Here are the answers to some very frequently-asked questions. Newbies, please seek your answers here and in the existing threads before you post new threads. Oldies, please feel free to suggest additions or corrections to this FAQ by e-mailing me.

Please also see the Official Criterion FAQ on the Criterion website.

Criterion Forum FAQ

Q. What does "Criterion" mean?

A. "A standard, rule, or test on which a judgment or decision can be based." (American Heritage Dictionary)

Q. How long has Criterion been around? What's their story?

A. Criterion began releasing laserdiscs in 1984. Their history is long and storied, and you can find out a lot more by following these links:

A KCRW radio interview by Elvis Mitchell with Peter Becker

An article from Wired about the beginnings of the company

A 2001 article from Newcity Chicago about Criterion and Home Vision Entertainment

A 1999 interview with Criterion President Peter Becker from The Digital Bits

Another interview with Becker from 2000 on Salon.com

An archived version of Criterion's website circa June, 2000

An interview with Adrianne Furniss, CEO of Home Vision Entertainment, Criterion's [former] sister company

The Criterion Collection Wikipedia page

Q. How does Criterion decide what films get the "Criterion Treatment"?

A. Criterion says, "Many factors enter into our decision to release a particular film. At the outset, we must ask ourselves: Do we consider the film interesting, important, and worthy of the other films in the collection? Is this film something we believe our loyal customers will appreciate? Are the rights available? Is it cost effective? Are there quality available prints/elements/supplements? These questions and many others must be answered before we begin production on a DVD. Every title is different and each undergoes a unique process as it finds its way into the collection."

Criterion's mission statement declares "The Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, is dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements." Reasonable people can infer that the "important classic and contemporary films" released by Criterion must be both available and cost effective as indicated by the Criterion spokesperson quoted above.

Criterion is a privately held, for-profit corporation. Criterion is not a grant-funded entity designed to award the best films in the world with really cool DVDs.

Q. Why doesn't Criterion release more mainstream films like Armageddon or RoboCop? Why hasn't Criterion released (insert title of popular movie of the last decade here)?

A. The main reason for this is that Criterion does not have the rights to these films. Most mainstream films are created by the big studios: Warner Bros., Sony (Columbia/Tri-Star), Disney (Touchstone/Miramax), Universal, MGM, Paramount, and Fox. Most of these studios are averse to licensing their product, especially well-known and popular films, to a third party for DVD release because they know how much money they can make by releasing their own titles. Criterion can only release the titles they have access to.

Q. From what major studios does Criterion license titles?

A. Criterion has licensed titles for DVD release from Universal, Fox, New Line, Paramount, Disney, and a small selection of titles from MGM, Lionsgate, and Sony.

Q. Why doesn't Criterion release every title on DVD they had previously released on laserdisc?

A. Criterion has said that they would like nothing better than to be able to release everything on DVD they had released on laserdisc. However, their original licensing deals were (by and large) for laserdisc only. New licensing deals would have to be negotiated for each title. While some laserdisc titles have been released by Criterion on DVD, the popularity of DVD and the ability of more studios and independent producers to manufacture and release DVDs makes licensing deals much more difficult (and much more expensive) to make.

Q. I saw a movie and in the credits it said "A Criterion Pictures Release of a 20th Century Fox Film." Is Criterion Pictures part of the Criterion Collection?

A. No. Criterion Pictures (http://www.criterionpic.com) is "a rental distribution and licensing non-theatrical distributor of feature entertainment movies licensed for public performance." Despite the name, they have nothing to do with the Criterion Collection. Films distributed by Criterion Pictures in Canada or the US are in no way owned or licensed by the Criterion Collection.

Q. What does "OOP" mean?

A. It means "out of print". Out of print means that, for whatever reason, the disc is no longer being produced.

Q. What Criterion titles are out of print and why?

A. The currently out of print titles are: The Bank Dick, Blood for Dracula, Contempt, Dead Ringers, Flesh for Frankenstein, Hard Boiled, The Harder They Come, How to Get Ahead in Advertising, The Killer, Nights of Cabiria, Notorious, Ran, Rebecca, RoboCop, Sid & Nancy, The Silence of the Lambs, Spellbound, Straw Dogs, The Third Man, This is Spinal Tap, Tokyo Olympiad, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Variety Lights.

Criterion's statement on why titles go out of print is as follows: "All unavailable Criterion titles were taken out of print solely due to rights issues. Our distribution licenses expired and, despite our best efforts, we were unable to renew. Should Criterion ever recover the DVD rights to any of our out-of-print titles, we will surely re-release them."

Q. What Criterion titles are going out of print next?

[b]A. For the most part, nobody knows. That's what this forum is for.

Q. What are the rarest Criterion titles? What is their best-selling title? What is their worst-selling title?

A. All of this is proprietary business information and is not publicly released by Criterion. You can speculate as much as you like on these questions, but the fact of the matter is that nobody knows for sure except for Criterion, and they ain't tellin'. Don't you have better things to think about, anyway?

Q. Why is Chasing Amy (or The Royal Tenenbaums) cheaper than the other Criterions?

A. These titles were produced by Criterion but are distributed by Buena Vista (the distribution arm of Disney). Buena Vista sets the price, not Criterion.

Q. What is the difference between the first and second printings of the original release of Seven Samurai, how can I tell the difference, and why is the first printing worth more as a collectible?

A. The first edition of Seven Samurai had a restoration demo as a special feature (similar to those found on L'Avventura and The Seventh Seal). According to rumor, the studio Criterion licensed the title from (Toho) objected to this demo and asked for it to be removed. Criterion stopped production of the disc and removed the demo. All subsequent copies of the disc do not have the demo. The first edition was also not region encoded. Otherwise, in terms of content, there is no difference between the first and second edition. If there is a region 1 NTSC logo, it's a second edition. If there is not, it's a first edition. Also, the UPC for the second edition is in the upper right corner of the back cover, the UPS for the first edition is at the bottom. Either edition may say "First printing" in the text at the bottom.

Because so few copies of the disc were made before the demo was removed, the rarity of the first printing has made those discs highly desired among collectors.

Q. Why are the UPC codes on the DVD cases from my Hitchcock Wrong Men and Notorious Women box set punched out? Why do the DVD cases from my Kurosawa Four Samurai Classics box set have the UPC codes missing entirely?

A. It is believed that Criterion punched out and/or omitted these UPC codes so that stores could not purchase the sets and then sell the discs separately for a higher profit.

Q. Why does Criterion's website list this DVD as "not anamorphic"? It's not in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, so shouldn't it be anamorphic?

A. Criterion appear to use a template for their individual DVD pages. This template appears to include "not anamorphic" as the default setting. Very often, they forget to change this to "anamorphic" when creating a page for an upcoming release. They often recognize and fix the error soon after. The template also appears to include "0 minutes" as the default running time. This also often goes uncorrected for a matter of days.

____________________________________________________________

List of Criterion Producers

1. Grand Illusion - Fumiko Takagi
2. Seven Samurai - n/a
3. The Lady Vanishes - n/a
4. Amarcord - n/a
5. The 400 Blows (original release) - Sean Wright-Anderson
6. Beauty and the Beast - Susan Arosteguy
7. A Night to Remember - Karen Stetler
8. The Killer - ?
9. Hard Boiled - Shannon Attaway & Sean Wright-Anderson
10. Walkabout - Mark Rance
11. The Seventh Seal - n/a
12. This is Spinal Tap - Mark Rance, Sean Wright-Anderson
13. The Silence of the Lambs - n/a
14. Samurai I - Musashi Miyamoto - n/a
15. Samurai II - Duel at Ichijoji Temple - n/a
16. Samurai III - Duel at Ganyru Island - n/a
17. Salo - n/a
18. The Naked Kiss - n/a
19. Shock Corridor - n/a
20. Sid and Nancy - Susan Arosteguy (Jaime Wolf - original content)
21. Dead Ringers - Karen Stetler
22. Summertime - n/a
23. Robocop - Sean Wright-Anderson (Morgan Holly - original content)
24. High and Low - n/a
25. Alphaville - n/a
26. The Long Good Friday - n/a
27. Flesh for Frankenstein - Susan Arosteguy
28. Blood for Dracula - Susan Arosteguy
29. Picnic at Hanging Rock - n/a
30. M - Issa Clubb (2004 re-release)
31. Great Expectations - n/a
32. Oliver Twist - n/a
33. Nanook of the North - n/a
34. Andrei Rublev - Mark Rance
35. Diabolique - n/a
36. Wages of Fear - n/a
37. Time Bandits - Karen Stetler
38. Branded to Kill - Mark Rance, Michelle Golden
39. Tokyo Drifter - Mark Rance, Michelle Golden
40. Armageddon - Karen Stetler
41. Henry V - Bruce Eder
42. Fishing with John - Susan Arosteguy
43. Lord of the Flies - Mark Rance, Eric Saks
44. The Red Shoes - Karen Stetler
45. Taste of Cherry - Issa Clubb
46. The Most Dangerous Game - n/a
47. Insomnia - n/a
48. Black Orpheus - n/a
49. Nights of Cabiria - Issa Clubb
50. And The Ship Sails On - Issa Clubb
51. Brazil - Sean-Wright Anderson
52. Yojimbo - n/a
53. Sanjuro - n/a
54. For All Mankind - Jonathan Turell
55. The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Nancy Bauer
56. The 39 Steps - Susan Arosteguy
57. Charade - Karen Stetler
58. Peeping Tom - Karen Stetler
59. The Night Porter - n/a
60. Autumn Sonata - n/a
61. Monty Python's Life of Brian - Karen Stetler
62. The Passion of Joan of Arc - Issa Clubb
63. Carnival of Souls - Susan Arosteguy
64. The Third Man - Fumiko Takagi, Karen Stetler
65. Rushmore - Susan Arosteguy
66 - 69. The Orphic Trilogy - Susan Arosteguy
70. The Last Temptation of Christ - Karen Stetler
71. The Magic Flute - n/a
72. Le Million - Issa Clubb
73. Cleo from 5 to 7 - n/a
74. Vagabond - n/a
75. Chasing Amy - Susan Arosteguy
76. Brief Encounter - n/a
77. And God Created Woman - n/a
78. The Bank Dick - n/a
79. W.C. Fields Six Short Films - production associate Johanna Schiller
80. The Element of Crime - Susan Arosteguy
81. Variety Lights - n/a
82. Hamlet - n/a
83. The Harder They Come - Karen Stetler
84. Good Morning - n/a
85. Pygmalion - n/a
86-88. Eisenstein: The Sound Years - Issa Clubb
89. Sisters - Susan Arosteguy
90. Kwaidan - production associate Sean Howe
91. The Blob - Issa Clubb
92. Fiend Without A Face - Susan Arosteguy
93. Black Narcissus - Karen Stetler
94. I Know Where I'm Going! - Karen Stetler
95. All That Heaven Allows - Shannon Attaway
96. Written on the Wind - Shannon Attaway
97. Do The Right Thing - Mary G. Pratt (Nancy Bauer, Johanna Schiller - co-producers)
98. L'Avventura - Johanna Schiller
99. Gimme Shelter - Kim Hendrickson
100. Beastie Boys Video Anthology - Susan Arosteguy
101. Cries and Whispers - Johanna Schiller
102. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - Kim Hendrickson
103. The Lady Eve - Johanna Schiller
104. Double Suicide - production associate Sean Howe
105. Spartacus - Kim Hendrickson (Michael Kurcfeld - original content)
106. Coup de Torchon - Johanna Schiller
107. Mona Lisa - Karen Stetler
108. The Rock - Issa Clubb (Sean Wright-Anderson, Mark Rance - original content)
109. The Scarlet Empress - Johanna Schiller
110. M. Hulot's Holiday - Johanna Schiller
111. Mon Oncle - Johanna Schiller
112. Playtime - Johanna Schiller
113. Big Deal on Madonna Street - Johanna Schiller
114. My Man Godfrey - Johanna Schiller
115. Rififi - Issa Clubb
116. The Hidden Fortress - Johanna Schiller
117. Diary of a Chambermaid - Kim Hendrickson
118. Sullivan's Travels - Johanna Schiller
119. Withnail and I - Karen Stetler, Susan Arosteguy (co-producers)
120. How To Get Ahead In Advertising - Karen Stetler, Susan Arosteguy (co-producers)
121. Billy Liar - Karen Stetler
122. Salesman - Kim Hendrickson
123. Grey Gardens - Kim Hendrickson
124-8. Dreyer Box Set - Issa Clubb
129. Le Trou - Sean Howe
130. The Shop on Main Street - Bona Flecchia, Johanna Schiller
131. Closely Watched Trains - Andrew Semans
132. The Ruling Class - Karen Stetler
133. The Vanishing - Curtis Tsui
134. Haxan - Issa Clubb
135. Rebecca - Susan Arosteguy
136. Spellbound - Susan Arosteguy
137. Notorious - Susan Arosteguy
138. Rashomon - Kim Hendrickson
139. Wild Strawberries - Johanna Schiller
140. 8 1/2 - Issa Clubb
141. Children of Paradise - Johanna Schiller
142. The Last Wave - Johanna Schiller, Karen Stetler
143. That Obscure Object of Desire - Kim Hendrickson
144. Loves of a Blonde - Kim Hendrickson
145. The Fireman's Ball - Kim Hendrickson
146. The Cranes Are Flying - Curtis Tsui
147. In The Mood for Love - Bona Flecchia, Curtis Tsui
148. Ballad of a Soldier - Curtis Tsui
149. Juliet of the Spirits - Issa Clubb
150. Bob le Flambeur - Issa Clubb
151. Traffic - Kim Hendrickson
152. George Washington - Johanna Schiller
153. General Idi Amin Dada - Johanna Schiller
154. The Horse's Mouth - Karen Stetler
155. Tokyo Olympiad - Johanna Schiller
156. Hearts and Minds - Karen Stetler
157. The Royal Tenenbaums - Susan Arosteguy
158. The Importance of Being Earnest - Issa Clubb
159. Red Beard - Kim Hendrickson
160. A Nous La Liberte - Issa Clubb
161. Under the Roofs of Paris - Issa Clubb
162. Ratcatcher - Johanna Schiller
163. Hopscotch - Karen Stetler
164. Solaris - Issa Clubb and Stephanie Friedman
165. Man Bites Dog - Curtis Tsui
166. Down by Law - Izabela Muchlinski
167-169. The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Kim Hendrickson
170. Trouble in Paradise - Johanna Schiller
171. Contempt - Kim Hendrickson
172. Pepe le Moko - Curtis Tsui
173. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - Karen Stetler
174. Band of Outsiders - Abbey Lustgarten, Izabela Muchlinski
175. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Karen Stetler
176. The Killers - Susan Arosteguy and Kate Elmore
177. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum - Issa Clubb
178. My Life as a Dog - Kim Hendrickson
179-181. I Am Curious Yellow/Blue - Johanna Schiller
182. Straw Dogs - Kim Hendrickson
183. Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne - Kate Elmore
184. by Brakhage: An Anthology - Peter Becker, Kate Elmore
185-188. The Adventures of Antoine Doinel Box Set - Curtis Tsui
189. The White Sheik - Issa Clubb
190. Throne of Blood - Kim Hendrickson
191. Jubilee - Susan Arosteguy
192. Coup de Grace - Kate Elmore
193. Quai des Orfevres - Abbey Lustgarten
194. Il Posto - Curtis Tsui
195. I Fidanzati - Curtis Tsui
196. Hiroshima Mon Amour - Johanna Schiller
197. Night and Fog - Johanna Schiller
198. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - Issa Clubb
199. Schizopolis - Kim Hendrickson
200. The Honeymoon Killers - Susan Arosteguy, Abbey Lustgarten
201. Umberto D - Johanna Schiller
202. Terminal Station / Indiscretion of an American Wife - Kate Elmore and Johanna Schiller
203-206. Fassbinder's BDR Trilogy - Issa Clubb
207. The Pornographers - Kate Elmore
208-212. The Ingmar Bergman Trilogy - Abbey Lustgarten
213. Richard III - Abbey Lustgarten
214. The Devil and Daniel Webster - Curtis Tsui
215. Knife in the Water - Karen Stetler
216. Rules of the Game -Johanna Schiller
217. Tokyo Story - Kim Hendrickson
218. Le Cercle Rouge - Susan Arosteguy
219. La Strada - Issa Clubb
220. Naked Lunch - Karen Stetler
221. Ikiru - Kim Hendrickson
222. Diary of a Country Priest - Kate Elmore
223. Maitresse - Johanna Schiller
224. Pickup on South Street - Susan Arosteguy
225. Tunes of Glory - Karen Stetler
226. Onibaba - Curtis Tsui
227. Le Corbeau - Issa Clubb
228. Salvatore Giuliano - Abbey Lustgarten
229. Scenes from a Marriage - Johanna Schiller
230. 3 Women - Karen Stetler
231. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse - Susan Arosteguy
232. Floating Weeds/A Story of Floating Weeds - Kim Hendrickson
233. Stray Dog - Kim Hendrickson
234. The Tin Drum - Curtis Tsui
235. The Leopard - Issa Clubb
236. Mamma Roma - Kim Hendrickson
237. Smiles of a Summer Night - Abbey Lustgarten
238. A Woman Is a Woman - Susan Arosteguy
239. The Lower Depths - Kim Hendrickson
240. Early Summer - Kim Hendrickson
241-244. Stage and Spectacle: Three Films by Jean Renoir - Kate Elmore
245. Port of Shadows - Abbey Lustgarten
246. I Vitelloni - Issa Clubb
247. Slacker - Susan Arosteguy
248. Videodrome - Karen Stetler
249. The Battle of Algiers - Kim Hendrickson & Abbey Lustgarten
250-256. John Cassavetes: Five Films - Johanna Schiller
257. Secret Honor - Abbey Lustgarten
258. Tanner '88 - Heather Shaw, Jason Altman and Andrew Semans
259. Fat Girl - Kate Elmore
260. Eyes Without a Face - Curtis Tsui
261-264. Fanny and Alexander - Johanna Schiller
265. Short Cuts - Karen Stetler
266. King of Kings - Kate Elmore
267. Kagemusha - Kim Hendrickson
268. Youth of the Beast - Curtis Tsui
269. Fighting Elegy - Curtis Tsui
270. Casque d'or - Johanna Schiller
271. Touchez pas au grisbi - Heather Shaw and Jason Altman
272. La Commare secca - Jason Altman & Heather Shaw
273. Thieves Highway - Issa Clubb
274. Night and the City - Issa Clubb
275. Tout va bien - Abbey Lustgarten
276. The River - Karen Stetler
277. My Own Private Idaho - Kate Elmore
278. L'Eclisse - Kim Hendrickson
279. Young Torless - Curtis Tsui
280. The Sword of Doom - Jason Altman & Heather Shaw
281. Jules and Jim - Johanna Schiller
282-285. Three War Films - Izabela Muchlinski

