The MoFo Top 100 of the 60s: Countdown

Yeah, there's no body mutilation in it

If Breathless is this low, does this mean 8 1/2 might be low as well?

I've not seen Red Beard, but Breathless is, of course, absolute ****.

Is there any chance Pierrot le Fou makes this?

ATTACHMENT 22253 NOT FOUND

The Criterion Effect on our lists was I think especially inevitable for both the '60s and the eventual 1950s list. Criterion is an offshoot of Janus Films. Janus made their bones by distributing foreign language films in the United States, with Bergman's The Seventh Seal being their breakthrough, as far as visibility, marketing, and distribution. So from the late '50s and beyond, most every big name in foreign cinema came to American cinema screens through Janus. This was the era of Bergman and Fellini and Kurosawa at their heights, the entire French New Wave, and just about everything else. They still retain rights to most of that incredible catalog, and have long established relationships with those filmmakers and overseas studios and producers. Which is why the core of the Criterion Collection, both on BluRay/DVD and on LaserDisc before it, are these international classics.

In the 2000s, Criterion has been remarkably efficient at establishing their brand and marketing themselves. They are also very savvy about making their library available through streaming and just generally getting their name and products out there. Considering what the Art House was in the 1960s coupled with Criterion's sense of prestige and sheer force in the marketplace, I expected the MoFo list to read much like the Criterion website. Not to take anything at all away from the power and influence of Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa, Godard, et al., because their work certainly speaks for itself quite well and I would hope that their names appear on any such "best of" list, Janus/Criterion or not. But as we go further back in the history of cinema, especially for you younger MoFos, it is going to be a question of access and visibility, both of which Criterion is very adept at fashioning in the marketplace and the cinema nerd landscape. But there are certainly many great films outside of the impressive Criterion umbrella. How many of those the virgin viewer will find and potentially add to their personal lists is the question.


But, it's all good, Homies. As you were.

I hope not.

We unfortunately won't be that lucky.

The Criterion Effect on our lists was I think especially inevitable for both the '60s and the eventual 1950s list. Criterion is an offshoot of Janus Films. Janus made their bones by distributing foreign language films in the United States, with Bergman's The Seventh Seal being their breakthrough, as far as visibility, marketing, and distribution. So from the late '50s and beyond, most every big name in foreign cinema came to American cinema screens through Janus. This was the era of Bergman and Fellini and Kurosawa at their heights, the entire French New Wave, and just about everything else. They still retain rights to most of that incredible catalog, and have long established relationships with those filmmakers and overseas studios and producers. Which is why the core of the Criterion Collection, both on BluRay/DVD and on LaserDisc before it, are these international classics.

In the 2000s, Criterion has been remarkably efficient at establishing their brand and marketing themselves. They are also very savvy about making their library available through streaming and just generally getting their name and products out there. Considering what the Art House was in the 1960s coupled with Criterion's sense of prestige and sheer force in the marketplace, I expected the MoFo list to read much like the Criterion website. Not to take anything at all away from the power and influence of Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa, Godard, et al., because their work certainly speaks for itself quite well and I would hope that their names appear on any such "best of" list, Janus/Criterion or not. But as we go further back in the history of cinema, especially for you younger MoFos, it is going to be a question of access and visibility, both of which Criterion is very adept at fashioning in the marketplace and the cinema nerd landscape. But there are certainly many great films outside of the impressive Criterion umbrella. How many of those the virgin viewer will find and potentially add to their personal lists is the question.


But, it's all good, Homies. As you were.