4th Annual Criterion Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

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Trevor started this challenge back in 2009 and much of the language and spirit of the challenge has remained. Others, like MinLShaw, have made significant contributions.

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. Go on Criterion's website and read some of the essays for that film.

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. Additionally, any title released by Criterion exclusively on streaming is eligible for this challenge.

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 :up:/:down:, or a one word description.

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

Check out the full list of Criterion and Eclipse DVD and BD releases here. Criterion's website allows for sorting by Brand, Format, Director, Country, Decade, and Features. This will allow easy searching for working through needed checklist items.

There are some titles currently streaming on Netflix, including a number of OOP titles. At this time last year, it appeared as though all Criterion/Eclipse titles would be gone from Netflix, but there are still some lingering.

There are many Criterion titles available on Hulu Plus. Last year we decided to count any title available on Criterion's Hulu Plus site. These include titles that Criterion has the rights to, but has yet to release on DVD/BD. Hulu Plus is offers a standard 1-week free trial. Additionally, Criterion regularly rotates new titles for "free" viewing on Hulu (usually 3-4 titles). Criterion regularly updates the free titles on Facebook.

Criterion titles occasionally appear on broadcast television. Keep an eye on this discussion thread for upcoming broadcasts.

Wikipedia list of Criterion Laserdisc releases.

For inspiration on how to format your own list check out the 2009 List Thread and the 2010 List Thread.

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 -
--- 2010 (Optional) -

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 films from five different directors in Criterion’s top 10 (Kurosawa, Bergman, Ozu, Malle, Fellini, Renoir, Powell, Godard, Truffaut, Melville)
--- First Director, (insert title)
--- Second Director, (insert title)
--- Third Director, (insert title)
--- Fourth Director, (insert title)
--- Fifth Director, (insert title)

Watch a film from five different “themes” on Criterion’s website
--- First Theme name, (insert title)
--- Second Theme name, (insert title)
--- Third Theme name, (insert title)
--- Fourth Theme name, (insert title)
--- Fifth Theme name, (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 -
--- 501-550 –
--- 551-600 -
--- 601-650 -
--- an Eclipse title -
--- Watch a title not released on DVD by Criterion -

--- Watch a film which won an Academy Award -
--- Watch a film with commentary –
--- Read an Essay -
--- 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: Fanny & Alexander would qualify for a decade, language, spine number range, theme (Blue Christmases), Academy Award, and possibly more.)

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

The challenge officially begins August 31 at dusk in whatever location you are in at the time, and ends on October 1st at dawn in whatever location you are in at that time. Also, feel free to time your final Criterion film(s) to coincide with the start of the Horror Challenge.

Last year, MinLShaw provided the following links, which are quite helpful.

Criterion.com
Twitter - @Criterion
Flickchart - The Best Criterion Collection Films
Flickchart: The Blog - Criterion Commentaries
ICheckMovies.com - The Criterion Collection
Flickchart - Criterion Collection on Hulu
Flickchart - Criterion Eclipse Titles
Flickchart - Criterion Collection

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I started this a bit early this year, I had a few free moments and I thought it would be good to put it on everyone's radar.

I only made a few slight changes to last year's list:

1. I added Jean-Pierre Melville and removed Roberto Rossellini. I actually changed it because I was counting "Criterion" (not Eclipse) films and thought Melville had surpassed Rossellini. If you include Eclipse, Rossellini is at 9 films; Melville at 8. I can change it back, but I kind of like having Melville in there. In the end, it doesn't really matter, but I'd like to know what everyone else thinks.

2. I changed the spine number range from 50 to 60. It's an incremental change, but one I feel had to be made because of the ever-increasing size in the number of films. Again, your opinions would be appreciated, but I think it's best to encourage depth rather than breadth and I think expanding the range helps (ever so slightly) with that goal.

Looking back at last year's thread, it looks like discussion really took off for a while there and I think that's one of the best things about this challenge: discussing the films with each other, whether in a mini-review in your List Thread post and/or in the Discussion Thread. I'll wait a while before starting the List Thread (somewhere in the mid-late 20s of August).

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I guess I'm a liitle late on this one as I recently have been watching many of the Criterions I purchased from the recent B&N sale. And I will keep watching them as I thoroughly enjoy the films this company consistently puts out!:D

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

Here's the challenge where I try and watch Criterions I haven't seen before and realize how many foreign films, and their directors, I really don't like. If I'm lucky, I'll get a couple that are decent enough but I've seen some awful smelling turds.

