The Criterion Collection
The writer, director, and actor returns to the Criterion Closet, where he shares how he and cinematographer Maceo Bishop studied documentaries like The War Room when making their new film The Smashing Machine, shouts out the singular performances in Carnal...
The playwright and actor praises Do the Right Thing as the best film of the eighties, talks about the comfort of watching his favorite westerns, and selects Chicago cinema classics like Hoop Dreams and love jones.
The writer and director talks about the influence of Samuel Fuller’s films on his own, shares what makes Fat Girl so viscerally devastating, and praises the legendary work of Youssef Chahine.
The writer, director, and actor reminisces about encountering The Before Trilogy for the first time, describes a technically innovative shot from Lone Star, and shares how the structure of Chantal Akerman’s early films inspired his own filmmaking.
The writer, director, and actor talks about the formative influence of Richard Linklater and the Coen brothers, does his best impression of Brenda Blethyn in Secrets & Lies, and shares why Close-up transcends the bounds of cinema.
The composer, producer, and performer shares what he learned from La Bamba, talks about seeing his community reflected in Menace II Society, and praises the vibrancy of Black Orpheus.
The writer and director talks about the influence of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, shares his love for Original Cast Album: “Company,” and takes his chances on a series of blind selections.
The legendary musician, filmmaker, and visual artist talks about The Color of Pomegranates and how it challenges the idea of what a film can be, shouts out Neil Young’s Dead Man score, and shares his affection for the sentimentality in...
The actor and filmmaker selects favorites like Touki Bouki, Memories of Underdevelopment, and Accattone; shouts out his recent collaborator Claire Denis; and discovers his own work on our shelves.
The filmmaker talks about the hypnotic quality of L’avventura, praises Alan J. Pakula’s Paranoia Trilogy, and shares how David Fincher’s The Game helped kickstart his career.