Just spent some days in Paris, I couldn’t not pay a visit to one of my favourite artists.
I was happy to see other people left something here, it warmed my heart.

On a regular old Thursday the 15th.

GQ on why The Devils is more relevant than in 1971.

Site got updated but to a promotion for the Kiyoshi Kurosawa films streaming on the Channel. DELAY!

This is just delusional posting but what do you think would be the most bizarre reasoning that the announcement was delayed today?

Anora has been my favorite film of the decade so far. I'm really excited to get this one as my first Criterion, just in time for my birthday! Can't wait to get more movies eventually.

Na Hong-jin is truly a great director. The Wailing is definitely one of the top 3-5 films in folk horror, and when it comes to Asian cinema, he reached the absolute peak of the genre with it. Maybe that's why my expectations for him were so high. I still have high hopes for his future work, but I'd be lying if I said Hope didn't catch me off guard a bit. It really turned out to be just an average to above-average sci-fi flick. The horror elements are pretty weak. What surprised me the most was how cheap the CGI looked, especially the creature CGI. Hwang Jung-min delivers a phenomenal performance, and Jung Ho-yeon is truly captivating with her acting, her character, and her beauty, but that's about it... The cinematography also felt a bit weak. As I said, it's not a bad movie on its own, I'm just judging it in comparison to the director's masterpiece, The Wailing. I really hope we get to see another folk horror film from him in the next 3-5 years because he excels at it. Just wanted to share my thoughts. I'm curious about what you all think of Na Hong-jin and his decision to make Hope—which we could call a sci-fi horror—after The Wailing. Do you think we'll see another true horror movie from him anytime soon? What do you say?

I know Silence of the Lambs is getting another release soon but the cover was pretty sweet. Do ya’ll still keep some of your early Criterion releases?

Made a post few days ago saying that I would like to see Mohsen Makhmalbaf on criterion collection. It got removed because I have to justify why I think he should be in collection. To put it simply I think that he represents ethos of Iranian new wave better than anyone else, even Kiarostami. His films blend real and fiction. He has a collection of films literally called "poetic trilogy". I am sure that there are people like me who got curious after watching close up to see what cyclist and other Makhmalbaf films are about. I can't be the only one right?

has been on my rewatch list for years, can’t wait

It's Season 7, episode 4 of TCM & Criterion's The Plot Thickens, hosted by Ben Mankiewicz, and with this whole season being about Kubrick, we've made it to Spartacus now, his second film with Kirk Douglas. We learn about Kubrick and Kirk's very difficult relationship while still admiring each other's talent, and the hectic making of Spartacus. Very fascinating stuff. Kubrick taking the directorial duties after Anthony Mann was fired (and not having full creative control this time), we end up learning how the different contributions of Kirk, Kubrick and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo all gave this classic epic (one of Golden Age Hollywood's finest, imo) its most memorable moments, and how Kirk helped Trumbo during the blacklist. And all this while Kubrick was trying to get the making of his next film, Lolita, set up.

We also hear Christiane Kubrick explain Stanley's fear of flying and more of his personal/family life as well. He was also a great poker player in addition to chess, and even played with director Martin Ritt (as a huge Hud fan, that was a nice bit of info). Overall, another great episode, worth hearing.

I was looking at a photograph of a random snowbound suburb today and thought of how ominous the setting could be. It reminded of a movie I may or may not have watched that ended on a more somber and introspective note. The characters involved went their separate ways and had to live with their thoughts without some dramatic send-off.

The movie I'm thinking of specifically featured that lonely suburban atomosphere, as if a character moved to another part of the country to spend the rest of their lives in solitude, or in hiding à la Breaking Bad. I don't know if I made it up but I'm looking for movies with an ending like that.

The Irishman is a pretty good example, as well Country For Old Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien... I appreciate other recommendations.

Been waiting for a while to make an order to Europe and with upcoming sale I would love to finally get a haul. I was wondering if anyone tried previously to get a freight forwarder service for delivery? I know it’s not cheap but there is not many choices if you want criterion collection over here. However, even if I’m ready to pay the shipping and customs it’s difficult to know dimensions and weight of the package that would arrive to the warehouse. Did anyone try previously placing a similar order and maybe could share experience?

rather than allowing the audience to comfortably consume eroticized violence from a distance, re-wind turns the lens back on the spectator.

hisayasu satō deliberately shoots analog video footage off CRT monitors and viewfinders, disrupting the illusion of reality.

it forces us to acknowledge that we are watching a constructed product designed to satisfy a taboo craving. and as a result, we are consciously implicated in the cycle of voyeurism and decay.

I want to start by Saying I’m not saying there are no good films made there are many good films made this is not a death of cinema post. I’m more saying I feel I almost never see films that feel fresh and as though I haven’t seen something like it entirely before. The few revolutionary films made recently I can’t think of I’ve seen are Bi Gans films and to a lesser degree Digger. Also I’m not talking technically there are always new tech jumps I’m talking narrative structure, ideas and editing etc.

Like I feel 21st century cinema is nowhere near as revolutionary in terms of transforming the medium of film like Orson Welles, Kurosawa, Tarkovsky, Bergman and many others did for example. There aren’t any major movements today as revolutionary to how films are structured, edited and politic and societal critiques that are new and innovative as the French Revolution or New Hollywood. The last 20 to 30 years feels largely like we are running out of new ways to tell stories and new ideas and things to say and it just feels we are repeating alot of what had come before. Like there’s not revolutionary films like citizen Kane or breathless today or styles of editing like Soviet montage theory. Is the canvas of cinema largely about as wide as it can be expanded or is it a stagnant period I’m having trouble thinking of what might be future evolutions that will be viewed as revolutionary as the films and movements I’ve mentioned. I just feel this century is getting a little boring and with all the political turmoil it is surprising there hasn’t been a lot of innovation was it just the 20th century was unique or what?

Would love to hear your thoughts?