The Criterion Collection Complete

GIRARD, François (Canada) Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould [1993] Spine #1268 Blu-ray A rare film biography as boldly unconventional as its subject, writer-director François Girard’s visionary portrait of iconoclastic, world-renowned pianist Glenn Gould explodes the conventions of the form to illuminate the brilliant mind and innermost obsessions of a singular artist. Across thirty-two vignettes encompassing everything from dramatic sketches to documentary interviews to avant-garde animation,  Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould  pieces together the story of Gould’s trajectory from child prodigy to celebrated concert pianist who turned his back on public performance to pursue his all-consuming fascination with recording technology. Led by a tour-de-force performance by Colm Feore and underscored by Gould’s landmark recordings of Bach’s  Goldberg Variations,  Girard’s film daringly deconstructs the enigma of genius. 93 minutes 5.1 Surround Color 1:85:1 C...

FRIEDKIN, William (United States) Sorcerer [1977] Spine #1267 Blu-ray A hallucinatory journey into the heart of darkness, William Friedkin’s pulse-pounding reimagining of the suspense classic  The Wages of Fear  was dismissed upon its release, only to be recognized decades later as one of the boldest auteur statements of the New Hollywood. In a remote Latin American village, four desperate fugitives—a New Jersey gangster (Roy Scheider), a Mexican assassin (Francisco Rabal), an unscrupulous Parisian businessman (Bruno Cremer), and an Arab terrorist (Amidou)—take on a seemingly doomed mission: transporting two trucks full of highly explosive nitroglycerin through the treacherous jungle. Aided by Tangerine Dream’s otherworldly synth score, Friedkin turns each bump in the road into a tour de force of cold-sweat tension—conjuring a hauntingly nihilistic vision of a world ruled by chance and fate. 121 minutes 5.1 Surround Color in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and German 1:85:1 ...

LEISEN, Mitchell (United States) Midnight [1939] Spine #1266 Blu-ray Screwball comedy doesn’t get any more effortlessly elegant and gleefully irreverent than this roulette wheel of romantic deception, gleaming with cunning wit and Continental élan. A couture-clad Claudette Colbert is divine as a penniless American showgirl who crashes Parisian high society by posing as a wealthy Hungarian baroness—but both a scheming nobleman (John Barrymore) and a smitten taxi driver (Don Ameche) are soon on to her game. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett’s sophisticated script—a typically subversive blend of fairy-tale escapism and caustic social observation—and the pitch-perfect direction of master craftsman Mitchell Leisen yield a topsy-turvy Cinderella story with a cynical bite. 94 minutes Monaural Black and White 1:37:1 Criterion Release 2025 Directors/Writer Mitchell Leisen  was 41 when he directed Midnight . The Film a Film Rating (0-60): 60 The Extras The Booklet Commentary Video tribute ...

ZWERIN, Charlotte (United States) Thelonius Monk Straight, No Chaser [1988] Spine #1265 Blu-ray The closest a film camera ever got to enigmatic jazz visionary Thelonious Monk, this intimate portrait sheds light on the corners of a brilliant and complex life. Superbly crafted by Direct Cinema pioneer Charlotte Zwerin from a trove of precious 1960s archival footage,  Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser  captures the pianist and bebop innovator in rare, unguarded moments on- and offstage, revealing an eccentric and complicated personality. Made with the same freedom of spirit that defines Monk’s artistry, this essential slice of jazz history is a unique glimpse into the quixotic world of one of the twentieth century’s most revolutionary artists. 89 minutes Monaural Color/Black and White 1:33:1 Criterion Release 2025 Directors/Writer Charlotte Zwerin  was 57 when she directed Thelonius Monk Straight, No Chaser . The Film a Film Rating (0-60): 60 The Extras The Booklet Comme...

LUMET, Sidney (United States) The Wiz [1978] Spine #1264 Blu-ray L. Frank Baum’s timeless story  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  gets a funky reimagining in this lavish adaptation of a landmark Broadway show based on the book. Diana Ross brings her showstopping star power to the role of Dorothy, here a Harlem schoolteacher who is magically transported to a surreal fantasyland that resembles New York City, complete with man-eating trash cans and a disco paradise. Propelled by the musical contributions of Quincy Jones and an all-star cast that includes Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, and Lena Horne, this dazzling soul spectacular from legendary director Sidney Lumet reframes a beloved tale through the Black American experience, creating a powerful celebration of self-determination. 134 minutes Dolby Atmos Color 1:85:1 Criterion Release 2025 Directors/Writer Sidney Lumet  was 54 when he directed The Wiz . Other Lumet films in the Collection: #591: 12 Angry Men (1957) #515: The...