326, 485, 807 A Whit Stillman Trilogy
- Shrew
- The Untamed One
- Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:22 am
Re: 326 Metropolitan
The trouble is there's too many definitions of conservatism (and that that list is simultaneously reductive and all-inclusive in its definition). It's definitely much more lower-case Edmund Burke style conservative than the average film about college students, but that has nothing to with modern American conservatism or right-wing politics, despite the list's attempt to conflate the two. The "customs and conventions of America's upper class" are 19th century hang-ons about love and virtue which, not 1950s ideals of nuclear families or 80s era right to wealth. The film even shows just how odd those customs are within their own class, with pretty much only Audrey, Charlie, and RedHead socialist dude representing them in then.
Then you get things like Eigerman's "roguish defender of standards," in which the inherent contradiction is totally ignored.
Then you get things like Eigerman's "roguish defender of standards," in which the inherent contradiction is totally ignored.
- pzadvance
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Re: 485 The Last Days of Disco
Agreed on this point. His films have a casual relationship with time that I find really interesting--jumps of several months or weeks are not uncommon, and characters tend to pass in and out of the narrative with a similar lack of announcement. This is particularly effective in a nostalgic portrait of an era like Disco, in that it allows Stillman to paint a more cohesive picture of a generation over a longer span of time.Napoleon wrote:Characters in Stillman films have a habit of disappearing for huge chunks. I've always found that this reflects life where people do disappear for months or years on end then turn up again and it's like they were never gone. But that's just me. Whether that was Stillman's intention or a by-product of his editting I couldn't say.ianungstad wrote:The film spends all this time introducing the supporting character Dan in the beginning of the film and sets up this arc where he's dating the roommate...then the character vanishes for 2/3 of the movie but suddenly pops up in the end of the film to share a moment of reflection on the death of disco with the leads.
Also, the drug crackdown subplot never felt like an attempt at providing a traditional narrative overlay to me--I love the way it plays out in the background for most of the film. It again ties into the "portrait of an era" idea--this is something that was actually happening at the time, and factored into the "death of disco", as it were--but it never corrupts or assumes control of the main narrative, which remains focused on these characters and their relationships.
- Jean-Luc Garbo
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Re: 326 Metropolitan
I checked the BD review on Beav and noticed that the menu on that edition lacks the fonts used on all the DVD menus. Why would Criterion leave out such a lovely element in favor of the plainer font on the menu box for the BD reissue?
- CSM126
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Re: 326 Metropolitan
Criterion's blu rays all use the exact same standardized font and format for the menu options.
- mfunk9786
- Under Chris' Protection
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Re: 326 Metropolitan
I still prefer their DVD menus by a longshot (especially those of Wacky C-era DVDs when, in my opinion, art direction for their DVD releases went to the next level) and miss them terribly. They're the only things I miss when I upgrade titles to Blu-ray.
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
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Re: 326 Metropolitan
I get that the point of having menus like that is to have a non-intrusive way to navigate through all the features on the disc whenever you're watching anything, though I don't see why this should preclude the inclusion of more aesthetically minded main menu screens as well.
- Jean-Luc Garbo
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Re: 326 Metropolitan
Do you know why they would do that for all of the BDs? Just aesthetic choice? Or is there some technical limitation on the BD that'd make identical DVD and BD menus a nightmare?CSM126 wrote:Criterion's blu rays all use the exact same standardized font and format for the menu options.
- CSM126
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Re: 326 Metropolitan
I am hardly an expert on the ins and outs of blu ray authoring but I think it comes down to programming. I imagine it's probably easier to have one standard menu layout/program than to design a new one for each film. I could be wrong, but I don't know.
- zedz
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm
Re: 326 Metropolitan
Also, as swo points out, they need something that works as a template for a pop-up menu while viewing other stuff on the disc - something most of the DVD menus couldn't do.
mfunk, if you want a glorious Criterion menu screen OD, check out Gate of Flesh (I think it's that one and not Story of A Prostitute), which has a whole lot of different animated menu designs that come up randomly.
mfunk, if you want a glorious Criterion menu screen OD, check out Gate of Flesh (I think it's that one and not Story of A Prostitute), which has a whole lot of different animated menu designs that come up randomly.
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Re: 485 The Last Days of Disco
You make some good points about the shooting style from Stillman. He's not a particularly skilled technical expert and simply drops his characters in front of the camera. The Last Days of Disco has the most examples of this type of scene. However, this doesn't really bother me when considering this movie. I find that Stillman's trademark wit and ability to draw interesting characters overwhelm considerations of plot or staging. I'm willing to forgive some issues because I'm engaged with the conversations and Stillman's unique approach. I've watched his first three films regularly and expect that Damsels in Distress will be similar when it comes out on DVD.ianungstad wrote:I thought this was easily the worst film Criterion has released in some time.
