The fine people at Criterion, purveyor of quality DVDs and Blu-rays asked me to do a top ten list from their esteemed catalogue. Of course, I agreed immediately. And then took six months to come up with my list…

Edgar Wright’s Top 10

Award-winning British director Edgar Wright is best known in the United States for his feature films Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; he also directed the UK hit television series Spaced. For his Criterion Top 10 (plus one), Wright expounds upon his love for De Palma, Buñuel, Gilliam, the Monkees, and more.

The choices were agonising for me.

There are many films I adore in their library, but I stuck hard and fast to the ten films only rule.

Okay, that’s a lie. I did give a special place to an eleventh gem that continues to baffle and beguile me.

Click this and check out my Top 10 right here…

Once you’ve read the list above, take a look at what other favourites of mine didn’t actually make the list.

I can’t believe there was no room for…

ACE IN THE HOLE
BEASTIE BOYS VIDEO ANTHOLOGY
BILLY LIAR
BLACK NARCISSUS
BOTTLE ROCKET
BRANDED TO KILL
BREATHLESS
BURDEN OF DREAMS
CARNIVAL OF SOULS
CHARADE
CHASING AMY
CRONOS
CUL DE SAC
DAYS OF HEAVEN
DAZED AND CONFUSED
DIABOLIQUE
DO THE RIGHT THING
DOWN BY LAW
EIGHT AND A HALF
THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL
FISH TANK
FIVE EASY PIECES
FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE
GOMORRAH
LA HAINE
HARD BOILED
HOUSE
THE HIT
HOMICIDE
HOPSCOTCH
HOUSE OF GAMES
HUNGER
THE ICE STORM
IF…
THE KILLER
THE KILLERS (1946)
THE KILLERS (1964)
THE KILLING
KISS ME DEADLY
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW
THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY
M
M.HULOT’S HOLIDAY
MAN BITES DOG
THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH
MONA LISA
MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN
NAKED
THE NAKED KISS
THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
ONIBABA
PATHS OF GLORY
PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK
THE RED SHOES
REPULSION
RIFIFI
ROBOCOP
THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS
SEVEN SAMURAI
SHOCK CORRIDOR
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
SIMON OF THE DESERT
SISTERS
SOMETHING WILD
THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
STRAW DOGS
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
THE THIRD MAN
TIME BANDITS
THE VANISHING
VIDEODROME
THE WAGES OF FEAR
WITHNAIL AND I
YOJIMBO

That’s quite a list already and there’s still more I haven’t mentioned. And more still I’ve yet to see.

Thanks Criterion for keeping film history alive.

I applaud you.

Thanks to all at the New Beverly for another great midnight show. And to Bryan Lee O’Malley, Michael Bacall, Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, Brie Larson & Chris Evans for being guests at last night’s show. And to Doug Benson for being a great host.

Hope those of you who could get in enjoyed!

Me with Maggie Clancy who came dressed as Julie Powers complete with swearbox.

The State Theatre in Ann Arbor are still showing ‘Attack The Block’ and artist Jeremy Wheeler is very keen you see it. I concur!

If you’ve looked at the State Theater’s marquee in the past week, you might have noticed a flick called Attack The Block. The Brit sci-fi/horror adventure has attracted rave reviews from critics and moviegoers who’ve seen it. Many others have heard of it—possibly through Newsfeed ravings, though some are still in the dark about this ultra-cool flick. Not surprisingly, rumors are that its lack of advertising is due to Hollywood’s fear of Americans being unable to deal with the cast’s thick South London accents.

The good news is that the State decided just today to keep this massively entertaining picture on the big screen (on film, no less) for one more week, so hop to it. Sure, it’s being released on DVD and Blu-Ray October 25th, but as its devotees will attest, this is a film that should be seen in a theater. Consider the following a public service announcement in comic form.

By Jeremy Wheeler September 19, 2011

Via Attack The Block | Film | Funny Pages | The A.V. Club Ann Arbor – 19/09/11

‘Attack The Block’ is out on DVD/BluRay today in the UK and it’s brimming with extras. The disc features a commentary from myself and Joe Cornish where we talk about our respective debut films, first time film-makers that inspire us and lots of geeky stuff.

Worth your hard earned squid, believe.

