“I definitely arrived here with some films that I was like, ‘I want to make sure I grab that’ and ‘I own it and I have it,’ but upon arrival I have been washed in in the blood of Criterion.”
This was actor Jeremy Pope‘s reaction upon entering the sacred Criterion Closet and seeing all the stunning cinema that lay before him. Without delay, Pope’s first selection was Carl Franklin’s Los Angeles-set noir, “Devil in a Blue Dress.”
“This film speaks to me because my first real job was this show called ‘Hollywood’ that I shot with Ryan Murphy for Netflix and this film, set in the I think it’s like, late ‘40s/‘50s, felt very identical to the experience that my character Archie was about to go on, so this became like such an inspiration and like a point of reference,” said Pope. “Love the film, love the way that it’s shot, the cinematography is incredible. Denzel is incredible. Carl Franklin’s incredible.”
“The Inspection” actor followed this up with two “respect picks,” starting with the ballroom documentary “Paris is Burning,” which he considers a foundational film. His next choice was Spike Lee’s seminal classic “Do the Right Thing.”
“Some things you pick just out of respect and I remember seeing ‘Do the Right Thing’ years ago and really understanding and learning about who Spike was and the type of filmmaker that he is and he continues to be,” Pope said. “And it’s bold and it’s daring and it’s provocative and it’s funny. Finding the levity in sometimes very traumatic situations is so so so special and nice to feel.”
Pope went on to pull out Regina King’s “One Night in Miami” and reflect on his experiences playing Jackie Wilson in the film. He also grabbed the Marlon Riggs boxset, a filmmaker whose work Pope says “changed” him.
In discussing Riggs’ “Tongues Untied,” Pope said, “Their approach to the filmmaking — it’s theatrical, it’s visceral, it’s evocative. There’s like this snap section that’s super important, but a film that challenges freedom of expression. This film is important to me because I got to watch multifaceted black men express the nuance of being a black queer man and for it to be expressed in movement and dance.”
Watch Pope’s entire Criterion Closet visit below.
