Criterion Crazy: August 2025 Releases
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
In case you missed it, the Criterion Collection website has a spring sale happening now, where all discs are thirty percent off until May 26. To celebrate, one would think that Criterion would have a few noteworthy picks for the announcement during said sale, but I don’t think anyone expected Criterion to go this hard with their August picks. We have seven (well, technically eight) films being inducted into the Collection, and not a single one of these picks is a preexisting film being upgraded to 4K. This is an astoundingly high amount of new choices for collectors. Not only that, but a majority of these picks are established classics that were itching to be placed in the Criterion Collection for decades; the remaining couple of films are independent staples that are finally getting the preservation treatment. There really isn’t anything to complain about this time around, so let’s dive into all of these magnificent picks!
The Favourite: A Confucian Confusion / Mahjong: Two Films by Edward Yang
It was about time that Taiwanese titan Edward Yang had a few more films placed in the Criterion Collection. My wish has come true with two of Yang’s lesser appreciated works (and, perhaps, two of his most atypical). We have his sole film to feature English as a primary language, Mahjong (1996), and a rare comedic feature by Yang, A Confucian Confusion (1994). I feel like releasing both films separately would dilute the success they may experience in the Collection, but pairing them up like this is a great choice for Yang completionists (I also feel like the more conventional nature of both films helps them bounce off one another in a boxset like this). Available only on Blu-ray, Two Films by Edward Yang has a few extra features to seal the deal. These include clips of Yang discussing A Confucian Confusion (and, apparently, a director’s note on the film, perhaps a written sentiment by Yang), interviews with editor Chen Po-wen, scholar Michael Berry, and critic Justin Chang, an essay by programmer Dennis Lim, and a recording of Yang’s 1992 play Likely Consequence (making this almost feel like a trio of films). While I would recommend Yang newcomers to watch A Brighter Summer Day and Yi Yi before these films, this collection is fantastic for established Yang fans like myself.
Buy A Confucian Confusion / Mahjong: Two Films by Edward Yang Here
You Can Never Have Too Much Neorealism: Shoeshine (1946)
The Criterion Collection is already home to numerous classics by Vittorio De Sica (Bicycle Thieves, Umberto D., Miracle in Milan, et cetera), but I am still shocked that it has taken this long to finally induct one of his most beloved titles, Shoeshine. This acclaimed fable-like film is a must for fans of this director, of Italian neorealism (or any forms of neorealism), or, really, any cinephile. To kick things off, Shoeshine is available on 4K, Blu-ray, and even DVD (there’s accessibility for all film lovers, here). Secondly, while there aren’t many special features for this film, I feel like they are quite mighty. These include a documentary that celebrates the creation and impact of Shoeshine, a radio broadcast featuring De Sica from 1946, a classic Criterion essay (this time from scholar David Forgacs), a photo-documentary from De Sica himself (not certain what this means, but intrigued to find out), and a program on Shoeshine and the symbolic usage of children in Italian neorealism. This is a sensational buy that I cannot recommend enough.
Representing Egyptian Cinema: Cairo Station (1958)
I cannot profess to be an expect in Egyptian cinema, but I can confidently call Cairo Station a magnificent film and one of the best titles from the nation (alongside Alexandria…Why?, also by Youssef Chahine, which I hope gets brought into the Criterion Collection at some point). If you were interested in what Shoeshine had to offer in the previous paragraph, strap in for another neorealist cut here. Cairo Station is available on both Blu-ray and DVD, with a handful of features. A few of them have a running theme, and it won’t take long for you to figure it out. There’s the documentary Cairo as Seen by Chahine by the late director, with an introduction by film scholar Joseph Fahim. There’s an interview with film scholar Joseph Fahim about the film. You will also find an essay about the film by film scholar Joseph Fahim. There’s a documentary cleverly titled Chahine…Why? about the film directed by film scholar Joseph Fahim (okay, jokes aside, he didn’t direct this documentary, but he is involved in three separate features which is clearly an amazing feat for him). Finally, there’s an excerpt of Chahine appearing at the 1998 Midnight Sun Film Festival. This film makes for a great blind buy, and you may find yourself becoming a huge fan of Chahine (and Fahim at this rate) once experiencing this release.
