technicolor epic, directed by Zoltán Korda, is considered the finest of the many adaptations of A.E.W. Mason’s classic 1902 adventure novel about the British Empire’s exploits in Africa, and a crowning achievement of Alexander Korda’s legendary production company, London Films.

 In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn medieval Japan, a malevolent spirit has been ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is sent to dispatch the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with his own personal demons as well. 

This spellbinding anti-romance was a late-career coup for the legendary Italian filmmaker, and is renowned for its sexual explicitness and an extended scene on a fog- enshrouded highway that stands with the director’s greatest set pieces.

 A twisted treasure from Hollywood’s pre-Code horror heyday,Island of Lost Souls is a cautionary tale of science run amok adapted from H. G. Wells’s novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. Erle C. Kenton’s touchstone of movie terror is elegantly shot by Karl Struss, features groundbreaking makeup effects that inspired generations of monster-movie artists, and costars Bela Lugosi in one his most gruesome roles.

I'm going to be completely honest. Apart from Kuroneko, I've never heard of the other films. But these covers got me excited. Reading the synopsis left me feeling even more intrigued. I bought Hausu from Criterion and it should accompany Kuroneko really well (I sense a double feature coming up!). I've never seen an Indian or Bollywood film before, it's one of my many filmic blind spots, so I really want to see Satyajit Ray's The Music Room. Zazie Dans Le Metro looks really fun and I love anything set in Paris.

Screenshots credits: Insignificance,  Kiss Me Deadly, Zazie dans le Metro, The Music Room, Kuroneko

Covers and Synopsis from Criterion.com

Film Schools in a Box

Once again it's time to lock myself in the living room and go into a Criterion hibernation. The Breathless cover is to die for. The insides look beautiful too. 

I much prefer digipak cases than plastic ones, they're more pleasing to touch and hold and because they're more fragile, one has to take extra care. I also like the slipcases that Criterion uses for their boxsets.

Can't wait until the next Criterion Sale!

Note: Images are taken by yours truly. Please ask for permission before re-using. Thanks.

My first Criterions (thank you Barnes and Noble)

The end of year Barnes and Noble Criterion sale has passed and I have in my hot little hands my first ever Criterions. I have a couple others coming very soon (next week, fingers crossed). I've already talked about Criterions in a previous post, but for those who don't know, they are a film distribution company that restores important classic and contemporary films and jam-packing them with supplements which adds so much to the experience of the film. I have to say, Criterion is unmatched in terms of quality. No detail is overlooked. Every single edition is beautifully package and they instantly become the centerpiece of any DVD collection. Now, enough drooling over Criterion, let's talk about what I have so far:

The Ingmar Bergman trilogy examining the silence of God (Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light and The Silence). Very heavy and emotionally exhausting. I'm still trying to appreciate Bergman's films, but honestly, they've all been disappointing. Granted, I've only seen this trilogy and I saw The Virgin Spring last week at the Chauvel. I'm going to have to wait until I see Wild Strawberries at Cinemathque on Monday before I decide whether I should hop on the Bergman Bandwagon. I have to say every element of his films are perfect - the photography, the acting, the music, the mood are all brilliant and I always feel I'm in the hands of a director who knows what he's doing. However, there's something about his films, I cannot quite put my finger on it, but I find them excruciatingly dull, and at times, cliched. I've started to re-watch the films and fortunately, I've found that they have improved so much more on a second viewing. 

The Criterions are excellent. Beautiful covers, well-written essays and the box set also comes with a fourth DVD called Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie, this is a five-part documentary on the making of Winter Light and it is fascinating. 

I also have the Adventures of Antoine Doinel box set, which includes four films: The 400 Blows, Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board, Love on the Run and also includes the short Antoine and Colette. As expected, it is packed with special features (oops, sorry they call them "supplements") that provide context for the films as well as include interesting interviews with Truffaut and his collaborators. It also contains a booklet with various essays and notes. The covers look amazing as well as you can see here:

The last one is The Last Emperor and this is a four disc set. One contains the film, one the television series and the other two supplements. I'm still going through this DVD but the film is exquisite, a tad melodramatic/Asian soap opera in some parts, but still a brilliant film.

I cannot wait until I receive the other three, I'm already counting down the days.

Note: All photographs were taken by yours truly. I would appreciate it if you inform me if you intend to use any of it. See my contacts for details. Thanks.

Post-Exams Post. You can read this title backwards and forwards. Wow. Ignore the dash.

Well, technically I haven't actually finished my exams yet, I still have my Visual Arts written paper next week, but that's easy peasy so it does not count.

So I haven't been on this for so long. Apologies. But my final high school exams have drained all my motivation and energy to do anything - but I'm back and (hopefully) posting a LOT more soon. I know you've missed me. *silence*

OMG I've been abandoned.

Anyway, a quick update:

- I've recently discovered my love for Criterion DVDs. I love them. I literally worship them despite the fact I don't actually own any of their DVDs. This is because they don't sell them here in Australia so I have to get them online, which I haven't done yet. Plus, I still have to buy a region-free DVD player. If you don't know what a Criterion is, basically, it is a collection of selected films (500 or so films, and counting) that the company have meticulously restored to the most pristine quality possible. Plus they commission writers to compose essays and articles about the film to give it context and a sense of history and compile it into a booklet. They also have designers create a special cover for each of their releases and they look amazing. I could look at these for a really long time without stopping. That's how good they look. Here are examples:

They look amazing, right? How beautiful will they look on the shelf. I cannot wait to get my hands on to one of these. I will worship it forever.

- I've been obsessed with another thing during my absence. Lush. You know that shop that you can smell from a mile away that sell soaps, bath bombs and all these delicious goodies. Well, I worship them too. And my skin is thanking me right now. I'll post up some stuff of my favourite products.

- I graduated high school. A super big YAY for me. And again. YAY.

- You know that LuckySeven Cinematheque project I sneaked peeked a while back? Well I've redone the whole concept and it is being renamed into the Paragon Project. Sounds better doesn't it? More of that soon. 

- I haven't grown, I'm still short. A super big Sad Face. 

So there's a little update for all you kids out there. Please come back, I was just hibernating. I'm not dead. 

Really.

Image Credits from the Criterion Website