112 Playtime

Discuss releases by Criterion and the films on them. Threads may contain spoilers!
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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

#51 Post by Gregory » Sun Mar 13, 2005 11:37 pm

I know I'm in the minority on this, but I cannot understand watching any remotely important film on a normal TV set. For me, that experience does not come close to the way films are supposed to be seen. It's just not the same experience, at all. Most people cannot easily afford a $1000 projector (or even a used, older one), but I still think it's well worth it to save up for one, even if it means saving for a long time, owning many fewer DVDs, or economizing in a variety of other ways.
Of course, even a 10' image from a projector will be much smaller than a real theater screen, but beyond a point (6' or so?) the size of the image matters less than the quality of the resolution. In that respect, I hope that the revamped Playtime DVD will be much superior to the old one.

unclehulot
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#52 Post by unclehulot » Mon Mar 14, 2005 12:12 am

Gregory wrote:I know I'm in the minority on this, but I cannot understand watching any remotely important film on a normal TV set. For me, that experience does not come close to the way films are supposed to be seen. It's just not the same experience, at all. Most people cannot easily afford a $1000 projector (or even a used, older one), but I still think it's well worth it to save up for one, even if it means saving for a long time, owning many fewer DVDs, or economizing in a variety of other ways.
Of course, even a 10' image from a projector will be much smaller than a real theater screen, but beyond a point (6' or so?) the size of the image matters less than the quality of the resolution. In that respect, I hope that the revamped Playtime DVD will be much superior to the old one.
How about just because I don't want to wait until I can see this film again as the Walter Reade presented it recently, say another 20 years from now? One reason it might "work" on video is the memory of seeing it in a theatrical presentation.

javelin
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#53 Post by javelin » Mon Mar 14, 2005 12:48 am

I, for one, am amazingly excited about Playtime coming to DVD. I imagine it's still a great film on DVD because (in spite of the lack of publicity these elements get) the film has tons of heart and some great thematic depth in addition to its visual complexity.

Also: Gregory, I don't understand what you're saying re: a projector. Whether a tiny screen (that you sit close to) or a huge screen (that you sit away from) I feel that a digital transfer will provide the same experience. The difference is in the actual film - there's nothing like seeing a film on actual film. The colors and texture are vastly different than (and superior to) digital.) Frankly though, I find a home viewing experience vastly superior to any publicly screened DVD projection.

.m

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Gregory
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#54 Post by Gregory » Mon Mar 14, 2005 12:20 pm

I acknowledge that digital projection at home cannot duplicate film projection in a theater (I thought it went without saying). Nevertheless, personally I believe it captures the experience much better than watching a movie on a TV. I notice more, I'm more affected by what I see, and the experience usually stays with me longer. Also, I would have to sit extremely close to a television set to see as large an image as a projector can produce, and I don't think it looks good that close-up. But again, after a point, image size is not the most important thing.

stroszeck
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#55 Post by stroszeck » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:04 pm

CC re-released, I believe, both MON ONCLE and M. HULOT, so I don't understand what's taking SOOOOO long with the long-promised Playtime set? Anybody speak to Mulvaney about it?

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The Elegant Dandy Fop
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#56 Post by The Elegant Dandy Fop » Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:50 pm

Am I the only one getting upset at the sweet time Criteron is taking to release this?

It better be a Tati orgy with the realese of Playtime. Traffic, Parade and Jour de Fete.

javelin
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#57 Post by javelin » Thu Jun 09, 2005 12:33 am

Easily - EASILY - the Criterion release I'm anticipating the most. This film grows larger and larger in my mind upon recollection. I cannot wait.

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flambeur
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#58 Post by flambeur » Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:11 pm

Gregory wrote:I know I'm in the minority on this, but I cannot understand watching any remotely important film on a normal TV set....
I would have to agree with you..thank goodness for Cinematheque.

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Lino
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#59 Post by Lino » Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:06 pm

Watch here a rare french trailer for Playtime:

http://www.commeaucinema.com/news.php3? ... 531&Rub=BA

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Faux Hulot
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#60 Post by Faux Hulot » Sat Jun 18, 2005 5:08 pm

Annie Mall wrote:Watch here a rare french trailer for Playtime:

http://www.commeaucinema.com/news.php3? ... 531&Rub=BA
Thanks so much for this! I just watched this and, correct me if I'm wrong, but -- did anyone else notice an excerpt from a gag not in any currently circulating prints (even the 70mm restoration)? It's a shot from the housewares convention, of a woman demonstrating some sort of back-patting device (not back-scratching, though it resembles one of those). It comes right after the shot of the Japanese tourists exciting the elevator. Does anyone else remember this?

BTW here again is the direct link to a downloadable Quicktime:
http://www.commeaucinema.com/bandeannon ... aytime.mov

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stockton
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#61 Post by stockton » Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:53 am

Faux Hulot wrote:Does anyone else remember this?
I guess it may be a moot point by now, but whatever. I just caught this tonight at HFA and definitely don't remember seeing the back patter from the trailer. Given how much was going on though, I wouldn't be surprised to see the back-patter the next time I see it. Hope Criterion makes with the re-release soon. This was really a delight. And I'm not usually a person who feels comfortable using the word 'delight'.

