The physical media market has never been better than it is now. So many ways to watch films, in the best way possible, the only thing holding you back is the financial weight of a premium Blu-Ray release. It is a tough ask to pay $39.99 plus tax for one movie that you may or may not enjoy (I get it!). Do you go to Rotten Tomatoes? Do you go to the depths of the Ebert archives – which isn’t a bad option. Well, I’ve spent my dinero on a plethora of Criterion releases so you don’t have to. I’m going to list 10 Criterion releases that you should check out that aren’t the heavy hitters like Uncut Gems, Killers of the Flower Moon, or Pee-Wees’s Big Adventure. If you learn about a new film from this list or maybe I pushed you to finally get that film you’ve been debating on buying, comment below!
1. Loves of a Blonde
Miloš Forman is one of cinema’s most important figures and a major player in the Czech New Wave film movement. While Criterion does offer Daisies, Diamonds of the Night, and Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, I do think Loves of a Blonde is the more underrated of the bunch. This film is incredibly funny and is oddly relevant to today’s American culture despite it being both Czech and very much not from today. Even though you can peel away at the exterior and find a filmmaker clenching his fist at the fascist rule of his time, the film at face value is just about miscommunication between a girl and a boy’s relationship after a brief fling. The film is a crisp 82 minutes, and since it is still in an older format you can get it at a much cheaper price than most films on this list. Skip the Chipotle for lunch and just grab this for ~$15. This film is currently best available on DVD.
2. The Wages of Fear
Although people may know its American remake more, Sorcerer (also a Criterion release), The Wages of Fear is the anti-Prozac in cinematic form. While most modern thrillers are more aggressive and fast paced in thrill propulsion, The Wages of Fear achieves a level of thrill by taking it slow. A scene with a wooden road extension along a hill left me wound up well after the scene had concluded. The crazy part, you can go in having seen Sorcerer (and the beats are basically the same between the two films) and you’ll still be on the edge of your seat. The Wages of Fear is that good. This film is best available on 4K Ultra HD.
3. Menace II Society
My two favorite performances by an actor belong to Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon and Larenz Tate in Menace II Society. When this was announced as part of the opening slate of Criterion’s 4K releases I was incredibly excited. I’m sure most people were over the moon for Citizen Kane and The Piano, but this is one of the best films ever made. This film is devastating but also weirdly inviting. You are in the Hughes Brothers’ hands for the duration of the film and when tragedy strikes you feel it in a way only true masters of the form are capable of doing. I don’t want to give anything away, but this is an incredible film that I think doesn’t get enough love. Even now, with the new box set from the brilliant John Singleton, people will probably flock to Boyz N The Hood since it’s the more commercially popular film but if you haven’t seen Menace II Society I implore you that you give it a shot. This film is best available on 4K Ultra HD.
4. Le Samouraï
I have a soft spot for Le Samouraï. Maybe it’s the Metal Gear fan in me, or just the slick filmmaking but no one has ever been cooler than Alain Delon in this film. Melville’s films are all incredibly sly and stylish without being incredibly loud or excessive, but the simplicity in Le Samouraï works well for me. I don’t think you could go wrong with any Melville films in the collection – hell, if you needed a reason to go pick up Le Cercle Rouge, do it. But personally, I’ll stick with Le Samouraï. This film is best available on 4K Ultra HD.
5. A Confucian Confusion / Mahjong: Two Films by Edward Yang
Edward Yang is one of cinema’s greatest directors yet his works are only recently becoming more and more accessible. Obviously Yi Yi is the film everyone knows from him, but A Confucian Confusion and Mahjong are both equally as incredible. Yi Yi and A Brighter Summer Day have a more somber and intimate approach to their material, but A Confucian Confusion and Mahjong tackle serious material while being lively and more urbanized. Edward Yang’s approach to blocking is one of a kind and despite utilizing distance in a variety of his scenes you feel drawn into the scene, as if you’re a fly on the wall. I’m enamored with these films and I can talk extensively about them – these should be on your list this month. Last bit here, Mahjong has the best burp in all of cinema. This set of films is currently available on Blu-Ray.
6. Two-Lane Blacktop
When I first saw this film I was at an ‘art house theater’ in San Antonio. In reality the ‘theater’ is just a one room art exhibit with a projector and various chairs of shapes and sizes – sort of like an overglorified living room. The charm factor was throttling off, and this film only drove it further (see what I did there?). This film stars James Taylor, the musician, and Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson in their only acting roles, about two drag racers in a cross country race against Warren Oates’s GTO. The winner of the race would get the loser’s car. I’ve rarely seen this movie discussed but this is without a doubt one of the best road movies I’ve ever seen. Yes, even better than the excellent Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. You would not go wrong picking this up. This film is currently best available on Blu-Ray.
7. The War Room
While I would go out of my way to recommend Hoop Dreams, I feel like the praise for that is head and shoulders above most documentaries in the Criterion Collection. With that said, the assortment of documentaries revolving around American politics are relatively few in the Collection and I think The War Room is a great capsule from the 1992 presidential election. Furthermore, anyone looking to dive into documentaries should AT LEAST see one from D.A. Pennebaker. Even though they only got approval after the Democratic primaries, they made the remainder of the election cycle incredibly enthralling and suspenseful. Obviously, we know that Bill Clinton wins this election, but the scene where the team is waiting for the election results is nail biting – the tension is strong enough to make you forget that he won. This film is currently best available on Blu-Ray.
8. Badlands
I won’t pretend I’m the biggest Terrence Malick fan – Badlands is the only film I’ve seen from him so far. But Badlands. PHEW, Badlands. That is a movie. 1970s Martin Sheen was able to display some of the most evil individuals on film with this and Apocalypse Now. While you fall into the rabbit hole of consequences for Sheen, there’s still a monstrously tender film underneath. The sequence using “A Blossom Fell” by Nat “King” Cole is incredible, somehow making me feel for Sheen’s morally depraved character Kit. While most films or TV shows about killers make you feel the sludge of depravity, this film rides along the balance beam of morality while never promoting the actions committed. This is truly one of a kind film that I can toss on anytime, any day. This film is currently best available on Blu-Ray.
9. A Hard Day’s Night
Criterion has a handful of really excellent music-related films, mostly documentaries. Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser, Gimme Shelter, and the box set The Complete Monterey Pop Festival are all great options to scratch your itch, but A Hard Day’s Night is incredibly charming and is a great deviation from the typical music films you see. While it isn’t entirely out of left field for musicians to star in films (look at The Rat Pack for example), I can’t recall a film starring a band where the film’s material is just promo for an album release. The Beatles were filled with personality and even if you aren’t a fan of their music the film is still incredibly fun. You wouldn’t regret going this route if you’re itching to get your music fix. This film is best available on 4K Ultra HD.
10. The In-Laws
I’ve written about this film before, specifically about buying the Criterion release of it. The In-Laws is one of my all time favorite films and I only discovered it through Criterion and comedians that recommended the film. You cannot go wrong with this film, every time I go to Barnes & Noble during their sales I always see a copy collecting dust on the shelf and if I could I would take it away from its dusty spot and place it next to the copy I already have. That sounds foolish, but this movie is that good. I won’t dig too deep into it, some of the stuff in it hasn’t aged entirely well, but it’s still worth every second of your time. Go buy this film! This film is currently best available on Blu-Ray.
Give these a shot, if you picked any of these up and enjoyed what you saw let me know!! Otherwise, enjoy the sale this month!