Designers

1. Grand Illusion - Eva Wah (package), Paul Davis (original artwork)
2. Seven Samurai - Fernando Music, Harmony Hasbrook (menu design)
3. The Lady Vanishes - Fernando Music
4. Amarcord - Gordon Reynolds (package design), Issa Clubb (menu design)
5. The 400 Blows (original release) -
6. Beauty and the Beast (original release) - Sean Wright-Anderson (menu design)
6. Beauty and the Beast (re-release) - William Logan
7. A Night to Remember - Sean Anderson (menus)
8. The Killer -
9. Hard Boiled - n/a
10. Walkabout - Andy Goldman
11. The Seventh Seal - Gordon Reynolds
12. This is Spinal Tap -
13. The Silence of the Lambs - n/a
14. Samurai I - Musashi Miyamoto - Fernando Music
15. Samurai II - Duel at Ichijoji Temple - Fernando Music
16. Samurai III - Duel at Ganyru Island - Fernando Music
17. Salo -
18. The Naked Kiss - Susan Arosteguy (art director), Fernando Music
19. Shock Corridor - Fernando Music
20. Sid and Nancy - Andy Goldman
21. Dead Ringers - Peter Hahn
22. Summertime - Sean Wright-Anderson (menu design), Gordon Reynolds (package design)
23. Robocop - Harmony Hasbrook
24. High and Low - Fernando Music
25. Alphaville - Terry Koppel
26. The Long Good Friday - Kevin Gaor
27. Flesh for Frankenstein - Gordon Reynolds
28. Blood for Dracula - Gordon Reynolds
29. Picnic at Hanging Rock - Andy Goldman
30. M - Gordon Reynolds (old version) - Sarah Habibi (2004 re-release)
31. Great Expectations - Gordon Reynolds
32. Oliver Twist - Gordon Reynolds
33. Nanook of the North - Cynthia Eddy
34. Andrei Rublev - Gordon Reynolds
35. Diabolique - Olga Krigman
36. Wages of Fear - Elliott Earls
37. Time Bandits - Gordon Reynolds (package design), Peter Hahn (menu design)
38. Branded to Kill - Peter Hahn, Funny Garbage
39. Tokyo Drifter - Peter Hahn, Funny Garbage
40. Armageddon - Basia Grocholski
41. Henry V - Gordon Reynolds
42. Fishing with John - Basia Grocholski (art director), Elliot Earls (package design)
43. Lord of the Flies - Olga Krigman
44. The Red Shoes - Gordon Reynolds
45. Taste of Cherry - Olga Krigman
46. The Most Dangerous Game - Lesley Hathaway & Basia Grocholski
47. Insomnia - Olga Krigman
48. Black Orpheus - Olga Krigman
49. Nights of Cabiria - Gordon Reynolds
50. And The Ship Sails On - Cynthia Eddy
51. Brazil - Basia Grocholski
52. Yojimbo - Olga Krigman
53. Sanjuro - Olga Krigman
54. For All Mankind - Elliott Earls
55. The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Cynthia Eddy
56. The 39 Steps - Basia Grocholski
57. Charade - Basia Grocholski
58. Peeping Tom - Basia Grocholski (art director), Olga Krigman (menu and package design)
59. The Night Porter - John Gall
60. Autumn Sonata - Cynthia Eddy
61. Monty Python's Life of Brian - Andy Goldman, Christine Ditrio, Marc Alt
62. The Passion of Joan of Arc - Basia Grocholski
63. Carnival of Souls - Basia Grocholski (art director), Olga Krigman (menu and package design)
64. The Third Man - Gordon Reynolds
65. Rushmore - Eric Chase Anderson (original artwork), Basia Grocholski (package design)
66 - 69. The Orphic Trilogy - Gordon Reynolds
70. The Last Temptation of Christ - Gordon Reynolds
71. The Magic Flute - Gordon Reynolds
72. Le Million - Eva Wah
73. Cleo from 5 to 7 - Kevin Gaor
74. Vagabond - Kevin Gaor
75. Chasing Amy - Fernando Music
76. Brief Encounter - John Gall
77. And God Created Woman - Olga Krigman for 280:design
78. The Bank Dick - Terry Koppel
79. W.C. Fields Six Short Films - Terry Koppel
80. The Element of Crime - Olga Krigman for 280:design
81. Variety Lights - Olga Krigman
82. Hamlet - Gordon Reynolds
83. The Harder They Come - Christine Ditrio (art director), Eva Wah
84. Good Morning - Elliott Earls
85. Pygmalion - Watts Design?, NYC
86-88. Eisenstein: The Sound Years - Gordon Reynolds
89. Sisters - Shayne Christiansen, Christine Ditrio
90. Kwaidan - Eva Wah
91. The Blob - Watts Design?, NYC
92. Fiend Without A Face - David Cohen/Gravy Design, NYC
93. Black Narcissus - Christine Ditrio (art director), Lloyd Ziff
94. I Know Where I'm Going! - Tom Stvan & Gordon Reynolds
95. All That Heaven Allows - Watts Design?, NYC
96. Written on the Wind - Watts Design?, NYC
97. Do The Right Thing - Christine Ditrio (art director), Bill McMullen/Susan Stuart - 11:24 Design
98. L'Avventura - Lucien S. Y. Yang
99. Gimme Shelter - Frank Kozik (cover art), Eva Wah (package design)
100. Beastie Boys Video Anthology - Bill McMullen
101. Cries and Whispers - Lucien S. Y. Yang
102. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - Ferracci (cover illustration), Gates Sisters Studio, Inc., NYC (cover design), David Cohen (menu and package design)
103. The Lady Eve - Eva Wah
104. Double Suicide - Lloyd Ziff
105. Spartacus - Saul Bass (original artwork), Christine Ditrio (package design)
106. Coup de Torchon - Christine Ditrio (art director), Fernando Music(package design), Eva Wah, Fernando Music (menu design)
107. Mona Lisa - Christine Ditrio (art director), David Cohen for Gravy Design (menu and package design)
108. The Rock - Gordon Reynolds (front cover), Watts Design? NYC (package)
109. The Scarlet Empress - Olga Krigman for 280: design
110. M. Hulot's Holiday - Christine Ditrio (art director), Eva Wah (menu and package design)
111. Mon Oncle - Christine Ditrio (art director), Eva Wah (menu and package design)
112. Playtime - Christine Ditrio (art director), Eva Wah (menu and package design)
113. Big Deal on Madonna Street - David Zachary Cohen/Gravy Design
114. My Man Godfrey - Mike KoÎlsch (cover illustration), Michael Boland for Watts Design?, NYC (menu and package)
115. Rififi - Christine Ditrio (art director), James Tung
116. The Hidden Fortress - Bill McMullen, The Orange Network
117. Diary of a Chambermaid - Keiko Kimura (cover painting), Yoko Komura (title design), David Cohen for Gravy Design (menu and package design)
118. Sullivan's Travels - Eva Wah
119. Withnail and I - Ralph Steadman (Illustration and art director), Eva Wah
120. How To Get Ahead In Advertising - Susan Arosteguy and Ed Fotheringham
121. Billy Liar - David Zachary Cohen for Gravy Design
122. Salesman - Christine Ditrio, Alex Mabion (art directors), Jeff Cashdollar (menu and package design)
123. Grey Gardens - Alex Mabion (art director), Shayne Christiansen (menu and package design)
124-8. Dreyer Box Set - Gordon Reynolds
129. Le Trou - Eva Wah
130. The Shop on Main Street - James Tung
131. Closely Watched Trains - Christine Ditrio (art director), John Gall
132. The Ruling Class - Christine Ditrio (art director), Gordon Reynolds III
133. The Vanishing - Christine Ditrio, Alex Mabilon (art directors), Lucien S. Y. Yang (menu and package design)
134. Haxan - Eva Wah
135. Rebecca - William Logan, Steve Blakely, and Amy Hoisington for 7?16 design
136. Spellbound - William Logan and Amy Hoisington for 7?16 design
137. Notorious - William Logan and Steve Blakely for 7?16 design
138. Rashomon - Lucien S. Y. Yang
139. Wild Strawberries - Christine Ditrio
140. 8 1/2 - Christine Ditrio (art director), Lucien S. Y. Yang
141. Children of Paradise - Christine Ditrio (art director), Eva Wah
142. The Last Wave - Christine Ditrio
143. That Obscure Object of Desire - Christine Ditrio (art director), David Cohen - Gravy Design
144. Loves of a Blonde - Carey Sedito
145. The Fireman's Ball - James Tung/First Person Singular
146. The Cranes Are Flying - HotHead Creative Co-Op
147. In The Mood for Love - Christine Ditrio (art director), Lucien S. Y. Yang
148. Ballad of a Soldier - William Logan and Amy Hoisington for 7?16 design
149. Juliet of the Spirits - Amy Hoisington and Wiliam Logan 7?16 Design
150. Bob le Flambeur - Gordon Reynolds
151. Traffic - Christine Ditrio (art director), 'Helios'
152. George Washington - Christine Ditrio (art director), Mike Chapman (cover design), Michael Boland/The Boland Design Company (menu and package design)
153. General Idi Amin Dada - Christine Ditrio
154. The Horse's Mouth - Michael Boland/The Boland Design Company
155. Tokyo Olympiad - Christine Ditrio (art director), Lucien S. Y. Yang
156. Hearts and Minds - Eva Wah
157. The Royal Tenenbaums - Eric Chase Anderson (original artwork), Eva Wah (package design), Shayne Christiansen (menu design)
158. The Importance of Being Earnest - Michael Boland/The Boland Design Company
159. Red Beard - Eric Skillman
160. A Nous La Liberte - Carey Sedito
161. Under the Roofs of Paris - Carey Sedito
162. Ratcatcher - Christine Ditrio (art director), Erik Skillman
163. Hopscotch - Christine Ditrio
164. Solaris - Christine Ditrio (art director), Lucien S. Y. Yang
165. Man Bites Dog - Lucien S. Y. Yang
166. Down by Law - Christine Ditrio (art director), Eva Wah
167-169. The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Christine Ditrio, Neil Kellerhouse (art directors), Neil Kellerhouse (menu and package)
170. Trouble in Paradise - Paul Davis (original artwork), Eric Skillman (package design)
171. Contempt - Christine Ditrio (art director), Michael Boland - Boland Design
172. Pepe le Moko - Eva Wah
173. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - Christine Ditrio (art director), Eric Skillman
174. Band of Outsiders - Christine Ditrio (art director), Lucien S. Y. Yang
175. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Christine Ditrio (art director), Eva Wah, Ralph Steadman (illustrations)
176. The Killers - Christine Ditrio (art director), Lucien S. Y. Yang
177. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum - Christine Ditrio (art director), Neil Kellerhouse
178. My Life as a Dog - Christine Ditrio (art director), Eric Skillman
179-181. I Am Curious Yellow/Blue - Christine Ditrio (art director), Hothead Creative (Eric Skillman)
182. Straw Dogs - Christine Ditrio (art director),
183. Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne - Christine Ditrio
184. by Brakhage: An Anthology - Peter Girardi/Funny Garbage, NYC
185-188. The Adventures of Antoine Doinel Box Set - Lucien S. Y. Yang
189. The White Sheik - Eva Wah
190. Throne of Blood - Bill McMullen
191. Jubilee - Art Chantry Design Co.
192. Coup de Grace - Eric Skillman
193. Quai des Orfevres - Christine Ditrio
194. Il Posto - Eric Skillman
195. I Fidanzati - Eric Skillman
196. Hiroshima Mon Amour - Neil Kellerhouse
197. Night and Fog - Neil Kellerhouse
198. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - Michael Boland for the Boland Design Company
199. Schizopolis - Neil Kellerhouse
200. The Honeymoon Killers - Aesthetic Apparatus
201. Umberto D - Lucien S.Y. Yang
202. Terminal Station / Indiscretion of an American Wife - Eva Wah
203-206. Fassbinder's BDR Trilogy - Michael Boland for The Boland Design Co.
207. The Pornographers - Christine Ditrio
208-212. The Ingmar Bergman Trilogy - Eric Skillman
213. Richard III - Eva Wah
214. The Devil and Daniel Webster - Jennifer Lui (illustrations), Christine Ditrio (menu design), Eric Skillman (package design)
215. Knife in the W - Eva Wah
216. Rules of the Game - Lucien Yang
217. Tokyo Story - Alexander Ku
218. Le Cercle Rouge - Art Chantry Design Co.
219. La Strada - Aesthetic Apparatus
220. Naked Lunch - Neil Kellerhouse
221. Ikiru - Eric Skillman
222. Diary of a Country Priest - Boland Design Group
223. Maitresse - Eva Wah
224. Pickup on South Street - Lucien Yang
225. Tunes of Glory - Eric Skillman and Christine Ditrio
226. Onibaba - Lucien Yang
227. Le Corbeau - Eric Skillman (design) and Jic Clubb (illustrations)
228. Salvatore Giuliano - Aesthetic Apparatus
229. Scenes from a Marriage - Eric Skillman
230. 3 Women - Boland Design Group
231. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse - Aesthetic Apparatus
232. Floating Weeds/A Story of Floating Weeds - Lucien Yang
233. Stray Dog - William Logan
234. The Tin Drum - Neil Kellerhouse
235. The Leopard - Lucien Yang
236. Mamma Roma - Eric Skillman
237. Smiles of a Summer Night - Christine Ditrio
238. A Woman Is a Woman - Alex Ku
239. The Lower Depths - Lucien Yang
240. Early Summer - Michael Boland
241-244. Stage and Spectacle: Three Films by Jean Renoir - Lucien Yang
245. Port of Shadows - Eric Skillman
246. I Vitelloni - Jamie Sheehan
247. Slacker - Marc English
248. Videodrome - Eva Wah
249. The Battle of Algiers - Neil Kellerhouse
250-256. John Cassavetes: Five Films - Lucien S.Y. Yang
257. Secret Honor - Eric Skillman
258. Tanner '88 - Stewart Cauley/Pollen Design
259. Fat Girl - Kathleen Cantwell/FIVE FOUR32 Design
260. Eyes Without a Face - Aesthetic Apparatus
261-264. Fanny and Alexander - Eric Skillman
265. Short Cuts - Michael Boland/The Boland Design Co.
266. King of Kings - Eric Skillman
267. Kagemusha - Sarah Habibi
268. Youth of the Beast - Lucien S.Y. Yang
269. Fighting Elegy - Lucien S.Y. Yang
270. Casque d'or - Christine Ditrio
271. Touchez pas au grisbi - Christine Ditrio
272. La Commare secca - Michael Boland/The Boland Design Co.
273. Thieves Highway - Eric Skillman
274. Night and the City - Eric Skillman
275. Tout va bien - Neil Kellerhouse/Kellerhouse Inc.
276. The River - Kathleen Cantwell/fivefour32 design
277. My Own Private Idaho - Marc English
278. L'Eclisse - Lucien S.Y. Yang
279. Young Törless - Michael Boland/The Boland Design Co.
280. The Sword of Doom - Aesthetic Apparatus
281. Jules and Jim - Illustrations by David Downton, design by Sarah Habibi
282-285. Three War Films - Illustrations by Wiktor Sadowski, design by Eric Skillman

