DVDTalk's Second Annual Criterion Challenge - September 2010

[CardiffGiant]

30 Days of Criterion
September 1st - September 30th, 2010

I thought I would get this rolling since we are a few weeks away. Most of what appears below comes from Trevor's entry last year. I've made some minor edits here and there, but I think the general idea remains the same.

Check out the full list of Criterion and Eclipse DVD and BD releases here.

This list seems to be a good guide for current Netflix streaming titles (although, I'm not sure how often it is updated).

Criterion also has a channel on Hulu with free, yet limited, titles.

Mondo Kane has provided a list of Criterion films on TV in September.

Wikipedia list of Criterion Laserdisc releases.

For inspiration on how to format your own list check out the 2009 List Thread.

THE "RULES"

This is not your father's Challenge. Think of this as an un-Challenge. The only goal is to watch Criterion content and share your experience with the rest of us. There is no specific number goal, no winners, no losers, no prizes.

This is not about bulk watching. Just watch however much you would normally watch in a month, but concentrate it on Criterion content as much as you can/want. In fact, bulk watching is discouraged, as that will limit your time for discussion and for immersing yourself in a film. Fully exploring a film is highly encouraged. Instead of racing through films and watching three or more in one day, why not fully experience each Criterion disc? Watch the film a second time with the audio commentary. Watch all of the special features on the disc. Read the insert booklet.

There will be a separate thread to include your lists as linked above. Be creative and personalize it however you wish - use one post for the whole month, daily posts, weekly posts, give reviews, provide IMDB links, add YouTube videos, add images, etc. It's recommended that you provide a link to your list(s) in your signature for easy access.

What qualifies? Any film, short, video or DVD supplemental feature that has been released by Criterion qualifies. The film does not have to watched on an actual Criterion disc. You may watch the film on any format imaginable, provided that it is the same film that Criterion has released. For example, the film Silence of the Lambs was released by Criterion on DVD/BD. But you don't have to watch the movie on that particular DVD/BD. You can watch it on VHS, on broadcast TV, on the internet, UMD, iTunes, or any of the various DVD/BD releases SOTL has had.

Discussion and debate on how to change the Challenge is encouraged. We may not make changes in this current year, but there's always next year.

A daily journal sort of entry is recommended for your list. Since counting is not required or "scored" in any way, you are free to be as creative as you wish in how you list items. Bolding of your item titles is encouraged, if only to make them stand out to allow others to quickly see if they have seen the same items and wish to comment. Give reviews. Even if it's just a mini-review, a simple /, or a one word description.

Last year Fist of Doom suggested a daily summary. Many did this; some did not. Now that we have examples from the previous year, it may be best to look at what has been done during 2009 for inspiration.

Optional Checklist

The checklist is completely optional. It is just a "fun" inclusion to give one a sense of accomplishment, to help one diversify viewing, or to use as a guide on what to watch next.

Watch one film from every decade covered by Criterion.
--- 1920 - (insert film title here)
--- 1930 -
--- 1940 -
--- 1950 -
--- 1960 -
--- 1970 -
--- 1980 -
--- 1990 -
--- 2000 -

Watch films in at least five languages.
--- First language, (insert language), (insert title).
--- Second language, (insert language), (insert title).
--- Third language, (insert language), (insert title).
--- Fourth language, (insert language), (insert title).
--- Fifth language, (insert language), (insert title).

Watch something from spine number range:
--- 001-050 -
--- 051-100 -
--- 101-150 -
--- 151-200 -
--- 201-250 -
--- 251-300 -
--- 301-350 -
--- 351-400 -
--- 401-450 -
--- 451-500 -
--- 500-550 -
--- an Eclipse title -
--- a laser disc only Criterion from this list -

Watch a film from the following genres:
--- Comedy
--- Drama
--- Horror
--- Science Fiction
--- Action / Adventure
--- Musical
--- Epic / Historical
--- Mystery / Thriller
--- War / Western
--- Documentary

--- Watch a film which won an Academy Award -
--- Watch a film with commentary -
--- Watch a short -
--- Watch a Criterion disc completely. Every part of it. -
--- Watch an entire Criterion Collector's Set/Eclipse Box Set -

(One film could fill multiple items. Example: Silence of the Lambs would qualify for a decade, language, spine number range, genre, Academy Award, and possibly more.)