If the horror challenge does go through with the overlapping day, then I'll be happy. I have some that count. Even though I've seen all those before, I haven't watched the discs I bought. Off the top of my head, I'll watch Fiend without A Face and The Devil and Daniel Webster. I don't own The Blob but that's one I've been really waiting to come out on blu-ray.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I have a few Criterion titles, and a few movies that aren't Criterion but have been released as a Criterion, such as Gojira.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I have tons of Criterion/Eclipse box sets, only one of which I've watched all the way through. A few of the sets contain films that are pretty short (an hour or so each), so I should be able to get through those. (The Silent Naruse box is like this, and, I think, the Travels with Shimizu set.)

The difficulty for me is getting through long movies that require a lot of attention, e.g., Kobayashi's THE HUMAN CONDITION trilogy, which is, like, 9 hours long. Or TOKYO STORY, which is, like, two-and-a-half hours. Or some of the long Kurosawas. They're too long to watch in evenings after work (I fall asleep pretty quickly) so I have to start them early on a weekend and skip various chores.

I can't wait to retire. It's only a couple more years.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

Awesome work, thanks CardiffGiant!

The only minor things I'll offer as suggestions only are:

1 - Add 2010 as a decade, perhaps marking it optional since the choices are few.
2 - Lengthen the Challenge by starting it at dusk the night before, and ending it at dawn the morning after. Most of our other Challenges have been adding extra time, some even an entire day; and this encourages more dual-Challenge combo watches.
3 - The purist in me hates counting by 60. I understand why you changed it, but it only reduces the number of items by two. And if one is going to complete the entire checklist, that part of it is probably completed by default, without even aiming for the ranges.

Not trying to sound nitpicky, just the inner Monk in me speaking.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

Or early! I wholeheartedly agree, while I don't love everything Criterion puts out, my satisfaction rate is pretty high. Even in those films that I didn't love, I usually found something insightful about film history/production in the supplemental materials.

Which ones do you like? Perhaps some on here can give recommendations. Don't forget: films like Rosemary's Baby, despite its late October release still counts for this challenge as all Criterion films, past, present, and future count for this challenge. If you time it right, you can get a double-count during the overlap between this and the horror challenge.

Yeah, there's really something for everyone. Even films like The Princess Bride, King Kong, Help!, 12 Angry Men, North By Northwest, The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain, The Blob, The Graduate, Blade Runner, 2001, Ghostbusters, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Dr. No, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Carrie, Tootsie, Boyz n the Hood, Spartacus, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Silence of the Lambs, RoboCop, Menace II Society, Halloween, Seven, Trainspotting..., etc. have gotten the Criterion treatment. This really is a challenge for everyone. You need not be a foreign film/art house lover to participate and enjoy yourself.

I feel your pain with the length, content, etc. While I'm not nearly as close to retirement, a very busy life, that only seems to get busier, makes participating in the challenges much more difficult than in years past. I still have a lot of unwatched content from my Criterion purchases. I'm hoping to work through the Jean Vigo box set or the Three Colors Trilogy during the challenge.

No problem!

1. What do others think about this? I looked at the number of films in the 2010 decade before updating the checklist, but they were rather sparse. Seven titles will be available during the challenge, The Forgiveness of Blood comes out in October. I contemplated pairing it with 2000, but I decided against it...for no particular reason.

2. No problem. I'll do that in a few minutes here.

3. My reason for #1 and #3 was that zero people, IIRC, completed the checklist last year. If we want to keep a goal of immersion within a title, then having a lot of checks dedicated to spine numbers seemed to me unnecessary. I know the 60 seems odd (it is), and I have no problem changing it, but I wanted to try and reel in the runaway train of spine numbers for the challenge.

Also, it's just shaving the numbers off by two, but that's only from last year. I think we had the conversation about changing spine numbers, but decided against it.

Like I said, I don't look at this as a dictatorial position, so if people want it back to 50, then I have no problem putting it back. Full disclosure: the odds of my completing the checklist are probably in the single digits, so I'm willing to change it to what type of goals others are thinking anyway.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

So my Ghostbusters LD counts, right?

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

Yes. You can also watch it on DVD or Blu and it would count (or any other format, come to think of it). As long as it once had the Criterion treatment, it counts.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

Does anyone know if the Criterion release of Godzilla has both Gojira and Godzilla King of the Monsters? Or is it Just Gojira, or just Godzilla King of the Monsters?

