The Criterion Collection

[Krazyfu_tangerine]

i just found today that Akira was part of the criterion collection. so should i get the new limited edition Akira or should i wait for a criterion release if there ever is one? also do you guys know where i could find a full list of all the criterion collection movies? inc. the ones that aren't on dvd format on the net?

thanks!

[weddingsingr]

It will actually depend on how much you want to see Akira on DVD and the features included.  Kung hindi ka na makatiis then buy the limited special edition.  Baka naman kasi hindi na ilabas ang CC version eh ang tagal mo pang naghintay.

Confirmed ba na may Criterion Collection version ang Akira?  Kasi if you notice, very rare ang mga DVD na may ordinary version, tapos may limited special edition, tapos maglalabas pa sila ng CC version.

If they do come up with a CC version at nakabili ka na ng limited special edition, then just sell your old one - kaya lang eh medyo palugi na siguro.  Ganyan talaga iyan. Part of the cost of the investment is satisfying your hunger for it and being one of the first to have it.

[Krazyfu_tangerine]

actually if you wait a while an and a new criterion akira does come out, i think the tin limited edition package alone will cost more than the akira CC disk itself, as it will be quite rare when the time comes. but the cc would probably have more stuff in it (though the akira released dvds alredy have alot of extra features in them), but i guess i won't mind much as i don't really watch the extra features in the dvds i got. but it would be a plus to have the features,

BTW. do you know where i could find a copy or list of all the movies the criterion institution has adopted? i really would like to know...

your help would be greatly appreciated.

[danzig]

Visit http://www.criterionco.com

[Krazyfu_tangerine]

i did but they only show criterion movies that made it to dvd, they didn't even show the ones that got to laser disk.

[ekime]

Um, here for the LD: http://www.criteriondvd.com/laserdiscs.asp?Sort=Spine  

And here for the DVD:  http://www.criteriondvd.com/reviews.asp?Sort=Spine

 

[Krazyfu_tangerine]

hey!, thanks! you found it

btw: did you guys know that OFP criterion dvds are very expensive now? 400 blows go for $280 up in ebay, the killer goes for $240, salo at $120, spinal tap at &90, wow thats alot of money for just dvds

[bently]

hey!, thanks! you found it

btw: did you guys know that OFP criterion dvds are very expensive now? 400 blows go for $280 up in ebay, the killer goes for $240, salo at $120, spinal tap at &90, wow thats alot of money for just dvds

YUP..This people are fanatics....good thing a  was able to get this titles before they went out of print...
but i sold most of them already since out of print prices are not stable especially when the reprints come out...

[Krazyfu_tangerine]

so you have them and the you sold them? how much did you get for them? i mean with that kind of money you could have got yourself a serious avr/preamp or 1 real good speaker.

[bently]

so you have them and the you sold them? how much did you get for them? i mean with that kind of money you could have got yourself a serious avr/preamp or 1 real good speaker.

being a confessed dvd addict...the money i made on those dvd's just rolled over to more dvd's

[Krazyfu_tangerine]

being a confessed dvd addict...the money i made on those dvd's just rolled over to more dvd's  

Hey dvds are money well spent too! (sort of)
i envy your luck on those dvds.
happy collecting!

[ekime]

Actually, krazyfu, if you collected DVDs early in the game, you could have had these DVDs too.  Like bently, I collected early, even at the very start of the technology and so far 2 Killer Criterions, 3 Spinal Taps, 2 400 Blows, 10 Hard Boileds passed my hands one time or the other.  Right now, I only have 2 Hard Boiled DVDs left.  I never did have Salo, but I did get copies of Little Shop of Horrors, the recalled version.

[danzig]

Search for "Criterion" using Yahoo and their other websites will appear. Click on "laserdiscs" in their other website and you should get the LD versions.

I don't know if this is better, but try http://www.kencranes.com and check their "Laserdisc Store."

i did but they only show criterion movies that made it to dvd, they didn't even show the ones that got to laser disk.

