The Costco Connection

By Bryan Reesman

MOST OF US ASSUME that when we see a DVD or Blu-ray for sale it was put together by the studio behind the theatrical release. We have come to expect bonus features, perhaps some commentary, outtakes, additional footage and the like. This is the reason those of us who love the art continue to buy movies: for the opportunity to delve more deeply into a film and its production history.

With that singular goal in mind, one company has spent the past three decades elevating the home video release to another level entirely. Not associated with a studio, but with the kind of care and attention to detail that stems from a deep and abiding passion for film, this company has become the go-to source and authority for film aficionados around the world, while at the same time establishing itself as a critical favorite of film directors themselves. This company is the Criterion Collection.

A collection for collectors

The Criterion Collection is the Rolls-Royce of home video companies. They painstakingly create archival-quality releases to occupy permanent shelf space everywhere from private collections to public libraries.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year,
Criterion has set a gold standard with their
restoration of cinematic classics from across
the globe: Fellini’s 8½, Chaplin’s The Great
Dictator and Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai among
them. The company has also worked with con-
temporary filmmakers, such as Wes Anderson,
Richard Linklater and Guillermo del Toro.

On top of presenting films uncut and in their proper aspect ratio, Criterion tells a story about each film through every aspect of their elaborate packaging, from original new covers to the special features included with every release. The pioneering company published the first commentary track, the first director commentary and numerous director’s cuts, among other distinctions.

View from the top

Recently, The Costco Connection was offered the rare opportunity to visit Criterion’s inner sanctum in Manhattan to learn how the company creates its collectible editions.

Perched in his spacious office with a Park Avenue South view, Criterion Collection president Peter Becker exudes passion for the company and its mission. For Becker, CEO Jonathan Turell and their staff, video reissues are not just about commerce—they are a personal obligation to preserve cinematic history.

“When people ask what are the criteria for
the Criterion Collection, we always say that we
want films to be exemplary films of their kind,”
says Becker, and, he explains, not just the
obscure art-house films, but also the block-
busters. “To try to pretend that blockbusters
aren’t important in the way that we think that
art films are important is just silly and snobby,”
Becker says. “Film is an art form, but it’s also a
commercial art form. It always has been.”
Criterion offers high-quality restorations
and excellent bonus features, many of them
historical in nature, including vintage docu-
mentaries, television or radio interviews, in-
depth liner notes from film experts, even
on-set footage. “It’s all original content that
has generally been commissioned or archival
content that has to be found,” explains Becker.

An example: two French television interviews from 1984 with Sterling Hayden, star of The Killing, a 1956 film by Stanley Kubrick. “Somebody had to go find [those interviews], figure out how to get the French to let go of [them], write a contract for it and put it on there,” Becker notes.

“The goal is to put out films that are worth watching again and again, and put them out with supplements that will make you want to watch them again and again.”