400-401 Stranger Than Paradise & Night on Earth

Discuss releases by Criterion and the films on them. Threads may contain spoilers!
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Doctor Sunshine
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#76 Post by Doctor Sunshine » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:39 am

manicsounds wrote:Canadia....?

He calls Canada "Canadia" a few occasions in the Q+A.
Is there an in joke or reference that I'm not getting?
Americans know very little about Canada. It's part of our two countries' charming rapport. They make aboot jokes and pronounce our name wrong and we secretly resent and lord our health care over them.

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Tribe
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#77 Post by Tribe » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:43 am

I'd never seen Night On Earth before. Absent dedication, you could easily give up on this if you can't sit through Winona's stink-fest of a performance because the European sequences are actually quite good. But it's just a struggle to watch with a straight face the LA sequence and Winona trying to keep up with Gena Rowlands being a trooper, that and Winona trying to look like a filthy cabbie. Simply disastrous.

The NY sequence isn't quite that bad...Giancarlo Esposito is just too over the top. Where this movie really gets rolling is in the Paris and Rome sequences. The Paris bit is just about as good as any film Jarmusch has done. Benigni would ordinarily annoy me, but he was actually hilarious with his entire monologue about the pumpkins, lambs and sister in law.

Tribe

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kinjitsu
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#78 Post by kinjitsu » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:44 am

It's my understanding is that Canadia is where Canadians come from.

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Doctor Sunshine
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#79 Post by Doctor Sunshine » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:46 am

See what I'm talking aboot? Do you see?

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cdnchris
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#80 Post by cdnchris » Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:54 pm

kinjitsu wrote:It's my understanding is that Canadia is where Canadians come from.
No doot aboot it. (Translates to: No doubt about it)

I laughed at the Canadia bits (he is joking around) and was also amused when he was trying to say Saskatchewan.

I'm glad I watched Stranger Than Paradise before PV, as if I watched PV first I probably would have saved the other for later. PV was just terrible. I know everyone has to start somewhere, but geesh (I shouldn't complain because I'm sure if I was to make a first feature it would suck, too, but at least it would have more robots.) I'm glad I finally got around to seeing STP, and am glad I never broke down and bought the MGM DVD. Great film.

I loved revisiting Night on Earth, actually liked it a lot more than the last time I saw it. The Winona sequence is still the worst one, but the rest of the film is great.

Am I the only one, though, disappointed by the DVDs? The tranfsers are great and it's nice to have the films finally, but I was disappointed by the features. I felt I spent $10 more for Stranger just so I could get a second shitty movie, and the other supplements across both (though I haven't listened to the commentary on Earth yet) didn't do much for me? Thought Earth was very minimal as well in the area of supplements. Got more satisfaction from the Down By Law DVD.

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criterionsnob
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#81 Post by criterionsnob » Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:59 pm

cdnchris wrote:I laughed at the Canadia bits (he is joking around) and was also amused when he was trying to say Saskatchewan.
I don't have my DVD yet, but that might be me! Who is the person from Saskatchewan???

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cdnchris
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#82 Post by cdnchris » Thu Sep 06, 2007 2:00 pm

criterionsnob wrote:
cdnchris wrote:I laughed at the Canadia bits (he is joking around) and was also amused when he was trying to say Saskatchewan.
I don't have my DVD yet, but that might be me! Who is the person from Saskatchewan?
Can't remember the name, just that they were from Moose Jaw. I can't check the DVD for you at the moment, though. If I recall part of the question was whether he writes roles for certain people and whether the cab interiors were a pain the ass to shoot (I think.)

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criterionsnob
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#83 Post by criterionsnob » Thu Sep 06, 2007 2:02 pm

THAT'S ME!!!! How exciting! Actually, I live in Regina, but I'm originally from Moose Jaw. Just thought he might pick my question because of the funny name.

No notice from Criterion that my question got answered or that I'm getting a free DVD.

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cdnchris
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#84 Post by cdnchris » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:46 pm

criterionsnob wrote:I live in Regina
Sorry to hear. God, that name sounds so dirty every time I see it, hear it, or say it.

Congrats by the way. :)

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oldsheperd
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#85 Post by oldsheperd » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:59 pm

I get the NHL Center Ice package each year and I get plenty of games from Canada. I get pretty stoked every time I hear the Hockey Night in Canada theme song. Somebody send me some Tim Horton's, eh.

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criterionsnob
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#86 Post by criterionsnob » Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:02 pm

Thanks. Yeah, maybe Regina sounds just as funny as Moose Jaw. Oh well, saying I'm from Moose Jaw will make my mom happy.

I've emailed Mulvaney to see if I get a free DVD, though I already pre-ordered from DVD Planet and it should arrive any day now.

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oldsheperd
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#87 Post by oldsheperd » Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:07 pm

I used my points at Dvd Planet and got Stranger Than Paradise for lik 16 bucks shipped so not too bad. I did kind of enjoy Permanent Vacation. I'll take a pass on Night On Earth. I've never been much for that vignette style in movies that links characters through one theme. I think it's lazy story writing.

