CriterionCast

CriterionCast

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CriterionCast episodes

  • Criterion Reflections – Episode 140 – Costa-Gavras’ State of Siege

    Criterion Reflections is David Blakeslee’s ongoing project to watch all of the films included in the Criterion Collection in chronological order of their original release. Each episode of this fourth season of the podcast features conversations with a variety of guests offering insights on movies that originally premiered in 1972 and were destined to eventually bear the Criterion imprint. In this, the final episode of Season 4, David is joined by Trevor Berrett and Brad McDermott to discuss State of Siege, directed by Costa-Gavras. The film is available on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection and is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.

    Episode Links:
    COSTA-GAVRAS
    • The Criterion Collection
    • The Criterion Channel
    • Wikipedia
    • Letterboxd
    • Directors Guild of America
    • DW
    • Film Lifestyle
    • The Guardian
    • Huffpost
    • TCM
    • STATE OF SIEGE
      • The Criterion Collection
      • The Criterion Channel
      • Wikipedia
      • Letterboxd
      • Boston Phoenix (1973)
      • Pittsburgh Press (1973)
      • Roger Ebert (1973)
      • Vancouver Province (1973)
      • Village Voice (4/19/1973)
      • Village Voice (4/26/1973)
      • Battleship Pretension
      • CageyFilms
      • Cinepassion
      • Eternality Tan
      • QNetwork
      • Jerry Saravia
      • Slant
      • Spirituality and Practice
      • PREVIOUSLY:
        CRIES AND WHISPERS
        UP NEXT:
        INTRO TO SEASON 5
        MORE!
        • Criterion Reflections blog (1922 – 1967)
        • Criterion Reflections columns on CriterionCast (1968)
        • The Eclipse Viewer
        • A Journey Through the Eclipse Series
        • CONTACT US:
          • David Blakeslee [ TikTok / Website / Facebook / Letterboxd ]
          • Trevor Berrett [ Twitter / Website ]
          • Brad McDermott [ Website / Letterboxd / Instagram ]
          • 1 hr 8 min
          • Inside the Box – Episode 18 – The Complete Jean Vigo

            Trevor Berrett and David Blakeslee are pleased to present Inside the Box, a podcast series that explores the riches in the various box sets released by The Criterion Collection. In this episode, they discuss The Complete Jean Vigo. This box set contains the films À propos de Nice (1930), Taris (1988), Zéro de conduite (1933), and L’Atalante (1934).

            Even among cinema’s legends, Jean Vigo stands apart. The son of a notorious anarchist, Vigo had a brief but brilliant career making poetic, lightly surrealist films before his life was cut tragically short by tuberculosis at age twenty-nine. Like the daring early works of his contemporaries Jean Cocteau and Luis Buñuel, Vigo’s films refused to play by the rules. This set includes all of Vigo’s titles: À propos de Nice, an absurdist, rhythmic slice of life from the bustling coastal city; Taris, an inventive short portrait of a swimming champion; Zéro de conduite, a radical, delightful tale of boarding-school rebellion that has influenced countless filmmakers; and L’Atalante, widely regarded as one of cinema’s finest achievements, about newlyweds beginning their life together on a canal barge. These are the witty, visually adventurous works of a pivotal film artist.

            Episode Links
            • The Complete Jean Vigo
              • À propos de Nice (1930)
              • Zéro de conduite (1933)
              • L’Atalante (1934)
                • Jean Vigo
                  • Wikipedia
                  • Far Out Magazine: “The Life and Times of Jean Vigo: The Man Who Influenced the French New Wave,” by Swapnil Dhruv Bose
                  • The New York Times: “Jean Vigo: A Short and Ferocious Life,” by Joan Dupont
                  • Episode Credits
                    • Trevor Berrett (Twitter/Website)
                    • David Blakeslee (TikTok/Website)
                    • Complete Jean Vigo (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray)
                      $27.10
                      $39.95
                      in stock
                      The Complete Jean Vigo [Criterion Collection] [2 Discs] [Blu-ray]
                      $27.99
                      The Complete Jean Vigo (A propos de Nice / Taris / Zero de conduite / L'atalante) (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
                      $32.28
                      $39.95
                      in stock
                      10 new from $29.78, 3 used from $22.95
                      Complete Jean Vigo (Criterion Collection)
                      $32.86
                      $39.95
                      in stock
                      Amazon price updated: June 5, 2026 7:52 pm
                      1 hr 43 min
                    • Criterion Reflections – Episode 139 – Ingmar Bergman’s Cries and Whispers

