You have excellent taste Eliot Nothing better than Criterion I have always loved the in laws, my man Godfrey and the Fisher king (also my favorite Gilliam) Anyone who has the remarkable Criterion Red Shoes directly behind him is a friend of mine
Thank you so much, John! It's my pleasure to talk about these films for you. We can be dear friends, because The Red Shoes is one of my top 5 films of all time!
@@ElliotCoen so great to connect Elliot - I am a theatre director and filmmaker based in Portland Oregon but travel extensively and often - just not currently lol I love the UK and try to get there at least once a year - let's chat on facebook sometime Until then here are my top 20 criterion releases The Red Shoes The Innocents The Night of the Hunter Rebecca Notorious Black Narcissus Amacord Cries and Whispers Barry Lyndon Children of Paradise Days of Heaven Blue Velvet The Piano Teacher The Age Of Innocence The Long Day Closes Nashville Persona The Rules of the Game Sunday, Bloody Sunday Tom Jones
Great video! Carole Lombard in "My man Godfrey" is wonderful. Such a tragedy that she died so young, she was such an amazing actress and a beautiful woman.
I only discovered your channel recently. I'm relatively new to the Criterion Collection, and I'm glad to hear you talking about two movies I deeply love: King of Jazz and Black Orpheus. I got to know King of Jazz through the CC, but Black Orpheus is a film I've known for quite a while, and I didn't know that there was a Criterion edition of it! I have it on Blu-ray from another label (I'm from Mexico), but I think they used the same restauration master made for the CC. I'm gonna get the Criterion one!
My Man Godfrey is one of my favorite movies ever. I absolutely adore Carole Lombard and William Powell is just so dashing and charming, he’s such a delight to watch. It is CRIMINALLY underrated and I wish I saw this in more people’s collections. An absolutely hilarious gem. I wish screwball would make a comeback.
Another great underrated Criterion blu-ray is The Black Stallion. There are many great interviews and special features on this disk. It’s really awesome.
Dave Sanderson I watched the movie as a child in the theater. It was great. The Studio executives were furious when they saw a preview cut of the movie because they thought that it was too Art-house to appeal to children or to a general audience. They were very wrong!
@Inge Fossen it rarely enters modern conversations before Brazil, Fear and Loathing etc. It may be his biggest hit box office wise, but I think it isn't talked about enough in 2020.
Some of my favorite Criterion Blu-Rays and DVD's - A Brighter Summer Day, Downhill Racer, Revanche, Le Beau Serge, Fanfan la Tulipe, and The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum
Great list Elliot 👍 totally agree with Fisher King absolutely love that film, Music Room also is very under appreciated only film of Ray’s I’ve seen so looking forward to the Apu trilogy coming to UK !!
Cheers, Daniel :) If you enjoyed The Music Room, I think you're in for a great time with the Apu Trilogy. Three of the most powerful films I've ever seen, for sure.
I just ordered the Fisher King and My Man Godfrey. I saw both of them s decade ago and really liked them but I didn't know they were from Criterion. I love Black Orpheus and have it in my collection. I love Tampopo so much and I love that all the characters she meets become invested in her mission.
Some very choice cuts there, my friend. I am particularly fond of Tampopo and King of Jazz. And I really need to re-watch The Music Room and Black Orpheus...it's been ages since I saw them.
I watched Tampopo just last week, and now I’m a huge fan! BTW I’d really love if you mentioned the actual Blu ray edition (special features, booklet or poster etc...)
I'm glad you're a big fan! Yes, I should have shown more of the packaging and features, apologies. I wanted to keep it quite brief with the recommendations but I think I will go more in depth with Tampopo in a future video. Thanks for watching :)
A personal favourite. One of many gems introduced to me in the late 80s/early 90s, via BBC2 and Channel 4's late night movie schedule. I still have the NTSC video I tracked down.
Thanks Elliott. Another solid list with many films that are indeed underrated. Tampopo has got to be a rite of passage for anyone starting a Criterion Collection. I know it was one of those films that made me more intrgued to explore the collection more deeply. Really glad to see My Man Godfrey get a mention there as well :) Other underrated gems if people are looking recommendations? Local Hero. Desert Hearts. Certain Women and Panique.
I'm glad to hear you mention Tampopo and My Man Godfrey. Local Hero and Certain Women are indeed two more underrated films in the collection! I'll admit to not having seen Desert Hearts or Panique yet - both are sat on my shelf ready to watch. I may give them a spin this week. Cheers for watching and for leaving the lovely comment, Chris :)
I noticed that Criterion had released Local Hero, but have not had a chance to get it. I have the original DVD release, but I am sure that the new one will blow it away. Bill Forsyth is a criminally underrated director, at least here.
Yay another fan of My Man Godfrey. Love this film. I watched my Criterion couple of days ago. Got it in the 2 for £25. Total screwball, the family is so dysfunctional but they are not irredeemable. It wasn't until my latest watch that I realised how much chemistry Godfrey and Cordelia had. I got my brother to watch it for first time and he enjoyed it. The transfer was brilliant, the reason I needed it.
I was suprised and delighted that The In-Laws was released by Criterion. It's great movie that I love and I was so glad it got the Criterion treatment. "Serpentine, Shelley. Serpentine!" I think it's the only non-foreign film I have that's in the Criterion Collection...I might be getting The Great Escape soon, but it's hard when I don't have much space and already have it digitally.
Great video Elliot! Quite a few of these I have not yet to see, but I am glad to have the commentary on them. I adore Tampopo so much, but yeah there needs to be more love! Two that I enjoy that I think need more attention are Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (a recent viewing of yours) and I would say the epic Children of Paradise.
What great selections! Each of these are brilliant and underrated to some extent. The Fisher King and Tampopo are definitely all-time favorites of mine. Oh, but wow, I can't imagine Multiple Maniacs as a first time Waters watch! What a trip, makes his more accessible works seem so docile. And yes, you totally got her character being this deranged monster. After the first time I saw it, all I wished for was a spin-off: Divine vs. Godzilla.
Arthur Hiller also directed The Out-of-Towners, which is another crazy comedy starring the great Jack Lemmon. Hiller also made The Hospital which has an amazing Oscar-winning screenplay from Paddy Chayefsky. Very interesting filmmaker.
Wow, thanks, Ben. I need to check out these films, as I'm not that knowledgeable on Hiller's entire filmography, so thank you for these recommendations!
I do adore Babette's Feast! I kept this video to Criterion releases available both in the US and the UK, and sadly you can't get Babette's Feast on Criterion in the UK. Thanks for watching :)
Great collection. I'm lucky enough to have seen The Fisher King, Tampopo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Black Orpheus at the cinema, Black Orpheus being among my first DVD buys. Ray, of course is a superb filmmaker and one title of his which is a favourite of mine is Days and Nights in the Forest, a seemingly light and witty film that hides cutting social commentary.
Great List!! I would add to the list of Underappreciated gems in the collection such titles as El Norte, Secret Sunshine, The Life Of Oharu, Master Of The House, Black Girl & The Tree Of Wooden Clogs
Those are all great recommendations! Black Girl is certainly underappraciated. I love that film, so powerful, and so short! It's around 60 mins in length from what I remember! Thanks for watching and leaving such a great comment, my friend.
Black Orpheus is one of the greatest movies ever made. For Americans, there is the exotic locale of Brazil and the wonderful countryside, the Mardi Gras, and the wonderful people. The two central characters are unforgettable and the way the story evolves is magical. This has gotten many awards and the fact that Elliot brought it up now is important because basically it is a forgotten classic. Yet, it is so modern in its story-line, its characters, and the way Brazil is featured. If you haven't seen it, be prepared to be "blown away." It needs to be reappraised and I think today's audience will love it better than when it first came out. Be careful! This movie is dream-inducing! It is that good.
