Era, I'm signing up for The Criterion Channel. Recommend me some movies.

[Quinton]

I'm looking forward to checking out a ton of Kurosawa-era Japanese movies. World War II movies. Historical movies in general. Noir. But the classics from every decade, really. There's a lot here and it would be helpful if some folks told me their faves.

I've certainly seen some of the above stuff before but I'm not going to limit y'all from posting recommendations that others may perhaps benefit from as well!

 

[Yerffej]

Was thinking of making this thread myself so...subbed.

 

[Pikachu]

how many movies can i binge before the criterion channel trial ends

Started on the morning of June 20, 2020. 14 days. Update: I decided to do a month sub so I've fallen off in the final days of this experiment. Would have been higher if I didn't do the sub. Anyway, a movie a day is insane, don't ever do it. Update 2: This list is now complete.

letterboxd.com

i made this for you

 

[Dest]

Was thinking of making this thread myself so...subbed.

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Same.

 

[Rosebud]

Harakiri is probably my favorite Japanese movie

 

[teague]

Gotta do In the Mood for Love and Chungking Express

 

[swimming]

HOUSE (1977)

 

[SteveWinwood]

You missed what might be my favorite movie by one day! Paths of Glory is incredible and it just left.

I end up just going through the what's leaving list every month and picking stuff out of that. It's a bad cycle but I can't stop.

I would generally advocate just picking almost anything (if you're comfortable with experimental, "artsy", old, or foreign films, which I'm going to assume you are because you're subscribing to the Criterion Channel) that looks interesting. I've watched hundreds of movies on there and I've never regretted watching something, which can definitely not be said for literally any other streaming service I've ever used. It's literally all good, interesting, or influential in some way or else it wouldn't be on there (okay there have been two films that I thought were largely... fine but I still think about them and talk about them so I definitely got something out of them). There are so many weird and amazing things on there.

But if you're trying to get your money's worth and just get through the hits there is a whole category on there called Essential Art House you should check out, it's got the stuff that's most "criterion-y". Definitely look into most of their curated lists, they're pretty good.

I can definitely see how it might all be really overwhelming though.

 

[teague]

But if you're trying to get your money's worth and just get through the hits there is a whole category on there called Essential Art House you should check out. Definitely look into most of their curated lists, they're pretty good.

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Yeah, I agree with this 100%

 

[Jeremy]

They just added this black comedy masterpiece:

 

[Mandos]

Son of Godzilla of course
I'm kidding, I'm kidding, anything but that

 

[msdstc]

If you're a fan of drive, you should definitely watch thief (1981) directed by michael mann

 

[SteveWinwood]

If you're a fan of drive, you should definitely watch thief (1981) directed by michael mann

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Not on the Channel sadly :(

I think it's on HBO max though.

 

[Clov]

Son of Godzilla of course
I'm kidding, I'm kidding, anything but that

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Son of Godzilla rules! It's no Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster, but it's still very fun!

Anyway, I'd recommend checking out The Sword of Doom.

 

[Gernau Morat Gurgeh]

Ran and Throne of Blood

 

[meph]

Movies rotate in and out, so watch out. Almodovar came and went in a month.

- Harakiri
- The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
- Taipei Story
- High and Low
- Yi Yi
- Chungking Express
- Tampopo

 

[J_Viper]

Tokyo Drifter
Stalker
Lady Vengeance, if you have the stomach for it
Le Samourai
Police Story

That is only name a few.

Criterion has so much great content, perhaps too much.

 

[SpotAnime]

Great decision, OP. I was thinking about it bit ended up getting HBO Max, which has a fair amount of the Criterion library available. I still buy physical media for the movies I really want for the supplemental material.

As far as Japanese movies, Lady Snowblood and Lone Wolf and Cub might be good for you.

Also, Black Orpheus is incredible and timely, as it takes place during Carnival. The scenery and vistas in that film just take me to another place. I watch it every Spring, it's like a right of passage for me.

 

[laikalot]

Eyes Without a Face
Judex

 

[More_Badass]

Watch the Lone Wolf & Cub movies; you'll thank me later

 

[captscience]

Check out Come and See since you're looking for WWII films.

 

[SteveWinwood]

Check out Come and See since you're looking for WWII films.

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Be prepared. It's intense. And that's kind of an understatement.

 

[Moppeh]

It's so well curated, I'd suggest that watching whatever appeals to you. Just about everything on there is worth seeing.