                      Criterion Reflections is David Blakeslee’s ongoing project to watch all of the films included in the Criterion Collection in chronological order of their original release. Each episode of this fourth season of the podcast features conversations with a variety of guests offering insights on movies that originally premiered in 1972 and were destined to eventually bear the Criterion imprint. In this episode, David is joined by Brad McDermott, Derek J. Power, Daniel Humphrey, and first-time guest James Bogdanski to discuss Cries and Whispers, directed by Ingmar Bergman. The film is available on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection and is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.

                      Episode Links:
                      INGMAR BERGMAN
                      • The Criterion Collection
                      • The Criterion Channel
                      • IngmarBergman.se (Official)
                      • Wikipedia
                      • Letterboxd
                      • Britannica
                      • Senses of Cinema
                      • TCM
                      • CRIES AND WHISPERS
                        • The Criterion Collection
                        • The Criterion Channel
                        • IngmarBergman.se
                        • Screenplay/Scenario written by Bergman
                        • Wikipedia
                        • Letterboxd
                        • New York Times (1972)
                        • The New Yorker (1973)
                        • Pittsburgh Press (1973)
                        • Roger Ebert (1973)
                        • Village Voice (1972)
                        • 1001 Movies
                        • Alternate Ending
                        • Basement Rejects
                        • Bill’s Movie Emporium
                        • The Criterion Contraption
                        • Critical Popcorn
                        • Dennis Schwartz
                        • Every 70s Movie
                        • The Film Corner
                        • The Film Sufi
                        • Filmotomy
                        • The Guardian
                        • History of the Academy Awards
                        • In Their Own League
                        • Reel Views
                        • Roger Ebert (2002)
                        • Slant
                        • Sonic Cinema
                        • Spirituality & Practice
                        • Through the Shattered Lens
                        • PREVIOUSLY:
                          DON’T PLAY US CHEAP
                          UP NEXT:
                          STATE OF SIEGE
                          MORE!
                          • Criterion Reflections blog (1922 – 1967)
                          • Criterion Reflections columns on CriterionCast (1968)
                          • The Eclipse Viewer
                          • A Journey Through the Eclipse Series
                          • CONTACT US:
                            • David Blakeslee [ TikTok / Website / Facebook / Letterboxd ]
                            • Brad McDermott [ Website / Letterboxd / Instagram ]
                            • Derek J. Power [ Website ]
                            • James Bogdanski [ Facebook / X / Instagram ]
                            • Daniel Humphrey [ Website / Book: Queer Bergman – Sexuality, Gender, and the European Art Cinema ]
                            • 2 hr 4 min
                            • Criterion Channel Surfing, Episode 59: The Films of Carlos Saura – Part 3

                              Friend-of-the-show Michael Hutchins returns for a deep dive into the Criterion Channel’s permanent, streaming-only library, and a conversation about three films from Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura – Cousin Angelica, Elisa, Vida Mía, and Los Ojos Vendados.

