Criterion's obsession with Suzuki

Message

Doctor Sunshine · #76 Post by **Doctor Sunshine** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:39 pm

Sing it, brothuh!

kieslowski_67 · #77 Post by **kieslowski_67** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:16 am

feihong wrote:He made the beautifully-paced, understated masterwork that is ZIGEUNERWEISEN, a film which brings a unique style and point of view to wholly unique subject matter. He recently made the wonderful, imaginative, and funny PRICESS RACCOON.

ZIGEUNERWEISEN is his best work to date. I agree that PRICESS RACCOON is imaginative, but it's anything but wonderful. It could be called funny if you appreciate dry humor.

feihong wrote: But I'm not about to deny Jarman or Melville a significant place in film history because I had an unexciting time with something I didn't really understand. Honestly, what a bunch of crap.

Everyone has a different taste on cinema as a whole. What you described as your personal experience with Melville and Jarman could be easily used to describe some people's opinion on Suzuki's body of work.

kieslowski_67 · #78 Post by **kieslowski_67** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:23 am

Annie Mall wrote:Tarantino likes Suzuki.

He also likes HK fantasy and martial art movies. He adored Italian Giallo flicks. Will Criterion please release half a dozen titles each for Hark Tsui and Sergio Martino?

feihong · #79 Post by **feihong** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 10:21 pm

"Everyone has a different taste on cinema as a whole. What you described as your personal experience with Melville and Jarman could be easily used to describe some people's opinion on Suzuki's body of work."

Exactly my point:

Where are the hate threads for Jarman? Criterion releasing "too much Melville?" How about "Criterion's obsession with Godard?"

Why is there only one hate thread for the entire collection, and why is it for Suzuki? And if this is really just a matter of personal taste, why have it in for Suzuki at all? Criterion has released a lot of other directors works in quantity, but Suzuki is the only one that draws this kind of ire. And I think this is partly because no one has devoted the critical attention and analysis to Suzuki that these other directors already have.

The real point of all of this is that you fuckers out there who are so crazily, pointlessly against Suzuki just need to SHUT THE FUCK UP. I mean this quite sincerely: SHUT THE FUCK UP. SHUT UP. RIGHT NOW. SHUT......UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPP.

What's the point of four pages of this crap when all you're saying is that Suzuki doesn't fit your personal tastes? You think he's over-represented in the Criterion Collection? WHO CARES. Give it a rest already. I don't see you taking your ire out on any other director who has a wealth of critical writing about him. Everybody already knows Mizoguchi and Naruse and De Sica and Antonioni and Jarman and Melville are great. Suzuki is one director that deserves further exposure; exposure that has been consistently denied him.

daniel p · #80 Post by **daniel p** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 11:37 pm

feihong wrote:"Everyone has a different taste on cinema as a whole. What you described as your personal experience with Melville and Jarman could be easily used to describe some people's opinion on Suzuki's body of work."

Exactly my point:

Where are the hate threads for Jarman? Criterion releasing "too much Melville?" How about "Criterion's obsession with Godard?"

Why is there only one hate thread for the entire collection, and why is it for Suzuki? And if this is really just a matter of personal taste, why have it in for Suzuki at all? Criterion has released a lot of other directors works in quantity, but Suzuki is the only one that draws this kind of ire. And I think this is partly because no one has devoted the critical attention and analysis to Suzuki that these other directors already have.

The real point of all of this is that you fuckers out there who are so crazily, pointlessly against Suzuki just need to SHUT THE FUCK UP. I mean this quite sincerely: SHUT THE FUCK UP. SHUT UP. RIGHT NOW. SHUT......UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPP.

What's the point of four pages of this crap when all you're saying is that Suzuki doesn't fit your personal tastes? You think he's over-represented in the Criterion Collection? WHO CARES. Give it a rest already. I don't see you taking your ire out on any other director who has a wealth of critical writing about him. Everybody already knows Mizoguchi and Naruse and De Sica and Antonioni and Jarman and Melville are great. Suzuki is one director that deserves further exposure; exposure that has been consistently denied him.