Yes! I remember watching it for the first time and being mesmerised by her character. I couldn't predict what she'd do next! Thanks for watching, Mark.
Good video, man! But I'd also like to add Stuart Cooper's "Overlord", Larisa Shepitko's "Wings" and "The Ascent", Giuseppe de Santis' "Bitter Rice", Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Mamma Roma", Paul Fejos' "Lonesome", Robert Bresson's "L'Argent", Ritwik Ghatak's "The Cloud-capped Star", Yasujiro Ozu's "Floating Weeds", Robert Siodmak and Edgar G. Ulmer's "People on Sunday", and Gillian Armstrong's "My Brilliant Career" as unsung gems of World Cinema.
Brilliant recommendations here! Sadly, many of these are not available on the UK on Criterion, so I chose not to mention them here. Thanks for watching and recommending these films!
Like a lot of people, I suspect, Tampopo is the only film on that list that I've seen. So very interesting. Only problem is that you've just made my list of films I must watch even longer (but I won't hold it against you!)
I have to admit that I haven’t heard of any of these movies. I will check them out now. I’ll start with Black Orpheus because I’m familiar with the Gluck opera Orpheus and Eurydice. I have heard of Paul Whiteman though because he recorded the original version of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
I just subscribed to Criterion Chanel online and was able to get some of these. I also subscribed to your channel because I admire the Criterion Collection and wish I could afford to buy more of this collection. Tampopo is one of my favorites. I also love quality Ramen.
Seconds by John Frankenheimer is in my opinion the most underrated. Please buy it if you haven't! The cinematography is decades ahead of it's time and features an extremely disturbing story that'll have you thinking for days!
I recently picked up my first Criterion (Stalker), I love the film so I hope it looks great and the special features are also great. Now there’s a 2 for 25 sale in HMV so I’ll be picking up another 2, I want to get Tampopo but I’m unsure about the second one... Solaris (which I’ve seen) and Dreams (which I haven’t, but obviously I’m a Kurosawa fan) are contenders
Elliot Coen any thoughts on the Yi Yi Criterion, I watched the film a couple of months ago and loved it but I watched it on UA-cam, I was looking at the special features and they seem very bare bone, but I know I love the film. With something like Dreams, I haven’t seen it but I’m deep into a Kurosawa binge and I’ll be watching at some point, there’s also a 720p version on UA-cam for some reason, I don’t know whether I’ll like it as much but its special features sound excellent... I can’t spend to much since I bought a bunch of Blu rays just last week 😂 Collector dilemmas...
A handful of my favorite underrated films that are on Criterion: "Short Cuts" (1993) "Head" (1968) "The Ice Storm" (1997) "Island Of Lost Souls" (1932) "Dead Man" (1995) "The Blob" (1958) "Election" (1999)
Literally watched Tampopo the other night and LOVED it. It's such a funny, sort of insane film. Also, My Man Godfrey is one of my favourites. I enjoy your videos very much. ☺
Have to say Elliot, you hit a home run (baseball term) with me and this video. I love the concept of talking about some underrated films on Criterion. Enjoyed everything you had to say about each and every one of your picks. Your number 3-Something Wild has been one of my favorite films since I first saw it many years ago. I just love everything about it. I was thrilled you picked it as one of your 10. You have me curious about King ofJazz and I'm thinking hard about possibly picking up the In-Laws. You have me curious about The Music Room as well. I have The Hero, which I like very much, and I think can easily be considered underrated. By the way, during your presentation 'complete Blu-ray collection' a few video's ago, I noticed you have the Eureka edition of A New Leaf. Would love if you talked about this film. I love A New Leaf. I'm a big Walter Matthau fan and he is great in it but everything else about the movie makes it one of my favorites. Would love to know what the extra's might be on the Eureka edition. But thank you Elliot for the wonderful video-Underrated Criterion Collection films. I enjoyed it very very much.
Paul, thank you for such a lovely comment. I really appreciate the support. I will talk about A New Leaf! I recently did a top 10 Masters of Cinema video, and I may do a followup. I will be sure to include A New Leaf in there and talk about the special features. Thanks again, and I look forward to chatting with you soon!
Tampopo is one of my favorites for sure! Such a sweet and funny film. Big fan of Multiple Maniacs too! I’ve gotta watch more John Waters. Lots of intriguing recommendations here Elliot
There's a spectacularly LARGE coffee table book that went along with the Criterion release of THE KING OF JAZZ, but sadly, I never ended up getting my hands on it. Seriously, it's one of the biggest regrets of my life. I've tried hunting for copies of it online but each copy I've come across is extremely expensive.
So glad you mentioned MY MAN GODFREY!! That was the very first DVD I bought with my own money back when I was a teenager in high school. I remember it costing me $36 which was a heck of a lot of money back in the mid-'90s. I still have that Criterion DVD, too, along with the more recent blu ray rerelease.
Wow, I did not know about that book! Now I'm envious of anyone that has it. Ah, that's a lovely story about your history with My Man Godfrey. It's great to know we share a love of that film. It's due a rewatch from me soon, I think. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, Vanessa!
@@ElliotCoen This is the book I mentioned: www.amazon.ca/King-Jazz-Whitemans-Technicolor-Revue/dp/0997380101/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1588630706&sr=1-1 My birthday is coming up on the 19th, so if I get given some Amazon gift cards from my family, I think I'm finally going to treat myself to a copy
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is my favorite discovery of the past decade. I bought it fairly blind, and immediately fell in love! One of the best collection of songs and stories about the non-binary experience. (I even made a video on my channel about it 👀)
Hey Elliot! Man, so many of your videos feel like you’re reaching into my brain for your picks. lol I absolutely love My Man Godfrey, and it just gets better every time I see it. William Powell is the best. Something Wild is a terrific pick as well!
You had me at 'My Man Godfrey' and 'The In-Laws'. I discovered both films as a teenager in the 1990s and loved them both immediately. I've had both on DVD (non-Criterion) for a very long time. Last year I finally upgraded 'My Man Godfrey' to the Criterion bluray and I'm hoping to get 'The In-Laws' Criterion bluray (the only thing stopping me is I'd like to get a few more Criterion Blurays of films I don't already own on regular DVD first). Incidentally, 'Columbo' is possibly my favourite TV show (particularly the original 1970s run). "Serpentine, Shel! Serpentine!"
Hi Derek, thanks for the great comment! Yes, it is always a dilemma between choosing to buy a film you want to upgrade, or buying one you've never seen but always wanted to see. I would thoroughly recommend the blu-ray of The In Laws, however! I hope you're keeping well, my friend :)
Even more than blind-buys, there are some Criterion blurays of movies I have seen but have never been able to get on DVD, such as 'Repo Man', 'It Happened One Night', 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'... etc. There are a lot of fantastic films in the Criterion Collection.
Great video! Haven't seen Something Wild since it played at cinemas so another one to add to my collection, along with The Fisher King. I have Tampopo on my Cinema Paradiso rental list and will doubtless love it and move to a purchase. Another two mouth-watering films majoring on food are Babette's Feast and Eat, Drink, Man, Woman; the latter I caught at the London Film Festival many moons ago. With you all the way on The Music Room. What a truly great movie! One title I would love to see given the Criterion treatment is Michael Winterbottom's Wonderland Crying out for a Blu release. Take care and keep safe and well.
It's up there near the top for me. I have a really soft spot for Charulata, which I'd say is my current favourite. The way the camera glides and swings in that film is exquisite, and a great central performance.
Just bought and watched the Criterion War and Peace 1966 Russian---what a nice transfer----compared to the best dvd edition which I have----it's a giant leap forward visually.
Hi Bill. I guiltily have War and Peace sitting on my shelf untouched - it's the daunting runtime. Do you advise watching it in one sitting or multiple? Cheers.
