Collecting Criterion

[Moe Dickstein]

I don't understand how the Criterion fetishists who align their collection by spine number ever find whatever movie they're looking for. Admittedly this assumes they watch the films so it may be a silly query

Because unlike you some of us can remember what the spine number is or at least what part of the shelf something is on when we want it. Criterion is much better with DVD/Blu, they don't leave gaps - with the laserdiscs things got released out of order because once things were given a spine in production then it was kept, so when a release was cancelled it created a gap in the numbers (and the two releases of Prince of Tides had 2 numbers, Brazil kept LD spine 190 even though it was delayed for years and was released when current numbering was around 300)

[zedz]

I don't understand how the Criterion fetishists who align their collection by spine number ever find whatever movie they're looking for. Admittedly this assumes they watch the films so it may be a silly query

I keep mine in spine number order, mainly because it looks nice and neat and it's good for browsing (for most visitors, having the majority of films organized alphabetically by director is way more confusing). I can find stuff not because I know all the spine numbers (because I may be odd, but I'm not a psychopath) but because I can generally remember how long ago something was released. Like, The Battle of Algiers came out around the same time as the Cassavetes set and Videodrome, so those titles will be back here, but Kuroneko is pretty recent, so that'll be up here.

[cdnchris]

I'm sorta like zedz in this area. I keep them in order but usually think "autobiographically" to find what I'm looking for. Plus there's a few titles whose numbers I know, which helps. I can't remember the number for Hobson's Choice, but I know it came out a bit before or after Bottle Rocket, which is 450, so it's in that area somewhere.

I did break them out and sort them with the rest alphabetically at one point as it was silly, especially since I didn't intend to own them all, but then had to admit I kinda like the way they looked all grouped together. Even my wife, who couldn't care less about them, agreed.

[jindianajonz]

Yeah, I do the same thing as Chris. It also helps to be familiar with the artwork; knowing that you are looking for a bright orange and black spine somewhere in the early 400's usually makes finding things a breeze.

[criterion10]

I don't understand how the Criterion fetishists who align their collection by spine number ever find whatever movie they're looking for. Admittedly this assumes they watch the films so it may be a silly query

Is it weird that I have many of the spine numbers memorized to their corresponding film? Or are there others with OCD like myself?

And yes, my Criterion's are organized by their spine numbers (although I do have the digipaks separate from the regular keepcases).

[Arrow]

I don't even have mine displayed. Theyre scattered around in random drawers.

[Bürgermeister]

I don't understand how the Criterion fetishists who align their collection by spine number ever find whatever movie they're looking for. Admittedly this assumes they watch the films so it may be a silly query

Is it weird that I have many of the spine numbers memorized to their corresponding film? Or are there others with OCD like myself?

And yes, my Criterion's are organized by their spine numbers (although I do have the digipaks separate from the regular keepcases).

No it's not weird, and there's certainly nothing "OCD" about it either.
People with self diagnosed"OCD" need to spend time with a genuine sufferer of OCD. Then you'll realise just how silly your self diagnosed claims are.

[zedz]

I kinda like the way they looked all grouped together. Even my wife, who couldn't care less about them, agreed.

I suspect that "making the room look slightly less appalling for the spouse's benefit" is a factor shared by more than just us two.

[zedz]

I don't even have mine displayed. Theyre scattered around in random drawers.

I used to have mine buried in the garden, but that made specific titles incredibly hard to find, even with the treasure map.

[Drucker]

I kinda like the way they looked all grouped together. Even my wife, who couldn't care less about them, agreed.

I suspect that "making the room look slightly less appalling for the spouse's benefit" is a factor shared by more than just us two.

Grouping them by director was unacceptable to my wife. A while back she did it by color which did look really nice, but the mixing of different sized cases bugged me. I just organized mine collection by 1) label 2) DVD first then blu ray. It looks very nice, and we're all fine.

My collection also isn't large enough that I'm at risk of not knowing where the heck something is.

[tenia]

I don't understand how the Criterion fetishists who align their collection by spine number ever find whatever movie they're looking for. Admittedly this assumes they watch the films so it may be a silly query

It's actually exactly the same than finding a movie amongst my whole collection, since I have no order whatsoever. I just put my latest haul after the previous one on the shelf, only splitting collections so that Criterions are together, MoC together, etc. Then, it's just visual memory to remember about where should be the movie I'm looking for.
Among about 1000 BDs and 1000 DVDs, I'm still able to find what I'm looking for very easily, but of course, no one else knows where to find a given movie within all this, because it's based on going very often through it.

It's just a bit like what Chris does, you know around where it should be (before / after this or that), and that's quite enough.

[Arrow]

I kinda like the way they looked all grouped together. Even my wife, who couldn't care less about them, agreed.

I suspect that "making the room look slightly less appalling for the spouse's benefit" is a factor shared by more than just us two.

Grouping them by director was unacceptable to my wife. A while back she did it by color which did look really nice, but the mixing of different sized cases bugged me. I just organized mine collection by 1) label 2) DVD first then blu ray. It looks very nice, and we're all fine.

My collection also isn't large enough that I'm at risk of not knowing where the heck something is.

When I did have mine displayed I just had them alphabetically organized. Now I travel so much for work and I move so frequently I don't even own a tv I just take a handful of films with me on the road for airport or hotel downtime.

[jindianajonz]

I have no order whatsoever [...] Among about 1000 BDs and 1000 DVDs

Have you ever been to a doctor to check for obsessive noncompulsive disorder? I'm fidgeting over here just thinking about it...