Stillman makes one poor decision after another in this picture. Technically it's horrible. The scenes in the nightclub were particularly awful. Stillman shoots all the dialog scenes with the music turned down so that all the characters are literally standing on or around the dance floor talking to each other in a normal tone of voice instead of having to shout over the music. (Maybe he thought his audience would be too dumb to notice?) The club is also bright and overly lit. Looks more like a movie set than any nightclub I've ever seen!
- manicsounds
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Re: 326 Metropolitan
I couldn't think of a better time than now to re-watch Whit Stillman's Metropolitan. The Christmas lights/decorations in the big city, cold weather, etc. perfectly capture not only the holidays, but the "dead" time right after Christmas & leading up to New Year's...
And, this remains an extremely entertaining, satisfying film. However, I honestly had never even heard of this until around 2010, when I discovered the Criterion Disk. I'm surprised I like the film so much; even though I was roughly the same age as many of the film's characters when it was released in 1990 (very early 20's), I had/have absolutely nothing in common with these rich trust fund kids whose extreme wealth shields them from many of life's realities - granted, Tom Townsend (the redheaded "main" character) was not wealthy, but he did hang out with the wealthy crowd & obviously aspired to be like them - despite his protestations...
I was especially amused at the scene when Charlie was talking about how there is no "social snobbery" in the U.S. anymore, when nothing could be further from the truth - these kids' elitist parties were the definition of social snobbery... Which I guess was the whole ironic point...
Though obviously the film's focus was on various philosophical debates these young people had at their various parties/get togethers, I thought the conversation Tom & Charlie had with the older guy in the bar (who amusingly looked a lot like Shemp from "The Three Stooges") re: his philosophy about the "Urban Haute Bourgeoisie" interesting. It's almost as if they were seeing themselves in 20 years.....
As with all of Stillman's films, the dialogue is brilliant:
"I haven't been giving you the silent treatment. I just haven't been talking to you." - Tom (to Serena)
"That was very embarrassing. Thank you for including me." - Charlie (to Tom)
"I can't believe you don't have a driver's license." - Charlie
"Of course I don't. I live in Manhattan." - Tom
The last scene of the film with Audrey, Tom, and Charlie walking along the side of the street in the Hamptons (because they had no car to get home) reminded me a lot of Truffaut's Jules & Jim...
And, the blonde actress that played Sally Fowler is almost the spitting image of a younger Scar Jo, though shorter & less curvy - she even sounds like her...
And, this remains an extremely entertaining, satisfying film. However, I honestly had never even heard of this until around 2010, when I discovered the Criterion Disk. I'm surprised I like the film so much; even though I was roughly the same age as many of the film's characters when it was released in 1990 (very early 20's), I had/have absolutely nothing in common with these rich trust fund kids whose extreme wealth shields them from many of life's realities - granted, Tom Townsend (the redheaded "main" character) was not wealthy, but he did hang out with the wealthy crowd & obviously aspired to be like them - despite his protestations...
I was especially amused at the scene when Charlie was talking about how there is no "social snobbery" in the U.S. anymore, when nothing could be further from the truth - these kids' elitist parties were the definition of social snobbery... Which I guess was the whole ironic point...
Though obviously the film's focus was on various philosophical debates these young people had at their various parties/get togethers, I thought the conversation Tom & Charlie had with the older guy in the bar (who amusingly looked a lot like Shemp from "The Three Stooges") re: his philosophy about the "Urban Haute Bourgeoisie" interesting. It's almost as if they were seeing themselves in 20 years.....
As with all of Stillman's films, the dialogue is brilliant:
"I haven't been giving you the silent treatment. I just haven't been talking to you." - Tom (to Serena)
"That was very embarrassing. Thank you for including me." - Charlie (to Tom)
"I can't believe you don't have a driver's license." - Charlie
"Of course I don't. I live in Manhattan." - Tom
The last scene of the film with Audrey, Tom, and Charlie walking along the side of the street in the Hamptons (because they had no car to get home) reminded me a lot of Truffaut's Jules & Jim...
And, the blonde actress that played Sally Fowler is almost the spitting image of a younger Scar Jo, though shorter & less curvy - she even sounds like her...
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- Joined: Tue Apr 16, 2013 12:21 am
807 Barcelona
I've been on a WS kick recently, and am re-watching all of his films in order. Barcelona (1994) is not a bad film, and IMHO is fairly underrated & under-appreciated these days. I thought it was an interesting portrait of American expatriates living in Europe during the cold war (late 1980's?!)...
And, as always with WS films, the dialogue is hilarious.
And, as always with WS films, the dialogue is hilarious.
