Criterion Blu-ray titles! (1 Viewer)

[AnthonyClarke]

I won;t be getting the Demy box as I already have Umbrellas and Rochefort on French Blu rays -- but I would urge anyone without those titles to chase them immediately.
'Umbrellas' always gets the critical raves but I much prefer the lighter (much happier) The Young Girls Of Rochefort with its zany so-60s opening dance sequence. And how about Demy coaxing Gene Kelly to give us one last turn around the block in this quintessentially USA-style French movie! I think I'll have to watch it again soon!

 

[Bob Cashill]

The other Demy titles are pretty great too if quite different. If you like Umbrellas and Rochefort you might as well blind buy. Umbrellas is indeed sung-through but at 94 minutes it's no slog. A transcendent experience.

 

[Ruz-El]

forewarned is forearmed, Umbrellas is a very good film, but it is like the 2012 version of Les Miserables and every line of the movie is sung, as in an opera.

Just be ready for nonstop singing the entire run time.

That almost scared me off it since I hated Les Miserables, but that was more due to the insanely annoying way it was filmed as opposed to the constant singing. It just didn't work for me at all.

If it hits a super good sale I might pick up the boxset, but I'm still a bit scared off of French cinema. :S

Thanks for the feedback though!

 

[battlebeast]

Which works fine for me -- except for the presence of all the stars' names which is jarring and ugly (in the world of Criterion). It's just sad that they're apparently forced to do that.

Why would they be forced to include all the names?

And what is this "Kevin Costner CODA"? do you mean the deleted scene where we see Costner's dead body?

 

[lukejosephchung]

Why would they be forced to include all the names?

And what is this "Kevin Costner CODA"? do you mean the deleted scene where we see Costner's dead body?

No, Kasdan filmed a flashback scene with the entire cast including Costner from their college days where we see him alive and well...it wound up on the cutting room floor after he decided that it was to jarring an ending for the film...

 

[Moe Dickstein]

Contractual obligations.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Aside from the factual point of both being entirely sung, Umbrellas and Les Miserables couldn't be more different films (though I like both a lot). Umbrellas is using the musical genre to subvert expectations and romanticism, and singing the dialogue is a comment on the surface level emotions that mood expression through music represents, while all the tougher, deeper emotions go unsaid and unsung, particularly at the film's climactic, bittersweet reunion.

 

[albert_m2]

Looking forward to the Big Chill.

 

[JoHud]

New clue. Not sure what it is offhand.

 

[Ruz-El]

My first thought was the original "The Thing". Looks Sci Fi/Horror at any rate

 

[Ruz-El]

Or "The Vanishing", but then it should be in blue since it's re-release right?

 

[Ejanss]

The, vanishing? Nope, sorry can't guess this one.

 

[TravisR]

Or "The Vanishing", but then it should be in blue since it's re-release right?

That seems like a good guess but I'm awful at figuring out their clues. The clue could be "S_AR WARS" and I'd have trouble guessing.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Criterion Forum guesses, "The Vanishing." Yet another Criterion clue that, not only, can I not decipher, but that references a film of which I have never heard.

 

[Ejanss]

Criterion Forum guesses, "The Vanishing." Yet another Criterion clud that, not only, can I not decipher, but that references a film of which I have never heard.

We won't blame you if you don't remember the American remake with Jeff Bridges and Keifer Sutherland.

 

[SAhmed]

I would love for it to be the original version of "The Thing" but I reckon folks are right when the guess "The Vanishing"as the word The is literally vanishing - man the font seems some much like the font for The Thing!Regards

 

[Brandon Conway]

The Vanishing is a great film. I'll happily upgrade it.

 

[atfree]

Would love the original "The Thing".....but I think the Criterion snobs' heads would explode if they release another " mainstream" film. I think if they released IAMMMMW and The Thing within 6 months of each other, a rebellion might occur as that would preclude 2 foreign films few people have ever heard of from being released.

 

[EddieLarkin]

Would love the original "The Thing".....but I think the Criterion snobs' heads would explode if they release another " mainstream" film. I think if they released IAMMMMW and The Thing within 6 months of each other, a rebellion might occur as that would preclude 2 foreign films few people have ever heard of from being released.

I'm quite sure that many (most?) over at the "snob forum" would be quite happy with The Thing from Another World making it into the collection (it's a Hawks films after all!).

 

[atfree]

I'm quite sure that many (most?) over at the "snob forum" would be quite happy with The Thing from Another World making it into the collection (it's a Hawks films after all!).

After the hate that spewed over there about IAMMMMW, I'd be surprised. I posted over there about hoping to see "Night Train to Munich" upgraded by Criterion to Blu and was chased from the forum by villagers with torches and pitchforks!