Criterion FAQ and Reference - criterionforum.org (2025)

List of Companies Criterion has licensed its films from for DVD releaseNote: Information is taken from the fine-print copyright information on the back cover of each Criterion DVD. Most of these contain the text Under exclusive license from [Company X]In cases where that wording is not used, I made the best guess of the licensor based on either the copyright holder or by the presence of a company trademark (by doing so, I may have misidentified those films licensed directly from the Janus Collection). I will try to update this list as new titles are released.

List of Companies Criterion has licensed its films from for DVD release

Note: Information is taken from the fine-print copyright information on the back cover of each Criterion DVD. Most of these contain the text

Under exclusive license from [Company X]

In cases where that wording is not used, I made the best guess of the licensor based on either the copyright holder or by the presence of a company trademark (by doing so, I may have misidentified those films licensed directly from the Janus Collection). I will try to update this list as new titles are released. Also happy to correct any errors.

BrianLast update February 28, 2006 (thru Spine # 326).

AB Svensk Filmindustri11Seventh Seal / Bergman, Ingmar60Autumn Sonata / Bergman, Ingmar134Haxan--Witchcraft through the Ages / Christensen, Benjamin139Wild Strawberries / Bergman, Ingmar178My Life as a Dog / Hallstrom, Lasse209Through a Glass Darkly / Bergman, Ingmar210Winter Light / Bergman, Ingmar211Silence, The / Bergman, Ingmar212Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie / Sjoman, Vilgot229Scenes from a Marriage / Bergman, Ingmar237Smiles of a Summer Night / Bergman, Ingmar261Fanny & Alexander / Bergman, Ingmar264Making of Fanny & Alexander / Bergman, Ingmar321Virgin Spring, The / Bergman, Ingmar

American Broadcast Company [Controlled by Buena Vista, but subsequently licensed to MGM (now Sony)]135Rebecca / Hitchcock, Alfred [OOP]136Spellbound / Hitchcock, Alfred [OOP]137Notorious / Hitchcock, Alfred [OOP]182Straw Dogs / Peckinpah, Sam [OOP]

Agnes Varda73Cleo from 5 to 7 / Varda, Agnes74Vagabond / Varda, Agnes

Anchor Bay21Dead Ringers / Cronenberg, David [OOP]26Long Good Friday, The / Mackenzie, John 37Time Bandits / Gilliam, Terry 61Monty Python's Life of Brian / Gilliam, Terry107Mona Lisa / Jordan, Neil119Withnail & I / Robinson, Bruce120How to Get Ahead in Advertising / Robinson, Bruce [OOP]304Man Who Fell to Earth, The / Roeg, Nicholas325Kind Hearts & Coronets / Hamer, Robert

André Paulvé68Orpheus / Cocteau, Jean

Apollo Assoc54For All Mankind / Reinert, Al

Argos Films196Hiroshima, Mon Amour / Resnais, Alain197Night & Fog / Resnais, Alain234Tin Drum, The / Schlöndorff, Volker

Atlantic-Film SA30M / Lang, Fritz231Testament of Dr. Mabuse, The / Lang, Fritz

Beastie Boys100Beastie Boys Anthology / Various

BetaFilm219Strada, La / Fellini, Federico

Black Snake166Down by Law / Jarmusch, Jim

Buena Vista (Touchstone, Miramax, et al.)40Armageddon / Bay, Michael65Rushmore / Anderson, Wes75Chasing Amy / Smith, Kevin108Rock, The / Bay, Michael157Royal Tenenbaums, The / Anderson, Wes202Indiscretion of an American Wife / De Sica, Vittorio300Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The / Anderson, Wes

Cady Films110M. Hulot's Holiday / Tati, Jacques

Canal+ Image Intl / StudioCanal Image1Grand Illusion / Renoir, Jean49Nights of Cabiria / Fellini, Federico58Peeping Tom / Powell, Michael64Third Man, The / Reed, Carol67Blood of a Poet / Cocteau, Jean69Testament of Orpheus / Cocteau, Jean81Variety Lights / Fellini, Federico102Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie / Buñuel, Luis106Coup de torchon / Tavernier, Bertrand113Big Deal on Madonna Street / Monicelli, Mario117Diary of a Chambermaid / Buñuel, Luis121Billy Liar / Schlesinger, John129Trou, Le / Becker, Jacques143That Obscure Object of Desire / Buñuel, Luis150Bob le Flambeur / Melville, Jean-Pierre163Hopscotch / Neame, Ronald171Contempt / Godard, Jean-Luc189White Sheik, The / Fellini, Federico193Quai des Orfevres / Clouzot, Henri-Georges218Cercle Rouge, Le / Melville, Jean-Pierre222Diary of a Country Priest / Bresson, Robert227Corbeau, Le / Clouzot, Henri-Georges245Port of Shadows / Carné, Marcel271Touchez pas au grisbi / Becker, Jacques317Tales of Hoffmann, The / Powell & Pressburger318Forbidden Games / Clement, Rene