Dude, no need to be so rude, we're just stating our opinions, not trying to insult you. Of course art is subjective, and everyone is entitled to their opinion.
In regards to more exposure, the more I see of Suzuki, the less I am impressed - whereas the more I see of Godard, Melville, Mizoguchi, Naruse, De Sica, Antonioni (haven't seen any Jarman yet) the more I am enthralled and amazed. That is my opinion anyway, and you have yours too, which is fine.

For the record (those names you mentioned) # of Criterion releases:

Suzuki 6
Godard 6
Melville 3
De Sica 3
Antonioni 2
Jarman 1
Mizoguchi 1
Naruse 0

I, personally, would much rather see more Mizoguchi, Antonioni and any Naruse have been given the 'Criterion' stamp before Suzuki's.

No need to abuse anyone.

ByMarkClark.com · #81 Post by **ByMarkClark.com** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:16 am

>>The real point of all of this is that you fuckers out there who are so crazily, pointlessly against Suzuki just need to SHUT THE FUCK UP. I mean this quite sincerely: SHUT THE FUCK UP. SHUT UP. RIGHT NOW. SHUT......UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPP. <<

Ahhh. Now, THAT's the type of intellectually stimulating insight that makes these boards special. Tell me, where did you earn your PhD?

yoshimori · #82 Post by **yoshimori** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:38 am

ByMarkClark.com wrote:Ahhh. Now, THAT's the type of intellectually stimulating insight that makes these boards special. Tell me, where did you earn your PhD?

I don't know about feihong, but I got my PhD at Harvard - with additional study at Oxford - and I can say I prefer his sensible, if a touch dramatic, prescriptive tirade to the rhetorical bluster of your meta-post.

His post did not particularly waste our time. Yours (and now, unfortunately, mine) does. Let's all stay on content.

kazantzakis · #83 Post by **kazantzakis** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:55 am

Feihong has expressed love for Suzuki here and elsewhere in the past. I was especially interested in the disembodied narrative states (my apologies if I am butchering the term) he never got around to elaborating on. And I certainly agree with the thesis of his argument: all that everyone is saying is what they like or dislike with little argumentation.

benm · #84 Post by **benm** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:21 pm

while i don't dislike suzuki i have yet to understand the depth that is apparently under the surface. i've seen all of the criterions and i saw princess raccoon at VIFF and only gates of flesh warrants a second viewing. and that's only for content. but the same goes for naruse. his content is refreshing and i think stands nicely against someone like ozu but i find his filmmaking to not even approach that of someone like ozu. so it doesn't bother me that naruse is an unknown master (as he is hailed as) and i am less than excited when criterion announces they're releasing more suzuki

toiletduck! · #85 Post by **toiletduck!** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 5:03 pm

ByMarkClark.com wrote:Ahhh. Now, THAT's the type of intellectually stimulating insight that makes these boards special. Tell me, where did you earn your PhD?

I was thinking Julianne Moore via P.T. Anderson. An independent study perhaps.

-Toilet Dcuk

Napier · #86 Post by **Napier** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 5:30 pm

I for one am pleased as punch at the 6 films of Suzuki that have found their way into the collection.Even the ones HVE released are great.I mean Underworld Beauty is a great film noir!As far as the Godard's in the collection sure he is an important filmaker who changed the narrative or "language" of cinema,but come on, Band of Outsiders and Tout va Bien are FUCKING BORING.I NEVER get bored with Suzuki.Always entertaining.By the way Kino is releasing the Taisho Trilogy on Tues.

Cinephrenic · #87 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 5:39 pm

Band of Outsiders and Tout va Bien are FUCKING BORING

shirobamba · #88 Post by **shirobamba** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 6:03 pm

Napier wrote:Band of Outsiders and Tout va Bien are FUCKING BORING.

ADHD!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_disorder

Cinephrenic · #89 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 6:18 pm

Great link, has a Cat Scan of Napier's mind during his post.