@@ElliotCoen Well---it's actually split into 4 chapters so it can be watched both ways----But truly believe me that the transfer is a miracle in comparison to what was available before---I can't garuntee that you will love it as that is subjective but Sergei Bondurchuk who directs this film is like a near-sighted Russian bear in his role of Pierre and the battle scenes will never be equaled as they were made with cooperation and participation of the Russian Army. I can tell by your videos that you are international in your appreciation of films. I have a large collection of japanese,russian, polish, etc, etc. films that have a different sensibility and distinctive atmosphere compared to our westernized films. We are so damned lucky in these years of this hobby or passion really. Hope more people sub you as it's evident that you care .
These are actually headline Criterion titles that are very popular, underrated would be Miss Julie, Danton, The Horses Mouth, these are great movies but they're well known, strong sellers.
Oh yeah, these titles aren't the most obscure, but it's all relative. These films aren't doing the numbers of Breathless, Seven Samurai, or Stalker. For my audience, I think quite a lot of the titles go unknown. I just wanted to share my love for them and get more eyeballs viewing these wonderful films. Thank you for watching :)
@@ElliotCoen That's true, for me, one of my favorite Criterion Blu-rays is Bresson's L'argent, which is probably a huge blind spot for others, while some might think it's no brainer, but yeah, it's all very relative! I guess I'm thinking 'obscure" vs. "underrated" speaking of Something Wild, have you seen the other Something Wild from 1961?
@@crabnebula1914 I have not seen that version of Something Wild but I've heard good things. I'm a huge Bresson fan and I love L'argent. I'll have to do some videos on Bresson at some point.
@@ElliotCoen That'd be great! I recently made a video essay on Bresson and Paul Schrader ua-cam.com/video/OiVSN28rNYg/v-deo.html here's a link, I've got some cool stuff on my channel I think you might dig, but Carroll Baker's Something Wild is a great showcase for its cast, especially Ralph Meeker
Very interesting list! I haven’t seen any of these films and now i want to see all of them! Being a Brazilian, I can say that Black Orpheus is not very well-known around here. Ok, so it’s mostly a French production, if i’m not mistaken, but one could expect that it would be well-known in Brazil too, given the importance of the film. But unfortunately that’s not the case. Anyway, along with Black Orpheus, some of these criterions have been on my wishlist for quite some time now and i’m gonna add the others. Thanks for the vid! Stay safe!
Hello my friend! It's very interesting to hear that Black Orpheus isn't well known in Brazil. The film is responsible for getting me into Brazilian jazz and Bossa nova. I'm now a huge fan of musicians like Eumir Deodato, Marcos Valle, Azymuth etc. I hope you are well :)
Very interesting titles my friend! I havent seen any of them besides Tampopo, but Im looking forward to watching them. I couldnt agree more on Tampopo, its a fantastic film!
I'm a huge fan of Babette's Feast. I mentioned it recently in my Criterion Seven Deadly Sins video! One of the finest films about food. Thanks for watching, Keith!
Of The Criterion UK releases, I'd say Here Comes Mr Jordan is one that I severely underestimated beforehand and was shocked how pleasant the viewing exprerience was, kind of at a halfway point between Frank Capra and the Powell and Pressburger of A Matter of Life and Death/I Know Where I'm Going. I think Paul Bartel is another severely underrated director and his Eating Raoul is one of my favorite Criterion releases. This one is a worse answer, but I would also call Ivan's Childhood underrated as I tend to think of it as one of the greatest WWII movies ever and even Tarkovsky fans don't seem to think that highly of it sometimes. It is a perfect movie in my eyes and doesn't quite get the credit it deserves. I could say the same for Panique, but I don't want the list to get too long. Desert Hearts was a nice indie find and Overlord gets unfortunately overlooked, too.
These are great recommendations, my friend. I agree with everything you say here. Ivan's Childhood is often dismissed as an early 'lesser' Tarkovsky but it's one of my favourite films. I need to get round to watching Panique. It's sitting on my shelf. Thanks for watching!
A few time i was close to buying In Laws but never pulled the trigger. I think next time i see a good deal ill nab it. Loved the Fisher King just picked up jabberwocky off HMV for £9.99 so looking forward to seeing more of his films seen a few of his films already. Keep the top content coming mate 👍🏻
Cheers, Al. The support always means so much to me. I hope you enjoy those new Criterions. I'd love to hear your thoughts on them once you've watched them!
I absolutely LOVE The Fisher King. So I ordered it the minute it became available. Hedwig is another I absolutely love and this is on my wish list but I've delayed it up until now since I have it on DVD. Hedwig came out the same year Moulin Rouge came out and, unfortunately didn't do as well at the box office. But, in my opinion, Hedwig is a much, much better rock musical.
My Man Godfrey is great! I've seen both versions of it, but the 1936 is definitely the one I prefer! I think there's even another version of it that has a different title, but my mind could be making that up or mixing it up with a different film. I haven't seen it in quite a while but I do remember really enjoying it and also thinking it was underrated. Black Orpheus is one I have yet to see and have thought about getting sometimes. I really like the Orpheus myth and other versions of it, including the Jean Cocteau film.
I've only see the one version of My Man Godfrey but I will try and check out the others! I love Cocteau's Orpheus by the way. Thanks for watching, Bailee!
Black Orpheus is a masterpiece, absolluty. I'm from México, and I heard about Black Orpheus in a Guillermo Del Toro's criterion pick. I saw the movie on UA-cam with spanish subtitles. And, I have to recommendation for you. I think (I dont really know) the movie is on the collection. The movie is The Face of Another. If you know them, please tell me your opinion, and if the film is in the collection, because I dont know. Great video!
The Cloud-capped Star is way overlooked even in India. It was made by Ritwik Ghatak with very little money he had and is considered to be one of the finest Indian films since Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali.
Hi Agnibhu! The Cloud Capped Star is high up on my watchlist. I really should watch it soon, as I love what I have seen of classic Indian cinema. Thanks for watching and commenting :)
Sorry, but you left out Mercedes Ruehl from the list of great actors in the Fisher King. I think her performance is even better than those of Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams. I sometimes just watch the break up scene between her and Jeff Bridges because her performance is just that good. It might actually be the best acting I have ever seen, her Oscar was more than deserved.
Oh yes, very true! She is tremendous in that role, thanks for pointing that out. I think I only skimmed over her in this video for brevity. Thanks for watching :)
Jonathan Demme's Something Wild is great but topped by his Married To The Mob. Michelle Pfeiffer's best role too. Seems to have been kidnapped never to be seen again. Your other choices ok too but your descriptions? Read Slant Magazine. They never recommend on basis that it will make one 'love life'. They adopt a strictly cinematic perspective. Another really unappreciated i.e. below the radar and truly great film is the Czech film Marketa Lazaro along with Samuel Fuller's White Dog. Then we have some which apart from their substance are gorgeous to look at especially with 4K Blu-ray and top two here are Schraeder's Mishima and Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (ok latter is not under-appreciated but the extras extraordinary - an item you don't explore (nor the transfer - not using blu-ray's?). And Notorious whose extras will give you a new perspective on Alfred Hitchcock. I hope they release Park's The Handmaiden soon - few Korean films on CC not even Kim kee-duk.. Nor China eg Jia Zhangke - why not Ash is the Whitest Color. These last named-directors make mincemeat of choices featured in vid. S Ray and Kurosawa supposed to sustain us? Is Criterion discriminating or discriminatory ?
