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

Page 5 of 35

To Be or Not to Be (1942)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

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

Upcoming Release:

StudioCanal 4K

Video Notes:

> StudioCanal https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=6600&d2=6586&c=2691

Best Audio:

2005 WB DVD

Audio Notes:

> Criterion Blu-ray > StudioCanal Blu-ray. Maybe 1998 LaserDisc better? See Blah-Ray

4.3

Safeguarding Military Information (1942)

Director: Preston Sturges

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion The Palm Beach Story Blu-ray extras

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

Video Notes:

While it's included on both Criterion The Palm Beach Story extras and Arrow's Sullivan's Travels' extras, Criterion uses a different source and is vastly superior, see caps

The Palm Beach Story (1942)

Director: Preston Sturges

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4k transfer

Best Audio:

3.8

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

Director: Orson Welles

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4k restoration

Best Audio:

1989/1993 Criterion LaserDisc

3.9

Cat People (1942)

Director: Jacques Tourneur

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

3.7

Now, Voyager (1942)

Director: Irving Rapper

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray 4K transfer

Woman of the Year (1942)

Director: George Stevens

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray 2K scan

3.4

I Married a Witch (1942)

Director: René Clair

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

3.6

Heaven Can Wait (1943)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2018 Criterion Blu-ray

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.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

Directors: Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray or ITV Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray vs ITV Blu-ray is similar

4.2

I Walked with a Zombie (1943)

Director: Jacques Tourneur

4K · Excellent

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

3.7

The Seventh Victim (1943)

Director: Mark Robson

4K · Excellent

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray capsule review

3.5

Double Indemnity (1944)

Director: Billy Wilder

4K · Excellent

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 MCA LaserDisc

4.2

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray, 4k transfer

4.0

Ivan the Terrible, Part I (1944)

Director: Sergei Eisenstein

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Best Video:

France Bach Films

Video Notes:

France Bach Films has Blu-ray

3.9

Rome, Open City (1945)

Director: Roberto Rossellini

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Roberto Rossellini’s War Trilogy Blu-ray

English-Friendly Notes:

BFI Blu-ray slightly better encode but gamma is off

4.2

Mildred Pierce (1945)

Director: Michael Curtiz

4K · Solid

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1990 MGM LaserDisc

4.1

Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

Director: John M. Stahl

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray has minimally better encoding than Twilight Time Blu-ray see caps

3.9

I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)

Directors: Emeric Pressburger & Michael Powell

4K · Excellent

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray from the BFI 4k restoration

3.8

Brief Encounter (1945)

Director: David Lean

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

4.3

Missing a Criterion film? Suggest it