CriterionCast » News

Hit Sundance Documentary ‘Room 237′ Picked Up By IFC Films

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:38:31 +0000

Film looks at director Stanley Kubrick and the theories behind his classic, 'The Shining.'

Brian De Palma To Direct Remake Of Cult 1987 Film ‘Heat’ With Jason Statham

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:55:46 +0000

Film to be sold at this year's Berlinale.

Film Society Of Lincoln Center Hosting Special Screening Of ‘Gates Of Heaven’ Tuesday Night

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:22:20 +0000

Film will screen as part of the society's '50 Years Of NYFF' series.

TCM And Universal Teaming Up To Bring Two Classics From Josef Von Sternberg And Marlene Dietrich To DVD

Joshua Brunsting — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:54:55 +0000

Both 'Shanghai Express' and 'Dishonored' making their DVD debut with this set.

Redbox And Verizon Teaming Up For New Streaming Service

Joshua Brunsting — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:48:53 +0000

Could this be the Netflix killer that Redbox has been building towards? Or will it be just another streaming service?

Trailer For Jafar Panahi’s ‘This Is Not A Film’ Arrives

Joshua Brunsting — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:13:15 +0000

Trailer for the much awaited film debuts.

Samantha Morton, Amy Adams And Carey Mulligan Join New Spike Jonze Film

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:26:44 +0000

Film also stars Joaquin Phoenix, and is not the one he is working on with partner in crime Charlie Kaufman.

Film Lineup Announced For SXSW 2012

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:00:34 +0000

Lineup includes films from Ernst Lubitsch, William Friedkin, Amir Bar-Lev, and more.

Film Society Of Lincoln Center And Film Comment Announce Full List Of Films Slated For ‘Film Comment Selects’

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:34:42 +0000

Films from Jean Pierre Gorin, Ingmar Bergman and Chantal Akerman among the lengthy list of films announced Tuesday.

’4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days’ Director Cristian Mungiu To Helm New Exorcism Thriller

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:34:26 +0000

This marks the director's first film in five years.

Rooney Mara Joins Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Side Effects’

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:00:42 +0000

Actress joins Channing Tatum, Jude Law, and more in the upcoming drama.

Tom Hiddleston Joins Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’

Joshua Brunsting — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:39:07 +0000

Actor replaces Michael Fassbender in the vampire love story.

Future Cinema Launching New Series Of Screenings With David Lean’s ‘Brief Encounter’

Joshua Brunsting — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:31:00 +0000

New series of screenings an attempt to revive the social experience of seeing a film.

Oscar Nominated BULLHEAD To Get Limited Release February 17th

James McCormick — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:19:52 +0000

Recently nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Academy Awards, Michael R. Roskam's Bullhead has finally been given the green light by its distributor, Drafthouse Films, for a limited release starting February 17th in New York City, Los Angeles and Austin.

Jason Schwartzman Scores New Short Film From ‘I Am Love’ Director Luca Guadagnino

Joshua Brunsting — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:37:50 +0000

Short film is also co-written by Tilda Swinton.

Image Entertainment Licensing Select Criterion Releases To AT&T U-Verse

Joshua Brunsting — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:56:02 +0000

'The Seven Samurai' and 'House' among the first films added.

IFC Picks Up Sundance Darling ‘Liberal Arts’

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:37:15 +0000

IFC picks up the latest film from 'happythankyoumoreplease' director Josh Radnor.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings Talks Company’s Future, Including 3-D Streaming, Video Games And Competition

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:35:23 +0000

Iconoclastic CEO talks about not promoting physical media, possible 3-D streaming, and what has them breaking a sweat.

First Look At SXSW-Bound ‘Sightseers’ From ‘Kill List’ Director Ben Wheatley And Producer Edgar Wright

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:38:11 +0000

Film is the follow-up to the much talked about 'Kill List,' currently available on VOD.

Soderbergh’s ‘Side Effects’ Loses Financial Backing From Annapurna Pictures

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:16:20 +0000

The film loses backing, but gains Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Complete List Of Oscar Nominees Announced, ‘Pina’ Up For Best Documentary

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:08:52 +0000

'Tree Of Life' and 'Pina' among the list of nominees this year.