Hi Mark, thanks for watching and commenting. There's a lot going on in your comment but I will try my best at tackling everything you ask. Firstly, I haven't seen Married to the Mob but I will add it to my watchlist on your recommendation! About my brief descriptions here, I'm sorry you didn't like them. I'm no film critic or publication and never claim to be. All I aim to do with these videos is get people interested in giving these films a go. I'm OK with saying a film can make someone love life - I may not be able to articulate how or why a film does that, being no critic or scholar, but I think a film that make me feel that way is good enough to share! I didn't go into disc details or special features here, as these are just recommendations for the films and not necessarily the discs. People who haven't seen the films tend to drop off the video if you start going into technical and supplemental aspects of the discs, so I nautally wanted to avoid that here so people can get as many recommendations as possible swiftly! Marketa Lazarova and Barry Lyndon are both top 10 films for me! I mentioned neither here as they aren't available on Criterion UK and I wanted to cater to my home team as well as my American cohort. And I agree, I'd love to see some of these Asian directors get a look in. I saw Ash is Purest White at the Cannes Film Festival when it premiered - I'm a huge fan of Jia Zhangke. I hope that covered most questions you had. Thanks again for watching and leaving a great comment, my friend.
@@ElliotCoen Thanks Elliot I DO like you and your affable and enthusiastic reviews are actually a relief from the drier style that is actually more common among The Critics and that would help explain your popularity here. Actually I was already depressed by the lockdown and made the mistake of watching an Ingmar Bergman movie! You copped the fallout. I will now comment on that review of yours and you will be relieved to see the bee no longer in my bonnet! Most importantly I saw elsewhere that you strongly support Criterion finally issuing CONTEMPORARY ASIAN cinema and my top two suggestions are China's Elephant Sitting Still and Philippines' The Woman Who Left but as both almost 4 hours Criterion commentary trackers may need to work in shifts!
some other underrated criterions people should watch are the honeymoon killers breaker morant the killers the manchurian candidate 1984 odd and out a dry white season
Hey Elliot, love your videos! Just wondering what player you use to play your imported blu-rays, and if you would have any recommendations for me. I will be upgrading to a 4K player soon and was thinking of getting one that has also been modified to play any region blu-rays/dvds. It would allow me to venture into the US Criterion stuff that I lust for so much, so your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the hours of entertainment!
out of the films you mentioned. my man godfrey looks the most interesting to me. im scure the others ones are great aswell. what do you think of district 9 btw. i watched recently and thought it wasnt good and i think its overrated but people seem to love it. it had good ideas but didnt go far with them. im also reccomending the triplets of belleville cos its great
Enjoyed your list and agree with your pics and am excited to see the ones I'm not familiar with. I hate that the British versions are defaced with the ridiculous age certificates that apparently must disgrace the cover and therefore are horrible eyesores on these beautifully designed packages. So I pay more to get the American ones. Call me crazy.
Just went to collect over 20 titles, three of which were available. B&N, what good is a sale if you don’t have anything to sell? Can’t even order and wait for the restock? I’ve been looking forward to this sale for six months. Oh well, there are worse things.
@@ElliotCoen I have had OPPOs since the DV-980H, so I was able to buy an early 203 release, for beta testing. I love the player but it is not worth the current market value. I have the knack for having passion for quixotic companies like OPPO and SAAB :(
That's another great recommendation! I may have to do a followup version of this video. There's the Gilliam connection with Twelve Monkeys. I was just chatting with my dad about La Jetee the other day!
Black Orpheus Is Fantastic Movie I`m Don`t Think It Is Underrated. And The Music Room I Love Fantastic Movie Love Satyajit Ray He One Of Favorite Directors Of All Time. Love The Apu Trilogy One Mine Favorite Trilogy Of All Time And The Hero I Love Too Yeah Fantastic Stuff.
So so happy to see the fisher king on your list, thank you. I still got to see Black Orpheus
My pleasure, Albert. I hope you do enjoy Black Orpheus when you watch it :)
Love Tampopo! I think it's my favourite film ever. Agreed it needs more fans
That is a great favourite to have! I'm going to make it one of my life missions to champion Tampopo. Thanks for watching!
My Man Godfrey is superb! It’s one of my favorite films. The new Criterion blu-Ray is great!
Indeed, I love it dearly :)
You have excellent taste Eliot
Nothing better than Criterion
I have always loved the in laws, my man Godfrey and the Fisher king (also my favorite Gilliam)
Anyone who has the remarkable Criterion Red Shoes directly behind him is a friend of mine
Thank you so much, John! It's my pleasure to talk about these films for you. We can be dear friends, because The Red Shoes is one of my top 5 films of all time!
@@ElliotCoen so great to connect Elliot - I am a theatre director and filmmaker based in Portland Oregon but travel extensively and often - just not currently lol
I love the UK and try to get there at least once a year - let's chat on facebook sometime
Until then here are my top 20 criterion releases
The Red Shoes
The Innocents
The Night of the Hunter
Rebecca
Notorious
Black Narcissus
Amacord
Cries and Whispers
Barry Lyndon
Children of Paradise
Days of Heaven
Blue Velvet
The Piano Teacher
The Age Of Innocence
The Long Day Closes
Nashville
Persona
The Rules of the Game
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Tom Jones
Great video! Carole Lombard in "My man Godfrey" is wonderful. Such a tragedy that she died so young, she was such an amazing actress and a beautiful woman.
Indeed, very tragic! She gives it her all in this film. Thanks for watching, my friend :)
Agreed.
Clark Gable never recovered from losing her IMO
Carole was amazing in this. So sad.
I only discovered your channel recently. I'm relatively new to the Criterion Collection, and I'm glad to hear you talking about two movies I deeply love: King of Jazz and Black Orpheus.
I got to know King of Jazz through the CC, but Black Orpheus is a film I've known for quite a while, and I didn't know that there was a Criterion edition of it! I have it on Blu-ray from another label (I'm from Mexico), but I think they used the same restauration master made for the CC. I'm gonna get the Criterion one!
Thank you so much Cosas!
Great list! I agree with you about My Man Godfrey! Pure comedy gold!
Yes! It never ceases to make me laugh and smile! Cheers, Tom.
My Man Godfrey is one of my favorite movies ever. I absolutely adore Carole Lombard and William Powell is just so dashing and charming, he’s such a delight to watch. It is CRIMINALLY underrated and I wish I saw this in more people’s collections. An absolutely hilarious gem. I wish screwball would make a comeback.
This man is living the dream LOOK HOW MANY CRITERIONS HE HAS!!! I envy and admire you, sir.
Haha! Thank you, conrad!
Another great underrated Criterion blu-ray is The Black Stallion. There are many great interviews and special features on this disk. It’s really awesome.
That's one I've never seen! I'll look at picking it up in the next sale. Thanks for the recommendation!
Great shout. My parents used to watch that a lot on video in the 90s. Mam had such a good taste in films.
Mickey Rooney....legend.
Dave Sanderson I watched the movie as a child in the theater. It was great. The Studio executives were furious when they saw a preview cut of the movie because they thought that it was too Art-house to appeal to children or to a general audience. They were very wrong!
The Fisher King is a perfect film to me. So underrated and deserved the criterion treatment undoubtedly
Well said. I need to watch it again soon!
It is the only criterion I have and it was a blind buy. 25 bucks but oh so worth it.
@@davidkahn5069 it's a great one to have as your only Criterion!
@Inge Fossen it rarely enters modern conversations before Brazil, Fear and Loathing etc. It may be his biggest hit box office wise, but I think it isn't talked about enough in 2020.
My Man Godfrey is one of my favorite movies of the 30’s. It’s funny and the characters in themselves are amazing! A very underrated movie indeed.
Absolutely! Cheers for watching, John!
Some of my favorite Criterion Blu-Rays and DVD's - A Brighter Summer Day, Downhill Racer, Revanche, Le Beau Serge, Fanfan la Tulipe, and The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum
Great list Elliot 👍 totally agree with Fisher King absolutely love that film, Music Room also is very under appreciated only film of Ray’s I’ve seen so looking forward to the Apu trilogy coming to UK !!
Cheers, Daniel :) If you enjoyed The Music Room, I think you're in for a great time with the Apu Trilogy. Three of the most powerful films I've ever seen, for sure.
Absolutely agree with the Music Room - just as important as the Apu Trilogy.