SpoilerShow
One of my favorite scenes was when Ted, Fred, and a group of women go to a disco (shades of WS's later The Last Days of Disco film), and, as Ted is dancing, Fred convinces one of the women that Ted is a closet masochist - LOL:
"He's not at all the way he seems. He might seem like a typical American, like a big unsophisticated child, but he's far more complex than that. Have you ever heard of the Marquis de Sade? Ted's a great admirer of de Sade. And a follower of Dr. Johnson. He's a complex - and in some ways dangerous - man. He has a serious romantic illusion problem. Women find him fascinating. His nickname is "Punta de Diamante" - point of a diamond. You see that odd expression on his face? Under the apparently very normal clothes he's wearing are these narrow leather straps drawn taut so that when he dances..."
"He's not at all the way he seems. He might seem like a typical American, like a big unsophisticated child, but he's far more complex than that. Have you ever heard of the Marquis de Sade? Ted's a great admirer of de Sade. And a follower of Dr. Johnson. He's a complex - and in some ways dangerous - man. He has a serious romantic illusion problem. Women find him fascinating. His nickname is "Punta de Diamante" - point of a diamond. You see that odd expression on his face? Under the apparently very normal clothes he's wearing are these narrow leather straps drawn taut so that when he dances..."
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- Joined: Tue Apr 16, 2013 12:21 am
Re: 485 The Last Days of Disco
Re-watched The Last Days of Disco. Well-done, and possibly my favorite WS film; I'm a big music fan (all types), and enjoyed the disco music, the hymns (especially when KB sung Amazing Grace), etc.
Though I have extremely dim memories of this time (I was in elementary school), IMHO this really captures the whole era extremely well - the music, club scene, attitudes, etc.
It was also nice to see several cast members from Metropolitan & Barcelona in this film, including Audrey Rouget & Ted Boynton (though T. Nichols was also in Metropolitan, it appeared he was reprising his Barcelona role here).
Also interesting was the conversation about the "end of an era" re: the death of Disco, and the characters talking about Disco music not selling, people not going out as much, etc....What enhanced this were the old news clips showing the Disco records being burned, seeing people wear "Disco is dead" T-shirts, etc. I kind of saw this as an analogy that the characters themselves were getting older & were getting ready to accept responsibility instead of going out every night and partying, etc....
Though I have extremely dim memories of this time (I was in elementary school), IMHO this really captures the whole era extremely well - the music, club scene, attitudes, etc.
SpoilerShow
The club being raided near the end was also ripped from the headlines re: this time period...
Also interesting was the conversation about the "end of an era" re: the death of Disco, and the characters talking about Disco music not selling, people not going out as much, etc....What enhanced this were the old news clips showing the Disco records being burned, seeing people wear "Disco is dead" T-shirts, etc. I kind of saw this as an analogy that the characters themselves were getting older & were getting ready to accept responsibility instead of going out every night and partying, etc....
- pzadvance
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- Location: Los Angeles, CA
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- aox
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- Newsnayr
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807 Barcelona
Barcelona is being prepared for a new release by a company that "you won't be disappointed" by: https://www.reddit.com/r/criterion/comm ... elona_may/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
- motefuzz
- Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2015 5:04 pm
807 Barcelona
I attended a screening of Metropolitan with Whit Stillman's Q&A afterwards. Someone asked about Barcelona and if it would ever get a decent home video release. Stillman responded he had just got back from color grading the movie in NYC for a future release. The person then asked if he could reveal who was putting it out and Stillman responded "You'll be very happy."
- pzadvance
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2011 7:24 pm
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
807 Barcelona
This has been heavily hinted at before but Whit Stillman confirmed a Criterion release of "Barcelona" was forthcoming on Twitter:
"WBshop no longer carries Barcelona which must mean the @Criterion is near"
"WBshop no longer carries Barcelona which must mean the @Criterion is near"
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
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- Location: SLC, UT
- Ribs
- Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm
Re: 326, 485, 807 A Whit Stillman Trilogy
I Wonder why the price of the set is $79.99? The Wallace Shawn/Andre Gregory set was $100.
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: 326, 485, 807 A Whit Stillman Trilogy
Fantastic extras for Barcelona, looking forward to this one. So happy for Stillman, he's been trying to get this release happening for years
- PfR73
- Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 6:07 pm
Re: 326, 485, 807 A Whit Stillman Trilogy
Maybe because Shawn/Gregory had one new release disc and one new-to-Blu disc? Whereas the Stillman set only has one disc that hasn't previously been released?Ribs wrote:I Wonder why the price of the set is $79.99? The Wallace Shawn/Andre Gregory set was $100.
Whatever the reason, I'm excited for this release. I've always held off buying Metropolitan & The Last Days Of Disco in the hope this box set would finally come to fruition.