Holy Moly! It’s been a minute! We’re back after a long hiatus to have a long, winding chat about a bunch of our favourite films from 2023. Chris & Lee discuss huge blockbusters (Barbenheimer included), smaller festival films, and some hidden gems that they really dug. They also give a bit of an update on the state of the podcast (we’re not gone, we…

After a brief and annoying hiatus, Chris returns from the globe trotting adventure of truth seeking to settle down and spend some time with a distraught Italian family who are going through some troubling times with their relationships. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stuff: pat…

Leaving the harrowing and religious experiences of Sweden behind, Chris is joined by his buddy Adam as the pair set off on a globetrotting adventure to unravel the truth behind the mysterious and ominous Mr. Arkadin. Featuring Special Guest Adam Hetherington. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all …

Having left the peaceful scenery of rural America, Chris now finds himself in the fields of Sweden where he bears witness to a horrible act of violence that shakes a family to their core, calling into question their faith as well as their humanity. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fu…

Leaving the corrupt world of business behind and instead diving into the world of lawyers and politicians… Chris finds himself sitting in on the trial of two young men accused of murder, as their defense attorney, a young many by the name of Abraham Lincoln, works to prove their innocence. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, mon…

After the heartbreaking farewell at the station, Chris reunites with Lee as the pair make their way into the jungle of the post-war business world of Japan. Along the way they encounter intrigue, double-crosses and very devious methods of conducting corporate affairs. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks…

After leaving Lee at the beer hall with the lamenting poet, Chris embarks on a trek through the war torn French countryside where he encounters two small children who are processing their surrounds and death in some unique ways. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stuff: patreon.com…

After escaping the imploding Japanese empire, Chris reunites with Lee in a odd artists bar to have a few drinks and listen to a melancholy poet reflect on three women he loved and lost in the past: a mechanical doll, a Venetian courtesan, and the ailing daughter of a celebrated composer. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, month…

After taking a brief sojourn from the Quest to chat about the year that was 2022, Chris is again joined by Eric as the pair cross paths with an elderly warlord who has subjugated his throne to his three sons, although the transition of power doesn’t go as smoothly as he would’ve hoped… Featuring Special Guest Eric Coleman. Support us on Patreon whe…

It’s 2023! What better way to kick off the new year than with a massive and meandering chats about some of our favourite films from the previous year. Joined by special guest Toby (and his seemingly endless fountain of slight negativity and ambivalence), Lee & Chris sit down and discuss everything from The Northman to Nope, RRR to Rescue Rangers… a…

After feeling feudal Japan, and taking a short work sabbatical, Chris returns to the lonely streets of Paris where he encounters an isolated young man with a penchant for kleptomania. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stuff: patreon.com/TheCriterionQuest Send us an email at thecri…

Still wandering feudal Japan, Chris finds himself encountering more rebellious samurai by first crossing paths with a wanderer caught up in a web of political espionage and intrigue, before meeting up with a pair of down on their luck men who find themselves in the middle of two fighting clans. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes…

Having arrived safely back at the small farming village, Chris meets up again with Claire as the pair encounter a troubling incident involving a family, their new wife/daughter in law and the local lord. After some shocking and bloody results, Chris hightails it to the mountains where he encounters more samurai on the run, along with some possible …

After a triumphant return to the film festival, Chris sets out wandering the civil-war torn countryside of 17th Century Japan where he encounters two farmers looking to make some quick money and better their station in life… but at what cost? Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stuf…

After two and a half weeks of basking in the warm glow of the cinema screen, the 70th annual Melbourne International Film Festival has drawn to a close, and Chris saw a whole lot of movies! In this little mini wrap up episode he highlights some interesting films he saw during the last week and a half of the 2022 festival, giving some recommendation…

We’re taking a little break from the Collection for a few weeks, as Chris is spending most of his days sitting in the cinema watching brand new films at the 70th Melbourne International Film Festival! Joined by regular guest and fellow MIFF patron Toby, the pair discuss some of the films they’ve seen during Week 1 of the festival. Featuring Special…