Great video Elliott, definitely be checking a few of these out
Thank you, my friend! I hope you enjoy.
I just ordered the Fisher King and My Man Godfrey. I saw both of them s decade ago and really liked them but I didn't know they were from Criterion. I love Black Orpheus and have it in my collection. I love Tampopo so much and I love that all the characters she meets become invested in her mission.
Some very choice cuts there, my friend. I am particularly fond of Tampopo and King of Jazz. And I really need to re-watch The Music Room and Black Orpheus...it's been ages since I saw them.
Cheers, Tim! I'm glad to see another fan of King of Jazz. There doesn't seem to be much love for that film out there!
@@ElliotCoen it's definitely one of a kind!
I watched Tampopo just last week, and now I’m a huge fan! BTW I’d really love if you mentioned the actual Blu ray edition (special features, booklet or poster etc...)
I'm glad you're a big fan! Yes, I should have shown more of the packaging and features, apologies. I wanted to keep it quite brief with the recommendations but I think I will go more in depth with Tampopo in a future video. Thanks for watching :)
A personal favourite. One of many gems introduced to me in the late 80s/early 90s, via BBC2 and Channel 4's late night movie schedule. I still have the NTSC video I tracked down.
That King of Jazz blu-ray is fantastic. Wonderfully insane. Our old washed out MCA VHS copy just doesn't even compare.
Wonderfully insane is such an apt description. I love it. The colours are incredible in the film, especially for the time! Thanks for watching :)
Yas! "The Music Room" is extraordinary! All Ray is beyond amazing!❤️❤️❤️
I'm a huge fan of Ray! I'm glad you enjoyed this video, Luigi :)
Thanks Elliott. Another solid list with many films that are indeed underrated. Tampopo has got to be a rite of passage for anyone starting a Criterion Collection. I know it was one of those films that made me more intrgued to explore the collection more deeply. Really glad to see My Man Godfrey get a mention there as well :) Other underrated gems if people are looking recommendations? Local Hero. Desert Hearts. Certain Women and Panique.
I'm glad to hear you mention Tampopo and My Man Godfrey. Local Hero and Certain Women are indeed two more underrated films in the collection! I'll admit to not having seen Desert Hearts or Panique yet - both are sat on my shelf ready to watch. I may give them a spin this week. Cheers for watching and for leaving the lovely comment, Chris :)
I noticed that Criterion had released Local Hero, but have not had a chance to get it. I have the original DVD release, but I am sure that the new one will blow it away. Bill Forsyth is a criminally underrated director, at least here.
Yay another fan of My Man Godfrey. Love this film. I watched my Criterion couple of days ago. Got it in the 2 for £25. Total screwball, the family is so dysfunctional but they are not irredeemable. It wasn't until my latest watch that I realised how much chemistry Godfrey and Cordelia had. I got my brother to watch it for first time and he enjoyed it. The transfer was brilliant, the reason I needed it.
Fantastic video Elliot - Own 6 of these - Will now make it a must to pick up the rest!
Cheers, Toby!
I was suprised and delighted that The In-Laws was released by Criterion. It's great movie that I love and I was so glad it got the Criterion treatment. "Serpentine, Shelley. Serpentine!" I think it's the only non-foreign film I have that's in the Criterion Collection...I might be getting The Great Escape soon, but it's hard when I don't have much space and already have it digitally.
Great video Elliot! Quite a few of these I have not yet to see, but I am glad to have the commentary on them. I adore Tampopo so much, but yeah there needs to be more love! Two that I enjoy that I think need more attention are Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (a recent viewing of yours) and I would say the epic Children of Paradise.
Thanks, Nathan! Investigation is for sure an underseen gem. I've still never seen Children of Paradise. I need to remedy that! Thanks for watching :)
@@ElliotCoen Do it! It is such a great epic!
What great selections! Each of these are brilliant and underrated to some extent. The Fisher King and Tampopo are definitely all-time favorites of mine. Oh, but wow, I can't imagine Multiple Maniacs as a first time Waters watch! What a trip, makes his more accessible works seem so docile. And yes, you totally got her character being this deranged monster. After the first time I saw it, all I wished for was a spin-off: Divine vs. Godzilla.
Divine vs. Godzilla needs to happen. Surely with modern CGI technology, someone can make that happen! Thanks for watching, Christen :)
The Fisher King is one of the greatest movies ever made - and one of the best spec'd Blurays of all time!
Amen!!
Arthur Hiller also directed The Out-of-Towners, which is another crazy comedy starring the great Jack Lemmon. Hiller also made The Hospital which has an amazing Oscar-winning screenplay from Paddy Chayefsky. Very interesting filmmaker.
Wow, thanks, Ben. I need to check out these films, as I'm not that knowledgeable on Hiller's entire filmography, so thank you for these recommendations!
Glad to see THE MUSIC ROOM🎶
Definitely agree with Black Orpheus, Tampopo almost makes my underrated list, but where is my number one--Babettes Feast?
I do adore Babette's Feast! I kept this video to Criterion releases available both in the US and the UK, and sadly you can't get Babette's Feast on Criterion in the UK. Thanks for watching :)
Thanks for recommending 'The Music Room'. Love the Apu Trilogy, but I don't know this one.
My pleasure, James. If you love the Apu Trilogy, you're sure to love The Music Room.
3rd favourite movie of mine is tampopo! so cool to see it in the vid, BIG FAN - from australia
Thanks Ziggy :)
Great collection. I'm lucky enough to have seen The Fisher King, Tampopo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Black Orpheus at the cinema, Black Orpheus being among my first DVD buys. Ray, of course is a superb filmmaker and one title of his which is a favourite of mine is Days and Nights in the Forest, a seemingly light and witty film that hides cutting social commentary.
Thanks, Tony! That's one of the Ray films I haven't seen, so thank you for the recommendation :)
"Tampopo" is delightful! -- and for those who are as much into physical exercise as food.
Great List!!
I would add to the list of Underappreciated gems in the collection such titles as El Norte, Secret Sunshine, The Life Of Oharu, Master Of The House, Black Girl & The Tree Of Wooden Clogs
Those are all great recommendations! Black Girl is certainly underappraciated. I love that film, so powerful, and so short! It's around 60 mins in length from what I remember! Thanks for watching and leaving such a great comment, my friend.
Black Orpheus is one of the greatest movies ever made.
For Americans, there is the exotic locale of Brazil and the wonderful countryside, the Mardi Gras, and the wonderful people.
The two central characters are unforgettable and the way the story evolves is magical.
This has gotten many awards and the fact that Elliot brought it up now is important because basically it is a forgotten classic.
Yet, it is so modern in its story-line, its characters, and the way Brazil is featured.
If you haven't seen it, be prepared to be "blown away." It needs to be reappraised and I think today's audience will love it better than when it first came out.
Be careful! This movie is dream-inducing! It is that good.
Loved My Man Godfrey! Lovely story!
Tampopo always remains in my top 10 films of all time.
Yes!! Now I'm curious about the rest of your top 10..
Something Wild is a great movie.
Yes! I remember watching it for the first time and being mesmerised by her character. I couldn't predict what she'd do next! Thanks for watching, Mark.
also the vanishing and dont look now.....great underrated thrillers
Ray Liotta was simply brilliant in Something Wild.
Good video, man! But I'd also like to add Stuart Cooper's "Overlord", Larisa Shepitko's "Wings" and "The Ascent", Giuseppe de Santis' "Bitter Rice", Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Mamma Roma", Paul Fejos' "Lonesome", Robert Bresson's "L'Argent", Ritwik Ghatak's "The Cloud-capped Star", Yasujiro Ozu's "Floating Weeds", Robert Siodmak and Edgar G. Ulmer's "People on Sunday", and Gillian Armstrong's "My Brilliant Career" as unsung gems of World Cinema.
