It’s the beginning of November, which means every physical media collector’s favorite bi-annual event is here: the Barnes & Noble 50% off Criterion sale. Sure, we all love Mulholland Drive (2001) and In the Mood for Love (2000), but one of the pleasures of buying physical media in a physical location is scouring the shelves, flipping through the discs, and pulling out something you’ve never seen.
Here are five titles that you’ve (maybe) never seen (or even heard of!) that are worthy of the blind-buy during this most exciting time of the year.
The Killing (1956)
Stanley Kubrick was one of the most innovative filmmakers we’ve ever seen, and Criterion has put out beautiful editions of his films, Barry Lyndon (1975), Dr. Strangelove (1964), and others—with Eyes Wide Shut (1999), no doubt an excellent addition to the canon, coming soon. He made so many great movies, in fact, that of his earliest films, The Killing, is probably his sixth-best movie, thanks to those aforementioned titles. It’s a film noir masterpiece that many people would do terrible things to have made. And he made it when he was only 27 years old!
Kubrick dabbled in just about every genre, moving from science fiction (which he redefined with 1968’s 2001: A Space Odyssey) to war film (1987’s Full Metal Jacket is totemic in the evolution of the subgenre) with ease. The Killing is his best noir picture, and what a lean and mean movie it is. Danny Peary, in his essential read, Cult Movies, called it, “a taut, fast-paced thriller made by a clever director obviously in love with the filmmaking craft.”
Sterling Hayden plays Johnny Clay (a perfect film noir name), a career criminal fresh outta jail and ready for his next big job. In exactly what you want from a crime film fashion, he assembles a crew and they meticulously plan a down-to-the-second racetrack robbery. Naturally, none of it goes to plan. Your favorite noir tropes, from desperation to duplicity to femme fatales, all follow. Genre favorites Marie Windsor and Elisha Cook Jr., who was in pretty much every movie in the ’50s, round out the cast.
One of the best things about the Criterion release is that it includes a whole other Kubrick film as a special feature. That’s right, his 1955 film noir Killer’s Kiss, his minor league outing before hitting the majors, is thrown on the disc. It’s two for the price of one! And perfect for your Noirvember viewings.
The Unknown (1927)
The Unknown is a part of the Tod Browning’s Sideshow Shockers collection, where it could be easily overlooked. If you know any of director Tod Browning‘s work, it’s probably his 1931 adaptation of Dracula, starring the iconic Bela Lugosi. Digging a little deeper gets you to his 1932 film Freaks, which is the headlining title in the Criterion set. But that’s just the beginning when it comes to his sick, depraved, and demented work, all of which is obsessed with the outsider, the different, the unknown, and, yes, the freaks of society.
When Browning was a teenager, he literally ran away and joined the circus, where he worked for years as a barker, magician’s assistant, contortionist, and clown. Those experiences coming of age in the carnival and vaudeville circuits led him to a lifelong fascination with the world’s outcasts, those deemed different, lesser, and perhaps monstrous. But, as Browning explored in his later career as a filmmaker, he found the real inhumanity in those willing to just toss others aside, justifying their oohing and awing for nothing more than the cost of admission.
Freaks, partially the story of traveling sideshow performers who plan their revenge on those who have wronged them, is the most synonymous example of Browning considering this in his work. For years, that film was considered a cult classic, but I believe it has almost graduated from that status thanks to its canonization in the Criterion Collection.
But keep going and you’ll find The Unknown, a silent film (yes, it’s a silent film—you can do this!) about an armless knife thrower (silent movie king Lon Chaney, who does a shocking amount of foot acting in this film) who falls in love with a young girl (a teenage Joan Crawford in her breakout role) who, luckily, has a phobia of being touched. How perfect! But is Alonzo the Armless really who he says he is? What about the strongman also vying for her attention? And what’s this about her father’s unsolved murder? It’s not only a mystery thriller, but also a body-horror prototype. And it’s not to be missed.
