The Criterion Collection

When Criterion announced that it would celebrate its 40th anniversary by replicating the Closet with a portable Closet van, cinephiles across the country started planning their visits when the tour reached their home cities. To have a movie in the Criterion Collection is a great honor. Still, there are a few misconceptions regarding what the Criterion Collection actually is, what purpose it serves in our culture, and how decisions are made regarding the films that "get in." Coming from a physical media obsessive, consider this your crash-course history lesson and guide to all things Criterion.

Founded by Robert Stein, Aleen Stein, and Joe Medjuck in 1984, Criterion is a pioneering home media distribution company that focuses on restoring, preserving, and publishing important cinematic works — classic and contemporary — across all genres and from around the world. The films that Criterion distributes on physical media are considered part of the Criterion Collection, including its early days of LaserDisc and out-of-print DVDs. Criterion was truly the first of its kind to include restorations and supplemental special features to encourage repeat viewings with its releases, essentially providing buyers the ultimate viewing experience that included film enjoyment and film education. For over 40 years, Criterion has worked in tandem with filmmakers and film scholars to put out the best release possible of any given title.

As far as the films that are selected to be a part of the collection, despite the "arthouse" or "snobby" accusations often lobbied at Criterion, the collection has a little bit of everything. An intimate, black and white micro-budget queer film like "Go Fish" exists alongside an exercise in depravity like "Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom," Chantal Akerman's French masterpiece "Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles," and an explosive blockbuster like Michael Bay's "Armageddon." But Criterion doesn't have carte blanche to obtain any title it wants, including films it's previously released. Criterion is also at the mercy of the movie's rightsholders. For example, Criterion released John Woo's action classic "Hard Boiled" on DVD and it has been out of print for many years, but we likely won't see a re-release anytime soon as Shout! Factory recently obtained the rights to 156 films in the Golden Princess Library of Hong Kong cinema, including "Hard Boiled."

Hello?

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/22159855

The monstrous Godzilla is colossal in more ways than one, dominating screens since 1954. One of the most recognizable reptilian figures in cultural history, fans lap up the spectacle of this kaiju (a Japanese term for large monster) towering over urban landscapes and battling with other untamed beasts. In 1989, one of the weirdest movies in the genre was released, Godzilla vs. Biollante, becoming a firm franchise favorite for many fans..

Director Kazuki Ōmori delved deep into his imagination for Godzilla vs. Biollante. The film proudly displays some of the coolest special effects of the franchise, one of its strangest antagonists, and some great social commentary. It's been a challenge for anyone to track down a watchable physical copy of the movie, and anything on streaming usually has poorly translated subtitles, but that all ends next spring. Audiences will be able to get their hands on the 4K restoration of the film (with new, properly handled subtitles and a 5.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack), so they can judge how wonderfully eccentric it is for themselves.

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Along with the restoration, The Criterion Collection release is stuffed with special features as usual:

There's a new audio commentary featuring film historian Samm Deighan, host of the podcast Eros + Massacre and coeditor of the book Revolution in 35mm. There's also a making-of program from 1993 featuring director Kazuki Ōmori and special-effects director Koichi Kawakita, among others. There are deleted special effects, TV spots, and a short documentary from 1993 about the Biollante and Super X2 vehicle concepts.

In time for Halloween as well as the beginning of the gift-getting season, Criterion is selling every Blu-ray and DVD in its hallowed collection at 50% off their usual prices for one day only. These sales only happen a few times each year (and when they occur is pretty random), so if you or a loved one (or even a marginally liked one) enjoys adding flick after flick with Criterion’s gorgeous box art to their shelves, we recommend taking advantage of this 24-hour sale that ends 12 p.m. EDT on Oct. 23.

Still a couple of hours to go.

Criterion offers up an eclectic new slate to their carefully curated collection of films. Now, a couple of these aren't too surprising, 8½ and Paris Texas are already on Blu-ray so we're getting welcome (if expected) upgrades. The biggest news is No Country for Old Men - the Coen Brothers' Oscar-winning thriller from the Cormac McCarthy classic novel is very good news. It was a big hitter on Blu-ray in its day, but a 4K Dolby Vision upgrade supervised by Roger Deakins is very exciting! Completing the eclectic list is Samo Hung's slick action classic Eastern Corridors - sadly only on Blu-ray but still should be a good disc.

The Criterion Collection, a beloved film distribution company, was questioned by cinephiles this week because of their new deluxe box set.

Last week, Criterion announced a new collection, called CC40, which includes a box set of forty films. The films were chosen based on popular picks in their Criterion Closet series, in which actors and filmmakers choose five films from their film library to take home with them. The box set, which also includes “hundreds of hours of supplemental footage,” retails for $640, and arrives in November.

Reactions from Criterion fans varied. On the positive side, some suggested this could be a great resource for those looking to get into film, the box set serving as a film syllabus of sorts. Others noted this could be a good product for those who don’t know which films to watch or buy, as the choice has already been made for them. Some were simply excited by the news of a new Criterion release.