[Krazyfu_tangerine]

Actually, krazyfu, if you collected DVDs early in the game, you could have had these DVDs too.  Like bently, I collected early, even at the very start of the technology and so far 2 Killer Criterions, 3 Spinal Taps, 2 400 Blows, 10 Hard Boileds passed my hands one time or the other. Right now, I only have 2 Hard Boiled DVDs left. I never did have Salo, but I did get copies of Little Shop of Horrors, the recalled version.

i did start early about late late 1997 (december) till 1999 (when the video store opened up) but it was an on off thing, and i only got movies that i knew and have watched before. so criterion dvds wasn't even in my mind yet.
so i only have plain dvds (no special features)
but now im starting to collect again, seeing y'all talking about dvds gave me the bug again.

Search for "Criterion" using Yahoo and their other websites will appear. Click on "laserdiscs" in their other website and you should get the LD versions. I don't know if this is better, but try http://www.kencranes.com and check their Laserdisc Store.

thanks danzig! ekime also gave me a link at the middle of the topic.

[danzig]

At first, I regretted not buying the Criterion release of _400 Blows_, but now I don't because I'm not that keen on commentaries and special features. Books on understanding film provide more substantial detail. The only features I'm concerned about are those concerning widescreen (especially if cropping takes place), restoration, and in the case of works where cinematography and soundtrack are unusual, clarity of sound and/or picture, as well as durability.

Nowadays, I buy Criterion and other releases in the same way I buy canonical books in hardbound form. If the film does not emphasize, say, the sharpness of images, as in the case of _400 Blows_, then the Fox Lorber release will do. If only Criterion releases the work (as in the case of _Seven Samurai_), then I have no choice. If the movie emphasizes, say, color, as in the case of _Black Narcissus_, then I will be willing to pay for it at premium rates, even if no features like trailers or commentaries are added. The same goes for, say, _The Passion of Joan of Arc_, where film restoration was more than important. In any case, I'd buy "canonical" films on DVD and rent or buy anything else in VHS or VCD format. For example, for movies like, say, Criterion releases of _Robocop_, _Armageddon_, or the Beastie Boys anthology, I'll just borrow any version on tape, in the same way that I'd buy or borrow pop bestsellers in paperback form.

So if you have DVDs with plain features, that's OK, as long as they are films like _The Mummy_ or _Superman_. In fact, you're better off not getting them at all and saving for better works. And if you do get films like _The Seventh Seal_ or _Wages of Fear_, it's better to get the cheapest version that retains features that protect the quality of the sound and picture, and not worry about things like commentary tracks, trailers, and documentaries. Any good book on film appreciation and theory can provide more insight.

i did start early about late late 1997 (december) till 1999 (when the video store opened up) but it was an on off thing, and i only got movies that i knew and have watched before. so criterion dvds wasn't even in my mind yet.
so i only have plain dvds (no special features)
but now im starting to collect again, seeing y'all talking about dvds gave me the bug again.

[gonz]

For example, for movies like, say, Criterion releases of _Robocop_, _Armageddon_, or the Beastie Boys anthology, I'll just borrow any version on tape, in the same way that I'd buy or borrow pop bestsellers in paperback form.

So if you have DVDs with plain features, that's OK, as long as they are films like _The Mummy_ or _Superman_. In fact, you're better off not getting them at all and saving for better works. And if you do get films like _The Seventh Seal_ or _Wages of Fear_, it's better to get the cheapest version that retains features that protect the quality of the sound and picture, and not worry about things like commentary tracks, trailers, and documentaries. Any good book on film appreciation and theory can provide more insight.

I have the Criterion version of Robocop.  I also have The Mummy.  You've opened my eyes.Now I will run out and sell them because I realize what a shallow film viewer I am.

