This October Criterion is Coming For Your Souls!

Since the 15th fell on the weekend (which we all noticed since it was my birthday and all, wink nudge wink) we're only getting our monthly "Criterion Announcement Day" today, here on the 17th -- but that's cool, given they're announcing their titles for the greatest month of them all, October! And per usual Criterion's line-up is bubbling and brewing over with Horror Titles, hooray! And what better place to start then with some of the scariest movies of all time -- a triple-feature of Tod Browning's films The Unknown (1927) and Freaks (1932) and The Mystic (1925)! I've only ever seen the first two titles there -- and lord knows I have seen Freaks more times than I could count -- but The Mystic (about what else carnies) sounds like a must-watch! And the disc is per usual loaded with special-features -- check em all out and pre-order the disc on their site. (And it's out on October 17th, which will give you plenty of time to frame your entire Halloween party around it.) 

Next up and just as exciting -- they're releasing a brand new 4K restoration of Alejandro Amenábar's 2001 haunted masterpiece The Others starring Nicole Kidman! This remains one of my favorite of all ghost movies, and it's not ruined in the slightest by knowing what "the twist" is going in (not that I will spoil it here if any of you are unaware) -- I've seen it a dozen times and it's just as much spooky fun either way. And this is definitely a Top 5 Kidman performance. Cannot wait to see what this gothic gorgeousness looks like in resplendent 4K!

Next up is Nikyatu Jusu's 2022 horror flick Nanny, which is about a Senegalese immigrant who takes a job caring for the children of rich white people (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector, drool) and things do not go well, no they do not go well at all. I liked this movie but didn't quite love it the way a lot of other critics did, but I think it's very much due for a revisit. And no I am not just saying that so I can stare at Morgan Spector some more, shut up. The final two titles on Criterion's October docket are both 4K upgrades for previously released editions -- David Cronenberg's Videodrome and Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now. Both absolute masterpieces! Will I be able to stay strong my self-imposed financial limitation of not buying movies on 4K if I already own them on blu-ray? Stay tuned! I have my doubts!