"Lost" Commentaries

LD commentaries re-released onto DVD exclusively by other companies

Bodies, Rest & Motion - director Michael Steinberg, writer Roger Heddon, producer/actor Eric Stoltz [R1 DVD from Image Entertainment]
Boogie Nights - writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson, actors Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly & Mark Wahlberg [R1 2-disc DVD from New Line]
The English Patient - director Anthony Minghella, producer Saul Zaentz, author Michael Ondaatje [R1 2-disc DVD from Miramax]
The Game - director David Fincher, actor Michael Douglas, screenwriters John Brancato and Michael Ferris, director of photography Harris Savides [R2 special edition DVD from Universal]
Halloween - director John Carpenter, producer Debra Hill, actor Jamie Lee Curtis [25th anniversary DVD from Anchor Bay - R1 & R2 UK]
Monty Python and the Holy Grail - directors Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones [special edition DVD from Columbia Tristar]
Once Were Warriors - director Lee Tamahori [R1 DVD from New Line]
Raging Bull - director Martin Scorsese, editor Thelma Schoonmaker [R1 SE DVD from MGM]
Repulsion - director Roman Polanski, actor Catherine Deneuve [R2 DVD from Anchor Bay UK]
Sling Blade - writer/director Billy Bob Thornton [R1 2-disc DVD from Miramax]
Trainspotting - director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, screenwriter John Hodge, actor Ewan McGregor [R1 2-disc DVD from Miramax, R2 2-disc DVD from Universal]


Commentaries currently only available on LD

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - director Terry Gilliam
The Adventures of Robin Hood - film historian Rudy Behlmer [different from Warner's DVD]
Bad Day at Black Rock - director John Sturges
Blackmail - screenwriter Charles Bennett, additional material written by Laurent Bouzereau and spoken by Stuart Birnbaum
Boyz N The Hood - writer/director John Singleton
Bram Stoker's Dracula - director Francis Ford Coppola, visual effects supervisor Roman Coppola, makeup artist Greg Cannom
Carrie - screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen, De Palma expert Laurent Bouzereau
Casablanca - film historian Ronald Haver
Cat People - film historian Bruce Eder
Crash - director David Cronenberg
Damage - director Louis Malle
Darling - director John Schlesinger [only for 1st hour]
Dr. No - film historian Bruce Eder, director Terence Young, screenwriter Richard Maibaum, editor Peter Hunt, production designer Ken Adam
Evita - director Alan Parker
The Fisher King - director Terry Gilliam
From Russia with Love - Bond historian Steven Jay Rubin, director Terence Young, screenwriter Richard Maibaum, editor Peter Hunt
Goldfinger - film historian Bruce Eder, director Guy Hamilton, screenwriter Richard Maibaum, editor Peter Hunt, production designer Ken Adam
The Graduate - film scholar Howard Suber
The Great Escape - director John Sturges, composer Elmer Bernstein, second unit director Robert E. Relyea, stuntman Bud Ekins, film historian Bruce Eder
Here Comes Mr. Jordan - Elizabeth Montgomery [daughter of star Robert Montgomery]
High Noon - film scholar Howard Suber
Invasion of the Body Snatchers - film scholar Maurice Yacowar
It's A Wonderful Life - film scholar Jeanine Basinger
Jason and the Argonauts - special effects creator Ray Harryhausen, film historian Bruce Eder
King Kong - film historian Ronald Haver
The Last Picture Show - director Peter Bogdanovich, actors Cybill Shepherd, Cloris Leachman, Randy Quaid
The Magnificent Ambersons - film historian Robert Carringer
Menace II Society - 1) co-writer/director Albert Hughes; 2) co-writer/director Allen Hughes
Midnight Cowboy - director John Schlesinger, producer Jerome Hellman
A Night at the Opera - film historian Leonard Maltin [different from Warner's DVD]
Othello - director/historian Peter Bogdanovich, Welles scholar Myron Meisel
Pink Flamingos - writer/director John Waters [different from New Line's DVD]
The Player - director Robert Altman, screenwriter Michael Tolkin, director of photography Jean Lepine
Polyester - writer/director John Waters [different from New Line's DVD]
The Prince of Tides - director Barbra Streisand
The Princess Bride - 1) director Rob Reiner, screenwriter William Goldman, producer Andrew Scheinman, actors Billy Crystal, Peter Falk; 2) Rob Reiner [reading novel excerpts]
Rome, Open City - film scholar Peter Bondanella
Sansho the Bailiff - film scholar Thomas Gunning
Scaramouche - director George Sidney, actor Stewart Granger, film historian Dick Dinman
Se7en - director David Fincher, actors Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, production designer Arthur Max, special makeup effects designer Rob Bottin
She's Gotta Have It - writer/director Spike Lee, cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, sound designer Barry Brown, production supervisor Monty Ross
Shine - director Scott Hicks, actor Geoffrey Rush
Short Cuts - 1) film critic Pauline Kael; 2) film critic Michael Wilmington [both audio essays not appearing over the entire film]
Show Boat - musical theater expert Miles Kreuger
Singin' in the Rain - film historian Ronald Haver
Some Like It Hot - film historian Howard Suber, actor Jack Lemmon
Sweet Sweetback's Baaadassssss Song - actor/director Melvin van Peebles
Swing Time - Astaire scholar John Mueller [different from Warner's DVD]
Taxi Driver - director Martin Scorsese, screenwriter Paul Schrader
Tootsie - director Sydney Pollack
Ugetsu - media artist and critic Norman Yonemoto, Mizoguchi expert Keiko MacDonald, Japanese film expert Donald Richie
The Wizard of Oz - film historian Ronald Haver

SHORT FILMS


A. K. (Marker, 1985) (Spine #316)
Accidentally (Woo, 1968) (Spine #9)
Ako (Teshigahara, 1963) (Spine #392)
The Act of Seeing With One's Own Eyes (Brakhage, 1971) (Spine #184)
All Boys Are Called Patrick (Godard, 1957) (Spine #238)
Almost True: The Noble Art of Forgery (Jorfald, 1997) (Spine #288)
Angst isst Seele auf (Noshir, 2002) (Spine #198)
Antoine and Colette (Truffaut, 1962) (Spine #5)
Appalachian Spring (Kroll, 1958) (Spine #406)
Armageddon (Anderson, 1999) (Spine #65)
The Barber Shop (Ripley, 1933) (Spine #79)
Berlin Alexanderplatz (Jutzi, 1931) (Spine #411)
Black Ice (Brakhage, 1994) (Spine #184)
Blood of the Beasts (Franju, 1949) (Spine #260)
Bezhin Meadow (Eisenstein, 1937) (Spine #87)
Break Up the Dance (Polanski, 1957) (Spine #215)
Camera (Cronenberg, 2000) (Spine #248)
Cat's Cradle (Brakhage, 1959) (Spine #184)
Ceramics from Ilza (Wajda, 1951) (Spine #283)
A Chairy Tale (Jutra & McLaren, 1957)(Spine #438)
Charlotte et son Jules (Godard, 1959) (Spine #408)
Commingled Containers (Brakhage, 1997) (Spine #184)
Conrad and Butler in “Conrad and Butler Take a Vacationâ€

Average Criterion Imdb.com ratings
Some remarks:
1. These are the average ratings; not the weighted ratings.
2. Spine numbers with multiple items do not have ratings, for obvious reasons.
3. When an item contains up to three films, the ratings appear in chronological order. A set of shorts (By Brakhage) indicates the highest & lowest ratings.
4. Fishing with Jon, being a TV series, does not have a rating.


