The Criterion Channel Gems You Can't Find Anywhere Else

The Criterion Channel has so many great movies. But which ones are only available on the streaming site? I did a deep dive into the catalog for MEL.

Cinema's History of Isolation

With so many people dealing with quarantine, I started thinking about movies that explore isolation -- whether it's physical or spiritual. That inspired this list for MEL. (And because I'm me, of course I had to include a little love for Jeanne Dielman.)

The BBC Culture Poll of the 100 Greatest Foreign-Language Films

In the last few years, BBC Culture has been working to compile semi-definitive films lists, polling critics, academics and others for their top picks. Their past lists included the greatest films of the 21st century (so far) and the greatest comedies ever made. This time, they asked us to submit a ballot for the best foreign-language films. The Top 100 are here. You can see my ballot (and everyone else's) here. Also, if you click through this slideshow, you can read write-ups for the films that made the Top 25, including my appreciation of the great Jeanne Dielman.