The Criterion Collection

Throne of Blood

Akira Kurosawa

Broadcast News

James L. Brooks

Three Colors

Krzysztof Kieślowski

Metropolitan

Whit Stillman

Z

Costa-Gavras

vanbto8: “I love a good political thriller. This, I think, is a great one. I wish a film this good could be made about rotten American politics.”

Umberto D.

Vittorio De Sica

vanbto8: “I wanted to reach into the television screen and hug Umberto. It was hard to watch kindness and gentility get so crushed and not be able to help.”

This Is Spinal Tap

Rob Reiner

vanbto8: “I mean, it really might be one of the funniest movies ever made. ”

The Royal Tenenbaums

Wes Anderson

vanbto8: “I love this film. It's quirky (too much for some) but so touching by the end. Stiller's "It's been a rough year, dad" gets me every...single...time.”

Rififi

Jules Dassin

vanbto8: “I'm a sucker for heist movies and this is my favorite. Everyone agrees - and they're all correct: the heist scene here in total silence can't be beat.”

The Red Shoes

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

vanbto8: “I'm no fan of ballet, but I dig watching monstrous breakdowns on-screen. Plus, it's just insanely gorgeous. I leave this on TV, silent, at parties.”

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Peter Weir

vanbto8: “Such a strange movie. It has such...feeling. The heat emanating from the screen makes me sweat. I can't figure it out and I can't stop watching it.”

Pickup on South Street

Samuel Fuller

vanbto8: “I love Richard Widmark. I always feel like applauding when he says, "Don't you wave your flag at me." He and Fuller had big-time guts.”

Peeping Tom

Michael Powell

vanbto8: “Supremely creepy. Deeply unsettling. Difficult to believe this was made by the same Michael Powell.”

My Dinner with André

Louis Malle

vanbto8: “I had no idea I'd enjoy this movie as much as I did. It was spellbinding. I could watch a 15-part miniseries of just these two men talking.”

Monty Python’s Life of Brian

Terry Jones

vanbto8: “Their best film, in my opinion. Genius. And without being brutal toward religion at all - an amazing feat.”

Mona Lisa

Neil Jordan

vanbto8: “My first Criterion, purchased without having seen the film. Good heavens, did I feel like a genius afterward.”

The Lady Eve

Preston Sturges

vanbto8: “Perfect. I don't think one moment of this film could be improved upon. Nor could the performances of Barbara Stanwyck and Charles Coburn.”

Ikiru

Akira Kurosawa

vanbto8: “A very sad and inspiring film. I personally think everyone in the world should watch it. Twice.”

House of Games

David Mamet

vanbto8: “Personally, I love Mamet's dialogue style. And Mantegna gives a mesmerizing performance. This is such a fun movie.”

Cries and Whispers

Ingmar Bergman

vanbto8: “No way this movie could be longer than it's 91 mins. It's too painful. An exposed nerve that feels everything. Incredible.”

Children of Paradise

Marcel Carné

vanbto8: “One of the most beautiful films. After I watched it - and fell in love - I read the story of how it was filmed and it elevated the whole experience.”

Chasing Amy

Kevin Smith

vanbto8: “Still funny and shockingly blunt. As I've gotten older I've grown detached from Smith's voice, but the film holds up.”

Bicycle Thieves

Vittorio De Sica

vanbto8: “I can't understand some folks who refer to this movie as uplifting. It's soul-shattering. I feel broken after every viewing...in the best way.”

Before the Rain

Milcho Manchevski

vanbto8: “So very moving. I didn't know anything about this movie before I rented it on Netflix and instantly became a favorite.”

Andrei Rublev

Andrei Tarkovsky

vanbto8: “The forging of the bell must rank among the best scenes in film history. And the switch to color never fails to amaze.”

8½

Federico Fellini

vanbto8: “My uncle showed me this film when I was 11. It took a few years and repeated viewings to appreciate the film's style and message, but I got it.”