Seriously though, I enjoy commentary tracks.  While they are not often as informative or insightful as books on film appreciation (I can only assume, being the pre-literate cro-magnon that I am), these are, I would argue, not intended to take the place of such tomes.  They are comments by the film's creators on the film in question.  No more, no less.  I don't think we should expect each and every commentary track to provide dry perspective on abstract subjects such as Film or Art, etc.  Sometimes they can just be recollections about how Ed Harris re-wrote many of his own lines in The Rock because he felt they were corny, or how David Zucker performed his rendition of Second City TV's John Byner's Robert Stack impersonation to Robert Stack himself on the set of Airplane, to teach Robert Stack how to act like a parody of himself.  Or the commentary track on This is Spinal Tap, performed by the members of the band in character, criticizing Tap director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) for making them look like complete morons in the film, of course never once realizing that DiBergi merely shot what was already there.

Now that's the kind of stuff you get from commentary tracks.  If you want a treatise on the use of montage in Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin, go read a book.

[MultipleAngles]

I agree , the commentary is a great way to get more meat out of a film you absolutely love. Listening to a commentary while watching the film is almost like being in the room with said commentators (yuk, feeling ) You not only get info, but also the emotion and character off the speakers.

[FLIM]

Depends on what kind of commentary they have.Some commentaries are very insightful.While other's are plain ludricous!The criterion SEVEN SAMURAI had a superb and educational one. The SUPERMAN dvd was just hogwash! Donner and MACKENSWICK or what the hell his name is! They just teased and heckled each other which was a complete waste of time. They should have just gotten CRISTOPHER REEVE to do the commentary! I bet he would have had more substance. Or maybe the Salkinds explaining why they fired DONNER in the first place!  

[danzig]

Commentaries and extra features add to the cost of the disk. You could have used the money saved to buy a book on film appreciation (which is cheaper), then use the extra savings to buy more titles.

Over 20,000 films have been reviewed by Maltin and other critics, and that doesn't include movies from the fringes, like those featured in the recent Iranian and Balkan film festivals. To buy and spend time watching _The Rock_ will mean less time and money for other films, such as _Pixote_ and _M_. And many works are in VHS or LD format; that means most of them have no commentaries, and that's when a book will come in handy.

Also, there's no need to read a "treatise" or something like Eisenstein's _Film Form_ or _Film Sense_. Blackwell and other publishers have some terrific books used in intro to film college classes, and they discuss works from different regions and decades. These books give you a better perspective of what you're watching in broad strokes, so you don't have to concern yourself with trivia such as the ones mentioned in your post.

In any event, I'd like to share some advice that I give to students. Given that critics will recommend at most 10 percent of films reviewed, we're looking at around 2,000 films out of 20,000 or more. Assuming that an individual starts watching films in a mature light starting from the age of twenty, it is likely that he will have only fifty years of life left. And given that he will have money and time to watch and re-watch only one movie every two weeks, that'll mean appreciating only around 1,200 films in his lifetime. Given films presently available and additions each year, that's not a very large number. The same goes for music and books.

If one sees DVDs as analogous to hardbound books, then one should collect the finest films on DVD and get contemporary Hollywood blockbusters on VHS or VCD, in the same way that canonical literature is best purchased in hardbound books while Grisham and Steele are purchased in paperback form. Similarly, a Rubinstein performance of Chopin is best purchased on CD while a Britney Spears album on tape will do. That way, you can watch the 1932 version of _The Mummy_ on DVD several times and watch the latest version of _The Mummy_ on VHS two or three times until you toss it aside with the Grisham books and Britney Spears tape.

Finally, I apologize if anyone thought that I was calling them "shallow." I believe that my argument is based on the fact that life is short, that money is getting harder and harder to come by (especially with devaluation), and that there are just too many movies to choose from, one can't simply limit himself to mainstream fare.  

I have the Criterion version of Robocop.  I also have The Mummy.  You've opened my eyes.Now I will run out and sell them because I realize what a shallow film viewer I am.

