The Criterion Collection

3 Women

Robert Altman

stephen: “Something you may not understand the first time through, but it's worth seeing again to find out. Shelley Duvall gives her best non-screaming role.”

The 39 Steps

Alfred Hitchcock

stephen: “A quaint little thriller. Has all the charm and with you'd associate with it being English and a healthy dose of spies and intrigue. A good time.”

The 400 Blows

François Truffaut

stephen: “Perfect.”

8½

Federico Fellini

stephen: “Thoughtful, funny, and damn near ridiculous at times. A trip through Fellini's own personal problems told in a completely original way. Classic.”

Alphaville

Jean-Luc Godard

stephen: “If you're looking for something to fall asleep to...”

Amarcord

Federico Fellini

stephen: “A charming love letter to his own youth, Fellini delivers another great film. The color in this is amazing.”

Anatomy of a Murder

Otto Preminger

And Everything Is Going Fine

Steven Soderbergh

stephen: “Fairly in-depth considering it's all archive material. Spalding Gray comes off as distant at times, but fascinating nonetheless. Good blind buy. ”

Antichrist

Lars von Trier

stephen: “One hell of a ride. There's much more to it than what you may have heard. See it twice. At least.”

Army of Shadows

Jean-Pierre Melville

stephen: “My favorite Melville. It keeps you on the edge of your seat then entire time. Brilliant.”

Au revoir les enfants

Louis Malle

stephen: “Heartwarming as well as heartbreaking. A brilliant film about friendship and the loss of innocence.”

Badlands

Terrence Malick

stephen: “Malick starting off with a bang. Stands in contrast to his other films, but it's well done and enjoyable. Spacek and Sheen shine as the young lovers.”

Beauty and the Beast

Jean Cocteau

stephen: “Such a unique and beautifully told version of the story. The effects are as magical as the fairy tale. A very artistic yet completely enjoyable one.”

Beauty and the Beast

Jean Cocteau

stephen: “Such a unique and beautifully told version of the story. The effects are as magical as the fairy tale. A very artistic yet completely enjoyable one.”

Being John Malkovich

Spike Jonze

Belle de jour

Luis Buñuel

stephen: “Less scandalous than I thought it would be. Even for the time. At times a stretch from the source material, but an interesting movie nonetheless.”

Bigger Than Life

Nicholas Ray

stephen: “James Mason is the most charming evil father of all time. Clearly not American...but fantastic nonetheless. A product of its time, but worth seeing.”

Black Moon

Louis Malle

stephen: “100 minutes of pure WTF. Definitely needs more than one viewing. There's something there, not quite sure what it is yet.”

Black Narcissus

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

stephen: “Crazy nun, mountaintop vistas, and fantastic color. A combination that yields a tense and lush story. Powell & Pressburger knock it out of the park.”

The Blob

Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.

stephen: “I'm sure this was terrifying at one point. Now it's something to laugh at on a local station's midnight movie. Steve McQueen as a teenager...right. ”

Bottle Rocket

Wes Anderson

stephen: “You get to see where the quirky and exact details of the Wes Anderson world began. It's a bit thin for the length story-wise, but still a good one. ”

Breathless

Jean-Luc Godard

stephen: “Probably the most accessible Godard and, in my opinion, the most important. The French New Wave starts here, so catch it and take the ride.”

Brief Encounter

David Lean

stephen: “Lean and Coward make magic together. Completely British, completely brilliant. Just wish it wasn't so brief.”

Broadcast News

James L. Brooks

stephen: “Unsatisfying ending aside, it's as enjoyable as almost any other James L. Brooks movie. The core trio are great. Broad comedy but with feeling. ”

Carlos

Olivier Assayas

stephen: “Maybe my expectations were too high. Great performance by Ramirez. A bit weighed down with material, but I can't put my finger on what's over done.”

Le cercle rouge

Jean-Pierre Melville

Certified Copy

Abbas Kiarostami

stephen: “A riddle of a movie that I'm more than willing to come back to and watch again (and again). Stellar performance from Binoche. Worth picking up.”

Children of Paradise

Marcel Carné

A Christmas Tale

Arnaud Desplechin

stephen: “A movie that perfectly depicts the chaos of family and the holidays. A mash-up of styles and ideas that, just like your family, somehow works.”

