The Criterion Collection

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Criterion Channel
)

The Criterion Collection, Inc.
Janus Films
Divisions
Websitecriterion.com

The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American

streaming service
that the company operates.

The Criterion Collection is considered a leading

boutique Blu-ray label.[6][7]

History

The company was founded in 1984 by

Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH bought 20% of Voyager for US$6.7 million; the four founders each retained a 20% owner's share.[8]

In 1997, the Voyager Company was dissolved (Aleen Stein founded the Organa LLC CD-ROM publishing company), and

Image Entertainment bought HVE.[12] On November 4, 2013, it was announced that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment would handle distribution.[13]

Home Vision Entertainment

In 1986, Charles Benton founded Home Vision Entertainment (HVE), the home-video division of Public Media Inc. (PMI), which he had previously founded in 1968. The HVE company sold, advertised, marketed and distributed Criterion Collection DVDs, and also sold its own HVE brand of DVDs (co-produced with Criterion), including The Merchant Ivory Collection[14] and the Classic Collection, a joint venture between Home Vision Entertainment and Janus Films. The latter enterprise published HVE imprint films, for which Janus Films owned the video rights, but which were unavailable from the Criterion Collection; however, Criterion published the Classic Collection films. In 2005, Image Entertainment bought HVE making it the exclusive distributor of Criterion Collection products until 2013.[15]

Online ventures and marketing

The Criterion Collection began to provide

Hulu Plus.[16] In November 2016, FilmStruck, a film streaming service from Turner Classic Movies, succeeded Hulu as the exclusive streaming service for the Criterion Collection.[17] Some Criterion films were streamed by Kanopy. On October 26, 2018, Warner Bros. Digital Networks and Turner announced that FilmStruck would shut down on November 29.[18] Criterion stated in a blog post that it was "trying to find ways we can bring our library and original content back to the digital space as soon as possible".[19]

On November 16, 2018, Criterion announced the launch of the Criterion Channel as a standalone service, wholly owned and operated by the Criterion Collection, in the United States and Canada. Some of the VOD service's offerings are also available through HBO Max (which later shortened the name into just Max in May 23, 2023), WarnerMedia/Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming platform as of May 27, 2020.[20]

British film magazine

Sight & Sound revealed in its April 2016 issue that Criterion would be expanding its releases to the United Kingdom.[21][22]
The first six titles were released on April 18, 2016.

Contributions and influence

The Criterion Collection video company pioneered the correct aspect-ratio letterboxing presentation of films, as well as commentary soundtracks, multi-disc sets, special editions and definitive versions. These ideas and the special features introduced by the Criterion Collection have been highly influential, and have become industry-wide standards for premium home video releases.[citation needed]

Letterboxing

With its eighth LaserDisc release,

4:3 standard television set in order to preserve the original aspect ratio of the film.[23] Thereafter, Criterion made letterboxing the standard presentation for all its releases of films shot in widescreen aspect ratios.[24]

Commentary soundtracks

The Criterion Collection's second LaserDisc title,

The Wizard of Oz
(1939). Typically, the chapter-indexed commentaries are exclusive to the Criterion releases and their initial DVD reissues; they became collectors' items when the original studios reissued titles previously licensed to Criterion, regardless of whether new commentary tracks were produced.

Special editions

The Criterion Collection began in 1984 with the releases of

trailers, commentaries, documentaries, alternate endings and deleted scenes.[29] The success of these releases established the special-edition version in the DVD business. In 2006, taking advantage of advanced film-transfer and film-restoration technologies, Criterion published higher-quality versions, with bonus materials, of early catalog titles such as Amarcord (1973), Brazil (1985) and Seven Samurai
(1954).

Film restoration

Originally, Criterion released art, genre and mainstream movies on LaserDisc such as Halloween (1978), Ghostbusters (1984), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), Armageddon (1998) and The Rock (1996). Increasingly, the Criterion Collection has also focused on releasing world cinema, mainstream cinema classics and critically successful obscure films. Using the best available source materials, the company produced technologically improved and cleaner versions, such as those for The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), M (1931), Children of Paradise (1945), The Third Man (1949), Seven Samurai (1954) and Amarcord (1973). Almost every title contains film-cleaning and film-restoration essays in the booklets, while some even have featurettes comparing the restored and unrestored images.

Licenses

Some previously licensed Criterion Collection titles, such as The Harder They Come (1972), are now commercially unavailable as new product, and are only available in resale (used) form. Titles such as RoboCop (1987), Hard Boiled (1992), The Killer (1989) and Ran (1985) became unavailable when their publishing licenses expired or when Criterion published improved versions, such as those for Beauty and the Beast (1946), M (1931), The Wages of Fear (1953) and Seven Samurai (1954). As of October 2023, over 200 of the 384 titles from the List of Criterion Collection Laserdisc releases have been re-released.[30]

Another example is the film

Universal Pictures for the initial edition and for the later anamorphic widescreen re-release edition of the film.[31][32]

Periodically, Criterion releases material on DVD and Blu-ray disc licensed from the studios with whom the company had previously dealt (such as Universal's and Terry Gilliam's 1985 film Brazil); these new releases are generally undertaken on a case-by-case basis.[33]

Criterion released its first Walt Disney Pictures title, Andrew Stanton's WALL-E, in 2022. This was not the result of an ongoing deal between Disney and Criterion, but rather licensed as a one-off, with Stanton approaching Criterion and "wanting to be part of the club".[34][35]

Formats

All Criterion titles are numbered, which is shown on the bottom of the spine of the packaging. Though the bulk of Criterion's catalog is of live-action films, they have also released animated films (Akira, Fantastic Planet, Fantastic Mr. Fox and WALL-E), television series (Tanner '88, Fishing with John and select episodes of I Love Lucy and The Addams Family) and music videos (Beastie Boys Video Anthology).