                              Episode Links
                              • The Criterion Channel
                              • The Criterion Channel Club Facebook Group
                              • Michael Hutchin’s Letterboxd List of Streaming-Only Criterion Titles
                              • Michael Hutchins’s Letterboxd List of Limited Engagements
                              • Cousin Angelica, Directed by Carlos Saura
                              • Elisa, Vida Mía, Directed by Carlos Saura
                              • Los Ojos Vendados, Directed by Carlos Saura
                              • Where to Find Us Online
                                • Michael Hutchins: Letterboxd
                                • Josh Hornbeck: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Letterboxd
                                • Criterion Channel Surfing: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
                                • Logo by Doug McCambridge: DPM Designs | Good Times, Great Movies | Schitt’s and Giggles | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Letterboxd
                                • Support the Show
                                  • CriterionCast
                                  • Criterion Channel Surfing
                                  • List of Criterion Channel Surfing Supporters
                                  • 1 hr 5 min
                                  • Criterion Reflections – Episode 138 – Melvin Van Peebles’ Don’t Play Us Cheap

                                    Criterion Reflections is David Blakeslee’s ongoing project to watch all of the films included in the Criterion Collection in chronological order of their original release. Each episode of this fourth season of the podcast features conversations with a variety of guests offering insights on movies that originally premiered in 1972 and were destined to eventually bear the Criterion imprint. In this episode, David is joined by Richard Doyle and Aaron Strand to discuss Don’t Play Us Cheap, directed by Melvin Van Peebles. The film was released in the box set Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films, and is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.

                                    Episode Links:
                                    MELVIN VAN PEEBLES
                                    • The Criterion Collection
                                    • The Criterion Channel
                                    • Letterboxd
                                    • Wikipedia
                                    • Black Film Archive
                                    • BlackPast
                                    • Directors Guild of America (video interview)
                                    • Film School Rejects
                                    • The History Makers
                                    • Ohio Wesleyan University (MVP’s alma mater)
                                    • Pop Matters
                                    • Red Bull Music Academy (2008 lecture)
                                    • TCM 
                                    • Third Man Books
                                    • Variety – Ten Essential Works 
                                    • New York Times (obituary)
                                    • Behind the Slate (podcast series on Melvin Van Peebles)
                                    • Criterion Reflections Episode 50 – Sweet Sweetback’s Baadassss Song
                                    • DON’T PLAY US CHEAP
                                      • The Criterion Collection
                                      • The Criterion Channel
                                      • Wikipedia
                                      • Letterboxd
                                      • Playbill (original Broadway theatrical program)
                                      • AV Club
                                      • Cinepassion
                                      • Department of Afro American Research Arts & Culture
                                      • Every 70s Movie
                                      • National Review
                                      • Pop Matters
                                      • Slant
                                      • Behind the Slate
                                      • PREVIOUSLY:
                                        HANZO THE RAZOR
                                        UP NEXT:
                                        CRIES AND WHISPERS
                                        MORE!
                                        • Criterion Reflections blog (1922 – 1967)
                                        • Criterion Reflections columns on CriterionCast (1968)
                                        • The Eclipse Viewer
                                        • A Journey Through the Eclipse Series
                                        • CONTACT US:
                                          • David Blakeslee [ TikTok / Website / Facebook / Letterboxd ]
                                          • Richard Doyle [ Letterboxd ]
                                          • Aaron Strand [ Website / Instagram (personal) / TikTok / Podcast / Instagram (podcast) ]
                                          • 1 hr 28 min
                                          • Criterion Reflections – Episode 137 – Hanzo the Razor

                                            Criterion Reflections is David Blakeslee’s ongoing project to watch all of the films included in the Criterion Collection in chronological order of their original release. Each episode of this fourth season of the podcast features conversations with a variety of guests offering insights on movies that originally premiered in 1972 and were destined to eventually bear the Criterion imprint. In this episode, David is joined by Richard Doyle and David Seeley to discuss three films featuring Hanzo the Razor, all starring Shintaro Katsu, best known for his portrayal of Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman. The films were released between 1972 and 1974, and are currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.