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

^It has both versions.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

Cool, so I can watch my Classic Media copy of both Gojira and Godzilla King of the Monsters.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I'm very excited for this challenge! Earlier this year, I switched from Netflix to HuluPlus partly because I had grown frustrated with Netflix's tumultuous, boneheaded policy changes and partly to further explore The Criterion Collection. A couple months ago, I cashed in my Amazon credit and bought a Sony streaming player, so I'm rarin' to go! :D

For what it's worth, I'm in favor of keeping the spine range at increments of 50. As Trevor noted, it only saves two checks and with this challenge, it's relatively easy to finish most of the checklist just by completing the spine ranges diligently. Plus, it's easier on my brain to scan groups of 50. Let's not overlook the importance of pandering to my laziness!

Over at Flickchart, we've just created an entire filter of The Criterion Collection on Hulu. You'll find a list of every film and short film available as part of The Criterion Collection's Hulu channel, 100% up to date as of yesterday. It can be a handy guide for recommendations, as well as an easier index to navigate than the Hulu pages since on Flickchart you can then filter by Director, Year/Decade, Genre and even by Actor (provided he or she is one of the top-billed cast tagged; our database isn't comprehensive about casts at present). I think this can be a very helpful resource to challenge participants this year. There's also a filter for Criterion Eclipse and The Criterion Collection proper, covering the official DVD/Blu-ray catalog. At present, we don't have a franchise filter for the Laser Disc era, though I'm hopeful I can convince them of the use for such a critter.

P.S.: Thanks for the shout-outs, CardiffGiant!

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I just checked over my post from last year, and saw I only got to 14 titles. Part of that was because of the loss of The Criterion Collection from the Netflix library. I had the HuluPlus free trial last year, but I had to stream that to my laptop because there was no Wii channel and it was much less convenient for me to watch that way. This year, I'm all hooked up and able to stream directly to my TV.

Of course, the other part was that my depression really was getting entirely out of hand by September and it was hard for me to enjoy or concentrate on much of anything this time last year. I sincerely hope that factor was unique to me and not an issue for anyone else!

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I'm basically just going down a checklist, watching what I haven't seen in order. At a bare minimum, I like plot driven stories that aren't preachy or trying to be quirky/trying to be clever but just coming off as completely unrealistic and pretentious. Lots of French films seems to have qualities I hate.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I think the last point is the most important one. It's too difficult for people to inherently know what to check off when breaking it down by 60. I changed it.

Added the links to the first post.

No problem. I like to give credit where credit is due. You and Trevor have had a big hand in the challenge.

The loss of many, but not all titles on Netflix is a factor for me as well. There are still a number of titles out there, so people should check out NF if they still have it. I've contemplated getting Hulu Plus, but I just don't watch as much TV, or movies, that I used to. I'm lucky if I watch more than 7 or 8 movies in a month now.

I hope things are going better this year!

I know what you mean. I like those films, but when friends ask if they should blind buy Pierrot Le Fou, one of my favorites, I tell them no. I like the existentialist films of the late 50s and 60s, but I'm aware that the format and approach isn't for everyone.

Of the top of my head, many of the war-related Criterion titles fall into the plot-driven category, not that they are action-packed, but that the linear storytelling may only occasionally delve into more philosophical exploration.

I'm also thinking of Wages of Fear, which is a high-stress film that stays plot-driven.

It probably means staying away from Bergman, Fellini, and Godard (except maybe Alphaville). Incidentally, three of my favorite directors, but I'm aware that they aren't for everyone.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I just renewed my Netlix and Hulu Plus subscriptions

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I'm kind of at the point where I've seen most of the titles I really enjoyed and already went through most of Bergman, Fellini, and Godard. You're also forgetting about Brakhage.

The plus side for Brakhage is that his stuff counts in the slight overlap between this and the Animation challenge. Not that I could stand watching his stuff during that time. For the most part, it all looks similar to me.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

There's a Hulu Special sale right now; four selections are free to stream this week, and you can also order them on disc at 50% off. Obviously, the free streams will have expired by the time the challenge starts, but for anyone who might be looking to pick up a disc from the assortment, now'd be a good time.

The Fire Within
Japanese Summer: Double Suicide
Pale Flower
Under the Volcano

It looks like this is going to be an ongoing thing, so that means there'll be more 50% off chances before and during the challenge, as well as a handful of free streams during the challenge available to non-subscribers.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I'm going to try to watch all of my remaining unviewed Criterions, most of which are part of Eclipse sets.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

Yeah, I mentioned this in the first post, it's buried in amongst many other items from years past. They started this a few months ago (maybe around 6 months ago?). They regularly announce them on their Facebook page, which I always find convenient.

They rotate pretty regularly. It's nice to have 50% off items popping up throughout the year as well.

I actually haven't seen any of the titles...always been interested in Pale Flower though.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

What, I'm supposed to read now? Isn't this challenge hard enough as it is?

