I’ve added the four movies that Charlotte Emma Aitchison picked in her Criterion Closet appearance:
Celine and Julie Go Boating
The Shrouds
La Notte
Autumn Sonata
Charlotte Emma Aitchison made one original pick: The Shrouds. I have no idea who Charlotte Emma Aitchison is, but she’s apparently a musical artist.
Identifying whether a pick is original or not is one reason why my Master List of Closet Picks in the Criterion Closet is so valuable.
You’ll recall that I recently posted a One a Day Playlist for 2025. The trouble with that list was that it was 365 songs long (duh) and clocked in at 21 hours and 10 minutes.
So in 2026 I’m going to post the One a Day Playlist every month, and here’s January’s, which is 31 songs long (duh) and clocks in at a more digestible 2 hours and 4 minutes.
The songs are sorted chronologically, latest to earliest. If you don’t like a song, skip to the next!
Music discovery is something that interests me. My musical taste is both eclectic and superlative, and I hope you find the monthly playlist useful.
Kali Uchis, All I Can Say
Star Feminine Band, Bowo Fun Obiri
JID, Glory
Trond Kallevag, Pretty Polly
Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek, Gunes
Emiliana Torrini, Miss Flower
Pearl & the Oysters, Side Quest
Kate Bollinger, J'aime les filles
Molly Tuttle, Helpless
Her's, Cool With You
Joy Kills Sorrow, Such Great Heights
Andrea Triana, Far Closer
Nouvelle Vague, Road to Nowhere
Blur, Clover Over Dover
Violent Femmes, Gone Daddy Gone
Stevie Ray Vaughan, Little Wing
David Bowie, Wild Is the Wind
Steely Dan, Doctor Wu
Jerry Goldsmith, Love Theme from Chinatown
Barry White, Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up
Quincy Jones, Sandford & Son Theme
Bill Withers, Lean on Me
Cat Stevens, Morning Has Broken
Nolan Porter, If I Could Only Be Sure
Albert King, Finger on the Trigger
The Feminine Complex, Hold Me
Janis Joplin, Little Girl Blue
Jose Feliciano, California Dreamin'
Jimi Hendrix, Hey Joe
John Mayall, Hideaway
Dion, Runaround Sue
Everyone knows Sean Connery was the best Bond:
Dr. No (1962)
From Russia with Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
I’m not going to count the 1983 gag movie, Never Say Never Again, although Connery was a good sport to make that one.
I’ve added the eight movies that Reginald Hudlin picked in his Criterion Closet appearance:
Black Orpheus
Killer of Sheep
Menace II Society
Risky Business
Rouge
Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films
Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits
Essential Fellini
Reginald Hudlin made one original pick: Rouge. He made some very interesting comments about Fellini and working class Black America.
Identifying whether a pick is original or not is one reason why my Master List of Closet Picks in the Criterion Closet is so valuable.
I’ve added the ten movies that Jodie Foster picked in her Criterion Closet appearance:
Visions of Eight
Three Films by Mai Zetterling
Parasite
La Haine
La strada
Essential Fellini
Woman in the Dunes
Wings of Desire
Berlin Alexanderplatz
John Cassavetes: Five Films
Jodie Foster made two original picks: Visions of Eight, and Three Films by Mai Zetterling. Jodie Foster said she has been in the business for 60 years (born in 1962) … her first commercial was at age three (Coppertone).
She also mentioned The Lives of Others, which is not a Criterion movie (but is good), and “anything by Fassbinder.” My favorite Fassbinder movie is I Only Want You to Love Me. Jodie is a Yalie (class of ‘84). “I wasn’t smart enough, deep enough, or preppy enough to belong,” she said.
Identifying whether a pick is original or not is one reason why my Master List of Closet Picks in the Criterion Closet is so valuable.
I’ve added the nine movies that Atom Egoyan picked in his Criterion Closet appearance:
Wings of Desire
Michael Haneke: Trilogy
Fat Girl
Working Girls
Teorama
Pasolini 101
The Night Porter
Walkabout
Ingmar Bergman's Cinema
Atom Egoyan made one original pick: Teorama. He also took the Pasolini box set. He came prepared and made a lot of good ccomments on all the movies he picked. Identifying whether a pick is original or not is one reason why my Master List of Closet Picks in the Criterion Closet is so valuable.
I’ve added the six movies that Stellan Skarsgård picked in his Criterion Closet appearance:
Seven Samurai
John Cassavetes: Five Films
La Strada
Naked
City Lights
Children of Paradise
Stellan Skarsgård made no original picks but he made some good comments. Identifying whether a pick is original or not is one reason why my Master List of Closet Picks in the Criterion Closet is so valuable.
The five minute deleted scene from Loves of a Blonde makes a wonderful short film on its own. I think it’s a pity that it wasn’t included since it’s more proof that Milda is a cad. The beautiful girl he is trying to sleep with comes up with a clever way of getting rid of him, the same way all beautiful girls can think on their feet to get a guy off their backs.
All of these Senators have aided the enemy (Caligula?) in the destruction of our Republic; it is imperative that they are voted out of office in the midterm elections:
Cassidy, Bill (LA)
Collins, Susan M. (ME) — Janet Mills alternative
Cornyn, John (TX)
Cotton, Tom (AR)
Daines, Steve (MT)
Ernst, Joni (IA) — retiring, seat open
Graham, Lindsey (SC)
Hagerty, Bill (TN)
Hyde-Smith, Cindy (MS)
Lummis, Cynthia M. (WY) — retiring, seat open
Marshall, Roger (KS)
McConnell, Mitch (KY) — retiring, seat open
Mullin, Markwayne (OK)
Ricketts, Pete (NE)
Risch, James E. (ID)
Rounds, Mike (SD)
Sullivan, Dan (AK) — Mary Peltola alternative
Tillis, Thom (NC) — retiring, seat open
Tuberville, Tommy (AL) — retiring, seat open
Speaking of horses, I like to play them myself. But I like to see them work out a little first. See if they're front-runners or come from behind. Find out what their whole card is. What makes them run.
Find out mine?
I think so.
Go ahead.
I'd say you don't like to be rated. You like to get out in front... ...open up a lead... ...take a little breather in the backstretch... ...and then come home free.
You don't like to be rated yourself.
I haven't met anyone yet that could do it. Any suggestions?
I can't tell till I've seen you over a distance of ground. You got a touch of class, but I don't know how far you can go.
A lot depends on who's in the saddle.