Brilliant recommendations here! Sadly, many of these are not available on the UK on Criterion, so I chose not to mention them here. Thanks for watching and recommending these films!
Like a lot of people, I suspect, Tampopo is the only film on that list that I've seen. So very interesting. Only problem is that you've just made my list of films I must watch even longer (but I won't hold it against you!)
I'm sorry for making the list longer, Colin! It's a good problem to have, I guess? :)
I think I'll survive!
I have to admit that I haven’t heard of any of these movies. I will check them out now. I’ll start with Black Orpheus because I’m familiar with the Gluck opera Orpheus and Eurydice.
I have heard of Paul Whiteman though because he recorded the original version of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Black Orpheus would be a great start, my friend. Do let me know if you enjoy it!
has never gotten a dvd release - but Walker by Alex Cox is one of the most underrated films in the collection imo
That needs a blu-ray upgrade! Alex Cox is such a great filmmaker and film lover :)
I just subscribed to Criterion Chanel online and was able to get some of these. I also subscribed to your channel because I admire the Criterion Collection and wish I could afford to buy more of this collection. Tampopo is one of my favorites. I also love quality Ramen.
Thank you for subscribing, Bill! The Criterion Channel is a great resource for discovering these films. I love ramen too :)
Seconds by John Frankenheimer is in my opinion the most underrated. Please buy it if you haven't! The cinematography is decades ahead of it's time and features an extremely disturbing story that'll have you thinking for days!
Yes! I love Seconds so much that I now have two editions of it - The Criterion and The Masters of Cinema release ❤️
@@ElliotCoen Awesome!!
I recently picked up my first Criterion (Stalker), I love the film so I hope it looks great and the special features are also great. Now there’s a 2 for 25 sale in HMV so I’ll be picking up another 2, I want to get Tampopo but I’m unsure about the second one... Solaris (which I’ve seen) and Dreams (which I haven’t, but obviously I’m a Kurosawa fan) are contenders
I'm going to be uploading a video tomorrow about recommendations for this sale, and I do talk about Dreams in it. Keep an eye out :)
Elliot Coen I’ll be waiting!
Elliot Coen any thoughts on the Yi Yi Criterion, I watched the film a couple of months ago and loved it but I watched it on UA-cam, I was looking at the special features and they seem very bare bone, but I know I love the film. With something like Dreams, I haven’t seen it but I’m deep into a Kurosawa binge and I’ll be watching at some point, there’s also a 720p version on UA-cam for some reason, I don’t know whether I’ll like it as much but its special features sound excellent... I can’t spend to much since I bought a bunch of Blu rays just last week 😂
Collector dilemmas...
A handful of my favorite
underrated films that are on Criterion:
"Short Cuts" (1993)
"Head" (1968)
"The Ice Storm" (1997)
"Island Of Lost Souls" (1932)
"Dead Man" (1995)
"The Blob" (1958)
"Election" (1999)
Literally watched Tampopo the other night and LOVED it. It's such a funny, sort of insane film.
Also, My Man Godfrey is one of my favourites.
I enjoy your videos very much. ☺
Thank you so much, Lisa. I'm so glad you enjoyed Tampopo :)
Have to say Elliot, you hit a home run (baseball term) with me and this video. I love the concept of talking about some underrated films on Criterion. Enjoyed everything you had to say about each and every one of your picks. Your number 3-Something Wild has been one of my favorite films since I first saw it many years ago. I just love everything about it. I was thrilled you picked it as one of your 10. You have me curious about King ofJazz and I'm thinking hard about possibly picking up the In-Laws. You have me curious about The Music Room as well. I have The Hero, which I like very much, and I think can easily be considered underrated. By the way, during your presentation 'complete Blu-ray collection' a few video's ago, I noticed you have the Eureka edition of A New Leaf. Would love if you talked about this film. I love A New Leaf. I'm a big Walter Matthau fan and he is great in it but everything else about the movie makes it one of my favorites. Would love to know what the extra's might be on the Eureka edition. But thank you Elliot for the wonderful video-Underrated Criterion Collection films. I enjoyed it very very much.
Paul, thank you for such a lovely comment. I really appreciate the support. I will talk about A New Leaf! I recently did a top 10 Masters of Cinema video, and I may do a followup. I will be sure to include A New Leaf in there and talk about the special features. Thanks again, and I look forward to chatting with you soon!
@@ElliotCoen Thanks Elliot.
Tampopo is one of my favorites for sure! Such a sweet and funny film. Big fan of Multiple Maniacs too! I’ve gotta watch more John Waters. Lots of intriguing recommendations here Elliot
Cheers, Luke! It's always good to know another John Waters fan :)
There's a spectacularly LARGE coffee table book that went along with the Criterion release of THE KING OF JAZZ, but sadly, I never ended up getting my hands on it. Seriously, it's one of the biggest regrets of my life. I've tried hunting for copies of it online but each copy I've come across is extremely expensive.
So glad you mentioned MY MAN GODFREY!! That was the very first DVD I bought with my own money back when I was a teenager in high school. I remember it costing me $36 which was a heck of a lot of money back in the mid-'90s. I still have that Criterion DVD, too, along with the more recent blu ray rerelease.
Wow, I did not know about that book! Now I'm envious of anyone that has it. Ah, that's a lovely story about your history with My Man Godfrey. It's great to know we share a love of that film. It's due a rewatch from me soon, I think. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, Vanessa!
@@ElliotCoen This is the book I mentioned: www.amazon.ca/King-Jazz-Whitemans-Technicolor-Revue/dp/0997380101/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1588630706&sr=1-1 My birthday is coming up on the 19th, so if I get given some Amazon gift cards from my family, I think I'm finally going to treat myself to a copy
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is my favorite discovery of the past decade. I bought it fairly blind, and immediately fell in love! One of the best collection of songs and stories about the non-binary experience. (I even made a video on my channel about it 👀)
The songs are brilliant. I've listened to them over and over again since seeing the film. I need to check out your video on it! Thanks for watching :)
Hey Elliot! Man, so many of your videos feel like you’re reaching into my brain for your picks. lol I absolutely love My Man Godfrey, and it just gets better every time I see it. William Powell is the best. Something Wild is a terrific pick as well!
Haha, thank you, Daniel. Great minds certainly do think alike! Powell in My Man Godfrey is so charming :)
You had me at 'My Man Godfrey' and 'The In-Laws'. I discovered both films as a teenager in the 1990s and loved them both immediately. I've had both on DVD (non-Criterion) for a very long time. Last year I finally upgraded 'My Man Godfrey' to the Criterion bluray and I'm hoping to get 'The In-Laws' Criterion bluray (the only thing stopping me is I'd like to get a few more Criterion Blurays of films I don't already own on regular DVD first). Incidentally, 'Columbo' is possibly my favourite TV show (particularly the original 1970s run). "Serpentine, Shel! Serpentine!"
Hi Derek, thanks for the great comment! Yes, it is always a dilemma between choosing to buy a film you want to upgrade, or buying one you've never seen but always wanted to see. I would thoroughly recommend the blu-ray of The In Laws, however! I hope you're keeping well, my friend :)
Even more than blind-buys, there are some Criterion blurays of movies I have seen but have never been able to get on DVD, such as 'Repo Man', 'It Happened One Night', 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'... etc. There are a lot of fantastic films in the Criterion Collection.
Loved this! Happy to find another criterion UA-camr like myself!
Ditto! Thanks for watching :)
Great video! Haven't seen Something Wild since it played at cinemas so another one to add to my collection, along with The Fisher King.
I have Tampopo on my Cinema Paradiso rental list and will doubtless love it and move to a purchase. Another two mouth-watering films majoring on food
are Babette's Feast and Eat, Drink, Man, Woman; the latter I caught at the London Film Festival many moons ago.