It's been said already but Essential Art House is a great starting point.

 

[Jegriva]

Probably the greatest italian movie of all time. It would be very healthy for non-italian people to learn some directors not named "Leon" or "Fellini" for a change.

Several great films of this era showed a bleak vision of Italy at the peak of its economic boom. La dolce vita, probably the most iconic among them, was a magniloquent fresco of hell in the clothing of paradise. Risi dared something different: a provocative grimace of a film that hides a sudden, inextinguishable anguish in its ride through illusory pleasure. However, despite its nihilist portrait of Italian weakness, Il sorpasso reveals a sincere quest for redemption. And this was the ultimate element that audiences, perhaps unconsciously, embraced—it went beyond the admiration for the perfect depiction of the Italian spirit, the exhilarating moments of pure comedy, and the fascination with the locations, the music, the car, and everything else that showed how Italy was changing while remaining always the same.

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Il sorpasso: Italy, Dark and Light

The Italian cinema expert describes the immense popularity of Dino Risi’s film in its home country, and the way it deepened the commedia all’italiana genre.

www.criterion.com

 

[meowdi gras]

What sort of movies do you like, OP? Are you into experimental/art-house sort of stuff? Or do you prefer more mainstream narrative styles?

This is important context to elicit the right kind of recommendations.

 

[Tavernade]

Harakiri is probably my favorite Japanese movie

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Yes.

HOUSE (1977)

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Double yes.

With the two GOATs covered, some deeper cuts from Criterion I adore:

The Human Condition Trilogy (1959)
Is it possible for man to be good? Is it possible for war to be just? An idealistic Japanese man is sent to Manchuria and determines he will run a slave labor camp in a morally right way. Things go poorly.

Twenty-Four Eyes (1954)
A new teacher watches as her students, and Japan, deal with the some of the most traumatic decades in modern history. Starts off as a cute family movie then spirals rapidly as things go from bad to worse.

Kwaidan (1964)
Do you like ghost stories? Do you like art? Well I got art all over your ghost stories, I hope you like them.

Dawson City Frozen Time (2016)
A bunch of old nitrate films found in a frozen pool tell the story of the twenty first century, America, and the creation and evolution of film itself.

A Legend or Was It? (1963)
What if Harakiri was a scathing rebuke of wartime civilian submissiveness to authority? And had female leads?

Moonlight Serenade (1997)
I saw it described as 'Titanic but Japanese' and it kinda is, an epic and sprawling historical drama about a family trying to go back to normal after WW2 (and spend a lot of time on a boat).

Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (1975)
Do not look up anything just watch it.

And just real quick recommendations: Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Thick Walled Room, Morning for the Osone Family, Fantastic Planet, Farewell to Dream, I Live In Fear, Narayama, Ugetsu, Dear Zachary, M, and Carnival of Souls.

 

[cvbas]

A very good Brazilian movie. Don't watch any trailers and don't read any summaries. It's pretty wild.

 

[beelulzebub]

HOUSE (1977)

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+1

Will be adding stuff recommended to my queue here. Criterion also has a lot of artist top ten lists on their site, so if you want to see what directors like Guillermo Del Toro or Martin Scorsese would pick from the Criterion collection, that's an option for you too.

 

[Kamagii]

Throne of Blood
Ikiru
guillermo del toro( pans labyrinth / cronos/ devils back bone)
Sword of Doom

 

[Deleted member 11637]

Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (1975)
Do not look up anything just watch it.

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Ah, a man of culture I see :)


Yojimbo is a movie that doesn't feel like homework, it's just fucking great from minute 1. It's the earliest "cool" Western movie with outstanding anamorphic cinematography.

Sword of Doom is also brilliant, a samurai film where the main character is an unrepentant piece of shit.

And The Face of Another is a trippy American Psycho-esque thriller that also holds up extremely well for modern audiences.

 

[Moppeh]

Probably the greatest italian movie of all time. It would be very healthy for non-italian people to learn some directors not named "Leon" or "Fellini" for a change.

Il sorpasso: Italy, Dark and Light

The Italian cinema expert describes the immense popularity of Dino Risi’s film in its home country, and the way it deepened the commedia all’italiana genre.

www.criterion.com

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I'm going to have to check this out.

Also, that description of La Dolce Vita as "a magniloquent fresco of hell in the clothing of paradise" is fantastic.

