My Criterion Top 10. With eleven films.

The fine people at Criterion, purveyor of quality DVDs and Blu-rays asked me to do a top ten list from their esteemed catalogue. Of course, I agreed immediately. And then took six months to come up with my list…

Edgar Wright’s Top 10


Award-winning British director Edgar Wright is best known in the United States for his feature films Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; he also directed the UK hit television series Spaced. For his Criterion Top 10 (plus one), Wright expounds upon his love for De Palma, Buñuel, Gilliam, the Monkees, and more.

The choices were agonising for me.

There are many films I adore in their library, but I stuck hard and fast to the ten films only rule.

Okay, that’s a lie. I did give a special place to an eleventh gem that continues to baffle and beguile me.

Click this and check out my Top 10 right here…

Once you’ve read the list above, take a look at what other favourites of mine didn’t actually make the list.

I can’t believe there was no room for…

ACE IN THE HOLE
BEASTIE BOYS VIDEO ANTHOLOGY
BILLY LIAR
BLACK NARCISSUS
BOTTLE ROCKET
BRANDED TO KILL
BREATHLESS
BURDEN OF DREAMS
CARNIVAL OF SOULS
CHARADE
CHASING AMY
CRONOS
CUL DE SAC
DAYS OF HEAVEN
DAZED AND CONFUSED
DIABOLIQUE
DO THE RIGHT THING
DOWN BY LAW
EIGHT AND A HALF
THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL
FISH TANK
FIVE EASY PIECES
FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE
GOMORRAH
LA HAINE
HARD BOILED
HOUSE
THE HIT
HOMICIDE
HOPSCOTCH
HOUSE OF GAMES
HUNGER
THE ICE STORM
IF…
THE KILLER
THE KILLERS (1946)
THE KILLERS (1964)
THE KILLING
KISS ME DEADLY
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW
THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY
M
M.HULOT’S HOLIDAY
MAN BITES DOG
THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH
MONA LISA
MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN
NAKED
THE NAKED KISS
THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
ONIBABA
PATHS OF GLORY
PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK
THE RED SHOES
REPULSION
RIFIFI
ROBOCOP
THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS
SEVEN SAMURAI
SHOCK CORRIDOR
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
SIMON OF THE DESERT
SISTERS
SOMETHING WILD
THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
STRAW DOGS
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
THE THIRD MAN
TIME BANDITS
THE VANISHING
VIDEODROME
THE WAGES OF FEAR
WITHNAIL AND I
YOJIMBO

That’s quite a list already and there’s still more I haven’t mentioned. And more still I’ve yet to see.

Thanks Criterion for keeping film history alive.

I applaud you.

  • Andy

    Just watched Two-Lane Blacktop based on this post, really glad I did!  Puzzling it most definitely is, particularly the lack of and masking of the dialog (a lot of the gear head stuff went over my head).  What I really loved about it though was the sense of alienation, the romantic and nihilistic views of ‘the road,’ and the quiet intensity of James Taylor.  Maybe it’s because I’m currently at a major crossroads in my life but I totally felt a connection with this film. 

    Thanks for the post Edgar, looking forward to checking out the rest of your picks!

  • Pingback: Edgar Wright’s favourite Criterion films()

  • Anonymous

    Of your extra list I have only seen a handful.
    Royal Tenenbaums is one of my favourite films ever, and have probably watched it til I knew it by heart. (you know when you have a phase on a fim, then have to go away from it for ages cos you’d made yourself feel a bit ill)
    And well, obviously, Withnail and I. But not seen any of the stranger ones.

  • Adam

    Well played, sir.

  • HULK THINK THE ENDING GOT CUT OFF. POINT IS UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY AND RANGE OF MOVIES IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. MAY THE PANTHEON BLESS CRITERION.

