David Lynch: The Art Life Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: With Chemicals, He Points
By David Wangberg |
I remember my first encounter with a David Lynch film was in 2004 during my Introduction to Film class at ...
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Sid & Nancy Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: They Did It Their Way
By Gordon S. Miller |
Director/co-writer Alex Cox's Sid & Nancy tells the story of the short, tragic love affair between Sex Pistols' bassist Sid ...
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The Manchurian Candidate (1962) Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Assassination, She Wrote
By Gordon S. Miller |
Based on Richard Condon's novel of the same name, John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate is a captivating Cold War political ...
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Hopscotch Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Matthau Supremacy
By Steve Geise |
Hopscotch is a conundrum. It's a comedic but still realistic spy movie filmed in the waning days of the terrifying ...
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The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Stealth Double Feature
By Gordon S. Miller |
The Criterion Collection's release of Alfred Hitchcock's third feature, The Lodger (1927), is actually a stealth double feature of Hitchcock ...
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Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Masterpiece of Control
By Dusty Somers |
Who's in the mood for meatloaf with a side of existential dread? OK, I'm only so glib because writing about ...
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Roma Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Rome, I Love You
By David Wangberg |
In the opening text prior to the start of Roma, we get a detailed explanation of how the original version ...
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Good Morning (1959) Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Japanese Master’s Flatulent Comedy
By Kent Conrad |
Comedy doesn't tend to get the respect of drama in movie writing. Like horror, its effectiveness depends on whether or ...
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Buena Vista Social Club Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Cuban Musicians Get the Recognition They Deserve
By Davy |
When it comes to music, there are many styles and cultures: Mexican, Spanish, Portugese, etc. However, Cuban music seems to ...
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Tampopo Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: An Endearing, Sensual, and Tasty Experience
By Davy |
Some of the best films about food not only include food itself, but the reasons why it is essential, especially ...
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Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Vote for Pedro
By Luigi Bastardo |
There are few films which can combine failed romances, hysteria, spiked gazpacho, the fine art of voiceover acting, and get ...
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45 Years Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Art of Quiet Devastation
By Dusty Somers |
The camera never strays far from Charlotte Rampling in Andrew Haigh's 45 Years, and for good reason. In this elegant, ...
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Canoa: A Shameful Memory Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Harrowing but Important
By Davy |
In this day and age, politics have become a horror show, meaning that corruption and savagery usually comes first, and ...
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Cameraperson Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Beautiful, Sad, Wonderful
By Mat Brewster |
Sometimes when I can't sleep, I'll lie in bed at night and think about all the different houses and apartments ...
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Cameraperson Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: No Better Film Experience Last Year
By Davy |
When it comes to human honesty, there is no better genre of film stronger than the documentary. In a time ...
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Heart of a Dog Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Moving Meditation from a Singular Artist
By Dusty Somers |
Can a film permeated with thoughts on death be playful? Can it be uplifting? Can it be equally cerebral and ...
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Lone Wolf and Cub Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Manga Comes to Life
By Steve Geise |
As the shogun executioner, Ogami Itto has a comfortable gig until he falls from grace and endures the death of ...
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The Executioner Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: An Introduction to a Spanish Filmmaking Giant
By Dusty Somers |
Even among dedicated English-speaking cinephiles, the name Luis García Berlanga might not immediately spark a glimmer of recognition. The great ...
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Valley of the Dolls Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Laughter, Tears, and a Mountain of Dolls!
By Cinema Sentries |
Written by Kristen Lopez America was a bit of a mess in the 1960s, not just on the national stage ...
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Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Dekalog Review: Completely Worth Your Time
By Shawn Bourdo |
Watching the episodes of Krzysztof Kieslowski's Dekalog reminds me of how few auteurs there are anymore. Part of it is ...
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The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: An Early Masterwork
By Mat Brewster |
Kiku (Shotaro Hanyagi) is the adopted son of Kabuki royalty in Tokyo. As the presumed heir to this theatrical throne, ...
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A Taste of Honey Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Taste of Adolescence
By Cinema Sentries |
Written by Kristen Lopez A renaissance in British cinema erupted in the 1960s; known as the Free Cinema and instigated ...
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Woman in the Dunes Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Digging out a Life in Sand
By Kent Conrad |
Every night, the woman shovels sand from the bottom of a hole, which gets carted up by a rope pulley, ...
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Speedy Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The End of an Era
By Gordon S. Miller |
Not only is "Speedy" the title character played by Harold Lloyd in his last silent film and last appearance as ...
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The Immortal Story Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Marvel of Deep Emotion and Haunting Spareness
By Davy |
We all knew that Orson Welles was mad, but we also knew that he had the ability to make cinematic ...
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The In-Laws (1979) Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: So Funny It Never Wears out Its Welcome
By Gordon S. Miller |
While there's a lot of hand-wringing and pearl-clutching that goes on whenever a sequel or remake is announced in Hollywood, ...
