"They walk and they talk and they like each other" is the most accurate description of the Before trilogy I've ever heard.

Alden Eherenreich was a revelation in “Hail Caesar!” and “Oppenheimer”. An actor whose quality sneaks in in high powered ensembles. His depth of film knowledge was fun to watch. May he break out of the cinematic universe purgatory some Hollywood executive put him in.

Would it 'twere so simple to make a career just to enter the Closet

This guy is into films. I really, non-sarcastically appreciate someone with that level of love for film making. I love that Criterion is heralding the newer breed of filmmaker as well as cinematic lover. It's important to keep the spirit and love of film and film making alive and vibrant.

Alden really picked great choices especially Yi Yi and Colonial Blimp. And his sign off at 6:09 was 😅😅😅😅😅

“It feels almost like somebody is outside of life or like an angel is watching life itself”. This shook me to the core what a beautiful distinction to make

Actively cheered when he chose Colonel Blimp. A wonderful film!

I look forward to seeing where Alden's career leads

“Who’d want to justify their whole life right?” His performance in Oppenheimer is just so good “Well they’re not.” Nolan gave him a lot of great lines too.

I like how they've created ads with actors that people don't realize are just ads to sell Criterion.

First got into Criterion in 1991 when I was 16 and used my first job at Taco Bell to buy laserdiscs. Warms my heart that the Criterion tradition is still going strong.

I discovered Cassevettes on new years eve. Literally 45-60 seconds into Chinese Bookie I was inspired by the cinematography alone. He is the father of American independent filmmaking. Chinese Bookie and Shadows are my favorite of his.

Love to see Alden in the Closet. Great actor with great Criterion film choices.

The man who appeared in the Han Solo movie and Oppenheimer is in the Closet? Cool. Nice choice of movies he selected.

His outfit is really giving dad vibes

Great closet video. I loved his description of Cassavetes and Midnight Cowboy. Spot on.

Rosalind Russell is amazing. She is the reason to watch George Cukor's "The Women" . Her comedic timing in both "His Girl Friday" and "Auntie Mame" is amazing.

i'm really excited to watch alden ehrenreich's directing career rise! he's giving huge warren beatty energy here to me, in terms of actor transitioning to a directing career, but it seems like he just loves the medium so much that he'll be bouncing through roles all throughout his career. how he talks about the movies, and the intentionality and spontaneity of what filmmakers are capturing, but also appreciating the naturalistic performances of the allan king films or the poise of cary grant in his girl friday leveraging his stage acting knowledge -- some folks just seem like good eggs and I'm hopeful for alden's career! this was a nice closet vid

I’m so jealous of him being able to watch the ‘Before’ trilogy for the first time.

Holy mackerel, dude picked some surprising flicks. Outstanding.....

Love his work in "Rules Don't Apply."

finally! what a phenomenal actor that I wish more upcoming, young directors utilize in the future.

These days, I love watching the way the guests slide the Blurays into their shoulder bags, as much as the selections themselves. Is that some sort of kink?!

Man, he was amazing in "Hail, Caesar!", what a great role

I love the Lynchian soundscape of the Criterion Closet

Again, someone who picks the John Cassavetes box - probably one of the most-picked objects from the closet. Just shows how extremely important he was for the development of independent cinema and cinema in general. My personal favorites are "A Woman Under the Influence" and "Love Streams", with the phenomenal Gena Rowlands.

I first saw Alden in Beautiful Creatures like a decade ago.... I always liked him

Love his choices. Especially Colonel Blimp

I exclaimed “OOOH YESSS!!!” a little too emphatically with that last pick. One of my favorites!

We love YOU a lot in every version of this as a miracle ✨🙌🏽❤️🙌🏽✨

_His Girl Friday..._ greatest comedy EVER! 🥰

OK, let's quickly talk about Yi Yi. This is considered one of two Edward Yang masterpieces, the other being A Brighter Summer Day (which sounds like a Guadagnino film, but isn't). It was made right at the turn of the millennium (I only watched it once, back around then) about a multi-generation Taiwanese family. It really is a movie about the millennium in a way few movies are and how Asian countries embraced both tradition and technology (much like Korea and Japan). First, the title. Yi means one, and Yi Yi is one repeated twice. If you know how two is written in Chinese, you could think of it as one written twice (it's two horizontal lines for two and one horizontal line for one). This could mean, for example, how two individuals don't quite make two, that there is a separation and desire. The movie centers around the patriarch of the family whose mother in law has just passed away (I think) and his wife takes time off to mentally recover. Meanwhile, he meets a childhood girlfriend (I think), sort of a PAST LIVES in reverse. She's gone to America, both have families, and she's come back for a visit. This movie is meaningful even if you don't know Chinese, but if you know Taiwanese and Mandarin or can recognize it, you hear it used. Many people who speak Taiwanese also speak Mandarin, and use Mandarin in different contexts. Taiwanese being more familiar and Mandarin in more official ways. It's a kind of code switch for Taiwanese speakers. The father in the movie works for a video game company in a technical role and they have a Japanese video game creator that works for the company come from Japan for a visit. So, how do they speak to one another? They talk in English. It's these language subtleties that can fly over the heads of those that don't know it well. Also, I'm skipping the daughter and her relationships and her relation to her grandmother (the one that passes away at the start of the movie). Alden makes a remark about this and compares it to Wings of Desire which may be a little more famous. This movie I haven't seen, but I do recall Siskel and Ebert's review of it. It is in German in black and white, and involves an angel watching a woman trapeze artist from afar? She doesn't know he's there. But who does know? Peter Falk. Falk can see this angel and speaks in English. I recally Siskel and Ebert loving this movie. Alden talks about Yi Yi and compares it to Wings of Desire in less than a minute. The guy really has an encyclopedic knowledge of movies, many of which were before he was born.

