The Criterion Collection is widely known as one of the most eclectic film collections ever assembled. For close to 30 years, they've specialized in showcasing and curating cult, foreign, and critically acclaimed films, from classics to contemporary cinema.

In a day and age where special features on a movie's DVD or Blu-ray release really aren't always so "special" anymore, Criterion was the original pioneer of presenting special editions of films with the correct aspect ratio for home video viewing (i.e. "letterbox" / widescreen format), theatrical trailers, documentaries, bonus materials (deleted scenes, alternate takes, production stills, and artwork), and commentary tracks endorsed by and involving the filmmakers themselves.

Here's a "Friday Five" of some of the weirdest, funniest, trashiest, most "out-there" films in the Criterion Collection:

	Repo Man (1984) The very definition of a "cult classic," Alex Cox’s Repo Man ups the weird factor by mashing together sci-fi, comedy, action, Reagan-era politics, consumerism, nuclear war, punk rock, and... car repossession in desolate downtown L.A. Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez play off each other like the Odd Couple version of a buddy cop flick, both with enough quotable lines to last a lifetime ("The life of a Repo Man is always intense!"). Special features include a restored digital transfer of the film approved by the director, new audio commentaries and interviews with cast and crew, and a booklet featuring essays an amazingly illustrated production history by Cox. Lastly, this movie was produced by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees!
	The Blob (1958) One of the classic creatures of the '50s sci fi and horror movie boom, The Blob is a gooey, gelatinous being from another world that crash lands in a small town in Pennsylvania (Phoenixville, represent!) and basically runs... er, slimes amok. Only one man in town can stay cool enough to save everyone, the "King of Cool" himself, Steve McQueen! It should be noted that another cool character wrote the groovy theme song for this film, legendary composer Burt Bacharach. Special features include a high-def digital restoration of the film, audio commentary with director Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr., the theatrical trailer, and Blobabilia!, a gallery of stills, posters, and props from the movie. This movie is so loved, the town of Phoenixville holds a Blobfest every year to celebrate!
	Videodrome (1983) David Cronenberg's Videodrome is a surreal sci-fi horror film about a cable access video feed showing extreme scenes of sex and violence that when watched not only takes over your mind, but also transforms your body (sometimes in grotesque fashion, a theme through most of Cronenberg's films). But is it real or is it all a hallucination? And who's behind the "Videodrome" signal? The mystery and madness draw Max Renn (James Woods) into a global conspiracy to find out. Years later, the film has become eerily prophetic with its social commentary on media. Special features include a high-def transfer of the unrated version of the film, audio commentaries with the director and stars James Woods and Deborah Harry, a documentary on Rick Baker's groundbreaking video and prosthetic makeup effects, and photo galleries featuring rare behind-the-scenes production photos. "Long Live The New Flesh!"
	Slacker (1991) The very essence of D.I.Y., no-budget filmmaking, Slacker takes the viewer on a weird trip through an underground scene of artists, musicians, poets, and all around bohemians in Austin, Texas during the alternative heyday of the early '90s. There's really no plot in this movie, per se, but more a bunch of quirky vignettes featuring crazy characters that weave a larger narrative. Director / writer / producer Richard Linklater shot the film on 16mm for a mere $3,000, helping to launch the prolific independent film movement of the time. Special features include audio commentaries with Linklater and members of the cast and crew, casting tape “auditions” from the over one-hundred-member cast, a copy of the "script", and information about the Austin Film Society.
	Rushmore (1998) This highly entertaining and inventive film from Wes Anderson is a coming-of-age drama that plays like a slapstick comedy, and vice-versa. Private school student Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is a legend in his own time--at least in his own mind. He's on the verge of getting expelled from school, until he meets a cantankerous millionaire (the hilarious Bill Murray), falls in love with a school teacher twice his age (Olivia Williams), and writes his magnum opus (yet completely and inappropriately over the top) play based on Vietnam, "Heaven and Hell". The soundtrack to the film, full of British Invasion-flavored garage rock, totally compliments the teenage loudness and adolescent awkwardness of its protagonist. Special features include a director’s cut of the film, audio commentary featuring the director, co-writer Owen Wilson, and actor Jason Schwartzman, a "making-of" documentary, audition footage, and Anderson’s hand-drawn storyboards for the film.

