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Criterion

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 20 of 21

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

Director: D. A. Pennebaker

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray 4K restoration

Director: Claudia Weill

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

4K digital transfer supervised by Claudia Weill and DP Fred Murphy

Director: Wim Wenders

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray new HD digital transfer; source was Digital Betacam/MiniDV in 625 widescreen PAL, edited/conformed in PAL, graded/mastered in NTSC, with original D2 NTSC master used for the HD remaster.

Director: Dee Rees

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray director-approved 2K transfer

Director: Robert M. Young

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray director-approved new HD restoration

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray director-approved 4K restoration

Director: John Sayles

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion or UK 88 Films Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

Criterion or UK 88 Films Blu-ray are from director-approved 4K restoration with minimal differences see caps

Additional Info:

Both Criterion and 88 Films have the same audio

Director: Lawrence Kasdan

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

4K restoration

There's also 4K Streaming but no comparison is available

Director: Stanley Kwan Kam-Pang

Best English-Friendly & Video:

US Criterion Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

US Criterion Blu-ray : See caps. Criterion and 88 Films share a regraded and brighter master; Carlotta didn't follow the regrade and its image is very dark.

Audio Notes:

Mono spectrograms

Director: Lisa Cholodenko

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

5.1 remix: Criterion Blu-ray
Original matrixed stereo: Universal NTSC DVD

Audio Notes:

The 5.1 track is a new mix from the original elements, rather than a straight transfer.

Additional Info:

Criterion booklet notes:
> High Art is presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Supervised and approved by director Lisa Cholodenko, this new 4K restoration was undertaken by the Academy Film Archive and the UCLA Film & Television Archive, in conjunction with the Sundance Institute, using the 35 mm original camera negative. The 5.1 surround soundtrack was remastered from the DA-88 edit masters and mix masters. Funding was provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Frameline, the Sundance Institute, and the UCLA Film & Television Archive, with laboratory services by Roundabout Entertainment, Red Hook Post, and Monkeyland Audio.

Director: Bi Gan

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2018 Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

Amazon Streaming Release

Audio Notes:

Amazon Streaming Release or potentially other streaming 

The Amazon Streaming release has more high-end detail than the Criterion Blu-ray.

Director: William Dieterle

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray 4K restoration

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Best English-Friendly & Video:

CriterionBlu-ray

Best Audio:

Criterion 2.0 Surround Track

Additional Info:

Eureka release has a better encode, but is taken from an older master. The Criterion Blu-ray was a new restoration from the ground up, and is substantially improved despite not being as well encoded.

Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion boxset

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

Best Video:

Carlotta FR Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Criterion boxset but awful compression

FiM encode w/o English subtitles; Criterion boxset one has awful compression. review

Director: Danny Boyle

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion OOP Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

Film4/Spirit Blu-ray has worse encoding, presented in 1.78:1 and is from an older master caps

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray, 4K transfer

Director: Leo McCarey

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray 4K restoration

Director: Frank Tashlin

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray HD transfer

Director: Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray 2K master

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