# Favorite Criterion Films?



## Llama Butter (Apr 7, 2021)

Anybody else a fan of the collection?

I feel like humanist storytelling has become my new favorite genre. I feel like I've become more appreciative of aesthetic and intention in film than I was before. If I'm ever lucky enough to get invited to do a criterion closet here's what I'd pick right now.

Wings Of Desire by Wim Wenders - This movie made me appreciate being alive in a way no other has.

Persona by Ingmar Bergman - This was my first Bergman, I'm afraid to finish his catalogue because then there'll be no more to see for the first time.

In The Mood For Love by Wong Kar-Wai - The cinematography, the longing, goddamn this is so good

Videodrome by David Cronenberg - It's rare to find a film so fun that also has a lot to say about the state of media and remains relevant. There's a fun clip on youtube of John Carpenter talking about Cronenberg and how he's kind of full of himself that's fun to listen to.

Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky - It's hard to recommend a three hour movie that's three guys waxing philosophic through a post apocalyptic soggy landscape, to most people.

Meantime by Mike Leigh - Every director I've listed have been wonderful discoveries for me this past year but Mike Leigh stands out to me as one of the greatest human storytellers. Sometimes it's crushingly bleak, sometimes it's funny. He never tries to answer the problems of class struggle his stories are framed by, he just shows people as they are.

Good Morning by Yasujiro Ozu - Best fart movie.


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## timprebble (Apr 10, 2021)

Wings Of Desire is the reason I work on films, seeing it in my youth changed my life forever... 
Until then I thought "film" = Hollywood.


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## NekujaK (Apr 10, 2021)

There is so much Criterion goodness, that it's impossible for me to isolate a favorite few.

Being an enthusiast of classic film noir, I was delighted when Criterion released the beautifully restored Detour a couple of years ago. I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to see a good print of that film.

Lately, I've been immersing myself in the Zatoichi series, so masterfully packaged by Criterion.

And I love that Criterion distributes nearly all of Wes Anderson's films. I'm a big fan.

I recently stumbled onto the epic Soviet-era production of War and Peace in 4 parts. Haven't started watching it yet, but it looks to be as dense and grandiose as the novel.


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## Alchemedia (Apr 10, 2021)

*STALKER* is brilliant and Tarkovsky is arguably the greatest director. Even Bergman thought so. I highly recommend his book *Sculpting in Time*.


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## muk (Apr 10, 2021)

Anything Akira Kurosawa (at the very least Rashomon and Seven Samurai. If you like Sergio Leone, you should definitely watch Yojimbo too). M by Fritz Lang. One of the very first German Tonfilme. And boy does it use sound in a fantastic way. Peter Lorre is spectacular. You'll probably never hear 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' quite the same way again after watching this film.
Citizen Kane of course, the movie with which the Criterion collection started. And 2046 by Wong Kar Wai. The Criterion Selection is a real treasure trove.


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## el-bo (Apr 10, 2021)

12 Angry Men
Brazil
Ghost Dog: Way Of The Samurai
The Princess Bride
Quadrophenia
Rumble Fish


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## Llama Butter (Apr 10, 2021)

Alchemedia said:


> *STALKER* is brilliant and Tarkovsky is arguably the greatest director. Even Bergman thought so. I highly recommend his book *Sculpting in Time*.


My friend is reading it right now! I'll definitely ask him to borrow it when he's done


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## GNP (Apr 10, 2021)

Anything by Jim Jarmusch too.


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## muk (Apr 10, 2021)

GNP said:


> Anything by Jim Jarmusch too.


Absolutely! Even though Paterson and Only lovers left alive aren't included yet.


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## el-bo (Apr 10, 2021)

It's a shame the subscription is not available in my country. Would've been fun to wander through such a collection.


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## Llama Butter (Apr 10, 2021)

GNP said:


> Anything by Jim Jarmusch too.


I loved his episode of Fishing With John, Patterson was great definitely checking out his other work


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## Alchemedia (Apr 10, 2021)

*Fitzcarraldo* / *Aguirre* Werner Herzog
*A Woman Under the Influence* / *Opening Night* John Cassavetes
*Woman of the Dunes *Hiroshi Teshigahara
*Ugetsu *Kenji Mizoguchi* 
Stalker / Andrei Rublev *Andrei Tarkovsky
*Hour of the Wolf* Ingmar Bergman
*Grave of the Fireflies *Isao Takahata
*Mephisto* Istvan Szabo
*Repulsion* Roman Polanski
*Au Hasard Balthazar *Robert Bresson
*The Naked Prey *Cornel Wilde
*Day of Wrath* Carl Dreyer
*Kings of the Road* Wim Wenders
*3 Women* Robert Altman


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## storyteller (Apr 10, 2021)

*Day for Night* Francois Truffaut

Excellent film.


