'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

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Never Cursed
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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3451 Post by Never Cursed » Mon Oct 10, 2016 6:07 pm

Michael Kerpan wrote:I've seen this screened several times since 2000. There is simply no way one is ever going to seen a truly adequate presentation -- absent discovery of time travel (which would allow one to find a non-ravaged film source).
I understand this, and indeed, the PQ on the Criterion is probably as good as it will ever be. But the sound is just abysmal, the result of post-processing that didn't need to happen. It's the audio equivalent of Children Of Paradise, and the insane part is that the only reviewer besides Chris to cover the audio in the review was another exceptional Doctor, who gave it a 4 out of 5.
[i]Dr.[/i] Svet Atanasov wrote: There are sizeable improvements in the audio department as well. For example, it immediately becomes obvious that serious work has been done to remove the background hiss that is present on the previous release. The cracks and pops have also been eliminated. It appears that specific stability enhancements have been performed as well because the mid/high registers are now better balanced. This being said, in the upper register there are still some light distortions, but they are managed in such a way that impact on clarity is minimal at best. (You should be able to hear the source limitations during the ceremony around 02.22.19, where the music and crowd noise bring them forward). The dialog is easy to follow.
That section on the audio is ridiculous, and it makes me wonder if Svet watched the Region B disc at all. The audio on the Shochiku (and Criterion) has been processed to hell and back. Another Criterion Forum user (Moshrom) did an excellent write-up on a blog of his. He also made an excellent comparison between the two blu-rays that illustrates the issue perfectly.

The point is, the review annoyed me because the reviewer thought that there wasn't enough restoration done, when there actually was so much excessive work done that it shot a new, otherwise superior restoration in the foot.

The comparison in question: https://vimeo.com/181992834

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3452 Post by Michael Kerpan » Mon Oct 10, 2016 7:32 pm

Here's the weird thing. The poor-quality sound on the Shochiku Blu is much closer to what I recall hearing when watching the screened prints -- while the UK version seems to sound _better_.

The worst botching of sound I recall was the Shochiku There Was a Father DVD.

The PhD really seems to believe (consistently, in review after review) that DVD/Blu issuers have some sort of obligation to provide close to flawless "digital restorations" of films even where the best sources are fairly dire.

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Ribs
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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3453 Post by Ribs » Tue Oct 11, 2016 10:29 am

Er, and also his review is about the version on Hulu, like that's nearly the same thing as the commercial release (that has actually had a recent restoration, rather than the absolute mess of an HD version that's available to stream).

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ando
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Re: The Life of Tchai

#3454 Post by ando » Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:59 am

Lemmy Caution wrote:Throughout Tchaikovsky there are plenty of hints about his sexual orientation.
Going into the film, I had no idea Tchakovsky was gay and I picked up on it in the first half hour, just from the relationship with Rubinstein.

T is awfully close and happy with Rubinstein, and even allows Rubinstein to thwart a potential romance/marriage with a woman. Then out of the blue, Tchaikovsky marries a young attractive woman, but has no idea how to deal with her, has nothing to say to her, and is miserable. So he attempts suicide and quickly divorces her. Finally when his benefactress professes love for him and actually wants to meet him -- they had corresponded by letter and check for 13 years -- he hurriedly flees in a panic. At the end, he can't imagine why Turgenev is interested in chasing skirts in Paris. Etc.

I actually liked how the film didn't discuss the issue directly, in the spirit of that era, but still made it rather clear what was tormenting Tchaikovsky.
Spot on, LC. Despite the narrative content and score (I have never liked Tchaikovsky's music) I find the film
oddly fascinating. With the manner in which it's filmed it's almost as if the historical (and, albeit, romantic) figure of Tchaikovsky accompanies the viewer on a picture book tour of his life and work. It's an evocation of a time, similar I suppose (in approach) to Kubric's Barry Lyndon, but far more dynamic and absurd; capturing a specifically late 19th century Russian tone (classic Chekhovian irony and displacement in full effect). It's one of the few ways I can actually stand T, frankly, but it's also a marvelous tribute to beloved composer.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3455 Post by MichaelB » Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:56 am

Michael Kerpan wrote:Surprisingly the PhD does like a few good films -- but one wonders why he spends so much time watching Japanese films he neither understands nor likes.

