The Criterion Collection

L’avventura

Michelangelo Antonioni

John Douglass: “I love the modernism of this movie and that it refuses to answer the narrative question we're asking throughout. This was a gateway film for me.”

Two-Lane Blacktop

Monte Hellman

John Douglass: “Very American for such a French film. Or very French for such an American film. I can't figure which.”

This Is Spinal Tap

Rob Reiner

John Douglass: “goes to 11”

The Thin Red Line

Terrence Malick

John Douglass: “A lovely natural poem set amidst a bloody war.”

Sweet Smell of Success

Alexander Mackendrick

John Douglass: “When I think of New York in movies, I think of Mackendrick's masterpiece. The nighttime cinematography is gloriously humid.”

Playtime

Jacques Tati

John Douglass: “Perfect.”

Pierrot le fou

Jean-Luc Godard

John Douglass: “Godard = my favorite. This = my favorite Godard. Playful, violent, formal, colorful, musical, wonderful.”

Pickup on South Street

Samuel Fuller

John Douglass: “Fantastic Cold War noir. Widmark, Ritter, Peters, I just love them in this. So raw and gritty.”

Night on Earth

Jim Jarmusch

John Douglass: “I'm "John from Parts Unknown" in the questions for Jarmush feature. My question explains much of my love for this. ”

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

John Cassavetes

John Douglass: “Gazzara gives my favorite performance by an actor in a film. I would pair this with "A Woman Under The Influence" in which Rowlands is 2nd by a hair.”

The Killer

John Woo

John Douglass: “#FYeahJohnWoo”

Chungking Express

Wong Kar-wai

John Douglass: “This movie romantacized an escalator to the point that I took a vacation to Hong Kong to ride that escalator. My gateway drug to Wong, and I'm hooked.”

A Christmas Tale

Arnaud Desplechin

John Douglass: “My favorite Christmas movie. Offbeat, well-acted, and has a place on my Criterion Ten....until they acquire and release Desplechin's "Kings and Queen"”

Certified Copy

Abbas Kiarostami

John Douglass: “Structurally, I love this movie. It's a nice little riddle to have rolling around between your ears. Doesn't hurt that Binoche is in about 90% of it.”

Bottle Rocket

Wes Anderson

John Douglass: “Before Anderson's characters needed uniforms and his films were overrun by set dressing, he was a great teller of this offbeat, simple story.”

Beastie Boys Video Anthology

Various

John Douglass: “I don't think anyone had a bigger influence (for better and worse) on pop culture over the past couple decades than the Beastie Boys. ”

Au hasard Balthazar

Robert Bresson