The Naked Kiss (1964), Samuel Fuller ★★★★★

One of the first supplements in the Criterion Collection Naked Kiss dvd is an interview of Sam Fuller in his home where there are scripts stacked wall to wall and he says the ones over here are alphabetical. He walks over to a makeshift box and opens the lid and pulls out a cigar that is already lit. He mentions he got that medal (Purple Heart) and told the Colonel give it to the guy who hit me. I was the slow one who got hit. And he mentions yeah, I got other medals, and the camera pans down over his Bronze Star and Silver Star hanging on the wall. He says:

A woman is just a script, but a cigar is a motion picture.

Criterion+Art

Criterion+Art

^ “This is inspired by one of my followers’ request to combine movie posters and classical paintings. But I tweaked the idea and used old and new Criterion covers instead. I love art house cinema, and I think this will be a good tribute.”

Barnes and Noble 50 percent off Criterion Collection July 2015 sale

July 7 – 27, 2015

The Semi-Annual Barnes and Noble – Criterion Collection 50% Off Sale 7/7-7/27

Wings (1966), directed by Larisa Shepitko ★★★★

Ukrainian director Larisa Shepitko’s debut film. Included in Criterion Collection’s / Eclipse Series 11: Larisa Shepitko which includes this film and her last: The Ascent (1976).

The opening scene is an out of focus view of shoppers on either side of a busy street. I immediately got the feeling like I was in a Michael Haneke film, and that I better pay attention or I’ll miss something (as in Cache’s final crowd on the steps scene, and the early scene in his The Piano Teacher, when the camera is turned toward the audience, as year hear the orchestra taking the stage behind you). Then you focus to the far center right of the frame as you see a quick meeting, then the tailor magically walking toward you as the camera dollys backward slowly and you’re in his shop.

Fanny and Alexander (1982) 312 minute television version, Ingmar Bergman ★★★★★

AKA Fanny och Alexander. The Criterion Collection dvd box set (5 discs) includes both versions of this film: the cut down 188 minute theatrical version, and the original 312 minute (5.2 hour) 4 part television version, which it is said Bergman preferred. My dvd player showed each episode length to be:

episode 1: 92:32
episode 2: 75:01
episode 3: 56:51
episode 4: 83:43
total………..308+ minutes, 5.1 hours

Easily viewed if you watch an episode a day. I watched them in almost one sitting. I know what my next Barnes & Noble Criterion 50 percent off sale purchase will be!

The blu-ray box set has 3 discs, and you don’t get Bergman’s introduction to 11 of his films, and a selection of Bergman trailers.

From the opening scenes, after an almost Ozu series of outside shots, you are taken into the Ekdahl family home, and follow them through their journey until the final scene.

There are a few detours, many that are thanks to Uncle Isak, and Alexander himself, and later Ismael, Isak’s nephew’s brother.

Fanny and Alexander took 4 Academy Awards: Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, and Best Foreign Language Film.

Two from Rainer Werner Fassbinder

I’ve been wanting to watch his films for a while now, and started with The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (1972) last week, and The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979) yesterday. Both were Criterion Collection (CC) discs, with Bitter Tears a brand new CC release, though Netflix sent me disc 1, and all of the supplements are on disc 2. Maria Braun had all supplements intact, including audio commentary by cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and renowned filmmaker Wim Wenders, which I listened to the second time around.

Maria Braun is the first in Fassbinder’s BRD (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) trilogy, and also stars Hanna Schygulla, who gives an interview on the CC disc.

Hanna Schygulla stars in many of his films, and she’s in Bitter Tears and Maria Braun. In the interview on the CC disc, she tells of the four years when she walked away from Fassbinder and filmmaking, until she got a call from him which went something like Hi, it’s Rainer, Rainer?, I don’t know any Rainers, It’s Rainer, Rainer! Oh, Werner, and thus she came onboard The Marriage of Maria Braun.

The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)

The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (1972)

10 New Titles by Criterion – Cover Designs

10 New Titles by Criterion – Cover Designs, closeupkino.blogspot.com/, close-up blog

Criterion Confirms Eraserhead Issue, Announces Disc Replacement Program

Criterion Confirms Eraserhead Issue, Announces Disc Replacement Program, welcometotwinpeaks.com/, Sep 23, 2014

______________________________________________________________

725 Eraserhead, criterionforum.org/ – Jon Mulvaney email quoted in linked thread:

“Thank you for writing to us regarding your ERASERHEAD disc. As you may know, at about 65 minutes into the original camera negative, from which our new 4K master was created, there are 5 seconds of black where there should be a reaction shot of Jack Nance surrounded by fades to white.

We are aware of the missing picture and are preparing a corrected run of the Blu-ray disc and DVD Disc One (DVD Disc Two is not affected). When the replacement discs are available in a couple of weeks we’ll send you the correct version.

Please mail your old version (disc only please, do not include packaging) to the address below and include a note of exchange with your preferred USPS shipping address.

The Criterion Collection
ATTN: ERASERHEAD
215 Park Ave South 5th Floor
New York, NY 10003

When we send the new disc, you will get an email with a $10 gift certificate code to use on a future purchase at criterion.com. Apologies for any inconvenience and thanks for your patience while we fix this unfortunate mistake. Thanks for supporting Criterion!

Jon Mulvaney”