Is there a film lover out there who hasn’t grown a little overwhelmed by the ongoing increase in streaming options? (I know I’m getting a little exhausted, personally.) Browsing fatigue is a real struggle these days (not a real one; you know, First World Problems) but how many nights have you found yourself browsing through content options endlessly, rather than actually sitting down to watch and enjoy a movie? Well, if you’re a world-cinema lover who’s interested in trying out the recently launched Criterion Channel, we’ve got you covered.
READ MORE: Filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai Confirms His Entire Filmography Will Get 4K Restorations In 2020
Forged from the fires of FilmStruck, the Criterion Collection just unveiled its own streaming service last month and perhaps the most exciting thing about it is just how many lesser known/hard to find/out of print titles are available, with just the click of a button. Curating “seasons,” “series” and double features for the most die-hard cinephiles – along with including a browsing feature, which you can sort by year, title, country, or director – the channel encourages active engagement and participation, with Criterion announcing upcoming titles a month ahead of time, that will be featured and heavily spotlighted in the weeks to come.
READ MORE: The Essentials: The Films Of Wong Kar-Wai
The problem is, where to begin? There are literally thousands of options and extras available (including some incredibly enlightening interviews with contemporary auteurs such as Barry Jenkins and Damien Chazelle). One suggestion; look up your favorite filmmakers, and you might be surprised what’s already included (such as short films that have long been difficult to track down).
READ MORE: The Essentials: David Lynch’s Best Films
One of the most frustrating (but understandable) things about Criterion is how expensive becoming a collector quickly becomes (which is why most people seem to wait for the 50% off sales to make most of their purchases). For every Wong Kar-wai fan that treasures their copy of “Chungking Express,” there is a sad cinephile who can’t afford to purchase an out of print copy (looks at eBay prices and sniffles, though hope is on the way). The good news is, the Channel’s service alleviates this issue slightly, and many close-to-impossible-to-find films are now readily available.
READ MORE: The Essentials: Krzysztof Kieslowski
We’ve put together a list of 22 very different movies you can stream right now that aren’t currently available as a regular Criterion disc on Blu-Ray or DVD and in many cases, these films can’t be easily streamed or found anywhere, period (at least through legal means). But also, take heed: Criterion generally, eventually releases what they pre-stream (see Robert Bresson‘s “L’argent,” which was available for years on Hulu when Criterion used to host their content through that streaming channel before it became a proper Criterion release). So, this list also acts as a good precursor list of titles that will eventually come to the Criterion Collection, which hopefully gets you extra excited to watch them.
“The Big Heat” – Directed by Fritz Lang
Part of the channel’s first ‘season,’ (the Columbia Noir series) “The Big Heat” is one of two hard-boiled genre pictures the renowned German director, Fritz Lang, made under the studio banner starring Glenn Ford (“Gilda”) and Gloria Grahame (“In A Lonely Place”); the second being “Human Desire” (the third adaptation of a story previously brought to life by French filmmaker, Jean Renoir, in “La Bête Humaine”). Of the two, ‘Heat’ is the one to watch (Renoir’s screen translation of the latter, in which the train acts as a character, trumps Lang’s take). Ford plays a cop who tussles with a mob lieutenant, played by Lee Marvin (“Point Blank”), Grahame’s husband. Marvin is a perfectly cast player, turning in the best kind of rough and tough supporting performance, and the film’s climax remains one of the most intense displays of expressive noir action ever to grace the silver screen.
“The Cars That Ate Paris” – Directed by Peter Weir
The Australian auteur who was driving the wheel behind the scenes of “The Truman Show” made his directorial debut with a small-scale horror comedy about a town that orchestrates car accidents. While he would later become known for grandiose emotional pictures – such as “Dead Poet’s Society,” and “Gallipoli” – Peter Weir launched his career with a movie that was a little bit carnivalesque, with a smidgen of Cronenberg (“Crash”, no not the Paul Haggis version). Critics weren’t exactly sure what to make of his first effort and the film remains one of Weir’s lesser-known entries, but it most certainly helped make his voice known. Sadly, his talent seems to have been worn down by the studio system over the years. He arguably hasn’t made a good movie in over a decade (“Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” man, that title is a mouthful, still); if it weren’t for Ed Harris’ performance, some people probably wouldn’t even remember that “The Way Back” even got a proper release.
“Come and See” – Directed by Elem Klimov
Elem Klimov’s “Come and See” is a deep dive into the Soviet depths of despair and the kind of masterpiece one doesn’t find themselves revisiting very regularly. Following a boy named Flyora and his utterly unrelenting war-time experiences, the film arguably makes Steven Spielberg’s similarly themed pictures look incredibly tame by comparison – as if every sequence in “War Horse” was just as disturbing as the most horrifying “Schindler’s List” scenes, and more effective. Hailed by critics as one of the greatest films ever made – as well as landing the #6 spot on Letterboxd’s highest rated movies list – “Come and See” was Klimov’s last movie, and the one that he is most certainly remembered for impressing upon the cinematic world. His final work is an epic portrait of hate and anguish, and a film that is also in desperate need of a definitive restoration (hint hint, Criterion).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLjuY1LeWMY
“Old Joy” – Directed by Kelly Reichardt
Reportedly shot for under $50,000 and featuring an original score from Yo La Tengo, director Kelly Reichhardt’s second feature-length film is a road movie about memory and alienation, following 2 friends who reunite for a camping trip. Championed by some critics and one of the finest films of the year, “Old Joy” established Reichardt as an artist that emphasizes an emotional journey over storytelling satisfaction. She’s a director who values sincerity and capturing the quietest moments of closed-off feeling (“Certain Women”). Despite how grounded her work tends to be, there is still a transcendent quality to it, which is perhaps what makes her simple techniques so powerful and distinct. Over 10 years passed between Reichardt’s debut and her follow-up; she made a trio of short films in that time, but it’s telling how much time and care she puts into her cinematic efforts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkdJV1X4fwI
“The Elephant Man” – Directed by David Lynch
Arguably perhaps the most normal movie the ever-original David Lynch has ever directed – which very well could be a thematic extension on the nature of normalcy – the oddball filmmaker’s sophomore vision was hailed (surprisingly, in hindsight) by critics and audiences alike. John Hurt received universal acclaim for playing John Merrick (based on real-life figure Joseph Merrick), a man born with physical deformities that are seen by our black and white world as a horrid freak show act. Lynch uses his style to emphasize how gruesome the general public treat a man they see as a monster. The film is haunting and depressing, yet all types responded to it. Unlike his sand wormy follow-up, which we all hope Denis Villeneuve helps us forget about.