Seriously though, I enjoy commentary tracks.  While they are not often as informative or insightful as books on film appreciation (I can only assume, being the pre-literate cro-magnon that I am), these are, I would argue, not intended to take the place of such tomes.  They are comments by the film's creators on the film in question.  No more, no less.  I don't think we should expect each and every commentary track to provide dry perspective on abstract subjects such as Film or Art, etc.  Sometimes they can just be recollections about how Ed Harris re-wrote many of his own lines in The Rock because he felt they were corny, or how David Zucker performed his rendition of Second City TV's John Byner's Robert Stack impersonation to Robert Stack himself on the set of Airplane, to teach Robert Stack how to act like a parody of himself.  Or the commentary track on This is Spinal Tap, performed by the members of the band in character, criticizing Tap director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) for making them look like complete morons in the film, of course never once realizing that DiBergi merely shot what was already there.

Now that's the kind of stuff you get from commentary tracks.  If you want a treatise on the use of montage in Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin, go read a book.

[gonz]

Hi danzig -- apology accepted.

I do respect and admire your perspective as an uncommonly serious, dedicated and disciplined film buff.  Your argument regarding the wealth of great films versus the limited time we have to fully appreciate each in our lifetime is well taken, the logic impeccable.  I also admit to being intrigued and not a little intimidated that you teach film appreciation (I infer).  Perhaps I, the headstrong upstart with the smart mouth (or more properly, keyboard), do not deserve to pit my humble opinion against your formidable one.

However, you might grant that not everyone shares your laudable perspective, though this might seem to you an unfortunate and misguided waste of our time and intellect (such as it is).  And you may further allow the likelihood that we who do not share your stringent standards for proper time management and judicious discrimination vis-a-vis our choice of films, would take issue with what may be construed as your condescending attitude toward the "trivia" I mentioned.  As someone smarter than me once said, "God is in the details."  And hey, sometimes I just want to see God.

To wit: some of us desire to use our hard-earned money, and spend the limited coin of our lifetime's supply of viewing time, on movies that are mainstream and simply fun.  If in the final reckoning we of such bent are the poorer for this choice, then so be it.

Further, not all of us desire to pick films apart and see what makes them tick, the way a watchmaker would lay out the cogs and springs of a fine timepiece on velvet cloth.  Some of us are happy simply to wear the watch, trust that it tells time correctly, and enjoy its presence on our wrist, its feel on our skin.

Indulge us our trivialities; however trivial, do allow that these bring some of us pleasure, and judge us not too harshly for that, watchmaker.  

[FLIM]

As much as I  hate THE ROCK or any MICHAEL BAY MOVIE OUT  THERE ( Im gonna get a lot of flak from this! But hey! We're living in a democracy! That means MAXIMUM TOLERANCE for MICHAEL BAY LOVERS AND HATERS!) I belive that they have a place out there for them.Film appreciation and collecting is based on individual preference!Everyone starts out with THE STRUM and Dang type of flicks! You know, the all explosion and zero plot lines! ( MICHAEL BAY FANS TAKE NOTE! )BUt in time as they see more films they then begin to realize that bullets and explosions and expositions that run like stero instructions does not make a good movie!( I bet a lot bay fans are frustrated stereo buffs! )And in time they will begin to graduate to the next level but then again there are those who just stick to one plane. And that's guns explosions and what have yous! Now there is nothing wrong with this! That's the whole point of civilized society! To do and enjoy the things that you want and believe in and exists harmoniusly with others who don't share your views! I would gladly have coffee with Michael bay fans and debate about the zero merits of his films in a good and natured way!No need for violent reactions and bad name calling ( as long as its been established that its all in good fun too!)I can't tell anyone what to love and collect,I can only recommend.This films work for me ..so try it.Like my brother who belongs to the "BLOW EM UP WITH AS MANY WEAPONS AS YOU CAN GET "school of film viewing. He assembled a full scale theatrical system that was based on the movies, ARMAGGEDON,THE ROCK( GROAN! )etc! He says that it's worth it to collect dvds like that beacuse it makes use of the sound element.But after a year of viewing those mindless fooder He suddenly evolved into the next stage when he knocked on my door and asked for YOJIMBO and SANJURO! He knows it's not a slam bang action flick.I even warned him that these films take time to build their plot and characters before exploding into a frenzy of violence and even this is not as prolonged as those BAY movies! (Extended beyond the point of insulting the brain of any intelligent viewer). He says the he didnt mind.He was sick of BAY and all those ARNULD FILMS and he wants some variety in his viewing.He loved the two films!Now he's into the Criterion back catalogue!And he even hates MI2!I didn't think that I'd see the day.....So dont worry about those adrenalin movie addicts they'll out grow it in time and if they dont...well. MICHAEL BAY FANS!Im calling you out!   DEFEND YOUR IDOL!MEET ME IN ANY COFFEE SHOP! ANY TIME! (In a good natured debate that is in a lite and cool way!And at the end of the day we are all ..collectors!)                                

