Criterion Film Club: Suggestions and General Discussion

[Mr Sausage]

Time for another vote. You know the drill by now.

[domino harvey]

Three films talked to death and an Eclipse title that would necessitate picking up a whole box I have no interest in, so I voted for Madonna Street since it'd be fun to have an excuse to finally watch the remakes. The dedicated thread has all of five posts in it as well, so it could greatly benefit from the spotlight

[Mr Sausage]

I watched Madonna Street years ago, but I don't remember there being much to discuss there. It's a pretty straightforward comedy.

So I chose Red. Been meaning to revisit it.

[Drucker]

After watching Le Pont Du Nord I realized how much of the French new wave I hadn't experienced at all, so I had already been eager to watch that (or any) Rohmer film.

Red happened to be the film in the 3 Colors Trilogy I enjoyed least, but would be happy to discuss that one, too.

[warren oates]

I think this time I might actually go against my usual instinctive interest in what I haven't yet seen and vote for the best film I have. It's totally a toss-up for me between The Virgin Spring and Claire's Knee. Both masterpieces, but they couldn't be more different. So for now I guess I'll vote for the Bergman and be willing to switch to the Rohmer if it looks like my vote will be wasted. Red is an okay film, about as good as the rest of the trilogy. But, you know, the title of that documentary about Kieslowski sums up exactly how I feel about his entire body of work -- Krzysztof Kieslowski: I'm So-So... That's not false modesty.

[Michael Kerpan]

Red happened to be the film in the 3 Colors Trilogy I enjoyed least, but would be happy to discuss that one, too.

Also my least favorite -- but no real interest in discussing it

Claire's Knee is pretty unlike Pont du Nord. ;~}

[Drucker]

Not comparing the films, just realizing how much more there is to the movement than Truffaut, Godard, and Chabrol. And then y'all started gushing over that glorious French box set...

[knives]

Is Chabrol generally considered one of the big names? He was the second to last of the caheirs group I'd heard of and the the last I had watched a film for so generally assumed him to be more on the obscure side of the scale. That said four or six films on Blu suggests a lot less obscurity than I had thought.

[swo17]

Rohmer must be the biggest one of all--he has like 30 films out on Blu-ray!

[knives]

I think Godard might actually have him beat even with them not being on one boxset.

[woodsietx]

First time voting. Is voting done solely by replying here?

While I hardly feel qualified to pick one of these films over another, my initial leaning is a Bergman film. So Virgin Spring.

However, since it would be the first time I'm working into a discussion, a simpler film might be better. Either Madonna Street or the Leningrad Cowboys film.

Can you vote for more than one?

Thanks.

P.S. It really doesn't matter to me. I have them all.

[swo17]

You need to select one of the options in the poll at the top of the page in order for your vote to be cast. You can only vote for one film, but you can change which film that is at any point while the poll is still active.

[Mr Sausage]

I'm surprised so many people are voting for Madonna Street. Is it because many here haven't seen it? It's a charming enough film, but there is very little to discuss. I'm hard pressed to think of anything.

[domino harvey]

Given that films thought to have a lot to talk about sometimes get pushed to the wayside in past discussions, isn't an underseen, underdiscussed film getting votes and therefore viewers at least one step above a film everyone's already seen getting barely a peep because all the ground is so well-trod? Plus, who knows, maybe others will find much to discuss once they actually have a pressing reason to see it!

[Mr Sausage]

Well anything is above a film everyone's seen getting no discussion. I'd love for Madonna Street to provoke a lively and unexpected discussion, and I imagine most people will like it, but it's an unlikely candidate for sure. It's a charming send-up, but there's not much else to it.

I'd love to be wrong, tho'. And lord knows this forum consistently surprises me.

[Lemmy Caution]

I also can't imagine there's too much to say about BD on Mad St., but I wouldn't mind re-watching it -- if I can unearth it.

I don't think I've seen Claire's Knee and I know right where the Rohmer box set is. And I really should watch the rest of that set.

I also found Red the least of the color trilogy.
Was surprised to learn that it is generally the most respected.

Virgin Spring is pretty intense.

Don't have the Leningrad Cowboys set.

[warren oates]

Switching my Virgin Spring vote to Claire's Knee and against Madonna Street -- who's with me?

[domino harvey]

Why "against" Madonna Street?

[Michael Kerpan]

The Kaurismaki concert film is fun -- but not anything that would sustain a great deal of discussion (or so it would seem to me).

[warren oates]

Why "against" Madonna Street?

I'd have to see it again to meaningfully contribute and, like Sausage, I also don't feel like revisiting it will give me that much more to say.

[Lemmy Caution]

7 dead votes.

Now is the time to switch.

[zedz]

I'm surprised so many people are voting for Madonna Street. Is it because many here haven't seen it? It's a charming enough film, but there is very little to discuss. I'm hard pressed to think of anything.

I'm abstaining, because I'm not interested in discussing any of the films, but I can see why Madonna Street could be the pick of the bunch. It's slight, but it's decent enough and drastically underdiscussed. I have no idea what anybody could say about Total Balalaika Show apart from "liked the music" / "hated the music": "liked the film" / "hated the film", or "played it at my wedding."

[Shrew]

But we can discuss which song is the best! (Or maybe Happy Together is too obviously the winner.)

[Michael Kerpan]

Has there ever been a tie?

[Mr Sausage]

Nope. In the event of a tie, I'll simply act as tie breaker by changing my vote at the last minute.