602 The War Room

Discuss releases by Criterion and the films on them. Threads may contain spoilers!
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Matt
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm

602 The War Room

#1 Post by Matt » Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:39 pm

The War Room

Image Image

The 1992 presidential election was a triumph not only for Bill Clinton but also for the new breed of strategists who guided him to the White House—and changed the face of politics in the process. For this thrilling, behind-closed-doors account of that campaign, renowned cinema verité filmmakers Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker captured the brainstorming and bull sessions of Clinton’s crack team of consultants—especially James Carville and George Stephanopoulos, who became media stars in their own right as they injected a savvy, youthful spirit and spontaneity into the process of campaigning. Fleet-footed and entertaining, The War Room is a vivid document of a political moment whose truths (“It’s the economy, stupid!”) still ring in our ears.

Disc Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by directors Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
- Return of the War Room, a 2008 documentary by Hegedus and Pennebaker in which advisers James Carville, George Stephanopoulos, Paul Begala, and others reflect on the effect that the Clinton war room had on the way campaigns are run
- New pieces in which the filmmakers discuss the difficulties of shooting in the campaign’s fast-paced environment
- Panel discussion hosted by the William J. Clinton Foundation, featuring Carville, Clinton adviser Vernon Jordan, journalist Ron Brownstein, and surprise guest Bill Clinton
- Interview with strategist Stanley Greenberg on the evolution of polling
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by writer Louis Menand

DVD
Criterionforum.org user rating averages

Feature currently disabled
Blu-ray
Criterionforum.org user rating averages

Feature currently disabled

User avatar
The Narrator Returns
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2011 6:35 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#2 Post by The Narrator Returns » Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:33 pm

I haven't seen this, but my interest has been piqued. This will be a day-1 blind buy.
Last edited by The Narrator Returns on Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Drucker
Your Future our Drucker
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 9:37 am

Re: 602 The War Room

#3 Post by Drucker » Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:34 pm

The Narrator Returns wrote:I haven't seen this, but my interest has been peaked. This will be a day-1 blind buy.
piqued*

and agreed

User avatar
Brian C
I hate to be That Pedantic Guy but...
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:58 am
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: 602 The War Room

#4 Post by Brian C » Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:40 pm

Well, my interest is in fact peaked - I'm as interested today as I am likely to be in the foreseeable future.

flyonthewall2983
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Re: 602 The War Room

#5 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:43 pm

I've seen Return Of The War Room a few times on Sundance, and quite liked it despite not seeing the earlier film. Criterion can now count Frank Luntz among some of the other grotesqueries from films past released.

User avatar
The Narrator Returns
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2011 6:35 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#6 Post by The Narrator Returns » Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:46 pm

Drucker wrote:
The Narrator Returns wrote:I haven't seen this, but my interest has been peaked. This will be a day-1 blind buy.
piqued*

and agreed
Thanks for the correction!

User avatar
SamLowry
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 3:14 pm
Location: California

Re: 602 The War Room

#7 Post by SamLowry » Fri Dec 16, 2011 6:54 pm

Well, I can't say I'm impressed with Criterion's 2012 selections so far. This one in particular is a disappointment, not because it's that bad (it looks rather middlin'), but because there's so much more interesting titles that really should be on Criterion: The Fog Of War, Tabloid (actually anything by Errol Morris), anything by Adam Curtis, anything by Frederick Wiseman, The War Photographer,

User avatar
matrixschmatrix
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#8 Post by matrixschmatrix » Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:02 pm

How do you know this is less interesting than those if you haven't seen it?

User avatar
Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#9 Post by Gregory » Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:03 pm

I doubt Criterion could get the rights to most (if any) of what you list. Tabloid was just released, though some other Morris titles have been rumored. Wiseman distributes his own work. War Photographer is First Run, etc. And just because Criterion is releasing this film, it doesn't mean they can't release other documentaries as well.

User avatar
SpiderBaby
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:34 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#10 Post by SpiderBaby » Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:40 pm

IMO, I think they have started 2012 off better than the early part of 2011.