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I somehow read that as even numbered and thought about watching only odd numbered titles in solidarity. Or is that polarity?

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

A couple of new titles were just announced for November. Remember, you can watch these on any format...they need not be a Criterion/Eclipse disc.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

What about adding a "Movie That OUGHT to be in the Criterion Collection" item to the checklist? Because the Criterion Challenge is about the art of film and the participation of the viewer in the cinematic experience, it would be interesting, IMO, if everyone could sit on the Criterion acquisition team for 2 hours and nominate/ watch a film that they think belongs in the collection, like Truffaut's Day for Night, or Bela Tarr's Werckmeister Harmonies.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I've come very close to suggesting this myself several times. One thing I would add is that if we did this, each of us should be required to write about why our pick is Criterion-worthy. It's not enough to just say, "Well, Persona is an Ingmar Bergman film and he's all over the Criterion Collection." I'm not saying we should have to write a scholarly essay, but there should be an effort to really scrutinize the movie at hand.

My chief concern with this, though, is that the discussion thread could easily be overrun with conversations about non-Criterion movies at the expense of actually discussing and debating the films that actually are part of the collection. I think we tend to number around 15-20 participants for this challenge. That's potentially 15-20 movies that could generate running discussions. All it takes is one person arguing that The Dark Knight is Criterion-worthy and someone else picking Goodburger and before you know it, no one even cares to talk about Wild Strawberries.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I strongly agree with the requirement to write at least a couple of sentences to support one's choice if one nominates a non-Criterion film. On your other point, though, I would not object to a discussion of a popular film like The Dark Knight if it brings out intelligent, impassioned posts advocating its inclusion. Besides, Christopher Nolan is already in the collection, so if someone wants to draw parallels between Following and The Dark Knight or Inception, I say go for it.

I think that one of the reasons that the Criterion challenge has so few participants is that it appears to make foreign and art films resemble bitter medicine that one chokes down because it is "good for you," not because it tastes good. Being more inclusive does not necessarily entail the discussion being dumbed down.

Watching Bresson or Bergman or Fellini is fundamentally, at least for me, fun. It is something that gives me a great deal of pleasure, and I think that as fans of serious cinema it's incumbent upon us to show folks who are less familiar with arthouse fare that watching more cerebral films is entertaining, and not something that must be endured. In the same way, many people use the expression "eating one's vegetables" as a metaphor for having to perform a necessary but unpleasant task. But if you could introduce a vegetable hater to a really good dish of spanokopita or a crunchy falafel and cucumber sandwich, you might turn that person into a vegetable fan.


A truly good film appeals as much to the senses as it does to the intellect. Witness the conclusion to Bela Tarr's Werckmeister Harmonies:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ffl19v5ZbyQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Even if you have never seen the film, just watching this scene as you listen to Mihály Vig's magnificent score is a profoundly moving experience. And if we can lure a fan of Good Burger into watching Bela Tarr or Hou Hsiao-Hsien or the Dardenne brothers by showing them the pure joy of film, then we will have done a mitzvah.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I've been very forthright about how I came to this challenge its first year very wary of The Criterion Collection. I felt it was a sort of elitist, advanced-level thing that was above my head. I was pretty intimidated by it, frankly, and the only reason I even tried it at all that first year was that I owned two Criterion DVDs (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Rock) and I figured that was as good a chance as any to gorge on their bonus content since bonus content for once was actually encouraged as part of a challenge. Plus, I figured I could stream some stuff from Netflix and help justify that month's subscription fee.

So, yeah, I totally get why the average DVD Talker steers clear of this challenge. (For that matter, the average DVD Talker steers clear of these challenges altogether!) I guess my question is, do we really think opening up this challenge to include non-Criterion titles and discussion is going to really bolster the challenge? Is anyone going to say, "Oh? I can talk about Grandma's Boy in the Criterion Challenge this year? I'm in!" At best, it may lead to us having increased discussion - but not likely of actual Criterion titles. Those who are going to discuss the collection as it is are already planning to participate. I'm very wary that this would be a constructive boon to the challenge so far as maximizing its appeal.

Still, I confess I am kind of curious to see a side conversation about the "Ought to Be"s. In fact, earlier today I was at the Laundro-mat and I began dashing off a list of movies I personally would select for inclusion! I do think there's some potential conversational merit to the idea, especially if it's tied directly into The Criterion Collection as it stands.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I never mentioned it but I felt similarly towards the most recent Historical Appreciation Challenge. I was thinking that if someone wasn't picking something obviously historically related, like a WWII film, that they should put a little effort into explaining why something like Night of the Living Dead should count. It may not seem like it counts for anything at first glance but there some noteworthy things about it that have inspired people since then.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I can dig it. Remember to mention this next year when we're planning that challenge.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I like the spirit of the idea for having films that "ought to be in the collection," but it's such a difficult thing to justify because there are many mainstream films from the early days of Laserdisc (and, of course, the Bay films from the early days of DVD). I'm thinking of the original premise of the challenge, to consume as much of the discs, supplements included as we can. This starts to drag us away from that premise.