                                            Episode Links:
                                            SHINTARO KATSU
                                            • The Criterion Collection
                                            • The Criterion Channel
                                            • Letterboxd
                                            • Wikipedia
                                            • Cagey Films
                                            • Eastern Kicks
                                            • HANZO THE RAZOR
                                              • The Criterion Channel
                                                • Sword of Justice
                                                • The Snare
                                                • Who’s Got the Gold?
                                                • Wikipedia
                                                • Letterboxd
                                                  • Sword of Justice
                                                  • The Snare
                                                  • Who’s Got the Gold?
                                                  • Apocalypse Later
                                                  • Asian Movie Pulse
                                                  • Filmofile’s Hideout
                                                  • Grindhouse Database
                                                  • Hong Kong Cinema: View from the Brooklyn Bridge
                                                  • MyReviewer
                                                  • No Name Movie Blog
                                                  • Projected Figures
                                                  • The Spinning Image
                                                  • Toho Kingdom
                                                  • PREVIOUSLY:
                                                    SISTERS
                                                    UP NEXT:
                                                    DON’T PLAY US CHEAP
                                                    MORE!
                                                    • Criterion Reflections blog (1922 – 1967)
                                                    • Criterion Reflections columns on CriterionCast (1968)
                                                    • The Eclipse Viewer
                                                    • A Journey Through the Eclipse Series
                                                    • CONTACT US:
                                                      • David Blakeslee [ TikTok / Website / Facebook / Letterboxd ]
                                                      • Richard Doyle [ Letterboxd ]
                                                      • David Seeley [ FilmSwap Podcast ]
                                                      • 1 hr 8 min
                                                      • Criterion Channel Surfing, Episode 58: Ishirō Honda’s Kaiju Cinema – Part Two

                                                        Critic and YouTube creator Celeste de la Cabra joins Josh for a journey into the Criterion Channel’s permanent, streaming-only library, and a conversation about three films from Japanese filmmaker and the master of kaiju cinema, Ishirō Honda.

                                                        Episode Links
                                                        • The Criterion Channel
                                                        • The Criterion Channel Club Facebook Group
                                                        • Michael Hutchin’s Letterboxd List of Streaming-Only Criterion Titles
                                                        • Michael Hutchins’s Letterboxd List of Limited Engagements
                                                        • Matango, Directed by Ishirō Honda
                                                        • Atragon, Directed by Ishirō Honda
                                                        • Dogora, Directed by Ishirō Honda
                                                        • Where to Find Us Online
                                                          • Celeste de la Cabra: YouTube | Letterboxd | Instagram
                                                          • Josh Hornbeck: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Letterboxd
                                                          • Criterion Channel Surfing: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
                                                          • Logo by Doug McCambridge: DPM Designs | Good Times, Great Movies | Schitt’s and Giggles | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Letterboxd
                                                          • Support the Show
                                                            • CriterionCast
                                                            • Criterion Channel Surfing
                                                            • List of Criterion Channel Surfing Supporters
                                                            • 58 min
                                                            • Criterion Channel Surfing, Episode 57: The Films of Carlos Saura – Part 2

                                                               

                                                              Friend-of-the-show Michael Hutchins returns for a deep dive into the Criterion Channel’s permanent, streaming-only library, and a conversation about the next three films from Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura.

                                                              Episode Links
                                                              • The Criterion Channel
                                                              • The Criterion Channel Club Facebook Group
                                                              • Michael Hutchin’s Letterboxd List of Streaming-Only Criterion Titles
                                                              • Michael Hutchins’s Letterboxd List of Limited Engagements
                                                              • Honeycomb, Directed by Carlos Saura
                                                              • The Garden of Delights, Directed by Carlos Saura
                                                              • Ana and the Wolves, Directed by Carlos Saura
                                                              • Where to Find Us Online
                                                                • Michael Hutchins: Letterboxd
                                                                • Josh Hornbeck: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Letterboxd
                                                                • Criterion Channel Surfing: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
                                                                • Logo by Doug McCambridge: DPM Designs | Good Times, Great Movies | Schitt’s and Giggles | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Letterboxd
                                                                • Support the Show
                                                                  • CriterionCast
                                                                  • Criterion Channel Surfing
                                                                  • List of Criterion Channel Surfing Supporters
                                                                  • 58 min
                                                                  • Criterion Reflections – Episode 136 – Brian De Palma’s Sisters

                                                                    Criterion Reflections is David Blakeslee’s ongoing project to watch all of the films included in the Criterion Collection in chronological order of their original release. Each episode of this fourth season of the podcast features conversations with a variety of guests offering insights on movies that originally premiered in 1972 and were destined to eventually bear the Criterion imprint. In this episode, David is joined by first-time guest Robert Baum and Richard Doyle to discuss Sisters, directed by Brian De Palma.