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La Chienne Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Early Renoir is a Delight
By Mat Brewster |
Life has not gone well for Maurice Legrand (Michel Simon). He works as a cashier for a hosiery company and ...
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Le Amiche Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Antonioni Drains the Passion from Melodrama
By Dusty Somers |
It's tempting to label Michelangelo Antonioni's fourth feature film Le Amiche a transitional work, as it shuns Neorealism and embraces ...
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The Naked Island Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
By Steve Geise |
Kaneto Shindo's film about the daily struggles of a poor farming family has one major hook: a total absence of ...
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Barcelona Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Innocent Imperialists Abroad
By Kent Conrad |
The first thing to get about Barcelona is the movie is sympathetic to its protagonists. Fred and Ted are cousins ...
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Brief Encounter Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Small but Poignant
By Mat Brewster |
Christ, David Lean knew how to compose a shot. I swear you could take all of his movies, put them ...
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The American Friend Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Tense Blend of Suspense and Character Study
By Davy |
There have been a few cinematic adaptations of famed author Patricia Highsmith's stories, such as 1951's Strangers on a Train, ...
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The Emigrants / The New Land Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Profound Cinematic Experience Like No Other
By Davy |
There have been many films about the dangerous journey of immigrants to America, the land of prosperity and new beginnings, ...
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Bitter Rice Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Beauty of the Downtrodden
By Steve Geise |
Long before Dino De Laurentiis was a noted Hollywood producer, he produced Italian films such as this 1949 drama. Interestingly, ...
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Night and the City Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Jules Dassin’s Marvelous London Noir
By Gordon S. Miller |
Based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Kersh, although director Jules Dassin claims never to have read ...
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Jellyfish Eyes Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Surprisingly Unsurprising
By Steve Geise |
The most surprising thing about unconventional artist Takashi Murakami's first feature-length directorial effort is that it is entirely conventional. Based ...
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Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Glimpses into the Heart of the Artist
By Mat Brewster |
By the time Bob Dylan toured England in the Spring of 1965, he’d released five albums (two of which went ...
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A Special Day Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Special Performances from Italian Screen Legends
By Steve Geise |
The setup for this Italian film is deceptively simple, but belies the impact of the performances by its two stars, ...
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The Honeymoon Killers Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Striking Portrait of Isolation
By Dusty Somers |
The only film ever directed by opera composer Leonard Kastle, The Honeymoon Killers wears its influences on its sleeve, but ...
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Two Days, One Night Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Devastatingly Beautiful
By Mat Brewster |
In the industrial town of Seraing, Belgium, Sandra (Marion Cotillard) has been on sick leave from her manufacturing job after ...
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The French Lieutenant’s Woman Criterion Collection Review: Parallel Tales Rooted in Forbidden Passions
By Lorna Miller |
Based on the John Fowles novel, The French Lieutenant's Woman tells parallel tales rooted in forbidden passions and the complexity ...
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My Beautiful Laundrette Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Film Stands the Test of Time
By Davy |
When discussing some of the most influential LGBT films, Stephen Frears' 1985 modern classic My Beautiful Laundrette usually is one ...
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Limelight Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Chaplin’s Coda
By Shawn Bourdo |
My Chaplin journey hasn't been linear. I didn't start with the silent shorts and work my way through The Kid ...
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Here Is Your Life Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: An Engrossing and Enervating Debut
By Dusty Somers |
A film that's both engrossing and enervating at turns, Here is Your Life kicked off the feature-film career of Swedish ...
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The Killers (1946) / (1964) Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: An Intriguing Double Feature
By Gordon S. Miller |
Like taking a comparative literature class, The Killers from the Criterion Collection offers a great opportunity to see how artists ...
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Five Easy Pieces Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: One Easy Role to Nicholson’s Stardom
By Steve Geise |
A year removed from his breakout supporting turn in Easy Rider, Jack Nicholson moved to headliner status in this 1970 ...
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The Friends of Eddie Coyle Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Crime, Lowkey, and Unsentimental
By Kent Conrad |
Released about a year after Coppola's crime epic, The Godfather, The Friends of Eddie Coyle was seen by some critics ...
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Odd Man Out Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Deft and Thrilling Storytelling
By Davy |
There have been many films about personal and conflicted crisis of conscience, such as American Beauty (1999), The Apostle (1997), ...
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A Brief History of Time Criterion Collection Review: A Quirky, Idiosyncratic Tribute
By Davy |
Everyone knows the story of Stephen Hawking, the iconic physicist, cosmologist, author, and director of research. They also know that ...
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The Thin Blue Line Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Paradigm Shift
By Shawn Bourdo |
Rarely do you watch a film and actually pinpoint where a genre actually changes. You watch Clerks or Pulp Fiction ...
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