My Criterion Collection Selections
Wow that's quite a few "tion" words, isn't it? The Criterion Collection is one of my favorite things to ever exist. The Criterion Collection collects the most popular films and packages them with tons of exclusive extras for film lovers to enjoy. They are mastered for the greatest watching quality and new additions are made monthly. The collection has evolved as technology has changed and is currently available for streaming on Filmstruck. There is an expansive variety of directors, countries, and films to choose from.
What I love so much about the Criterion Collection are the exclusive cover art that each DVD/Blu-Ray comes with and I love the extras. They seek out commentary, extras, documentaries, behind the scenes footage and more to help the viewer enjoy the film with greater context. I've taken a lot of film classes and seen plenty of the movies available in the collection. I may also be guilty of marathon streaming movies a bunch I haven't seen on Hulu Plus before they removed them.
One really cool thing Criterion does is allow you to create a collection online of movies through My Criterion. Make lists of films you own, a wish list of movies you want, and share them with others. Plus many filmmakers and industry members make their own lists to share with everyone when you need a new suggestion.
Below are 5 of my favorite films available on Criterion. There are over 150 films available so it was quite hard to narrow down just 5 (I have many more). I also have quite a bit of feelings about Armageddon being available on Criterion...but no one really wants to hear about that.
Band of Outsiders | Jean-Luc Godard (1964) - The French New Wave is one of my favorite genres to watch. Since Pierrot le Fou is out of print, this is the next best choice. The additional features in include excerpts from a documentary with Jean-Luc Godard and behind the scenes footage.
A Hard Day's Night | Richard Lester (1964) - One of my all time favorite movies ever and the main reason I randomly say "Hey Mister, can we have our ball back???" The combination of cheeky, comedic Beatles and their performances is brilliant. I can't get enough of it. The special features here are more documentaries including 1964 interviews with the Beatles, behind the scenes footage, and an outtake performance.
Moonrise Kingdom | Wes Anderson (2012) - Everyone and their mother loves this movie. It's witty, colorful, and utterly perfect. Exclusive features are commentary with Wes Anderson, Bill Murray, Edward Norton (and more), a documentary about the making of, and Edward Norton's home movies from the set.
Frances Ha | Noah Baumback (2013) - What makes Frances Ha so unique is the black and white. It's a contrast to the films we are used to seeing and makes the movie all the more special. This edition contains a lot of conversations with filmmakers about the movie and the making of.
Blow-Up | Michelangelo Antonioni (1966) - We watched this movie in one of my film classes and I just love the idea of an unsuspecting photographer catching a murder on his camera. It combines the boredom of life with the swinging 60s of London and mystery. This was just released and I'm looking forward to watching the added documentary about the making of the film.