I Know You're Criterion But What Am I

Criterion said to us that "Yes, the world is depressing right now, so we're gonna do something absolutely wonderful for you," with today's announcement of their December line-up -- Tim Burton's 1985 first film and perhaps his greatest masterpiece Pee-wee's Big Adventure is entering the Collection in 4K on December 16th. Just in time for Christmas! No I checked and Pee-wee's Christmas Special isn't included in the extras -- missed opportunity! But with such an abundant gift on its own terms who cares. I'll admit my first thought upon seeingn this news was, "Dammit I should have gotten to write the essay for that" -- if ever I was gonna write an essay for a blu-ray booklet this would've been the one. If anybody releases Muriel's Wedding without consulting me I'm gonna start setting fires dammit. But what a beautiful way to start a week! Fuck all the negativity in the news -- for at least a few minutes while we greet this. Paul Reubens has always had that effect -- pure magic.

But obviously that's not it for December -- the magic continues with, first and foremost (or rather second and second-most I suppose, after Pee-wee) a four film box-set by the artist Man Ray! Four surrealist shorts from the 1920s titled Le retour à la raison, Emak bakia, L’étoile de mer, and Les mystères du château du dé, this is no doubt related to the big show of Man Ray's art that just opened at The Met here in NYC. I think I saw some of these in film school back in the day but it's been awhile since film school (cough cough turns to dust) so these will no doubt feel new to me. I plan on going to The Met show this upcoming weekend. Love me some Man Ray surrealism. Next up there's Spike Lee's filmed version of David Byrne's American Utopia show that was on Broadway a couple of years back -- I might be one of the few Talking Heads fanatics who really wasn't into American Utopia -- generally people loved it. And I'll no doubt give it another chance at some point.

After that we've got the sweeping 1945 Scottish Highlands love story I Know Where I'm Going! from the geniuses Powell & Pressberger dropping in 4K on December 9th -- I actually can't recall if I've seen this one before or not? I went through a big P&P phase like 20 years ago and binged whatever I could get my hands on so a lot of the ones I haven't seen since then have sorta blended together. Any fans? Next comes Mira Nair's first film Salaam Bombay, which I know for certain I've never seen -- and I'm sure this was in the works well before her spectacular son Zohran Mamdani was set to be NYC's next mayor, but I love the timing anyway! And finally their fifth release for the holiday month is a 4K upgrade of the sparkling comedy masterpiece His Girl Friday starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell -- you know, just one of the greatest rom-coms ever made.