The true purpose of the benchmark collection is explained

After that the passing of the legendary David Lynchsocial media timelines were flooded with tributes to the influential filmmaker, often featuring screenshots and gifs of his impeccable work. However, another image, that of Pamela Anderson in the hallowed grounds of the Criterion Closet, was shown with equal fervor, with the subtitle “We love David Lynch”. Anderson had visited the famous closet as part of an awards campaign for The Last Showgirl, a way for movie buffs to admire (or judge) her taste in cinema. (Note, Anderson has great taste.) Indeed, countless creatives have made their way to Criterion's closet since Guillermo del Toro was first filmed doing the casting in 2010, with many calling it a “dream come true.”

When Criterion announced it would celebrate its 40th anniversary by recreating the Closet with a portable Closet van, moviegoers across the country began planning their visits as the tour reached their hometowns. It is a great honor to have a film included in the Criterion Collection. However, there are some misconceptions about what the Criterion Collection actually is, what purpose it serves in our culture, and how the decisions are made about which films will “get in.” If you're a physical media obsessive, consider this your crash-course history lesson and guide to all the benchmarks.

Founded in 1984 by Robert Stein, Alina Stein and Joe Madyuk, Criterion is an innovative home media distribution company focused on restoring, preserving and publishing important cinematic works, both classic and contemporary, in all genres and from around the world. Films distributed by Criterion on physical media are considered part of Criterion's collection, including its early days on LaserDisc and DVDs that are no longer available. Criterion was really the first product of its kind to include restorations and extra special features to encourage repeat viewings with its releases, essentially giving buyers a superior viewing experience that included the enjoyment of the film. and film education. For over 40 years, Criterion has worked with filmmakers and film scholars to produce the best possible release of any title.

As for the films selected as part of the collection, despite the “arthouse” or “snobbish” accusations often lobbed at the Criterion, the collection has a bit of everything. An intimate, black-and-white micro-budget freak like Go Fish exists alongside an exercise in debauchery like Salò or 120 Days of Sodom, Chantal Akerman's French masterpiece Jeanne Dillman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. ,” and explosive blockbusters like Michael Bay’s “Armageddon.” But Criterion doesn't have free rein to acquire any title it wants, including movies it's already released. Criterion is also at the mercy of film rights holders. For example, Criterion is released John Woo's action classic “Hard Boiled” on DVD and has been out of print for many years now, but we're unlikely to see a re-release anytime soon on Shout! The factory recently acquired the rights to 156 films in Hong Kong's Golden Princess Library cinema, inclusive “Hard boiled.”

Film buffs often confuse the Criterion Collection with the Library of Congress' National Film Registry, the United States National Film Preservation Board's collection of films selected for preservation and selected for historical, cultural, and aesthetic contribution. The criterion is actually parent than the National Film Registry, but while Criterion restores and preserves films from around the world, the National Film Registry is dedicated solely to preserving American-made cinema without a distribution arm. For this reason, Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope is listed in the National Film Registry, but is not (and probably never will be) in the Criterion Collection, despite the film's cultural importance and undeniable influence on science fiction cinema.

“Star Wars” is one of the golden geese of Lucasfilm, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a company notoriously protective of its titles. When “WALL-E” was added to the benchmark collection in 2022it was a huge deal as only nine films owned by Walt Disney Studios or one of its subsidiaries have been added to the collection as of publication. So, if you're wondering why your favorite movies aren't in the Criterion Collection, it's probably because either Criterion couldn't get the rights, the filmmaker doesn't want their movie to be part of the collection, or Criterion doesn't. feel that the film is suitable.

Criterion remains closely associated with films even outside of their collection through the Criterion Channel streaming service often showing films of questionable taste. Fun fact: Last year, Johnny Knoxville was even celebrated by both the Criterion and the Academy Museum when the Criterion Channel streamed the “Jackass” movies, and the Academy's John Waters exhibit had a section dedicated to “Filthy Shame.” Neither title is officially part of the benchmark collection, but that doesn't make them any less important.

If a film is included in the criteria collection, it does not immediately mean that it is “better” than another, and if a film is not included in the criteria collection, the film is not less than. In fact, there are many boutique distribution labels that also offer spectacular restorations with special features that may be home to some of your favorite movies. Example: already in 2014, Scream Factory (horror group Shout! Factory) was able to restore supposedly lost footage from Clive Barker's “Nightbreed” and almost a quarter of a century. after the film first hit theaters. For horror fans everywhere, it was a chance to finally see the film as it was always meant to be experienced, and it wouldn't have been possible without the tireless work of Scream Factory.

Vinegar Syndrome and its many sister brands, such as Mélusine and the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA), have been equally invaluable in preserving and rediscovering exploitation, forgotten cinematic oddities, and vintage adult films that would likely have been lost to time if it wouldn't have happened. t to their archivists. Both “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” and “Little Darlings” got VS releases last year, finally putting an end to their “hard to find” status. And there are those therefore many other companies that provide benchmark releases are worth your time and money. Arrow, Severin Films, Kino Lorber, Radiance, Umbrella, Synapse, Imprint, Eureka!, Diabolik and even studio affiliates like Warner Archives and Paramount Scares helped keep physical media alive and ensured that all films were given the same tender, loving care as the Criterion Collection. There is no such thing as an official cinematic canon, and no brand should be considered the arbiter of quality.

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