The Criterion Collection isn’t like, a director, but I know there are people out here who treat it like the end-all be-all. I’d just suggest finding a filmmaker you like within the collection and going from there.
Recommendations always being easier if we have some idea of films you already like so that the recommender can bridge influences and interests with the styles the recommendee is already familiar with or enjoys. Are there no titles you’ve already seen, and if so, how’d you like ’em?
—PolarisDiB
Seems you’re fresh off the boat in the land of criterion. Who are your favorite directors?
I am just going to say Seven Samurai because it’s both a great movie, and Criterion did a great job with it.
My favorite directors are:
Richard Linklater
Akira Kurosawa
Steven Soderbergh
Wes Anderson
The Criterion Collection isn’t like, a director, but I know there are people out here who treat it like the end-all be-all
Ain’t that the truth, Jake. It really gets my goat.
Well, if you haven’t already seen Rashomon or Throne of Blood or Seven Samurai, go for these three.
8 1/2
Tokyo Story
La Regle du Jeu
M
The Seventh Seal
Sansho Dayu
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Pickpocket
The Earrings of Madame de . . .
Stagecoach
Stranger Than Paradise
Simple: ignore Criterion and just watch what you want to regardless of who distributes it. Criterion is just a fucking corporation that distributes financially lucrative foreign and domestic films like every other DVD publishing company, even if at the moment it’s the favorite shelf decoration of those who want to appear cultured.
StayPuft, add a bunch of movies to your favorites in your profile which may help people recommend movies to you.
Matt has some good recommendations and I would also add:
Brazil
Le Cercle Rouge
Children of Paradise
Chungking Express
Close-up
Coup de Torchon
The Discreet Charm of Bourgeoisie
Divorce Italian Style
The Element of Crime
Forbidden Games
Good Morning
Hands over the City
High and Low
The Lady Eve
Life of Brian
Nights of Cabiria
Rififi
Sullivan’s Travels
Unfaithfully Yours
Wings of Desire
Okay Bruce but lets face it… If you are a cinephile, chances are you’ll love many of the films in the Criterion collection. And they offer definitive versions of most of these films…so why not buy them? We all know that the quality of a source can greatly affect our response to a film, a piece of music, etc. As for collecting them, people collect all sorts of stuff, a lot of which serves no practical use whatsoever. Maybe some just want to appear to be cultured but considering the lack of culture in our society you shouldn’t be so critical. Look around and see what passes for art these days. Even if customers have false motives, they are supporting Criterion and keeping great films commercially relevant. It beats the hell out of scrounging for 10th generation bootlegs.
I would not consider Dillinger is Dead and A Nos Amours financially lucrative
The points is, it’s not about Criterion, it’s about (naive?) people who think it’s a shortcut to film connoisseurship. If you only focus on Criterion you miss out on many good DVDs being released every week. Just look at dvdbeaver, for example. Expand your horizons.
But the question was not where to start. It was where to start with Criterion.
It’s almost always about Criterion, look at the threads on DVD. It would appear a lot of people focus almost exclusively on DVDs they release. That’s sad. Some of us are sick of that mentality being so prevalent. In extreme cases, it’s another form of consumer zombieism.
Uh, no one insinuated that you should only collect Criterions. Folks with large numbers of Criterion films typically have several times that number in other-label dvds.
what do many of you use as your main source for film recommendations?
trailers/excerpts, amazon reviews, prior experiences with director/crew/cast
.
“My favorite directors are:
Richard Linklater
Akira Kurosawa
Steven Soderbergh
Wes Anderson”
Well Stay Puft, I am going to operate under the assumption that you’ve already seen the Linklater, Soderbergh, and Anderson Criterions already and probably many of the Kurosawas, so I would say look at some of the Ozus and Mizoguchis, check out the Samurai trilogy and Sword of Doom, look into some of the Jim Jarmusch Criterions, and also look into some of the older American films featured like Charade and Under the Volcano. From there, if you like the extras and supplements that Criterion provides, expand slowly outward with more idiosyncratic and strange stuff such as Suzuki for Japanese and Symbiopsychotaxiplasm for American independent film, look into some of the British films they have (they have some good Powell and Pressburgers that are a good jump from Wes Anderson to Europe, from there just keep heading South maybe?), explore by nationalities or dates, and always remember that yes, there are other things besides Criterion collection DVDs to watch and when deciding between a movie that’s “In The Criterion Collection” or a movie you feel more interested in, follow your own path.