Many others were less than thrilled. The most common question asked by Criterion-heads was: “who is the audience for this box set?” Cinephiles noted that dedicated Criterion fans are likely to already own many of the films in the box set, while newcomers might not be inclined to drop $600 on movies if they’re just getting into film. “This is an incredible set for someone who has never bought a Criterion disc but now wants to spend several hundred dollars on them at once,” one user joked on X.

Others questioned the content of the box set. Many were shocked to see that none of David Lynch’s films were included in the collection, and legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa was another omission bemoaned by fans. Some suggested that the curation of the collection seems “random,” noting that there appears to be little connection between the films.

Much of this criticism comes down to the question of audience, and how this collection might shift Criterion’s intended market. There is a sense of gatekeeping here in terms of who can—or should—get to own Criterions. “Feel like this set is for people who never heard of the Criterion Collection until their favorite celebrity did a closet video,” one X user noted, delineating a distinction between cinephile and celebrity stan. On Instagram, one user suggested the box set is intended for holiday shoppers, perhaps answering the marketing question.

The announcement

The titles this batch include: William Wyler's Funny Girl on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, Howard Hawks' Scarface on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, PLUS Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, and Ishiro Honda's Godzilla all on 4K UHD Blu-ray.

The iconic Criterion Collection has expanded into viral Closet trips, its streaming channel, and of course its staple 4k restorations on Blu-ray. Now, the Criterion Collection celebrates 40 years since its founding with a monumental 40-film box set including works from auteurs Agnès Varda, Spike Lee, Jean-Luc Godard, and Federico Fellini.

The box set, titled CC40, spans an eclectic selection of curated classic films that includes special features and essays. The collection encompasses the works “frequently chosen by the hundreds of filmmakers, actors, writers, and other movie-loving luminaries who have visited Criterion over the years, as documented in our popular Closet Picks video series,” per the official press release. “Neither a historical survey nor a top-40 compilation, this exciting, personal, unpredictable anthology reflects the cinematic joys and inspirations of the creative community that makes the Criterion Collection possible.”

The 40th anniversary Blu-ray box set includes films like “8½” (1963), “All That Jazz” (1979), “Bicycle Thieves” (1948), “Repo Man” (1984), “Jules and Jim” (1962), “Weekend” (1967), “On the Waterfront” (1954), and “Do the Right Thing” (1989).

Additional titles range from “His Girl Friday” (1940) to “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” (1985) and “Y tu mamá también” (2001), as well as “My Own Private Idaho” (1991), “Love & Basketball” (2000), “Night of the Living Dead” (1968), “3 Women” (1977), “The Red Shoes” (1948), “A Woman Under the Influence” (1974), “Cléo from 5 to 7” (1962), “Persona” (1966), and “In the Mood for Love” (2000).

The box set boasts digital restorations of all 40 films, plus hundreds of hours of supplemental features and extensive documentaries and making-of programs coupled with interviews with casts and crews. The set has deluxe packaging with a lavishly illustrated 216-page book featuring essays on the films by critics, scholars, and authors.

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Cinephiles can purchase the collection for $799.95. The collection will be released November 19. Check out the trailer for the CC40 box set below.

Trailer

Instead of asking for my address so that my $250.00 bluray set can actually be what I paid for I got an email back from criterion telling me 1. check if the disc was clean, 2. upgrade my bluray player.

I have been cleaning and checking discs since the f-ing 1980s my brother. Then they padded the email with "how to clean a disc".

And I am not buying another box set from them thankyouverymuchbillionaireowner

The Criterion Collection has revealed their October 2024 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray slate. This wave includes: I Walked with a Zombie / The Seventh Victim: Produced by Val Lewton, Masahiro Shinoda's Demon Pond, and Harmony Korine’s Gummo - all three on both 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray, plus G. W. Pabst's Pandora's Box only on Blu-ray.

Tech specs at Blu-ray.com

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/14334089

Yet, the popularity of boutique Blu-Rays doesn’t seem to be waning, a sign that the interest in physical media is still going strong. The Criterion Collection is easily the biggest specialist company making Blu-Rays, having first released a series of DVDs in 1998. In 2008, they released their first Blu-Ray, Chungking Express, marking the start of several thousand high-quality editions released by the company, which they consider the finest pieces of cinema.

Criterion’s appeal resides in its attention to detail and consideration for dedicated film fans, filling every release with special features that are actually worth watching or reading, like short films, exclusive interviews, essays, and audio commentary. Each film comes with gorgeous artwork and sometimes even a poster inside, making the price tag (a single film is typically between £15 and £23) much more worth it. Additionally, Criterion takes great pride in restoring films to their original glory, with one of the most striking examples being their restoration of Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. The company also offers boxsets for prestigious directors, like Agnes Varda, Ingmar Bergman and Wong Kar-wai, as well as film series, like the Before trilogy and Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales.