Carlton Intl / Rank Organization7Night to Remember, A / Baker, Roy31Great Expectations / Lean, David32Oliver Twist / Lean, David41Henry V / Olivier, Laurence44Red Shoes / Powell & Pressburger 5639 Steps, The / Hitchcock, Alfred76Brief Encounter / Lean, David82Hamlet / Olivier, Laurence93Black Narcissus / Powell & Pressburger94I Know Where I'm Going! / Powell & Pressburger 158Importance of Being Earnest, The / Asquith, Anthony173Life & Death of Colonel Blimp, The / Powell & Pressburger

Casbah Films249Battle of Algiers, The / Pontecorvo, Gillo

Castle Hill Prod47Insomnia / Skjoldbjaerg, Erik251Shadows / Cassavetes, John252Faces / Cassavetes, John253Woman Under the Influence, A / Cassavetes, John254Killing of a Chinese Bookie, The / Cassavetes, John255Opening Night / Cassavetes, John256Constant Forge, A / Charles Kiselyak

Ciné International133Vanishing, The / Sluizer, George177Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, The / Schlöndorff, von Trotta279Young Törless / Schlöndorff, Volker192Coup de Grace / Schlöndorff, Volker

Code Red Films259Fat Girl / Breillat, Catherine

Comité Cocteau6Beauty & the Beast / Cocteau, Jean

Compagnia Cinematografica Champion27Flesh for Frankenstein / Morrissey, Paul [OOP]28Blood for Dracula / Morrissey, Paul [OOP]

Corinth1408½ / Fellini, Federico

Cowboy152George Washington / Green, David Gordon

Cristaldifilm SNC286Divorce--Italian Style / Germi, Pietro296Notti bianche, Le / Visconti, Luchino

Daiei138Rashomon / Kurosawa Akira232Floating Weeds / Ozu Yasujiro

Detour Filmproduction247Slacker / Linklater, Richard

Dispatfilm48Black Orpheus / Camus, Marcel

Euro-London Films200Honeymoon Killers, The / Kastle, Leonard215Knife in the Water / Polanski, Roman

F&F Prods18Naked Kiss, The / Fuller, Samuel19Shock Corridor / Fuller, Samuel

Filmel306Samouraï, Le / Melville, Jean-Pierre

Filmové Studio Barrandov130Shop on Main Street, The / Kadar & Klos131Closely Watched Trains / Menzel, Jiri144Loves of a Blonde / Forman, Milos145Firemen's Ball, The / Forman, Milos

Films Ariane160A Nous la Liberte / Clair, Rene161Under the Roofs of Paris / Clair, Rene

Filmverlag den Autoren205Lola / Fassbinder, Rainer W.

Flower Films287Burden of Dreams / Blank, Les

Twentieth-Century Fox220Naked Lunch / Cronenberg, David224Pickup on South Street / Fuller, Samuel2303 Women / Altman, Robert235Leopard, The / Visconti, Luchino267Kagemusha / Kurosawa Akira273Thieves Highway / Dassin, Jules274Night and the City / Dassin, Jules291Heaven Can Wait / Lubitsch, Ernst292Unfaithfully Yours / Sturges, Preston320Young Mr. Lincoln / Ford, John

Gaumont3Lady Vanishes / Hitchcock, Alfred62Passion of Joan of Arc, The / Dreyer, Carl Theodor115Rififi / Dassin, Jules174Band of Outsiders / Godard, Jean-Luc244Elena and Her Men / Renoir, Jean260Eyes Without a Face / Franju, Georges275Tout va bien / Godard, Jean-Luc

Gordon Films92Fiend Without a Face / Crabtree, Arthur

Granada International303Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession / Roeg, Nicholas

Harold Harvey & John Clifford63Carnival of Souls / Harvey, Herk

Image246Vitelloni, I / Fellini, Federico

Interama242Golden Coach, The / Renoir, Jean243French Cancan / Renoir, Jean

International Films Ltd83Harder They Come, The / Henzell, Perry [OOP]

Intramovies SRL228Salvatore Giuliano / Rosi, Francesco236Mamma Roma / Pasolini, Pier Paolo272Commare secca, La / Bertolucci, Bernardo293Flowers of St. Francis / Rossellini, Roberto

