C What’s On: The Criterion Channel’s March 2021 Lineup

Spring! Spring is in the air as the snow melts and the ice thaws and the Criterion Channel’s March selection rears its glare with a whole lot of highlights on some of the biggest names in cinematic history. The showcase of early Chaplin comedies share some of his iconic Tramp character’s less-famous escapades. I mean, almost anything is less famous than City Lights! Don’t get much bigger than that.

As well, the addition of Federico Fellini’s catalogue, from the Criterion Collection’s Essential Fellini Blu-Ray set, is a treasure trove for anyone looking to revisit the Italian master’s work or discover it fresh. And, appropriately, the lengthy documentary on Fellini’s main man Marcello Mastroianni should keep you molto occupato. 

For me, it’s seeing The In-Laws, Arthur Hiller’s late-’70s comedic masterpiece, highlighted that really puts a smile on my face. Peter Falk and Alan Arkin, truly one of the best comedic duos to hit the screen, embark on a globe-trotting CIA farce with deadly consequences. “What did that inscription mean, ‘At least we tried’?” “Bay of Pigs, that referred to the Bay of Pigs.” “You were involved with the Bay of Pigs?!” “Involved? That was my idea!” Please watch The In-Laws.

Whether you’re in for laughs, tears, or something in the middle, once again the Criterion Channel gives a plethora of options for the curious moviegoer with their March lineup.

* indicates programming available March 1
** indicates programming available only in the U.S.

March 1st

Exclusive streaming premiere

The Twentieth Century** (Matthew Rankin, 2019)

March 2nd

Short + Feature: Black on the Bayou

Boneshaker (Nuotama Bodomo, 2013) and Cane River (Horace Jenkins, 1982)

March 3rd

A New Leaf (Elaine May, 1971)

March 4th

Criterion Collection Edition #976 Let the Sunshine In** (Claire Denis, 2017)

Criterion Collection Edition #823 The In-Laws (Arthur Hiller, 1979)

March 5th

Double Feature: Boys to Men

The Last Tree (Shola Amo0, 2019) and The 400 Blows (François Truffaut, 1959)

March 6th

Saturday Matinee: The Steamroller and the Violin (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1961)

March 7th

Black Westerns

Sergeant Rutledge (1960), Duel at Diablo (1966), The Learning Tree (1969), El Condor (1970)*, Skin Game (1971), Black Rodeo (1972), Buck and the Preacher (1972), The Legend of Black Charley (1972), Thomasine and Bushrod (1974), Posse (1993), Buffalo Soldiers (1997)**, Rosewood (1997)

March 8th

Women Make Film (Mark Cousins, 2018)

March 9th

March 10th

Boat People (Ann Hui, 1982)

March 11th

Criterion Collection Edition #1065 Mandabi (Ousmane Sembène, 1968)

March 12th

Double Feature: Commedia alla Pietrangeli

The Visitor (Antonio Pietrangeli, 1963) and I Knew Her Well (Antonio Pietrangeli, 1965)

March 13th

Saturday Matinee: Shane (George Stevens, 1953)

March 14th

Directed by Preston Sturges

The Great McGinty (1940), Christmas in July (1940), The Lady Eve (1941), Sullivan’s Travels (1941), The Palm Beach Story (1942), The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944), Hail the Conquering Hero (1944), Unfaithfully Yours (1948)

March 15th

Films by Rodney Evans

Brother to Brother (2004), Vision Portraits (2019)

March 16th

Hawai‘i Shorts

Lāhainā Noon (2014), Kalewa (2018), The Moon and the Night (2018), Other People (2018), The Pit Where We Were Born (2018), Down on the Sidewalk in Waikīkī (2019), Moloka‘i Bound (2019)

March 17th

Directed by Nelly Kaplan

A Very Curious Girl (1969), Papa the Little Boats (1971), Charles and Lucie (1979), The Pleasure of Love (1991)

March 18th

Charlie Chaplin: The Mutual Comedies

The Floorwalker (1916), The Fireman (1916), The Vagabond (1916), One A.M. (1916), The Count (1916), The Pawnshop (1916), Behind the Screen (1916), The Rink (1916), Easy Street (1917), The Cure (1917), The Immigrant (1917), The Adventurer (1917)

Observations on Film Art #41: The Viewer Who Knew Just Enough—Point of View in Blood Simple

March 19th

Double Feature: Reading, Writing, and Rebellion

Cooley High (Michael Schultz, 1975) and Rock ’n’ Roll High School (Allan Arkush, 1979)

March 20th

Saturday Matinee: Georges Méliès: Fairy Tales in Color

The Pillar of Fire (1899), Joan of Arc (1900), A Trip to the Moon (1902), Robinson Crusoe (1903), The Kingdom of Fairies (1903), The Infernal Cauldron (1903), The Impossible Voyage (1904), Rip’s Dream (1905), The Inventor Crazybrains and His Wonderful Airship (1905), The Merry Frolics of Satan (1906), The Witch (1906), The Diabolic Tenant (1906), Whimsical Illusions (1910)

March 21st

Directed by Bimal Roy

Do bigha zamin (1953), Devdas (1955), Madhumati (1958), Sujata (1960), Bandini (1963)

March 22nd

March 23rd

Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember (Anna Maria, 1997)

March 24th

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (Sophie Fiennes, 2017)

March 25th

Essential Fellini

Variety Lights (1950), The White Sheik (1952), I vitelloni (1953), La strada (1954), Il bidone (1955), Nights of Cabiria (1957), 8½ (1963), Juliet of the Spirits (1965), Amarcord (1973), City of Women (1980), And the Ship Sails On (1983), Intervista (1987)

March 26th

Double Feature: Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets
The Blue Angel (Josef von Sternberg, 1930) and Lola (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1981)

March 27th

Saturday Matinee: Naal (Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti, 2018)

March 28th

Starring Dirk Bogarde

The Sea Shall Not Have Them (1954), Cast a Dark Shadow (1955), Victim (1961), The Servant (1963), Darling (1965), Accident (1967), The Damned (1969), Death in Venice (1971), The Night Porter (1974)

March 29th

Giuseppe Makes a Movie (Adam Rifkin, 2014)

March 30th

Short + Feature: Gone Girls
Mary Last Seen (Sean Durkin, 2010) and The Vanishing (George Sluizer, 1988)

March 31st

Directed by Ursula Meier

Home (2008)**, Sister (2012)**

Plus: Now Playing in 30 Years of The Film Foundation

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (Albert Lewin, 1951), La strada (Federico Fellini, 1954), Il bidone (Federico Fellini, 1955)