In the 1940s and '50's, Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) made some of the best dancing musicals ever filmed. And now, Criterion is streaming nine of these pictures. I've added two movies, making eleven. Most musicals are fantasies. Without instruments and choreography, real people don't just burst into song and dance. But there are also realistic … Continue reading Leonard Bernstein & the MGM musical
Category: Home Theater
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of June
When June disappears and July appears, you'll probably still be shivering with cold. So, before this month goes away, here are eight worthwhile films that will disappear from the Criterion Channel come July. Full recommendations A Dogtooth (2009) This very dark satire of over-protective parents – and arguably totalitarianism – examines an upper-middle class nuclear … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of June
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of April
At the end of every month, the Criterion Channel drops a lot of films to make room for other pictures. See these, or at least some of them, before it's May. Full recommendations A Ten Canoes (2006) This unique film feels more like a piece of oral tradition than of cinema. A heavily accented, English-speaking, … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of April
Pre-Code Paramount on the Criterion Channel
As silent movies died and the talkies took over, movies became racier. The jokes got raunchier. The gowns were more revealing. And the bad girl could get the good guy – or maybe two good guys. This so-called "Pre-Code era" died in 1934, when the censors of the Production Code Administration took away much of the fun. … Continue reading Pre-Code Paramount on the Criterion Channel
Buster Keaton at the Criterion Channel
If you haven't experienced Buster Keaton, this is the time to discover the greatest physical comedian since the invention of cinema. He could take a fall like nobody else, But he was more than that. He was a complete auteur, with a sense of what made a good story, and the feel of where to … Continue reading Buster Keaton at the Criterion Channel
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of February
As usual, a lot of movies available on the Criterion Channel will disappear at the end of February. If you like screwball comedy, and other genres, check out these films before it's March. Full recommendations A+ The Lady Eve (1941) Like most great screwballs, Preston Sturges' The Lady Eve looks at class differences. It also examines the problems … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of February
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of January
At the end of every month, The Criterion Channel drops a lot of movies from its streaming service to make room for other pictures. Here are just a few of the films that will disappear from the Channel on February 1st. Full recommendations A Broken Blossoms (1919) We're not supposed to say good things about … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of January
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of the Year
What makes these films different from any other films? Most of them are horror movies. Also, most of them will disappear from The Criterion Channel come midnight, December 31. Stream them before they go away. Full recommendations A+ Brazil (1985) One of the best black comedies ever filmed, and the best dystopian fantasy ever. In … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of the Year
In the Heat of the Night in 4K
The Best Picture winner of 1967 is one terrific noir. But it's far more than that. Culturally, it was an important part of the civil rights movement, while still being an effective whodunit. It also used color film in ways that few had been rarely successful before – especially in noir. Kino Lorber is selling … Continue reading In the Heat of the Night in 4K
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of November
At the end of every month, the Criterion Channel removes a lot of movies from their streaming service (although some return surprisingly fast). Here are only a few of the films that will go away when November disappears. Full recommendations A Deep Cover (1992) Here's an extraordinary film noir from the early 1990s. Laurence Fishburne … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of November
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