[danzig]

Krazy, you hit it right on the dot. Several months ago, I saw the film _Matrix_ and fell asleep halfway through the flick. I was invited to watch _Tomb Raider_ and started yawning after the first ten minutes. I guess at some point viewers will become so sick and tired of adrenaline-drenched music videos they'll suddenly go for the better stuff. This reminds me of a friend who took her Ph.D. in the States and had to eat hamburgers everyday because she couldn't afford to buy anything else. Now, she can't even stand the sight of 'em. The strange thing, though, is that we have the opposite taking place for DVDs. Individuals with more than enough buying power invest in formulaic Hollywood blockbusters, not realizing that these works will most likely not be worth it in the end, even if they are scrubbed and released with lots of features by Criterion and other publishers.

As much as I  hate THE ROCK or any MICHAEL BAY MOVIE OUT  THERE ( Im gonna get a lot of flak from this! But hey! We're living in a democracy! That means MAXIMUM TOLERANCE for MICHAEL BAY LOVERS AND HATERS!) I belive that they have a place out there for them.Film appreciation and collecting is based on individual preference!Everyone starts out with THE STRUM and Dang type of flicks! You know, the all explosion and zero plot lines! ( MICHAEL BAY FANS TAKE NOTE! )BUt in time as they see more films they then begin to realize that bullets and explosions and expositions that run like stero instructions does not make a good movie!( I bet a lot bay fans are frustrated stereo buffs! )And in time they will begin to graduate to the next level but then again there are those who just stick to one plane. And that's guns explosions and what have yous! Now there is nothing wrong with this! That's the whole point of civilized society! To do and enjoy the things that you want and believe in and exists harmoniusly with others who don't share your views! I would gladly have coffee with Michael bay fans and debate about the zero merits of his films in a good and natured way!No need for violent reactions and bad name calling ( as long as its been established that its all in good fun too!)I can't tell anyone what to love and collect,I can only recommend.This films work for me ..so try it.Like my brother who belongs to the "BLOW EM UP WITH AS MANY WEAPONS AS YOU CAN GET "school of film viewing. He assembled a full scale theatrical system that was based on the movies, ARMAGGEDON,THE ROCK( GROAN! )etc! He says that it's worth it to collect dvds like that beacuse it makes use of the sound element.But after a year of viewing those mindless fooder He suddenly evolved into the next stage when he knocked on my door and asked for YOJIMBO and SANJURO! He knows it's not a slam bang action flick.I even warned him that these films take time to build their plot and characters before exploding into a frenzy of violence and even this is not as prolonged as those BAY movies! (Extended beyond the point of insulting the brain of any intelligent viewer). He says the he didnt mind.He was sick of BAY and all those ARNULD FILMS and he wants some variety in his viewing.He loved the two films!Now he's into the Criterion back catalogue!And he even hates MI2!I didn't think that I'd see the day.....So dont worry about those adrenalin movie addicts they'll out grow it in time and if they dont...well. MICHAEL BAY FANS!Im calling you out!   DEFEND YOUR IDOL!MEET ME IN ANY COFFEE SHOP! ANY TIME! (In a good natured debate that is in a lite and cool way!And at the end of the day we are all ..collectors!)                                

