I never plan, or do these things on any kind of schedule, so updates will be sporadic. But, I'll add films next to category here, and note the category and date watched in the list. I'll also add every film to every category it fulfills to see what categories I watch the most.

I watched almost all Criterion releases, except categories relating specifically to the channel.

I'm including my watches from the Criterion Channel that aren't necessarily in the collection, just for recommendation purposes, but I won't count them for the challenge (except the couple specific categories that apply).

EDIT: Turns out, I watch A LOT on the Criterion Channel, so I've stopped counting non collection watches (unless they fit one of the categories). Everything I watch is Criterion Channel, so I'll just note the things that were somewhere else.

Welcome to the first annual The Criterion Challenge where we celebrate The Criterion Collection.

There are 52 categories - one for each week. Watch any Criterion related film released on Laserdisc, VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, or on The Criterion Channel between 1/1/21-12/31/21. The films can be watched daily, weekly, or monthly, and in any order! I would like for all picks to be first time watches but will leave that up to you.

Helpful links to view the entire Criterion Collection: The Complete Criterion Collection and Criterion Collection by Spine Number

Categories:

1. 1984 - watch a film released the year of Criterion's inception.
Blood Simple (1984) #834

2. Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Rashomon (1950) #138
Throne of Blood (1957) #190

3. Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Contempt (1963) #171

4. Horror
Peeping Tom (1960) #58
The Uninvited (1944) #677
The Vanishing (1988) #133
The Innocents (1961) #727

5. Released on Laserdisc (Criterion Collection Laserdisc Titles)
Lolita (1962)

6. Made in Spain
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) #855

7. Wes Anderson's Top 10 (Wes Anderson’s Top 10)
The Exterminating Angel (1962) #459

8. Romance
Now, Voyager (1942) #1004

9. A silent film
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) #62
Modern Times (1936) #543
Pandora’s Box (1929) #358

10. 1920s
Pandora’s Box (1929) #358
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) #62

11. 1930s
The Black Cat (1934)
Modern Times (1936) #543

12. 1940s
The Uninvited (1944) #677
The Red Shoes (1948) #44
Now, Voyager (1942) #1004
The Third Man (1949) #64

1950s
A Face in the Crowd (1957) #970
A Man Escaped (1956) #650
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) #110
12 Angry Men (1957) #591
Rashomon (1950) #138
Throne of Blood (1957) #190
The Seventh Seal (1957) #11

14. 1960s
Cul-de-sac (1966) #577
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
8 1/2 (1963)
Peeping Tom (1960) #58
Salesman (1969) #122
Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster (1964) #1000
Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) #1000
The Shooting (1966) #734
Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) #73
Blow-Up (1966) #865
The Innocents (1961) #727
La Dolce Vita (1960) #733
Contempt (1963) #171
The Color of Pomegranates (1969) #918

15. 1970s
The American Friend (1977) #793
F for Fake (1973) #288
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) #102
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) #254
Enter the Dragon (1973) #1036

16. 1980s
Robocop (1987) #23
Smooth Talk (1988) #1068
Blood Simple (1984) #834
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) #855
The Vanishing (1988) #133

17. 1990s
Insomnia (1997) #47
The Game (1997) #627*
Safe (1995) #739

18. 2000s
The Piano Teacher (2001) #894

19. 2010s
Certified Copy (2010) #612

20. Directed by a woman
Smooth Talk (1988) #1068
Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) #73

21. A film featured in the "Pioneers of African American Cinema" series (Pioneers of African American Cinema)

22. Documentary
F for Fake (1973) #288
Salesman (1969) #122

23. Comedy
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) #110
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) #855
Modern Times (1936) #543

24. Any film on The Criterion Channel (Every Film Available on The Criterion Channel & Secondary List - if you don’t have this service then just choose any film featured on this list and watch however you please. Some may even be on other streaming services or available for rent.)
The Pumpkin Eater (1964)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Red Shoes (1948) #44
Now, Voyager (1942) #1004
8 1/2 (1963) #140