Search through over 500 Criterion Collection titles in our catalog and have yourself a movie marathon that would make a film school student jealous!

Leave a comment below and let us know some of your favorite cult films.

Tags: Friday Five, film

Iron Man 3 rockets onto screens today and ushers in the 2013 summer movie season.
Superheroes are at the forefront of the box office again this summer with Man of Steel, the newest entry in the Superman movie franchise; The Wolverine, the continuing tales of the X-Men's most ferocious mutant team member; and Kick-Ass 2, the sequel to the over-the-top, not-for-kids, vigilante superhero series.

Here is a "Friday Five" of some of the best superhero movies to ever Bif! Bam! Pow! their way onto movie screens and home video.

	Superman (1978 - Rated PG) Superman is perhaps the modern superhero film to measure all other future superhero films and starring the quintessential comic book superhero of all time. With a great cast, story, cinematography, and score, the film runs the full gamut of action, adventure, drama, romance, and just enough comedic relief. When Superman was released, no one had ever seen a movie like it and the special FX still hold up in today's CGI crazed Hollywood. The movie truly made good on its poster's promise, "You'll Believe A Man Can Fly".
	The Avengers (2012 - Rated PG-13) Captain America. Iron Man. Thor. The Hulk. Hawkeye. Black Widow. Nick Fury. "Avengers Assemble!" Joss Whedon basically did the impossible with this film, juggling all of the characters and their backtstories, yet giving them all their own time to shine while also weaving them all into the larger story arc of this movie and all Marvel superhero movies to come. The Avengers is one of the most enjoyable, exciting and re-watchable superhero movies ever. Excelsior!
	The Dark Knight (2008 - Rated PG-13) The Dark Knight is Christopher Nolan's crowning achievement in the Batman cinematic universe. It transcends superhero movies by taking these fictional comic book characters and putting them in a world where everything is based in reality, science, and physics. At its simplest it's an epic crime drama and at its most ambitious it's a political commentary on our post-9/11 world. Heath Ledger's Joker is truly and frighteningly unhinged, even more so due to the tragic death of the actor shortly after filming was finished (Ledger was posthumously awarded Best Supporting Actor).
	The Incredibles (2004 - Rated PG) The super powered family that fights maniacal-super-villains-set-on-taking-over-the-world together, stays together. Director Brad Bird's homage to 60's spy films and the Silver Age of comic books is the perfect marriage of style and story, with hearty doses of humor and love thrown into the mix as well. Pixar does it again with The Incredibles, making a movie that is fun for kids and at the same time doesn't dumb it down for the grownups.
	Hellboy (2004 - Rated PG-13) A creature from hell ("Hellboy", 'natch!) brought through a mysterious portal during World War II who helps fight supernatural evil throughout the world, aided by The B.P.R.D. (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) which comprises a pyrokinetic (Liz Sherman), an aquatic telepathic scientist (Abe Sapien), and more firepower, cool gadgets, and monsters seen on screen since Star Wars. Based on the acclaimed comic book series by Mike Mignola and directed by genre guru Guillermo del Toro.

Search our catalog to find more super heroic movies under the subjects "superhero films"and "comic book films".

What are some of your favorite superhero movies? Tell us in the comments!

Tags: Friday Five, film

"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." - Albert Einstein

When Albert Einstein gave us his general relativity equation,  E = mc2 he opened the possibility that time travel could be real. He theorized that time was simply a variable, and time could slow down and speed up, depending on your gravitational field or when you're traveling at high speeds. We all know you can't travel faster than the speed of light (299,792,458 meters per second), but if you could travel near the speed of light, time would begin to slow for you in relation to things around you – and voila! you're in the future!