He knows a lot less than he thinks he knows -- for instance, he thinks 47 Loyal Ronin is about a plot to murder the Shogun. He also derides Kinoshita for not shooting 24 Eyes in cinemascope, not realizing that wide screen movie making had not yet reached Japan at this point.
What was his PhD actually in? If it wasn't Japanese cinema or something closely related, what's the point of bringing it up at all?

My youngest siblings both have PhDs, and I don't think either of them mentions this outside the specific research context in which they were awarded them. But then again, they're not desperately insecure.

I'm reminded of someone who kept referring to himself as "an award-winning film director". This was not technically untrue, but let's just say that the award fell some distance short of an Oscar or a Cannes or Venice festival gong, and leave it discreetly at that.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3456 Post by Mr Sausage » Thu Nov 03, 2016 10:49 am

MichaelB wrote:
Michael Kerpan wrote:Surprisingly the PhD does like a few good films -- but one wonders why he spends so much time watching Japanese films he neither understands nor likes.

He knows a lot less than he thinks he knows -- for instance, he thinks 47 Loyal Ronin is about a plot to murder the Shogun. He also derides Kinoshita for not shooting 24 Eyes in cinemascope, not realizing that wide screen movie making had not yet reached Japan at this point.
What was his PhD actually in? If it wasn't Japanese cinema or something closely related, what's the point of bringing it up at all?

My youngest siblings both have PhDs, and I don't think either of them mentions this outside the specific research context in which they were awarded them. But then again, they're not desperately insecure.

I'm reminded of someone who kept referring to himself as "an award-winning film director". This was not technically untrue, but let's just say that the award fell some distance short of an Oscar or a Cannes or Venice festival gong, and leave it discreetly at that.
His PhD is in music.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3457 Post by jindianajonz » Thu Nov 03, 2016 11:26 am

To his credit, the mods at BR.com have stated that it was an administrative request that he use his doctorial title to help give the site a more academic sheen. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean he would have dropped it without their request.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3458 Post by MichaelB » Thu Nov 03, 2016 11:36 am

To clarify, I was asking about the specific field in which William Flanigan obtained his PhD. I'm obviously more than aware of the topic of Pro-B's research.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3459 Post by Werewolf by Night » Thu Nov 03, 2016 1:39 pm

There's an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Minnesota named William Flanigan. It's not an uncommon name, but the spelling of the last name with an "I" is uncommon.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3460 Post by Costa » Thu Nov 03, 2016 2:35 pm

MichaelB wrote: My youngest siblings both have PhDs, and I don't think either of them mentions this outside the specific research context in which they were awarded them. But then again, they're not desperately insecure.
This!
Someone mentioning his PhD in a totally unrelated field from his studies, is at least ridiculous!
It doesn't validate his opinion on that unrelated field.
It just shows how conceited he is.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3461 Post by MichaelB » Thu Nov 03, 2016 3:13 pm

My sister's on the radio tonight, as it happens, talking about current education policy. I suspect her PhD about Stalin's music policy won't be mentioned at any point.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3462 Post by domino harvey » Thu Nov 10, 2016 2:10 am

Image

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3463 Post by DarkImbecile » Thu Nov 10, 2016 8:04 am

That's amazing... Maybe we'll see critics describing The Godfather or 2001 as the best film of all time on the poster for Grown-Ups 3.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3464 Post by domino harvey » Thu Nov 17, 2016 4:32 am

I do not recognize Criterions decision to stray from the format specs.

To me Criterion embodies the the absolute worst about taste in movies, namely not having any.