(Change "---" to "-X-" or some similar mark when you have completed that line item.)

The challenge officially begins Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at midnight of whatever time zone you are in at the time, and ends on Thursday, September 30th, 2009 at 23:59:59 in whatever time zone you're in at that moment.

[CardiffGiant]

I have only added two items to the checklist: Criterion number 500-550 and Watch an Entire Criterion Collector's Set/Eclipse Box Set. I had a lot of ideas, but ultimately left them off to keep the spirit of the challenge alive.

I feel that we should continue to explore the Criterion discs more than attempt to check items off a list. Additionally, I encourage our continued mini-reviews of the films that we watch. For me, that was one of the most enjoyable aspects of last year's challenge.

Please feel free to add suggestions, your plans or further information for viewing Criterion films and I'll add them to the first post as needed.

[Fist of Doom]

Well, Trevor should be happy that you've taken hosting duties, CardiffGiant.

I love this challenge. Last year I used it to catch up on all the extras I'd missed. This year I'm concentrating on the actual films. I'll try to add mini-reviews to my list, too.

[Trevor]

Looks great CG! Thanks very much for taking the ball on this.

I'm really looking forward to September. I might change my mind, but I think my plan is going to be to watch one Criterion film per day, but trying to get through all of the special features on each.

[CardiffGiant]

Originally Posted by Fist of Doom

I love this challenge. Last year I used it to catch up on all the extras I'd missed. This year I'm concentrating on the actual films.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do just yet. I think my goal is going to be to experience as many new films and extras as I can. I only have two or three unwatched Criterion films and three unwatched Eclipse films, so I'm planning on whittling down my Netflix queue, both streaming and BD.

Originally Posted by Fist of Doom

I'll try to add mini-reviews to my list, too.

Please do! Whether I agree or disagree with the reviews, I thought it was helpful to read what experiences others were having and it encouraged me to share my own experiences.

Originally Posted by Trevor

Looks great CG! Thanks very much for taking the ball on this.

I'm really looking forward to September. I might change my mind, but I think my plan is going to be to watch one Criterion film per day, but trying to get through all of the special features on each.

No problem. Thanks for all of the work you do on the challenges.

I'm definitely going to explore more extras this time around.

[Mister Peepers]

Didn't plan on doing a challenge in September but I have this list to do http://www.icheckmovies.com/list/the...ion+collection

Guess I'll be free to do my own thing in November.

[Numes]

Can't wait! I've already got all my unwatched Criterions on a list so I don't have to hem and haw for half an hour figuring out what to watch.

Mini-reviews/notes are a must for this challenge. I used to (and should still) do them on every challenge. It makes people's lists a lot more interesting to go through, especially for movies you've never heard of. Even a one sentence note is valuable.

Here are my "for sure" viewings next month:
Seven Samurai (never seen)
The Seventh Seal (never seen)
Homicide (never seen)
Dazed and Confused
Bottle Rocket
Spellbound (never seen)
Charade (never seen)

[CardiffGiant]

Originally Posted by Numes

Can't wait! I've already got all my unwatched Criterions on a list so I don't have to hem and haw for half an hour figuring out what to watch.

Mini-reviews/notes are a must for this challenge. I used to (and should still) do them on every challenge. It makes people's lists a lot more interesting to go through, especially for movies you've never heard of. Even a one sentence note is valuable.

I'm starting to put together a list as well. I think I'm going to focus on films that I haven't seen, but I also have bought many Criterion films after Netflixing them, but have yet to rewatch, those will probably also make the cut.