  • FIRST OFF, HULK ENJOYED THE SHIT OUT OF THAT. HULK WON’T COMMENT ON EVERY MOVIE, BUT SPECIFICALLY
    LOVED THE MOVIES MENTIONED BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING THINGS:

     

    -HULK FEELS LIKE DE PALMA
    ALWAYS GOES THROUGH THESE WEIRD EBBS AND FLOWS OF CULTURAL APPRECIATION. HULK DOESN’T
    UNDERSTAND THIS “APOLOGIST” NOTION EITHER BECAUSE THAT WOULD IMPLY THERE IS
    SOMETHING TO APOLOGIZE ABOUT. THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT DEPALMA’S LESS-GREAT FILMS
    THAT EVER COMES OFF AS AMBIVALENT OR EVEN HAPHAZARD. YOU’RE EITHER INTO WHAT
    HE’S DOING WITH IT OR NOT. WHICH MEANS THERE’S NO AMMO FOR THE APOLOGIST-CENTERED
    MATTER OF “LACK.” SO CHEERS ON THAT.

     

    ONE TANGENT THAT POPPED INTO HULK’S BRAIN THE LAST GO-ROUND
    WITH THE BLOW OUT BLU-RAY WAS “HOLY SHIT. THIS MOVIE SEEMS LIKE GROUND ZERO FOR
    FINCHER’S ENTIRE CAREER.” NOT SO MUCH THE CAMERA MOVEMENT BUT MOST CERTAINLY
    THE FRAME ARRANGEMENT AND PRODUCTION DETAIL. IT’S NO ACCIDENT THAT YOU CAN
    ALWAYS “SEE” BOTH OF THESE DIRECTORS IN THEIR MOVIES EVEN IF THE THEMATIC
    CONTENT VARIES GREATLY. PERHAPS THEIR GREATEST STRENGTH IS THE WAY THEY SEE AND FEEL
    THEIR WORLDS.

     

    -HULK LOVE THE TRANSITION FROM BRAZIL
    TO BUNUEL BECAUSE BRAZIL
    SO CHOCK-FULL OF SPECIFIC CINEMATIC REFERENCES, FROM LANG TO EISENSTEIN, BUT
    MOST DEFINITELY BUNUEL TOO (AND POWELL TOO BUT THAT’S LATER). WHETHER THIS WAS SUBLIMINAL THINKING, OR YOU KNOW,
    “LIMINAL” THE TWO FILMS FEEL CLOSE AT HEART. PERHAPS IT’S THAT BOTH FILMS ARE
    VERY, VERY FUNNY IN A PECULIAR SORT
    OF WAY. (ALMOST THE SAME WAY DAVID FOSTER WALLACE
    POINTS OUT KAFKA IS
    FUNNY)

     

    -HULK NEVER SAW EYES
    WITHOUT A FACE. A BLOODY SHAME. CONSIDER IT SHOT TO TOP OF THE NETFLIX QUEUE (IT IS HOWEVER ONE OF BETTY’S FAVORITE MOVIES. ANOTHER REASON SHE’S AWESOME).

     

    -IT IS STUNNING THAT HULK WENT AS LONG AS HULK DID WITH
    MICHAEL POWELL IN HULK’S LIFE. ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING HOW MUCH HULK LOVES
    FELLINI. POWELL SHOULD BE VITAL TO THE DISCUSSION OF CINEMATIC HISTORY BUT IT
    SEEMS LIKE ONLY THE RED SHOES EVER ENTERS (HULK ACTUALLY NOT SURE IF HE GETS
    JUST DUE IN BRITAIN,
    AND IT’S MORE THE WORLD’S COMPLETE LACK OF AWARENESS). BUT HULK CAN’T IMAGINE
    GOING BACK. BLACK NARCISSUS MADE BE THE HULK FAVE. HE ALSO GAVE US
    AGE OF CONSENT, WHICH IS GREAT FOR… OTHER REASONS.

     

    -LE SAMOURAI IS AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE THAT ONLY SEEMS TO BE MORE RELEVANT WITH EVERY PASSING YEAR. THE WAY HULK ALWAYS LIKES TO
    STATE IT IS WHAT MAKES THE FILM EXTRA-WONDERFUL IS THIS: EVEN THOUGH EVERY ACTION FILM SHOULDN’T
    STRIVE TO BE LIKE IT, EVERY ACTION FILM CAN LEARN FROM WHAT IT DOES AND CLARIFY
    THEIR FOCUS. TO BE DELIBERATE. TO UNDERSTAND BUILDUP AND ACTION AS “MOMENT”… IN
    RETROSPECT HULK HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT WASN’T REFERENCED IN THE ACTION COLUMNS.

