The Criterion Collection

[The Edge]

Apologies if this has been answered earlier, but I’m curious to know why would Criterion spend money to do a 4K restoration of a title, let’s say Robert Zemeckis’ “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”, for example, and NOT release it on a 4K disc? To me it doesn’t make sense.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by The Edge

Apologies if this has been answered earlier, but I’m curious to know why would Criterion spend money to do a 4K restoration of a title, let’s say Robert Zemeckis’ “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”, for example, and NOT release it on a 4K disc? To me it doesn’t make sense.

The majority of 4K masters are more for archival purposes so a new remaster won’t have to be done long term. 4K discs are much more costly than a standard Blu Ray disc and, for some companies, they might be selective on what they would want to release on the format. Criterion have yet to of done UHD releases; they have done 4K streaming (so I’ve heard) but nothing of terms of discs (it’s much simpler to do a 4K stream than a 4K disc).

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by KubrickKurasawa

I mix everything in Alphabetical order from Criterion to Olive to Studio Ghibli the only thing I separated is actual 4K ULTRA BLACK DISCS if I had enough STEELBOOKS I might separate them too. Criterions are just movies in the end guys. Well overpriced movies.

Cancelled.

[AaronJ]

Interesting.

I learn new stuff every day around here.

[Egbert Souse]

Originally Posted by The Edge

Apologies if this has been answered earlier, but I’m curious to know why would Criterion spend money to do a 4K restoration of a title, let’s say Robert Zemeckis’ “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”, for example, and NOT release it on a 4K disc? To me it doesn’t make sense.

Restoration isn't just about putting a disc out, it's about long term preservation.

They were also mastering a lot of films in HD or 2K before they started releasing Blu-rays in late 2008. A large amount of Criterion's early Blu-rays of previously released films used the same masters for DVD-only editions released earlier.

Likewise, there's UHDs that use 4K remasters that existed prior to the format like Blade Runner, E.T., Saving Private Ryan, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Bram Stoker's Dracula.

But a lot of these 4K masters are meant for preservation, not necessarily for actual UHD. Consider how we're 3 1/2 years into the format and by the end of 2019 there's going to be only a dozen pre-1980 films on the format (more than half from the late-1970s). Only two of those from boutique labels and one is actually just a German import (Flying Clipper from Flicker Alley).


My gut feeling is that 99% of 4K restorations - not just Criterion - will never get a physical release, but will at least have a digital stream version. Which is fine because I can't see Criterion releasing stuff like King of Jazz or Multiple Maniacs on UHD. And even big titles like Seven Samurai and Dr. Strangelove are from alternate film elements since the camera negatives are lost.

[sawdustandtinsel]

Which cut of The New World should I watch?

Note: I'm on borrowed time with it so I may only be able to watch one at the moment.

[Ray Jackson]

Alphabetizing one’s collection is barbaric and crude imo.

Color spine and package height coordination is the only civilized method.

Darks with darks, whites with whites, reds/oranges/yellows etc.

Criterions have their own separate shelf of course.

Try to put directors together when possible.

But ultimately the aesthetic nature of the collection takes precedence.

When done properly, it’s a tribute to the cultural evolution of mankind.

...the only thing that separates us from the animals.

[Show spoiler]

[The Sovereign]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I bought The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.

I'm currently in the middle of the Showa era Godzilla set (and having a total blast), but I'll give the Fassbinder film a go soon.

I blind bought that one last week. Look forward to reading your thoughts (when you have time). Willing to bet that you get to it before I do.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Interesting.

Lionsgate just released a bluray 2 years ago that’s still in print.. I think they were trying to capitalize on him winning back to back oscars. Surprised to hear that criterion would release it now but good news

[Harry Güchenschlong]

I recently picked up Charlie Chaplin's The Circus, which completes my Chaplin Criterion movies. Does anyone know if he has any more movies planned for future Criterion releases?

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Harry Güchenschlong

I recently picked up Charlie Chaplin's The Circus, which completes my Chaplin Criterion movies. Does anyone know if he has any more movies planned for future Criterion releases?

My guess is A King in New York would be next maybe?

[Egbert Souse]

Originally Posted by Harry Güchenschlong

I recently picked up Charlie Chaplin's The Circus, which completes my Chaplin Criterion movies. Does anyone know if he has any more movies planned for future Criterion releases?

A King in New York and A Woman of Paris have been paired up since laserdisc (even the Image and Warner DVDs), so I'm predicting they'll be released together on Blu-ray as well.

That would only leave The Chaplin Revue plus the rest of the First National films. Combined that would include A Dog's Life, Shoulder Arms, The Pilgrim, Sunnyside, The Idle Class, A Day's Pleasure, and Pay Day. The Image edition had the seven films separately while I think the Warner/MK2 editions didn't include the standalone versions of Shoulder Arms, The Pilgrim, and A Dog's Life.