LaserDisc and VHS/Betamax

The original "Criterion" logo

The Criterion Collection began publishing LaserDiscs on December 1, 1984, with its release of Citizen Kane, until March 16, 1999, with Michael Bay's Armageddon (#384).[36] Three of the company's early titles (The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes and The Third Man) were also issued on VHS and Betamax.[37] These were Criterion's only releases on those formats—other Janus/Criterion titles were often released to VHS through Home Vision Entertainment.

DVD and Blu-ray

Criterion entered the DVD market in 1998 with a reset numbering system, beginning with

16:9 monitors until mid-1999 with its release of Insomnia (#47).[38]

Criterion was slow to expand into

HD format wars between Blu-ray and HD DVD.[39] Once Blu-ray had emerged as the industry-standard high-definition home-video format, Criterion began to release Blu-ray editions of select films from its collection, beginning with the Blu-ray release of Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express (#453; currently out of print) on December 16, 2008.[40][41] In late 2013, Criterion announced that with the November release of the Zatoichi boxset (spine #679), all future releases would be in dual format (DVD and Blu-ray packaged together) rather than as individual releases.[42] This decision also applied to most upgrade re-releases introduced after November 2013. After customer feedback revealed some reluctance to this approach, All That Jazz (#724) became the last chronological spine number released as a dual-format edition, and the decision was reversed to release separate discs for titles beginning in September 2014.[43]

Despite the emergence of Blu-ray as the industry-standard high-definition format, Janus/Criterion continues to support the DVD format. Not only are all their new Blu-ray releases accompanied by a standard-definition DVD version, but revised and upgraded releases are also released on both formats (barring the brief foray into dual-format releases). Moreover, the company's standalone line of Eclipse releases are currently only made available in the standard DVD format.

Aside from the core catalog, the company has also released films through its Essential Art House, Eclipse, Merchant Ivory and Janus Contemporaries lines, as well as a few releases outside of any product line. Many of these releases have also been collected and sold in various box sets.

In early 2016 for the first time in its history, Criterion announced it would begin releasing its catalogue outside of the US and Canada (earlier international Criterion titles such as the Japanese LaserDisc of Blade Runner were licensed to other companies). In partnership with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, releases began to be distributed with the launch of six titles in the U.K. during the month.[44]

A Criterion Collection logotype: Blu-ray Criterion label, dates from the first movies released on December 16, 2008.

Criterion's DVD releases are a mixture of

Region 0 (region-free) and Region 1 DVDs. Blu-ray discs are Region A-locked in North America or Region B-locked in the United Kingdom (though there are exceptions).[45]
However when SPHE stopped distributing Criterion's releases in the UK, the distribution moved to Spirit Entertainment.

Ultra HD Blu-ray

On August 11, 2021, Criterion announced that it would begin publishing titles in

HDR and Dolby Atmos. The first such releases were announced on August 16 for a November 21 release: Citizen Kane (#1104, returning to the collection for the first time since 1992), Mulholland Drive and Menace II Society. The company also released The Red Shoes, A Hard Day's Night and The Piano on Ultra HD Blu-ray disc.[46][47] The film Uncut Gems (#1101), which was previously planned for Blu-ray and DVD release in October 2021, was delayed until November in order to also give the film an Ultra HD Blu-ray release.[48]

Streaming as The Criterion Channel

After forays in providing titles from the Collection as streaming

Hulu Plus (2011-2016)[16] and TCM's FilmStruck (2016-2018)[17] – Criterion titles found themselves without an online home when FilmStruck announced it would be shutting down on November 29, 2018. The company stated in a blog post that it was "trying to find ways we can bring our library and original content back to the digital space as soon as possible".[49]

A month later, Criterion announced their own standalone subscription service, The Criterion Channel available to subscribers in the United States and Canada. The service began on April 8, 2019.[50] The Channel's offerings include rotating playlists, temporarily licensed films (and some television offerings) from a variety of studios and rights holders alongside streaming editions of Criterion Collection releases replete with special features. The Channel also hosts some original content, including academic overviews and curated introductions as well as featuring some Janus-owned titles that have yet to be released on physical media. Criterion maintains a close relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming platform Max, which frequently also houses Criterion-released titles.