With you all the way on The Music Room. What a truly great movie! One title I would love to see given the Criterion treatment
is Michael Winterbottom's Wonderland Crying out for a Blu release. Take care and keep safe and well.
Hi Steve, it's great to hear from you! I hope you're doing well too. I do hope you enjoy Tampopo. You'll have to let me know your thoughts!
My Man Godfrey needs more love
Absolutely! I try to share it with as many film fans as possible. Thanks for watching, Chris :)
The Music Room is my favorite Ray movie to date, but I only have ten.
It's up there near the top for me. I have a really soft spot for Charulata, which I'd say is my current favourite. The way the camera glides and swings in that film is exquisite, and a great central performance.
Just bought and watched the Criterion War and Peace 1966 Russian---what a nice transfer----compared to the best dvd edition which I have----it's a giant leap forward visually.
Hi Bill. I guiltily have War and Peace sitting on my shelf untouched - it's the daunting runtime. Do you advise watching it in one sitting or multiple? Cheers.
@@ElliotCoen Well---it's actually split into 4 chapters so it can be watched both ways----But truly believe me that the transfer is a miracle in comparison to what was available before---I can't garuntee that you will love it as that is subjective but Sergei Bondurchuk who directs this film is like a near-sighted Russian bear in his role of Pierre and the battle scenes will never be equaled as they were made with cooperation and participation of the Russian Army. I can tell by your videos that you are international in your appreciation of films. I have a large collection of japanese,russian, polish, etc, etc. films that have a different sensibility and distinctive atmosphere compared to our westernized films. We are so damned lucky in these years of this hobby or passion really. Hope more people sub you as it's evident that you care .
These are actually headline Criterion titles that are very popular, underrated would be Miss Julie, Danton, The Horses Mouth, these are great movies but they're well known, strong sellers.
Oh yeah, these titles aren't the most obscure, but it's all relative. These films aren't doing the numbers of Breathless, Seven Samurai, or Stalker. For my audience, I think quite a lot of the titles go unknown. I just wanted to share my love for them and get more eyeballs viewing these wonderful films. Thank you for watching :)
@@ElliotCoen That's true, for me, one of my favorite Criterion Blu-rays is Bresson's L'argent, which is probably a huge blind spot for others, while some might think it's no brainer, but yeah, it's all very relative! I guess I'm thinking 'obscure" vs. "underrated" speaking of Something Wild, have you seen the other Something Wild from 1961?
@@crabnebula1914 I have not seen that version of Something Wild but I've heard good things. I'm a huge Bresson fan and I love L'argent. I'll have to do some videos on Bresson at some point.
@@ElliotCoen That'd be great! I recently made a video essay on Bresson and Paul Schrader ua-cam.com/video/OiVSN28rNYg/v-deo.html here's a link, I've got some cool stuff on my channel I think you might dig, but Carroll Baker's Something Wild is a great showcase for its cast, especially Ralph Meeker
Very interesting list! I haven’t seen any of these films and now i want to see all of them! Being a Brazilian, I can say that Black Orpheus is not very well-known around here. Ok, so it’s mostly a French production, if i’m not mistaken, but one could expect that it would be well-known in Brazil too, given the importance of the film. But unfortunately that’s not the case. Anyway, along with Black Orpheus, some of these criterions have been on my wishlist for quite some time now and i’m gonna add the others. Thanks for the vid! Stay safe!
Hello my friend! It's very interesting to hear that Black Orpheus isn't well known in Brazil. The film is responsible for getting me into Brazilian jazz and Bossa nova. I'm now a huge fan of musicians like Eumir Deodato, Marcos Valle, Azymuth etc. I hope you are well :)
Claire's Knee, and others by Rohmer. Tampopo rocks.
Very interesting titles my friend! I havent seen any of them besides Tampopo, but Im looking forward to watching them. I couldnt agree more on Tampopo, its a fantastic film!
I'm so glad to hear you're a fellow fan of Tampopo, my friend. I keep saying it, but I might genuinely start a Tampopo fan club 😁
Elliot Coen yess! Do it, that would be awesome 😀
Solid video and picks pal! Would love a video on underrated Arrow Video releases 👍
Cheers, Sam! That's a video I will prepare very soon :)
Tampopo fan here!
I'm gonna have to start a Tampopo fan club!
Along the lines of Tampopo, how about Gabriel Axel's Babette's Feast. Won the Oscar over Au Revoir Les Enfants.
I'm a huge fan of Babette's Feast. I mentioned it recently in my Criterion Seven Deadly Sins video! One of the finest films about food. Thanks for watching, Keith!
Of The Criterion UK releases, I'd say Here Comes Mr Jordan is one that I severely underestimated beforehand and was shocked how pleasant the viewing exprerience was, kind of at a halfway point between Frank Capra and the Powell and Pressburger of A Matter of Life and Death/I Know Where I'm Going. I think Paul Bartel is another severely underrated director and his Eating Raoul is one of my favorite Criterion releases. This one is a worse answer, but I would also call Ivan's Childhood underrated as I tend to think of it as one of the greatest WWII movies ever and even Tarkovsky fans don't seem to think that highly of it sometimes. It is a perfect movie in my eyes and doesn't quite get the credit it deserves. I could say the same for Panique, but I don't want the list to get too long. Desert Hearts was a nice indie find and Overlord gets unfortunately overlooked, too.
These are great recommendations, my friend. I agree with everything you say here. Ivan's Childhood is often dismissed as an early 'lesser' Tarkovsky but it's one of my favourite films. I need to get round to watching Panique. It's sitting on my shelf. Thanks for watching!
The Burmese Harp, Fires on the Plain, and An Actor's Revenge by Kon Ichikawa
They're all brilliant, Steven! An Actor's Revenge in particular got me very interested in kabuki.
A few time i was close to buying In Laws but never pulled the trigger. I think next time i see a good deal ill nab it. Loved the Fisher King just picked up jabberwocky off HMV for £9.99 so looking forward to seeing more of his films seen a few of his films already. Keep the top content coming mate 👍🏻
Cheers, Al. The support always means so much to me. I hope you enjoy those new Criterions. I'd love to hear your thoughts on them once you've watched them!
"My Man Godfrey": William Powell is one of the greatest-ever actors. See him in his last film, "Mister Roberts".
I absolutely LOVE The Fisher King. So I ordered it the minute it became available. Hedwig is another I absolutely love and this is on my wish list but I've delayed it up until now since I have it on DVD. Hedwig came out the same year Moulin Rouge came out and, unfortunately didn't do as well at the box office. But, in my opinion, Hedwig is a much, much better rock musical.
My Man Godfrey is great! I've seen both versions of it, but the 1936 is definitely the one I prefer! I think there's even another version of it that has a different title, but my mind could be making that up or mixing it up with a different film. I haven't seen it in quite a while but I do remember really enjoying it and also thinking it was underrated.
Black Orpheus is one I have yet to see and have thought about getting sometimes. I really like the Orpheus myth and other versions of it, including the Jean Cocteau film.
I've only see the one version of My Man Godfrey but I will try and check out the others! I love Cocteau's Orpheus by the way. Thanks for watching, Bailee!
Black Orpheus is a masterpiece, absolluty. I'm from México, and I heard about Black Orpheus in a Guillermo Del Toro's criterion pick. I saw the movie on UA-cam with spanish subtitles.
And, I have to recommendation for you. I think (I dont really know) the movie is on the collection. The movie is The Face of Another. If you know them, please tell me your opinion, and if the film is in the collection, because I dont know.
Great video!
Great list 😀
Thanks, Allan :) Hopefully you'll find some of these recommendations helpful!
The Cloud-capped Star is way overlooked even in India. It was made by Ritwik Ghatak with very little money he had and is considered to be one of the finest Indian films since Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali.