After his lunar adventure around London with the misanthrope Johnny, Chris finds himself on the streets of Paris, this time crossing paths with a group of young men and women as they engage in hopeless love affairs with music, revolution, and one another. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sort…

The Criterion Quest

After saving himself from the annoying drowned vagrant, Chris reunites with Lee as the pair cross paths with a deadly contract killer working to outwit the police and outmatch his rivals in the gritty backstreets of Paris. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stuff: patreon.com/TheCr…

After the strange encounter with the being from another planet, Chris reunites with the lovely Claire for a scenic trip along the Seine, where they stumble upon a upper middle-class bookshop owner who is in the process of saving the life of a somewhat reprehensible homeless man… will it work out well? Who’s to say! Featuring Special Guest Claire Sw…

After their tumultuous time in Vienna, Chris meets up with old pal Eric as the two encounter a strange man from another world. They follow the alien as he invents and learns, in an attempt to save his dying planet while greed of men and the love of women get in his way. Featuring Special Guest Eric Coleman. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find b…

After witnessing the brutal and amazing acts at the feudal lord’s palace, Chris is reunited with Claire (while Lee takes a quick breather) in the romantic streets of Vienna where they encounter a toxic relationship between a psychology professor and a young woman, along with the police detective investigating what may have driven the woman to attem…

The Criterion Quest

Having safely left their voyage with Team Zissou, Lee & Chris find cross paths with a young New Zealand woman who, after seeming a bit “eccentric” at first, proves herself to be one of the country’s most thoughtful and talented literary minds. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stu…

Due to some unavoidable circumstances we’re going to be delayed in putting out or episode on Jane Campion’s An Angel at My Table. But, instead of leaving you without an episode this week, we decided to put out our 2022 Oscar chat a week or so early. Joined by Claire, Lee & Chris sit down to chat about their thoughts on this year’s nominations., who…

After escaping the war and “comfort house”, Lee & Chris gather a small crew and hit the high seas joining documentary filmmaker Steve Zissou as he embarks on an overnight drunk and sets out to find the shark that ate my friend and destroy it. Anyone who wants to tag along is more than welcome… Featuring Special Guest Eric Coleman and Claire Swan. S…

After the somewhat traumatic experiences with the donkey Balthazar, Lee & Chris take some much needed rest & relaxation in wartime and post-wartime Japan, spending a couple of hours with a variety of “comfort women” and the various men they interact with. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sort…

After their tough romantic rejection on the snowy bridge, Lee & Chris hightail it to the French countryside where they cross paths with a donkey named Balthazar who seems to take on the trials and tribulations of mankind as his wanders from owner to owner in his weary lifetime. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly comment…

After a little break and an extensive look back at the previous year, Lee & Chris find themselves once again in a small Italian village where they cross paths with a lonely man who is smitten by a young woman waiting patiently on a bridge for her lover to return. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and …

We’re back with Part 2, jumping straight back into our deep dive looking back at some of our favourite, and not so favourite, films of the past year. Joined again by special guest Toby, Lee & Chris continue their sit down starting with some of their least memorable cinematic experiences of the year before heavily disagreeing on some controversial g…

We’re back! It’s a new year and what better way to kick the podcast off again after a short break than to take a massive look and deep dive into the year that was 2021. Joined by special guest Toby, Lee & Chris sit down and discuss a multitude of films they watched during the year. Keep an eye out for Part 2, coming in the next few days. Warning, t…

As the year is quickly drawing to the close, things in Lee & Chris’s work lives are heating up… We thought we’d take a minute to step away from the Collection, have a small chat about some of the films we’ve seen recently and let you all know we’re slowing things down a bit and taking a small break for a few weeks (but don’t worry, we’ll be back in…

After breaking for school holidays and leaving their old teacher behind, Lee & Chris head to a small Japanese seaside community where the bump into two brothers who, while at a crossroad in their lives, are entwined in a love triangle with a married woman. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sor…

After their enlightening experience with the Franciscan monks, Lee & Chris decide to further their education by enrolling in a prestigious English boarding school where they encounter an ailing teacher reflecting back on his career during his final days of teaching. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks a…