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Cronenfly
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#88 Post by Cronenfly » Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:50 pm

cdnchris wrote:I'm glad I watched Stranger Than Paradise before PV, as if I watched PV first I probably would have saved the other for later. PV was just terrible. I know everyone has to start somewhere, but geesh (I shouldn't complain because I'm sure if I was to make a first feature it would suck, too, but at least it would have more robots.) I'm glad I finally got around to seeing STP, and am glad I never broke down and bought the MGM DVD. Great film.
The MGM DVD was indeed terrible in every capacity: truly be glad you never owned that pile.
cdnchris wrote:I loved revisiting Night on Earth, actually liked it a lot more than the last time I saw it. The Winona sequence is still the worst one, but the rest of the film is great.
Might just have to give it another shot: the last time I found it pretty painfully weak throughout (though coming from a man that thought PV wasn't utterly terrible may not mean much), but it may well be better on further viewing (like StP was for me).
cdnchris wrote:Am I the only one, though, disappointed by the DVDs? The transfers are great and it's nice to have the films finally, but I was disappointed by the features. I felt I spent $10 more for Stranger just so I could get a second shitty movie, and the other supplements across both (though I haven't listened to the commentary on Earth yet) didn't do much for me? Thought Earth was very minimal as well in the area of supplements. Got more satisfaction from the Down By Law DVD.
In agreement on StP (generally) and (in principle, though I haven't viewed the disc) NoE: Down by Law was a much more rounded package. StP's supplements were either warmed over (Some Days in January, though it's nice to see it full-length), not particularly insightful (Kino 84), or divisive in their supposed quality (PV). Oh well: not every package can be Slacker-definitive or Mr. Arkadin-insightful.

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Tribe
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#89 Post by Tribe » Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:23 pm

cdnchris wrote:No doot aboot it. (Translates to: No doubt about it)
That's "No doot aboot it, eh."

Tribe

richast2
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#90 Post by richast2 » Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:25 pm

holy crap--he answered mine, too! I guess I should email Mulvaney.

edit: I just re-read the first post in this thread where it re-prints what was said on the Criterion site, with no mention of getting anything in return. So I guess having Jim Jarmusch say your name is the reward. Which, truth be told, is a pretty sweet reward.

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Doctor Sunshine
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#91 Post by Doctor Sunshine » Fri Sep 07, 2007 12:59 pm

I just got my copy in the mail. He answered one of my questions too. I'm Craig of Canadia. I'd forgotten that I wrote that Jarmusch and Criterion light up my life but they totally do.

eez28
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#92 Post by eez28 » Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:52 pm

Congratulations! Your question was selected by Jim Jarmusch for the Q & A special feature on our new "Night on Earth" DVD. We'd be happy to send you a complimentary copy of the DVD so you can hear Jim's voice reading your name and hometown, so please respond to this email with your mailing address. We look forward to hearing back from you soon!

Sincerely,
Tamara
This f'ing rules. Can't wait to get it!

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criterionsnob
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#93 Post by criterionsnob » Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:13 pm

Very good. I haven't heard back from Mulvaney yet. Did you email Criterion to ask or did they just send you that email?

eez28
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#94 Post by eez28 » Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:19 pm

They just sent it to me

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thethirdman
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#95 Post by thethirdman » Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:23 pm

criterionsnob wrote:Very good. I haven't heard back from Mulvaney yet. Did you email Criterion to ask or did they just send you that email?
Tamara should email you. I received an email from her about a half hour ago. She also cc'd the email to Mulvaney. I have not seen the disc yet and did not know my question was selected.

LeeB.Sims

#96 Post by LeeB.Sims » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:26 pm

I watched Night on Earth last night and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected based on the comments here. I was quite touched by the Helsinki episode in particular. I loved the very end of it when the driver says “Do you know where you are?â€

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jbeall
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#97 Post by jbeall » Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:06 pm

I just re-watched this movie over the weekend. It had been about seven years since I last saw it, and even though I was really looking forward to the bit in Rome, I forgot just how hilarious Begnini is!!!! Especially when he's claiming that his sheep had a much more dulcet tone. When Begnini started bleating, I fell off the couch laughing.

I think the LA sequence is the weakest, but I still like it. It's just that the other four sequences are riveting--esp. Paris and Helsinki--that it suffers a little by comparison. But this film is easily my favorite Jarmusch.

LeeB.Sims

#98 Post by LeeB.Sims » Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:00 pm

I think I'm going to jump in the ring all alone here and say that (deep breath) I really enjoyed Permanent Vacation. I just watched it last night. Now, I am admittedly biased, given that Jarmusch can do no wrong in my opinion, but really I found this to be a very interesting piece of work. At first I was put off by Chris Parker's incredibly awkward and wooden delivery of lines, such as “I can't sleep at night, not in this cityâ€

eez28
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#99 Post by eez28 » Sat Sep 15, 2007 3:19 pm

My free dvd just came in today.

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colinr0380
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#100 Post by colinr0380 » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:24 pm

DVD Times reviews Stranger Than Paradise and Night on Earth.

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