1. Grand Illusion 8.3
2. Seven Samurai 8.9
3. The Lady Vanishes 8.1
4. Amarcord 7.9
5. The 400 Blows 8.2
6. Beauty and the Beast 8.2
7. A Night To Remember 7.6
8. The Killer 8.0
9. Hard Boiled 7.9
10. Walkabout 7.5
11. The Seventh Seal 8.4
12. This Is Spinal Tap 7.9
13. Silence of the Lambs 8.5
14. Samurai I – Mushashi Miyamoto 7.5
15. Samurai II – Duel at Ichijoji Temple 7.1
16. Samurai III – Duel at Ganryu Island 8.2
17. Salo 6.0
18. The Naked Kiss 7.4
19. Shock Corridor 7.5
20. Sid & Nancy 7.0
21. Dead Ringers 7.1
22. Summertime 7.3
23. RoboCop 7.1
24. High and Low 8.0
25. Alphaville 7.1
26. The Long Good Friday 7.5
27. Flesh for Frankenstein 5.0
28. Blood for Dracula 5.3
29. Picnic at Hanging Rock 7.5
30. M 8.5
31. Great Expectations 8.1
32. Oliver Twist 8.0
33. Nanook of the North 7.6
34. Andrei Rublev 8.1
35. Diabolique 8.2
36. Wages of Fear 8.2
37. Time Bandits 6.9
38. Branded to Kill 7.2
39. Tokyo Drifter 7.1
40. Armageddon 5.7
41. Henry V 7.7
42. Fishing with Jon *
43. Lord of the Flies 7.0
44. The Red Shoes 8.1
45. Taste of Cherry 7.1
46. The Most Dangerous Game 7.4
47. Insomnia 7.2
48. Black Orpheus 7.5
49. Nights of Cabiria 8.2
50. And the Ship Sails On 7.5
51. Brazil 8.0
52. Yojimbo 8.4
53. Sanjuro 7.9
54. For All Mankind 7.8
55. The Unbearable Lightness of Being 7.4
56. The 39 Steps 8.0
57. Charade 8.1
58. Peeping Tom 7.6
59. The Night Porter 6.7
60. Autumn Sonata 7.8
61. Life of Brian – Monty Python's 8.0
62. The Passion of Joan of Arc 8.3
63. Carnival of Souls 7.1
64. The Third Man 8.5
65. Rushmore 7.7
66. Orphic Trilogy
67. Blood of a Poet 7.6
68. Orpheus 7.6
69. Testament of Orpheus 7.1
70. The Last Temptation of Christ 7.5
71. The Magic Flute 7.6
72. Le Million 8.0
73. Cleo From 5 to 7 7.6
74. Vagabond 7.6
75. Chasing Amy 7.6
76. Brief Encounter 8.2
77. And God Created Woman 6.1
78. The Bank Dick 7.5
79. WC Fields – Six Short Films 8.2
80. The Element of Crime 6.2
81. Variety Lights 7.5
82. Hamlet 7.8
83. The Harder They Come 7.0
84. Good Morning 8.0
85. Pygmalion 7.8
86. Eisenstein – The Sound Years
87. Alexander Nevsky 7.8
88. Ivan the Terrible – Parts I & II 7.7&8.5
89. Sisters 6.9
90. Kwaidan 7.7
91. The Blob 6.0
92. Fiend Without a Face 5.9
93. Black Narcissus 7.9
94. I Know Where I'm Going! 7.8
95. All That Heaven Allows 7.4
96. Written On the Wind 7.4
97. Do the Right Thing 7.7
98. L'Avventura 7.5
99. Gimme Shelter 7.6
100. Beastie Boys Video Anthology 8.7
101. Cries and Whispers 7.9
102. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie 7.9
103. The Lady Eve 8.0
104. Double Suicide 7.8
105. Spartacus 8.0
106. Coup de Torchon 7.5
107. Mona Lisa 7.1
108. The Rock 7.0
109. The Scarlet Empress 7.5
110. M Hulot's Holiday 7.6
111. Mon Oncle 7.7
112. Playtime 7.7
113. Big Deal on Madonna Street 7.8
114. My Man Godfrey 8.0
115. Rififi 8.0
116. The Hidden Fortress 8.0
117. Diary of a Chambermaid 7.6
118. Sullivan's Travels 8.3
119. Withnail and I 7.5
120. How to Get Ahead in Advertising 6.6
121. Billy Liar 7.4
122. Salesman 8.1
123. Grey Gardens 7.8
124. Dreyer Box Set
125. Day of Wrath 7.9
126. Ordet 7.7
127. Gertrud 7.6
128. Carl Th Dreyer – My Metier 7.1
129. Le Trou 6.8
130. The Shop on Main Street 8.8
131. Closely Watched Trains 7.7
132. The Ruling Class 7.3
133. The Vanishing 7.7
134. Haxan 7.6
135. Rebecca 8.3
136. Spellbound 7.6
137. Notorious 8.3
138. Rashomon 8.5
139. Wild Strawberries 8.4
140. 8 ½ 8.1
141. Children of Paradise 8.2
142. The Last Wave 6.9
143. That Obscure Object of Desire 7.8
144. Loves of a Blonde 7.7
145. The Fireman's Ball 7.7
146. The Cranes are Flying 8.0
147. In The Mood for Love 8.0
148. Ballad of a Soldier 8.6
149. Juliet of the Spirits 7.5
150. Bob le Flambeur 7.8
151. Traffic 7.8
152. George Washington 7.5
153. General Idi Amin Dada 7.2
154. The Horse's Mouth 6.9
155. Tokyo Olympiad 7.9
156. Hearts and Minds 8.6
157. The Royal Tenenbaums 7.6
158. The Importance of Being Earnest 7.4
159. Red Beard 7.7
160. A Nous La Liberte 8.1
161. Under the Roofs of Paris 8.0
162. Ratcatcher 7.2
163. Hopscotch 6.8
164. Solaris 7.7
165. Man Bites Dog 7.5
166. Down by Law 7.6
167. The Complete Monterey Pop Festival
168. Monterey Pop 7.6
169. Jimi Plays Monterey & Shake! Otis at Monterey 7.6&8.7
170. Trouble in Paradise 8.1
171. Contempt 7.7
172. Pepe le Moko 8.1
173. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp 8.1
174. Band of Outsiders 7.9
175. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 7.3
176. The Killers 7.8,6.8&6.8
177. Lost Honor of Katharina Blum 7.5
178. My Life as a Dog 7.7
179. I am Curious
180. I am Curious – Yellow 5.7
181. Iam Curious – Blue 6.2
182. Straw Dogs 7.3
183. Les Dames du Bois de Bologne 7.5
184. By Brakhage – an Anthology 5.4-8.2
185. The Adventures of Antoine Doinel
186. Stolen Kisses 7.6
187. Bed and Board 7.5
188. Love on the Run 6.9
189. The White Sheik 7.5
190. Throne of Blood 8.2
191. Jubilee 5.8
192. Coup de Grace 7.6
193. Quai des Orfevres 8.1
194. Il Posto 8.2
195. I Fidanzati 8.3
196. Hiroshima Mon Amour 7.6
197. Night And Fog 8.0
198. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul 7.9
199. Schizopolis 6.9
200. Honeymoon Killers 6.6
201. Umberto D 8.1
202. Indiscretion of an American Wife & Terminal Station 6.3
203. The BRD Trilogy
204. The Marriage of Maria Braun 7.7
205. Veronika Voss 7.8
206. Lola 7.8
207. The Pornographers 7.4
208. A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman
209. Through a Glass Darkly 7.7
210. Winter Light 8.0
211. The Silence 7.6
212. Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie 7.4
213. Richard III 7.5
214. The Devil and Daniel Webster 7.9
215. Knife in the Water 7.5
216. The Rules of the Game 8.1
217. Tokyo Story 8.0
218. Le Cercle Rouge 7.8
219. La Strada 8.2
220. Naked Lunch 6.6
221. Ikiru 8.4
222. Diary of a Country Priest 8.2
223. Maitresse 6.5
224. Pickup on South Street 7.8
225. Tunes of Glory 7.5
226. Onibaba 8.1
227. Le Corbeau 8.4
228. Salvatore Giuliano 7.8
229. Scenes From a Marriage 7.8
230. 3 Women 7.7
231. The Testament of Dr Mabuse 7.5
232. A Story of Floating Weeds/ Floating Weeds 8.4&8.2
233. Stray Dog 7.8
234. The Tin Drum 7.5
235. The Leopard 7.6
236. Mamma Roma 7.9
237. Smiles of a Summer Night 7.8
238. A Woman is a Woman 7.8
239. The Lower Depths 7.4&7.1
240. Early Summer 8.6
241. Stage and Spectacle: 3 Films by Jean Renoir
242. The Golden Coach 7.5
243. French Cancan 7.0
244. Elena and Her Men 6.2
245. Port of Shadows 8.4
246. I Vitelloni 7.9
247. Slacker 6.7
248. Videodrome 7.0
249. The Battle of Algiers 8.4
250. John Cassavetes: Five Films
251. Shadows 7.4
252. Faces 7.4
253. A Woman Under the Influence 7.7
254. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie 7.0
255. Opening Night 7.6
256. A Constant Forge 8.1
257. Secret Honor 7.5
258. Tanner '88 8.1
259. Fat Girl 6.4
260. Eyes Without a Face 7.9
261. Fanny and Alexander Box Set
262. Fanny and Alexander – The Television Version 8.2
263. Fanny and Alexander – The Theatrical Version 8.2
264. The Making of Fanny and Alexander 8.1
265. Short Cuts 7.6
266. King of Kings 8.0
267. Kagemusha 7.8
268. Youth of the Beast 7.7
269. Fighting Elegy 7.7
270. Casque D'or 8.1
271. Touchez Pas Au Grisbi 7.7
272. La Commare Secca 6.7
273. Thieves Highway 7.7
274. Night and the City 8.0
275. Tout Va Bien 6.6
276. The River 7.5
277. My Own Private Idaho 6.7
278. L'Eclisse 7.7
279. Young Torless 6.7
280. The Sword of Doom 8.0
281. Jules and Jim 7.7
282. Andrzej Wajda: Three War Films
283. A Generation 6.7
284. Kanal 8.5
285. Ashes and Diamonds 7.5
286. Divorce Italian Style 8.0
287. Burden of Dreams 7.9
288. F For Fake 7.4
289. Hoop Dreams 7.8
290. The Phantom of Liberty 7.7
291. Heaven Can Wait 7.5
292. Unfaithfully Yours 7.7
293. The Flowers of St Francis 7.9
294. The Browning Version 8.5
295. Crazed Fruit 7.1
296. Le Notti Bianche 7.7
297. Au Hasard Balthazar 8.3
298. Gate of Flesh 7.3
299. Story of a Prostitute 7.3
300. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou 7.3
301. An Angel At My Table 7.3
302. Harakiri 8.0
303. Bad Timing 6.8
304. The Man Who Fell To Earth 6.5
305. Boudu Saved From Drowning 7.7
306. Le Samourai 7.8
307. Naked 7.6
308. Masculin Feminin 7.4
309. Ugetsu 7.7
310. Samurai Rebellion 8.3
311. Sword of the Beast 6.9
312. Samurai Spy 6.7
313. Kill! 7.1
314. Pickpocket 7.9
315. Shoot the Piano Player 7.6
316. Ran 8.4
317. The Tales of Hoffmann 7.9
318. Forbidden Games 7.3
319. The Bad Sleep Well 7.9
320. Young Mr Lincoln 7.3
321. The Virgin Spring 7.6
322. Mr Arkadin 7.4
323. The Children Are Watching Us 7.7
324. La Bete Humaine 7.7
325. Kind Hearts and Coronets 8.2

