Criterion Releases Gorgeous Box Set for Their 40th Anniversary

At the top of wish lists for movie lovers this holiday season should be “CC40,” a lavishly assembled collection designed to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Criterion, the most important company when it comes to preservation and appreciation of physical media. To celebrate their big event, Criterion undertook a fascinating project. For years, the company has allowed filmmakers and other special guests access to the “Criterion Closet,” basically a storage room in which copies of Criterion releases are held. They’ve even turned the encounters into a series of videos wherein the guests explain their picks and you can buy them. Why not buy 40 at the same time? “CC40” is reportedly the 40 most selected Blu-rays by the people lucky enough to walk out of the closet with a few free flicks. It’s a gloriously assembled box set with all of the special features previously available on these standalone releases, and it’s been collected in a showcase package for collectors with a massive book and hardbound case. It’s expensive, but it’s worth it.

The story goes that the Criterion Closet was something of a well-known secret for years as guests of the company would stop by and leave with a few of their favorite movies. It took on another life in 2010 when Guillermo del Toro asked that Criterion shoot his visit in September of that year, speaking as passionately as he does about his choices before calling it a “very small robbery.” Hundreds of videos and millions of views would follow, leading Criterion to try and replicate these joyful visits for people who can’t make it to the actual closet.

So they assembled the list of the most frequently assembled films, including all the available features, and even assembling the essays in an accompanying book. The volume also has photos from the visits and quotes from the people who picked that particular film. For example, Yorgos Lanthimos calls “Pickpocket,” “The most moving film I’ve ever seen.” Claire Denis hails “His Girl Friday” as “Very, very important.” In a funny twist, Gael Garcia Bernal picks his own “Y tu mama tambien.”

All three of those films are joined by the following, all in standard Blu-ray, an interesting choice given how much Criterion is moving to 4K lately, but that’s the only minor complaint about a major physical media release, one that plays out like a film class in a box. One of many wonderful things about the set is the breadth of cinema in it from horror to drama to comedy (although it would have been nice for one doc to get some closet love). Get it for someone this holiday season and insist that they watch all 40 and report back to you. They’ll be a film lover when they’re done.

Note: we’re also including links to our reviews of these films when available, most of them by Roger, many of them from his Great Movies collection.