The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

Since 1984, the Criterion Collection has been dedicated to publishing important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. No matter the medium—from laserdisc to DVD and Blu-ray to streaming—Criterion has maintained its pioneering commitment to presenting each film as its maker would want it seen, in state-of-the-art restorations with special features designed to encourage repeated watching and deepen the viewer's appreciation of the art of film.

[Scottie]

2023
31 releases



2022
76 releases



2021
69 releases



2020
62 releases



2019
70 releases



2018
66 releases



2017
61 releases

[Scottie]

2016
71 releases



2015
70 releases



2014
68 releases

[Scottie]

2013
59 releases




2012
58 releases



2011
70 releases

[Scottie]

2010
43 releases



2009
23 releases



2008
04 releases

[Scottie]

x

[Scottie]

OUT OF PRINT
XX films

TBA

DISCONTINUED RELEASES
XX releases

TBA

REPLACEMENT CASES
Releases originally in a cardboard DigiPack case with a plastic replacement case program offered.
10 releases

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by MortenR.

I just want to buy them all!

That's my plan!

[zedd_117]

I promised myself that I wouldn't double dip. Then I bought The Third Man again, now I've got Ran lined up in my sights for May.
*sigh* what is a promise if it can't be broken.

Oh, and I have a non-Criterion edition of Bottle Rocket on DVD, so does that count as double dipping? hmmm...

[zedd_117]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

That's my plan!

Mine too! (Maybe not the ones I have on reg. DVD...depends on the movie)

[RoboDan]

Originally Posted by MortenR.

I just want to buy them all!

Same here. As of now, only have Chungking Express. Will try to pick up a few more before Ran, but once that title hits, I'll be all over it!

[Belloche]

I am hoping they decide to take the plunge and start at least releasing all new movies on blu. They just announced The Friends of Eddie Coyle on DVD. Criterion discs aren't cheap and I can't justify paying those kind of prices for DVDs at this point. They also have a bunch of catalouge titles that I'm going to wait out to see if they give them the blu treatment.

[zedd_117]

Originally Posted by Belloche

I am hoping they decide to take the plunge and start at least releasing all new movies on blu. They just announced The Friends of Eddie Coyle on DVD. Criterion discs aren't cheap and I can't justify paying those kind of prices for DVDs at this point. They also have a bunch of catalouge titles that I'm going to wait out to see if they give them the blu treatment.

I remember reading that they were going to keep releasing standard DVDs at their current pace (3 to 4 per month) for the foreseeable future. Blu-rays are to be released at a much slower pace (1 to 2 titles per month) until DVD's momentum dies down.

It's smart marketing. If the release a title now on DVD that you really want, chances are you'll buy it now. If you really enjoy the title, odds are good that a few years down the road, when it gets the blu-ray treatment (which, oddly enough, is the same treatment they give their DVDs) you'll buy it again. Hence, the "double-dip".
Frustating for us collectors, probably not noticed by "Joe Public". Heck, I bet if you ask 10 random people on the street what the Criterion Collection is, you'd be hard-pressed to find 1 who knows.

[SillyMammo]

I double dipped on The Last Emperor and will probably get In the Realm of the Sense.

[pro-bassoonist]

Aside from The Third Man, The 400 Blows and The Wages of Fear are two films that are absolutely essential for every serious film library.

Pro-B

ps
Beta-Man, very good idea to have a sticky Criterion thread so we could streamline all the info that will be coming up in the future

[zedd_117]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Aside from The Third Man, The 400 Blows and The Wages of Fear are two films that are absolutely essential for every serious film library.

Pro-B

Thank You.
There's a guy over in The "RAN" thread that annouced that "Finally a film that matters" is being released (in reference to Ran).

Happy to find others share my thoughts.

[graf1k]

I don't see the sense in buying the entire Criterion Collection (whether on DVD or Blu) unles you like all the movies (no very likely but I'm sure there's someone). That said, eventually I'll pick up The Third Man and probably Ran. I plan to rent Wages of Fear, 400 Blows and possibly In the Realm of Senses as I have not seen them yet but have heard good things.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by graf1k

I don't see the sense in buying the entire Criterion Collection (whether on DVD or Blu) unles you like all the movies (no very likely but I'm sure there's someone). That said, eventually I'll pick up The Third Man and probably Ran. I plan to rent Wages of Fear, 400 Blows and possibly In the Realm of Senses as I have not seen them yet but have heard good things.

I can understand where you're coming from..... I guess some people collect blu-ray movies just to own them, or perhaps to have them available for others who may want to see them.... I myself don't want "Every" blu-ray movie out there, and currently don't find 700+ titles currently available as movies I want to own...... But it's quite obvious there are a good number of people here who have that many movies, and some have over 1,000

Where I find the Criterion Collection differs, is in the fact that they hand-select movies to give their "Royal Treatment" to..... so although the Criterion Collection had caused me to purchase some movies that I had never seen before, and quite frankly some that I had never heard of..... They were all good quality films..... I didn't like some of them then... and I don't like them now for that matter.... but I'm glad I own them, because I will re-watch them, show them to friends, etc... because most of them provoke conversation, thought, etc....

With the Criterion Collection, unlike just any "blu-ray release" it's a way of collecting without the fear of wasting money on blu-rays you truly have no interest in owning, such as High-School Musical, Norbit etc.... although there is an audience for those films, Criterion selects their movies based on achievements, or artistic qualities...

Maybe I'm just compensating for my inability to get those hard-to-find baseball cards when I was a kid... who knows....

Some people collect NASCAR plates, I collect Criterion Collection Films....

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by zedd_117

Thank You.
There's a guy over in The "RAN" thread that annouced that "Finally a film that matters" is being released (in reference to Ran).

Happy to find others share my thoughts.

Well, while I am pleased to see Ran arriving on Blu-ray, I would have loved it if they would have replaced it with a Fellini, Renoir, Tarkovsky, De Sica or Bergman film. I do understand, however, why at this point they opted for films such as Bottle Rocket, The Man Who Fell To Earth, and Ran.

Pro-B

[Jimbo976]

So far I have them all except Bottle Rocket and am very happy with them. I am planning to buy the majority of the releases they put out on Blu but will likely have to scale back on them with some worries on my job and also no way to get these for reasonable prices in Canada any more. The Canadian MSRP's on the upcoming Criterion releases are insane and the Cdn. Dollar tanking has made buying from the US not a deal any more.

Personally my ranking so far of the ones I have is (from most favorite down):

#64 The Third Man
#304 The Man Who Fell to Earth
#453 Chungking Express
#422 The Last Emperor
#458 El Norte