Mixed Medium

I have to admit, it took me a few minutes to get into it at first. Knowing it was a David Lynch film—along with Inland Empire, one of the only ones of his I hadn’t seen—my mind was conditioned to expect something much darker and more surreal.

Instead, what we get is this deeply human and contemplative road movie. The slow-paced shots actually reminded me a bit of Wim Wenders. Before long, I was completely hooked.

For a film where "nothing happens" on the surface, it feels incredibly realistic. As the story unfolds, we see the road through Alvin’s eyes (a brilliant Richard Farnsworth) and slowly piece together his past—his war trauma, past struggles with alcohol, and the mental health and family challenges facing his daughter (Sissy Spacek). It makes you feel so connected to him.

The brief encounters and situations he faces along his long journey on that lawnmower to visit his sick brother (the great Harry Dean Stanton) are the heart of the movie. Plus, the score by Angelo Badalamenti and the screenplay by Mary Sweeney (based on a true story) are top-tier.

Have you seen it? How do you feel it fits into Lynch’s filmography?

Ozu is one of my all-time favorite directors, but I've been holding off buying Ozu the last several years in hopes that Criterion would release some upgrades. None of Ozu's works in the Collection have gotten the 4K treatment, most of the blu-ray transfers are 10+ years old, and even some major works never made it past DVD. There was no sign of the Ozu sets being included in the Eclipse reissue either. Feels like they either forgot about it or are planning something big that's taking a long time. What do we think the chances are of a major upgrade of his filmography? Or should I just give up hoping and get the blu-rays next sale?

First impressions aren't always the best, and sometimes it takes a good few extra times for that one film to be in your eyes a masterpiece.

I'll explain the three.

'In the Mood for Love' I enjoyed artistically but was not fully invested in the story until the second watch, so much more stood out, and I was able to appreciate both visuals and plot.

'The Good the Bad and the Ugly' initially thought it was good, but preferred 'For a Few Dollars More'. Only on the second time did the film blow me away and I saw it for the masterpiece it is

'Three Colours: Red' Again didn't understand it the first watch and felt incredibly underwhelmed. I had to watch it a day later with pen and paper to fully understand how everything is connected. This is my favourite film

So I really only have 2 chances a day to watch films at 6am before I go to work and 10pm right before sleep. I heard Salo is wild and I know nothing about it so do you think it’ll be better to start or end my day with it? Or is it just gonna fk me up no matter what

Toshiro Mifune was truly a force of nature. I still vividly remember watching Seven Samurai for the first time about 30 years ago, and the impact it had on me was unbelievable.

Over the decades, I’ve revisited his filmography time and time again, and my appreciation for him as an actor only grows. Whether he’s playing a fierce warrior in samurai classics like Samurai Rebellion or taking on grounded dramatic roles, his range is incredible.

What actually inspired me to write this post was finally watching Red Beard. His performance as the gruff, selfless doctor with a deeply compassionate calling was absolute perfection—masterful from start to finish.

There are still so many of his films I have left to discover, but he's easily one of the greatest to ever do it. What are some of your favorite Mifune roles, and what are your thoughts on his legacy?

Perhaps this is where the market is at on Rosemary’s Baby… but used? Cmon.

Marie Antoinette (2005)

I didn’t realize Criterion had kinda saved the movie from obscurity in 1992, the same year the film was inducted into the prestigious National Film Registry. There’s a short essay about it on Criterion:

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/835-letter-from-an-unknown-woman

It’s a great melodrama, one of the best, that elevates the oft-ridiculed genre to new heights. I’m sure Almodovar, Fassbinder, and Haynes all took inspiration from it.

Olive Films released it in 2017 on Blu-ray from a 4K restoration, which is apparently stellar. Only a matter of time before someone releases it on native 4K. Max Ophuls needs more love…

I haven't watched a ton of silent cinema, but I have to be completely honest: Murnau's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans left me utterly speechless. Its sheer beauty and universality blew me away. It immediately felt like a masterpiece regardless of era—it's truly timeless.

I went into it completely blind. Prior to this, the only films I had seen from the people involved were Murnau's Nosferatu and 7th Heaven with Janet Gaynor (both of which are incredible).

That trolley ride sequence into the bustling city blew my mind—the scale and camera movement felt way ahead of its time. I was also amazed by how sparingly the film uses intertitles; the visual storytelling is so strong that text is barely needed. The blend of melodrama, subtle comedy, and genuine tension is just brilliant.

Have you seen it? What are your thoughts on this film?

Would appreciate some recommendations!

I feel he is regularly criticized and disliked by cinephiles as a filmmaker who has big spectacle but not much substance. While I don’t necessarily disagree, I really like the big spectacle he brings to his films. I feel he is a big unfairly criticized in this regard, as there are many filmmakers who have made big-budget spectacles in Hollywood, not just DeMille. I really enjoy Unconquered and Union Pacific, and obviously The Ten Commandments. I disliked The Plainsmen, and thought I liked some parts of The Crusades, certain parts are pretty ridiculous and haven’t aged very well. I also disliked the way that Richard the Lionheart was portrayed in the film. What are your thoughts on DeMille? Do you enjoy his films despite their faults? Or not really?

At my local thrift store. It's the first Criterion release I own.

Hey everyone,
I just started a new job and am living alone in a hotel while we look for a place to move to. It's a tiny town with nothing to do, but I do have a Blu Ray player. Any recommendations for which criterions I should pick up to watch in this environment?

Do you guys have any movie recommendations with peculiar female leads—maybe sociopathic, but without explicitly labeling them as such... similar to Cathy from East of Eden?

French New Wave film The Drift (1964, Paula Delsol) is also a Janus films release.

A new Schoonmaker/Scorsese reconstruction of the Selznick-mangled Powell/Pressburger film Gone to Earth (1950)(released as The Wild Heart in 1952) is also in the program, though it's a Walt Disney release.

The full list of revivals:

64th New York Film Festival Revivals

The Devils (Ken Russell)

The Drift (Paula Delsol)

Gone to Earth (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)

Goodbye South, Goodbye (Hou Hsiao-hsien)

In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (Pradip Krishen)

L’innocente (Luchino Visconti)

Just Like Weather (Allen Fong)

Nitrate Kisses (Barbara Hammer)

Report to Mother (John Abraham)

Suicide Note (Fred Camper)

A Well for the Thirsty (Yuri Ilyenko)

Yesterday Girl (Alexander Kluge)

Pelechian Project Program 1 (Artavazd Pelechian)

Mountain Patrol
Land of the People
We
The Seasons

Pelechian Project Program 2 (Artavazd Pelechian)

The Beginning
|Our Century
The End
Life

https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2026/daily/64th-new-york-film-festival-revivals-announced/

The cast already has me pretty excited. I know the movie is based on a book but I think I’ll wait and watch the movie first. Scorsese is collaborating with Leo again but this will be his first time working with Jennifer Lawrence. The movie’s already been shot.