Hi Agnibhu! The Cloud Capped Star is high up on my watchlist. I really should watch it soon, as I love what I have seen of classic Indian cinema. Thanks for watching and commenting :)
Sorry, but you left out Mercedes Ruehl from the list of great actors in the Fisher King. I think her performance is even better than those of Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams. I sometimes just watch the break up scene between her and Jeff Bridges because her performance is just that good. It might actually be the best acting I have ever seen, her Oscar was more than deserved.
Oh yes, very true! She is tremendous in that role, thanks for pointing that out. I think I only skimmed over her in this video for brevity. Thanks for watching :)
The failure of Merecedes Ruehl to push on from her richly deserved Oscar remains a waste of talent and pretty blooming weird.
To think you never seen John Waters later films...Hairspray, Cry Baby or Serial Mom before Multiple Maniacs. 😎😎
Haha, I know! I was brought up such a pure and innocent boy. Now look at me, a John Waters die hard fan!
Jonathan Demme's Something Wild is great but topped by his Married To The Mob. Michelle Pfeiffer's best role too. Seems to have been kidnapped never to be seen again. Your other choices ok too but your descriptions? Read Slant Magazine. They never recommend on basis that it will make one 'love life'. They adopt a strictly cinematic perspective. Another really unappreciated i.e. below the radar and truly great film is the Czech film Marketa Lazaro along with Samuel Fuller's White Dog. Then we have some which apart from their substance are gorgeous to look at especially with 4K Blu-ray and top two here are Schraeder's Mishima and Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (ok latter is not under-appreciated but the extras extraordinary - an item you don't explore (nor the transfer - not using blu-ray's?). And Notorious whose extras will give you a new perspective on Alfred Hitchcock. I hope they release Park's The Handmaiden soon - few Korean films on CC not even Kim kee-duk.. Nor China eg Jia Zhangke - why not Ash is the Whitest Color. These last named-directors make mincemeat of choices featured in vid. S Ray and Kurosawa supposed to sustain us? Is Criterion discriminating or discriminatory ?
Hi Mark, thanks for watching and commenting. There's a lot going on in your comment but I will try my best at tackling everything you ask. Firstly, I haven't seen Married to the Mob but I will add it to my watchlist on your recommendation! About my brief descriptions here, I'm sorry you didn't like them. I'm no film critic or publication and never claim to be. All I aim to do with these videos is get people interested in giving these films a go. I'm OK with saying a film can make someone love life - I may not be able to articulate how or why a film does that, being no critic or scholar, but I think a film that make me feel that way is good enough to share! I didn't go into disc details or special features here, as these are just recommendations for the films and not necessarily the discs. People who haven't seen the films tend to drop off the video if you start going into technical and supplemental aspects of the discs, so I nautally wanted to avoid that here so people can get as many recommendations as possible swiftly! Marketa Lazarova and Barry Lyndon are both top 10 films for me! I mentioned neither here as they aren't available on Criterion UK and I wanted to cater to my home team as well as my American cohort. And I agree, I'd love to see some of these Asian directors get a look in. I saw Ash is Purest White at the Cannes Film Festival when it premiered - I'm a huge fan of Jia Zhangke. I hope that covered most questions you had. Thanks again for watching and leaving a great comment, my friend.
@@ElliotCoen Thanks Elliot I DO like you and your affable and enthusiastic reviews are actually a relief from the drier style that is actually more common among The Critics and that would help explain your popularity here. Actually I was already depressed by the lockdown and made the mistake of watching an Ingmar Bergman movie! You copped the fallout. I will now comment on that review of yours and you will be relieved to see the bee no longer in my bonnet! Most importantly I saw elsewhere that you strongly support Criterion finally issuing CONTEMPORARY ASIAN cinema and my top two suggestions are China's Elephant Sitting Still and Philippines' The Woman Who Left but as both almost 4 hours Criterion commentary trackers may need to work in shifts!
some other underrated criterions people should watch are
the honeymoon killers
breaker morant
the killers
the manchurian candidate
1984
odd and out
a dry white season
would be cool to see what movies/criterion you think is overrated. you seem to be loving every movie :P
Haha, I may do a video on films I'm not too keen on. I just love talking about the films that I, well, love! Thanks for watching, my friend :)
I have been enjoying watching your videos and hearing your recommendations. Do you ever sell movies you don't care for?
Hey Elliot, love your videos! Just wondering what player you use to play your imported blu-rays, and if you would have any recommendations for me. I will be upgrading to a 4K player soon and was thinking of getting one that has also been modified to play any region blu-rays/dvds. It would allow me to venture into the US Criterion stuff that I lust for so much, so your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the hours of entertainment!
elliot, what are your thoughts on trainspotting? my favorite movie of all times
Hello. Believe it or not, I have never seen Trainspotting! It's somehow always evaded me. I should really watch it soon :) Thanks for watching.
My Man Godfrey is absolutely superb! What are the extras like on the Criterion?
out of the films you mentioned. my man godfrey looks the most interesting to me. im scure the others ones are great aswell. what do you think of district 9 btw. i watched recently and thought it wasnt good and i think its overrated but people seem to love it. it had good ideas but didnt go far with them. im also reccomending the triplets of belleville cos its great
I haven't watched District 9 in many years but I remember enjoying it! I'll try and revisit it and let you know :)
@@ElliotCoen i hope you enjoy it. i just didnt and thought it could be better. hope your well
Enjoyed your list and agree with your pics and am excited to see the ones I'm not familiar with. I hate that the British versions are defaced with the ridiculous age certificates that apparently must disgrace the cover and therefore are horrible eyesores on these beautifully designed packages. So I pay more to get the American ones. Call me crazy.
Yep. I, too, hate the ratings logos on these discs, but they're much cheaper for me to get than the US counterparts, sadly. Thanks for watching :)
Don't forget Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Yes, he should have got a mention! My mistake.
May I add Mamma Roma? Despite it having the worst cover art for any Criterion release.
Yeah, the art isn't so great. It's long OOP isn't it? Could do with a blu-ray upgrade, for sure.
Just went to collect over 20 titles, three of which were available. B&N, what good is a sale if you don’t have anything to sell? Can’t even order and wait for the restock? I’ve been looking forward to this sale for six months. Oh well, there are worse things.
the killer and hard boiled need blu ray release
What bluray player do you have? Greetings from Spain. Pd: My english is very bad. I'm so sorry
Hi Amir! Your English is great, do not worry :) my Blu-ray player is an Oppo UDP 203. Thanks for watching!
@@ElliotCoen Is very god bluray player. Region free ?
@@talesofvladamir3636 yes, region free! I believe it is discontinued now sadly.
Another question what's your favourite box set from Hammer's Indicator ?
@@ElliotCoen I have had OPPOs since the DV-980H, so I was able to buy an early 203 release, for beta testing. I love the player but it is not worth the current market value. I have the knack for having passion for quixotic companies like OPPO and SAAB :(
I don’t see La Jetée/Sans Soleil
That's another great recommendation! I may have to do a followup version of this video. There's the Gilliam connection with Twelve Monkeys. I was just chatting with my dad about La Jetee the other day!
Black Orpheus Is Fantastic Movie I`m Don`t Think It Is Underrated. And The Music Room I Love Fantastic Movie Love Satyajit Ray He One Of Favorite Directors Of All Time. Love The Apu Trilogy One Mine Favorite Trilogy Of All Time And The Hero I Love Too Yeah Fantastic Stuff.
Cheers, Adam! I'm glad to hear we share a love for the Ray films. Thanks for the support as always, it means a lot :)
tokyo drifter tho
I love a bit of Suzuki ❤️
I don't like My Man Godfrey. I ADORE My Man Godfrey. William Powell is my man, especially with Myrna Loy in The Thin Man movies.
I've still yet to see any Thin Man films! It's a bit of a blind spot in my classic cinema knowledge, but I hope to correct that soon. :)
Leave her to Heaven
I love it! Gene Tierney is fierce.
@@ElliotCoen and evil that lake scene is just brutal