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## Llama Butter (Apr 11, 2021)

Alchemedia said:


> *Fitzcarraldo* / *Aguirre* Werner Herzog
> *A Woman Under the Influence* / *Opening Night* John Cassavetes
> *Woman of the Dunes *Hiroshi Teshigahara
> *Ugetsu *Kenji Mizoguchi*
> ...


Killing of a Chinese Bookie by Cassavetes is also great, I think the Safdie brothers had it in their closet picks and I could definitely see the influence, looking forward to Opening Night!

A Woman Under the Influence was a force of nature performance from both Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk, but I don't think I can ever watch it again because of how close to home the subject matter is for me. Amazing movie.


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## jim2b (Apr 11, 2021)

Llama Butter said:


> Killing of a Chinese Bookie by Cassavetes is also great, I think the Safdie brothers had it in their closet picks and I could definitely see the influence, looking forward to Opening Night!
> 
> A Woman Under the Influence was a force of nature performance from both Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk, but I don't think I can ever watch it again because of how close to home the subject matter is for me. Amazing movie.


“Samurai 1” directed by Inagaki


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## ironbut (Apr 22, 2021)

A little late to this thread but,..
Fun watching famous film folks in this series of videos.


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## JohnG (Apr 22, 2021)

Yojimbo -- A. Kurosawa. It's fun, a little less heavy than some of his others.


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## rhizomusicosmos (Apr 22, 2021)

My top 5 from the Criterion collection:
Kwaidan - dir. Kobayashi, score by Toru Takemitsu
Beauty and the Beast - dir. Cocteau, score by Georges Auric (and Philip Glass!)
Stalker - dir. Tarkovsky, score by Eduard Artemyev
Woman in the Dunes - dir. Teshihagara, score by Toru Takemitsu
Tokyo Story - dir. Ozu, score by Takanobu Saitō


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## dflood (Apr 22, 2021)

So good, they named a country after it.


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## Alex Niedt (Apr 22, 2021)

Mulholland Dr. - David Lynch
Belle de Jour - Luis Buñuel
The Tree of Life - Terrence Malick
World of Wong Kar Wai (Collector's Set)
Brazil - Terry Gilliam
The Bakery Girl of Monceau - Eric Rohmer
Clean, Shaven - Lodge Kerrigan
Breathless - Jean-Luc Godard
Revanche - Götz Spielmann
Punch-Drunk Love - Paul Thomas Anderson
Funny Games - Michael Haneke


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## MattGibsonMusic (Apr 22, 2021)

I was gonna say Robocop until I saw everyone else's high-brow picks...


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## Llama Butter (Apr 25, 2021)

MattGibsonMusic said:


> I was gonna say Robocop until I saw everyone else's high-brow picks...


To be fair if I had a hand in the collection then Face Off and Big Trouble In Little China would be included in the collection hahaha


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## el-bo (Apr 26, 2021)

Llama Butter said:


> To be fair if I had a hand in the collection then Face Off and Big Trouble In Little China would be included in the collection hahaha


And I'd have added Logan's Run, Breakfast Club, Star Wars IV, Angel Heart and, erm...Top secret


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## turnerofwheels (Apr 26, 2021)

(Not part of the collection per se but they had Logan's Run up on their subscription site a few months ago)..

Lots of good stuff in this thread, Tarkovsky, etc. Masaki Kobayashi (Kwaidan, Human Condition) is another fave. 

Fassbinder's The World on a Wire is also great if you want to see a 70s take on the ideas in the Matrix.


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## el-bo (Apr 26, 2021)

SHANE TURNER said:


> (Not part of the collection per se but they had Logan's Run up on their subscription site a few months ago)..
> 
> Lots of good stuff in this thread, Tarkovsky, etc. Masaki Kobayashi (Kwaidan, Human Condition) is another fave.
> 
> Fassbinder's The World on a Wire is also great if you want to see a 70s take on the ideas in the Matrix.


Interesting that they showed it. I got the impression that it was generally regarded as not very good.


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## JohnG (Apr 26, 2021)

el-bo said:


> Top secret


How could we have neglected this treasure?


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## turnerofwheels (Apr 26, 2021)

el-bo said:


> Interesting that they showed it. I got the impression that it was generally regarded as not very good.


Their streaming website sometimes organizes collections by other...criteria than good, so things like cultural or historical interest, or new visual techniques also qualify. This one was up as part of a 70s sci fi collection I think


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## el-bo (Apr 26, 2021)

SHANE TURNER said:


> Their streaming website sometimes organizes collections by other...criteria than good, so things like cultural or historical interest, or new visual techniques also qualify. This one was up as part of a 70s sci fi collection I think


Gotcha! Makes sense


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## dcoscina (Apr 26, 2021)

Seven Samurai.


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## JohnG (Apr 26, 2021)

dcoscina said:


> Seven Samurai.


Another fun movie, though I still like "Yojimbo" better. Utterly different in tone from the cowboy Western, "The Magnificent Seven," if I remember right.


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