[danzig]

You can buy or rent copies of _The Rock_ and _This is Spinal Tap_ locally for a fraction of the price. I really don't see the point of spending a thousand or more pesos (excluding shipping costs) for extra features. On the other hand, you'll hardly find copies of _The Seventh Seal_ or _The Passion of Joan of Arc_ locally. And these are worth buying from Criterion because they were meticulously restored and prepared for DVD format. And considering that one will be spending large amounts of money to import them from another country, that makes buying them in DVD format worthwhile, with or without the extra features such as trailers, commentaries, and games.

Next, it's bad enough that they already show the movies that you talked about in local theaters and on cable all of the time. For example, _Airplane_, _Airplane 2_, and even _This is Spinal Tap_ were shown on cable television several times. I don't see the logic behind seeing the same movies on DVD and spend additional money on extra features. I'd rather spend on films that I would likely never get to see in the Philippines, and especially on films that are rewatchable not because of special effects.

If you want entertainment, there are lots of Hollywood movies shown in theaters every month, and many more shown on television and cable TV everyday, and I don't think the trend will diminish. For example, you can watch _Tomb Raider_, _Pearl Harbor_, and even _Swordfish_, and all of them have the same characteristics as _The Rock_ and _Armageddon_. And what's better is that they won't cost you as much as importing an R1 SE DVD version. And if you want a few months (or even weeks!), you can borrow or even buy them in local stores in several formats. Sometimes, some stars might even go on a tour, and you can ask for their autograph, or you can even join raffles and win prizes, such as DVDs, trips to award ceremonies, and a day with your favorite Hollywood idol. If you're looking for trailers, commentaries, or even documentaries, they show lots of these on local television and cable many times before the movie is shown, and shown again before the movie is reshown on broadcast TV. You can even download games, trailers, and other stuff on-line.

In the end, I guess any individual who spends money to watch movies will be poorer in the end, but the one who spends money wisely will gain a broader perspective of film. I think that's better than spending a day-to-day existence watching one Hollywood blockbuster after another.

As for the watchmaker bit, I don't think film viewers choose, say, _Seven Samurai_ over _The Rock_, because they want to pick films apart. After all, even critics like Umberto Eco can dissect works such as James Bond movies. I have other reasons:

1. They're sick and tired of seeing the same formulaic Hollywood movies over and over in local theaters, video stores, and television. Now they want something else, especially those older works that critics keep talking about.

2. They received a liberal education, and not necessarily in film, and they want to connect to works of art that have long-term effects on viewers. They're less keen on breaking up movies into parts but seeing how stories given remind them of their own beliefs and prejudices.

3. They were introduced to powerful films like _The Bicycle Thief_ when they were in school, and from then on did not give up in looking for other works that very few people know about but for some strange reason appear again and again critics' "recommended" list. Furthermore, they grew tired of what Krazy calls "fodder" churned out by Hollywood, especially after being exposed to the real Sturm und Drang.

I guess what I'm looking at is not some quasi-intellectual from film school who mouths off Deleuzian jargon, quotes from Eisenstein's essays, and sniffs at the hoi polloi's "shallowness", but just some regular joe who received some schooling and was exposed to masterpieces, grew tired of living in an Americanized and commercialized culture, and after spending a bit of his hard-earned cash watching mainstream fare, now wants to spend a larger portion of it to catch bigger fish.

I understand that pleasure can be derived from the trivial, but as people become smarter and wiser, I believe that their tastes also become sophisticated. It's as if desire for aesthetic pleasure is inherent ("homo aestheticus," as one writer puts it). I recall, for example, Constantino Tejero's essay on long queues of Filipinos from all walks of life who were eager to watch the best Filipino movies during an exhibition in 1998. It's as if Filipinos unconsciously thirst for fine films, but are caught in a vicious cycle of film distributors who want greater profits by releasing Hollywood movies and film viewers exposed mostly to such movies and wanting even more of the same stuff, in DVD or other formats.