Alden has never seen The Before Trilogy!?!?! Whoa!!!! 😮😮😮

I know Criterion isn't the first place one goes to gush over Star Wars but him in Solo is just so *chefs kiss. Him, Donald and Emilia make it a personal favourite of mine the franchise

You know who else should visit the Criterion closet? This junior senator from Massachusetts…

I have got to watch more of Jimmy Stewart’s stuff. He was the star of my favorite Hitchcock film: Rear Window. Hitch’s funniest movie, Grace never looked more stunning and Thelma Ritter steals every single scene she’s in.

Heard he was playing Donathan in the upcoming Sinfeld game, and got so excited.

This was my favorite Criterion closet episode. So good!

“It’s very cool to be inside this closet after watching it on KZfaq many, many times.” @ 0:02. Somewhat similar. I am just hoping that I can get in the closet one of these days!!!

Young Han Solo's favorite actor is Jimmy Stewart?! He's got good taste. 👍

I dig his Sam Neill from Jurassic Park cosplay.

Midnight cowboy is THE movie that sparked the cinema boom in the 1970’s; literally rated x and won best picture.

“The before trilogy. Thats where they walk and they talk and they like each other a lot, right?” Yes exactly

Please invite Hou Hsiao-hsien.

Yoo Alden picked up Yi Yi. This guy knows his movies, props to him. Glad some people like Ehrenreich and Sean Baker recognize Edward Yang's works

I will never understand why the collective narrative around Alden and the Solo movie tends to be, I don't know, like something went wrong. I think it's simply based around the fact that Solo didn't make a billion goddamned dollars at the box office because, holy shit, he was great in it. I thought it was a fantastic film, in and of itself, too. I think he's been remarkably great in everything I've seen him do. I can't even begin to imagine anyone else in his Hail Caesar! role. I'm also just noticing that I've begun every sentence with "I"... My apologies.

Fantastic picks ❤️

Wonderful to see a young artist who is articulate, passionate and actually appreciates great artists from the past, rather than stupidly, arrogantly and naïvely dismissing them.

I wonder if he can now say "Would that it were so simple"

Love the picks. I'd be right there with you watching.

PLEASE take a note from Amoeba's "What's In My Bag" and start inserting clips of the films they're talking about, especially if it's a specific scene. It's the only frustrating part of this series.

People always yell about him playing a younger Han Solo but I thought he was damn good - he knew how to carry Solo’s arrogance and pride and the movie wasn’t entirely horrible like everyone wants to believe.

Wish this guy was in my class. Seems to really appreciate cinema authentically.

He's sooo so talented and gorgeous

Alden is underrated

One of the best actors in Hollywood

Criterion invite Daisuke Beppu. Although i don't know what he'd take, he has everything.

Dude loves the Aero!!! Incredible space for cinephiles

It’s a Wonderful Life might just be my favorite movie

You know what would be neat? Once a month (or whatever) allow a fan of the channel have their time in the closet. You'd be adding something new and as well probably giving someone possibly a highlight of their life.

Alden's an old soul, isn't he?

Good lord this man has an incredible rapport with the camera.

This was so interesting and endearing to listen to

FINALLY! I know how to pronounce his fuckin name.

Love the picks! ❤

He knows his movies

Great choices.

As I’ve become wiser I’m convinced jimmy Stewart was the greatest cinema actor of all time. So versatile

I want Solo 2 dammit! :-)

Off topic ... I would love a 4K for LOVE EXPOSURE

Colonel Blimp is sooooo good. Yi Yi too.

loved you in Solo, no joke

A Married Couple is very hard to watch. Alan King was one of a kind.

At last i find out how to pronounce his name... It was easier than i thought

*"Young Solo!'"*

Tetro release when?

This man-- Nice picks

Dear Criterion why no Herzog movies in your collection? You have 3 about him but none of his work.

Tetro is my jam !

Great choices!

…no Buffalo’66? Would like to see him in another movie with Vincent Gallo, I think they had great chemistry in Tetro.

Getting future director vibes

Love this kid.

Midnight cowboy 👍

ALDEN THE GOAT!!!!!

great choices!

John Cassavetes 🙂

Where be Yi Yi?

Cool choices

This was great

Loved this

...not a slam against Alden but... ...maybe he might be on the wrong side of the camera for his career...just saying 🤔...

All those incredible films, pick my favorites you say? "If only it t'wer so simple." (I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist)

SAG? How much do screenwriters typically make?

Yi Yi 😍

Han Salò

love a married couple!!

He was good in Solo, I don't care what anyone says.

Tetro--see it!

Solo is the second best star wars flick.