WHAT I'VE BEEN WATCHING: DECEMBER 27-DECEMBER 28

 It's been two days and I've watched five films. I'm gonna talk about four of them. This week, I made a conscious effort to dive a little deeper into the Criterion Channel and check out their offerings. I've been consumed by 2020 releases recently, so I stepped back and got into some gems of the past.

THE LOST HONOR OF KATHARINA BLUM (1975), a political take on Cold War-era Berlin, the film's titular character Katharina is accused of involvement in a terrorist plot after unknowingly sleeping with a terrorist. She is harassed by the media, treated inhumanely by investigators, and endangered in the public sphere. The film asks questions about the nature of victimhood and the root of evil exquisitely through the eyes of Katharina, played expertly by Angela Winkler in an all-time great performance. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum is unmissable. Stream on the Criterion Channel, HBOMax, or Kanopy.

HOLIDAY (1938), an early masterpiece from George Cukor, has much on its mind that is not immediately apparent. Cary Grant is a charming, goofy dreamer desperately trying to reconcile his ideals of life's pleasures with the harsh, money-grubbing nature of his fiancee's exceedingly wealthy family. The only one who appears to understand him is his fiancee's sister, played by a marvelously likable Katherine Hepburn. The film is two things: a gentle romantic comedy, as well as a thoughtful damnation of status and money as virtue. Stream on the Criterion Channel, DirecTV, or rent on Amazon Video and iTunes for $2.99.

DRESSED TO KILL (1980), one of Brian De Palma's most famous works is a grisly, erotic thriller about a murderous killer on the loose in New York City. It is an incredibly directed film, perhaps one of the best I've ever seen, and features a slew of tremendous performances. The style and verve with which the film is made could only be outdone by a handful of filmmakers, living or dead, but the film stops just short of cinematic brilliance with an uneven script, which should also be considered incredibly problematic by today's standards. That being said, Dressed to Kill is a pulpy thrill, elevated tremendously by the hand of Mr. De Palma. Stream on the Criterion Channel through December 31, or rent on Amazon Video and iTunes for $3.99.

THE LADY EVE (1941), perhaps the film I'm least enthused by amongst the four I've written about, the film follows Jean, played charismatically by Barbara Stanwyck, as a con artist trying to swindle Charles Pike, in a much less interesting performance from Henry Fonda, but the two end up in love. The film is a bit of a comedy of errors, which sees Stanwyck masquerading as the English Lady Eve for much of its run time, before a satisfying conclusion. It's all a bit of fun, and surprisingly progressive for a 1941 comedy, but never amounts to much more. Still, it's a delightful watch on a rainy day at 4pm, with a cup of tea in hand. Stream on Peacock, or rent on Amazon Video or Youtube for $3.99.