Discussion The Criterion Challenge (2022)

[randomengine]

I will be taking on an ambitious challenge in 2022.

I will be purchasing and watching all Criterion Collection releases in 2022 - (or die trying)

Beginning with The Celebration, I will be watching each of the films as they release on Sunday of that week. Some weeks will be a double-feature.

I am hoping to rate them and write my feelings about each one - hopefully I can find the time.

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Since 1984, we’ve dedicated ourselves to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions of the highest technical quality.

www.criterion.com

Why am I doing this? I have tremendous respect for both the Criterion Collection and physical media. I wanted to commit to it in a way that will expand my film knowledge, experience, and collection. I have literally seen thousands of movies growing up - my family rented every weekly release for over a decade - now is the time to experience some of the films I never had an opportunity to experience.

 

[Dragoncaine]

Avid collector of physical media on film in general, especially the Criterion Collection. Just watched Ikiru and Ran for the first time the other night and was blown away by Kurosawa. I'm stoked to seeing you document this journey!

 

[Clov]

Really hoping that this year is when Criterion releases a Godzilla Heisei box set, so you can experience the hilarity of Godzilla vs King Ghidorah

Will definitely keep an eye on this thread!

 

[Josh5890]

That is impressive. I'd love to do something like that but I am lucky if I buy five Criterion blu rays a year. Even at $20 a pop when on sale those films aren't cheap.

 

[Arbitrary Function]

I try to refrain from buying physical games, records or films (since I have too much stuff already), but I'm a huge fan of Criterion and a long-time subscriber to the channel. Good luck with your project. (Le Cercle Rouge is amazing imo, so look forward to that one )

 

[randomengine]

Blu-ray.com just reviewed the upcoming release of A Hard Day's Night in 4K. I will probably watch it on the 23rd. I have penciled-in Sunday nights to watch the films for that week.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/A-Hard-Days-Night-4K-Blu-ray/297993/#Review

 

[Chie]

Good luck op. Also a huge physical media fan here. I only own 2 criterions though: Night of the Living Dead and the Bruce Lee boxset. Been meaning to pick up Scanners and will be getting Hard Day's Night 4k at some point soon.

 

[Clov]

Good luck op. Also a huge physical media fan here. I only own 2 criterions though: Night of the Living Dead and the Bruce Lee boxset. Been meaning to pick up Scanners and will be getting Hard Day's Night 4k at some point soon.

The fact that Game of Death 2 is part of the Criterion Collection gives me so much joy

 

[MaitreWakou]

I definitely recommend Le Cercle Rouge. Yet another Melville classic with Alain Delon.

Can't get those Criterion collections since I'm in Europe, but I'm a big watcher of the Criterion Channel thanks to VPNs.

 

[randomengine]

The Celebration arrived today. I think I preordered it on Sunday night or Monday. Very fast service, packaged well. I think it came from Kentucky and I am from Indiana so I am a lucky duck if their warehouse is so close. I am purchasing the films directly from Criterion.

Gonna be tough, but will have to wait until Sunday night. It has a neat translucent case with a minimalist aesthetic. I read some of the Dogme 95 manifesto which I don't believe either man - Lars von Trier or Thomas Vanderberg - adhere to anymore. I've been a big fan of Von Trier's work and had wondered what he was up to lately after The House That Jack Built, but read some #MeToo stuff from Bjork accusing Von Trier of sexual harassment during the filming of Dancer in the Dark. Ugh.

After reading the manifesto, it does seem kind of cringe, so I will be interested to see and judge the film and the underlying materials after watching it this weekend.

Excited for the announcement of April titles by Friday. Criterion e-mails are basically the only junk e-mail I tend to read.

 

[randomengine]

It took me a while to watch The Celebration. I wasn't able to watch it on schedule because my family and I got COVID-19 and it righteously kicked out ass. I was vaxxed, but still Omicron is no joke and I am still recovering. I finally took the opportunity to watch the film tonight.

I firmly believe that the best film experiences are those you go into cold. I grew up with an older film buff brother who would often drag me to random films. One of my favorite moments was in high school when my brother took me along with him and his friends to the movie theater. While I was there at the theater, I asked, "What are we seeing?" My brother told me the title of the film and I thought - Jesus, I have never heard of that before. I had no idea what to expect and it sounded like some art film that was gonna bore me to tears. Boy, was I wrong. That film was American Beauty.

In the many years since then, I have gained a reputation as a film recommendation muse. The more I get to know a person, the more I can blow their mind with tailored film recommendations. For some, it almost never misses. So, it is within those moments when I recommend someone a film and they scoff at me or outright tell me the film I just recommended is going to be "shit" - that I find the most joy.

To pre-evaluate The Celebration is to be thoroughly unimpressed. The packaging is pretentious garbage. Starting the film, it looks like garbage. The quality is terrible. All of this is on purpose - the film maker was attempting ultimate authenticity. By the time the credits were rolling at the end, I wanted to stand up and clap. What a thoroughly great film that was. I for sure thought I had the film pegged. I was familiar with the works of Thomas Vinterberg - The Hunt, Another Round - but I hadn't seen nor heard of this film. So I was thinking ahhh, some good drama. What I was not counting on was the daring. The bravery of what this film represents. The authenticity of Dogme 95 compliments it quite well.

I will be using a 5-tier categorization.

Terrible - Few films will ever get this designation. It is reserved for efforts which insult or are offensive in their choices or execution.
Bad - Poorly executed films. Disasters.
Good - Not bad, immemorable, forgettable. Popcorn. Have nothing important to say or do.
Great- Noteworthy efforts, flawed masterpieces, appreciated curios. Worth your effort to see.
Exceptional - True masterpieces.

Most films will fall into Good or Great. I rarely see many truly bad films. Terrible and Exceptional films are rare.

The Celebration is Great.


Next up: Time and A Hard Day's Night

 

[randomengine]

Time (2020) is the second film released this year under the Criterion label. It’s a documentary from Amazon studios about a couple whose husband was given a 60 year sentence without parole.

We watch the wife as she raises numerous children on her own over 20 years and with unerring determination attempts to free her husband from his bondage.

Oddly while this is Amazon studios I thought I saw a Netflix label too. Steaming is weird.

Overall I would say it is a medium effort. The people involved were likable and they made their case well, but not a groundbreaking documentary by any means. Completely mid tier effort here.

Next up: A Hard Day’s Night, Dick Johnson is Dead, and The Piano.

 

[randomengine]

Over the weekend, I watched A Hard Day's Night (1964) in 4K UHD.

I watched it with a close friend of mine who recently has found himself big into the Beatles. He was able to tell me all sorts of interesting trivia as I asked about various aspects of the band.

Ultimately, I thought the film was only OK and it didn't turn me into a Beatles fan. They were too young and each member didn't yet have their own distinctive personalities. They dressed largely the same and all their voices were the same pitch. The music itself was very samey with none of the distinctive hits that would come later. The biggest draw of the film is Paul's "Grandpa" who is played by an actor and who gets into all kinds of shenanigans. The film is quite funny, but moves at a tweens pace. I was worn out by the end of it - those 90 minutes felt like double the amount of time. It did give me a glimpse into their experience as icons with the screaming girls and running from place to place. The feeling the film left me with was utter exhaustion. Maybe that was the point.

Review - Good (middle tier)

So far:
Top Tier - None
2nd Tier - The Celebration
Middle Tier - Time, A Hard Day's Night
4th Tier - None
Bottom Tier - None

Next Up:

As you can see, I am behind schedule.