     

    -THERE’S VERY LITTLE HULK COULD ADD TO THIS IS SPINAL TAP (GIVEN IT’S WELL-ESTABLISH PERFECTION), BUT THE THING
    THAT HULK ALWAYS LIKES POINTING OUT IS JUST HOW TRANSCENDENT CHRISTOPHER
    GUEST’S PERFORMANCE IS IN THIS FILM. YES, IT IS TRUE BLUE ACTING PERFORMANCE AND ONE HULK TRULY CONSIDERS
    AS ONE THE GREATEST EVER. NOTHING HAS SO PERFECTLY CAPTURED THE ROCK STAR
    ETHOS, THE COMBINATION OF RAW TALENT, LIMITED INTELLECT AMIDST AIRY
    ASPIRATIONS, SELF-ADULATION, SITUATIONAL CONTEMPT, AND UTTER SELF-LOATHING.
    GUEST IS A MARVEL IN IT.

     

    -TWO-LANE BLACKTOP…HOW WONDERFUL. HULK ACTUALLY HAS AN OLD
    PAPER ON THIS MOVIE AND COCKFIGHTER THAT HULK COULD DIG UP BUT THAT WOULD
    PROBABLY BE UNFRUITFUL (EVEN THOUGH COCKFIGHTER ONE OF HULK’S FAVORITE MOVIES
    EVER, COLLEGIATE STUFF HASN’T AGED WELL). BESIDES BLACKTOP IS PROBABLY TOO
    COMPLEX TO SURMISE WITH ONE BROAD STROKE, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE HELLMAN HAS A
    LYNCHIAN-LEVEL DISINTEREST IN GIVING AWAY “WHAT IT MEANS.” IT PROBABLY DESERVES
    IT’S OWN COLUMN (CONSIDER IT SOON TACKLED) BUT HULK GONNA TRY AND PULL IT OFF
    IN A PARAGRAPH OR TWO:

     

    HULK GUESS “THE MEANING” OF BLACKTOP IS DIFFICULT TO ATTAIN BECAUSE HELLMAN
    HAS THIS REAL DUALITY IN HIS PRESENTATION/STYLE. HIS MOVIES MOSTLY WORK IN STRICT
    COMMITMENT TO “REALISM”/CINEMA VERITE AND YET HE’S OBVIOUSLY NOT AFRAID TO GO
    SEMIOTIC, OR EVEN ABSTRACT AT A MOMENTS NOTICE (AFTER ALL THIS IS A FILM THAT
    ENDS WITH THE FILMSTRIP BURNING UP AND DISSOLVING). BUT IF THERE’S A SINGULAR
    THEME GOING ON? HULK IMAGINES YOU ARE RIGHT AND THE FILM DOESN’T REALLY
    HAVE  A SINGULAR GOAL, BUT LIKE MOST WONDERFUL FILMS THERE IS A LOGIC TO THE
    PROCEEDINGS THAT HULK INFERS FROM AND CAN TRY AND EXTRAPOLATE FROM THERE:

     

    BLACKTOP STRIKES HULK AS SORT OF A BACKWARDS SEARCH FOR
    PURITY IN THE MYTH OF AMERICANA. FOR ONE, THEIR RACE ITSELF IS COUNTER-INTUITIVELY TRAVELING EAST TO
    D.C., A BACKWARDS VERSION OF MANIFEST DESTINY. THEN THERE ARE TAYLOR AND WILSON:
    TWO, STILTED NON-ACTORS WHO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY INTO MERE FUNCTIONS: “THE
    MECHANIC” AND “THE DRIVER.” THEIR APPROACH TO LIFE IS SIMPLE, STERILE, MECHANICAL,
    PURE. THEY ARE ODDLY LIKE THE WORLD
    OF LE SAMOURAI, THEIR CAR ITSELF IS
    STRIPPED DOWN, PAPER-THIN METALLIC, BARE BONES. THEY ARE THE PERFECT GEAR HEADS:
    ONLY COMFORTABLE IN CAR TALK, PRESSING ON FROM RACE TO RACE LIKE SHARKS. ULTIMATELY,
    THEY BOTH ACHIEVE THEIR GOAL AND CHAOTICALLY DISAPPEAR INTO THE NIRVANA OF
    RACING, ALL OTHER HUMAN CONCERNS FALLING BY THE WAYSIDE.