TCM Reveals Their List Of The 10 Most Influential Silent Films

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:56:27 +0000

List includes Nanook Of The North and Passion of Joan Of Arc.

A Journey Through the Eclipse Series: Three Popular Films by Jean-Pierre Gorin

David Blakeslee — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:29:21 +0000

In the newest offering from Eclipse, the so-called "Southern California Trilogy" uses three disparate subjects (developmentally delayed twins, model railroad builders and urban street gangs) to ponder how we learn, communicate and make sense of the world around us.

Herzog Going To The Small Screen For New Series Based On ‘Into The Abyss’

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:58:50 +0000

'On Death Row' hitting Investigation Discovery later this year.

Gad Elmaleh Joins Costa-Gavras’ ‘Le Capital’

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:18:39 +0000

Elmaleh is the third actor attached to the lead role in Costa-Gavras' upcoming financial drama.

New Trailer For ‘The Kid With A Bike’ Arrives

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:11:49 +0000

New trailer for the Cannes darling from the director's of L'enfant and La Promesse.

SXSW Announces Opening Night Film; Lena Dunham’s ‘Girls’ To Debut While Lubitsch’s ‘Oyster Princess’ Gets New Score

Joshua Brunsting — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:21:27 +0000

Lubitsch's 1919 classic gets a new score from band Bee Vs. Moth while Joss Whedon's 'Cabin In The Woods' set to open the festival.

First Look At Lasse Hallstrom’s ‘The Hypnotist’

Joshua Brunsting — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 07:24:25 +0000

Lasse Hallstrom's latest film, the Hypnotist, has begun shooting, and we have some official publicity images to share.

Trailer For Wes Anderson’s ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ Arrives

Joshua Brunsting — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:14:30 +0000

New trailer for the latest comedy from Wes Anderson is an absolute winner.

Iran Closes The House Of Cinema, Shutters Guilds

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:50:21 +0000

Nation closes cinema guilds, putting in place conservative committee.

American Society Of Cinematographers Announce Nominees For Outstanding Achievement Award

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:47:38 +0000

'The Tree Of Life' among nominees for the yearly award for the best in cinematography.

Catherine Deneuve To Recieve Chaplin Award From The Film Society Of Lincoln Center

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:44:46 +0000

'Belle De Jour' star receiving prestigious award at the April 2nd event.

Universal To Debut New Restorations For 13 Classics In Honor Of Their 100 Year Anniversary; Some Coming To Blu-ray

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:31:11 +0000

New prints of Frankenstein, Jaws and more to debut during 2012.

Dario Marianelli To Score Brian De Palma’s ‘Passion’

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:33:09 +0000

De Palma taps the 'Atonement' composer to pen the score for his next film.

San Francisco Silent Film Festival Debuting New Print Of ‘Napoleon,’ Adds 30 Minutes Of Previously Lost Footage

Joshua Brunsting — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:40:59 +0000

TCM the official media sponsor of this beloved silent classic, with four dates set for late March/early April.

Errol Morris’ ‘Freezing People Is Easy’ Gets Owen Wilson, Kirsten Wiig And Christopher Walken

Joshua Brunsting — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:40:13 +0000

The long rumored to be Criterion-approved filmmaker eyes a 2012 start date for his return to fiction filmmaking.

Volker Schlondorff’s ‘Calm At Sea’ Debuting At This Year’s Berlinale

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:54:14 +0000

The 'Tin Drum' director is bringing his new film to this year's Berlin Film Festival.

Criterion Calendar: January 2012 DVD & Blu-ray Releases

Ryan Gallagher — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:02:31 +0000

The Criterion Collection is kicking off 2012 with a bang. This month we have several new releases, a Blu-ray upgrade, and a new Eclipse Box Set.

Wacky New Years Drawing Hints At Criterion’s 2012 Slate Of Releases

Ryan Gallagher — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 08:31:43 +0000

Criterion has posted their annual "Wacky New Years Drawing" and we have some thoughts on what the pieces might refer to.

Library Of Congress Announces 2011 National Film Registry Inductees; Includes ‘Silence Of The Lambs,’ Chaplin’s ‘The Kid’

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:21:38 +0000

New class for the National Film Registry includes classics from Cassavetes, Demme and Chaplin.