Things are almost back to normal for us here in Melbourne, and within the week we’re able to be in person together to record. So for the sake of our sanity (and hopefully the quality of recordings), Lee and Chris decided to postpone the next episode by a week or two. But fear not, instead of leaving you with something new to listen to, we decided t…

After their bizarre encounter with the conductor, Lee & Chris head to the Italian countryside where they join an order of monks as they go about their lives. Unfortunately the experience is more may dull than enlightening. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stuff: patreon.com/TheCr…

After their playful trip to the afterlife, Lee & Chris decide to get a little culture by heading to the symphony. Things don’t go quite as planned though, as the conductor finds himself suspecting his wife of having an affair and fantasises on different ways he could deal with the situation. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, m…

After leaving the surreal French countryside behind, Lee & Chris find themselves in the afterlife of all places, where they encounter a recently deceased man who recounts his life to the devil with the understanding he’s securing his places in eternal damnation… or is he? Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tr…

After a briefer breaker for the film festival than intended, Chris & Lee join forces once again. This time the pair find themselves wandering all over the French countryside, running into some quirky and odd individuals who have a unique view on morals and society. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks an…

Taking a break from the Quest, as is custom for the month of August, Chris gives a little update on what’s happening with both the podcast schedule and the extremely unfortunately cancellation of the Melbourne International Film Festival’s in cinema sessions, while giving some brief recommendations on some excellent films available on the online pr…

After their somewhat uneasy visit with Mr Welles, Lee & Chris are joined by Lee’s husband Josh, as the trio head to the inner city streets of Chicago in the the early 90s to follow the paths of two young men with dreams of making it all the way to the NBA. Featuring Special Guest Josh Beattie. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes,…

After escaping from the treacherous jungles of Peru, Chris reunites with Lee as the pair spend some time with one of cinemas great masters as he weaves some interesting tales and theories on trickery and deception. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stuff: patreon.com/TheCriterionQ…

Heading deep in the Amazon jungle, Chris is joined by friend Toby as the pair join a madman filmmaker on his quest to complete his masterpiece… possibly at the cost of his own sanity. Featuring Guest Host Toby Zarb. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stuff: patreon.com/TheCriterion…

While Lee takes some much needed post-war R & R, Chris is joined by his loving wife Claire as they examine the marriage of an upper-class man who will do what ever it will take to make his life leave him… even with deadly consequences. Featuring Guest Host Claire Swan. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary track…

After abandoning the toxic relationships in Paris, Lee & Chris embark on an epic journey through war torn Poland, first encountering a boy wanting to make a stand, followed by a platoon doing what they can to survive before finally meeting a young man at a critical crossroad as the war draws to an end. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus …

After leaving the massacre of samurai’s behind them, Lee & Chris head to Paris to meet up with two young men, Jules and Jim, as they form a strong, lifelong friendship that becomes complicated when they meet the young, free-spirited Catherine. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stu…

After fleeing the bullying and torture of the Austrian boarding school, Lee & Chris find themselves wandering the countryside of Japan where they encounter a lone samurai, who kills brutally, ruthlessly and without remorse. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, monthly commentary tracks and all sorts of fun stuff: patreon.com/TheC…

Having left the Italian stock exchange and doomed romanced behind, Lee & Chris spend a semester in an Austrian boarding school where they meet Törless, a young man who observes the sadistic torture of a fellow student at the hand of his friends, putting him into an existential spiral over humanity. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus epis…

After their cross-country road trip adventure, Lee & Chris find themselves back on the streets of Rome, where they encounter a newly single young woman and an eager young man who’s relationship may, or may not, serve as a larger examination on society… we’re not too sure. Support us on Patreon where you’ll find bonus episodes, commentary tracks and…

Having made safe passage from India, Lee & Chris find themselves drifting across the American mid-west with two best friends who happen to be to sex workers, one a narcoleptic and the other the runaway son of the mayor of Portland. Together they explore life, sex, relationships and everything in between. Support us on Patreon for bonus episodes, co…