2024 Closet Picks
"[5] Criterion citation: "The duo behind the legendary band share their formative memories of encountering Island of Lost Souls, praise Fellini's unique sonic sensibility, and talk about their love for Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster in Sweet Smell of Success.
"[9] Criterion citation: "The comedian, actor, and director talks about loving the relatable weirdness of Grey Gardens and the compulsive passion of Crumb; praises Miranda July's singular, offbeat voice; and shares how The 400 Blows (a Natasha Lyonne recommendation) evokes empathy for the pains of growing up.
"[10] Criterion citation: "The actor and writer shares her love of the literary qualities of Eric Rohmer's cinema, recalls the thrill of watching Bruno Dumont's La vie de Jésus, and selects films by auteurs she has worked with, including Jean-Luc Godard and John Cassavetes.
"[12] Criterion citation: "The acclaimed actor shares how Nancy Savoca's Dogfight profoundly affected her views of acting and love, praises the way David Gordon Green conjures the feeling of youth in George Washington, and selects endlessly entertaining favorites, from Valley of the Dolls to The Night of the Hunter.
"[16] Criterion citation: "The writer-director of Janet Planet joins the film's editor in praising Maurice Pialat's unsentimental depiction of childhood, their collaborator Maria von Hausswolff's cinematography in Godland, and the ineffable magic of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
"[19] Criterion citation: "The Oscar-winning writer and director talks about Army of Shadows and Jean-Pierre Melville's cinema of betrayal, shares his love for Denis Lavant's dancing in Beau travail, and selects favorites by Yasujiro Ozu, Ernst Lubitsch, and Nicholas Ray.
"[24] Criterion citation: "The award-winning actor and director goes deep on his favorite westerns, highlighting Gregory Peck's psychological performance in The Gunfighter and Barbara Stanwyck's fierceness in The Furies, Leonard Cohen's music in McCabe & Mrs. Miller, and Budd Boetticher's lean, mean Ranown films.
"[31] Criterion citation: "The director of Blink Twice is joined by the film's star in sharing their love for John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands, praising Paris Is Burning as 'the greatest documentary of all time,' and selecting favorites, from Harlan County USA and The Fisher King to Moonstruck and The Rose.
"[34] Criterion citation: "The writer-director talks about how Federico Fellini and John Waters gave him the passion and confidence to become a filmmaker, shares his poignant experience watching Claudine as a young man, and selects favorites such as Pickup on South Street, Do the Right Thing, and The Piano.
"[35] Criterion citation: "The musician and Pulp front man shares how films like Blue Velvet and Meantime altered his view of cinema, talks about collaborating with Wes Anderson and Danny Boyle, and decides he's finally ready to watch Salò, or The 120 Days of Sodom.
"[43] Criterion citation: "The legendary actor returns to Closet, where she shares her love for independent American gems such as Barbara Loden's Wanda and Michael Roemer's Nothing but a Man, talks about Roberto Rossellini's work with Ingrid Bergman, and selects Italian cinema classics I Knew Her Well and Juliet of the Spirits.
"[46] Criterion citation: "The writer and director of All We Imagine as Light shares why Sans Soleil and Arabian Nights are gifts that keep on giving, talks about Aki Kaurismäki's 'fun and audacious' Leningrad Cowboys films, and praises Louis Malle's Phantom India as a must-watch for everyone.
"[58] Criterion citation: "The actor and star of Anora talks about Five Easy Pieces and being drawn to morally ambiguous characters, praises Isabelle Huppert's performance in The Piano Teacher as one of the greatest of all time, and selects Take Out, one of her collaborator Sean Baker's early New York films.
