“This gorgeous, complex story of a self-possessed nine-year-old adrift on the road with an unlikely writer/journalist companion is one of Wim Wenders’ best. Infused with bits of captivating music—Sibylle Baier, Chuck Berry, Canned Heat—and exquisitely shot in black and white by Robby Müller, ALIC...

“The late visionary animator and painter Suzan Pitt’s eighteen-minute masterpiece ASPARAGUS (1979) is an immersive and surreal psychosexual fantasia, with an aesthetic best described by curator and writer Haden Guest as ‘thirties Deco meets fifties Googie meets Memphis-style retro-futurism.’ A he...

“‘Youthquaker’ Edie Sedgwick stars in this semiautobiographical film depicting her debaucherous years as one of Warhol’s superstars and the drug-addled aftermath. Filled with striking black-and-white footage of the Factory’s heyday and with appearances by Brigid Berlin, Viva, and Paul America, CI...

“Akira Kurosawa offers a touching tale of human connection and survival. Rarely does one see a film focused on male bonding and friendship with this much grace and emotional depth. DERSU UZALA is a visual pleasure for the eyes, but be forewarned it's going to grab your heart and not let go.” —Tar...

“This ’70s doc featuring North African music group Nass El Ghiwane weaves together electrifying live performances, intimate moments, and political theater to create a sublime portrait of one of Morocco’s most influential bands.” —Tara Y, production

Directed by Ahmed El Maânouni • 1981 • Morocco
...

“Two women falling in love in Reno in the 1950s, via 1980s hairstyles, and shot by the incomparable Robert Elswit (BOOGIE NIGHTS) . . . what more could you ask for?” —Elizabeth P, production

Directed by Donna Deitch • 1985 • United States

Donna Deitch's swooning and sensual first narrative feat...

“The reality captured in this film—the weight of racism, gendered emotional and physical abuse, and economic plight—is not one Black Americans wake up from . . . but others should not look away either.” —Maya, audience development

Directed by Larry Bullard and Carolyn Johnson • 1978 • United Sta...

“For when you’re horny and hungry and don’t wanna pick a lane.” —Valeria, production

Directed by Juzo Itami • 1985 • Japan

The tale of an eccentric band of culinary ronin who guide the widow of a noodle-shop owner on her quest for the perfect recipe, this rapturous "ramen western" by Japanese d...

“Peter Weir reaches Hitchcockian levels of dark humor in this terrifically performed, diabolically cutting class-conflict thriller. You’ll cackle as you cringe, and best of all it’s under eighty minutes!” —Curtis T, Production

Directed by Peter Weir • 1979 • Australia

A mysterious tradesman (Iv...

“Filled to the brim with visual and emotional bravado, it’s a rare film that manages to be both unabashedly erotic and surprisingly touching. Betty and Zorg’s electric relationship is an ode to fiery, youthful obsession determined to be anchored by no reality other than passion.” —Ben C-M, Janus ...

“Why use words to sell this movie when you can just show a picture of Jackie Chan breaking glass in a shopping mall?” —Keenan N, postproduction

Directed by Jackie Chan • 1985 • Hong Kong
Starring Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung

The jaw-dropping set pieces fly fast and furious in Jackie...

“‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long’ is mind-blowing. Redding soars, and Pennebaker’s camera follows him—into and out of the light. It’s euphoric and otherworldly, and eerily prescient, as Redding died tragically six months later.” —Kim, production

Directed by D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus • 19...

“Simply the best movie ever made about the Apollo missions to the moon, and now looking back, I truly believe the story of going to the moon is more about looking back at the Earth and the beginning of the time when we began to address climate change—when humans saw for the first time what Carl S...

“Bob Hoskins’s Harold Shand—a barrel-chested thug for the ages—is the lynchpin of this gripping thriller. But I have a real soft spot for Francis Monkman’s sleazy synth ’n’ sax theme, an insistent and incongruous porno-prog menace that hammers into your brain, and never leaves.” —Ashley C, curato...

“The story of this film is absolutely devastating, both on- and offscreen. Its brilliance shines through its neorealist approach, and its influence still echoes in the works of Spike Lee, Mira Nair, the Safdie brothers and more.” —Justin, customer service

Directed by Héctor Babenco • 1981 • Braz...

“A film that’s as much a psychoanalytic case as its protagonist is. Not so much a film enjoyed as a film endured.” —Nathan, programming

Directed by Ronald Bronstein • 2007 • United States
Starring Dore Mann, Mary Wall, Carmine Marino

A nightmare transmission from the grungiest depths of the New...

“Hitchcock vibes + ’80s pastel colors.” —Valeria R, Production

Directed by Claude Chabrol • 1987 • France

Posing as a journalist, a man interviews a celebrity he thinks is responsible for his sister's disappearance.

“Pour yourself a glass and hang tight for one of O’Toole's most unleashed performances.” —Tara, production

Directed by Peter Medak • 1972 • United Kingdom
Starring Peter O'Toole, Alastair Sim, Arthur Lowe

Peter O’Toole gives a tour-de-force performance as Jack, a man “cured” of believing he’s G...

“It is a funeral march that starts as a parade. An amazing introduction to the Czech New Wave where every cut in the editing feels like an incision to the scalp. Plan your palate cleanser after this movie. You will need one.”—Sam, restoration

Directed by Juraj Herz • 1969 • Czechoslovakia

Czech...

“Does it make a lot of sense? No. Is it great material for a drinking game? Absolutely.” —Valeria R, Production

Directed by Frank Borzage • 1937 • United States

Jean Arthur plays a married woman who falls in love with a French headwaiter, much to the chagrin of her possessive and jealous husband.

“Scorsese describes De Seta as ‘an anthropologist who speaks with the voice of a poet.’ He’s not wrong. I love all the De Seta shorts, but this one especially stands out.” —Bob, art

Directed by Vittorio De Seta • 1955 • Italy

The rhythms of the sea set the tempo for this vivid account of a day ...

“Deliriously absurd martial-arts madcappery produced by Wong Kar Wai. Avoid if you’re allergic to fun.” —Curtis, production

Directed by Jeffrey Lau • 1993 • China
Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Brigitte Lin, Leslie Cheung

A classic of Hong Kong “mo lei tau” (nonsense comedy) that blends slapstic...

“If you are also shocked that Michael Strahan closed the gap in his teeth, may I suggest this Les Blank film to process. It is a light, joyful romp that emphasizes that the small characteristics in people are worth celebrating.” —Sam L, restoration

Directed by Les Blank • 1987 • United States

F...

“Set in a crumbling housing estate on the outskirts of Prague, Věra Chytilová’s panoramic comedy weds the eye of an architect to the comic invention of a brilliant satirist.” —Will N, editorial

One of the unsung masterpieces of Věra Chytilová’s still largely obscure post-sixties career, this sti...