Criterion Film Club: Suggestions and General Discussion

[domino harvey]

Yes, and how dare you

[warren oates]

I'm abstaining this time, but I'll certainly be interested to hear in-depth and impassioned defenses of I Married a Witch, which impressed me in enough ways to make me wish it were as great as I had imagined it would be. I loved Veronica Lake, the high-concept premise and imaginative set-up, the well-crafted and funny VFX, but I suppose I was underwhelmed by the effect of the whole, which, though short, felt long to me. More like a procession of one thing after another than a surprising and inevitable story that really paid off the wealth of potentially great elements. Given all of the creative talent involved, including uncredited writers like Dalton Trumbo and a producer such as Sturges, who was really at the height of his powers at the time, the film -- once it settled into its narrative -- lacked the madcap energy, invention, surprise and strict but subtle adherence to character and theme that you see in the best of Sturges' own work. The political aspects in particular felt like pale retreads of storylines that worked much better in films like The Great McGinty and Hail the Conquering Hero. I certainly don't regret seeing it once. I just don't know if I'd want to see it again.

[Mr Sausage]

You really ought to save that for the discussion itself!

[Mr Sausage]

I Married a Witch it is!

[domino harvey]

[Mr Sausage]

This time out the theme is summer. The five films were randomly generated from a list of films with 'summer' in the title. Thanks to domino harvey for the idea and for compiling the list.

[domino harvey]

Fun fact: there are actually eleven Criterion/Eclipse titles with "Summer" in the title (three by Bergman alone!). I even missed Summertime (Good pickup, MS) when compiling the list, so there may be more. I think Summer Interlude is an underrated early Bergman title, so I kinda hope it ends up winning, but I also am tempted to back Chronicle of a Summer, which hasn't generated much discussion and which I've been meaning to revisit since seeing it on a sketchy VHS in college. It's a tough call! I wouldn't mind Summer Hours either as I own it but haven't seen it yet. JS:DS apparently left many members befuddled, but I thought it was okay, though I'm not sure what more I have to say about it. Summertime is now forever associated in my mind with you know who and so I would like to avoid discussing it on the board for the foreseeable future

[Michael Kerpan]

Also -- both of Ozu's Floating Weeds films are extremely summer-y. ;~}

[Mr Sausage]

I even missed Summertime (Good pickup, MS)

Swo17 made that catch.

I'm voting for Summer Interlude because I always want to see more Bergman.

[warren oates]

What I like about Summer Hours is that it's one of the faster "slow" films I've seen -- very talky and cutty. But the director creates a sort of stillness within of all that activity, a reflective interior mood that becomes an almost Ozu-esque meditation on the nature of life and the inevitability of change. Seeing this film and Carlos back to back significantly upped my assessment of Assayas' talent. I think it's an excellent film that would lend itself to interesting discussions.

I'd be equally happy with Chronicle of a Summer, which may end up being my choice, because I want to check out the new set. And Summer Interlude is one of the few Bergman's I've not yet seen.

It seems like all of the titles except Summer Hours are available on HuluPlus.

[zedz]

I'm voting for Summer Hours, because it's a great film that could stand more discussion, and there's lots to talk about. Superb filmmaking technique, heaps of auteurist echoes to Assayas' other works, meaty ethical and narrative issues to get stuck into. From memory, Criterion's extras are excellent and will be really useful for highlighting discussable themes.

[knives]

That sounds way more interesting than the film I saw. In the unlikely chance that it doesn't get picked do you think you could do a little writeup because watching it just left me with the sense that I had seen this too many times before.

[Michael Kerpan]

Looks like the likelihood of Chronicle of a Summer getting picked are swirling around the drain. Too bad.

[Mr Sausage]

Summer Hours it is!

[domino harvey]

[Mr Sausage]

The 80's List project is a couple months from its deadline, so here's a Film Club discussion to tie into that. Vote away!

[domino harvey]

Now that is a great collection of movies I have no interest in discussing! I voted for Eating Raoul, a film I love but which I can already foresee inspiring piddling and/or underenthused responses. And I'm the only one to vote for it so far so I guess there's not much risk of it happening anyways.

[matrixschmatrix]

I haven't been participating in these as much as I'd like- hazards of a new job- but I'd relish the chance to talk about Thief, or any Mann movie really. There's certainly a lot of meat there for discussion- and I'd be as happy to hear people's objections as their paeans, since Mann is someone whom I love more than I like.

[warren oates]

Thief for me too by a wide margin -- the new Criterion release is stunning. I do like Mystery Train and Sweetie's not a bad film either, but I've got that disc mainly because of the shorts, especially Peel: An Exercise in Discipline.

[Mr Sausage]

Alright, looks like it's Thief!

[domino harvey]

[swo17]

Mr Sausage is indisposed this week, and so has asked me to temporarily run things. In honor of National Be Insensitive to the Color Blind week, here are five films whose titles remind us of sensations that they will never know or understand. (Thanks to domino for the idea!) As usual, you can change your vote as much as you want until the poll ends in three days.

[domino harvey]

I've seen all of these except Red Beard, which I don't own and know I would not have access to were it to win. Red Desert is fresh in my mind since I just taught it for the first time this past semester (where it went over surprisingly well), and Purple Noon and the Golden Coach were instantly forgettable for me. But I'm going to vote for Le notti bianche, which I would not mind revisiting, especially in the hot death march days of summer.

There are so many Criterion titles with colors in the title, by the way. We could do a different poll set up for a couple months before running into repeat choices.

ALSO, not to point fingers, but a grand total of three people have weighed in on Summer Hours, a film nine people voted for. I don't feel guilty, I voted for Summer Interlude, but I also come into every thread and fully confess to my vote. Once again, don't vote for a film just because you like it, vote for it because it's likely you'll be able to talk about it.

[Drucker]

Well with Dom's statement in mind (which I agree with!), I've been hankerin' to do some discussin' of Antonioni since we started this film club, so I'm voting for that. He's someone I continue to have trouble "getting", even if I do have a good experience with one of his films (which has only happened the first time I watched L'Avventura, and didn't happen the next time I watched it).

Anywho, Red Beard is one of the few pre-color Kurosawa's I have yet to see, and I'm sure I would love it. Purple Noon is beautiful, and I could certainly go for rewatching it. The Visconti I'm sure would be interesting. The only one I'm really not hoping for is Golden Coach. I've seen Elena and Her Men and French Can-Can, and as much as I love Renoir, I think those two films are mostly great for pretty colors and zany characters. If Golden Coach is more of the same, I don't know what substance there would really be to discuss.

[domino harvey]

Five way tie right now!