India vs. China — It’s ON!

But not in the sport of soccer. In 2008 and 2009, the popular film-geek website The Auteurs created a Cinema World Cup, which was designed to increase awareness of the cinema being produced around the globe.

It kicks off in September with 32 teams, separated into 8 groups of 4, from which the top 2 in each group have qualified for the last 16. Each team has had a manager making the selections. In each match 3 films are paired against an opponent. Results are decided by the voting preferences of Auteurs users: to vote you must have seen both films in each pairing.

That’s a great idea! Check out this lineup for the the quarterfinal match between Spain and Italy (not just a soccer classic):
El Sur (Erice) – La Strada (Fellini)
Los Olvidados (Buñuel) – Umberto D. (De Sica)
Arrebato (Zulueta) – Salò (Pasolini)

Italy went on to win this encounter 2:1. Boo! There was flopping in the penalty box.

I’ve not been able to find any information on a 2010 version of the event, but user mandarkzilla has created a very useful public collection at Criticker which joins the participating films. Take a look! Voting has been closed for awhile and the results are known, but this is a good way to (re-)introduce yourself to some classics from every corner of Earth.

The loneliness and mystery of existence got you down? Get violent.

Frederic_g54 has created a collection of existential films, and defines them as “Philosophical films that deal with human existence and speak to the human condition, films where characters face an existential crisis, ultimately making you reflect upon your own life.” Though it currently numbers just 43 films, it’s one of the more popular collections at Criticker. The collection is public, so if you know other movies which could be added, don’t hesitate!

It’s apparent that an effort was made to honor films from a variety of generation, though the 30s and 40s are particularly well represented. Half of the honored films come from those two decades alone. But it’s difficult to take beef with any of the selections, all of them landmark motion pictures that every cinema fan should be familiar with.

Can you guess which is the one Criticker users most loved? Lord of the Rings! Surprising to me. The least loved was Big — not so surprising.

I would have liked to see more modern films chosen, such as Being John Malkovich. What do you consider the most glaring omission?

Spike Lee’s joint made the cut

How many have you seen? With the functionality at Criticker, it’s a simple matter to sort out all those you’ve not yet ranked, or order them by your PSI or year.

Not about an old man in a floating house. I think.

Thanks to dharmabum‘s public collection of Sexploitation flicks, the task of picking your pleasure is easier. He’s neatly summed up the genre:

Russ Meyer pops up a lot in the list of films, currently numbering 42. The collection is public, so if you know more films that belong, plug them in by all means! Then go take a long, cold shower.

- Free Tapas

Merrie Melodies was kind of a cousin to Looney Toons. Both owned by Warner Brothers, the two series shared the same cast of characters (Bugs, Porky & Daffy among them) and even the same animators. The only way to distinguish between them was often the logo at the beginning of the short.

The characteristic feature of Merrie Melodies, as opposed to Looney Tunes, was that it was conceived as a way to promote WB’s feature films by incorporating a show tune into the animation. This restriction, though, annoyed animators and was soon forgotten about. Extremely popular with the public, Merrie Melodies would run from 1931 to 1969.

There are well over 200 Merrie Melodies, though the collection only currently numbers 38. If you’d like to add more, feel free! The collection is public, which means other users can contribute.

Not so easy, huh? But luckily for us, Criticker member djross is a good Aussie, and has decided to shine the spotlight on his homeland in a collection of films set in Australia.

Australia: Chock Full of Bad Asses

From Picnic at Hanging Rock to Lantana, this collection is filled with quality. And aborigines. And drag queens. Check it out and if you can think of other films set in the land of Oz, feel free to add them to this public collection.

Public Criticker Collection: Australia

Terry Gilliam and Johnny Depp: not about to give each other a tongue bath

But it doesn’t have to be like that! Thanks to user Moribunny, there is a collection dedicated to “real” making-of films. These documentaries truly attempt to shed light on the process of the craft, and some manage to be even more entertaining than their subject. And at least one concerns a film that was never even completed: Lost in La Mancha about Terry Gilliam’s attempt to bring Don Quixote to the screen.

The collection is public, so if you know other great making-of documentaries to add, go for it!

- Travel Blog

Shrek 2: Humanity’s Cultural Nadir

To help us remember Dreamworks’ other not-quite legendary achievements is a collection of films, created by Hells Zargon. I was amused to see that all my PSIs for these films were in the yellow range. A confirmation of mediocrity.

What is it? Why is Dreamworks unable to ascend to the heights of Pixar? Corporate vision, or just hiring the wrong creative teams?

Criticker user Kangadoodoo has created a public collection which lists out the films which triumphed in the Best Director category (this link orders the films descending by year). It’s especially interesting when viewed alongside the one for Best Picture (created by Quicky).

The best movie of the year, just not the best directed one. Take a seat, Mr. Hitchcock.

The discrepancies are fascinating — a history of snubs and appeals to populism. Crash wins best picture, while Brokeback Mountain had the best director? Please, the Academy knew what the better picture was, they were just afraid to say so. We also find the historic 1940 snubbing of Alfred Hitchcock who lost to John Ford, although his classic Rebecca won the big prize.

Take a look, and if you have any thoughts on other discrepancies make sure to leave them in the comments!

- Everything Bacon