***Completed***
My attempt at the Fifth Criterion Challenge!
It's the most wonderful time of the year again. Challenge season. Time for my favorite annual challenge, round five!
Categories:
1. Watch a film from the CC40 Boxset
2. Watch a film from the year you were born
3. Directed by Robert Altman
4. Watch a film that would be your first choice in the Criterion Closet
5. Great Soundtracks
6. John Turturro’s Adventures in Moviegoing
7. 1920s
8. Watch a film that will be added to the physical collection in 2025
9. 1930s
10. Andrew Garfield’s Closet Picks
11. 1940s
12. Celine Song’s Top 10
13. 1950s
14. Watch a film from the Criterion Channel’s all time favorites lists
15. 1960s…
***Completed***
My attempt at the Fifth Criterion Challenge!
It's the most wonderful time of the year again. Challenge season. Time for my favorite annual challenge, round five!
Categories:
1. Watch a film from the CC40 Boxset
2. Watch a film from the year you were born
3. Directed by Robert Altman
4. Watch a film that would be your first choice in the Criterion Closet
5. Great Soundtracks
6. John Turturro’s Adventures in Moviegoing
7. 1920s
8. Watch a film that will be added to the physical collection in 2025
9. 1930s
10. Andrew Garfield’s Closet Picks
11. 1940s
12. Celine Song’s Top 10
13. 1950s
14. Watch a film from the Criterion Channel’s all time favorites lists
15. 1960s
16. Watch a film that is currently out of print from the physical collection
17. 1970s
18. William Friedkin’s Closet Picks
19. 1980s
20. Spine #451-499
21. 1990s
22. Documentary
23. 2000s
24. Janus Contemporaries
25. 2010s
26. Bill Hader’s Second Closet Picks
27. 2020s
28. Noir and Neonoir
29. All Time Top Criterion Closet Picks
30. Criterion Releases Never Picked in the Closet
31. North American film
32. Ayo Edebiri’s Closet Picks
33. Wim Wenders’ Adventures in Moviegoing
34. South American film
35. Random Number Generator (Google random number generator, set values from 1 to whatever number Criterion has listed last here. This number will change as more releases are announced so please keep up to date by using the link I have provided as I will not be updating each time Criterion makes announcements. Watch whatever movie corresponds to the spine number you are given.)
36. AAPI Filmmakers
37. Watch a film shorter than 80 minutes
38. European film
39. Cult Movies
40. Isabella Rossellini’s Adventures in Moviegoing
41. Winona Ryder’s Closet Picks
42. African film
43. John Carpenter’s Top 10
44. Horror
45. Asian film
46. Dark Comedies
47. Rachel Kushner’s Adventures in Moviegoing
48. Australian film
49. Female Filmmakers
50. Ben Wheatley’s Closet Picks
51. A film by a director whose work you have not seen before
52. Watch any Criterion film from your watchlist
Helpful Links:
The Complete Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection by Spine Number
Every Film Available on The Criterion Channel
Progress: 52/52
This challenge took from January 6, 2025 to December 14, 2024. The average score I gave for this challenge was a 3.6.
The biggest surprise was A Master Builder. I was not expecting this film to be as good as it was, what with its low rating. But it was easily my favorite film of the lot. Just a masterpiece of a film. The biggest disappointment was The Love Goddesses. I love documentaries about film history. I don't love misogyny and child sexualization. This documentary was unfortunately the latter. It was such a disappointment.
Top Three:
1. A Master Builder
2. Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling
3. The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists
Bottom Three:
1. Happiness
2. The Love Goddesses
3. The Man Who Fell to Earth
Other Superlatives:
Best Performances: Toshirō Mifune in Samurai Rebellion/Lisa Joyce in A Master Builder
Worst Performances: David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth/Jane Adams in Happiness
Most Beautiful: Roma
Most Thought-Provoking: The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists
Made Me Cry: Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling
Most Fun: Hard Boiled