I like how you incorporated quotes in your mini-reviews last year. I might steal that from you.

The Seventh Seal and Fanny and Alexander are probably my two favorite films of all-time. I think The Seventh Seal is completely accessible and moving. I plan on revisiting it in September.

[Mondo Kane]

Even though I haven't upgraded my Criterion collection in many, MANY months, I'm still game enough to give this next challenge a shot (Netflix, don't you let me down)

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by Mondo Kane

Even though I haven't upgraded my Criterion collection in many, MANY months,

You missed a perfect chance last month!

[The Monkees]

Just seeing this makes me realize how much closer we are to the Horror Movie Challenge!

[Giles]

I completely forgot that the Criterion challenge is in September - oh thank god, some time to dive into the blu's I bought during the Barnes and Noble sale last month - hooray!

[Rochambeau]

I will need plenty of help. I am devoted to Criterion; I have plenty of the DVDs and I have seen some titles on Netflix. (I am expecting more.) Can anyone help me get started?

[Mister Peepers]

Equinox
Robocop

[CardiffGiant]

Originally Posted by Rochambeau

I will need plenty of help. I am devoted to Criterion; I have plenty of the DVDs and I have seen some titles on Netflix. (I am expecting more.) Can anyone help me get started?

Welcome to the forum!

Can you be more specific with regards to the help you need getting started? Do you need more details about how this challenge works?

[jdpatri]

I didn't see this in the first post... are we doing a separate list thread again? Or are we posting our lists in here?

[CardiffGiant]

Originally Posted by jdpatri

I didn't see this in the first post... are we doing a separate list thread again? Or are we posting our lists in here?

There will be a seperate list thread. I am waiting until we get closer to the date to start that thread.

I didn't want to put it up too early as the list thread could get lost beyond the first page of threads (since people will only post once as placeholders).

My aim is to put the list thread up next week so that we have time to start formatting and "getting ready" for postings.

[NoirFan]

I'm in. It'll give me a chance to watch all of the Blu-rays I bought last month.

[MinLShaw]

I have one Criterion release, The Rock, and I have yet to watch anything but the feature from it. I look forward to watching every damn thing there is on that release next month. It'll be a nice change of pace from the Animation Challenge, that's for sure!

[Mister Peepers]

Originally Posted by MinLShaw

It'll be a nice change of pace from the Animation Challenge, that's for sure!

Hey now!

[MinLShaw]

Originally Posted by Mister Peepers

Hey now!

I've been enjoying...you know what I...hey, some of my favorite movies are animated!

[ororama]

After the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge, the Drive-In/Exploitation Challenge, and the Animation Challenge, and with the Horror Challenge coming up, I wasn't planning on participating in this one. Then I realized that a lot of the movies that I was planning on watching next month qualified, so I'm in for this one too.

Rossellini's The Flowers of St. Francis was the best movie that I saw for the first time this year, so I'm looking forward to watching his War Trilogy during this challenge.

[MinLShaw]

I was just browsing ICheckMovies.com and was reminded that I also own the Criterion edition of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. That's two for me to immerse myself with next month! I've also got a few other movies from the collection in non-Criterion editions I can watch. Getting more and more interested in this challenge!

[CardiffGiant]

List Thread is now available. I'm looking forward to Wednesday.

[CardiffGiant]

Originally Posted by MinLShaw

I was just browsing ICheckMovies.com and was reminded that I also own the Criterion edition of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. That's two for me to immerse myself with next month! I've also got a few other movies from the collection in non-Criterion editions I can watch. Getting more and more interested in this challenge!

Glad to hear it. If you have Netflix, there are many Criterion films available to stream. If not, Criterion also offers a limited number of titles on Hulu (see 1st post). Also, I've seen Criterion films pop up on the usual channels like Sundance and IFC. Others have found luck at local libraries as well.