Release dates for Criterion titles

Region Codes

001 Grand Illusion Code 0
002a Seven Samurai [1st Edition] Code 0
002b Seven Samurai Code 1
003 The Lady Vanishes Code 0
004 Amarcord Code 0
005a The 400 Blows Code 0
005b The 400 Blows [remastered] Code 0
006a Beauty and the Beast Code 0
006b Beauty and the Beast [remastered] Code 0
007 A Night to Remember Code 0
008 The Killer Code 0
009 Hard Boiled Code 0
010 Walkabout Code 0
011 The Seventh Seal Code 0
012 This is Spinal Tap Code 0
013 The Silence of the Lambs Code 0
014a Samurai 1 - Musashi Miyamoto [1st Edition] Code 0
014b Samurai 1 - Musashi Miyamoto Code 1
015a Samurai 2 - Duel at Ichijoji Temple [1st Edition] Code 0
015b Samurai 2 - Duel at Ichijoji Temple Code 1
016a Samurai 3 - Duel at Ganryu Island [1st Edition] Code 0
016b Samurai 3 - Duel at Ganryu Island Code 1
017 Salo Code 0
018 The Naked Kiss Code 0
019 Shock Corridor Code 0
020 Sid & Nancy Code 0
021 Dead Ringers Code 0
022 Summertime Code 0
023 RoboCop Code 0
024 High and Low Code 1
025 Alphaville Code 0
026 The Long Good Friday Code 0
027 Flesh for Frankenstein Code 0
028 Blood for Dracula Code 0
029 Picnic at Hanging Rock Code 0
030a M Code 0
030b M [remastered] Code 0
031 Great Expectations Code 0
032 Oliver Twist Code 0
033 Nanook of the North Code 0
034 Andrei Rublev Code 0
035 Diabolique Code 0
036 Wages of Fear Code 0
037 Time Bandits Code 0
038 Branded to Kill Code 0
039 Tokyo Drifter Code 0
040 Armageddon Code 1
041 Henry V. Code 0
042 Fishing with John Code 0
043 Lord of the Flies Code 0
044 The Red Shoes Code 0
045 Taste of Cherry Code 0
046 The Most Dangerous Game Code 0
047 Insomnia Code 0
048 Black Orpheus Code 0
049 Nights of Cabiria Code 0
050 And the Ship sails on Code 0
051 Brazil Code 0
052 Yojimbo Code 1
053 Sanjuro Code 1
054 For all Mankind Code 0
055 The Unbearable Lightness of Being Code 0
056 The 39 Steps Code 0
057a Charade Code 0
057b Charade [anamorphic] Code 0
058 Peeping Tom Code 0
059 The Night Porter Code 0
060 Autumn Sonata Code 0
061 Monty Python's Life of Brian Code 0
062 The Passion of Joan of Arc Code 1
063 Carnival of Souls Code 0
064 The Third Man Code 0
065 Rushmore Code 1
066 Orphic Trilogy Box
067 Blood of a Poet Code 0
068 Oprheus Code 0
069 Testament of Orpheus Code 0
070 The Last Temptation of Christ Code 0
071 The Magic Flute Code 0
072 Le Million Code 0
073 Cleo from 5 to 7 Code 0
074 Vagabond Code 1
075 Chasing Amy Code 1
076 Brief Encounter Code 1
077 And God created Woman Code 0
078 The Bank Dick Code 0
079 W.C. Fields - Six Short Stories Code 0
080 The Element of Crime Code 1
081 Variety Lights Code 0
082 Hamlet Code 0
083 The Hardery they come Code 0
084 Good Morning Code 0
085 Pygmalion Code 0
086 Eisenstein: The Sound Years Box
087 Alexander Nevsky Code 0
088 Ivan the Terrible - Parts I & II Code 0
089 Sisters Code 0
090 Kwaidan Code 1
091 The Blob Code 0
092 Fiend without a Face Code 1
093 Black Narcissus Code 0
094 I know where I'm Going Code 0
095 All that Heaven allows Code 0
096 Written on the Wind Code 0
097 Do the Right Thing Code 0
098 L'Avventura Code 0
099 Gimme Shelter Code 1
100 Beastie Boys Video Anthology Code 0
101 Cries and Whispers Code 0
102 The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Code 1
103 The Lady Eve Code 0
104 Double Suicide Code 1
105 Spartacus Code 0
106 Coup de Torchon Code 0
107 Mona Lisa Code 0
108 The Rock Code 1
109 The Scarlett Empress Code 0
110 M. Hulot's Holiday Code 0
111 Mon Oncle Code 0
112 Playtime Code 0
113 Big Deal on Madonna Street Code 0
114 My Man Godfrey Code 0
115 Rififi Code 0
116 The Hidden Fortress Code 1
117 Diary of a Chambermaid Code 0
118 Sullivan's Travels Code 0
119 Withnail & I Code 0
120 How to Get Ahead in Advertising Code 0
121 Billy Liar Code 0
122 Salesman Code 0
123 Grey Gardens Code 0
124 Dreyer Box Set Box
125 Day of Wrath Code 0
126 Ordet Code 0
127 Gertrud Code 0
128 My Metier Code 0
129 Le Trou Code 0
130 The Shop on Main Street Code 1
131 Closely watched Trains Code 0
132 The Ruling Class Code 0
133 The Vanishing Code 1
134 H�xan Code 0
135 Rebecca Code 0
136 Spellbound Code 0
137 Notorious Code 1
138 Rashomon Code 1
139 Wild Strawberries Code 0
140 8 1/2 Code 0
141 Children of Paradise Code 0
142 The Last Wave Code 0
143 That Obscure Object of Desire Code 0
144 Loves of a Blonde Code 0
145 The Fireman's Ball Code 0
146 The Cranes are Flying Code 0
147 In the Mood for Love Code 0
148 Ballad of a Soldier Code 0
149 Juliet of the Spirits Code 1
150 Bob le Flambeur Code 0
151 Traffic Code 1
152 George Washington Code 0
153 General Idi Amin Code 0
154 The Horse's Mouth Code 0
155 Tokyo Olympiad Code 1
156 Hearts & Minds Code 0
157 The Royal Tenenbaums Code 1
158 The Importance of Being Earnest Code 0
159 Red Beard Code 1
160 � Nous la Libert� Code 0
161 Under the Roofs of Paris Code 0
162 Ratcatcher Code 0
163 Hopscotch Code 0
164 Solaris Code 0
165 Man bites Dog Code 1
166 Down by Law Code 1
167 The Complete Monterey Pop Festival Box
168 Monterey Pop Code 0
169 Jimi plays Monterey + Shake! Otis at Monterey Code 0
170 Trouble in Paradise Code 0
171 Contempt Code 0
172 P�p� Le Moko Code 0
173 The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Code 0
174 Band of Outsiders Code 1
175 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Code 1
176 The Killers Code 0
177 The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum Code 0
178 My Life as a Dog Code 0
179 I am Curious Box
180 Blue Code 0
181 Yellow Code 0
182 Straw Dogs Code 0
183 Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne Code 0
184 by Brakhage Code 0
185 The Adventures of Antoine Doinel Box
186 Stolen Kisses Code 0
187 Bed and Board Code 0
188 Love on the Run Code 0
189 The White Shike Code 0
190 Throne of Blood Code 1
191 Jubilee Code 0
192 Coup de Grace Code 0
193 Quai des Orf�vres Code 0
194 Il Posto Code 0
195 I Fidanzati Code 0
196 Hiroshima Mon Amour Code 0
197 Nigth and Fog Code 0
198 Ali: Fear eats Soul Code 0
199 Schizopolis Code 0
200 The Honeymoon Killers Code 0
201 Umberto D. Code 0
202 Indiscretion of an American Wife & Terminal Station Code 0
203 The BRD Trilogy Box
204 The Marriage of Maria Braun Code 0
205 Veronika Voss Code 0
206 Lola Code 0
207 The Pornographers Code 0
208 A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman Box
209 Through a Glass Darkly Code 0
210 Winter Light Code 0
211 The Silence Code 0
212 Ingmar Bergman makes a Movie Code 0
213 Richard III Code 0
214 The Devil and Daniel Webster Code 0
215 Knife in the Water Code 0
216 The Rules of the Game Code 0
217 Tokyo Story Code 1
218 Le Cercle Rouge Code 0
219 La Strada Code 0
220 Naked Lunch Disc 1: Code 0 | Disc 2: Code 1
221 Ikiru Disc 1: Code 1 | Disc 2: Code 0
222 Diary of a Country Priest Code 0
223 Ma�tresse Code 0
224 Pickup on Main Street Code 1
225 Tunes of Glory Code 0
226 Onibaba Code 1
227 Le Corbeau Code 0
228 Salvatore Giuliano Code 0
229 Scenes from a Marriage Code 0
230 3 Women Code 1
231 The Testament of Dr. Mabuse Code 0
232 A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds Code 0
233 Stray Dog Code 1
234 The Tin Drum Code 0
235 The Leopard Disc 1: Code 0 | Disc 2: Code 1 | Disc 3: Code 1
236 Mamma Roma Code 0
237 Smiles of a Summer Night Code 0
238 A Woman is a Woman Code 0
239 The Lower Depths Code 1
240 Early Summer Code 1
241 Stage and Spectacle: Three Films by Jean Renoir Box
242 The Golden Coach Code 0
243 French Cancan Code 0
244 Elena and her Men Code 1
245 Port of Shadows Code 0
246 I Vitelloni Code 0
247 Slacker Code 1
248 Videodrome Code 1
249 Battle of Algiers Code 0
250 John Cassavetes: Five Films Box
251 Shadows Code 0
252 Faces Code 0
253 A Woman under the Influence Code 0
254 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie Code 0
255 Opening Night Code 0
256 A Constant Forge Code 0
257 Secret Honor Code 0
258 Tanner '88 Code 0
259 Fat Girl Code 0
260 Eyes without a Face Code 1
261 Fanny and Alexander Box Set Box
262 Fanny and Alexander - The Television Version Code 0
263 Fanny and Alexander - The Theatrical Version Code 0
264 The Making of Fanny and Alexander Code 0
265 Short Cuts Code 1
266 The King of Kings Code 0
267 Kagemusha Code 1
268 Youth of the Beast Code 0
269 Fighting Elegy Code 0
270 Casque d'or Code 0
271 Touchez pas au grisbi Code 0
272 La commare secca Code 0
273 Thieves Highway Code 1
274 Night and the City Code 1
275 Tout va bien Code 1
276 The River Code 0
277 My Own Private Idaho Code 1
278 L'Eclisse Code 0
279 Young Törless Code 0
280 The Sword of Doom Code 1
281 Jules and Jim Code 1
282 Andrzej Wajda - Three War Films Box
283 A Generation Code 0
284 Canal Code 0
285 Ashes and Diamonds Code 0
286 Divorce - Italian Style Code 0
287 Burden of Dreams Code 0
288 F for Fake Code 0
289 Hoop Dreams Code 1
290 The Phantom of Liberty Code 1
291 Heaven can wait Code 1
292 Unfaithfully Yours Code 1
293 The Flowers of St. Francis Code 0
294 The Browning Version Code 0
295 Crazed Fruit Code 0
296 Le notti bianche Code 0
297 Au hasard Balthazar Code 1
298 Gate of Flesh Code 0
299 Story of a Prostitute Code 0
300 The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Code 1
301 An Angel at my Table Code 1
302 Harakiri Code 1
303 Bad Timing Code 0
304 The Man who fell to Earth Code 1
305 Boudu Saved from Drowning Code 0

List of authors and their essays found in the Criterion Collection

Spine #'s 1-335 (except 322, 333)

In Alphabetical order

A
Als, Hilton - Grey Gardens
Anderson, Gillian - Häxan
Antonioni, Michelangelo - L'avventura
Arthur, Paul - Burden of Dreams, Making of Fanny and Alexander, Night and the City
Atkinson, Michael - À Nous la Liberté, Diary of a Chambermaid, Pépé le Moko, Late Spring
Azzerrad, Michael - Fishing with John

B
Barger, Ralph "Sonny" - Gimme Shelter
Basinger, Jeanine - Armageddon
Baumback, Noah - Bed and Board
Baxter, John - Juliet of the Spirits
Bergman, Georgia - Gimme Shelter
Björkman, Stig - Fanny & Alexander
Blake, Larry - Traffic
Bondanella, Peter - Amarcord
Bonnaud, Frédéric - Diary of a Country Priest
Booth, Stanley - Gimme Shelter
Bordwell, David - Early Summer, Tokyo Story
Braudy, Leo - The Silence
Breuning, Ulrich - Carl Th. Dreyer - My Métier
Brigham, Robert K. - Hearts and Minds
Brill, Lesley - Spellbound
Brook, Peter - Lord of the Flies
Brunette, Peter - The Flowers of St. Francis
Buñuel, Luis - Discreet Charm of the Bourgeosie, The

C
Camper, Fred - Brakhage - an anthology
Canby, Vincent - Picnic at Hanging Rock
Cardullo, Robert - The Children are Watching Us
Cheshire, Godfrey - Gimme Shelter, Taste of Cherry
Cheuk-to, Li - In the Mood for Love
Christgau, Robert - Monterey Pop
Christie, Ian - I Know Where I'm Going!, The Red Shoes, The Ruling Class, The Horse's Mouth, The River
Chute, David - Story of a Prostitute
Ciment, Michael - Salvatore Giuliano
Coates, Paul - Ashes and Diamonds
Cocteau, Jean - Beauty and the Beast, Orpheus, Blood of a Poet, Testament of Orpheus
Combs, Richard - Bad Timing
Corrigan, Timothy - Young Törless
Cowie, Peter - Children of Paradise, The Seventh Seal, Autumn Sonata, The Magic Flute, Cries and Whispers, Wild Strawberries, Winter Light, Knife in the Water, Night and Fog, Grand Illusion, Insomnia, The Element of Crime, The Virgin Spring

D
Dare, Michael - Coup de torchon, The Naked Kiss
Dargis, Manohla - Traffic, Tokyo Drifter
Denby, David - Summertime
Dennis, Charles - The Importance of Being Earnest
Dreyer, Carl Theodor - The Passion of Joan of Arc, Carl Th. Dreyer - My Métier
Duncan, Dean W. - Nanook of the North

E
Ebert, Roger - The Rock, Do the Right Thing, Walkabout
Eder, Bruce - Charade, Time Bandits, Samurai I - Musashi Miyaoto, Samurai II - Duel at Ichijoji Temple, Samurai III - Duel at Ganryu Island, Henry V, Richard III, The Horse's Mouth, Hopscotch, Big Deal on Madonna Street, Monterey Pop, Fiend without a Face
Ehrenstein, David - Black Orpheus, Seven Samurai, Kwaidan, Pygmalion, The Last Temptation of Christ, General Idi Amin Dada, M. Hulot's Holiday

F
Farber, Stephen - Spartacus
Faulkner, Christopher - Boudu Saved from Drowning, Elena and Her Men
Fellini, Federico - 8 1/2, And the Ship Sails On, Nights of Cabiria
Flitterman-Lewis, Sandy - Vagabond
Francke, Lizzie - Ratcatcher
Fuentes, Carlos - Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The
Fujiwara, Chris - Le Trou, Häxan, Ordet, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, The Cranes Are Flying, Stray Dog, Le Cercle Rouge, Love on the Run
Fuller, Graham - Man Who Fell to Earth

G
Giddins, Gary - Shadows, I Am Curious - Yellow, Honeymoon Killers
Goldstein, Bruce - Billy Liar
Grilli, Peter - Kagemusha
Gunning, Tom - The Testament of Dr. Mabuse

H
Hampton, Howard - Youth of the Beast, Kill!
Harvey, James - The Lady Eve
Haskell, Molly - Cleo from 5 to 7
Haver, Ronald - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Herring, George - Hearts and Minds
Hoberman, J. - Alexander Nevsky, Ivan the Terrible - Parts I & II, A Woman is a Woman, Tout va bien, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Firemen's Ball, The Pornographers, Andrei Rublev
Hoskyns, Barney - Monterey Pop
Hunter, Tim - Shock Corridor

I
Indiana, Gary - The Phantom of Liberty, Naked Lunch, Mamma Roma, Pickpocket
Insdorf, Annette - The Night Porter, The 400 Blows

J
Jack Mathews - Brazil
Jacobs, Diane - My Man Godfrey, The Last Wave
Jamie Hook - Rififi
Jensen, Torben Skjødt - Carl Th. Dreyer - My Métier
Johnson, Vida - Ballad of a Soldier
Johnston, Claire - Double Suicide
Jones, Kent - The Royal Tenenbaums, A Woman Under the Influence, The BRD Trilogy, Il Posto, I Fidanzati, Hiroshima mon amour, Playtime, The 400 Blows, Shoot the Piano Player
Jordon, Neil - Mona Lisa
Joshua Clover - Straw Dogs, Band of Outsiders
Judith Crist - Hearts and Minds

K
Kadár, Ján - The Shop on Main Street
Kael, Pauline - Smiles of a Summer Night, Lacombe, Lucien
Kalat, David - Eyes Without a Face
Kauffmann, Stanley - M, How to Get Ahead in Advertising
Kawin, Bruce - The Blob, Sisters, The Most Dangerous Game
Keane, Marian - The 39 Steps
Kehr, David - Rushmore, Indiscretion of an American Wife & Terminal Station, Black Narcissus, Loves of a Blonde
Kemp, Phillip - Touchez pas au grisbi, Casque d'or, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Au revoir les enfants
Kezich, Tullio - 8 1/2
Klawans, Stuart - Faces, Umberto D., Divorce Italian Style, The Children are Watching Us
Kornblau, Gary - Tanner '88
Kurosawa, Akira - Rashomon

L
Lahr, John - I Am Curious - Blue
Leff, Leonard - Spellbound
Lehane, Dennis - Wages of Fear
Lethem, Jonathan - Unfaithfully Yours, The Killers
Lim, Dennin - Opening Night, Schizopolis
Long, Ngo Vinh - Hearts and Minds
Lopate, Phillip - Scenes from a Marriage, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Gertrud, Contempt, Night and Fog, Solaris, Ugetsu
Lucas, Tim - Videodrome
Lydon, Michael - Gimme Shelter, Monterey Pop

