Self-described "Cheknov and Shakespeare fan" Oscar Isaac on the distinctly different personalities of the directors he's worked with, mostly focusing on his work with the Coen Brothers for new-to-the-Collection Inside Llewyn Davis.

Out of print since 2000, this out-of-character commentary track by stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer was originally recorded in 1994 for Criterion's Laserdisc release. It was ported to the 1998 DVD edition, along with the 20-minute "pitch reel" cut and a second commentary featuring director Rob Reiner, producer Karen Murphy, and editors Robert Leighton and Kent Beyda. Christopher Guest would not begin directing his series of improvisational comedy-documentaries until...

This Is Spinal Tap is probably the most-selected OOP title on filmmakers' Criterion Top Ten lists. The 1994 Laserdisc (1998 DVD) features the only out-of-character commentary track ever recorded by the headline trio. Featured here: excerpts from that track, as well as a mournful recounting of the now-fifteen-years-out-of-print features that really "lick [the] love pump" for fans.

In the third installment of our ongoing series on the films and career of Yasujiro Ozu, we find a filmmaker in transition, with Ozu finding elements of his voice and themes that will persist over the following three decades. Part 3 in Ozu Seasons, an ongoing series

In the second installment of our ongoing series on the films and career of Yasujiro Ozu, we blaze through his first eight films (seven of which are competely lost) as we watch a Japanese slacker who loves American movies find his voice. Ozu Seasons Part 2

Roger Ebert's voice introduces us to a new, "seasonal" (in more than one sense) series focusing on Yasujiro Ozu. Ozu Seasons Part 1

When you ask someone the name their favorite Charles Chaplin film, I've found that it generally is not The Great Dictator (1940). Popularity be damned, it may be his most culturally significant and important. This is a taste of why, especially in the WikiLeaks Era of the Information Age, I think you should make time for it.

We look at the "Banned Bond" commentaries from the Laserdisc Era of Criterion, using clips from the Dr. No track as context for why they're important and unique. Listen to them on their own or synced up with the movies. The long-out-of-print and never-to-be-reissued commentaries for Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Goldfinger were posted on 21 December 2014.

The commentary track on Criterion's 1991 laserdisc for Goldfinger so angered producer Albert Broccoli that he had it recalled from sale and reissued, without the offending track. The same went for the commentaries on Dr. No and From Russia With Love that were released both a few months before Goldfinger.

The commentary track on Criterion's 1991 laserdisc for From Russia With Love so angered producer Albert Broccoli that he had it recalled from sale and reissued, without the offending track. The same went for the commentaries on Dr. No and Goldfinger that were released both a few months before and a few months after From Russia With Love, respectively.

The commentary track on Criterion's 1991 laserdisc for Dr. No so angered producer Albert Broccoli that he had it recalled from sale and reissued, without the offending track. The same went for the commentaries on From Russia With Love and Goldfinger that were released in the months following Dr. No.

A look at Criterion Designs, Criterion's first standalone "book" project, which looks at the evolution of their art and design choices and sensibilities over the last 30 years. Don't assume you'll buy it and it'll just sit on a shelf, like an unwrapped DVD or Blu-ray.

Want to taste-test Criterion movies via streaming, or love their taste and can't afford to buy every disc? Are you likewise not interested in spending a ton renting everything on iTunes? Hulu Plus and Fandor (as of a couple weeks ago) are both great options at under $8 a month.

Our inaugural episode addresses the first question that generally comes out of people's mouths about Criterion: why Armageddon and The Rock? The short answer is that they belong there. Both more than fit the definition of "important" in a very specific way.

Moisés Chiullan introduces a new show that examines The Criterion Collection, stretching from the present all the way back to the beginning of Criterion in 1984.