Yet Another Reason to get a Blu-Ray Player

It’s hard for me to describe just how great the Criterion Collection is. If you’re into foreign/indie film, you probably know them already, but on the off-chance you don’t, check out their website. The centerpiece of my (probably too sizable) DVD collection is the three disc set of Brazil that Criterion released a few years back–stocked with extra features and three different cuts of Terry Gilliam’s dystopian classic, it’s the single most informative DVD collection I’ve ever encountered. Their releases often play a part in my movie reviews and Christmas time suggestions as well.*

The thing I appreciate the most about Criterion is their commitment to picture quality; the company usually transfers the prints themselves, bringing a rarely-duplicated clarity to the onscreen image. Watching my new copy of If…. a few months back, I could barely tell the difference between it and the high def feed from my cable box. I can’t wait to see what they do with Blu-Ray and true HD.**

*And, you know, if the good folks at Criterion were to add one of their most dedicated critics (say, a young blogger for Doublethink Online/film critic for The Weekly Standard) to their publicity distribution list (if such a creature exists), well, I don’t think anyone would complain, do you?

**Of course, this does me and my obsolete HD-DVD player little good. As I said…this is just one more reason to pick up a Blu-Ray player. Or a PS3.