Janus4Amarcord / Fellini, Federico25Alphaville / Godard, Jean-Luc50And the Ship Sails On / Fellini, Federico98Avventura, L' / Antonioni, Michelangelo101Cries & Whispers / Bergman, Ingmar213Richard III / Olivier, Laurence214Devil & Daniel Webster, The / Dieterle, William225Tunes of Glory / Neame, Ronald276River, The / Renoir, Jean294Browning Version, The / Asquith, Anthony

Jeck Film & Kadr / Jeck Film & Oko283Generation, A / Wajda, Andrzej284Kanal / Wajda, Andrzej285Ashes & Diamonds / Wajda, Andrzej

Kadokawa Pictures Inc309Ugetsu / Mizoguchi Kenji

Keep Films Ltd132Ruling Class, The / Medak, Peter

Knightsbridge Films154Horse's Mouth, The / Neame, Ronald

Last Wave Prod142Last Wave, The / Weir, Peter

Le Figaro Mara Films153General Idi Amin Dada / Schroeder, Barbet

Les Artistes Anonymes Prod165Man Bites Dog / Belvaux, Rémy

Les Films Ariane72Million, Le / Clair, Rene77And God Created Woman / Vadim, Roger183Dames du Bois de Boulogne, Les / Bresson, Robert

Les Films de L'Astrophore288F for Fake / Welles, Orson

Les Films du Losange223Maîtresse / Schroeder, Barbet

Les Grande Films Classiques216Rules of the Game / Renoir, Jean

Lagarto Productions42Fishing with John / Lurie, John

Lopert Films Inc22Summertime / Lean, David

Lord of the Flies Co43Lord of the Flies / Brook, Peter

Lotar Film SRL59Night Porter, The / Cavani, Liliana

Max L Raab10Walkabout / Roeg, Nicholas

Maysles Films Inc99Gimme Shelter / Maysles, et al.122Salesman / Maysles, et al.123Grey Gardens / Maysles, et al.

mk2281Jules and Jim / Truffaut, Francois314Pickpocket / Bresson, Robert315Shoot the Piano Player / Truffaut, Francois

Modern Sound Pictures266King of Kings, The / DeMille, Cecil B.

Monterey Intl Pop Fest Foundation168Monterey Pop / Pennebaker, D.A.169Jimi Plays Monterey/Shake! Otis at Monterey / Pennebaker, D.A.

Mosfilm34Andrei Rublev / Tarkovsky, Andrei87Alexander Nevsky / Eisenstein, Sergei88Ivan the Terrible I & II / Eisenstein, Sergei146Cranes Are Flying, The / Kalatozov, Mikhail148Ballad of a Soldier / Chukhrai, Grigori164Solaris / Tarkovsky, Andrei

New Line12This Is Spinal Tap / Reiner, Rob [OOP]20Sid & Nancy / Cox, Alex [OOP]265Short Cuts / Altman, Robert277My Own Private Idaho / Van Sant, Gus289Hoop Dreams / James, Steve301Angel at My Table, An / Campion, Jane307Naked / Leigh, Mike

Nikkatsu38Branded to Kill / Suzuki Seijun39Tokyo Drifter / Suzuki Seijun207Pornographers, The / Imamura Shohei268Youth of the Beast / Suzuki Seijun269Fighting Elegy / Suzuki Seijun295Crazed Fruit / Nakahira Kô 298Gate of Flesh / Suzuki Seijun299Story of a Prostitute / Suzuki Seijun

Nordisk Film80Element of Crime, The / von Trier, Lars

Orion [Orion's films are now owned by MGM/Sony, except for Unbearable Lightness of Being, which was a Saul Zaentz production that is now owned by Warner]13Silence of the Lambs, The / Demme, Jonathan [OOP]23RoboCop / Verhoeven, Paul [OOP] 55Unbearable Lightness of Being, The / Kaufman, Philip [OOP]

Palladium A/S125Day of Wrath / Dreyer, Carl Theodor126Ordet / Dreyer, Carl Theodor127Gertrud / Dreyer, Carl Theodor

Pathé33Nanook of the North / Flaherty, Robert141Children of Paradise / Carné, Marcel162Ratcatcher / Ramsay, Lynne305Boudu Saved from Drowning / Renoir, Jean

Picnic Prod29Picnic at Hanging Rock / Weir, Peter

Plaza Production Intl172Pepe le Moko / Duvivier, Julien270Casque d'or / Becker, Jacques278Eclisse, L' / Antonioni, Michelangelo324Bete humaine, La / Renoir, Jean

Pressman Williams Enterprises89Sisters / De Palma, Brian

Rainbow Pictures Inc156Hearts & Minds / Davis, Peter

Raymond Rohauer79W.C. Fields--Six Short Films / Fields, W.C.