25. Martin Scorsese's Top 10 (Martin Scorsese’s Top 10)
The Red Shoes (1948) #44
8 1/2 (1963) #140

26. Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
Blow-Up (1966) #865

27. Directed by Federico Fellini
8 1/2 (1963) #140
La Dolce Vita (1960) #733

28. The Merchant Ivory Collection (Merchant Ivory Collection)
Slaves of New York (1989)

29. Oscar Winners (Oscar Winners)
The Philadelphia Story (1940) #901
The Red Shoes (1948) #44
8 1/2 (1963) #140
Now, Voyager (1942) #1004

30. Black and white
12 Angry Men (1957) #591
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
A Man Escaped (1956) #650
Now, Voyager (1942) #1004
8 1/2 (1963) #140
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) #110
Salesman (1969) #122
The Third Man (1949) #64
A Face in the Crowd (1957) #970
Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) #73
Modern Times (1936) #543
The Innocents (1961) #727
The Philadelphia Story (1940) #901
Rashomon (1950) #138
Throne of Blood (1957) #190
La Dolce Vita (1960) #733
Pandora’s Box (1929) #358
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) #62
Pather Panchali (1955) #783
The Seventh Seal (1957) #11

31. Directed by Charlie Chaplin
Modern Times (1936) #543

32. Watch any film featured in the Godzilla Boxset
Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster (1964) #1000
Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) #1000

33. Western
The Shooting (1966) #734

34. Made in Italy
La Dolce Vita (1960) #733
8 1/2 (1963) #140
Certified Copy (2010) #612

35. Made in the Soviet Union
The Color of Pomegranates (1969) #918

36. Made in India
Pather Panchali (1955) #783

37. A film from the Eclipse series (The Criterion Collection: Eclipse)
The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933)

38. Kelly Reichardt's Top 10 (Kelly Reichardt’s Top 10)
Safe (1995) #739

39. Directed by John Cassavetes
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) #254

40. Watch a film between spine #100-200
Salesman (1969) #122
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) #102
8 1/2 (1963) #140
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) #110
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) #102
Vanishing (1988) #133
Rashomon (1950) #138
Throne of Blood (1957) #190
Contempt (1963) #171

41. Film Noir
The Third Man (1949) #64

42. Samurai
Throne of Blood (1957) #190

43. A film featured in the "Queersighted: Queer Fear" series (Queersighted: Queer Fear)
The Seventh Victim (1943)
The Uninvited (1944) #677
The Black Cat (1934)

44. A film featured in the "New Korean Cinema" series (New Korean Cinema)
The Quiet Family (1998)

45. Directed by Ingmar Bergman
The Seventh Seal (1957) #11

46. Directed by Agnes Varda
Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) #73

47. Based on a book (Criterion Films Based on a Book)
The Manchurian Candidate
The Innocents (1961) #727
Smooth Talk (1988) #1068
The Piano Teacher (2001) #894
The American Friend (1977) #793
Contempt (1963) #171

48. Foreign-Language Oscar Winners (Criterion Collection: Foreign-Language Oscar Winners)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) #102
La Dolce Vita (1960) #733
8 1/2 (1963) #140

49. Josh and Benny Safdie's Closet Picks (Josh and Benny Safdie’s Closet Picks)
A Man Escaped (1956) #650
Blood Simple (1984) #834

50. Watch a film with spine #1000 or higher
Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) #1000
Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster (1964) #1000
Now, Voyager (1942) #1004
Smooth Talk (1988) #1068
Enter the Dragon (1973) #1036

51. Watch a film featured in "Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits" (The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon, Game of Death)
Enter the Dragon (1973) #1036

52. Any Criterion film on your watchlist
The Innocents (1961) #727
The Uninvited (1944) #677
8 1/2 (1963) #140
A Man Escaped (1956) #650
Salesman (1969) #122