M
Macias, Patrick - Sword of the Beast
Macnab, Geoffrey - The Browning Version
Malcolm, Derek - Naked
Martin, Adrian - Masculin féminin
Maslin, Janet - Naked Lunch
Matthews, Jack - An Angel at My Table
Matthews, Peter - The Battle of Algiers, Through a Glass Darkly, The King of Kings, La Strada, Forbidden Games
Mazierska, Ewa - A Generation
McCarthy, Todd - Sullivan's Travels
McDonald, Keiko & Rimer, Thomas - The Lower Depths
McGrath, Patrick - Eyes Without a Face
Mellen, Joan - Harakiri
Miller, Toby - Salesman
Moeller, Hans-Bernhard & Lellis, George - Coup de Grâce
Moody, Rick - Fanny & Alexander
Mulvey, Laura - Peeping Tom, Written on the Wind, All That Heaven Allows
Murphy, Robert - Tunes of Glory

N
Neame, Ronald - The Horse's Mouth
Newman, Newman - The Vanishing
Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey - L'avventura, Le notti bianche

O
O'Brien, Geoffrey - Touchez pas au grisbi, The Sword of Doom, The Killers, Young Mr. Lincoln, La bête humaine
Occhiogrosso, Peter - This is Spinal Tap

P
Paul, William - Heaven Can Wait
Peake, Tony - Jubilee
Peary, Danny - Wages of Fear, Diabolique
Perrin, Dennis - The Bank Dick, W.C. Fields - Six Short Films
Perry, George - Life of Brian - Monty Python's
Piazza, Tom - The Devil and Daniel Webster, I Vitelloni
Pierson, John - Slacker
Plimpton, George - Tokyo Olympiad
Powers, John - Salò, Jules and Jim
Prelinger, Rick - Good Morning
Prince, Stephen - Throne of Blood, Rashomon

Q
Quandt, James - Au hasard Balthazar

R
Rafferty, Terrence - Stray Dog, Hamlet, Elevator to the Gallows
Raine, Michael - Crazed Fruit
Rayns, Tony - Fighting Elegy
Reinert, Al - For All Mankind
Rentschler, Eric - The Tin Drum
Rickey, Carrie - Videodrome, RoboCop
Richie, Donald - Ikiru, A Story of Floating Weeds/Floating Weeds, Samurai Rebellion, Red Beard, Late Spring
Robinson, Bruce - Withnail and I
Rodley, Chris - Dead Ringers
Rosenbaum, Jonathan - L'eclisse, Day of Wrath, The White Sheik, F for Fake
Rosenbaum, Ron - Slacker
Rothman, William - That Obscure Object of Desire, Notorious

S
Sante, Luc - Port of Shadows, Quai des Orfèvres, Under the Roofs of Paris, Pickup on South Street, Down by Law, Bob le Flambeur, Metropolitan
Sarris, Andrew - Variety Lights, Alphaville, The Golden Coach, French Cancan, Stolen Kisses
Savage, Jon - Sid & Nancy
Scharres, Barbara - Hard Boiled
Schickel, Richard - Closely Watched Trains
Scott, A.O. - Billy Liar
Seitz, Matt Zoller - Man Bites Dog, Mon Oncle
Selvin, Joel - Monterey Pop
Sesonske, Alexander - 8 1/2, The Lower Depths, Yojimbo, The Rules of the Game
Silver, Alain - Samurai Spy
Simon, John - Kanal
Smith, Jack - The Scarlet Empress
Smith, Kevin - Chasing Amy
Sragow, Michael - A Night to Remember, Theives' Highway, The Unbearalbe Lightness of Being, Sanjuro, Oliver Twist, The Long Good Friday, Le Cercle Rouge, Murmur of the Heart
Steegmuller, Francis - Beauty and the Beast
Stein, Elliot - Le Million, Maîtresse
Stephens, Chuck - High and Low, Crazed Fruit, Onibaba, Gate of Flesh, And God Created Woman, The Bad Sleep Well
Sterritt, David - 3 Women
Stonehill, Brian - Children of Paradise
Swinton, Tilda - Jubilee

T
Taubin, Amy - Gimme Shelter, Silence of the Lambs, My Own Private Idaho, An Angel at My Table
Thompson, David - La commare secca, Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne, Le samouraï
Thompson, Hunter S. - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Turner, Adrian - Great Expectations, Brief Encounter

V
Vincendeau, Ginette - Fat Girl

W
Wenner, Jann - Monterey Pop
White, Armond - George Washington, The Hidden Fortress, Trouble in Paradise, Monterey Pop
Wideman, John Edgar - Hoop Dreams
Williams, Alan - Le Corbeau
Wilmington, Michael - Short Cuts, Secret Honor, The Lady Vanishes, The Third Man, Tanner '88, Ran
Wlaschin, Ken - The Tales of Hoffmann
Woo, John - Le samouraï
Wood, Michael - The Leopard
Wood, Robin - Rebecca, The Scarlet Empress

Y
Yacowar, Maurice - Flesh for Frankenstein, Blood for Dracula

Z
Zorn, John - Branded to Kill

Region codes:
292 Unfaithfully Yours 1
293 The Flowers of St. Francis 0
295 Crazed Fruit 0
296 Le notti bianche 0
298 Gate of Flesh 0
299 Story of a Prostitute 0
301 An Angel at my Table 1
302 Harakiri 1
303 Bad Timing 0
304 The Man who fell to Earth 1
305 Boudu Saved from Drowning 0

I own them. Would have posted earlier, but thought list had been deleted.

List of Companies Criterion has licensed its films from for DVD release

Note: Information is taken from the fine-print copyright information on the back cover of each Criterion DVD. Most of these contain the text

Under exclusive license from [Company X]

In cases where that wording is not used, I made the best guess of the licensor based on either the copyright holder or by the presence of a company trademark (by doing so, I may have misidentified those films licensed directly from the Janus Collection). I will try to update this list as new titles are released. Also happy to correct any errors.


Brian
Last update February 28, 2006 (thru Spine # 326).


AB Svensk Filmindustri
11 Seventh Seal / Bergman, Ingmar
60 Autumn Sonata / Bergman, Ingmar
134 Haxan--Witchcraft through the Ages / Christensen, Benjamin
139 Wild Strawberries / Bergman, Ingmar
178 My Life as a Dog / Hallstrom, Lasse
209 Through a Glass Darkly / Bergman, Ingmar
210 Winter Light / Bergman, Ingmar
211 Silence, The / Bergman, Ingmar
212 Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie / Sjoman, Vilgot
229 Scenes from a Marriage / Bergman, Ingmar
237 Smiles of a Summer Night / Bergman, Ingmar
261 Fanny & Alexander / Bergman, Ingmar
264 Making of Fanny & Alexander / Bergman, Ingmar
321 Virgin Spring, The / Bergman, Ingmar

American Broadcast Company [Controlled by Buena Vista, but subsequently licensed to MGM (now Sony)]
135 Rebecca / Hitchcock, Alfred [OOP]
136 Spellbound / Hitchcock, Alfred [OOP]
137 Notorious / Hitchcock, Alfred [OOP]
182 Straw Dogs / Peckinpah, Sam [OOP]

Agnes Varda
73 Cleo from 5 to 7 / Varda, Agnes
74 Vagabond / Varda, Agnes

Anchor Bay
21 Dead Ringers / Cronenberg, David [OOP]
26 Long Good Friday, The / Mackenzie, John
37 Time Bandits / Gilliam, Terry
61 Monty Python's Life of Brian / Gilliam, Terry
107 Mona Lisa / Jordan, Neil
119 Withnail & I / Robinson, Bruce
120 How to Get Ahead in Advertising / Robinson, Bruce [OOP]
304 Man Who Fell to Earth, The / Roeg, Nicholas
325 Kind Hearts & Coronets / Hamer, Robert

André Paulvé
68 Orpheus / Cocteau, Jean

Apollo Assoc
54 For All Mankind / Reinert, Al

Argos Films
196 Hiroshima, Mon Amour / Resnais, Alain
197 Night & Fog / Resnais, Alain
234 Tin Drum, The / Schlöndorff, Volker

Atlantic-Film SA
30 M / Lang, Fritz
231 Testament of Dr. Mabuse, The / Lang, Fritz

Beastie Boys
100 Beastie Boys Anthology / Various

BetaFilm
219 Strada, La / Fellini, Federico

Black Snake
166 Down by Law / Jarmusch, Jim

Buena Vista (Touchstone, Miramax, et al.)
40 Armageddon / Bay, Michael
65 Rushmore / Anderson, Wes
75 Chasing Amy / Smith, Kevin
108 Rock, The / Bay, Michael
157 Royal Tenenbaums, The / Anderson, Wes
202 Indiscretion of an American Wife / De Sica, Vittorio
300 Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The / Anderson, Wes

Cady Films
110 M. Hulot's Holiday / Tati, Jacques

Canal+ Image Intl / StudioCanal Image
1 Grand Illusion / Renoir, Jean
49 Nights of Cabiria / Fellini, Federico
58 Peeping Tom / Powell, Michael
64 Third Man, The / Reed, Carol
67 Blood of a Poet / Cocteau, Jean
69 Testament of Orpheus / Cocteau, Jean
81 Variety Lights / Fellini, Federico
102 Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie / Buñuel, Luis
106 Coup de torchon / Tavernier, Bertrand
113 Big Deal on Madonna Street / Monicelli, Mario
117 Diary of a Chambermaid / Buñuel, Luis
121 Billy Liar / Schlesinger, John
129 Trou, Le / Becker, Jacques
143 That Obscure Object of Desire / Buñuel, Luis
150 Bob le Flambeur / Melville, Jean-Pierre
163 Hopscotch / Neame, Ronald
171 Contempt / Godard, Jean-Luc
189 White Sheik, The / Fellini, Federico
193 Quai des Orfevres / Clouzot, Henri-Georges
218 Cercle Rouge, Le / Melville, Jean-Pierre
222 Diary of a Country Priest / Bresson, Robert
227 Corbeau, Le / Clouzot, Henri-Georges
245 Port of Shadows / Carné, Marcel
271 Touchez pas au grisbi / Becker, Jacques
317 Tales of Hoffmann, The / Powell & Pressburger
318 Forbidden Games / Clement, Rene

Carlton Intl / Rank Organization
7 Night to Remember, A / Baker, Roy
31 Great Expectations / Lean, David
32 Oliver Twist / Lean, David
41 Henry V / Olivier, Laurence
44 Red Shoes / Powell & Pressburger
56 39 Steps, The / Hitchcock, Alfred
76 Brief Encounter / Lean, David
82 Hamlet / Olivier, Laurence
93 Black Narcissus / Powell & Pressburger
94 I Know Where I'm Going! / Powell & Pressburger
158 Importance of Being Earnest, The / Asquith, Anthony
173 Life & Death of Colonel Blimp, The / Powell & Pressburger

Casbah Films
249 Battle of Algiers, The / Pontecorvo, Gillo

Castle Hill Prod
47 Insomnia / Skjoldbjaerg, Erik
251 Shadows / Cassavetes, John
252 Faces / Cassavetes, John
253 Woman Under the Influence, A / Cassavetes, John
254 Killing of a Chinese Bookie, The / Cassavetes, John
255 Opening Night / Cassavetes, John
256 Constant Forge, A / Charles Kiselyak

Ciné International
133 Vanishing, The / Sluizer, George
177 Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, The / Schlöndorff, von Trotta
279 Young Törless / Schlöndorff, Volker
192 Coup de Grace / Schlöndorff, Volker

Code Red Films
259 Fat Girl / Breillat, Catherine

Comité Cocteau
6 Beauty & the Beast / Cocteau, Jean

Compagnia Cinematografica Champion
27 Flesh for Frankenstein / Morrissey, Paul [OOP]
28 Blood for Dracula / Morrissey, Paul [OOP]

Corinth
140 8½ / Fellini, Federico

Cowboy
152 George Washington / Green, David Gordon

Cristaldifilm SNC
286 Divorce--Italian Style / Germi, Pietro
296 Notti bianche, Le / Visconti, Luchino

Daiei
138 Rashomon / Kurosawa Akira
232 Floating Weeds / Ozu Yasujiro

Detour Filmproduction
247 Slacker / Linklater, Richard

Dispatfilm
48 Black Orpheus / Camus, Marcel

Euro-London Films
200 Honeymoon Killers, The / Kastle, Leonard
215 Knife in the Water / Polanski, Roman

F&F Prods
18 Naked Kiss, The / Fuller, Samuel
19 Shock Corridor / Fuller, Samuel

Filmel
306 Samouraï, Le / Melville, Jean-Pierre

Filmové Studio Barrandov
130 Shop on Main Street, The / Kadar & Klos
131 Closely Watched Trains / Menzel, Jiri
144 Loves of a Blonde / Forman, Milos
145 Firemen's Ball, The / Forman, Milos

Films Ariane
160 A Nous la Liberte / Clair, Rene
161 Under the Roofs of Paris / Clair, Rene

Filmverlag den Autoren
205 Lola / Fassbinder, Rainer W.