I don't think time management or discipline has anything to do with what I believe in. My arguments are simply based on the fact that people don't have a lot of time or money on earth (and you don't need to practice time management to realize that), the age-old belief that human beings ultimately seek the sublime, and that if a person is fed junk food during much of his life, there is a possibility, especially when he gets to taste better fare, that he will rebel against his present situation.

So why would I choose to buy a Criterion edition of _Seven Samurai_ over, say, _The Rock_? Because (a) I've already seen _The Rock_, so I've seen 'em all, and I've seen _Seven Samurai_, which means I've now seen better, and I don't want to let go of that, (b) I can borrow, buy, or watch _The Rock_ locally, and given the fact that I'm a Filipino (read: poor), then I'm working on a tight budget, and I'll have to choose _Seven Samurai_ over _The Rock_, and (c) even if I had extra cash after buying _Seven Samurai_, then I still won't buy _The Rock_ because there are still many other titles worth buying. In fact, I don't think I'll be able to afford to buy all of them.

Finally, given the fact that I live in a country where there's a one-in-four chance that I won't make it to the age of 60, and where there's some possibility (and that's an understatement) that thanks to government corruption, a weakening peso, and a contracting economy, I will no longer be able to afford to import _Seven Samurai_ but have barely enough money to go to a local theater and watch _The Rock II: The Rock Fights Back_, _The Rock III: Romancing the Rock_, _The Rock IV: The Prequel_, _The Rock: The Animated Feature_, and _The Rock Opera_, or play my _The Rock_ computer game while the kids use their crayons on their _Rock_ coloring books and their _The Rock_ toys, I guess that makes importing films like _Seven Samurai_ crucial.  

Hi danzig -- apology accepted.

I do respect and admire your perspective as an uncommonly serious, dedicated and disciplined film buff.  Your argument regarding the wealth of great films versus the limited time we have to fully appreciate each in our lifetime is well taken, the logic impeccable.  I also admit to being intrigued and not a little intimidated that you teach film appreciation (I infer).  Perhaps I, the headstrong upstart with the smart mouth (or more properly, keyboard), do not deserve to pit my humble opinion against your formidable one.

However, you might grant that not everyone shares your laudable perspective, though this might seem to you an unfortunate and misguided waste of our time and intellect (such as it is).  And you may further allow the likelihood that we who do not share your stringent standards for proper time management and judicious discrimination vis-a-vis our choice of films, would take issue with what may be construed as your condescending attitude toward the "trivia" I mentioned.  As someone smarter than me once said, "God is in the details."  And hey, sometimes I just want to see God.

To wit: some of us desire to use our hard-earned money, and spend the limited coin of our lifetime's supply of viewing time, on movies that are mainstream and simply fun.  If in the final reckoning we of such bent are the poorer for this choice, then so be it.

Further, not all of us desire to pick films apart and see what makes them tick, the way a watchmaker would lay out the cogs and springs of a fine timepiece on velvet cloth.  Some of us are happy simply to wear the watch, trust that it tells time correctly, and enjoy its presence on our wrist, its feel on our skin.

Indulge us our trivialities; however trivial, do allow that these bring some of us pleasure, and judge us not too harshly for that, watchmaker.  

[Komikero]

Danzig, I don't know WHY you insist on messing with what other people want to enjoy. Watch what movies YOU want to watch and whatever you get a kick out of watching, and we'll do the same. It's my time, it's my money, it's my DVD. Give your opinion as to why you like or don't like certain movies, give your opinion as to why you would spend money on this or that DVD, but dude, stay the hell out of what I want. Watch your Passion of Joan of Arcs and your Seventh Seals if you like, that's your opinion and your right, but don't craping step on my feet when I want to watch my ROCK. It's none of your business.

[ekime]

Easy now, can't we all just get along?    

Anyway, I think Danzig is only expressing an opinion, which some of us hoped he should have kept to himself.    