It’s Time to Pick Up An Ichikawa Film: The Burmese Harp (1956)
While the neorealist themes of Shoeshine end here, Vittorio De Sica’s postwar sentiments continue with two newly accessioned films. The kicker is that they are both directed by the Japanese auteur Kon Ichikawa. Both films are made to have matching box art, and one cannot help but wonder why these works weren’t wrapped up in a single release which is typical for Criterion (see the Edward Yang boxset above). I do feel like fans of one film will want to pick up the other as well. I shall not be a pendant. Instead, let me first report on The Burmese Harp: a fantastic antiwar film of perseverance and hope. Available on both 4K and Blu-ray, The Burmese Harp essentially has three special features; there are essentially only two features when you remove the trailer that is included (I’ve never been blown away by the inclusion of trailers as a special feature, myself, but they may be your thing). There’s an essay by historian Tony Rayns, and — the kicker — a series of interviews between Ichikawa and actor Rentaro Mikuni. Fortunately, The Burmese Harp is a strong enough film that slim special features is hardly a deterrent.
…Actually, Make That Two Ichikawa Films: Fires on the Plain (1959)
And then there’s Fires on the Plains; this film is more of a psychologically weighty film compared to The Burmese Harp. Available on 4K, Blu-ray, and… DVD? (a little peculiar when The Burmese Harp is given a nearly identical treatment outside of this lone DVD option), Fires on the Plains is also a little thin in the special features department (another reason why I cannot help but wonder why both films weren’t released as one collection, but I digress). Fires on the Plains contains interviews with director Kon Ichikawa and actor Mickey Curtis, an introduction to the film by film scholar Donald Richie (who specializes in Japanese cinema), and an essay by critic Chuck Stephens. Like The Burmese Harp, I’d pick up Fires on the Plains just based on the importance and quality of the film over the expectancy of special features; I implore you not to miss out on two great films just because they don’t have a thousand extras like Criterion Collection releases typically boast.
Under-Seen Choice: Compensation (1999)
One of the most fun secrets I’ve had to keep as of late is that this film was being released via the Criterion Collection (a special restoration screening of Compensation in Toronto involving Zeinabu irene Davis saw the director revealing that she was working with Criterion to get this film released by August; I’m not sure if she was meant to reveal this information, but the release is now official, so there’s no harm in knowing now). Considered one of the most underrated and under-seen films of the nineties, Compensation is a beautiful blend of African American culture, storytelling via sign language, and two parallel love stories involving the same actors (Michelle A. Banks and John Earl Jelks) from two drastically different eras (1910s Chicago told in the style of a silent film, and a more contemporary take on romance in the present). Compensation is available on Blu-ray and DVD, and it comes with quite a few noteworthy special features. You will find various audio commentaries by Davis, screenwriter Marc Arthur Chéry, and cinematographer Pierre H. L. Désir Jr. Two of Davis’ short films, Crocodile Conspiracy (1986) and Pandemic Bread (2023), will be included as well, alongside a Q&A with various cast and crew members, an interview with Davis from 2021, a program on archiving in relation to the film, and more. Compensation is begging to be discovered not just for these incredible features but because the film itself has been reassessed as a masterpiece of independent cinema; this release is the best way to find that out for yourself.
One for Both Asian Heritage and Pride Months: Saving Face (2004)
Director Alice Wu has had a bit of an interesting career, having not made a film in nearly two decades before having two different projects, The Half of It and Over the Moon, drop in 2020. Back in 2004 was Wu’s debut feature — and easily her best title: Saving Face. This queer romantic dramedy feels like one of the lighter films that Criterion has been bringing into the collection in recent memory (I’m sure a welcome tradition for those who grew weary of all of the challenging works that Criterion pumps out). Should you be interested in something a little more fun and accessible — all while championing LGBTQ+ and Asian-American voices — this may be a treat for you. Available only on Blu-ray, Saving Face has a few special features to go along with what I consider to be quite a striking cover painting. These include audio commentary by Wu, interviews with Wu and star Joan Chen, deleted scenes with additional commentary by Wu (perhaps explaining why these sequences were left on the cutting room floor), a Sundance Film Festival program surrounding Saving Face’s release, a classic Criterion essay (by critic Phoebe Chen), and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Saving Face may not be as recognized as most of the other films being released this month, but I assure you that it has — and will have — its fans (you may find that you are one of them).
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.