 

[Barn]

HOUSE (1977)

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As far as Japanese movies, Lady Snowblood and Lone Wolf and Cub might be good for you.

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Watch the Lone Wolf & Cub movies; you'll thank me later

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You are all me.

First off, thank you for signing up and signal boosting the Criterion Channel, OP -- I lived through the death of FilmStruck (was actually a consultant), and I have nightmares of the Criterion Channel dying. It's such a wonderful service and I need it to live forever.

Beyond what's already been said, if you're into grindhouse, lookit that '70s Horror Collection before it leaves. The last movie I watched on a whim on Criterion that blew me away was Welcome II the Terrordome (part of the Afrofuturism collection), which is an Afrofuturist hip-hop dystopia about reincarnation and the Ibo landing incident. They've just added Ghost Dog which is a personal favorite if you've never seen that, and don't miss Drunken Angel if you're into Kurosawa or Woman in the Dunes in terms of essential Japanese cinema of the era.

 

[Tavernade]

Ah, a man of culture I see :)


Yojimbo is a movie that doesn't feel like homework, it's just fucking great from minute 1. It's the earliest "cool" Western movie with outstanding anamorphic cinematography.

Sword of Doom is also brilliant, a samurai film where the main character is an unrepentant piece of shit.

And The Face of Another is a trippy American Psycho-esque thriller that also holds up extremely well for modern audiences.

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Watching "Under The Blossoming Cherry Trees" with no concept of what it's plot was (helped by the actual summary from ye olde Filmstruck being super vague) is by far one of the greatest film experiences of my entire life. Every other movie since is just chasing that high again.

 

[Gwenpoolshark]

Check out everything they have by Samuel Fuller.

 

[TheXbox]

Nostalgia for the Light. It's a documentary about the intersection of astronomy, archaeology, and the military dictatorship of Chile. One of the best films of this century.

 

[GenTask]

Watch the Russian movies "Come and See" and "War and Peace."

 

[Tbm24]

High and Low is my recommendation/favorite Kurosawa film.

 

[Absurdeity]

Yi Yi
Red Beard
Dersu Uzala
La Haine
Close-Up
Tampopo
Still Walking

 

[Rosebud]

A very good Brazilian movie. Don't watch any trailers and don't read any summaries. It's pretty wild.

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Oh yes!!! Watch this.

 

[mattiewheels]

If you want a comedy to break things up, try Hollywood Shuffle. Legendary satire by Robert Townsend.

 

[Pikachu]

counterpoint: do not waste your time on bacurau

 

[Deleted member 11637]

Watching "Under The Blossoming Cherry Trees" with no concept of what it's plot was (helped by the actual summary from ye olde Filmstruck being super vague) is by far one of the greatest film experiences of my entire life. Every other movie since is just chasing that high again.

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Same, I went on a Masahiro Shinoda kick after Cherry Trees: I like his "Silence" more than Scorcese's (in spite of the dull as dishwater lead actor) and "Killers on Parade" is great fun too -- almost like a prototype for No More Heroes.

 

[Strings]

I'm not actually sure if these are on Criterion Channel or if they were Filmstruck only, but two things you probably won't be recommended elsewhere:

Killers on Parade (1961):

A journalist gets one assassin to protect her from a whole bunch of colourful others. A Japanese New Wave action-comedy / quasi-musical (at times). It still feels contemporary, and is kinda Edgar Wright 13 years before he was even born.

71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1994):

Haneke film that tells you about a mass shooting in a bank at the very start, and then spends the next 70 scenes building up every single individual who will be involved in it. It is frequently boring, but some of the scenes are transcendent and overall it's the sort of thing you'll have found worth watching when you've finished with it.

And uh, two more flicks from the Japanese New Wave / the god-tier Hiroshi Teshigahara + Kobo Abe supergroup:

The Face of Another (1966):

A badly burnt man receives a lifelike mask that throws his identity into disarray. It's the best faceswap film in existence.

Woman in the Dunes (1964):

An entomologist is trapped at the bottom of a sand dune with a mysterious widow.

 

[Deleted member 46493]

You're going to get tons of recs so I'll go a different way:

Watch the "Adventures in Moviegoing" series, which interview film people about their favorite films. You find a lot of hidden stuff there. Also, take a look at their curated monthly picks and special programs.

 

[Dabanton]

I subbed last week

Check out Come and See since you're looking for WWII films.

