The Criterion Collection

[jw007]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I do wonder how the 40 titles were selected. Did they really go through all 200+ closet vids, make a spreadsheet of the titles selected, and chose the top 40? I just find that unlikely with some of the titles in this set, and some of the obvious exclusions as well.

I too am curious about why these were the 40 titles selected.

If anyone has any insight into this (or if there are any insiders from Criterion), please do illuminate us!

[steel_breeze]

So what would be your "Favorite 40" from Criterion? Mine is pretty easy, 'cuz I only own 45 Criterion titles.

Listed chronologically:

[Show spoiler]1. The Gold Rush (1925) BD
2. It Happened One Night (1934) BD
3. Stagecoach (1939) BD
4. The Philadelphia Story (1940) BD
5. Citizen Kane (1941) 4K
6. Double Indemnity (1944) 4K
7. Black Narcissus (1947) BD
8. Oliver Twist (1948) DVD
9. Bicycle Thieves (1948) BD
10. The Third Man (1949) BD
11. Rashomon (1950) BD
12. Tokyo Story (1953) BD
13. Seven Samurai (1954) BD
14. On The Waterfront (1954) BD
15. Night of the Hunter (1955) BD
16. Pather Panchali (1955) BD
17. The Seventh Seal (1957) BD
18. Wild Strawberries (1957) BD
19. The Hidden Fortress (1958) BD
20. The 400 Blows (1959) BD
21. Breathless (1960) BD
22. 8 1/2 (1963) BD
23. I Am Cuba (1964) 4K
24. Blow Up (1966) BD
25. Andrei Rublev (1966) BD
26. Le Samourai (1967) BD
27. The Graduate (1967) BD
28. Five Easy Pieces (1970)
29. Harold and Maude (1971) BD
30. Days of Heaven (1978) 4K
31. All That Jazz (1979) BD
32. The Big Chill (1983) BD
33. Wings of Desire (1987) 4K
34. Matewan (1987) BD
35. Broadcast News (1987) BD
36. The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) DVD
37. Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989) BD
38. Mystery Train (1989) BD
39. Three Colors: Blue (1993) BD
40. Rushmore (1998) BD

The five I own but dropped from my list of 40 include the other two flicks from the Apu Trilogy, the other two flicks from the Three Colors Trilogy, and The Royal Tenenbaums... ALL of which I love, but wanted to stop at 40 in the spirit of the exercise.

Honorable mention to The Last Picture Show, one of my all-time favorite flicks; I used to own the Criterion BD from the BBS Box but upgraded to the Sony 4K as soon as I found it on eBay... BEFORE Criterion released their 4K. If I owned the Criterion, it would absolutely be on this list.

[CandymanHappyman]

Originally Posted by Shanghai Express

They totally shoehorned some titles in there. Was Love & Basketball chosen that many times? It’s much newer to the collection than many of the glaring exclusions. Weekend being the lone Godard? No Hitchcock, no Lubitsch, no Kurosawa, but Cleo which is exclusive to another massive box set is among the 40 most chosen? Fishy.

Many licensors will stipulate that their film(s) can't be included in collections for sale.

I think they took a list of movies that were chosen in the closet videos and...

• Eliminated all such titles.
• Eliminated any title that is about to get a new upgraded release. (Or so I hope.)
• Looked at the remaining titles and made sure to add/remove films so that the collection covered as broad a spectrum of the Criterion brand as possible. This set is after all a 40th anniversary celebration collection.

In regard to a Kurosawa set, we all know that the bottleneck is Toho. Hopefully the forthcoming 4K release of Seven Samurai will open a new door at Toho. If I'm not mistaken, Toho controls 20 of the 30 films that Kurosawa directed.

In regard to Barry Lyndon, I think that it's possible that Criterion does not have 4K rights for this film. WBD just included Barry Lyndon in a list of potential future 4K releases that they sent out in a survey. I can't imagine them adding that film to the list if they knew that Criterion would be releasing it.

I do hope that this changes and Criterion gets to release the 4K version. But the reality is that WBD owns 7 of Kubrick's films and they have already released 4 of them on 4K. That leaves Lolita, Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut and all three are on the survey list.

Here is the WBD survey list for those who may have missed the news.