John Woo’s Next Now Title ‘Love And Let Love’; Set To Be An Epic Wartime Romance

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:20:28 +0000

The action icon to shoot the wartime epic as his next film.

Charlie Kaufman’s Next Film Will Be A Musical

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:01:59 +0000

The 'Being John Malkovich' scribe will helm 'Frank Or Francis' as his next feature

David Reviews Ernst Lubitsch’s Design for Living [Blu-ray Review]

David Blakeslee — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:08:39 +0000

A new Blu-ray edition gives The Lubitsch Touch its well-deserved Criterion Treatment. More than just enshrining a nearly forgotten historical artifact in state-of-the-art digital technology, this free adaptation of a Nöel Coward play fearlessly treads over taboos still intact nearly 80 years later.

March 2012 Criterion Collection New Releases Announced

Ryan Gallagher — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:45:46 +0000

Criterion's March 2012 line-up was announced today and you can read all about them here. Some exciting stuff coming next year.

Stephen Frears To Remake ‘The Hit’

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:06:31 +0000

The band will get back together as director Stephen Frears, writer Peter Prince and producer Jeremy Thomas look to remake their Criterion-approved gangster flick.

Iconic Producer Bert Schneider Dies At 78

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:52:21 +0000

Legendary producer Bert Schneider, the man behind films like 'Easy Rider' and 'The Last Picture Show', has died at the age of 78.

Jafar Panahi Was Slated To Helm An Adaptation Of ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ For Steve Zaillian And Sony

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:33:37 +0000

The jailed Iranian auteur was set to make his Hollywood debut with this adaptation of a novel from the author of 'The Kite Runner'.

Trailer For Lena Dunham’s HBO Series ‘Girls’ Debuts

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:21:37 +0000

Trailer for the 'Tiny Furniture' director's new TV series debuts.

Charlotte Gainsbourg Joining Lars Von Trier’s ‘Nymphomaniac’

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:19:08 +0000

The 'Antichrist' duo are set to re-team for this controversial flick.

Kubrick’s ‘Fear And Desire’ Debuting On TCM On Wednesday

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:17:14 +0000

Stanley Kubrick's 'Fear And Desire' makes its TV debut on Wednesday.

On Our New Layout

Ryan Gallagher — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:19:03 +0000

When I learned that I was going to have to switch audio hosts for the podcast, I thought it would be a nice opportunity to change things up on the site. We've used the same Wordpress theme and layout for the past two and half years, and while it has served us well, it felt pretty stale.

Spike Lee’s ‘Red Hook Summer’ Heading To Sundance, More Premieres Announced

Joshua Brunsting — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:50:56 +0000

With the festival set to jumpstart in just a matter of weeks, Sundance has released their slate of films, now with the premieres portion of things, including films from Spike Lee and Stephen Frears.

Andrea Arnold’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ Heading To Sundance

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:46:16 +0000

The festival has announced some of their lineup, and the most interesting addition is easily Andrea Arnold’s ‘Fish Tank’ follow-up, ‘Wuthering Heights.’ The film has found a bunch of great buzz after its premiere at TIFF and Venice earlier this year, and is far and away one of 2012’s most interesting films.

National Board Of Review Gives ‘Hugo’ The Top Prize, Swinton Gets Love For Ramsay’s ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:26:22 +0000

Just a pair of days following the announcement of the New York Film Critics Circle’s choice for the best films and performances of the year, it’s the National Board Of Review’s turn, and they are going a much different route.

NYFCC Announces Their Winners, The Artist Takes Top Prize And Cave Of Forgotten Dreams Finally Gets Some Love

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:57:26 +0000

Well, well, well. It’s about that time of the year now, no matter how uninterested one may or may not be in it. It’s awards season people, and this year it’s the New York Film Critics Circle’s turn to kick start the awards machine.

Steven Soderbergh To Direct The Bitter Pill Next

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:54:58 +0000

Soderbergh teaming with his Informant scribe Scott Z. Burns for a new project.

Trailer For Dark Horse Hits

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:53:56 +0000

With his first Criterion-approved film, Life During Wartime, squarely behind him, director Todd Solondz is hard at work on a follow-up, [...]

A Journey Through the Eclipse Series: Kenji Mizoguchi’s Sisters of the Gion

David Blakeslee — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:00:39 +0000

This past October marked the 75th anniversary of the release of Sisters of the Gion, and that fact [...]