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Tribe
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#62 Post by Tribe » Wed Jan 04, 2006 5:36 pm

The New York Review Line has issued an edition of Georges Simenon's Monsieur Monde Vanishes with a cover which portrays a scene from Playtime.

Don't know why, Simenon is hardly a "chipper" or "comedic" writer, but it looks cool.

Image

Tribe

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Matango
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#63 Post by Matango » Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:47 am

What's a CC Playtime going for these days? I guess this is the wrong thread by rights, but I have a spare original one (opened) if anyone wants it.

atcolomb
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#64 Post by atcolomb » Mon Jan 09, 2006 1:47 pm

When will Criterion re-release Playtime on to dvd? I thought it would be released at the end of 2005 but so far nothing yet. I hope they will fix the problems as reported at DVD BEAVER when they did the review of the first dvd release.

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kinjitsu
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#65 Post by kinjitsu » Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:03 pm

atcolomb wrote:When will Criterion re-release Playtime on to dvd? I thought it would be released at the end of 2005 but so far nothing yet. I hope they will fix the problems as reported at DVD BEAVER when they did the review of the first dvd release.
Annouced in the October Newsletter: "we are indeed planning to release a new edition of Playtime—either individually or as part of a Jacques Tati box set—sometime in 2006."

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Jun-Dai
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#66 Post by Jun-Dai » Mon Jan 23, 2006 6:19 pm

Having seen the film twice on 70mm and several times on DVD (and other formats), I have to say that I found both to be worthwhile experiences. If I could only watch the film twice, once would be in 70mm with a large and appreciative audience and once would be on DVD at my computer all by myself. As such an intensively visual film, there is quite a thrill to be had in seeing the film in all its massive, dense, and humorous glory with all of its gags shown in context. But there is also an intellectual pleasure to be had in scrutinizing the film, picking apart the frames and paying attention to nothing and nobody else but the film. You could almost compare it to the contrast between the experience of having a story read to you and reading it yourself (the former is very much underrated, IMO).

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denti alligator
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#67 Post by denti alligator » Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:05 pm

as someone else posted elsewhere

Playtime?

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daniel p
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#68 Post by daniel p » Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:08 pm

Where's the specs and details for this one? Are they up on Image's website, and I'm just too dumb to find 'em?

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arsonfilms
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#69 Post by arsonfilms » Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:33 pm

daniel p wrote:Where's the specs and details for this one? Are they up on Image's website, and I'm just too dumb to find 'em?
No official announcement, just the amazon listing. Keep in mind the Au Revoir les Enfants listing was up almost a year before it came out...

Cinesimilitude
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#70 Post by Cinesimilitude » Wed Jun 14, 2006 9:11 pm

but criterions oct 05 newsletter promised it for 2006. so its probably happening.

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arsonfilms
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#71 Post by arsonfilms » Wed Jun 14, 2006 9:19 pm

SncDthMnky wrote:but criterions oct 05 newsletter promised it for 2006. so its probably happening.
Damn thing had better be happening. Just no official word on when, precisely. Could be the date amazon says... could also be December 26th, the last tuesday of the year.

Cinesimilitude
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:43 am

#72 Post by Cinesimilitude » Wed Jun 14, 2006 11:12 pm

so far, september seems to be a little overkill, with all of them except playtime already official on Image's site. If anything doesnt make the cut for september, It'll be this.

putney
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#73 Post by putney » Thu Jun 15, 2006 5:09 pm

Hope someone can clear a small question up for me, as with all the talk of "this version" that version" etc, and looking at the links, they all seem to be talking about @ 3 minutes total difference. But which version is the one that was at Walter Reade last year?, because it was considerably longer, maybe 10-15 minutes if i remember correctly, with 2 whole complex gags i'd never seen at any screening, including the 70mm restoration from about 15 years ago, the video versions, the dvd versions, etc..
for one specific examle there is a @ 4 minute gag involving John Abbey (Mr. Freedom) and the office supervisor.
I'm guessing this is the french cut, but i'm confused why there is so much talk about the "restored" version, which runs 126.
Does the french dvd have this version??

on a side note, michel chion's book on "Playtime" was really disapointing, i thought.

putney

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Gigi M.
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#74 Post by Gigi M. » Thu Jun 15, 2006 5:59 pm

It appears that Playtime will have the same extras. Press release.

Cinesimilitude
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#75 Post by Cinesimilitude » Thu Jun 15, 2006 6:04 pm

I highly doubt it, otherwise they would have updated the page on "Browse the Collection" with just the new artwork, instead of removing 112 completely.

not to mention the fact that the original was 29.95, and the new one is 39.95, which means they have to atleast add a commentary or a second disc.

Image

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