Tag: criterion collection
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The Criterion Cut: Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
We dig deep back into the Criterion Collection vault for a rare and enigmatic David Bowie performance in director Nagisa Oshima’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. Another week in which I revisit a classic oldie. I first saw this film on home video sometime around 1984 or 1985. I had just discovered ‘Let’s Dance’ era David…
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The Criterion Cut – Safety Last!
In this instalment of The Criterion Cut, Noah Dimitrie takes a look at the Criterion version of Safety Last!, Harold Lloyd’s classic 1923 silent comedy. Safety Last! begins with Harold Lloyd behind bars and ends with him on top of the world. Both are illusions, either set-ups or pay-offs for gags that never fail to…
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The Criterion Cut: Divorce Italian Style
On a train in Italy, a man peers over his newspaper out the window. Is he looking for something? He covertly scans the room. Is he hiding? The answer to both of these questions is, in a way, yes; yes, he is looking for something, albeit something he will never find. And yes, he is…
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The Criterion Cut: Kagemusha
We all know his name. We all know his legacy. He summoned the Seven Samurai and sat on the Throne of Blood. He’s been called ‘The Master’ by people we commonly recognize as masters themselves — directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Federico Fellini. He truly is as prolific as they come. His name, in…
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The Criterion Cut – Pickup on South Street
In the 1950s, the Commies were coming. America was on its toes and Hollywood took notice. The common criminals in action thrillers had suddenly become these mysterious communists, who were portrayed as shadowy and diabolical. Filmmakers were forced to display the pro-America sentiments that federal organizations were shoving down people’s throats. But then Sam Fuller…
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The Criterion Cut – Rosetta
We’ve all sat on a bench and watched as strangers pass by, simply trying to live their lives. We’ve all wondered where they came from and where they were going. We daydream of stories to accompany their appearance — stories that interest us in ways our own lives couldn’t. That’s exactly how I imagine Jean-Pierre…
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The Criterion Cut – Ugetsu
The Criterion Cut: An Introduction I love the Criterion Collection. I know you can’t see me right now, but I assure you that I’m on a rooftop and my throat is getting hoarse. These days, it seems very much in vogue to stereotype any fan of the collection as pretentious, pedantic, and, dare I say,…