Martin Scorsese Wants To Shoot The Irishman Next

Joshua Brunsting — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:15:24 +0000

As Hugo continues to do well in theaters and kills for critics (this one found it to be a bit schizophrenic, but overall a beautiful ode to both the creation of and love for film and filmmaking), Scorsese has started to look towards the future, and has hinted at what may be next for him.

Check Out Errol Morris’ New Short ‘The Umbrella Man’

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:14:06 +0000

He may or may not be on the way to having a film, or two, of his enter the Criterion Collection, but what director Errol Morris is doing, is continuing to pump out films that are both insanely entertaining, and even more thought provoking.

5 Reasons Why The Academy Needs To Re-Think Their 2011 Documentary Short List

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 06:13:26 +0000

It should go without saying that whenever there are awards given out, or nominees named, people will have their favorite [...]

A Journey Through the Eclipse Series: Gabriel Pascal’s Major Barbara

David Blakeslee — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:00:14 +0000

Last week on my Criterion Reflections blog, I wrote an essay about Tunes of Glory, a 1960 film by [...]

‘The Last Picture Show’ Gets A New Run On The Big Screen; Cast To Reunite With A Live Streamed Panel

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:54:38 +0000

With the release of Criterion’s BBS box set came the release of one of the most beloved films from the 1970s on Blu-ray [...]

David Gordon Green Writing And Directing Time Travel Romance ‘Q’

Joshua Brunsting — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:58:33 +0000

It’s about damn time we see something like this from one of the indie film world’s biggest names.

Prior to jumping into Hollywood fare [...]

A Journey Through the Eclipse Series: Akira Kurosawa’s One Wonderful Sunday

David Blakeslee — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:00:06 +0000

If one were to somehow make a word cloud of all the superlatives that have been written in praising the films of [...]

First Clip From Guy Maddin’s Keyhole Is Both NSFW And Absolutely Beautiful

Joshua Brunsting — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 06:07:15 +0000

Hide your kids, hide your wife, because Guy Maddin is back, and this time, with a quite NSFW look at his next picture, [...]

‘The Last Emperor’ Heading Back To Theaters In 3D

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:49:46 +0000

The director himself may have bailed on 3D for his next film, but it appears as though one of the auteur’s past pieces [...]

Abbas Kiarostami Readying ‘The End’

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:49:43 +0000

And now we have the most anticipated film of 2012 set in stone. At least in the eyes of this writer.

According to [...]

A Journey Through the Eclipse Series: Koreyoshi Kurahara’s The Warped Ones

David Blakeslee — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:00:59 +0000

Regular readers of this column know by now that whenever an Eclipse film falls into the chronology I’ve created for my

Terrence Malick Shooting Two Films Back To Back In 2012

Joshua Brunsting — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 03:11:27 +0000

Someone finally found themselves a reason to keep on working.

While it has remained to be seen as to just how soon we’ll [...]

[Updated] Rejoice, For The Bi-Annual Criterion Collection 50% Off Sale At Barnes & Noble Is Upon Us

Ryan Gallagher — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:48:52 +0000

Well it is that time of year again. The time of year when you dust off your credit card, and head to [...]

A Journey Through the Eclipse Series: Aki Kaurismäki’s Leningrad Cowboys

David Blakeslee — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:00:46 +0000

Jimi Hendrix. The Who. Janis Joplin. Simon & Garfunkel. The Rolling Stones. The Monkees. Spinal Tap. Beastie Boys. Despite the [...]

Pedro Almodovar Lines Up Special Thriller Sidebar For AFI Fest

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:09:01 +0000

With his latest film, The Skin I Live In, being the beloved auteur’s first true-blue thriller, director Pedro Almodovar has teamed [...]

Brad Pitt Joins Steve McQueen’s ’12 Years A Slave’

Joshua Brunsting — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:08:48 +0000

Well, this sucker just got a tossed on everyone’s radar, at least in a populous sense.

According to Screen Daily, the biggest actor [...]

Gotham Award Nominees Announced, Steve James’ ‘The Interrupters’ Up For Best Documentary

Joshua Brunsting — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:19:50 +0000

Sure, The Oscars are what everyone pays attention to, but over the past few years, the awards known as The Gotham [...]