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Make sure you're in the right frame of mind for that though.

Intense is an understatement

 

[More_Badass]

The Most Dangerous Game (1933) - So many movies have copied this, but none have captured its Gothic horror or its fantastic madman of a villain or the wild suspense of its grimy grueling hunt

Eyes Without A Face (1960) - Hammer Horror by way of French New Wave. You've seen the movies it has inspired, but that still won't prepare for how disturbing and grisly this gets

Tokyo Drifter (1966) / Branded To Kill (1967) - The two sides of Seijun Suzuki's Nikkatsu noir: one presenting its thrills through lurid candy-vibrant expressionism, the other a anxious fever dream awash with noir shadows and surreal brutality

Cure (1997) - Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Seven/Exorcist 3/Manhunter, transcending its procedural detective-v-killer trappings and entering the realm of cosmic horror

 

[hiredhand]

My Winnipeg is one of the best films of the 00's. There are also plenty of other Guy Maddin films on the service.




Some great WW2 films:
Paisan
The Cranes Are Flying
Ivan's Childhood
Mr. Klein
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
The Great Dictator

 

[Tavernade]

Same, I went on a Masahiro Shinoda kick after Cherry Trees: I like his "Silence" more than Scorcese's (in spite of the dull as dishwater lead actor) and "Killers on Parade" is great fun too -- almost like a prototype for No More Heroes.

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I watched "Himiko" by him and while I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone unless they're into just the weirdest movies possible (I found it occasionally hard to follow and not as exciting as "Cherry Trees") it was definitely still an experience.

 

[Ether_Snake]

In order of recommendation. They are all good movies.

France
State of Siege https://www.criterionchannel.com/state-of-siege
I recommend other Costa Gavras' political movies that are not on Criterion, so after this, watch The Confession, Z, Special Section.
In the very same vein, I rcommend Rain over Santiago from Helvio Soto.

The Judge and the Assassin https://www.criterionchannel.com/the-judge-and-the-assassin

The Clockmaker of St. Paul https://www.criterionchannel.com/the-clockmaker-of-st-paul

Lacombe, Lucien https://www.criterionchannel.com/lacombe-lucien

Mr. Klein https://www.criterionchannel.com/mr-klein

Le samouraï https://www.criterionchannel.com/le-samourai


Italy
****YOU ARE OBLIGED TO WATCH THIS****
The Conformist https://www.criterionchannel.com/the-conformist
****YOU ARE OBLIGED TO WATCH THIS****
Seriously, it's cinema history, most people haven't seen it yet it is probably the source of "New America Cinema". Looks like a 90s movie, was filmed in 1970.

The Mattei Affair https://www.criterionchannel.com/the-mattei-affair

The Battle of Algiers https://www.criterionchannel.com/the-battle-of-algiers

Red Desert https://www.criterionchannel.com/red-desert

Japan
****YOU ARE OBLIGED TO WATCH THIS****
Harakiri https://www.criterionchannel.com/harakiri
****YOU ARE OBLIGED TO WATCH THIS****

Throne of Blood https://www.criterionchannel.com/throne-of-blood

Samurai Rebellion https://www.criterionchannel.com/samurai-rebellion

Yojimbo https://www.criterionchannel.com/yojimbo

Sanjuro https://www.criterionchannel.com/sanjuro

Red Beard https://www.criterionchannel.com/red-beard

The Third Shadow Warrior https://www.criterionchannel.com/the-third-shadow-warrior

Seven Samurai https://www.criterionchannel.com/seven-samurai

With Beauty and Sorrow https://www.criterionchannel.com/with-beauty-and-sorrow

An Actor's Revenge https://www.criterionchannel.com/an-actor-s-revenge

The Inheritance https://www.criterionchannel.com/the-inheritance

Kwaidan https://www.criterionchannel.com/kwaidan

Lady Snowblood https://www.criterionchannel.com/lady-snowblood

Story of a Prostitute https://www.criterionchannel.com/story-of-a-prostitute

Sword of Doom https://www.criterionchannel.com/the-sword-of-doom

Silence https://www.criterionchannel.com/silence-1

Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees https://www.criterionchannel.com/under-the-blossoming-cherry-trees

 

[polarbearpatrol]

I'm still pretty new to the Criterion Channel but my favorites that I've seen so far are Ugetsu, The Vanishing, and Andrei Rublev.