If we did it, this would certainly be a given. There would have to be really strong justification. On the other hand, I don't think that Persona, The Godfather, or Good Burger isn't in the collection because they don't want them there (well, 2 out of 3...), but rather because of rights.

OK, then I'll say it. 5,000 words. :lol:

Last year it was 34 participants in the challenge, with something like 31-32 with actual entries. I'd be worried about the same, we end up arguing the merits of some of the films rather than focusing on the goal of the challenge. I think we could do the same kind of thing for the Academy Award Challenge (AA snubs?), but it might detract from the goals of that challenge as well.

I think this is the good that would come from such an idea; like you stated earlier, if it gets people drawing parallels, that's a good thing. I just wonder if we can draw those parallels without having to watch them for the challenge. What I mean is: couldn't we still draw parallels between films like The Best of Youth, Le Grande Voyage, The Dark Knight, etc. without adding them to the checklist.

I agree, but I think that we can lure them with impassioned discussion of the things that we find interesting. I generally don't like horror films, didn't participate in the challenge, but I kept reading the discussion and list thread anyway. Eventually, I dipped my toe in the water and realized that not everyone in there was going to roast me for only watching a handful of films and I joined the list thread. I'm still not a big horror fan, but if other people are excited about it, then I'm curious to see what the excitement is about.

The 30+ participants that we had last year is on par with some of the other challenges. I don't think we need to set a goal of having a certain number of people. There is probably the assumption of elitism (as you stated), but I'm fairly confident that anyone clicking the discussion/list threads are going to see some familiar titles. I'm curious about the conversations as well. Perhaps the compromise here is that it's a topic we could discuss, but such discussions also happen in the HD Talk Thread for Criterion on Blu. My biggest worry is derailing the conversation because in years past, I think those have been really great.

I don't think we'd add a single person because of this change, not because I can see the future, but because there is already a long list of accessible films (see post #8) and everyone could find at least a handful of films that would appeal to them. Just as there are those that will think films are great because there is a spine number and a C in the corner, there are those that will loathe a film because it has those same elements.

I love films and Criterion happens to put out some great ones. Other companies also put out great films. For those that have been hesitant to join the challenge, check out some of the titles in Post #8, or on the link to Criterion-not-on-DVDs, or the Criterion page and you're sure to find something you like.

(Also, this post is so damn long, but I'm tired and I've already edited a bunch...enjoy the stream-of-consciousness)

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

New Hulu Specials (and 50% off in the Criterion store) on these titles.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I used to only take part in the horror challenge. Curisoity about the other challenges got the better of me, and I started taking part in them all. Last year was my first Criterion Challenge, and even though I didn't watch much, I had fun, and look forward to it again.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I've been kinda streaky the last ten months, but I enjoy the challenges quite a bit. I confess, I find Animation a bit tedious after a couple of weeks. Part of that, I think, is that I'm watching that stuff while discussing plans for this challenge. Unlike the others, where there's a nearly infinite amount of content to be seen, this one has an actual, achievable view count. Each year, I whittle away at it. I feel like this is the one challenge where I can actually demonstrate some kind of progress (even if Criterion adds plenty of titles in the intervening year each time!). This has become probably my personal favorite of all the challenges, and I would never have guessed that I would even be a participant in it!

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I'm planning on devoting at least one full day to unwatched extras - I used to be an extras fiend back in the DVD days, but other than commentaries I rarely watch them anymore.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

Same here but including commentaries. I've found most commentaries aren't great and I have enough unwatched stuff to get through, rather than wasting time on a gamble.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

Do any of you have a Criterion.com profile? I'm on there here. I've got a Top 10 list of my favorite Criterion titles, as determined by my Flickchart. I'm eager to see if anything I watch next month cracks that list!

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I see another kaiju movie is getting the Criterion Treatment, Eclipse is putting out a box set of 4 horror and sci fi movies this November, including X The Monster From Outer Space.

Re: 4th Annual Criterion Challenge
 

I know I found a few last year, all shorts iirc, but anyone else have ideas for Criterion animation combinations for our first day?

Heavy CGI stuff maybe? Armageddon?