References

  1. ^
    Hoover's. Archived
    from the original on May 11, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2008.
  2. ^ Bachman, Justin (April 16, 2014). "How Hulu Found a Subscriber Lure in Obscure Films". Bloomberg Business. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  3. ^ Hunt, Joshua (February 29, 2024). "Sure, It Won an Oscar. But Is It Criterion? - How the Criterion Collection became the film world's arbiter of taste". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  4. ^ "Criterion Mission Statement". Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2009.
  5. ^ "How Criterion Collection Brings Movies Back From the Dead – Gizmodo on YouTube". Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  6. ^ Kozak, Oktay Ege (December 5, 2017). "The Best Boutique Blu-ray Distributors (Who Aren't Criterion)". Paste. Archived from the original on June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  7. CBR.com. Archived
    from the original on June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Virshup, Amy (July 1996). "The Teachings of Bob Stein". Wired. Archived from the original on July 4, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  9. ^ Brockman, John. "Bob Stein: The Radical". Digerati. Edge Foundation. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  10. ^ "Janus And Voyager Team on Homevid". Variety. October 23, 1985. p. 32.
  11. ^ a b "Aleen Stein". Organa Online. Archived from the original on August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  12. ^ "History". About Home Vision. Home Vision Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 27, 2002. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  13. ^ "Sony Inks Distribution, Admin Deal With Criterion". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  14. ^ Hasan, Mark Richard (September 2004). "DVD Review". Music From the Movies. Archived from the original on June 8, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
  15. ^ "Image Entertainment Acquires Home Vision Entertainment and Enters into Exclusive Multi-Year Home Video Distribution Agreement with The Criterion Collection". August 2, 2005. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  16. ^
    OCLC 1645522
    . Retrieved March 30, 2011. Hulu is looking to court movie buffs to its subscription Plus offering, announcing Tuesday that it has acquired streaming rights for hundreds of classic films from The Criterion Collection. [...] Hulu Plus will soon be the only place old movie buffs will be able to catch Criterion titles.
  17. ^ a b Kleeman, Sophie (April 26, 2016). "21 Classic Movies Getting Yanked From Hulu Soon". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  18. ^ Spangler, Todd (October 26, 2018). "WarnerMedia to Shut Down FilmStruck Subscription-Streaming Service". Variety. Archived from the original on October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  19. ^ "News About FilmStruck". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  20. ^ "New, Independent Criterion Channel to Launch Spring 2019". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  21. ^ "Criterion to Begin Releasing on Blu-ray in the UK". Blu-ray.com. Blu-ray.com. March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  22. ^ Gallagher, Ryan (March 4, 2016). "The Criterion Collection is expanding to the UK on April 18". CriterionCast. CriterionCast LLC. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  23. ^ The Criterion Collection. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Archived from the original on September 5, 2004. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  24. ^ The Criterion Collection. "FAQ". Archived from the original on May 20, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  25. ^ "From the Archives: The KING KONG commentary on Vimeo". Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  26. ^ "The First Audio Commentary". Media Party. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  27. .
  28. ^ Entertainment Tonight: Criterion LaserDiscs – 1985. January 11, 2009. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ Ulaby, Neda (June 2004). "Criterion DVD Collection". NPR. Archived from the original on December 27, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
  30. ^ Criterion Collection on Laserdisc
  31. ^ "To Martin Scorsese, the Criterion Collection and Anyone Else Who'll Listen: More Public Domain Classics Worth Saving|HuffPost". Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  32. ^ "Charade (Universal 100th Anniversary): DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  33. ^ "25 Essential DVD/Blu-ray Releases from The Criterion Collection « Taste of Cinema". Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  34. ^ Zilko, Christian (November 5, 2022). "Andrew Stanton Reached Out to Criterion About 'WALL-E' Because He 'Wanted to Be in the Club'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  35. ^ Ebiri, Bilge (November 23, 2022). "Andrew Stanton Remembers When 'Nobody Wanted to Make' Wall-E". New York. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  36. ^ "Criterion Collection Laserdiscs". Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  37. ^ daisukebeppu (October 17, 2022). "Greetings from Tokyo. Here are some Criterion VHS titles from back in the day (another interesting part of Criterion's history!). Warmest regards". r/criterion. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  38. ^ "FAQS". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on September 9, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
  39. ^ Griffin, Al (September 2008). "Criterion Remastered". Sound & Vision. Archived from the original on January 12, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  40. ^ Atanasov, Svet (November 22, 2008). "Chungking Express Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  41. ^ "Chungking Express (1994)". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  42. ^ "Why Dual-Format?|The Current|The Criterion Collection". Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  43. ^ "Re:Format|The Current|The Criterion Collection". Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  44. ^ "New UK Releases for April 2016". criterion.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  45. ^ "FAQ". criterion.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  46. ^ "Citizen Kane to Lead Criterion's First 4K Slate". The Criterion Collection. August 11, 2021. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  47. ^ "Criterion Announces November 2021 Titles". Film Pulse. August 16, 2021. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  48. ^ "Criterion Sets 'Uncut Gems' 4K Edition for Nov. 23 – Media Play News". September 2021. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  49. ^ "News About FilmStruck". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  50. ^ "The Criterion Channel Announces Launch Lineup". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.

External links