Friday, May 2, 2014

Top 10 Criterion Films

My good friend John, from the insanely inventive site, the droid you’re looking for, has been running a great Criterion Collection-inspired series for the past week. The concept: list your Top 10 Criterion films and explain why they’re your favorite. The concept, while simple by design, was easily one of the most challenging lists I’ve ever created. I had I blast thinking this one up, so I hope you’ll jump over to John’s site and take a look at my picks!



12 comments:

  1. This is a great list. I own a couple of these Criterion sets. While the rest I hope to get soon as I'm waiting for the next sale in July where I will pick up some more to expand my collection.

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    1. Thanks man. I can't wait for that July sale. Literally saving already. The Big Chill is a must own for me.

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  2. This is seriously my biggest Third World Problem- we don't have Criterion here. It's so annoying reading every person in the western hemisphere talk about them. They have reached mythical levels for me. They might as well be unicorns.

    Anywho, great list as always.

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    1. Holy shit, I didn't know that at all. Yeah, that really fuckin' sucks. Honestly, I bet lists like this one definitely are annoying as hell to you. But, as always, I really appreciate you reading :/

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  3. Thanks for the lists! I love John's criterion commentary and tdylf. I find some criterion very weird as I have started to watch the collection so it's great to know what ones to hit first. Cheers.

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    1. Thanks so much for checking them out! I'd say at least 40% of the films in the Criterion Collection could be justly labeled as weird. Some different kind of films in there.

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  4. Your list actually gooses my 'to-watch' list a little bit since you have selections in your tally that I've never seen. Thanks for that - you're getting pretty good at stacking my pile of homework that much higher!

    Oh - and no fair cheating on the very first selection. This isn't 'Nam dude, there are rules.

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    1. Haha shit man, that 'Nam line busted me up. Ahhh I thought I could get away with it - swap out two shorts for one feature.

      Glad you dig the list, and always glad to add flicks to the pile!

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  5. This is a great idea, I always read Criterion's top from my favorite directors, so it's nice to also know your list. I have to watch Burden of Dreams because I love Herzog and Blood of the Beasts sounds pretty interesting. I liked a lot Eyes without a face. I have to shamefully admit that I haven't seen the Seven Samurai yet - and loads of directors mention it in the Criterion's tops -, but I've seen Rashômon and loved it.

    You've picked some of my fave films, like Fanny and Alexander, Vivre Sa Vie being my favorite from Godard too, and the Three Colors trilogy. Do the Right Thing, I guess it's my favorite from Spike Lee, and you couldn't have defined better 8 1/2.

    One of my favorite picks from Criterion is Solaris, and I'd love to have Badlands as they released it last year.

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    1. Oh I still have tones of Criterions to see too. Really, it's damn hard to even begin to make a dent. There are so many quality films within that collection. I need to rewatch Solaris. I'm a huge fan of Soderbergh's film but haven't revisited Tarkovsky's in quite some time.

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  6. Awesome picks! I've actually got Vivre Sa Vie from Netflix, and I'll be watching it soon for next week's CinSpec Awards. Looking forward to it!

    I do the same thing with the Three Colors trilogy, though I don't always watch it in one day. I've done it in two days or one film a day for three consecutive days, but I always watch them Blue to White to Red. It adds so much. I don't like listing trilogies as one film, but I could easily call that trilogy my favorite film, instead of just Blue.

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    1. Three Colors is so special. I don't like calling them one film either, but I totally know what you mean. Watching them in one day is intense, but the playfulness of White helps break up the more intense two, which is nice. Blue though man... Blue.

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