Napier · #90 Post by **Napier** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:17 am

Whatever, I am still entitled to my own opinions on the entertainment value of a film.Even if you tools think I have adhd.I love Godard films but I find myself going back to the Suzuki titles a hell of a lot more than Godard.

Napier · #91 Post by **Napier** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:44 am

By the way I found a link to help cinephrenic and shirobamba with their respective problems.http://www.urologychannel.com/erectiled ... ndex.shtml

Cinephrenic · #92 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 12:19 pm

By the way I found a link to help cinephrenic and shirobamba with their respective problems.http://www.urologychannel.com/erectiled ... ndex.shtml

Your girl wasn't complaining. =P~

Ok enough of this childish crap. Back to cinema discussion. If you feel like you need more, you can always private message me, I will be welcome to indulge on any health problems you may have.

Dr. Mabuse · #93 Post by **Dr. Mabuse** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 3:32 am

It's coming according to Tokyomonsters.com

CRITERION: Criterion has picked up PRINCESS FROM THE MOON. This is a 1987 Toho fantasy film with fx by Teruyoshi Nakano. The cast includes Toshiro Mifune, Yasuko Sawaguchi (GODZILLA 1985), and introduces Megumi Odaka (the Heisei Godzilla series). PRINCESS has never been released in the US so this is great news IMO.

nyasa · #94 Post by **nyasa** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:13 am

I saw the R2 of Princess from the Moon last week. Aside from the transfer - which was rather soft throughout - and the chance to see Mifune still delivering the goods in his dotage, I thought it is was a 3-star film at best. I wouldn't mark it down as Criterion material.

Ichikawa's An Actor's Revenge, on the other hand, is another matter. I'd love to see that in a pristine, all-stops-out package. It's visual invention almost makes Suzuki look conservative.

Ashirg · #95 Post by **Ashirg** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:15 am

Maybe for Eclipse...

Gordon · #96 Post by **Gordon** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 8:51 am

Criterion released Ichikawa's, Fires on the Plain and The Burmese Harp on Laserdisc and I'd like to see those on DVD from them before Princess from the Moon.

I'd love to finally see Kagi (The Key) (1959). It sounds totally bizarre, but Ichikawa has a way of presenting weird material in a serious, stylish manner, so I'm sure that it would be fascinating.

Janus owns the rights to I Am Two Years Old and HVE released it on VHS in 1996. Very cute film!

Yes, more Ichikawa on DVD, please.

SHOCKMASTER · #97 Post by **SHOCKMASTER** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 7:54 pm

I watched KAGI last night and it was my first Ichikawa film. I must say I wasn't too impressed with the film as a whole, but I did find bits & bits to be very interesting and intriguing. The ending of the film kind of left me blank - I am not too sure what I think of it. However I really did enjoy Machiko KyÃ´'s preformance quite a bit.I concour that it would have been interesting to see Imamura tackle this film.

I plan to rent THE BURMESE HARP next. I have heard wonderful things about it.

Michael Kerpan · #98 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:36 am

I bet I could come up with a list of 20 Ichikawa films that I would consider higher priorities than Princess of the Moon.

Note I haven't seen this -- but an Ichikawa fanatic friend who did see it did not rank this very highly, despite the snazzy casting.

stroszeck · #99 Post by **stroszeck** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:00 am

Are you serious? Princess of the Moon as a Criterion? What the hell....They pass over S. Ray and Jodorowsky to release this one?

First it was the Dazed and Confused news, which I learned to lived with.

Then it was Kickin' and Screamin' (which came from OUTTA NOWHERE!)

Now this?

It's just that I assumed Criterion would stick to other products which are more pressing and significant.

Oh well, not that it sucks, but Princess ain't that great. Whatever I can't wait till 2007 when they start releasing good ish after their low sales this year. (I'm still sittin' pretty on Spirit of the Beehive though as consolation!)

#100 Post by **cdnchris** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:49 pm

Christ! I'd hate to see what you people did during their laserdisc days!

"Evita!! WTF!!?? Dead Presidents!!?? WTF!!!???"