The Criterion Collection

CHICAGO – Whenever two power players in the world of cinephiles come together, it creates a critical buzz and such was the case when it was announced that The Criterion Collection had chosen Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line” for induction in their world-renowned series of DVDs and Blu-rays.

CHICAGO – Stanley Donen’s 1963 caper “Charade” is one of the films I think of first when it comes to classic Hollywood. It features two of the most iconic stars of all time in Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn and perfectly captures what made them household names around the world. The movie has truly held up over the nearly five decades since its release and is now the latest inductee into the Blu-ray catalog of The Criterion Collection.

CHICAGO – Terry Zwigoff’s “Crumb” is one of the best documentaries ever made. It’s that cut-and-dry. I can still remember first seeing Terry Zwigoff’s brilliant dissection of art, sexuality, and eccentricity and when the Criterion Blu-ray release made its way to my desk I was stunned to realize that the film was already fifteen years old. It’s still amazing.

CHICAGO – Can an old movie look too good on Blu-ray? This has been the subject of much debate, most notably in the over-removal of natural film grain by some production studios and the purists who think sometimes HD damages the original look of the film by coating it with too much polish. Watching the six-decades-old “The Red Shoes” from the incredibly influential Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, I was reminded once again of this controversy by a video transfer that’s simply jaw-dropping in its crystal clear quality.

CHICAGO – One of the most recent inductees into the most esteemed collection in the history of DVD is one of the most star-powered dramas of the ’60s with four Oscar-winning actors in Maureen Stapleton, Anna Magnani, Joanne Woodward, and Marlon Brando, working in collaboration with a script co-written by Tennesse Williams and directed by Sidney Lumet. That “The Fugitive Kind” doesn’t quite live up to that incredible pedigree shouldn’t be too surprising, but it’s still a good addition for classic film collectors.

CHICAGO – If the 1969 U.S. tour of The Rolling Stones had gone smoothly, David Maysles, Albert Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin’s “Gimme Shelter” would still be one of the best music documentaries ever made. Of course, as everyone who knows anything about music or pop culture history knows, the tour did not go smoothly, ending in the infamous concert at Altamont Speedway that’s often pointed to as the end of the era of love.

CHICAGO – Matteo Garrone’s revelatory crime picture joins the esteemed group of worthy foreign film Oscar contenders (like “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”) inexplicably snubbed by the Academy. But such accolades are meaningless compared to the reaction it has received, breaking box office records in its limited release, while acquiring the passionate support of film icons like Martin Scorsese.

CHICAGO – When true film fans receive the monthly Criterion newsletter, they usually skim it looking for their favorite films. It’s not that Criterion really ever makes bad decisions, but when a personal favorite gets the call, it’s like watching the baseball player you grew up idolizing get inducted into the Hall of Fane. Such is the feeling I get when I look at the Criterion Blu-Ray release of “Wings of Desire,” one of the most lyrically beautiful films ever made.

CHICAGO – The Criterion Collection recently released a timeless document of one of the most important events in music history, The Monterey Pop Festival of 1967. Not only does this legendary fest include some seminal visuals, including Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire and Pete Townshend smashing his, but it captures a nation on the cusp of something amazing, not just musically but socially.

CHICAGO – I unabashedly adore “Repulsion”. A lot of Roman Polanski’s work in the ’60s and ’70s - “Repulsion,” “The Tenant,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Chinatown” - stand as influential films in why I became a film critic and lover of movies in general. So, a Criterion edition of “Repulsion” is kind of a wish-list dream made reality. It lives up to my high expectations.