Attack The Block: Double Play (Blu-ray + DVD)

Attack The Block: Double Play (With Play.com Exclusive Glow-In-The-Dark Sleeve) (Blu-ray + DVD Play.com Exclusive)

DVD Tech specs: Cert: 15 / Feature Running Time: 84 min approx / Region 2 Feature Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 / Colour PAL / Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 / English language / Cat No: OPTD2013 / RRP: £17.99

BLURAY Tech specs: Cert: 15 / Feature Running Time: 87 min approx / Region B / Dual layer BD50 / Audio codec: DTS HD Master / Video codec: AVC / Feature Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 / Colour PAL / Audio: DTS HD master / English language / Cat No: OPTD2013 / RRP: £22.99

• ‘Double Play Edition’ includes the movie on 2 formats: Blu-ray & DVD!
• Junior Commentary with Joe Cornish with John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Simon Howard and Leeon Jones
• Senior Commentary with Joe Cornish with Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway and Nick Frost
• Exec. Producer Commentary with Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright
• Behind The Block
• Creature Feature
• Meet The Gang
• Joe’s Massage
• It’s A Rap
• Unfilmed Action
• Trailers

You can follow all the latest Attack The Block news at the film’s official Facebook and Twitter pages: http://www.facebook.com/AttackTheBlock and http://twitter.com/AttackTheBlock

(N.B. Worth noting that I get the date of ‘Mary Poppins’ wrong on the commentary track. This means my accreditation as film geek is briefly suspended. I’m sorry. The correct answer was ’1964′)

Time Out recently did a poll from comedians, writers, actors, directors and the public to find the Top 100 Comedy Films of all time. I was one of people kindly asked for my selections.

So before you go here for the whole list to see what made the cut, why not have a quick butchers at my own Top 10 that I submitted to them and the full notes to accompany.

Here’s just ten of my favourite comedies of all time. Tough to make a selection; could have certainly written a second ten featuring more Allen, Landis, ZAZ, Brooks, the Coens etc.

If you haven’t seen any of the ten (11) movies below, I suggest you rectify that and enjoy!

1 – RAISING ARIZONA (1987)

There is more visual and verbal wit in the opening 15 minutes than some comedy writers or directors manage in their entire career. And even better than that? The rest of the film lives up to it. Hugely influential, highly enjoyable. A film I can watch again and again and again.

2 – THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984)

I know this movie off by heart. The best British accents by American actors, the best faux rock songs, the best improvisation. Started as a word of mouth cult, now recognised as an all time classic.

3 – AIRPLANE! (1980)

Though the ZAZ style was Xeroxed, ripped off and diluted over the years to lesser and lesser impact, this still stands tall as one of the funniest films of all time. Ruthlessly paced, phenomenally funny.

4 – DUCK SOUP (1933)

Lightning sharp verbal wit, legendarily terrible puns, incredible visual comedy and gags that broke the fourth wall gags before people knew what one was. The Marx Brothers at their peak of lunacy.

5 – TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN (1969)

Woody Allen has no right to dismiss his early work when it is this smart, this funny, this profound and this epically silly. The first of his movies and one of his best.

6 – MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN (1979)

Satire so brilliantly executed that it makes you want to give up ever trying to better it. Six great minds working in glorious union.

7 – BLAZING SADDLES (1974)

Still outrageous by 2011 standards, this raucous movie is amazingly infectious in its scattergun mischief.

8 – NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE (1978)

The dawn of a new age of comedy, Landis’ movie was hugely influential on adult (and juvenile) comedy for decades after. Still an absolute blast.

9 – ELECTION (1999)

Alexander Payne’s brillant classroom comedy turns small town intrigue into full blown opera. Reece Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick never better.

10 – SOUTH PARK: BIGGER LONGER AND UNCUT (1999)

I have a vivid memory of laughing at this movie in a cinema until I hurt. As they would go on to prove with Book Of Mormon, Parker & Stone are incredible musical writers as well as savage comedy writers.

Honorable Mention – NUTS IN MAY (1976) (TV MOVIE)

One of the funniest movies of all time. But it was a Mike Leigh TV production for the BBC, not a theatrical release. Does it count?

NB. When the list was originally printed my Number 8 pick was erroneously listed as ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’. Not so!

Back in January, I presented Gordon Parks’ ‘The Super Cops’ at the New Beverly. At that time it had never been released on DVD. Today that changes, because partly as a result of my screening, it is finally available to order from Warner Archive.

‘The Super Cops’ is a great movie and a big influence on my own ‘Hot Fuzz’. I first saw this on TV at a very young age and was taken with the story of the real life superheroes of New York; beat cops Greenberg & Hantz who were nicknamed ‘Batman & Robin’.

It’s an unsung buddy classic, mostly down to the unlikely badasses that are Ron Liebman and David Selby. I defy you not to love this pair after watching this this utter gem.

