Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 28, 2015

Jan 28 Posted by aaronwest My first viewing of L’Avventura was eons ago. It was my first Antonioni, and possibly my first Italian classic film. It is often cited as one of the greatest films ever made, a major turning point in Italian art-cinema, and by extension, world cinema. I...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 23, 2015

Jan 23 Posted by aaronwest For those who are new to this blog and these lists, a close group of cinephile friends have an exclusive club where we pool our favorite films and put together consensus lists. This usually requires me to see a few additional films for the upcoming...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 23, 2015

Jan 23 Posted by aaronwest For those who are new to this blog and these lists, a close group of cinephile friends have an exclusive club where we pool our favorite films and put together consensus lists. This usually requires me to see a few additional films for the upcoming...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 23, 2015

Jan 23 Posted by aaronwest For those who are new to this blog and these lists, a close group of cinephile friends have an exclusive club where we pool our favorite films and put together consensus lists. This usually requires me to see a few additional films for the upcoming...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 20, 2015

Jan 20 Posted by aaronwest This next trio of Les Blank documentaries fit together well. They are all about Cajun culture, with the first two about the rural and backwoods Creole population, with the boxset’s namesake documentary, Always for Pleasure, a narrative of the types of celebration that can   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 20, 2015

Jan 20 Posted by aaronwest This next trio of Les Blank documentaries fit together well. They are all about Cajun culture, with the first two about the rural and backwoods Creole population, with the boxset’s namesake documentary, Always for Pleasure, a narrative of the types of celebration that can   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 20, 2015

Jan 20 Posted by aaronwest This next trio of Les Blank documentaries fit together well. They are all about Cajun culture, with the first two about the rural and backwoods Creole population, with the boxset’s namesake documentary, Always for Pleasure, a narrative of the types of celebration that can   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 18, 2015

Jan 18 Posted by aaronwest Jimi Hendrix was like a being from another planet. He showed up, transformed culture and music as we know it, and then he quickly said goodbye, leaving us to marvel at him nearly half a century later. His performance at Monterey was still relatively early...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 18, 2015

Jan 18 Posted by aaronwest Jimi Hendrix was like a being from another planet. He showed up, transformed culture and music as we know it, and then he quickly said goodbye, leaving us to marvel at him nearly half a century later. His performance at Monterey was still relatively early...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 18, 2015

Jan 18 Posted by aaronwest Jimi Hendrix was like a being from another planet. He showed up, transformed culture and music as we know it, and then he quickly said goodbye, leaving us to marvel at him nearly half a century later. His performance at Monterey was still relatively early...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 17, 2015

Jan 17 Posted by aaronwest I knew going in that The Night Porter was controversial. What I didn’t expect was for it to be so perplexing, confusing and illogical. It is certainly artistic, brave and creative filmmaking, but it is also needlessly provocative, tasteless, and in some ways insulting. I’   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 17, 2015

Jan 17 Posted by aaronwest I knew going in that The Night Porter was controversial. What I didn’t expect was for it to be so perplexing, confusing and illogical. It is certainly artistic, brave and creative filmmaking, but it is also needlessly provocative, tasteless, and in some ways insulting. I’   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 17, 2015

Jan 17 Posted by aaronwest I knew going in that The Night Porter was controversial. What I didn’t expect was for it to be so perplexing, confusing and illogical. It is certainly artistic, brave and creative filmmaking, but it is also needlessly provocative, tasteless, and in some ways insulting. I’   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 15, 2015

Jan 15 Posted by aaronwest At one time in my life, I spent a year living in North Hollywood. It was almost like living on a different planet. Even though the northern side of Laurel Canyon and Mulholland Drive is more suburban sprawl, it is indirectly linked with the film...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 15, 2015

Jan 15 Posted by aaronwest At one time in my life, I spent a year living in North Hollywood. It was almost like living on a different planet. Even though the northern side of Laurel Canyon and Mulholland Drive is more suburban sprawl, it is indirectly linked with the film...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 15, 2015

Jan 15 Posted by aaronwest At one time in my life, I spent a year living in North Hollywood. It was almost like living on a different planet. Even though the northern side of Laurel Canyon and Mulholland Drive is more suburban sprawl, it is indirectly linked with the film...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 10, 2015

Jan 10 Posted by aaronwest Safe is not your everyday 90s independent film. About the only thing it has in common with the most celebrated films from the era is the miniscule budget. That is not meant as a slight against what was an innovative film movement, but merely a...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 10, 2015

Jan 10 Posted by aaronwest Safe is not your everyday 90s independent film. About the only thing it has in common with the most celebrated films from the era is the miniscule budget. That is not meant as a slight against what was an innovative film movement, but merely a...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 10, 2015

Jan 10 Posted by aaronwest Safe is not your everyday 90s independent film. About the only thing it has in common with the most celebrated films from the era is the miniscule budget. That is not meant as a slight against what was an innovative film movement, but merely a...   read more

Criterion Blues Posted by Aaron West on January 9, 2015

Jan 9 Posted by aaronwest I started collecting Criterions sometime around the year 2000. I use the term “collector” loosely. I wasn’t thinking of spine numbers or wanting to obtain the entire collection. The films were what drove my purchases. I wanted the films that I loved, whic   read more