User avatar
NilbogSavant
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:15 am

Re: 602 The War Room

#11 Post by NilbogSavant » Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:09 pm

Gregory wrote:I doubt Criterion could get the rights to most (if any) of what you list. Tabloid was just released, though some other Morris titles have been rumored. Wiseman distributes his own work. War Photographer is First Run, etc. And just because Criterion is releasing this film, it doesn't mean they can't release other documentaries as well.
This and Adam Curtis' films can't be released on DVD because of music and film footage rights. I think his films fit better stylistically as Youtube conspiracy theory videos anyway rather than Criterion blu-rays (not that I don't enjoy them).

I recently watched this movie and enjoyed it quite a bit. Carville is one of the best documentary characters I've ever seen and his final speech after
SpoilerShow
Bill Clinton's election win
is a great moment in politics captured beautifully. This is by far my favorite of the Pennebaker documentaries.

User avatar
Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#12 Post by Gregory » Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:22 pm

Those who liked this film should also check out Our Brand Is Crisis, a well-made documentary showing a later chapter in Carville's career. It's amusing and enlightening watching him and his colleagues trying to play the PR game in Bolivia and getting in completely over their heads as actual popular democracy enters the electoral arena, changing everything.

flyonthewall2983
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Re: 602 The War Room

#13 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:45 pm

Further recommendations, Billy Bob Thornton in Primary Colors and Carville himself in his small role in The Assassination Of Jesse James.

User avatar
AquaNarc
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 4:41 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#14 Post by AquaNarc » Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:34 pm

matrixschmatrix wrote:How do you know this is less interesting than those if you haven't seen it?
I had the same thought reading that post but I still think this would've been a more interesting choice, and it's not even available on DVD.

User avatar
zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#15 Post by zedz » Sun Dec 18, 2011 3:42 pm

SamLowry wrote:Well, I can't say I'm impressed with Criterion's 2012 selections so far. This one in particular is a disappointment, not because it's that bad (it looks rather middlin'), but because there's so much more interesting titles that really should be on Criterion: The Fog Of War, Tabloid (actually anything by Errol Morris), anything by Adam Curtis, anything by Frederick Wiseman, The War Photographer,
Well, obviously you haven't seen this film, since most of those you're comparing it with have practically nothing in common with The War Room, stylistically or in terms of content. I guess you think this is a film about the Vietnam or Gulf War or something? Ignorance may be bliss, but it doesn't add much to internet discussion boards.

User avatar
hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: 602 The War Room

#16 Post by hearthesilence » Sun Dec 18, 2011 11:17 pm

The last DVD went out-of-print ages ago, and the transfer wasn't very good either, so the Criterion edition is definitely welcome news.

User avatar
Minkin
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#17 Post by Minkin » Thu Mar 15, 2012 4:08 am


User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#18 Post by domino harvey » Thu Mar 15, 2012 10:02 pm

Gary Tooze wrote:So, I guess from my limited standpoint - this was a poor choice for Criterion - LOL.
He got his daughter to write this, right, for an 8th Grade Civics class or something?

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#19 Post by knives » Thu Mar 15, 2012 10:07 pm

He is a Rand fan.

User avatar
hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: 602 The War Room

#20 Post by hearthesilence » Thu Mar 15, 2012 10:56 pm

Christ, that was a terrible, sloppy review. A synopsis for a completely separate film? Screen caps favoring TV footage used in the movie instead of footage that was actually shot for it? I think you're wrong, domino, an 8th grade civics student would've written a better set of closing remarks.

User avatar
Oedipax
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:48 am
Location: Atlanta

Re: 602 The War Room

#21 Post by Oedipax » Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:29 pm

knives wrote:He is a Rand fan.
Really?

User avatar
triodelover
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 2:11 pm
Location: The hills of East Tennessee

Re: 602 The War Room

#22 Post by triodelover » Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:59 pm

knives wrote:He is a Rand fan.
You can't blame him. Sally was really good with those ostrich feather fans.

User avatar
zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: 602 The War Room

#23 Post by zedz » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:07 pm

Touché, triodelover!

User avatar
hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: 602 The War Room

#24 Post by hearthesilence » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:26 pm

The transfer is a massive improvement over the older (and out-of-print) DVD. Just comparing the DVDs alone (not the Blu-Ray), the difference in color and the level of detail is night and day.

flyonthewall2983
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Re: 602 The War Room

#25 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:13 am


Post Reply