And it’s worth noting that the Batman & Robin connections don’t end with Greenberg & Hantz’s nicknames, the film’s cracking screenplay is written by Batman’s TV screenwriter, Lorenzo Semple Junior.

Anyone who came to the screening in January with David Selby and Lorenzo Semple Jnr in attendance will attest that this movie is a blast. Buy it now. You won’t regret it.

Better cool your jets, all you Bed-Stuy dealers, operators and lowlifes: the heat that will take you down is on the street. The Super Cops zippily chronicles the crime-busting adventures of David Greenberg and Robert Hantz, the unorthodox police duo “who became known, not always fondly, as Batman and Robin,” writes Vincent Canby in his review in The New York Times. “The nicknames define the comic-book style of the film,” Canby adds, a film directed by renowned Life photojournalist and Shaft filmmaker Gordon Parks and amped by enthusiastic performances from leads Ron Leibman and David Selby. The real-life Greenberg and Hantz appear in the film in news footage and in bit roles.

Director: Gordon Parks
Cast: Ron Leibman, David Selby

Important Note: This film has been manufactured from the best-quality video master currently available and has not been remastered or restored specifically for this DVD and Digital Download release. Ships to U.S. Destinations Only

Order it now!

Remember to check local listings to confirm screen times and locations.

New Dates

9/9 CNMK Boca Raton Florida Digital
9/9 Regal Marketplace Oaks 24 Philadelphia Digital
9/9 Marcus Majestic Brookfield 16 Waukesha (Milwaukee) Digital
9/9 Regal Greenway Palace Houston 35mm
9/9 AMC Westshore Tampa Digital
9/9 CMK Riverside 12 Reno Digital
9/9 CA BKG Kimball’s Twin Peaks Colorado Springs, CO 35mm
9/9 Carmike Carmike 12 Corvallis, OR Digital
9/9 Regal Lloyd Center Portland, OR
9/9 AMC Quail Springs 24 Oklahoma City, OK Digital
9/9 Malco Studio Square 5 Memphis, TN 35mm
9/9 AMB Colony 2 Raleigh, NC 35mm
9/9 Regal Park Terrace 6 Charlotte, NC 35mm
9/9 Regal West Town Knoxville, TN Digital
9/9 LDMK Globe Calgary 35mm
9/9 EMP Parklane or Bayers Lake Halifax 35mm
9/9 IND Belcourt Nashville, TN
9/9 IND Del Mar Santa Cruz 35mm
9/9 IND State 2 Ann Arbor 35mm
9/9 DJH Esquire 6 Cincinnati 35mm

For this years Scream Awards, ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs The World’ is nominated for Best Director, Best Comic Book Movie, Best Supporting Actor (Kieran Culkin), Best Supporting Actress (Ellen Wong), Best Fight Scene (Gideon Vs Scott), Best Villain (Jason Schwartzman, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Mae Whitman, Keita & Shota Saito) Best Scream Play (Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright) and The Ultimate Scream.

You know what to do!

Click those links below and VOTE.

Voting closes on October 14th, 2011. Winners are announced 15th October 2011.

The reboot of one hallowed franchise and the thrilling final chapter of another are poised to lead the way at Spike TV’s SCREAM Awards 2011 (#ScreamAwards), which will be taped on Saturday, October 15 at the Universal Lot in Los Angeles, CA. “X-Men: First Class” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” each garnered 14 nominations and will vie for many of the night’s top honors during Spike TV’s sixth annual celebration of the sci-fi, fantasy, horror and comic book genres and the actors, creators, icons and pioneers who have influenced and shaped the industry over the past year.

This year’s show will also continue the tradition of featuring exclusive world premieres from some of the most anticipated movies of 2012. The two-hour event will premiere on Spike TV on Tuesday, October 18 (9:00–11:00 PM, ET/PT).

“SCREAM is a show for the most passionate fans on earth and beyond,” said Casey Patterson, executive producer of SCREAM Awards 2011 and executive vice president of event production, talent development and studio relations for Spike TV. “This is their night to celebrate the magical, mind bending and super heroic year in movies and the TV shows that they love.”

For the full list of categories and nominees, you should visit scream.spike.com.

For general access to all the categories visit the voting homepage here.