—PolarisDiB
-a lot of people focus almost exlclusively on DVDs they release-
Yeah, some do, sure, but they’re collectors, not cinephiles, so god bless ‘em. I get the point of Bruce’s post, but it makes assumptions about the OP that may be unfounded, and sounds unneccesarily angry and resentful in the mean time.
I agree with Matt. This question is like asking what is good at a particular restaurant that is well known for serving good food which the OP hasn’t visited before.
There is nothing wrong with suggesting other dishes but why give the ‘how some people only eat at this particular restaurant while ignoring other good restaurants/dishes/cuisines’ speech to a new person?
But for some people, Criterion is the only restaurant in town.
So? Let them get fat on the casual dining. They’re better off than the ones gorging on fast food, and they’re not stopping your fine dining.
I just don’t understand it. I really don’t. Who cares? Who cares what “some people” think? If you and I are debating a movie, I care what you think because we’re debating and it helps me reconsider my own opinions on the movie, but if someone else in fuck all nowhere near me doesn’t like the movie or doesn’t even know it exists in preference for something I’m not interested in, it does not affect me, at all, in any way, period. It really does not matter.
The same is true of this issue. I don’t care what anyone thinks about the Criterion Collection outside this site, but I’m glad to have people to discuss it with in this site, whether they appreciate the label or not. I’m happy that there are, potentially, people on here who are Criterion collectors and want only to watch those movies, because they have their own perspectives and probably a way of viewing and criticizing Criterion DVDs that, for instance, relate more to their presentation, special features, inclusion of certain movies, and the ways in which they regard the movies as part of the collection or not. I am also happy that there is a discussion thread recently opened up on Scream 4, because that’s cool too. I love a little American cheese on the side of my sushi sometimes. And sometimes it is really nice to be able to sit down at a familiar restaurant with a standardized menu so that I can partake in the coffee and conversation without having to focus too much on deciphering unrecognizable menu items.
I just don’t get it.
—PolarisDiB
i’m glad when Criterion release films i like because chances are nobody else has released a better version in terms of transfer, packaging and general presentation. But i agree the ‘fetish’ mentality is annoying, and there are other companies that release great dvd’s of films that Criterion would probably never bother with.
PolarisDiB: I just don’t get it.
A nooblet could take-away the same initial revelation I had.
No, not the anger, the lack of empathy or the piling on.
The thing I learned right away was that people here aren’t indifferent to all things film.
That got me motivated to stick around and learn from them.
If the OP is interested in film, stick around, it will be a bumpy and rewarding ride.
If not, like you said, who cares?
“I just don’t get it.”
Well, it could probably have been stated in a nicer way, but if someone tells me there thinking about getting into “some of those HBO shows” and asks for recommendations I’m probably going to suggest they just get into some good shows and not worry about labels and logos. Regardless of how good a company’s product may be focusing on a label without always considering other factors is basically a weird digression to the “make mine Marvel” comic book mentality of the sixties. Yes the assumption is that since you’ve read so many good Marvel comics you’re basically saying “make mine good,” but it’s better for your soul if you just say “make mine good” and leave the “Marvel” out of the though process.
Even if someone is buying all my favorite films on Criterion, if they are only buying them because of the little CC it’s not any different than “make mine Marvel” or “must see TV.” The better content of some of the Criterion films from those dumb comics and bad tv shows, more than likely, isn’t going to truly reach your heart if your value system is so deeply based on corporate influence. Then again, I suppose there’s a small chance it might.
Thanks so much guys, I recently got Paris, Texas, Throne of Blood, Brazil, Two Lane Blacktop, and M. I’m really enjoying them and have many ideas on what movies i should watch next.
Stay Puft
I was wondering what films you might recommend to someone just starting out in the criterion collection. I was on their website and a couple of films seemed interesting, just wanted to know what you guys might think.