Criterion: What's your definition?

[OneWayFilms]

OK, I have seen this category for some time now in people's collection, and most of the titles are films I never even heard of. At first I just thought they were foreign films.

But I just ordered my first Criterion blue-ray THE BLOB. Now I'm not sure what makes a film a Criterion film, because it's not foreign.

Can someone please explain it to me? and please forgive my ignorance on this.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by OneWayFilms

OK, I have seen this category for some time now in people's collection, and most of the titles are films I never even heard of. At first I just thought they were foreign films.

But I just ordered my first Criterion blue-ray THE BLOB. Now I'm not sure what makes a film a Criterion film, because it's not foreign.

Can someone please explain it to me? and please forgive my ignorance on this.

It's a release label/studio.

[Beta Man]

Before you ask.... I'm not sure what makes a paramount a paramount.

[Jayze]

This might help

[Show spoiler]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Criterion_Collection

[BohemianGraham]

They're just a release label, who buy the rights to many films put out by studios such as MGM, Paramount, or even public domain titles, clean them up and add fancy packaging, booklets, and special feaures to them. A lot of films are foreign, but there are plenty which are not, and might just be obscure classics, or B-movies.

[OneWayFilms]

Oh, so basically they release movies that mainstream distribution companies wont release?

If that's right, then that explains why I haven't heard of most of the titles under the Criterion label.

THANK YOU!

[Race Bannon]

It is indeed a weird hodge-podge. A combination of films they think are worthy of preservation and discussion, plus what they can get their hands on (the rights) to do a version of. So they tend to be outside the catalogs of the major studios.

I've never been able to draw any pattern.

[KRW1]

There is no pattern. 'Important' is the only definition, says so on the back of every release.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by OneWayFilms

Oh, so basically they release movies that mainstream distribution companies wont release?

If that's right, then that explains why I haven't heard of most of the titles under the Criterion label.

THANK YOU!

No, they just pick films to release that they have rights to do so with...like anyone else does... they're re-released some titles other companies put out, too...mainstream or not.

[yojoeski]

The Criterion Collection - Noun. Home video label known for its arrogant attitude towards films and for encouraging arrogance, petulance and snobbish behavior in its customer base. Loses rights to titles on a regular bases and does nothing to regain them. Restores highly desired films and then does nothing with said restorations for years and years. Most egregiously, they are also known for grossly overcharging for their releases relative to what they contain e.g. many single disc DVD releases often being sold for 25 dollars or more. Similar/Relative Words: film snob, bourgeoisie, arrogance, delusion, overcharge, overhype.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of Criterion, their fans(most of them) and their business practices. I own somw of their films but every one of them has been bought second-hand. Criterion has never seen one thin dime from me and they never will.

[RomanBlade86]

The Game starring Michael Douglas is part of the Criterion collection and the only Criterion labeled film I own right now which happens to be an American film.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by yojoeski

The Criterion Collection - Noun. Home video label known for its arrogant attitude towards films and for encouraging arrogance, petulance and snobbish behavior in its customer base. Loses rights to titles on a regular bases and does nothing to regain them. Restores highly desired films and then does nothing with said restorations for years and years. Most egregiously, they are also known for grossly overcharging for their releases relative to what they contain e.g. many single disc DVD releases often being sold for 25 dollars or more. Similar/Relative Words: film snob, bourgeoisie, arrogance, delusion, overcharge, overhype.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of Criterion, their fans(most of them) and their business practices. I own many of their films but every one of them has been bought second-hand. Criterion has never seen one thin dime from me and they never will.

How is what Criterion does any different than what Disney does with their releases and the vault? Also, you can get titles on sale quite a bit through B&N and Amazon.

As for the fans, there are *******s for all films/labels/etc. Have you been in the Star Wars/LOTR/Star Trek threads at all? Criterion fans have nothing on some of those "fans."

[OneWayFilms]

Thank you. I am finally beginning to understand now. They gain the rights to other important films and release them under their label. Most are films that are open market or films that got lost in the shuffle.

I wish they would release GODSPELL on bluray. That would be a good title for them.

[BLOFELD]

Like some have already pointed out Criterion is just a distributor of films. They also remaster films and fine-tune the picture quality, audio and add special features. They release movies in both DVD and Blu-Ray format.

Criterion films tend to have better resale value in comparison to the other avenues they were previously released on.

I like Criterion because they include subtitles and and brilliant picture quality and audio (even the DVD's looks fantastic). Criterion makes films that were once hard to watch because of the horrific audio possible to watch (the original 1934 The Man Who Knew Too Much immediately comes to mind). Also many times Criterion includes three or four different aspect ratios you can choose to watch the film in.

