Criterion and Others

Abstract

THE DVD MEDIUM, born a decade ago, has by now considerably broadened its content range to what one could only dream about just a few years ago. Masterpieces of world cinema new and old, movies forgotten, prohibited, censored, damaged or presumed lost, are now available on the small inexpensive silver discs in increasing quantities. Among the growing numbers of DVD publishers, some have earned worldwide reputation for the choice of content and superior technical quality of their output. The most noticeable among them is the Criterion Collection which has been distributing films of exceptional quality since 1984. By early 2009, Criterion had published over 460 outstanding DVD titles. Other companies fuelled by similar ambition have joined their ranks. Their discs have significantly contributed to the DVD revolution. The following are just a few examples of the recent output of remarkable titles....