That they are acting like there is a 'right answer' when it comes to what what makes great Movies, and that they have taken upon themselves the right to decide this is (and should be to everyone I think) nothing less than insulting.

To me there is no logic to someone liking all movies that Criterion releases, to me it is basing your own 'taste' on what critics say. I dont care what your taste is, just have your OWN taste.

I had a coworker, and whenever I would recommend him a movie he would say that he needed to check the imdb rating before watching..

I love the idea of doing everything to present a movie the best possible way, I just think they release mostly the wrong movies when there are soo many amazing ones out there to choose from.

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tenia
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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3465 Post by tenia » Thu Nov 17, 2016 4:52 am

I always said that liking Bergman, Truffaut, Godard, Fellini, Antonioni, Bergman, Wilder, Kazan, Lloyd, Chaplin, Kieslowski, Kurosawa, Ozu, Mizoguchi and Dreyer is typical of people with the worst tastes ever in movies. \:D/


Joke aside, it's just the usual "not everything Criterion releases is good" (duh) and some people being happy to simply pick within Criterion's pool of releases as a kind of pre-filtered choice of movies (I know I do, and the amount of movies I don't like is relatively low).


EDIT : speaking of ridiculous reviews, I'm afraid this one quite doesn't get the movie.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3466 Post by The Narrator Returns » Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:16 pm

Pack it in, folks, we have a champion.

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domino harvey
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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3467 Post by domino harvey » Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:19 pm

I said, "I bet this is the same guy who wrote the Clueless review," and it is

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3468 Post by calculus entrophy » Sat Nov 19, 2016 1:10 am

Dialogue and narration are clear, but not very authoritative. It's at least well positioned and never struggles with prioritization. Reverberation is nicely presented at a large gathering around the 10-minute mark. Music is nicely spaced along the front
Wordization of review is well-timidly given.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3469 Post by mizo » Sun Nov 20, 2016 12:57 am

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3470 Post by tojoed » Sun Nov 20, 2016 3:05 pm

mizoguchi5354 wrote:Image
U kno how good movie go with actors.

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furbicide
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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3471 Post by furbicide » Thu Dec 22, 2016 4:16 am

Fanboys have discovered Richard Brody's existence. The result is pretty 'rediculous'.

http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/how-th ... 1790058128" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I am just going to blockquote some portions down below this paragraph, and I invite you to join me in making halting, inarticulate, baffled vocalizations at them.
In fairness, that's about the most this kind of journalism can usually manage. Why's he using so many big words? Why isn't there a Fresh Prince of Bel Air gif after every second paragraph?

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domino harvey
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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3472 Post by domino harvey » Thu Dec 22, 2016 9:24 am

I am increasingly weary of Brody of late, but I couldn't even make it through a couple block quote responses before I gave up on the color commentary mocking him. This attitude is my least favorite flavor of anti-intellectualism:
Here are some things Richard Brody wrote about a PG-13 space adventure movie about space good guys and space bad guys firing space lasers at each other.

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3473 Post by mfunk9786 » Mon Feb 06, 2017 11:20 am

Manchester By the Sea:
GA Girl on Amazon wrote:I just truly don't think I've seen a film this bad in all my life...
It couldn't get any worse...wow, I wanted to slit my wrists, settled on leaving early. If you want to here a yankee say the "f" word about 500 times, this is your film. Otherwise save yourself the temporary depression and skip it!!!

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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3474 Post by Dead or Deader » Mon Feb 06, 2017 3:25 pm

IMDB wrote:

Profanity:

Over 125 profanities, including "fuck".

The f word is used 110 times.


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Re: 'Rediculous' Customer & Critic Reviews

#3475 Post by cdnchris » Mon Feb 06, 2017 3:49 pm

Where my wife works someone mentioned to her they saw the film and that it was awful. My wife was surprised by this and when she asked her why she mentioned that there was so much foul language. Apparently my wife stood there waiting for something else and then realized that was it.

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