2021 Closet Picks
Closet Picks is a video series by The Criterion Collection.[1] Involving its Criterion Closet where all of its distributed titles are stored, Criterion regularly invites individuals in the film and entertainment industries, as well as those adjacent to them, to peruse and choose from its selection of discs.[2] The video series began in 2010 when director Guillermo del Toro visited the Criterion office, during which he was filmed making his selections from the Criterion Closet. Since then, Criterion has filmed over two hundred installments of Closet Picks; past visitors include Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Mikey Madison, Francis Ford Coppola, and many others.[3]
All dates are drawn from the closet picks database.[4]
February
[edit]Isabel Sandoval (February 16)
[edit]Criterion citation: "The multitalented auteur selects a few all-time favorites that reflect her bold cinematic style, as well as a number of movies she's excited to see for the first time."[5]
| Film | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Dazed and Confused | Richard Linklater | [5] |
| The Cranes Are Flying | Mikhail Kalatozov | |
| Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters | Paul Schrader | |
| Black Narcissus | Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger | |
| Quadrophenia | Franc Roddam | |
| The Age of Innocence | Martin Scorsese | |
| John Cassavetes: Five Films | John Cassavetes | |
| The Complete Films of Agnès Varda | Agnès Varda |
April
[edit]Nathan Lane (April 26)
[edit]
Criterion citation: "The Emmy- and Tony-winning actor stopped by our offices to regale us with stories and stock up on some of his favorite Hollywood classics."[6]
October
[edit]Garrett Bradley (October 7)
[edit]
Criterion citation: "The director of the Oscar-nominated documentary Time shares an eclectic selection of her favorite films, from European art-house staples to classics of Black cinema."[7]
| Film | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| The Battle of Algiers | Gillo Pontecorvo | [7] |
| Oliver Twist | David Lean | |
| A Man Escaped | Robert Bresson | |
| Dressed to Kill | Brian De Palma | |
| Dreams | Akira Kurosawa | |
| Betty Blue | Jean-Jacques Beineix | |
| Moonstruck | Norman Jewison | |
| Love & Basketball | Gina Prince-Bythewood | |
| High and Low | Akira Kurosawa | |
| Road Trilogy | Wim Wenders | |
| Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films | Melvin Van Peebles | |
| Blue Is the Warmest Colour | Abdellatif Kechiche | |
| The Signifyin' Works of Marlon Riggs | Marlon Riggs | |
| Rebel Samurai: Sixties Swordplay Classics | Various directors |
Colin Quinn (October 12)
[edit]Criterion citation: "The veteran New York comedian selects some of his favorite films, including a handful that capture his hometown through the decades."
November
[edit]Kemp Powers (November 10)
[edit]
Criterion citation: "The Oscar-nominated screenwriter of One Night in Miami . . . selects a handful of favorite films, including an animated movie that haunted his childhood and a classic courtroom drama that has influenced his approach to dialogue."[9]
| Film | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Cronos | Guillermo del Toro | [9] |
| 12 Angry Men | Sidney Lumet | |
| Watership Down | Martin Rosen | |
| Matewan | John Sayles | |
| Deep Cover | Bill Duke | |
| One Night in Miami... | Regina King |
Theodore Witcher (November 23)
[edit]Criterion citation: "The writer-director of love jones pays a visit to our office and stocks up on a few classics that he hasn't revisited in years."[10]
| Film | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Jules and Jim | François Truffaut | [10] |
| The Rules of the Game | Jean Renoir | |
| Notorious | Alfred Hitchcock | |
| Blind Chance | Krzysztof Kieślowski | |
| Deep Cover | Bill Duke | |
| A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman | Ingmar Bergman | |
| Late Spring | Yasujirō Ozu |
References
[edit]- ^ Hunt, Joshu (February 29, 2024). "Sure, It Won an Oscar. But Is It Criterion?". The New York Times.
- ^ "The Criterion Closet Is Hitting the Road". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ Ang, Raymond (2024-09-27). "How the Criterion Closet Became Internet Famous". GQ. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "Search all Closet Picks". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ a b "Isabel Sandoval's Closet Picks". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ a b "Nathan Lane's Closet Picks". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ a b "Garrett Bradley's Closet Picks". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "Colin Quinn's Closet Picks". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ a b "Kemp Powers's Closet Picks". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ a b "Theodore Witcher's Closet Picks". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2025-01-04.