Flower Films
287 Burden of Dreams / Blank, Les

Twentieth-Century Fox
220 Naked Lunch / Cronenberg, David
224 Pickup on South Street / Fuller, Samuel
230 3 Women / Altman, Robert
235 Leopard, The / Visconti, Luchino
267 Kagemusha / Kurosawa Akira
273 Thieves Highway / Dassin, Jules
274 Night and the City / Dassin, Jules
291 Heaven Can Wait / Lubitsch, Ernst
292 Unfaithfully Yours / Sturges, Preston
320 Young Mr. Lincoln / Ford, John

Gaumont
3 Lady Vanishes / Hitchcock, Alfred
62 Passion of Joan of Arc, The / Dreyer, Carl Theodor
115 Rififi / Dassin, Jules
174 Band of Outsiders / Godard, Jean-Luc
244 Elena and Her Men / Renoir, Jean
260 Eyes Without a Face / Franju, Georges
275 Tout va bien / Godard, Jean-Luc

Gordon Films
92 Fiend Without a Face / Crabtree, Arthur

Granada International
303 Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession / Roeg, Nicholas

Harold Harvey & John Clifford
63 Carnival of Souls / Harvey, Herk

Image
246 Vitelloni, I / Fellini, Federico

Interama
242 Golden Coach, The / Renoir, Jean
243 French Cancan / Renoir, Jean

International Films Ltd
83 Harder They Come, The / Henzell, Perry [OOP]

Intramovies SRL
228 Salvatore Giuliano / Rosi, Francesco
236 Mamma Roma / Pasolini, Pier Paolo
272 Commare secca, La / Bertolucci, Bernardo
293 Flowers of St. Francis / Rossellini, Roberto

Janus
4 Amarcord / Fellini, Federico
25 Alphaville / Godard, Jean-Luc
50 And the Ship Sails On / Fellini, Federico
98 Avventura, L' / Antonioni, Michelangelo
101 Cries & Whispers / Bergman, Ingmar
213 Richard III / Olivier, Laurence
214 Devil & Daniel Webster, The / Dieterle, William
225 Tunes of Glory / Neame, Ronald
276 River, The / Renoir, Jean
294 Browning Version, The / Asquith, Anthony

Jeck Film & Kadr / Jeck Film & Oko
283 Generation, A / Wajda, Andrzej
284 Kanal / Wajda, Andrzej
285 Ashes & Diamonds / Wajda, Andrzej

Kadokawa Pictures Inc
309 Ugetsu / Mizoguchi Kenji

Keep Films Ltd
132 Ruling Class, The / Medak, Peter

Knightsbridge Films
154 Horse's Mouth, The / Neame, Ronald

Last Wave Prod
142 Last Wave, The / Weir, Peter

Le Figaro Mara Films
153 General Idi Amin Dada / Schroeder, Barbet

Les Artistes Anonymes Prod
165 Man Bites Dog / Belvaux, Rémy

Les Films Ariane
72 Million, Le / Clair, Rene
77 And God Created Woman / Vadim, Roger
183 Dames du Bois de Boulogne, Les / Bresson, Robert

Les Films de L'Astrophore
288 F for Fake / Welles, Orson

Les Films du Losange
223 Maîtresse / Schroeder, Barbet

Les Grande Films Classiques
216 Rules of the Game / Renoir, Jean

Lagarto Productions
42 Fishing with John / Lurie, John

Lopert Films Inc
22 Summertime / Lean, David

Lord of the Flies Co
43 Lord of the Flies / Brook, Peter

Lotar Film SRL
59 Night Porter, The / Cavani, Liliana

Max L Raab
10 Walkabout / Roeg, Nicholas

Maysles Films Inc
99 Gimme Shelter / Maysles, et al.
122 Salesman / Maysles, et al.
123 Grey Gardens / Maysles, et al.

mk2
281 Jules and Jim / Truffaut, Francois
314 Pickpocket / Bresson, Robert
315 Shoot the Piano Player / Truffaut, Francois

Modern Sound Pictures
266 King of Kings, The / DeMille, Cecil B.

Monterey Intl Pop Fest Foundation
168 Monterey Pop / Pennebaker, D.A.
169 Jimi Plays Monterey/Shake! Otis at Monterey / Pennebaker, D.A.

Mosfilm
34 Andrei Rublev / Tarkovsky, Andrei
87 Alexander Nevsky / Eisenstein, Sergei
88 Ivan the Terrible I & II / Eisenstein, Sergei
146 Cranes Are Flying, The / Kalatozov, Mikhail
148 Ballad of a Soldier / Chukhrai, Grigori
164 Solaris / Tarkovsky, Andrei

New Line
12 This Is Spinal Tap / Reiner, Rob [OOP]
20 Sid & Nancy / Cox, Alex [OOP]
265 Short Cuts / Altman, Robert
277 My Own Private Idaho / Van Sant, Gus
289 Hoop Dreams / James, Steve
301 Angel at My Table, An / Campion, Jane
307 Naked / Leigh, Mike

Nikkatsu
38 Branded to Kill / Suzuki Seijun
39 Tokyo Drifter / Suzuki Seijun
207 Pornographers, The / Imamura Shohei
268 Youth of the Beast / Suzuki Seijun
269 Fighting Elegy / Suzuki Seijun
295 Crazed Fruit / Nakahira Kô
298 Gate of Flesh / Suzuki Seijun
299 Story of a Prostitute / Suzuki Seijun

Nordisk Film
80 Element of Crime, The / von Trier, Lars

Orion [Orion's films are now owned by MGM/Sony, except for Unbearable Lightness of Being, which was a Saul Zaentz production that is now owned by Warner]
13 Silence of the Lambs, The / Demme, Jonathan [OOP]
23 RoboCop / Verhoeven, Paul [OOP]
55 Unbearable Lightness of Being, The / Kaufman, Philip [OOP]

Palladium A/S
125 Day of Wrath / Dreyer, Carl Theodor
126 Ordet / Dreyer, Carl Theodor
127 Gertrud / Dreyer, Carl Theodor

Pathé
33 Nanook of the North / Flaherty, Robert
141 Children of Paradise / Carné, Marcel
162 Ratcatcher / Ramsay, Lynne
305 Boudu Saved from Drowning / Renoir, Jean

Picnic Prod
29 Picnic at Hanging Rock / Weir, Peter

Plaza Production Intl
172 Pepe le Moko / Duvivier, Julien
270 Casque d'or / Becker, Jacques
278 Eclisse, L' / Antonioni, Michelangelo
324 Bete humaine, La / Renoir, Jean

Pressman Williams Enterprises
89 Sisters / De Palma, Brian

Rainbow Pictures Inc
156 Hearts & Minds / Davis, Peter


Raymond Rohauer
79 W.C. Fields--Six Short Films / Fields, W.C.

Revcom Intl
35 Diabolique / Clouzot, Henri-Georges
36 Wages of Fear, The (original) / Clouzot, Henri-Georges

Rialto
238 Woman is a Woman, A / Godard, Jean-Luc
290 Phantom of Liberty, The / Buñuel, Luis
297 Au hasard Balthazar / Bresson, Robert
308 Masculin, féminin: 15 faits précis / Godard, Jean-Luc
335 Elevator to the Gallows / Malle, Louis

Rizzoli
149 Juliet of the Spirits / Fellini, Federico
201 Umberto D. / De Sica, Vittorio

RKO
46 Most Dangerous Game, The / Schoedsack & Pichel

Roissy Films
239 Lower Depths, The (Les Bas-fonds) / Renoir, Jean

Sandcastle 5 Prod
257 Secret Honor / Altman, Robert
258 Tanner '88 / Altman, Robert

Sandrew Metronome
180 I Am Curious--Yellow / Sjoman, Vilgot
181 I Am Curious--Blue / Sjoman, Vilgot

Shochiku
84 Good Morning / Ozu Yasujiro
217 Tokyo Story / Ozu Yasujiro
232 Story of Floating Weeds, A / Ozu Yasujiro
240 Early Summer / Ozu Yasujiro
302 Harakiri / Kobayashi Masaki
311 Sword of the Beast / Gosha Hideo
312 Samurai Spy / Shinoda Masahiro
331 Late Spring / Ozu Yasujiro

Spectra Films
111 Mon Oncle / Tati, Jacques
112 Playtime / Tati, Jacques [OOP]

Stan Brakhage
184 by Brakhage--An Anthology / Brakhage, Stan

Steen Herdel & Co
128 My Metier / Jensen, Torben Skjodt

Sveriges Radio AB
71 Magic Flute, The / Bergman, Ingmar

TF1 International
36 Wages of Fear, The (remastered) / Clouzot, Henri-Georges

Titanus
194 Il Posto / Olmi, Ermanno
195 I Fidanzati / Olmi, Ermanno

Toho
2 Seven Samurai / Kurosawa Akira
14 Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto / Inagaki Hiroshi
15 Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoi Temple / Inagaki Hiroshi
16 Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island / Inagaki Hiroshi
24 High & Low / Kurosawa Akira
52 Yojimbo / Kurosawa Akira
53 Sanjuro / Kurosawa Akira
90 Kwaidan / Kobayashi Masaki
104 Double Suicide / Shinoda Masahiro
116 Hidden Fortress, The / Kurosawa Akira
155 Tokyo Olympiad / Ichikawa Kon
159 Red Beard / Kurosawa Akira
190 Throne of Blood / Kurosawa Akira
221 Ikiru / Kurosawa Akira
226 Onibaba / Shindo Kaneto
233 Stray Dog / Kurosawa Akira
239 Lower Depths, The (Donzoko) / Kurosawa Akira
280 Sword of Doom, The / Okamoto, Kihachi
310 Samurai Rebellion / Kobayashi Masaki
313 Kill! / Okamoto, Kihachi
319 Bad Sleep Well, The / Kurosawa Akira

Universal
51 Brazil / Gilliam, Terry
57 Charade / Donen, Stanley
70 Last Temptation of Christ, The / Scorsese, Martin
78 Bank Dick / Fields, W.C. [OOP]
95 All That Heaven Allows / Sirk, Douglas
96 Written on the Wind / Sirk, Douglas
97 Do the Right Thing / Lee, Spike
103 Lady Eve, The / Sturges, Preston
105 Spartacus / Kubrick, Stanley
109 Scarlet Empress, The / Sternberg, Josef von
114 My Man Godfrey / La Cava, Gregory
118 Sullivan's Travels / Sturges, Preston
170 Trouble in Paradise / Lubitsch, Ernst
175 Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas / Gilliam, Terry
176 Killers, The / Siodmak, Robert
248 Videodrome / Cronenberg, David

USA Films [now Focus Features, a division of Universal]
147 In the Mood for Love / Wong Kar-wai
151 Traffic / Soderbergh, Steven

Valerie Pascal Delacorte
85 Pygmalion / Asquith, Anthony

Water Bearer
17 Salo / Pasolini, Pier Paolo [OOP]

Wellspring / Fox Lorber
5 400 Blows / Truffaut, Francois
8 Killer, The / Woo, John [OOP]
9 Hard Boiled / Woo, John [OOP]
186 Stolen Kisses / Truffaut, Francois
187 Bed & Board / Truffaut, Francois
188 Love on the Run / Truffaut, Francois
198 Ali--Fear Eats the Soul / Fassbinder, Rainer W.
199 Schizopolis / Soderbergh, Steven
204 Marriage of Maria Braun / Fassbinder, Rainer W.
206 Veronika Voss / Fassbinder, Rainer W.
316 Ran / Kurosawa Akira

Westerly Films
326 Metropolitan / Stillman, Whit

Whaley-Malin Prod
191 Jubilee / Jarman, Derek

Worldwide Entertainment Corp
91 Blob, The / Yeaworth, Jr., Irvin S.

Zeitgeist Films
45 Taste of Cherry / Kiarostami, Abbas

Wow! Nice work, Brian. Criterion is often crediting the original rights holder, or the person or company that supplied the source materials, even though some films like My Man Godfrey, Charade, and The Most Dangerous Game are now in the public domain.

Janus Films (which is 100% synonymous with Criterion) actually owns the U.S. distribution rights to many of the foreign films attributed to smaller companies. I couldn't name them all with any sort of accuracy. In those cases they generally credit the rights holder in the country of origin, which often provides Criterion with quality source materials.

Thanks, Jeff. With respect to Janus: The Browning Version reads: Under exclusive license from Janus Films Limited, which would seem to suggest that Criterion and Janus aren't "100% synonymous" (why would Criterion license a film from itself?)

I agree with you that the credited copyright holder is seldom the licensor (unless stated explicitly). As I was going through all the films yesterday, I wasn't sure how to categorize those in which a licensor wasn't explicit.

So, can we assume that any Criterion cover that doesn't contain the phrase "Under exclusive license from [Company X]" is either part of the Janus Library or belongs to the Public Domain? Criterion first used that phrase very early on (#7 A Night to Remember / Carlton), though on the original 400 Blows the cover states "Under exclusive license from The Classic Collection" (The Classic Collection is described as "a joint venture of Janus Films and Home Vision Cinema")

CRITERION REISSUED TITLES

Reissues with Improved Transfers and/or Extras

Beauty and the Beast--improved transfer & new extras (2/11/03)
The 400 Blows--new anamorphic transfer with substantially expanded extras (4/29/03)
Charade--new anamorphic transfer (otherwise minimal improvement in picture quality); same extras (4/6/04)
M--brilliant new transfer & loaded 2-disc SE (12/7/04)
The Wages of Fear--new, improved transfer, 2-disc SE (10/25/05)
Playtime--improved transfer (from recent restoration) & new extras (9/5/06)
Seven Samurai--improved transfer & extras (9/5/06)
Amarcord--improved transfer & extras (9/5/06)
Brazil--improved transfer & extras, available in box set or individually (9/5/06)
Yojimbo--improved anamorphic transfer & extras (1/23/07)
Sanjuro--improved anamorphic transfer & extras (1/23/07)

Reissues with No Change from Prior Release

M. Hulot's Holiday (1/6/04)
Mon Oncle (1/6/04)
Traffic--never technically went OOP, but re-released 3/7/06 with a new UPC#
The 400 Blows--individual release of disc previously only available in the Antoine Doinel boxset (5/9/06)
Jimi Plays Monterey / Shake! Otis at Monterey--single-disc release (6/13/06)
Monterey Pop--single-disc release (6/13/06)
Grey Gardens (12/5/06)

Potential Candidates for Improved Reissue: In-Print Non-Anamorphic Widescreen Films in the CC

050 And the Ship Sails On
034 Andrei Rublev
040 Armageddon
060 Autumn Sonata
038 Branded to Kill
026 The Long Good Friday--current Anchor Bay release is anamorphic
107 Mona Lisa--current Anchor Bay release is anamorphic
018 The Naked Kiss
059 The Night Porter
007 A Night to Remember
029 Picnic at Hanging Rock
019 Shock Corridor
045 Taste of Cherry
037 Time Bandits--current Anchor Bay release is anamorphic
039 Tokyo Drifter
010 Walkabout
119 Withnail and I

The Criterion Collection in the New Home Video Market:
An Interview with Susan Arosteguy

Bradley Schauer

The Criterion Collection was founded in 1983 in order to release selected canonical films on laserdisc, a format that allowed for ped- gogical bonus features such as still frames, making-of documentaries, and audio commentaries by filmmakers, critics, and scholars (Crowdus 48). Expensive and cumbersome, laserdiscs appealed primarily to a niche audience of cinephiles and academics who were attracted to the format's superior picture and sound as well as its ability to hold special features. Criterion is perhaps most important to the video industry as a pioneer of "special edition" releases. Its 1984 laserdisc of Citizen Kane (1941), which included storyboards and script comparisons, is often cited as a progenitor of today's fully loaded DVD sets, which typically feature hours of elaborate bonus features (Neapolitan 46). By partnering with art cinema distributor Janus Films and licensing Hollywood hits from their respective studios, Criterion was able to release a fascinating mix of foreign film favorites (Breathless, 1960), Hollywood hits (Singin' in the Rain, 1952), and more obscure titles (Robinson Crusoe on Mars, 1964).