I love Criterion and before buying I always look to see if they have released their version of the film.

BTW you will love The Blob. I got my hands on an early copy of it through NetFlix last month and the transfer is AMAZING! Full screen aspect ratio. Prepare to be blown away.

Originally Posted by OneWayFilms

OK, I have seen this category for some time now in people's collection, and most of the titles are films I never even heard of. At first I just thought they were foreign films.

But I just ordered my first Criterion blue-ray THE BLOB. Now I'm not sure what makes a film a Criterion film, because it's not foreign.

Can someone please explain it to me? and please forgive my ignorance on this.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by yojoeski

Hipster speak

Well done. Not sure how you can rationalize these broad generalizations, but buy what you want... not sure why people get so worked up about a product. If I say "HD DVD" will you have an aneurism already???

[yojoeski]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Have you been in the Star Wars/LOTR/Star Trek threads at all? Criterion fans have nothing on some of those "fans."

Yeah, I have, many of them are whiny little brats as well but none of them hold a candle to Criterion fans. Whereas the other groups you mentioned are a bunch of whiny children who can't be reasoned with, the Criterion group has nothing but pure inflated ego which to me is far worse because it implies the presence of intelligence but the utter refusal to use it.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by yojoeski

Yeah, I have, many of them are whiny little brats as well but none of them hold a candle to Criterion fans. Whereas the other groups you mentioned are a bunch of whiny children who can't be reasoned with, the Criterion group has nothing but pure inflated ego which to me is far worse because it implies the presence of intelligence but the utter refusal to use it.

Did you get into an arguement with retablo?

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by KRW1

There is no pattern. 'Important' is the only definition, says so on the back of every release.

"Important" to the people who work at Criterion.

[The Great Owl]

The Criterion Collection is a company with a well-earned reputation for releasing superb transfers of obscure films to audiences that might not otherwise have access to these films. I had heard about Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai for decades, for instance, but the Criterion release allowed me to see the film for myself at long last. A handful of my all-time favorite movies (Le Samourai, Army of Shadows, Le Cercle Rouge, The Vanishing, Paris, Texas) are films that were introduced to me by The Criterion Collection.

I probably speak for most here in saying that I will not simply buy an unfamiliar movie just because it is released by The Criterion Collection. In fact, there are several Criterion titles that I have no desire whatsoever to own (Wes Anderson's films, etc.).

I am, however, always intrigued by the announcement of a previously-unfamiliar movie in The Criterion Collection. I know that the company will make a good case for the film with thorough essays and fun supplements.

Most of the films released by The Criterion Collection are fun in the same way that many universally-known films are, and that's the main attraction. They're not all award-winners or classics, but they usually make for an awesome evening at home in front of the television.

Haters are always gonna hate, but I am grateful to have discovered many favorite films through The Criterion Collection.

[joenostalgia23]

Criterion is just a label. What they do is make high quality editions of films that they have the rights to.

In the 80s, Criterion was one of the few companies who put a lot of effort into doing LaserDisc. They were the first to include bonus features and audio commentary. Because of this, big Hollywood studios would offer Criterion the rights to their films.
This included films like Citizen Kane, King Kong and Lawrence of Arabia. Criterion also brought famous foreign classics to LaserDisc like The Seventh Seal and Breathless. And they even released Criterion versions of new films such as Blade Runner, Ghostbusters, Pulp Fiction and Michael Bay's The Rock.

Today, Criterion doesn't have the money to get the licenses to major Hollywood films. At the same time, Criterion is aware that Hollywood studios now have the money and resources and skills to release high quality editions of their high profile films.

So Criterion mainly uses their money and resources to get rights to older films and contemporary independent and foreign films. This way they can give lesser known films the treatment that they deserve.
High quality audio and picture, a bundle of special features, nice packaging and usually a booklet with an essay about the film's strengths. For films that otherwise wouldn't have had tha kind of attention from other labels. Criterion does what they do because movies like Holy Motors still get lossy audio and bad PQ and movies like that shouldn't get that treatment because it isn't a huge Hollywood blockbuster.

Criterion has always been about highlighting "important" films. As long as the movie will make people talk or makes a huge difference(and Criterion can purchase the rights to it) then it's a Criterion film.

A "Criterion" could be any film.
An old Chaplin film like The Great Dictator or a French New Wave film like Jules and Jim. A monster movie like Godzilla and The Blob or a quirky comedy like The Darjeeling Limited. An epic WWII movie like The Thin Red Line or a 3D dance movie like Pina. As long as Criterion has the rights and they deem the film "important" it's in their collection.