Cinematic gems selected by the Safdie brothers . . . Plus: Fearless filmmaking from Iran and Saudi Arabia

This week on the Criterion Channel, Josh and Benny Safdie look back on the movies that made them. NEWSLETTER - MAY 1, 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. [Josh and Benny Safdie’s Adventures in Moviegoing]( The undisputed kings of kinetic cinema that unfolds at the heart-stopping pace of a New York minute, Josh and Benny Safdie have been keeping audiences on the edge of their seats (and on the verge of a panic attack) for over a decade with whirlwind character studies like Uncut Gems, Good Time, and Heaven Knows What. In the latest edition of Adventures in Moviegoing, the brothers sit down to discuss everything from how their father’s love of film shaped their upbringing (and made Dustin Hoffman a surrogate screen dad) to their deep-cut-heavy list of the best New York movies. Looking for a place to start? The brothers’ streetwise selection of films leaps from working-class Los Angeles (Billy Woodberry’s Bless Their Little Hearts) to London’s East End (Mike Leigh’s Meantime) to a bustling Tehran (Jafar Panahi’s The Mirror) to the New York they call home (John Cassavetes’s Gloria). Tech Update Lots of good news this week! The latest updates for Apple devices have addressed some long-standing issues. English captions should now display properly on supported Apple TVs, and viewers who were experiencing skipped or dropped frames should find that playback has improved across all Apple platforms. Fans who have been waiting for an [Xbox One app]( got their wish this week as well. Thanks to all of you who have been patiently waiting for these upgrades. More good news coming soon! [Three by Jafar Panahi]( The brilliant Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi has been banned from filmmaking since 2010, but that has not stopped him from producing some of the most vital and slyly perceptive works of the last decade. [California Dreamin’]( This double bill of surreal, time-shuffling neonoirs set in Los Angeles features a legendary commentary for The Limey by director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Lem Dobbs. [Wadjda]( The first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first directed by a Saudi woman, Haifaa al-Mansour’s landmark narrative debut is a work of defiant humanism. (Available in the U.S. only.) [Musical Motifs in The Battle of Algiers]( In the latest episode of Observations on Film Art, Jeff Smith analyzes Ennio Morricone’s masterful score for Gillo Pontecorvo’s revolutionary bombshell. [Around the World in 80 Days]( Michael Anderson’s grandly entertaining, Oscar-winning epic brings Jules Verne’s classic novel to life with a star-studded ensemble cast. 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 :: 215 Park Ave S. New York, NY 10003