And also…

Best Director – http://www.spike.com/events/scream-awards-2011/voting/best-director


Best Screenplay – http://www.spike.com/events/scream-awards-2011/voting/best-scream-play


Best Villan – http://www.spike.com/events/scream-awards-2011/voting/best-villain


Best Supporting Actress – http://www.spike.com/events/scream-awards-2011/voting/best-supporting-actress


Best Supporting Actor – http://www.spike.com/events/scream-awards-2011/voting/best-supporting-actor


Best Fight Scene of the Year – http://www.spike.com/events/scream-awards-2011/voting/fight-scene-of-the-year


Best Comic Book Movie – http://www.spike.com/events/scream-awards-2011/voting/best-comic-book-movie


The Ultimate Scream – http://http://www.spike.com/events/scream-awards-2011/voting/the-ultimate-scream

Remember to check local listings to confirm screen times and locations.

New Dates

9/2 Ragtag Cinema Columbia, MO 35mm

9/2 13th Avenue Wichita, KS Digital

9/2 Broadway Salt Lake City, UT 35mm

9/2 Downtown 9 Boise, ID 35mm

9/2 Carmike 12 Kennewick, WA Digital

9/2 Crest Sacramento, CA 35mm

9/2 Garland Spokane, WA 35mm

9/2 Carousel Grande Cinema 15 Greensboro, NC Digital

9/2 Elmwood 20 Harahan, LA Digital

9/2 Hollywood 20 Greenville, SC Digital

9/2 Richmond, VA Digital

9/2 Stonybrook 17 Stonybrook, NY Digital

9/2 New Brunswick 18 New Brunswick, NJ Digital

9/2 Jersey Gardens Elizabeth, NJ Digital

9/2 Showplace 11 Bloomington, IN Digital

9/2 Rivertown 20 Grandville (Grand Rapids) Digital

9/2 Eastside 9 Lafayette Digital

9/2 Point 16 Madison Digital

9/2 Town Center Leawood, KS Digital

9/2 Studio Olathe, KS Digital

9/2 Ronnie’s Sappington, MO Digital

9/2 Chase Park St. Louis, MO Digital

9/2 Ronnie’s 20 St. Louis, MO Digital

9/2 South Beach Miami

9/2 Princess Waterloo 35mm

9/2 International Village or Scotiabank Vancoucer 35mm

9/2 Globe Winnipeg 35mm

9/2 College Station 14 Springfield, MO Digital

9/2 Harvard Sq. 5 Boston, MA Digital

9/2 Cherry Hill 24 Cherry Hill, NJ Digital

9/2 Waterfront 22 Pittsburgh Digital

9/2 Plainville 20 Plainville, CT Digital

9/2 Southwind 12 Lawrence, KS Digital

9/2 Mission Valley 20 San Diego, CA Digital

9/2 Century 16 Salt Lake City, UT Digital

9/2 Holiday Park City Digital

9/2 Victoria Ward Honolulu 35mm

9/2 Pearlridge West 16 Aiea 35mm

9/2 Horton Plaza 14 San Diego, CA Digital

9/2 Monterey, CA 35mm

9/2 Fayette Mall 16 Lexington Digital

9/2 Fallen Timbers 14 Maumee (Toledo) Digital

Later this month the church of cinema that is the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles will show ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs The World’ in a permanent monthly midnight slot.

Artwork by Sam Gilbey http://samgilbeyillustrates.com/ | @samgilbey

The New Bev was the first theatre to show ‘Scott Pilgrim’ after it’s theatrical run. And now after a series summer screenings all over the world, I am honoured that this super cool venue is going to be something of a LA home for my movie. Especially alongside the other permanent midnight movies; undisputed stone cold classics ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Reservoir Dogs’.

The next midnight show is September 23rd, so get over to the New Beverly site for tickets and more deets. If you go, feel free to dress up, sing along, shout with Kim Pine or just applaud Canadian Currency.

Maybe don’t take a shot every time an ‘X’ appears on screen. You may die.

Edgar Wright’s geek fantasy epic Scott Pilgrim vs. the World may have biffed with mainstream audiences last year, but it’s earned a dedicated fan following since, granting it bona fide cult status. That cult will have the opportunity to worship at the altar of Scott Pilgrim starting next month, when L.A.’s New Beverly Cinema begins screening it in a monthly midnight residency.

The news comes courtesy of the theater’s Twitter feed, while programmer Julia Marchese tells Movieline the monthly midnight screenings begin Friday, September 23. (New Beverly owner Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs also screen regularly.)

So mark your calendars and dust off those hipster tees and Ramona Flowers wigs, kids! Scott Pilgrim cos-play will be encouraged.

[@newbeverly]

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to Live on in Monthly L.A. Residency via Movieline