When I watch a movie, I want to be entertained, not study it;  I patronize art, not critique it.   I remember one story about the filming of the Seven Samurais.  It seems that the scene where a Samurai was walking nonchalantly was shot numerous times because Kurosawa wants to capture the exact walk of a Samurai.  Heck, for one friggin walk!!! This is why I bought the Rock instead.  

[kakabanas]

I want to jump on the bandwagon and say this : It's MY money .. and that said, I can do whatever I want to do with it, buy whatever garbage there is that I want to buy. Did my choice of dvds make me seem shallow or dumb or stupid in the eyes of others ? Maybe, maybe not. Does it matter ? It SHOULD only matter to me. If that will make me happy, even for a moment, then it has served its purpose. Those other scrutinizing eyes will not make me happy. I cannot take the dvds (dumb selections or not) when I die anyway, with so short time, I'm just gonna have fun whatever way I can.  I don't care what other people do with theirs so I hope those other people wouldn't care either what I do with mine. Tata !  

[FLIM]

Boy Oh Boy! Can't wait for that Dvd viewing thing! It's going to be a vicous rumble between the SEVENTH SEALERS  and the ROCK! (( Sounds like a wrestling match straight out of WESTSIDE STORY!)Who's gonna bring the ice picks? Bet its the MICHAEL BAY BOYS!And the Bergman team...uhm swedish cupcakes anyone? Come on people no hostilities here!Im sure Danzig is just talking in a rhetorical sense. He doesn't mean anything degrading over it!There's no room for crapING PROFANITIES ! OK! WE ARE ALL CIVILIZED GENTLEMEN!      

[quasar]

"When I watch a movie, I want to be entertained, not study it; I patronize art, not critique it."

Right on ekime! Watching movies is all about being entertained for a few hours. This is true whether you're watching Seven Samurai or The Rock. Purchasing DVDs should be an extension of this rationale.

Limiting one's purchases to critically acclaimed movies is laudable, but I hope the justification is to maxmize one's limited resources and not because one just wants to impress his friends of his "cultured" tastes in movies.

IMHO, a true movie buff loves all types of movies, from the critically-acclaimed, award winning, AFI top 100 gold-plated classics, to generic, D-movie grade stuff.

(If you were offended by this post ... pikon ka! )

[FLIM]

yEP!Absolutely right!Live and let live!I agree with DANZIG about the fine points of collecting!But I see no reason why we can't indulge in some guilty pleasures! I have the HIGHLANDER 1& 2 and some other cheesy flicks!But no mistake I don't think that their high art or anything! I see them for what they're really worth!Just for a laugh and few snickers!And i dont go around the posts bandying around that this chessy flicks are the greatset invention since slice bread!          

[gonz]

Gee, and I'd intended my last reply to be conciliatory.  Look what that got me.

I guess what I'm looking at is not some quasi-intellectual from film school who mouths off Deleuzian jargon, quotes from Eisenstein's essays, and sniffs at the hoi polloi's "shallowness",

Call me quasi-intellectual, but I choose to take offense at the above.  I guess it's because my quasi-intellectual little brain couldn't understand all the other long, poly-syllabic and ostensibly beautiful words in your lengthy, albeit repetitive, diatribe.

And I guess my failure to understand is my loss, because I can only assume that your meaning is as edifying as the films of which you speak, which of course I could not have seen since I'm the type who wastes his time listening to the commentary track on fluff like The Rock.

I guess if I were smarter, I would have been able to convey the very simple message I have been sending for three replies now, which is:  I respect your opinion (which you have made exceedingly clear. Really.  There's no need to repeat your point as if we are children, or quasi-intellectuals), and your right to watch whatever you want to watch.  Please accord me the same courtesy.

Of course, if I were smarter, I'd also have said what I really wanted to say, which is that I think you're an intolerant snob.  But I guess I shouldn't because that would mark me as a quasi-intellectual.

P.S. What does "Deleuzian" mean? Isn't that the bald fat guy with the mustache who was in all those Burt Reynolds movies, Dom DeLeuz? I learned about that from the commentary track on my Criterion Copy of Cannonball Run.