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Criterion

636 films on Best BluraysBest video release: 222 in 4K405 in HD9 in SD38 more for audio only19 more announced

Best 4K release by tier:
Based in United StatesFounded 1984criterion.com (opens in a new tab)

Films where Criterion's release is the pick. How picks are made

Based in New York, Criterion has released classic and contemporary films since 1984, giving each title a spine number and adding commentaries, essays and supplements. Many discs use new restorations it supervises, and 4K UHD releases began in November 2021. North American Blu-rays are Region A locked, with a smaller Region B UK line since 2016; Janus Films is a sister company, and Steven Rales has owned both since 2024.

405 of 636 films match · Page 19 of 21

Films where Criterion's release is the pick. How picks are made

Director: Federico Fellini

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion

Video Notes:

Included as extras in the Criterion 8½ Blu-ray. Looks like SD source, and in a very rough quality.

Directors: Tatti Sanguineti & Federico Fellini

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Intervista Blu-ray extras

Director: Robert M. Young

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Samuel Fuller

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray source features proper gamma and black levels with a superior contrast. MoC Blu-ray source features improper gamma and black levels and too bright a contrast, making the picture appear washed out. See caps

Additional Info:

Caveat:  MoC Blu-ray has slightly better encoding than Criterion

Director: Leo McCarey

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Love Affair Blu-ray 1080i extras

Director: Haskell Wexler

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab) · blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray is slightly better than MoC Blu-ray: while both are from a 4K restoration approved by director, MoC is more sharpened but gamma is flatter see caps

Best Audio:

Paramount DVD and potentially Paramount LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

Paramount DVD and potentially Paramount LaserDisc see blah-ray

Criterion and MoC Blu-ray has the same audio, and additional (destructive) hiss reduction was applied, and one segment was made significantly louder.

Also, every home video release except the 1982 Paramount VHS cassette replaces Wild Man Fischer's 'Merry-Go-Round' in the roller derby scene with a version of 'Sweet Georgia Brown' by Brother Bones. Two very different songs, and one must assume that the tone of the scene has changed considerably

Director: Joachim Trier

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion or MUBI Boxset Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion or MUBI Boxset Blu-ray no comparison avaialble

Director: Agnès Varda

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Boxset Blu-ray or UK BFI Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Boxset Blu-ray or UK BFI Blu-ray no comparison available

Director: Gints Zilbalodis

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Flow Blu-ray 1080p extras

Director: Gints Zilbalodis

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Flow Blu-ray 1080p extras

Director: Amy Heckerling

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray is significantly better than Universal Blu-ray see caps

Director: Jules Dassin

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray is a newer 4K restoration, and much better than older Arrow Blu-ray and the Arrow reissue is slightly more cut-off than the Criterion Blu-ray too

Director: Daniel Petrie

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray 4K transfer

Director: Irving Rapper

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray 4K transfer

Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray is a newer 4K scan and is an improvement over older Sony Blu-ray see caps

Audio Notes:

While Criterion Blu-ray is 24bit over Sony 16bit, they sound the same according to Blay-ray

Director: Jack Arnold

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray is a newer 4K restoration

Best Audio:

MCA LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray generally has more noise reduction than the DVDs and the other two blu-rays, but its EQ more closely matches the LaserDisc - though dialogue still sounds a bit comparatively hollow. See blah-ray review

Director: Richard Linklater

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Rob Epstein

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray 2K transfer on 4K scan

Director: Charles Burnett

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray new restored 4K digital transfer approved by Charles Burnett

Best Audio:

iTunes version from 2018 see blah-ray

Director: Peter Davis

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

HD restoration supervised by Peter Davis and Richard Pearce

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