So if you like to daydream about a world where time travel is a common occurrence (like me), here are some films you might enjoy:

	Planet of the Apes (1968 - Rated G) In the near future an astronaut lands on a strange planet and finds himself in a situation where apes rule the land and humans are slaves.
	Back to the Future (1985 - Rated PG) Teenager Marty McFly helps his scientist friend test his time machine, and finds himself in the past where he must unite his parents or his future doesn't exits.
	Star Trek The science fiction series Star Trek is notorious for using time travel as a plot device. These feature films won't disappoint: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986 - Rated PG), Star Trek First Contact (1996 - Rated PG-13), Star Trek (2009 Rated PG-13).
	The Terminator (1984 - Rated R) Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as the robot assassin who travels to the past to kill a woman whose future son will be humanity's last hope in a war against the machines in the future.
	Time Bandits (1981 - Rated PG) This action comedy is about a little boy who's imagination takes him on a wild trip where he travels to various times in history meeting historical characters and trying to find tresure.
	Hot Tub Time Machine (2010 - Rated R) In this comedy, four friends encounter a malfunctioning hot tub (spoiler alert - it's a time machine as well), which takes them back to 1986.
	The Butterfly Effect (2004 - Rated R) In this psychological thriller, a young man has the ability to travel time and relive his life. WIth this power, can he change his life for the better?
	The Time Traveler's Wife (2009 - Rated PG-13) In this romantic drama, a man has the strange genetic disorder which allows him to travel time at random moments. His genetic disorder causes major complications in his marriage.
	Twelve Monkeys (1995 - Rated R) In this science-fiction thriller, a man must travel back in time to save his present world from a devasting disease, by stopping the man who releases the virus which will wipe out humanity.

Search our catalog to find more items with the subject "time travel" or do you have a time travel film recommendation? Leave a comment!

Tags: Recommendations, film

In a previous post, I wrote about researching the personal and professional life of Philadelphia writer, actor, and comedian, Ed Wynn (1886-1966). A versatile and adaptable performer with vaudeville beginnings, Wynn wrote and starred in Broadway shows, radio programs, and a television variety show. He went on to appear in feature films, including several Walt Disney productions, and later took on dramatic roles, a difficult transition for the giggling jokester who adapted the moniker, “The Perfect Fool.”

Now that I was familiar with Wynn’s biography, I was eager to examine the collection. The acquisitions history of the Ed Wynn Papers was difficult to determine. The Theatre Collection (THC) catalog held one undated card, listing a few of the items found in the boxes. After sifting through hundreds of yellowed newspaper clippings, I discovered an article from the May 2, 1965 issue of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin in which reporter James Smart writes about a local event honoring a 78-year-old Ed Wynn. He refers to “two big boxes” of Wynn memorabilia that a local public relations professional, “Scoop” Lieberman, had purchased from Minnie Leopold’s estate. Many of the items listed mirrored the contents of the FLP’s collection; this was a triumphant day for me and for Karin. A week later, she uncovered a copy of a letter from Edward “Scoop” Lieberman, probably from 1968, to the then head of the FLP Literature Department, offering to show him the “Ed Wynn Memories.” Therefore, we were able to solve the mystery of the acquisition and confirm that these materials were from the estate of Wynn’s mother.  This link also suggests that the prayer book, from a synagogue in Atlantic City, belonged to Minnie after she moved from Philadelphia to New Jersey. (Coincidentally, a quick online search of the rabbi’s name printed on the title page was the same who performed the midnight funeral of the subject of another THC collection, Philadelphia filmmaker Siegmund Lubin, in 1923.)

These revelations were exciting, but we are still unsure of the function of the heavy, weighted gloves. The catalog card cited them as “stage props,” but with Wynn’s extensive gag repertoire, it is difficult to determine for which stunt(s) they were used. I’ve posted a photo—if you have any idea, please let us know!