     

    AND THEN THERE’S THE INCOMPARABLE WARREN OATES AS G.T.O. HE
    IS MANIFEST DESTINY AT THE END OF IT’S ROPE, LEAVING WEST AND HEADING EAST TO TRY AND RECLAIM SOMETHING THAT WAS “LOST.” WHERE
    THE DRIVER AND THE MECHANIC ARE ONLY FUNCTIONAL SUBSTANCE, OATES IS PURELY
    FLASH, HIS ASPIRATIONS TO GEAR-HEADISM, LIKE HIS CAR, ARE CLEARLY BOUGHT. HE IS
    A PRETENDER, TELLING DIFFERENT STORIES TO EVERYONE ABOUT HIS ORIGIN. BUT UNDERNEATH
    THE FAÇADE, THERE IS SUCH OBVIOUS WILL TO BE THE IDEAL IMAGE HE HAS IN HIS
    HEAD. HE TOO IS SEEKING THE NAKED PURITY OFFERED BY CARS, THE OPEN ROAD, AND THE
    MYSTIQUE OF AMERICANA.
    HE’S JUST TOO ATTACHED TO HIS HUMAN SHORTCOMINGS AND EGO TO REALLY GET THERE IN
    THE WAY THAT THE DRIVER/MECHANIC DO.

    BUT THE IMPORTANT PART IS THAT EVEN IF THEY’RE
    GOING ABOUT THEIR AIMS FOR NIRVANA IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BOTH SEARCHES FOR PURITY
    IS EQUALLY DOOMED AND EMPTY… OR SUCCESSFUL  DEPENDING ON YOUR INTERPRETATION OF NIRVANA. “THE GIRL” ALSO FIGURES HEAVILY INTO THESE IDEAS, BUT THAT’S
    HULK’S BASIC TAKE ON BLACKTOP. FOR A FILM THAT IS TECHNICALLY A “RACE” IT IS
    TOLD IN THE MOST COUNTER-INTUITIVE WAY POSSIBLE. THERE’S NO TENSION OR
    PROPULISION (MOST OF THE TIME IT’S JUST THEM GETTING A BITE TO EAT ALONG THE
    WAY), INSTEAD IT MOVES AT THE SPEED OF PLODDING OLE’ LIFE. IT IS A JOURNEY THAT IS AT ONCE
    BACKWARDS, CIRCULAR, SPRAWLING, AND DISCONNECTED. TWO LANE BLACKTOP IS AT ONCE AN ANTI-FILM AND YET GLORIOUSLY PURE CINEMA. MAYBE IT’S HELLMAN’S NIRVANA.

     

    -HULK’LL OCCASIONALLY HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH PEOPLE WHO
    DON’T WATCH “CRITERION-TYPE” MOVIES CLAIMING THEIR BORING, OR DIFFERENT, OR
    WEIRD OR WHATEVER. HULK CAN UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO
    IT, BUT IF SOMEONE CLAIMS TO LOVE MOVIES THERE’S NO REASON TO BE OUTRIGHT DISINTERESTED. NONE. IT’S CINEMA. YOU HAVE TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE.

    • Hulk? You smashed it.

    • I have encountered this disinterest and would love to understand it.  The closest I could come is remembering what it was like to be completely in the dark with music as a kid.  I thought ‘Where do you start?’…but then it just happened naturally once I found a band or two I could really love.  So…what would be a top ten Criterion Gateway Drug list look like?

    • Mrbuckyk

      I quit reading HULK’s comments about halfway in to his Two Lane Blacktop Diatribe… as I haven’t seen it yet. I don’t want to be influenced by his comments just yet… ALSO where has this guy been my whole life. I’ve fallen in love with a big green monster. His takedown on action in film was amazing. 

      • I don’t think that was a diatribe at all. HULK likes it and did a very good job of explaining it.

        • Mrbuckyk

          Aaagghhh… Sorry bout that. I misspoke. (I’m a few days post-op after tearing my achilles tendon and am hopped up on pain meds). I meant discourse. Please strike diatribe from the record. 

          The upshot of being post-op is that I am in the middle of a Couch Film Fest for a bit.

  • Theres a couple there I haven’t seen yet but now i gotta check them out.

  • Eckert

    great list, bottle rocket is my favorite all-time movie