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
• Amadeus (1984)
• Barry Lyndon (1975)
• Blade Trilogy
• Bond 6-Film Collection (Sean Connery)
• Boogie Nights (1997)
• Bullitt (1968)
• The Conjuring (2013)
• The Conjuring 2 (2016)
• Constantine (2005)
• Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005)
• Demolition Man (1993)
• Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
• Forbidden Planet (1956)
• Gravity (2013)
• Green Lantern (2011) (Theatrical + Extended Cut)
• Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
• The Haunting (1963)
• Lethal Weapon (1987)
• Logan’s Run (1976)
• Lolita (1962)
• Lolita (1997)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (7-Film Collection)
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
• Se7en (1995)
• Soylent Green (1973)
• Speed Racer (2008)
• Them! (1954)
• THX 1138 (1971)
• Under Siege (1992)
• Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)

[MrGarmonbozia]

Having just finally purchased all the Criterion Kurosawas, I also thought this was going to be the long awaited box set devoted to his work. I had breakfast even started watching the single trusses yet ��

That says I’m in agreement with then others saying it’s a good starter pack

[shimmy]

When Arrow got a new owner the first thing they did was release a bunch of boxsets comprised of movies from their back catalog.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by jw007

I too am curious about why these were the 40 titles selected.

Maybe they wanted to get rid of some old stock, and thought, "Let's put this stuff in a fancy new box, and hey presto."

[MifuneFan]

A 40th anniversary set was planned well in advance, probably over a year back, so I doubt this particular set has anything to do with Steven Rales acquiring the company.

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by CandymanHappyman

WBD just included Barry Lyndon in a list of potential future 4K releases that they sent out in a survey. I can't imagine them adding that film to the list if they knew that Criterion would be releasing it.

Agreed.

On the flip, a fellow over in The Wild Bunch thread with tea on Peckinpah received word a 4K will be released by Criterion next year.

WBD giveth and WBD taketh away, although given their recent financial news and 10% loss, it may only be a matter of time before they begin selling off assets to unlock more value before completely destroying what was a few years ago the pinnacle and last vestige of old Hollywood.

Just speculation, but I would have to believe the above dynamic is one of the reasons for Becker to sell. Criterion can only license what other studios are willing to license, and Janus may not be in a position to secure a sufficient number of the most valuable films to maintain the historical release schedule.

Perhaps Janus Contemporaries is an effort to hedge their bets. Regardless, feels like the end of an era.

[FirstDayBuyBrandon]

This box set is a definite first day buy!

[javy]

Maybe Killers of the Flower Moon could be on its way...


https://www.youtube.com/supported_br...tube.com/watch

[javy]

I don't think my link is working. Anyway, Lily Gladstone was in the Criterion closet with Erica Tremblay

[SpookyDollhouse]

Here's the video thanks for the info javy

Lily Gladstone and Erica Tremblay’s Closet Picks - YouTube

[MifuneFan]

They were as part of the media circuit for the movie Fancy Dance.

[jt839]

I know this is probably a super unpopular opinion but am I the only person who don't care about the Criterion Closet?

[jw007]

CC40 can mean two things to me:

Criterion Collection 40

or

Criterion Closet 40



PS. Wait, how long has the closet been around for? Definitely not 40 years. But maybe 10?

[Doc Moonlight]

I kind of wonder how the existence of this set will affect future closet picks. Will future closet pickers put the 40th Anniversary collection in their bag, and then proceed to pick other films?

I've always wanted to see a closet video where a noted cineaste walks into the closet, says, "I've got all of these already.", and walks out. I'd also like to see what would happen if some random person on the street were given access to the closet. What would those picks be?

[eightslicesofpie]

Originally Posted by jt839

I know this is probably a super unpopular opinion but am I the only person who don't care about the Criterion Closet?

I think it's fun getting to see the film tastes of people I'm a fan of and hearing how certain films might've shaped their tastes and art

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by jw007

CC40 can mean two things to me:

Criterion Collection 40

or

Criterion Closet 40



PS. Wait, how long has the closet been around for? Definitely not 40 years. But maybe 10?

Since 2010 so 14 years it’ll be 15 years next year in 2025 which is absolutely crazy just thinking about it.

[jt839]

Originally Posted by eightslicesofpie

I think it's fun getting to see the film tastes of people I'm a fan of and hearing how certain films might've shaped their tastes and art

I like the idea of it but I don't understand why it seems to be Criterion's main focus nowadays to the point they made a boxset centered around it.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by eightslicesofpie

I think it's fun getting to see the film tastes of people I'm a fan of and hearing how certain films might've shaped their tastes and art

Yeah I agree my tastes Criterion wise are horror films, Japanese films, French and other countries’s movies that aren’t Japan, the UK, or America, African American films, David Lynch, Terry Gilliam, weird films, British movies, Westerns, classics like say Princess Bride, Paths of Glory, Walker, Repo Man, Barry Lyndon, gangster movies, and Martin Scorsese movies.