Top Ten Films That Should Get the Criterion Treatment

Ever since I picked up the Criterion edition of Slacker after hearing Kevin Smith discuss it, I have been hooked on this company and their efforts at making international and obscure films widely available (although not at a user friendly price discounting the months of July and November) with loads of special features. I’ve been wanting to do this list for a while now, and I have a few rules: no prior release that have gone out of print or have yet to get a Blu-Ray release, and I will try to steer clear of titles that have already been given a quality release by another North American company (Shout/Scream Factory, Arrow Video/Academy, etc.) known for stacked editions. Also, I'm steering clear of directors synonymous with Criterion, so no Bergman, Kurosawa or Wes Anderson. Those director's films will make it to Criterion whether you like it or not. But first a few honorable mentions: 

·          Audition (1999) dir. Takeshi Miike: This is more of a job for Arrow Video, since they released their own version a while back, but if they are able to get the movie rights, I’d love a scholarly commentary, an overall look at the resurgence of Japanese horror in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, and a new interview with a critic like Tony Rayns or Kim Newman. 

·         The Beyond (1981) dir. Lucio Fulci: Fulci’s masterpiece is another film that will more than likely get an Arrow release, but I’d love a retrospective look at Fulci’s career, maybe an interview with FX artist Gianetto De Rossi, and a movie like this is begging for a video essay of some kind, possibly by Kat Ellinger.

·         One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) dir. Milos Forman: I just think it would be cool for Criterion to have all three films that swept the Oscars in its collection. I could see a new piece on the book and Kesey himself, a look at the history of mental health facilities and maybe a documentary on Forman’s career. 

·         Out of the Past (1947) dir. Jacques Tourneur: I also tried to steer clear of older movies, because I am sure a lot of them, like this one, will get the treatment sooner than later. I’d like to see a commentary track by Eddie Muller, a scholarly look at Mitchum’s career and a few archival interviews with cast and crew. 

·         The Pusher Trilogy (1996-2005) dir. Nicolas Winding Refn: Why this is an honorable mention can be seen in my list, but I’d like to see commentary tracks on all films, a substantial making-of feature and possibly a new transfer of Refn’s film Bleeder, not widely available in North America. 

10. Pi (1998) dir. Darren Aronofsky: Why Aronofsky hasn’t made it in the collection is kind of a surprise, but this film would be a good fit. Porting over some of the features from the DVD, new interviews with Aronofsky and Sean Gullette along with a look at the film’s editing style would be interesting. 

9. A Serious Man (2009) dir. Coen Brothers: I could see Criterion releasing Miller’s Crossing or even The Big Lebowski instead of this film, but I’d rather see this one in the collection. New interviews with cast and crew, and it would be fascinating to hear a Jewish theologian dissect the movie and some of it's cryptic undercurrents. 

8. Sideways (2004) dir. Alexander Payne: I love this movie immensely and would love to see it in the collection. I can see new interviews with Payne and all four key cast members, a look at its status as a road movie and of course, a feature on California Wine country. 

7. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) dir. John Hughes: If they can put out The Breakfast Club, this isn’t too farfetched of a release to hope for. I’d like to see a new interview with Martin, archival footage/interviews with Candy and Hughes and possibly, like they did with The Breakfast Club that famed deleted footage that pushed the film past the 2 hour mark. 

6. After Hours (1985) dir. Martin Scorsese: The true underrated gem of Scorsese’s unparalleled career would be a welcome addition to the collection. I’d love to see a new interview with Scorsese about the process of making the film, especially as it pertains to his hardships with The Last Temptation of Christ, a new interview with Griffin Dunne and a real in depth look at the possible theories about the film’s many interpretations. 

5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) dir. Tobe Hooper: After The Night of the Living Dead release, another iconic horror film joining the collection would be awesome, and I can’t think of a better one than this. I’d like it to skew more toward the scholarly route, with pieces on the filming, it’s reflection of the time in which it was made and its overall influence would make this an easy upgrade. 

4. Magnolia (1999) dir. Paul Thomas Anderson: While it was nice to see Punch-Drunk Love get a nice release a few years ago, this is the one I think people wanted more. I could see a massive 2-disc Blu-Ray packed with interviews, maybe a commentary track or two and a nice look at the film’s hidden meanings. 

3. Cache (2005) dir. Michael Haneke: One of the best movies of the 2000's deserves a really nice Criterion edition. I'm thinking new interviews with Haneke himself, Binoche and Auteuil, plus some critical material in the form of a commentary track, video essays and appreciations. 

2. The Vengeance Trilogy (2002-2005) dir. Park Chan-Wook: Easily my favorite trilogy of the 21^st century would look real nice in the collection. I’d love to see new and archival interviews, more critical analyses of each film and in-depth making of features ported over from other editions. 

1. Drive (2011) dir. Nicolas Winding Refn: My favorite movie of the century so far and the film that inspired this list, I am really surprised that this doesn’t have a really good home video release, let alone one from Criterion. I’d hope to see a commentary track, interviews with Gosling and Refn and a look at the film’s relationship with other film genres (80’s romance, noir, etc.).