[drownsoda]

I mainly collect horror films, which I keep in their own section (organized alphabetically), but I do keep a separate section of shelves for my Criterion discs; I have an entertainment center, and the Criterion releases are on the top shelves, organized by spine number. I also keep my Ingmar Bergman set there in a separate, taller shelf cut-out.

[bytor]

Originally Posted by sawdustandtinsel

Which cut of The New World should I watch?

Note: I'm on borrowed time with it so I may only be able to watch one at the moment.

Extended for sure.

[Toxoplasmic]

It’s been a few years since I watched an old DVD rip of Kurosawa’s Dreams. Revisited it today via Criterion blu ray and wow what a stunning set if vignettes this it. A fantastic meditation on life.

[bsend]

I have been holding off on Kurosawa titles in hopes of s box set. Maybe I should buy a few titles so that it happens for the community.

[Drake2222]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Alphabetizing one’s collection is barbaric and crude imo.

Color spine and package height coordination is the only civilized method.

I’m the thinking the best method would be alphabetically by last name of the 2nd unit director

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by regeyer

Who here stores their Criterion DVDs/BDs separately from the rest of your collection? For the most part I store everything together. I store all single movies that I have viewed in alphabetical order in my main movie closet. In that closet I have all Christmas related films on the bottom shelf. It just makes it easier, as I tend to watch only Christmas type movies from Thanksgiving until Christmas.

I then have a cabinet that holds all of my unopened and unwatched titles. And another cabinet that holds all my titles with sequels or TV seasons.

But now I'm beginning to think that I should store my Criterion titles separately. I don't own that many Criterion releases - 26 to be exact. But that number counts multi-sets, such as Zatoichi and Bergman, as one. So I have many more actual Criterion titles.

Since my wife and I bought a house a year ago, I have a dedicated room on the first floor for my home video collection. We call it the "FLIB", for "Film LIBrary". I have eight bookcases, all double-shelved with DVDs in the back, and BDs/UHDs in the front.

The first four, which all sit on one side of the room, have six shelves each. Bookcases 1&2 have boutique labels: Criterion, Cohen, Twilight Time, Warner Archive, as well as some smaller ones. Bookcase #3 starts off with the mixed US/UK Arrow, followed by other British boutique labels: Artificial Eye, BFI, Eureka, Indicator, and Second Run. Ones with spine numbers (Criterion, Eureka, Indicator, et al.) are shelved by spine number, others are straight alphabetical. At one point, I divided up the Twilight Times by source studios (Fox, Sony, etc.), but eventually changed it to straight alpha. Special-package sets from Criterion (Bergman, del Toro, Zatoichi) sit on top of BC #1. Bookcase #4 has multi-film sets on the top shelf. Starting on the second shelf are "one-off" films in alphabetical order.

The other four bookcases (which are actually three-shelf bookcases atop two-shelf cabinets) are on the other side of the room. BCs 5&6 continue the alpha-shelved one-offs, changing over to film series shelved alphabetically by series (if done according to the main character, like James Bond or Harry Potter, it's by the last name). Series films are followed by short film collections, documentaries, and animated films. Animated films are shelved by studio, if warranted (Disney, Pixar, Illumination, Ghibli, etc.), with each studio's titles filed alphabetically.

BCs 7&8 are for TV releases. One is for British, Canadian, Australian, and foreign-language shows, the other for the bulk of American shows. Premium channel (HBO, Showtime) series are on top of BCs 2-4.

Oh, and because I'm a comics buff, I have two more compact bookcases with comics-based films in one, and comics-based TV shows and animation in the other.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by steel_breeze

Not me. My love for Criterion is just a side effect of my love for cinema history, so all my BDs/DVDs are stored in chronological order of their original release... from A TRIP TO THE MOON and INTOLERANCE up through modern day, with all glorious Criterions in their rightful, historical places. I love to look at my library shelves and see the whole sweep of film history. Very inspiring to me... and a feeling I have yet to be able to recreate with a bunch of thumbnails on a screen. Viva la physical media!

I never did it quite that way, but back in the day, I did something somewhat similarly. While I still had Criteria shelved separately, I otherwise separated "vintage" films from "modern" films, the dividing line being circa 1970. The "modern" films were filed alphabetically, but the "vintage films" were filed by studio (RKO, MGM, WB, Fox, Columbia, etc.) and within each studio, they were filed chronologically.

[dbhl3000]

I sort my collection by the year a movie was bought. It gives my brain a constant memory workout which will help me avoid Alzheimers and thus give me more years to enjoy my collection.