Criterion

699 films on Best Blurays

Based in United StatesFounded 1984criterion.com ↗

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.

Aliases: cc, criterion

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The Cameraman (1928)

Directors: Edward Sedgwick & Buster Keaton

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray, 4k transfer

4.1

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

4.4

Broadway (1929)

Director: Pál Fejős

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Lonesome Blu-ray extra

Video Notes:

Probably the same as the Universal 4K restoration

3.2

The Last Performance (1929)

Director: Pál Fejős

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Lonesome Blu-ray extra

3.4

Pandora's Box (1929)

Director: G.W. Pabst

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

3.9

The Love Parade (1930)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Eclipse Series 8: Lubitsch Musicals Blu-ray

3.4

Monte Carlo (1930)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Eclipse Series 8: Lubitsch Musicals Blu-ray

3.3

People on Sunday (1930)

Directors: Robert Siodmak & Edgar G. Ulmer

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

BFI vs Criterion?

Best Video:

BFI and Criterion

Video Notes:

BFI and Criterion same HD resto, no comparisons

3.6

Hell's Angels (1930)

Director: Howard Hughes

4K · Excellent

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

3.5

King of Jazz (1930)

Director: John Murray Anderson

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Universal. No comparison with Elephant Films France Blu-ray available

3.4

Holiday (1930)

Director: Edward H. Griffith

Best English-Friendly:

Extras in Criterion Holiday (1938) Blu-ray

Best Video:

1080p, Included as extras in Criterion Holiday 1938 Blu-ray

3.2

La Chienne (1931)

Director: Jean Renoir

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion

Best Video:

Criterion 4k transfer

Best Audio:

France M6 Video Blu-ray

3.8

City Lights (1931)

Director: Charlie Chaplin

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

4k restoration. Superior to Germany Kinowelt or Japan Kadokawa, see caps-a-holic

Best Audio:

2000 Image Entertainment DVD

4.3

The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Eclipse Series 8: Lubitsch Musicals Blu-ray

3.6

Limite (1931)

Director: Mário Peixoto

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion world cinema project no 2, Blu-ray

3.8

One Hour with You (1932)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Eclipse Series 8: Lubitsch Musicals Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1997 MCA Universal 'The Lubitsch Touch' LaserDisc Box Set

Additional Info:

The 1997 LaserDisc has more high end detail in the audio than the new restoration

Trouble in Paradise (1932)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

4K · Excellent

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

A new 4K restoration from a 35mm nitrate print from and a 35mm composite duplicate negative.

Spain Universal Blu-ray is from a very soft DVD-era transfer; caps

Audio Notes:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray is a new transfer by UCLA, with a bit more high end detail

The earlier transfer used on the Spain Universal Blu-ray and MoC DVD is a bit boomy with boosted bass. The 1999 Criterion DVD uses an even earlier transfer with noticable artifacting and less detail.