Recently, while walking on North Second Street between Callowhill and Spring Garden, I realized I was close to the site of the Leopolds’ home at the time of Wynn’s birth. I stopped and imagined a giggling Wynn, riding his invented “piano bicycle” while donning his “Fire Chief” hat and wearing his trademark oversized shoes. Although he has been awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one each for radio, television, and motion pictures, his name and accomplishments ought to be printed in gold letters on a navy blue square sign right here in Philadelphia. Perhaps one day the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will unveil a marker honoring “The Perfect Fool,” who left an indelible mark on the history of stage and screen.  For now, I am happy that researchers can view the new online finding aid and access the Ed Wynn Papers in the library of his hometown.

In addition to Karin Suni, I would like to thank Janine Pollock, Head of the Rare Book Department, and the Special Collections staff for supporting this project

--Jennifer Schnabel

To schedule an appointment to view the Ed Wynn Papers, please contact Karin Suni at 215-686-5427 or SuniK@freelibrary.org.

Tags: Disney, comedians, film, radio, television, theatre, vaudeville

This past year, I had the privilege of processing and creating a finding aid for the papers of Ed Wynn (1886-1966), an actor, writer, and comedian from Philadelphia, as part of an internship requirement for Temple University’s graduate archives management program. I had not heard of the name Ed Wynn before I was assigned this project by Karin Suni, librarian and curator of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Theatre Collection. Yet, after watching several YouTube clips of the comedian in film roles such Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins (floating in the air and shrieking, “I love to laugh!”) and the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland (the character for which Wynn provided the vocals as well as the physical model for the cartoonists), I instantly recognized his wobbly voice, exaggerated lisp, and high-pitched giggle. It’s hard to forget.

Although I could have watched video clips of the wacky Wynn for days, I needed to learn more about his life before I could create a processing plan. The six boxes contained publicity photographs, newspaper clippings, postcards, letters, telegrams, notes, artwork, and other items such as a tiny Hebrew prayer book and a pair of worn suede, weighted gloves.  I consulted the FLP’s extensive Theatre Collection, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), and the Internet Broadway Database (IBDb) for biographical information.  I discovered Wynn contributed far more to the history of Philadelphia and American theatre than just portraying whimsical characters in beloved Disney films.

Ed Wynn was born Isaiah Edwin Leopold on November 9, 1886, to Jewish immigrants, Joseph and Minnie Leopold. He attended Central High School before dropping out to pursue a vaudeville career in New England. He toured the country and eventually appeared on Broadway. Despite his rising success, he actively participated in the Actors’ Equity Strike in 1919 and was blacklisted by the prominent theater managers and producers in New York, including the powerful Schubert family. However, the resilient Wynn promptly wrote and staged his own Broadway productions, including  Ed Wynn’s Carnival (1920); The Perfect Fool (1921), the title of which gave him his subsequent nickname; The Grab Bag (1924); Manhattan Mary (1927); Simple Simon (1930; 1931);  and The Laugh Parade (1931).  

Wynn invented and embodied zany characters such as “The Fire Chief,” and his performances blended slapstick comedy, props, and puns to entertain his audiences. For instance, he constructed an eleven-foot pole (for people he wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole).

As technology changed and newer mediums for entertainers emerged, he bravely tried his acts on radio and television and accepted comedic as well as dramatic roles in feature films. From 1949 to 1950 he hosted the variety program, The Ed Wynn Show, on CBS. This was the first network television show broadcasted via kinescope from Hollywood to the East Coast, one week after each episode aired. Wynn died of cancer on June 19, 1966 in Beverly Hills, California; the epitaph on his tombstone simply reads, “Dear God, Thank you.” (For more on Wynn’s personal and professional life, including his television and film credits, please see the biographical note in the finding aid.)

--Jennifer Schnabel

Tags: Disney, comedians, film, radio, television, theatre, vaudeville