Evidently, film fans can trust Criterion to deliver high-quality editions of their favourite pictures, with the company ensuring that beloved classics and newer releases all get special treatment. With frequent sale seasons allowing buyers to bulk buy some of their most-wanted titles for a more reasonable price, it’s rare you’ll meet a self-confessed cinephile who doesn’t own at least a few Criterions.

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They’re not the only company releasing collector’s editions, though. Arrow Films, an independent British distributor, offers some of the greatest cult and horror films, complete with a variety of special features, carefully designed artwork, and high-quality Blu-Ray transfers. BFI also provides an impressive collection, focusing on niches such as kitchen sink dramas, forgotten British gems, documentaries, and other acclaimed classics. Another notable company is Eureka, which specialises in films by directors they consider masters of cinema.

Each of these companies taps into a niche to attract customers, whether that be horror or foreign cinema, or in the case of Shameless Screen Entertainment, “carefully picked vile, evil, gore-soaked, demented, disturbing [and] deranged” movies. While specialist companies have existed for a while, like Tartan, which stopped selling its DVDs in 2008, the landscape is now saturated with streaming services all competing to be the best, which you would think might make it harder for these companies to thrive. Yet, it seems as though film fans are keeping physical media alive for now, with many people still wanting to own copies of their favourite films without worrying about a streaming service removing them.

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Collecting Criterions or other special edition Blu-Rays is the kind of hobby that keeps paying for itself – you can resell them for a decent price, watch them endless times, and access content, like shorts and essays, that you most likely can’t find for free anywhere else. We need physical media to survive in the internet age, and thanks to these companies and the passionate cinephiles who buy their Blu-Rays, hope is not yet lost.

Streaming services might be convenient, but in an age where there's no guarantee that films will always be accessible on them, purchasing a few Criterion Collection Blu-rays adds some cinematic security to your home. Right now, you can save big on these films, as Amazon and Barnes & Noble are offering 50% discounts on these cinematic treasures. It's worth noting that Amazon is still adding to its deals, while Barnes & Noble will offer everything in its online inventory of Criterion Collection films at 50% off. Amazon isn't likely to match all of Barnes & Noble's deals, but this promotion--which typically runs at least once each year--is the best time to pick up Criterion Collection releases.

This year's 50% off B&N Summer sale runs through July 28.

I missed Criterion's flash sale earlier this year so I'll probably stock up on this one sometime next week.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/13504437

As physical media collectors well know, The Criterion Collection can be rather eclectic with their selections. Sometimes you get your true Hollywood classic. Sometimes you get a great piece of French of Japanese cinema. Occasionally you get one hell of an incredible box set. But every once in a while they stack their slate with a smorgasbord of cult classics, fan favorites, and one of the best gangster flicks to come out of England (and there are a lot of those!). So lets get into it -

• Repo Man 4k
• All of Us Strangers 4k
• The Long Good Friday 4k
• Gregg Araki's Teen Apocalypse Trilogy 4K
• Happiness 4k

Tech specs at Blu-ray.com

• Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid 4K Blu-ray
• Risky Business 4K Blu-ray
• Le Samouraï 4K Blu-ray
• Farewell My Concubine 4K Blu-ray
• Perfect Days 4K Blu-ray
• Black God, White Devil

They are:

• Cronos
• Following
• Stalker
• Diabolique
• The Piano Teacher
• Blow Out
• Paris, Texas
• Days of Heaven
• On the Waterfront
• Quadrophenia
• Pale Flower
• Woman in the Dunes
• La Haine
• My Life as a Dog
• Naked
• Do The Right Thing
• Brazil
• Cries and Whispers
• The Passion of Joan of Arc
• Le Samourai

It's a solid eclectic mix but what are your favourites?

David Lynch’s landmark 1986 neo-noir horror film, which marked his first collaboration with Laura Dern alongside her future “Twin Peaks: The Return” co-star Kyle McLachlan, will be re-released by Criterion with a new 4K transfer. It joins Lynch’s “Eraserhead,” “Mulholland Drive,” “Lost Highway,” “Inland Empire,” “The Elephant Man,” and “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” in the Criterion 4K library.

Also getting the 4K treatment is Terry Gilliam’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” which sees Johnny Depp playing Hunter S. Thompson stand-in Raoul Duke in a psychedelic adaptation of the landmark countercultural novel.

New additions to the collection include Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s “Bound,” Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s “Querelle,” Emilio Fernández’s “Victims of Sin,” and Barry Jenkins’ “The Underground Railroad.”

Tech specs

Anyone get anything good?

They are:

• Cronos
• Following
• Stalker
• Diabolique
• The Piano Teacher
• Blow Out
• Paris, Texas
• Days of Heaven
• On the Waterfront
• Quadrophenia
• Pale Flower
• Woman in the Dunes
• La Haine
• My Life as a Dog
• Naked
• Do the Right Thing
• Brazil
• Cries and Whispers
• The Passion of Joan of Arc
• Le Samourai

These are:

• All That Money Can Buy (1941) 4k
• All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022).
• The Runner (1984)
• Saint Omer (2022)
• To Die For (1995) 4k

Tech specs: Blu-ray.com