Filmstruck / Criterion Channel

Way late, been out of pocket, but here's April 2023. None of the usual sources posted a flat list of titles that I could find.

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8101-the-criterion-channels-april-2023-lineup

amazing lineup!

Jafar Panahi's NO BEARS to be added this coming Tuesday.

Saw that. And saw that one in a theater. Really good, believe the hype.

Watched Crimes of Passion a few nights ago, holy shit that was a riot. I hadn't seen it before or even read much about it. Definitely recommended.

Anything else I should, um, dive into in the Erotic Thrillers selection? I watched Dream Lover, but it was pretty terrible.

Body Heat may be the sweatiest movie ever made.

Jade ... the dumbest?

we've been watching a ton of the erotic thriller series selections that we hadn't already seen. color of night was my favorite so far, it's so lurid and ridiculous and the supporting cast is stacked. call me was pretty good too, workmanlike plot but lots of great grimy '80s new york scenery and baby buscemi and strathairn. sister, sister and dream lover were not great but still fairly entertaining. we watched half of the comfort of strangers last night and that one is just bizarre, i'm curious to see where it goes.

Watched Crimes of Passion a few nights ago, holy shit that was a riot. I hadn't seen it before or even read much about it. Definitely recommended.

enjoyed turner and perkins, but felt like i was constantly rolling my eyes at john laughlin as bobby. then i read that jeff bridges, patrick swayze, and alec baldwin were all in contention for the role.

May 2023 additions: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8121-the-criterion-channels-may-2023-lineup

no flat list of titles yet but an exciting batch

Weird how some of this stuff is only available for three months like the rare Sirks and the key Siodmak noirs.

If the rightsholders want to license these films for only X number of months, CC has to like it or lump it. Although they do make a point of these titles being available for only a limited time.

I haven't kept close notes but I think three months is the most common license.

Could well be. I had been hoping it was six months.

May 2023 additions: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8121-the-criterion-channels-may-2023-lineup

no flat list of titles yet but an exciting batch

― The Terroir of Tiny Town (WmC), Thursday, April 20, 2023 1:19 PM (four days ago) bookmarkflaglink

"Returning by Popular Demand" and "Premiering": https://thefilmstage.com/the-criterion-channel-reveals-may-lineup-jennifer-jason-leigh-seijun-suzuki-demonlover-infernal-affairs-more/

Cool. Anyway came back to say that the Siodmak Four Key Noirs are all well worth your time, I may even rewatch a few, but I still need to watch the vary rare Sirk with Claudette Colbert as a nun first.

I've seen all the shorter Suzukis. Is the Taisho trilogy worth a dip?

From the erotic thriller selection, "Call Me" has a incredible phone sex scene about squeezing an orange into places you wouldn't normally want to squeeze a citrus. The movie either side of that scene is quite pedestrian, although there are lots of fun shots of mid-80s NYC looking unkempt, Steve Buscemi plays a heavy with a switchblade called "Switch", and it's only 90 mins. Patricia Charbonneau from Desert Hearts is the lead, she should've had a bigger career. Unusual (and fun) to see a noir where the female lead is the everyperson.

Louis Garrel's The Innocent to be added this coming Tuesday.

Louis Garrel is my least favorite Garrel.

His first feature as director really bugged me.

June 2023 additions:
https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8149-the-criterion-channels-june-2023-lineup

Sing and Like It (1934) is screwball? You coulda fooled me.

I guess a midmonth addition is a regular thing now -- GODLAND (Pálmason 2022) to be added Tuesday 20 June.

July 2023 additions: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8181-the-criterion-channels-july-2023-lineup

Finally going to see Showgirls!

looking forward to Godland, the images from it are beautiful

Haven’t watched Rossellini’s Journey to Italy or Stromboli yet, but Rome, Open City, The Flowers of St. Francis, and Germany, Year Zero were great.

Pedro Rodrigues’ Will-o’-the-Wisp also sounds interesting, as do the films of Stanley Kwan

Journey to Italy and Stromboli are both amazing.

British noir series looks interesting, I think I've only seen one of those. Showgirls is, uh, well it's a movie.

Back by Popular Demand
Don’t miss these viewer favorites, returning to the Channel in July!

FEATURING: The Last Picture Show (1971), California Split (1974), Cutter’s Way (1981), Thief (1981), Something Wild (1986), Ghost World (2001)

Green for Danger isn't that great -- half noir and half golden age mystery, and doesn't have enough of either. Night and the City is all time, 10/10.

July midmonth addition: Tori and Lokita (Dardenne Bros. 2022) coming this Tuesday.

August 2023 additions: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8194-the-criterion-channels-august-2023-lineup

Belly on Criterion, you love to see it

Finishing up films leaving today I watched "Heart of Midnight" over the weekend. Thoroughly bizarre, like David Lynch remaking Repulsion. The plot doesn't make much sense, but worth a watch if you like weird.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGNf5RK9VOQ

I continue to waste money on this--my fault--but will definitely watch Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb, a theatrical screening of which I had to miss a few months ago.

I enjoyed an obscure Stanwyck movie the other night before it left, Breakfast for Two.

Can anyone recommend any of the Kay Francis movies?

just watched the Caro-Gottlieb doc last night, it was great. obviosuly a little more poignant with Gottlieb's recent passing. i just finished Master of the Senate last week so it was perfect timing.

Can anyone recommend any of the Kay Francis movies?

Trouble in Paradise and Jewel Robbery, if you haven't seen them, are essential. The Cocoanuts and One Way Passage are worth seeing. The others...IMHO Criterion is scraping the barrel, though I'm glad to see these titles in legitimate copies.

Also, don't miss Quick Millions (part of the Rowland Brown package). It doesn't approach the Big Three gangster films, but I'm pleased to see that the channel and the MoMA film department have been able to work with Disney to make available some of the surviving early Fox films.

Thanks! Have seen Trouble in Paradise (amazing ofc) and The Cocoanuts which makes me laugh a lot and is one of my favorite Marxes. Have not seen the other two Francis films you mentioned,

Jewel Robbery is dynamite pre-code - a must watch!

Check out the 9-minute short, Family Nightmare. Holy shit.
https://www.criterionchannel.com/family-nightmare

I thought “turn every page” was really good, was worried it would be a little over-sentimental, but it’s just really sweet

Good god, 93 movies are leaving at the end of Aug. 31?! (I never bothered to look at previous months' "watch soon" lists; no idea if that's a lot or not.)

In the future all movies will only stream for fifteen minutes.

i pick a lot of my watching from the "leaving this month list" and ive never counted but that doesnt seem like much more than usual - they seem to churn through stuff at a pretty good clip

Half of it seems to be Buster and Fatty. Still, may be time to rewatch AI.

Jewel Robbery was fabulous, thanks for the recs

Finally saw the Oppenheimer doc from 1981. Extremely interesting, though still leaving some questions open for perhaps a deeper dive.

✨MARK YOUR CALENDARS✨ Starting in September, HIGH SCHOOL HORROR is coming to @criterionchannl—featuring VHS-era exploitation shockers, '90s teen-movie touchstones, & cult favorites.

DONNIE DARKO
SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE
THE CRAFT
SUSPIRIA
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER
& more! pic.twitter.com/X1F95lcwdn

— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) August 11, 2023

Full list of September 2023 additions: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8230-the-criterion-channels-september-2023-lineup