Criterion Channel Diary: November
By Austin Johnson
This is the 8th entry chronicling my first year as a Criterion Channel subscriber. There will be 4 more after this one and then I will stop the entries. It’s the best streaming service I’ve ever experienced so I plan on having it forever but at some point I’m just going to enjoy it and maybe write some reviews here and there. The idea of tracking what I’ve watched on other streaming services within one month has crossed my mind, but I’ll leave it for now. Here’s the list of stuff I got to watch on Criterion during November…
Color Adjustment (1992)
Rashomon (1950) - 8
Seven Samurai (1954) - 8
The Hidden Fortress (1958) - 8
Wise Blood (1979) - 9
The Plumber (1979) - 7
Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998) - 9
Everybody Rides the Carousel (1976) - 8
F for Fake (1973)
Wow, Color Adjustment is one of the most thought provoking docs I’ve seen in some time. Marlon Riggs has a whole collection of stuff up on Criterion right now, so I gave his 1992 documentary about the portrayal of black Americans on television a go. It’s laced with James Baldwin quotes throughout and I highly highly recommend it to everyone who says they like entertainment.
I watched three films directed by Akira Kurosawa after Color Adjustment. We based episode 24 of Oscar Sunday around Akira Kurosawa’s 1950’s run, mainly Rashomon from 1950. I’m falling in love with Kurosawa’s writing and directing style while simultaneously discovering new actors like Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura who are both spectacular in Rashomon. We had a blast with that Kurosawa episode because we also checked out Seven Samurai and The Hidden Fortress. I highly recommend checking some of his insanely long filmography out.
I used Criterion for Oscar Sunday right after using it for the Kurosawa episode but with some 1979 films this time because episode 25 was a Best Picture showdown, featuring the 5 Best Picture nominees from that year. Norma Rae, Breaking Away, All That Jazz, Apocalypse Now, and the winner, Kramer vs Kramer. I checked out John Huston’s Wise Blood and Peter Weir’s The Plumber from 1979 through Criterion to get some extra perspective on the year. It was a busy but really fun week and Wise Blood is now one of my very favorites from the whole year.
I searched “Animated” randomly and checked out a couple films that caught my eye. The first was a French film called Kirikou and the Sorceress from 1998 and the second was an American film called Everybody Rides the Carousel from 1976. I fell in love with Kirikou and then Carousel tripped me the fuck out in the best way.
The last film I watched through Criterion in November was the Orson Welles docudrama F for Fake, which I checked out in anticipation of David Fincher’s Mank. It’s one of the last things Welles ever directed and a super entertaining hour and a half of work. I definitely have work to do when it comes to Welles, but F for Fake is right up there with Kane and The Third Man when it comes to my favorite Welles shit.
I moved at the beginning of November and I was working non stop because holiday season is just flat out busy as hell at the grocery store where I work. I was able to watch 7 films and 2 documentaries but I’m going to split them all up into 6 personals and 3 recommendations for every film buff. December doesn’t get any slower at work, but my family is finally settled into our new place and ready to watch tons of films.
Personals
1. Wise Blood
2. Kirikou and the Sorceress
3. Rashomon
4. Seven Samurai
5. Everybody Rides the Carousel
6. The Plumber
Recommendations
1. Color Adjustment
2. The Hidden Fortress
3. F for Fake
Color Adjustment (1992)
Rashomon (1950) - 8
Seven Samurai (1954) - 8
The Hidden Fortress (1958) - 8
Wise Blood (1979) - 9
The Plumber (1979) - 7
Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998) - 9
Everybody Rides the Carousel (1976) - 8
F for Fake (1973)
Wow, Color Adjustment is one of the most thought provoking docs I’ve seen in some time. Marlon Riggs has a whole collection of stuff up on Criterion right now, so I gave his 1992 documentary about the portrayal of black Americans on television a go. It’s laced with James Baldwin quotes throughout and I highly highly recommend it to everyone who says they like entertainment.
I watched three films directed by Akira Kurosawa after Color Adjustment. We based episode 24 of Oscar Sunday around Akira Kurosawa’s 1950’s run, mainly Rashomon from 1950. I’m falling in love with Kurosawa’s writing and directing style while simultaneously discovering new actors like Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura who are both spectacular in Rashomon. We had a blast with that Kurosawa episode because we also checked out Seven Samurai and The Hidden Fortress. I highly recommend checking some of his insanely long filmography out.
I used Criterion for Oscar Sunday right after using it for the Kurosawa episode but with some 1979 films this time because episode 25 was a Best Picture showdown, featuring the 5 Best Picture nominees from that year. Norma Rae, Breaking Away, All That Jazz, Apocalypse Now, and the winner, Kramer vs Kramer. I checked out John Huston’s Wise Blood and Peter Weir’s The Plumber from 1979 through Criterion to get some extra perspective on the year. It was a busy but really fun week and Wise Blood is now one of my very favorites from the whole year.
I searched “Animated” randomly and checked out a couple films that caught my eye. The first was a French film called Kirikou and the Sorceress from 1998 and the second was an American film called Everybody Rides the Carousel from 1976. I fell in love with Kirikou and then Carousel tripped me the fuck out in the best way.
The last film I watched through Criterion in November was the Orson Welles docudrama F for Fake, which I checked out in anticipation of David Fincher’s Mank. It’s one of the last things Welles ever directed and a super entertaining hour and a half of work. I definitely have work to do when it comes to Welles, but F for Fake is right up there with Kane and The Third Man when it comes to my favorite Welles shit.
I moved at the beginning of November and I was working non stop because holiday season is just flat out busy as hell at the grocery store where I work. I was able to watch 7 films and 2 documentaries but I’m going to split them all up into 6 personals and 3 recommendations for every film buff. December doesn’t get any slower at work, but my family is finally settled into our new place and ready to watch tons of films.
Personals
1. Wise Blood
2. Kirikou and the Sorceress
3. Rashomon
4. Seven Samurai
5. Everybody Rides the Carousel
6. The Plumber
Recommendations
1. Color Adjustment
2. The Hidden Fortress
3. F for Fake