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Ever since watching Hannah Einbinder's closet video I've been puzzling over her comment about The Before Trilogy: "This is a bisexual text. I don't think I need to elaborate on that. The reasons why that's true I think are evident." I realize she's being a little bit flippant but I honestly have no idea what she's talking about. What am I missing?

I suppose there's something bisexual about the way a viewer could (should?) fall in love with both Jesse and Celine.

That thought occurred to me (and I can certainly agree with the sentiment). Her phrasing made me wonder whether she was implying the film was queer-coded in some way that I hadn't considered but maybe that's all she meant.

Inconsequential minor gripe alert!

Thoroughly enjoy the Closet videos, but it often highlights that most of these celebrities haven't dived too deeply into the Criterion pool, despite all of them expressing reverence for the label. Especially the more recent ones I've seen. They are usually choosing well-known all-time favorite films with a heavy lean towards American films, or British films by the Brit actors. This is understandable, but I don't want to hear someone stand in front of this wealth of cinema and talk about freaking Tootsie! Or Cassavetes for the umpteenth time. Part of the fun of watching these videos is the surprise when a celebrity picks some less well-known titles.

If I were famous and had the privilege of picking titles in the Closet, I wouldn't pick my favorite films that Criterion just happened to have released. I would highlight titles that Criterion made me aware of and/or titles that I knew of but hadn't seen because they were not easily available in a decent format before Criterion released them. I would want to express how Criterion has broadened my taste and appreciation for cinema over the past few decades.

Then again, these people are busy creating art. They're probably not watching 5 or 6 films a week like me. Except Soderbergh. He should do one of these if he hasn't already.

I mean, they can’t all be deep dives, but I do love it when someone surprises us like Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz, who had some lovely and insightful choices.(Paris is Burning! The Koker Trilogy! But they’re both Soderbergh-adjacent, so maybe they have genuine film passion in common.)

Cassavetes is someone who is particularly catnip for actors, so it doesn’t surprise me that so many pick his films. Withnail and I had become a cliche at this point, too

DimitriL wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2026 3:33 am I do love it when someone surprises us like Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz, who had some lovely and insightful choices.(Paris is Burning! The Koker Trilogy! But they’re both Soderbergh-adjacent, so maybe they have genuine film passion in common.)

That was a good one. Noah Wyle's recent one was also enjoyable, even if he chose all English-language films. His passion for cinema came through.

beamish14 wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2026 4:03 am Cassavetes is someone who is particularly catnip for actors, so it doesn’t surprise me that so many pick his films. Withnail and I had become a cliche at this point, too

True and true.

COMPLETE KUBRICK: Designing the Box, YouTube featurette discussing their design influences.

The final pick does make me wonder if Just Jaeckin's adaptation of The Story of O from around the same period is ever going to get a decent release.

Thomas Bangalter, "in human form."

midnitedave wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2026 5:52 pm Eric Andre gets titillated in the Criterion Closet.

Let's give a quick shout-out to Christina Applegate.

midnitedave wrote:Portlandia put a bird on the Criterion Closet

The closet expanded?

They're in the mobile closet

midnitedave wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2026 7:17 pm Alright, alright, alright... Matthew McConaughey's Closet Picks

Top 10 closet videos?

All he did was pick and stick them in the bag. The few comments he made were marginal

FrauBlucher wrote: Sat Aug 22, 2026 1:46 pm All he did was pick and stick them in the bag. The few comments he made were marginal

When time is such a flat circle, you can't help being dazed and confused in the closet. You just gotta keep livin’ man, L-I-V-I-N.

FrauBlucher wrote: Sat Aug 22, 2026 1:46 pm All he did was pick and stick them in the bag. The few comments he made were marginal

Not entirely true. He started off picking 8 1/2 & The Great Beauty and I thought I was going to be surprised. But then he started talking about how he went to the cineplex on the weekend while in film school when all the other students were going to the art house theater & started picking the films that he's in (Lone Star, Dazed And Confused)... maybe he was recording a commentary for Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation but Dallas Buyers Club or Mud would be hopefully more likely.