It seems like the buzz about this is spreading far and wide, but I had to add my little voice to the chorus of folks that are saying:
"Oh my god, the Criterion library (well, lots of it) is on Hulu Plus!"
Not that I'm going to run out and chuck my Criterion DVDs, heck no. But I am so excited about this development, I can't stop thinking about it. It almost seems too good to be true, you know?
(From The 400 Blows )
I think it's an incredible strike in the plus column for the internet. The accessibility of these significant and wonderful movies for nearly free means almost anyone can watch these, not just someone with the money to buy the beautiful editions for their home library, or folks in cities with a hip video store or particularly good public library.
(From Grey Gardens)
And for people like myself and many of my friends, who work from home or studios, and rely on movies and podcasts and the like to keep them company...I mean, this is huge!
Some movies I really adore and admire currently in the available collection (I'd recommend these to pretty much anyone):
- Picnic At Hanging Rock (Lovely Victorian moppet mystery)
- The 400 Blows (Antoine Doinel = coolest boy ever)
- Grey Gardens & The Beales of Grey Gardens (I know my love for both is documented here in my archives!)
- Les Diaboliques (Possibly the best thriller ever)
- M (Incredible, Dickension film about a whistling serial predator)
- The Red Balloon (One of my favorite things as a little girl and still wonderful)
These are just some of the movies available right now, and I think they'll be adding lots more!
On my to-watch-immediately list are some that I've always meant to watch, but just haven't: David Gordon Green's George Washington and Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player. I'm also excited to re-watch ones I haven't seen in a while and don't own, like Jane Campion's Angel at my Table and Godard's Breathless.
What a treat! I still can't believe it's true.
Happy Friday to you!