7 Facts About The Criterion Collection

For a lot of people in 2026, buying a movie is either an alien concept or an antiquated idea that doesn’t have a place in their lives anymore. For diehard film nerds like myself, though, there is a special boutique label whose mission it is to provide not only the best at home movie experience you can get, but to preserve, restore, and upgrade classic and current films from all over the world. 

Since 1984, The Criterion Collection has been a mainstay for film buffs and obsessed collectors who are still enamored by having a physical piece of media to own outright. They have a certain reverence for cinema that understands films are cultural artifacts worth preserving. When you buy a Criterion edition, you are not just getting a film. You are getting as close to a museum exhibit dedicated to that film that you can possibly get. This includes essays, booklets, interviews, and painstaking restorations of some of the greatest films ever made—plus enough bonus footage to keep a cinema addict away from the outdoors for hours.

The Criterion Collection has become one of, if not the most, important names in home entertainment and film preservation. Here are seven facts about the company that changed how people study and appreciate films. 

1. They Practically Invented The Audio Commentary Track
2. It’s Not Just About Prestige Films
3. The Spine Numbers
4. Spine #1 Was Not Actually Its First Release 
5. OOP Titles
6. The Criterion Closet 
7. They Help Preserve Film History

They Practically Invented The Audio Commentary Track

Long before director’s commentary tracks became commonplace on DVD and Blu-ray, The Criterion Collection popularized the concept for home release with their 1984 LaserDisc edition of King Kong. Instead of just watching the movie, viewers could listen to film historian Ronald Haver explain the historical significance of the film while you watched it.

Today, it is expected to have a commentary track on a special edition release of a film, but it all traces back to Criterion’s belief that a film doesn’t just deserve preservation, but also context and education.

It’s Not Just About Prestige Films

A big misconception about The Criterion Collection is that they only release arthouse films you’ve never heard of by directors you have also never heard of. While films like that certainly own a significant portion of real-estate in the Criterion catalog, they’re not the only films in town.

In 1999, Criterion shocked movie lovers by releasing Armageddon complete with audio commentary, and behind-the-scenes footage. The decision confuses Criterion fans still to this day, but it also falls into Criterion’s philosophy that the collection isn’t solely built around prestige, but films that have had a lasting cultural impact on movies whether they were small independent films, or giant blockbusters.

The Spine Numbers

Ask me about spine numbers. Ask any Criterion collector about spine numbers. Go ahead, I dare you. Every release receives its own spine number in sequential order, turning an already devoted hobby and passion into a full blown addiction. Some people (myself included) make it their lifelong mission to try to collect every spine number there is, and over time the spine numbers have become just as identifiable as the films themselves. 

Spine #1 Was Not Actually Its First Release 

Jean Renoir’s The Grand Illusion carries the title of Spine #1, but a lot of people aren’t aware that it wasn’t Criterion’s first release. Criterion began releasing LaserDiscs back in 1984, while the spine-number tradition we recognize today began in 1998, when the company released The Grand Illusion on DVD. The actual first release by The Criterion collection was Citizen Kane, which is actually spine #1104. Perhaps you have heard of it? 

OOP Titles

Criterion doesn’t own the films they distribute. Instead, they license titles from the rights holders for a set period of time. Every now and then those agreements expire and those titles disappear from the collection, sometimes overnight. These titles are referred to as “OOP” (out of print) and can become among the more sought-after editions of films in the physical media world.

Criterion editions of films like Hard Boiled, The Third Man, and The Man Who Fell To Earth have all become collector's items, with some copies selling for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market.

The Criterion Closet 

There is a small room at Criterion’s offices that is lined floor to ceiling with almost every single title they’ve ever released. There is a YouTube channel dedicated to filmmakers, actors, and critics being invited into the closet and leaving with a stack of their favorite films from the collection. The video series entitled “Closet Picks” has become widely popular, offering viewers a chance to see which films their favorite artists have been inspired by. 

They Help Preserve Film History

Many people would think that The Criterion Collection is just a distributor. They acquire rights from studios, slap their name on a title, and charge a not-inexpensive sum for their product. While that may be true, a substantial amount of work sometimes goes into the presentation of the film long before you pull it off the shelf to buy it. The Criterion Collection works alongside studios, filmmakers, and archivists to restore films that time hasn’t been kind to or have just been outright forgotten or neglected.

The goal isn’t necessarily to modernize, but to preserve the films for generations of film lovers to analyze and obsess over.

The attention to detail and care The Criterion Collection puts into every release has earned them an incredibly loyal following and a community surrounding it. I have made friends for life over these releases. I became incredibly close to my friend Dezhawn over our mutual obsession of Criterion films, especially Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz. It’s pretty much all we talk about, which is either the sign of an incredibly deep friendship or a very sick illness.

Criterion obsessives celebrate new releases the way sports fans celebrate victories, and I personally have spent weeks hunting down long out of print editions. Directors ranging from Spike Lee to Akira Kurosawa can be found under the Criterion umbrella, along with contemporary filmmakers like Sean Baker and Bong Joon Ho. This proves that Criterion’s idea of important cinema ranges from the old masters who brought film to where it is today, to the new artists who are reshaping what movies can be in the future. 

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