Celebrating the trailblazers of early African American cinema . . . Plus: an achingly romantic Valentine’s Day double feature

Our deep dive into a long-neglected chapter of cinema history features films by Oscar Micheaux, Zora Neale Hurston, Spencer Williams, and more. NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 14, 2020 What’s Playing A guide to the Criterion Channel. If you haven’t already subscribed, [click here]( for a 14-day free trial and explore the more than 2,000 titles and thousands of supplemental features available to stream. [Pioneers of African American Cinema]( Among the most fascinating chapters of cinematic history is that of the so-called “race films” that flourished in the U.S. between the 1920s and ’40s. Entrepreneurial African American filmmakers like Oscar Micheaux, Spencer Williams, and James and Eloyce Gist built an industry apart from the Hollywood establishment, cultivating visual and narrative styles that were uniquely their own. Taken together, these vital, long-neglected works represent a rich alternative history of American cinema forged by innovative artists who defied systemic oppression to tell their own stories on-screen. Looking for a place to start? Witness the birth of a vibrant filmmaking tradition in Oscar Micheaux’s Within Our Gates, the earliest surviving feature by an African American filmmaker, and see the legendary Paul Robeson make his screen debut in Micheaux’s Body and Soul. Then move into the sound era with Spencer Williams’s visionary religious parable The Blood of Jesus and his Caribbean-set melodrama Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A. We’re Here to Help If you have questions, comments, or feedback about the Criterion Channel, please reach out to channelhelp@criterion.com! We’d love to hear from you. [Blue Valentines]( The bittersweet pangs of impossible love are given swooning expression in this double bill of yearning romantic masterpieces from David Lean and Wong Kar-wai. [Directed by Lina Wertmüller]( Leaving soon: don’t miss our seven-film retrospective dedicated to this provocative Italian iconoclast, a heady blend of sex, politics, and satire. [Jason and the Argonauts]( Ray Harryhausen’s eye-popping stop-motion effects are the star of this spirited fantasy, featured here with a laserdisc commentary by the legendary animator. [India Up Close]( From Mumbai to Kolkata, these films offer humorous and deeply humane insights into the inner workings of Indian family and society. [Mustang]( Turkish filmmaker Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s feature debut is a stinging indictment of patriarchal misogyny and a bracing ode to sisterhood. (Available in the U.S. only.) EDITION #950 [Some Like It Hot]( This sizzling comic masterpiece by Billy Wilder is as deliriously funny and fresh today as it was when it first knocked audiences out six decades ago. SUPPLEMENTAL FEATURES: Interviews with Wilder, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis, plus a commentary by scholar Harold Suber. To view this e-mail in your browser, click [here.]( For further information on Criterion and our products, please visit our website at [criterion.com.]( To start streaming the Criterion Channel, please visit [criterionchannel.com.]( If you are not already on our mailing list and would like to be added, please [click here]( to register at [criterion.com](. To unsubscribe, [click here.]( © 2020 The Criterion Collection.