                                                                    Episode Links:
                                                                    BRIAN DE PALMA
                                                                    • The Criterion Collection
                                                                    • The Criterion Channel
                                                                    • Letterboxd
                                                                    • Wikipedia
                                                                    • Cineaste
                                                                    • Cinephilia & Beyond
                                                                    • Film Comment
                                                                    • FilmDaze
                                                                    • JustWatch
                                                                    • MovieWeb
                                                                    • ScreenRant
                                                                    • Senses of Cinema
                                                                    • They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They?
                                                                    • SISTERS
                                                                      • The Criterion Collection
                                                                      • The Criterion Channel
                                                                      • Wikipedia
                                                                      • Letterboxd
                                                                      • Boston Phoenix (1973)
                                                                      • Pittsburgh Press (1973)
                                                                      • Roger Ebert (1973)
                                                                      • Roger Ebert (2018)
                                                                      • Village Voice (1973)
                                                                      • Cinepassion
                                                                      • Dennis Schwarz
                                                                      • Life Between Frames
                                                                      • Midnight Only
                                                                      • Reverse Shot
                                                                      • Rock! Shock! Pop!
                                                                      • Slant
                                                                      • Tilt Magazine
                                                                      • PREVIOUSLY:
                                                                        EIGHT HOURS DON’T MAKE A DAY
                                                                        UP NEXT:
                                                                        HANZO THE RAZOR TRILOGY
                                                                        MORE!
                                                                        • Criterion Reflections blog (1922 – 1967)
                                                                        • Criterion Reflections columns on CriterionCast (1968)
                                                                        • The Eclipse Viewer
                                                                        • A Journey Through the Eclipse Series
                                                                        • CONTACT US:
                                                                          • David Blakeslee [ TikTok / Website / Facebook / Letterboxd ]
                                                                          • Robert Baum [ Letterboxd ]
                                                                          • Richard Doyle [ Letterboxd ]
                                                                          • 1 hr 32 min
                                                                          • Inside the Box – Episode 17 – The Qatsi Trilogy

                                                                            Trevor Berrett and David Blakeslee are pleased to present Inside the Box, a podcast series that explores the riches in the various box sets released by The Criterion Collection. In this episode, they discuss The Qatsi Trilogy. This box set contains the films Koyaanisqatsi (1983), Powaqqatsi (1988), and Naqoyqatsi (2002).

                                                                            A singular artist and activist, Godfrey Reggio is best known for the galvanizing films of The Qatsi Trilogy. Astonishingly photographed, and featuring unforgettable, cascading scores by Philip Glass, these are immersive sensory experiences that meditate on the havoc humankind’s obsession with technological advancement has wreaked on our world. From 1983’s Koyaanisqatsi to 1988’s Powaqqatsi to 2002’s Naqoyqatsi, Reggio takes us on a journey from the ancient to the contemporary, from nature to industry, exploring life out of balance, in transformation, and as war, all the while keeping our eyes wide with wonder.

                                                                            Episode Links
                                                                              • The Qatsi Trilogy
                                                                                • Koyaanisqatsi (1983)
                                                                                • Powaqqatsi (1988)
                                                                                • Naqoyqatsi (2002)
                                                                                • Godfrey Reggio
                                                                                  • Koyaanisqatsi.org
                                                                                  • Pomegranate Arts
                                                                                  • Wikipedia
                                                                                  • Episode Credits
                                                                                    • Trevor Berrett (Twitter/Website)
                                                                                    • David Blakeslee (TikTok/Website)
                                                                                    • 1 hr 41 min