Revcom Intl35Diabolique / Clouzot, Henri-Georges36Wages of Fear, The (original) / Clouzot, Henri-Georges

Rialto238Woman is a Woman, A / Godard, Jean-Luc290Phantom of Liberty, The / Buñuel, Luis297Au hasard Balthazar / Bresson, Robert308Masculin, féminin: 15 faits précis / Godard, Jean-Luc335Elevator to the Gallows / Malle, Louis

Rizzoli149Juliet of the Spirits / Fellini, Federico201Umberto D. / De Sica, Vittorio

RKO46Most Dangerous Game, The / Schoedsack & Pichel

Roissy Films239Lower Depths, The (Les Bas-fonds) / Renoir, Jean

Sandcastle 5 Prod257Secret Honor / Altman, Robert258Tanner '88 / Altman, Robert

Sandrew Metronome180I Am Curious--Yellow / Sjoman, Vilgot181I Am Curious--Blue / Sjoman, Vilgot

Shochiku84Good Morning / Ozu Yasujiro217Tokyo Story / Ozu Yasujiro232Story of Floating Weeds, A / Ozu Yasujiro240Early Summer / Ozu Yasujiro302Harakiri / Kobayashi Masaki311Sword of the Beast / Gosha Hideo312Samurai Spy / Shinoda Masahiro331Late Spring / Ozu Yasujiro

Spectra Films111Mon Oncle / Tati, Jacques112Playtime / Tati, Jacques [OOP]

Stan Brakhage184by Brakhage--An Anthology / Brakhage, Stan

Steen Herdel & Co128My Metier / Jensen, Torben Skjodt

Sveriges Radio AB71Magic Flute, The / Bergman, Ingmar

TF1 International36Wages of Fear, The (remastered) / Clouzot, Henri-Georges

Titanus194Il Posto / Olmi, Ermanno195I Fidanzati / Olmi, Ermanno

Toho2Seven Samurai / Kurosawa Akira14Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto / Inagaki Hiroshi15Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoi Temple / Inagaki Hiroshi16Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island / Inagaki Hiroshi24High & Low / Kurosawa Akira52Yojimbo / Kurosawa Akira53Sanjuro / Kurosawa Akira90Kwaidan / Kobayashi Masaki104Double Suicide / Shinoda Masahiro116Hidden Fortress, The / Kurosawa Akira155Tokyo Olympiad / Ichikawa Kon159Red Beard / Kurosawa Akira190Throne of Blood / Kurosawa Akira221Ikiru / Kurosawa Akira226Onibaba / Shindo Kaneto233Stray Dog / Kurosawa Akira239Lower Depths, The (Donzoko) / Kurosawa Akira280Sword of Doom, The / Okamoto, Kihachi310Samurai Rebellion / Kobayashi Masaki313Kill! / Okamoto, Kihachi319Bad Sleep Well, The / Kurosawa Akira

Universal51Brazil / Gilliam, Terry57Charade / Donen, Stanley70Last Temptation of Christ, The / Scorsese, Martin78Bank Dick / Fields, W.C. [OOP]95All That Heaven Allows / Sirk, Douglas96Written on the Wind / Sirk, Douglas97Do the Right Thing / Lee, Spike103Lady Eve, The / Sturges, Preston105Spartacus / Kubrick, Stanley109Scarlet Empress, The / Sternberg, Josef von114My Man Godfrey / La Cava, Gregory118Sullivan's Travels / Sturges, Preston170Trouble in Paradise / Lubitsch, Ernst175Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas / Gilliam, Terry176Killers, The / Siodmak, Robert248Videodrome / Cronenberg, David

USA Films [now Focus Features, a division of Universal]147In the Mood for Love / Wong Kar-wai151Traffic / Soderbergh, Steven

Valerie Pascal Delacorte85Pygmalion / Asquith, Anthony

Water Bearer17Salo / Pasolini, Pier Paolo [OOP]

Wellspring / Fox Lorber5400 Blows / Truffaut, Francois 8Killer, The / Woo, John [OOP]9Hard Boiled / Woo, John [OOP]186Stolen Kisses / Truffaut, Francois187Bed & Board / Truffaut, Francois188Love on the Run / Truffaut, Francois198Ali--Fear Eats the Soul / Fassbinder, Rainer W.199Schizopolis / Soderbergh, Steven204Marriage of Maria Braun / Fassbinder, Rainer W.206Veronika Voss / Fassbinder, Rainer W.316Ran / Kurosawa Akira

Westerly Films326Metropolitan / Stillman, Whit

Whaley-Malin Prod191Jubilee / Jarman, Derek

Worldwide Entertainment Corp91Blob, The / Yeaworth, Jr., Irvin S.

Zeitgeist Films45Taste of Cherry / Kiarostami, Abbas

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