By 1998 Criterion had branched out into the DVD format, which quickly supplanted the laserdisc in the collectors market and exploded in popularity. Today, approximately 70 percent of homes have a DVD player of some kind (Snider). When contrasted with the laserdisc's ultimate 2 percent of market penetration, it becomes clear that Criterion today must contend with a vastly larger and different customer base than it did in the 1980s and 1990s (Scally). Criterion discs are no longer the sole property of the elite: whereas laserdisc collectors were paying upward of $150 per disc, the average Criterion DVD can be purchased at a discounted price from online retailers for approximately $25. Despite the changes in the video industry, Criterion has maintained a release schedule that mirrors the variety of the laserdisc collection, with films ranging from Armageddon (1998) to The Seventh Seal (1957) to David Gordon Green's George Washington (2000), which was critically acclaimed but barely released outside the festival circuit.

The expansion of the video market has also elicited discussion about Criterion's role in film culture. James Kendrick argues that through the eclecticism of its releases the collection has actively fought against "restraints of politics, taste, geography, and time," although he admits its bias toward auteurs such as Ingmar Bergman (137). Indeed, one could argue that the Criterion Collection privileges the European and Japanese art cinema of the 1950s and 1960s at the expense of other national cinemas, genres, and eras. While marketability is certainly a factor here, Criterion has been able to achieve success with obscure titles through a combination of high prices, savvy promotion, and a loyal fan base, many of whom have enough faith in the Criterion brand to purchase titles sight unseen. This allows the company to make a profit off niche-market films like Carl Dreyer's 1928 silent masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc, which sold fifteen thousand copies on DVD (D'Alessandro 5). While Kendrick is right to point toward the collection's remarkable variety, it could be argued that the company could even more vigorously introduce titles from underrepresented eras and nations in order to broaden the canon it has helped to create.

The Criterion Collection has come to symbolize quality in home video, but the industry is rapidly changing as DVD becomes the most profitable stage of filmmaking for the major studios. The days of studios lending to third parties classics like Lawrence of Arabia (1962) are over. Criterion must also face the challenge of a new era as the mainstream appeal of DVD broadens. In a time when studios are releasing their own fully loaded DVD editions of classic films and when college dorm rooms are populated with Criterion editions of 1998's Fear [End Page 32] and Loathing in Las Vegas (Criterion's all-time best seller, surpassing Seven Samurai [1954]) and Chasing Amy (1997), Criterion must navigate through expanding consumer markets and competition from much larger companies if it is to continue its remarkable success (D'Alessandro 5).

Addressing these issues is Criterion producer Susan Arosteguy. Susan has been with the company since 1994, when it was still producing laserdiscs and CD-ROMs as part of the Voyager Company. Starting as a videographic designer, she worked her way to the position of producer with 1995's laserdisc of David Fincher's Se7en (1995). Since then she has been responsible for the production of DVDs as diverse as Flesh for Frankenstein (1974), Notorious (1946), The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933), and Withnail & I (1987).

BS: Please describe your responsibilities as a producer of Criterion DVDs.

SA: As a producer you are responsible for every aspect of the project, from making sure the best film elements are procured to the overall editorial and aesthetic presentation of the film. There is a great deal of research and digging. But when you come upon something you didn't know was out there and is perfect for the title, it's quite a gratifying moment.

BS: The interplay between Criterion and the home video departments of the major Hollywood studios is particularly interesting. In the days of laserdisc Criterion pioneered the use of audio commentaries and elaborate, erudite supplements. Today these features are commonplace in the DVD market; each new major release seems to top the one before. What influence has Criterion had on the proliferation of fully loaded DVD editions from major studios, such as New Line's Lord of the Rings trilogy? Are there ways in which Criterion's approach to supplemental features differs from that of the major studios?

SA: We are very fortunate to have been involved in this type of work from the beginning. We were staunch supporters of presenting films in their original aspect ratios, which is now commonplace even on broadcast television. The idea of the audio commentary was also born out of Criterion, with the first one being the late Ronald Haver on 1933's King Kong. I think with the advent of the more affordable DVD market, the audience has matured as well. Consumers come to expect films in their original aspect ratios and want to learn more by watching the supplements developed for a title. The lower price point also has a lot to do with this. I feel we are in a particularly good position to gain more and more Criterion fans, reaching a wider market.

BS: Because studios are much more invested in the DVD format than they ever were in laserdisc, it seems as though Criterion has not had the opportunity to release as many major studio films; for example, Criterion released laserdiscs of From Russia with Love [1963] and 2001: A Space Odyssey [1968]. How has this changed the Criterion Collection's identity as "a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films"? Additionally, are the supplements for these out-of-print laserdiscs lost forever, or is Criterion considering ways of making them available to consumers?

SA: In the days of laserdisc the studios were more interested in sublicensing their films because it was an expensive medium and a small market. I think it makes the collection more interesting and a challenge to go out and find the new classics. This is especially true where foreign films are concerned. Because of our unique position in the marketplace established by the laserdisc library we are able to release films that might not ever see the light of day as well as a few major studio titles a year. It all balances out. As far as the laser supplements, in a few cases we have been able to go back and revisit the initial release and build upon that. In the case of Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion [1938] we gave it spine number 1 [all Criterion releases are numbered, ostensibly as an added incentive for fans to amass a complete collection] but waited until we could do it right. Eventually, we uncovered a complete print that had been captured by the Nazis and protected by the Russians after the war. Other supplements, like Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker's commentary on Raging Bull [1980], are available on the new studio DVD editions. We are always looking for ways to make the archive available.

BS: Despite the studios' reluctance to license their new releases, Criterion has released DVDs of several major Hollywood films, including Traffic [2000] and The Royal Tenenbaums [2001], the latter of which you produced. What is the advantage of a studio licensing its new releases to Criterion versus producing the DVDs in-house? The benefit to consumers is that these DVDs are often more readily available at large brick-and-mortar retailers and for a considerably lower price than the typical Criterion DVD. Do these coproductions represent a trend that will continue in the future?

SA: We have great relationships with studios like Disney, which has given us the opportunity to work with Wes Anderson on three of his films: Rushmore [1998], The Royal Tenenbaums, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou [2004]. I think especially with the internet retailers Criterion DVDs are becoming more available at lower prices. I think some studios recognize the advantage of Criterion releasing a library title that might have seen its full potential in the video market. In the case of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas we have a long history with Terry Gilliam and were able to go back and produce a jam-packed new edition, even though a DVD had already been out for a year. Ironically, this was the first Criterion title available at Wal-Mart! I think Hunter Thompson would have appreciated that. This past year we've released some titles from Fox, which we were never able to do on laserdisc. Now Naked Lunch [1991], Pickup on South Street [1953], and 3 Women [1977] are available.

BS: Another important issue is Criterion's role in the formation of a film canon. To what extent does the Criterion Collection help construct a body of "film essentials"? It seems as though Criterion tries to mix famous classics like The Seventh Seal and Ikiru [1952] with more obscure films, such as your production of Carnival of Souls [1962]. Is this an accurate description of the method that goes into the selection of films for release?

SA: I believe so. Over the years I have been an advocate for the more obscure "cult" films like Carnival. I think it's important to find the inherent value in these types of films, as they oftentimes refer back to the foreign masters. Herk Harvey, the director of Carnival, said they wanted to make a film that had the "look of a Bergman" and the "feel of a Cocteau." Coming from an accomplished industrial filmmaker who had directed hundreds of films for the Centron Corporation, I think this speaks highly for the influence of foreign films. It's important to explore all the influences of film culture, even in the lesser known films, to be able to bring it to a wider audience, especially one that is familiar with the Criterion canon.

BS: The bulk of Criterion releases are from the Janus Collection. In a way, isn't the formation of the Criterion Collection tied up in the personal tastes and business decisions of Janus founders William Becker and Saul Turell? For example, a great deal of relatively minor Bergman and Fellini films have been released by Criterion, while other filmmakers, countries, and genres are underrepresented. Similarly, there are few silent films or foreign films that originate outside of Europe or Japan. What obstacles prevent Criterion from releasing certain types of films? Is it a matter of obtaining the rights or the belief that these films would not be financially viable?

SA: Janus is a growing library. We release many of the films that Janus has had the rights to for a number of years, but we are also constantly acquiring new ones. Especially in the more competitive market of DVD these days, Janus and Criterion are in a unique position to acquire new films based on our reputation. Oftentimes we will go the extra mile for the silent films like The Passion of Joan of Arc, Haxan [1922], King of Kings [1927] and include or even record new scores for these silent classics. We are constantly on the lookout for new genres and different countries to represent in the collection.

BS: Additionally, some films are selected as Criterion releases, and others are simply put out under the lower profile Home Vision Entertainment banner. These decisions seem to shape the film canon of the home video cineaste, who is more likely to take a chance on an unknown film in the numbered, prestigious Criterion Collection than on a comparatively mundane HVE release, even if the HVE releases are often indistinguishable from a bare-bones Criterion release. Is this taken into account when films are selected for release under the Criterion banner? Could HVE DVDs be more closely associated with Criterion, so they can share in the publicity surrounding the collection? Fans often complain when one of their favorites has been relegated to the HVE "ghetto."

SA: I think a good film is a good film. Sometimes we simply have too many titles to put out in any given year (which is a good problem to have). With the cooperation of our distributor, Home Vision, the consumer is able to access films that would take us more time to release. It's really more of an editorial decision. We look at it as, What can we do with this title? What kind of information is out there that we can dig up? It's a double-edged sword sometimes because we want to get the movie out to people but then get wrapped up in what we can find to illuminate it. Look for more "straight" editions coming from Criterion in the future.

BS: To what extent is the DVD contributing to the rise of a more cineliterate population? It seems as though the presence of behind-the-scenes features on nearly every major DVD has brought the world of filmmaking to the [End Page 34] consumer like never before. The Criterion Collection has been referred to as "film school in a box." In what ways can Criterion DVDs function as pedagogical tools?

SA: It's an interesting question. I've worked with many contemporary filmmakers who attribute much of their filmmaking knowledge to Criterion laserdiscs, in particular, the commentaries. When I was in film school in Boulder, Colorado, we often viewed Criterion lasers in class. In fact, we have worked with Marian Keane, Stan Brakhage, and Bruce Kawin, three of my former professors who often referred to Criterion in their lectures. In those days you were able to rent Criterion lasers in the AV library for reference. I only hope that this is still a valuable educational tool today. There are so many ways you can present a film, and ours is just one of them. I hope that whatever someone takes away from one of our releases will inspire them to go out and find out more.

BS: The explosion of the DVD market has expanded Criterion's audience base far beyond that of its laserdisc market. Some of Criterion's success on DVD can be attributed to the way it caters to the "collector mentality," i.e., the numbered releases, boxed sets, etc. Much of this is a throwback to the days of laserdisc. Is Criterion's current audience simply an expansion of its old market, or does it view the DVD market as different? For example, many more college students seem to buy Criterion DVDs than ever bought Criterion laserdiscs. If the DVD market is different, what steps does Criterion take to cater to this new audience?

SA: I think much of this has to do with the affordability of the DVD format. Where Criterion lasers could run you up to $150, the DVDs are much more consumer priced friendly. I think the lower production costs in general help to fill the gap of reaching a wider audience. It's great because we've kept our loyal audience throughout the years, and really, without their support we wouldn't be able to do the work we do today.

BS: Criterion is famous for the high quality of its special features. Some media theorists have speculated that features like scholarly audio commentaries and documentaries serve to close down the potential meanings of a particular film by expressing a "preferred reading." Do you see this as a risk? If so, how does it influence the production of special features on Criterion DVDs? Do you make an effort to engage multiple interpretations and varying ways of accessing the film?

SA: This is the quandary that we at Criterion face. We know that there are so many people out there who have thought about and taught about any given film that we need to be on our toes about how we approach each project. In any production we have to choose our editorial slant and stick to it. This comes from months of research and phone calls. We realize that there will always be someone out there who will have a different idea about how something should be approached. This is why we match the appropriate project to the right producer. Every effort is made to explore all options before the decision is made on how to present the final project. That's the exciting thing about this field. In ten years we can go back and do it again based on a new film element or new information. It's an ongoing process. Actually, in the last few years we've been adding much more content to our website that isn't available on the DVDs. We've commissioned a number of new essays that allow the viewer to further explore.

BS: I'd like to end on a personal note. Is there a particular project that has been especially rewarding for you? Is there a dream film you'd like to work on?

SA: Well, there have been many over my ten years at Criterion. In particular, Se7en, The Beastie Boys Anthology, Carnival of Souls, Jubilee [1977], Notorious, Pickup on South Street, Slacker [1991], Blood for Dracula [1974], and Flesh for Frankenstein, to name a few. I have always wanted to do a project with David Lynch, and Quadrophenia [1979] is one of my all-time favorites. I'm a life-long fan of Hitchcock, so hopefully we'll see some more of his films. There are many surprises to come!

Bradley Schauer is a doctoral candidate in film studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research interests include American B-movies, contemporary Hollywood cinema, and genre filmmaking.

Works Cited:

Crowdus, Gary. "Providing an Archive for the Home Viewer: An Interview with Peter Becker." Cineaste 25.1 (1999): 47–50.

D'Alessandro, Anthony. "Criterion Committed to 'Special' DVDs." Variety Supplement February 2005: 5

Kendrick, James. "What Is the Criterion? The Criterion Collection as an Archive of Film as Culture." Journal of Film and Video 53.2–3 (Summer 2001): 124–39

Neapolitan, Matt. "Quality Is the Trademark of Criterion Collection DVDs." Billboard 17 May 2003: 46

Scally, Robert: With a clear path ahead, DVD readies for mass rule

Snider, Mike: DVD Continues Spinning Success

I'll try and fill in some gaps from those Criterions I have in the future. For now I want to add in the Producer and Designer details for Mishima.

Producer: Kim Hendrickson
Designer: Neil Kellerhouse

Region 1 coded

Les enfants terribles:

Producers: Debra McClutchy and Alexandre Mabilon
Designer: Steve Chow

Region 1 coded