- ‘The Closet’ is a faithful recreation of the famous Criterion Closet
- Browse in full 3D (the right option) or in list view (boo)
- Connects to Criterion Channel for easy streaming
If you’ve always wanted to explore the Criterion Closet but haven’t been able to because (a) it’s in New York and (b) you’re not a famous actor, then Redditor olievans has just what you need: the entire Criterion Closet in virtual 3D form, browseable right in your web browser.
You can check out The Closet right at that link. It features 1,327 Criterion editions, all filed in the order of their spine numbers, and you can pull each box of records off the shelf to inspect the artwork more closely. You can also filter the collection by decade, director, country, language and more; The physical version is useless. that.
If you’re not familiar with Criterion Closet, it’s a library of special edition disc sets released by film distributor Criterion, which has been releasing highly sought-after discs with fine art, excellent bonus features, and often unique, high-quality restorations since the Laserdisc era.
Since 2010, the real Closet has been a filming venue for directors, actors and other well-known faces, from Martin Scorcese to Charli XCX, choosing their must-see films from the range.
Why it’s fun to be in the closet
The Closet is available in two versions: a full 3D reproduction of the iconic closet and in list form. The list is more functional but much less fun because you are not surprised to find This is lumbar puncture immediately next to The seventh seal.
The website is a really fun way to explore one of the world’s best movie collections, and while there are a few issues (it’s not really obvious how to get the mouse cursor back, so on my Mac I had to press Esc twice to get back to the home page and escape the closet), it’s very well done and the closest thing to the real thing without first getting some IMDb credits.
What I really like about this is the element of discovery. The Criterion collection is very extensive and that means you never know what will be next on the shelf: Paris, Texas (number 501) is followed by the Australian thriller rematch (502) and the German historical romance Lola Montes (503).
That makes it feel a lot like the Blu-Ray equivalent of searching for exotic vinyl records in boxes: Criterion Closet is full of surprises.
A note from the editor
Hello! Matt Bolton, editor-in-chief of TechRadar’s home theater coverage here. As a Blu-ray collector, I’ve decided to take the opportunity I’ll never have in real life and give you my Criterion picks, meaning these are the ones I actually have. I’m not going to give you a full rant about each one, don’t worry, but I will highlight why.
- Anora: A thick collector’s edition and the best way to get a 4K version
- Burst — essential for DTS-HD Master sound and 4K restoration
- I know where I’m going — the first 4K restoration of a black and white cinematic classic
- In the mood for love — one of my favorite movies, in the highest quality.
- lost road — the only way to get it in 4K Dolby Vision with a new DTS-HD sound restoration
- dream of the moon – the only way to get this in both Dolby Atmos and uncompressed sound, surprisingly
- The power of the dog — the only way to get it at Blu-ray’s highest bitrate
- The red shoes — one of the most incredible films of all time, in its best restoration
- Thief — the most attractive version of Michael Mann’s bravest film
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