criterionforum.org

Posted: **Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:03 am**

ByMarkClark.com wrote:Poor Anthony Mann. You'd think after years of being considered one of the most underrated directors in Hollywood history, he'd finally earned due respect. Apparently not.

Based on the number of people who have come to his defense in this thread alone, I would say he's starting to get some respect. I doubt that we have to declare him to be universally slighted after a few people express their distaste for his work on an internet message board, no matter how strong their opinions.

Posted: **Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:31 am**

domino harvey wrote:"No personal vision" #-o

Ditto that. Mann is one of those filmmakers that doesn't get enough credit. Greatest director of westerns? Probably not but easily in the top five. Greatest director of film noir? Probably not but easily in the top ten. Man of the West. Winchester '73. The Tin Star. The Man From Laramie, The Naked Spur. T-Men. The Devil's Doorway. The Tall Target. Border Incident. The Far Country. I mean what more do people need? I'll take The Furies but like several people here, I would rather have Man of the West. The region 2 disc isn't that impressive and bare bones. Oh fyi, the Winchester '73 disc does feature a James Stewart commentary that makes for a good listen.

Posted: **Mon Dec 24, 2007 4:10 pm**

ByMarkClark.com wrote:Poor Anthony Mann. You'd think after years of being considered one of the most underrated directors in Hollywood history, he'd finally earned due respect. Apparently not. If nothing else, Mann's Westerns are the equal of anything by Boetticher (another fine director, don't get me wrong).

If you're referring to my previous post, I didn't mean for anyone to infer that I was elevating Boetticher at the expense of Mann. I happen to prefer Boetticher's Westerns slightly to Mann's, but I think they're operating on a similarly high level.

And I'd agree with Andre that Mann gets his fair share of love around here -- especially in the film noir threads. I don't think he's forgotten at all. (TCM, for instance, showcased him as "director of the month" sometime in 2006.)

Posted: **Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:56 am**

reaky wrote:
Jack Phillips wrote:
zedz wrote:I actually think that the 'Criterionization' of Mann will aid his cause, and that of future releases.
Technically, this would be the 're-Criterionization' of Mann, as Criterion released El Cid on LD over a decade ago....
Or you could argue that he's already in, via the little of SPARTACUS that he shot that remains in the film.

I agree that he's a major figure long overdue a Criterion, and that MAN OF THE WEST would have been the ideal candidate. Or imagine an Eclipse box of all the Stewart westerns!

Anthony Mann worked on "Spartacus" for only two-and-a-half weeks. The quarry scenes are all that's left of his work that can be seen in the finished film.

And there's another Criterion release that has a Mann-connection: In his early days, Mann was assistant director for Preston Sturges and worked on "Sullivan's Travels".

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:22 pm**

I'm stumped.

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:23 pm**

They're having a summer bar-b-q, duh. Serving pears.

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:26 pm**

Google results for bumper-grill film turn up nothing, I'm stumped. Some sort of car film I assume? Or are we finally seeing a Criterion release of that episode of Wings where Roy cooks food under his hood?

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:29 pm**

domino harvey wrote:Google results for bumper-grill film turn up nothing, I'm stumped. Some sort of car film I assume?

The formal use of the company name (a first for a newsletter clue?) and the "first-ever" part lead me to believe this might well not be about a specific film.

(And no, I don't think it's about the format war either.)

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:31 pm**

And it's a pear not an animal-- what is the pear even from? Google results for "bumper grill"+film+pear narrow it down to nothing

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:35 pm**

The Pear Tree?

Pear People in Car Race?

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:39 pm**

I wrote:The formal use of the company name (a first for a newsletter clue?)

I'm wrong. On two other occasions, Criterion used their name in a clue. One was for BREATHLESS and the other was this one:

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:41 pm**

So criterion is getting into the BBQ Grill business. Or they are going to open the Criterion Bar & Grill in NYC during the summer. And for appetizers they are going to serve pears.

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:45 pm**

wait look at the file name, ,it's not a pear it's a GOURD

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:45 pm**

I think Tamara was supposed to create the clue this month, but instead she just invited us to their BBQ.

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:47 pm**

jaredsap wrote:I think Tamara was supposed to create the clue this month, but instead she just invited us to their BBQ.

LOLOLOLOL

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:47 pm**

domino harvey wrote:wait look at the file name, ,it's not a pear it's a GOURD

I thought it was a gourd before a pear, but figured I was wrong...

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:49 pm**

Whoever solves this should be given some sort of forum prize.
I wonder, could it be a Native American film?

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:55 pm**

the Secret of the Magic Gourd?

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:56 pm**

Claude Sautet is mentioned in the newsletter also, hopefully a confirmation that we'll see Classe tous risques soon.

Posted: **Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:57 pm**

Barbecue-Pejo Jean Odoutan?

A poor Beninoise corn farmer wanting to break out of his deep misery buys a shaky Peugeot 504 and tries his hand at being a bush cabdriver. When the engine of his jalopy breaks down, he converts it into a flour mill, but it too soon fails. When his wife is forced to prostitute herself to support the family, he decides to give one last effort to make something profitable out of his only two resources-his corn and his fickle Peugeot. Recounted as a black fable full of comic characters, Odutan's dreamlike story confronts a society where the bonds of social solidarity have broken. (88 mins.)

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:03 am**

Maybe the clue refers to SECRETS AND LIES? It features a major BBQ scene and we'd already speculated Leigh's film might be the next Fox title to see a Criterion release.

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:03 am**

Could it be a quince?? Erice's El sol del membrillo??

Hasn't the text been more important in previous clues? I thought of bumper to grill as in cars and traffic jams and flames = Weekend, but that's a pretty recent New Yorker title isn't it?

Or maybe I've just been doing too many cryptic crosswords.

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:08 am**

Okay I think it has to be a car movie because I believe bumper-grill barbecue here is a pun and not an accurate description. Anyone know any car movies that Janus owns?

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:09 am**

Zazou dans le Metro wrote:Could it be a quince??

quinces sure don't look like that (they look like a lumpy, misshapen apple-pear-thing)

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:23 am**

miless wrote:
Zazou dans le Metro wrote:Could it be a quince??
quinces sure don't look like that (they look like a lumpy, misshapen apple-pear-thing)

Well they do in my garden and what is that thing if not a lumpy misshapen apple-pear thing.....drawn badly.

The Cars that ate Paris???? ....and quinces

criterionforum.org

Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)