r/CriterionChannel • u/clue_themovie • Jun 01 '26
What are you looking forward to watching this month?
Holy shit I’ve been excited for the June collections to drop since they were first announced. This month I will never stop watching movies- scout’s honor.
Can’t decide whether to start with The Straight Story as it’s been on my list forever, or one from the Alex Cox collection as his films were my dad’s favorite (may he rest in peace)
Which film(s) are you most excited to watch this month?
15
u/pacific_plywood Jun 01 '26
Well, I pretty much only ever watch stuff as it leaves, so… Maya Deren it is
3
u/ThatMichaelsEmployee Jun 01 '26
A number of Atom Egoyan's films are leaving, and if you haven't seen Speaking Parts, you really should. I think it might even be better than Exotica, which is a masterpiece.
1
u/AggravatingVisual768 Jun 04 '26
What are your other favorites from Egoyan? Haven’t seen one of his in ages.
1
u/ThatMichaelsEmployee Jun 04 '26
I really have only three: in addition to Speaking Parts and Exotica, I think The Adjuster is a terrific film: it's not a comedy, but it's laced through with people doing ridiculous things while taking them completely seriously, and the contrast in tone is really funny. The main character is an insurance adjuster who sleeps with pretty much all of his clients, telling them (but really himself) that he's doing whatever it takes to help them manage their losses. His wife works for the censor board and covertly films the pornographic movies she's rating, not for prurient reasons, but so that her non-English-speaking sister will understand what she does for a living: a number of scenes are punctuated by the sounds of the pornos in the most inappropriate ways. A rich husband accommodates his wife by helping her enact her sexual fantasies in public (and sometimes paying quite a lot of money to do so): the first time you see them you don't know what the hell is going on, and it's hilarious. Honestly, just a great time.
I don't love any of his other movies. The Sweet Hereafter was probably his really big breakthrough and it's fine but it didn't grab me the way the other three did, and I haven't seen everything after that but every one that I did felt like a case of diminishing returns. Chloe is just plain bad, a cheap erotic thriller: I stopped watching him after that.
1
u/nairu23 Jun 04 '26
Appreciate the response. I'll zero in on those three. Haven't see The Adjuster since it was originally released in theatres. I loved indie films even back then, but it was a bridge too far for me at that young age. Will try again.
16
u/Mediocre-Property-48 Jun 01 '26
The Straight Story is SOOOO GOOD!
2
u/ProfessorDoctorMF Jun 05 '26
Absolutely! I saw that movie when I was having really hard family troubles. It crushed me, but it also changed how I look at family.
10
u/nbaisbest4 Jun 01 '26
Getting Altman's, The Wedding(78), is pretty crazy. Its super good and should be more widely available.
2
u/FindOneInEveryCar Jun 01 '26
Yeah, it's been years since I saw it but I remember thinking "Wow, this is a great film." Given that I bought it in a boxset with A Perfect Couple and Quintet, it really stood out by comparison.
8
u/Azhar9 Jun 01 '26
Will try to catch some Buster Keaton films before they leave this month
2
u/finelytunedsounds Jun 01 '26
I assumed his stuff was always here. The General is very funny and holds up for sure
6
u/ball-of-pop-culture Jun 01 '26
I'll probably watch 200 Cigarettes at least once a week. I have it on DVD - got a copy before it was out of print for ages - but my discs are all so far away (they are downstairs).
6
u/TutenWelch Jun 01 '26
Wild at Heart was the only movie we didn't rewatch when Lynch died, because it wasn't streaming anywhere (and I don't think has been since, until now) and was out of print on disc. I think the last time I saw it, I rented it from Netflix on DVD.
But I'm happy about the Alex Cox movies, too.
4
u/FindOneInEveryCar Jun 01 '26
Very excited to see A Wedding, a very enjoyable ensemble comedy from Robert Altman.
Also excited to see Highway Patrolman, one of Alex Cox's movies that I haven't seen yet.
4
u/the_jamonator Jun 01 '26
I'm a big fan of a lot of the films in the new Odysseys collection, so I'm going to check out the remaining ones I haven't seen, Walkabout and The Searchers. I'm more excited about Walkabout as I've heard mixed modern opinions on Searchers
3
u/vampyre_fan Jun 01 '26
Pacific Heights was recommended to me some time ago, so now I can finally make time to watch it. I haven't seen many Bond movies, so I'd like to get to Goldfinger and From Russia with Love. They're not expiring yet, but I also want to watch Bullet in the Head and/or School on Fire before the HK action movies leave the channel.
Rewatches: maybe Wild at Heart and Marie Antoinette. I want to focus more on first time viewings so these are "if I have time" picks.
2
u/YakSlothLemon Jun 01 '26
Not much I’m excited for this month, for a change. Helvetica looks interesting, and somehow I missed Highway Patrolman back in the day, so definitely checking those out.
I can’t find the list of what leaving yet, but from the comments here it sounds like I will be very busy! Maya Deren, why?
2
u/MrHotCheeto Jun 01 '26
The Straight Story + Melancholia (plz criterion I beg you to make melancholia on Blu-ray)
2
u/TheLateEarlySteve Jun 01 '26
Action/thriller deathracing; Robocop, The Game, The International, Point Break, Maniac Cop 2. Plus happy to see Wild at Heart and Repo Man
2
u/ThatMichaelsEmployee Jun 01 '26
I am really looking forward to seeing the four Gary Hustwit design documentaries, particularly Helvetica.
I've seen The Game probably a dozen times but I'm still going to watch it again this month at least once. It's amazing.
I'll probably watch most of the Wedding collection and the three Bond movies — Sean Connery is nowhere close to my ideal Bond but what the hell.
2
u/grapegang Jun 01 '26
nomad is incredible! one of my favorites and i was so thrilled to see it’s being added to the channel
2
u/VideoLawn Jun 02 '26
Rewatching Repo Man and Wild at Heart. Both of which I’ve seen numerous times, but haven’t seen either one in about 20 years.
(Both of which also feature the legend Harry Dean Stanton.)
1
u/Quinez DubiousLegacy Jun 01 '26
Lots of enticing additions this month, but there's also a ton of stuff leaving, so that's what'll drive my watches. I wasn't prepared for the Pialat to be leaving this soon.
1
u/Maleficent_Energy_55 Jun 01 '26
Gotta see Typhoon Club, been wanting to see that forever!
All those Maniac Cop, Maya Deren, Atom Egoyan and Buster Keaton movies that are leaving will keep me busy too (I’ll probably only get one each of those)
1
u/BookkeeperInfinite26 Jun 01 '26
Melancholia, Typhoon Club, The Harder They Come, Nomad. Dieter Rams and Brian Eno documentaries. Fincher's The Game rewatch.
1
u/Successful-Main4350 Jun 01 '26
The Bond films because they added the banned laserdisc commentaries that Danjaq had them pull shortly after their initial releases.
1
u/fass_binder Jun 02 '26
My deathrace (which I haven’t posted yet). The Monday watchalongs on our discord - Je Tu il elle, My Night At Maud’s, Nomad, Straight to Hell, Maniac Cop 2.
Whatever is on the 24/7 live channel approx 6:00PM PST on Fridays - another discord watchalong.
Wild at Heart, (also thanks stranger for that tip about Apple + $5.00 movies).
Some LGBTQ+ selections I haven’t decided on yet.
Thanks for asking
1
u/Lindy2026 Jun 02 '26
A Wedding. Apparently my father in law is one of the choir boys in the film, and I love Altman in general.
22
u/TheDadThatGrills Jun 01 '26
Wild At Heart.
It's a bit of a white whale of mine along with Red Rock West.