Criterion Film Club: Suggestions and General Discussion

[zedz]

To encourage more strategic voting: it's highly unlikely either The Mikado or This Happy Breed are going to get twelve or more votes in the next 22.5 hours. People who voted for them might consider placing their vote somewhere else. Six votes can turn the tide of the race. It's enough to put Closely Watched Trains into serious contention, which might spurr on other members, or solidify either Pigs and Battleships or front runner Sweet Smell of Success.

Come on, guys. Make these last hours interesting

Talk about constitutional flexibility! FPP to STV in a single Mod post!

[swo17]

This is how it's been since the very first round. Sausage was just providing a last minute reminder to vote strategically, as he's done in the past.

[domino harvey]

I don't know how you missed this recent change in the approach, though

If you switch your vote for Pigs and Battleships, I will make you a personalized Thank You card out of the colored felt of your choice

Just like in real politics!

[swo17]

To encourage more strategic voting: it's highly unlikely either The Mikado or This Happy Breed are going to get twelve or more votes in the next 22.5 hours. People who voted for them might consider placing their vote somewhere else. Six votes can turn the tide of the race. It's enough to put Closely Watched Trains into serious contention, which might spurr on other members, or solidify either Pigs and Battleships or front runner Sweet Smell of Success.

Come on, guys. Make these last hours interesting

Also, anyone who prefers both Pigs and Trains to Success might consider switching their vote to their 2nd choice to see if it starts enough momentum to take over the top slot.

Or, to eliminate much of the need for strategic voting in the future, we might consider allowing people to vote for more than one film at a time in future rounds.

[zedz]

I think everybody should vote for every nominated film, because that would be the most democratic approach.

[domino harvey]

Why is there all this anti-Sweet Smell electioneering afoot? Oh no, we might discuss a film a lot of people like and have actually seen, heavens!

[knives]

I think everybody should vote for every nominated film, because that would be the most democratic approach.

And thus we can go back to talking about important things such as if that's a booger in Becker's DVD player.

[swo17]

I wasn't trying to rally against SSS (it's my favorite of the five choices). I was merely suggesting a way to vote strategically that might not have occurred to some people.

[Gregory]

For no other reason than The Mikado losing horribly: "Tit Willow" on The Muppet Show

[swo17]

I think everybody should vote for every nominated film, because that would be the most democratic approach.

Obviously no one would do that though if multiple votes were allowed--they'd more likely vote for the 1, 2, or 3 titles that they'd be happy to have a discussion about. It's entirely possible that in the current vote, more people want to discuss, say, Closely Watched Trains than anything else, but too many of them are keeping their vote with Pigs & Battleships in the hopes that that one will win.

[matrixschmatrix]

Why is there all this anti-Sweet Smell electioneering afoot? Oh no, we might discuss a film a lot of people like and have actually seen, heavens!

Rumor mongering, manipulation, and back door deals have no place in any contest involving The Sweet Smell of Success!

[knives]

I'm fine with voting as is since it's not like we can't discuss the films in some other fashion on here. Though I find Dom's pot shot on Imamura uncalled for.

[domino harvey]

I wasn't aware I had taken a potshot at anything or anyone in this thread. This is hardly serious shit. The only film I have no interest in discussing/viewing/rewatching has all of one vote right now, so why would I even bother getting claws out?

[knives]

It was a tease, but I was referring to this.

Why is there all this anti-Sweet Smell electioneering afoot? Oh no, we might discuss a film a lot of people like and have actually seen, heavens!

[Mr Sausage]

The sweet smell of Sweet Smell's success.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

The sweet smell of Sweet Smell's success.

.....is a fart on Closely Observed Trains

[Mr Sausage]

Tho' I couldn't get it to line up perfectly, here's nevertheless a Halloween-themed film vote. Five films have been generated randomly from a list of horror films in the collection. Once again, you'll have two weeks to track the film down and find the time to watch it.

The vote will end at this time on Monday the 14th. Again, you can change your vote at any time up until the deadline, so be strategic about it!

[Drucker]

I've seen all of these films but Sisters, but I'm going with Carnival of Souls, as it's the only one of the bunch that genuinely freaked me out upon first watching it.

[domino harvey]

I don't like Carnival of Souls or Diabolique at all, Sisters is okay, and I own but haven't seen Island of Lost Souls and Kuroneko, so I'm voting for Kuroneko but will change my vote to Island of Lost Souls if the tide turns, as either is good for me

[Mr Sausage]

I adore Island of Lost Souls, but Kuroneko gets my vote as I've wanted to see it for a long time.

[Murdoch]

I voted for Carnival of Souls since I love it and have seen it well over ten times. Plus it's the only one for which I'd have anything interesting to say.

[swo17]

I picked Sisters because I need to rewatch it for the '70s list anyway.

[HerrSchreck]

and I own but haven't seen Island of Lost Souls

St-st-stunned!

Anyhow, I voted for Carnival. Island would be a little too obvious, but Carnival was made in the shadows of the left field of independent film, and even though it's in the collection, it still pretty much sits there today. Adore that film.

[colinr0380]

Not only that but we could maybe also discuss those educational films on Carnival's disc! I just wish Criterion had released more of those Centron films!

[Drucker]

For whatever it's worth, I'd like to do an additional little lobbying for Carnival. I could think of a few good questions off the top of my head:

Spoiler

How do you interpret the Mary's "place" in the world? Is she in-between worlds? What is the role of the dead souls? She seems to be haunted by humans in both the real world and dead souls in the afterlife...is she stuck in purgatory and slowly becoming deader as the film goes on?

I feel like a lot of what is shown in Carnival is debatable, just in terms of what's going on. Some of those questions I really don't know the answer to. I didn't really have any such questions after Kuroneko.