Chungking Express

Wong Kar-wai

Close-up

Abbas Kiarostami

stephen: “I take issue with this movie for a couple reasons, but it's worth a rental.”

The Complete Jean Vigo

stephen: “See some of the roots of the French New Wave. These films range from children's fantasy to social criticism to marriage drama. Worth seeing. ”

The Complete Mr. Arkadin

Orson Welles

stephen: “A pretty good mess. In whatever version you see this, it's at least entertaining, but it doesn't reach the level of other Welles films. See it. ”

Contempt

Jean-Luc Godard

stephen: “Another Godard where so many seemingly disparate elements get pulled into the same story. A tough look at marriage, filmmaking, and business.”

Coup de torchon

Bertrand Tavernier

Cries and Whispers

Ingmar Bergman

stephen: “A personal favorite. Beautiful, deep reds fill this movie. A tough story at times, but one that says so much by the end. An emotional trip.”

Cul-de-sac

Roman Polanski

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

David Fincher

stephen: “An impressive film to look at. The performances are pretty good all around. It just gets to be too long by the end.”

The Darjeeling Limited

Wes Anderson

stephen: “A little bit deeper than the other Anderson films in the collection. Nice to see some growth. The scenery, colors, and cinematography are amazing. ”

Days of Heaven

Terrence Malick

stephen: “An interesting beginning to the style that will define the rest of Malick's work. Beautiful camera work using natural light. Poetic filmmaking. ”

Days of Heaven

Terrence Malick

stephen: “An interesting beginning to the style that will define the rest of Malick's work. Beautiful camera work using natural light. Poetic filmmaking. ”

Dazed and Confused

Richard Linklater

stephen: “An often funny and somewhat insightful movie about being young. Mostly good performances, the best and most memorable McConaughey performance.”

Design for Living

Ernst Lubitsch

stephen: “A real treat. ”

The Double Life of Véronique

Krzysztof Kieślowski

stephen: “A confusing but charming dream that leaves you with more questions than answers. Some of the finest color photography you'll get a chance to take in.”

Le doulos

Jean-Pierre Melville

Down by Law

Jim Jarmusch

Eating Raoul

Paul Bartel

stephen: “Perfectly campy and a nice slice of black comedy. If you can't find something to laugh at in this then I'm not sure what would make you laugh.”

Eclipse Series 1: Early Bergman

stephen: “It's Bergman. It's good. Just watch it.”

Eclipse Series 2: The Documentaries of Louis Malle

Louis Malle

Eclipse Series 3: Late Ozu

Yasujiro Ozu

Eclipse Series 4: Raymond Bernard

Raymond Bernard

stephen: “This set has the best adaptation of Les Mis. available. Wooden Crosses is a masterpiece. Buy the set and learn something about quality filmmaking.”

Eclipse Series 5: The First Films of Samuel Fuller

Samuel Fuller

stephen: “A set of movies that doesn't pull any punches. It is Samuel Fuller after all.”

Eclipse Series 6: Carlos Saura’s Flamenco Trilogy

Carlos Saura

Everlasting Moments

Jan Troell

stephen: “A portrait of a woman's life, or lack thereof, that doesn't shy away from the tougher details. A movie about the freeing power of creating something.”

F for Fake

Orson Welles

The Fallen Idol

Carol Reed

stephen: “There are some interesting characters and a story that would've been better served by a bit more time and twist(s). Overly simple in the end.”

Fanny and Alexander Box Set

Ingmar Bergman

stephen: “Worth double dipping for the new Blu ray edition.”

Fanny and Alexander Box Set

Ingmar Bergman

stephen: “Pure magic. One of the best films and editions in the entire collection. See what family holidays are supposed to be like...minus the child abuse.”

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Terry Gilliam

stephen: “The best Johnny Depp role. Del Toro is perfect as the supporting bit of crazy. All the insanity of a Thompson story translated to the screen. ”

Fish Tank

Andrea Arnold

stephen: “A movie that hinges on the lead performance to succeed. It does. Funny one minute and depressing the next. A very interesting experience.”