Writer, director, and author Paul Feig is the director and producer behind the hit comedy Bridesmaids, as well as the creator of the beloved cult series Freaks and Geeks, a director and coexecutive producer of The Office, and the author of two comedic memoirs released by Random House, Kick Me—Adventures in Adolescence and Superstud, or How I Became a 24-Year-Old Virgin. “When I was a student at USC film school, my taste in movies made me sort of the least respected member of my class,” he writes. “While my peers where waxing rhapsodic about Godard and Renoir, I was obsessed with ET, Star Wars, and the Marx Brothers. The shame of my juvenile tastes drove me toward more artful films, thankfully, but my heart still belongs to movies that simply entertain me. When Criterion comes a-callin’, there’s an overwhelming temptation to use the opportunity to sound smarter than I really am. However, in an attempt to be true to my shallow self and not embarrass my family, I shall resist the urge to make myself sound smart by dropping titles from the masterful likes of Ozu and Cocteau and instead give you a list of movies that I actually watch on a regular basis for no other reason than the sheer enjoyment of them.” Below are his choices, in no particular order.
Biography via Criterion.