[Moe Dickstein]

I have no order whatsoever [...] Among about 1000 BDs and 1000 DVDs

Have you ever been to a doctor to check for obsessive noncompulsive disorder? I'm fidgeting over here just thinking about it...

OMG yes, I want to come over to your house and FIX that.

[Perkins Cobb]

My own discs are heaped precariously in piles against the wall of my bedroom, in no order whatsoever. DVDs mixed in with Blu-rays. DVD-rs are also in stacks on the floor, some in plastic cases, some in envelopes, others not housed in anything at all! The proximity of DVD artwork to discarded greasy pizza boxes is sometimes quite close. I also don't have any kind of spreadsheet listing them all. In fact, I don't even know which movies I have! Surprises are nice!

If reading the above gives anyone some kind of seizure, could you please Youtube it and give me a shout-out? Thanks!

[Gregory]

But how do you organize the empty pizza boxes? Or, if they have a slice or two left inside, do you organize them in order of purchase so that the leftovers stay relatively fresh?

[Perkins Cobb]

But how do you organize the empty pizza boxes? Or, if they have a slice or two left inside, do you organize them in order of purchase so that the leftovers stay relatively fresh?

Much as I'd like to throw the must-have-every-spine-number-in-order-with-no-gaps contingent a bone at this point, all them leftover crusts just rattle around in there like candy in a pinata, dude. What can I say. I live on the wild side.

[Moe Dickstein]

My empty pizza boxes are organized in my closet by size and then vendor.

[Lemmy Caution]

My empty pizza boxes are organized in my closet by size and then vendor.

I've also added spine numbers ...

[FrauBlucher]

My own discs are heaped precariously in piles against the wall of my bedroom, in no order whatsoever. DVDs mixed in with Blu-rays. DVD-rs are also in stacks on the floor, some in plastic cases, some in envelopes, others not housed in anything at all! The proximity of DVD artwork to discarded greasy pizza boxes is sometimes quite close. I also don't have any kind of spreadsheet listing them all. In fact, I don't even know which movies I have! Surprises are nice!

If reading the above gives anyone some kind of seizure, could you please Youtube it and give me a shout-out? Thanks!

You so jest.

[Yaanu]

(Reposting from Facebook:)

Time for the Unofficial Criterion Checklist again. Now updated to reflect today's earlier announcements.

BD - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
DVD - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Dual-Format - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Eclipse - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As always, let me know if there's something incorrect.

If you want to save your own copy of the checklist for your own editing purposes, you'll want to create a Google Account, access the spreadsheet, and click "File" and then "Make a copy".
I'm also working on a little surprise for the hardcore Criterion collectors, though it won't be up for grabs for a while.

EDIT:
And I'm done.
Here's a chart for LaserDisc collectors:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You'll need a Google Account to save your own copy for your own editing purposes. But once you do, just fill out a capital "Y" in the "Owned?" column and the stats on the right should change.

Let me know if I got anything wrong. I culled my data from the Wikipedia list of Criterion LaserDisc titles and the LaserDisc Database.

[ntnon]

I'm just wondering, do I wait for the blu-ray release for the older movies or just buy the original ones. I was debating whether to go DVD to a certain point (say 341) and blu-ray the rest of the way. But I have some early ones as blu-ray (Monterey Pop) and there are ones OOP that will never be updated (421, The Fallen Idol or 402, The Milky Way). Is it crazy being so OCD? A solution, getting just DVD would be horrid!
;) That's been my solution. For one (multiple) reason: currently, DVDs are more widely watchable - I can take them in the car, use any computer with a DVD drive, any DVD or Blu-ray player (and crucially a portable one), lend them to anyone (should the desire ever strike me!) and even play them on (almost) any region of player without terrible difficulty.

I'm sure I'll regret it if or when I get a bigger or better TV, but at the moment DVDs are easily the most watchable for me. I'd prefer the best version, but being able to watch them trumps that. At the moment...

I have an Excel spreadsheet with every CC movie, director, release date, CC release date, and more. It even has pull-downs so you can select if you want to see all movies by Kurosawa, for example. I tried attaching it here, but it got shot down as a "list" I think. It's a valuable tool if you are a collector.

I've been trying to scout out a full list that tells me release dates, blu release dates and upgrade titles & dates, but have come up - close, but - empty. Does your list cover those things, please..?! :)

I wonder if the Collection might consider - or be legally able to - releasing a coffee table book when they get to #800 (or better yet #1000 of all the covers, brief synopses of the films and all the release information: theatrical, re-release (if applicable), laserdisc, DVD, blu, upgrade, etc. I'd buy it.

[swo17]

Not to in any way encourage this degree of fanaticism, but this link should suit all of your cataloguing and sorting needs.

[cdnchris]

I tried to collect everything here: http://www.criterionforum.org/calendar.php It's possible it's missing some releases.

[Yaanu]

BD - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
DVD - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Dual-Format - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Eclipse - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
LaserDisc - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Time to plug these again. Updated not only to include April's announcements, but also a new feature: You can now track Wanted titles in a new column on the spreadsheets. The stats counter will keep count of the number of titles you want as well as the total price of the titles you want. You know, just in case.

If you want a copy of your own, you will have to create your own Google account, access the sheet you want to copy, then click "File" and "Make a copy" in the toolbar. You may also be able to click "File" and "Download as..." to make a local copy for your computer, but there's no saying whether or not the spreadsheet will still function properly.