The Heroic Trio (1993)
The Heroic Trio comes in a double pack with its sequel, Executioners (also 1993). I’m aware that many people opt for single titles during these sales, but there’s no better time to pick up some of these multi-packs or collections than when they will be at their lowest-ever price. Take advantage! Plus, if you like The Heroic Trio, you can just move right into Executioners.
And there’s plenty to love in The Heroic Trio, a Hong Kong fantasy action flick from prolific director Johnnie To. The best part, above all, is that it’s a genre and stylistic mashup—a bad-ass woman ass-kicking superhero wuxia horror hybrid. When a baby-napping supervillain called the Evil Master wrecks havoc over a Gotham-looking city (specifically Joel Schumacher’s version), only the heroic trio can save the day. Maggie Cheung’s Thief Catcher, Anita Mui’s Wonder Woman (not that Wonder Woman, but kinda), and Michelle Yeoh’s Invisible Woman (not that Invisible Woman, but kinda) do some wire action, slapstick humor, and baby-saving—all while looking super hot. It’s really fun, and the antidote to your superhero cinema fatigue.
Love & Basketball (2000)
Many cinephiles are guilty of treating the Criterion Collection with the reverence they reserve exclusively for what they consider “high art.” I occasionally do this myself, having already included an international movie, a silent film, and film noir on this list. But one of the company’s finest achievements is highlighting low-to-medium budget, wide-ish release movies that have gone underappreciated. They’ve done this recently with new 4K restorations of movies like To Die For (1993) and Menace II Society (1993), but I’d like to shout out Gina Prince-Bythewood‘s feature debut, Love & Basketball. Sure, we could talk all day about Wes Anderson‘s complete filmography or Latvian animation or the early shorts of Abbas Kiarostami, but sometimes what you need is a damn good rom-dram.
The film follows Quincy (Omar Epps) and Monica (Sanaa Lathan—good luck not having a crush on her in this movie) through four quarters of their life, from childhood to their careers, as they tackle growing up, dreams, goals, ambition, and, of course, love and basketball. It’s an incredibly familiar story, yet particularly confident and romantic. When they play one-on-one, it’s electric. You haven’t seen a mundane activity this sexy since Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore sat together at a potter’s wheel.
I will also add that, based on personal experience, I recommend watching this movie at home. I saw a revival screening last year where everyone snickered and giggled at the couple’s flirty and flighty back-and-forth. If you want an unblemished viewing experience, whether by yourself or with that special someone, you might need to enjoy this one quietly at home. Sometimes, if you want something watched right, you have to watch it yourself.
Altered States (1980)
One of the best things about the Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble is that everything (assuming your store has everything, or anything for that matter—I’ve had to resort to shopping the website!) is on sale, including titles that just came out! The company released Ken Russell’s Altered States at the end of October, and in no time at all, you can get it for half price. (Not me, however, as I couldn’t wait and bought the 4K for full price right away. I practically squealed when they announced that they were putting this film out on disc.) Not only is Altered States one of my favorite first-time watches of the past few years, but the film was practically begging for a beautiful restoration.
In Russell’s Hollywood debut, the late William Hurt (in his big-screen debut—it’s also the first film of a four-year-old Drew Barrymore) plays Dr. Eddie Jessup, a scientist obsessed with exploring our undiscovered states of consciousness. His experiments start tame for today’s standards, as the film opens with him in a sensory deprivation tank, which is probably something you can do on ClassPass now. But when he starts exploring ancient Mexican hallucinogens (the trip scenes demand to be watched in 4K) and taking his self-experiments further and further, his body begins reacting and changing, both physically and physiologically.
You will not believe some of the stuff this movie does; it’s body-horror of the silliest magnitude. In the ‘80s horror encyclopedia In Search of Darkness, co-writer Patrick Bromley claimed, “There are wild and crazy movies and then there’s Altered States,” and I couldn’t agree more. It’s in a category all its own thanks to Russell’s vision, Hurt’s commitment, Paddy Chayefsky’s wild script, and John Corigliano’s sonic score. You can thank me later.
List Courtesy of Patrick Regal (Find him on Letterboxd here.)
Feature Image from ‘Altered States’ (1980) via Criterion