In June, a new set of films are joining the esteemed Criterion Collection, and they definitely make strange bedfellows. With names like John Waters, Ingmar Bergman, and Michael Moore, you can tell that the new batch of Criterion films are definitely going to feel unique from one another.
Leading off the group is the John Waters classic “Female Trouble.” Starring Waters’ muse, the one-of-a-kind Divine, “Female Trouble” is a Hollywood melodrama told through the unique viewpoint of the filmmaker. The film is regarded by Waters as his very favorite collaboration with Divine.
Joining John Waters is none other than Michael Moore, with his documentary “Bowling for Columbine.” ‘Bowling’ is a landmark documentary exploring the aftermath of the Columbine High School shooting from 1999. The Criterion release will feature an all-new documentary about Michael Moore, as well as various interviews and appearances by Moore following the film’s release in the early 2000s.
“The Virgin Spring” won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film back in 1961 and directed by the legendary Ingmar Bergman. This revenge tale joins the Criterion Collection with a brand new digital restoration and an audio commentary track by Ingmar Bergman scholar Birgitta Steene. There’s also an audio recording of a 1975 American Films Institute seminar by Bergman.
Rounding out the list of five new Criterion films are “El Sur” and “Manila in the Claws of Light.” Both films are incredible foreign films, from Spain and the Philippines, respectively. As you might expect, the films are both receiving new digital restorations, as well as a plethora of special features. “Manila in the Claws of Light” will have an introduction by filmmaker Martin Scorsese, in addition to the 1975 documentary about the making of the film. “El Sur” will have a brand new making-of featurette, an interview from 2003 with director Victor Erice, and a new English subtitle translation.
