By It appears as if the Criterion Collection is finally ready to embrace the future of physical media. After years of sticking with regular 1080p Blu-Ray, the company announced today that it will finally be making the jump to UHD Blu-Ray later this year. Those of us that have finally adopted a 4K set are likely watering at the mouth now.
We’re thrilled to announce that CITIZEN KANE will lead Criterion’s first slate of 4K Ultra HD releases along with MENACE II SOCIETY, THE PIANO, MULHOLLAND DR., THE RED SHOES, and A HARD DAY'S NIGHT! https://t.co/VHrbHhnwjz pic.twitter.com/I9qamqnDgu
— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) August 11, 2021
As you can see in the above Tweet, the first batch of UHD releases from Criterion will include Citizen Kane, Menance II Society, Mulholland Dr., The Red Shoes, The Piano, and A Hard Day’s Night. It’s quite the selection of movies and could signal that some older titles will finally see a release in 4K.
It’s not surprising that Citizen Kane would be the standout here. Widely regarded as the greatest movie of all time (which I think is some BS), many people were assuming Criterion would announce a release of this as the first for its 4K line. I had assumed 4K was never coming, especially after asking the company about the Bruce Lee box set that was “mastered in 4K” yet released in 2K.
I’m not sure if any of the magnificent sets I’ve recently purchased will find their way to UHD, but now might be the time to hold out until Criterion reveals its exact plans for the new format. If the company goes all in, I’ll definitely be buying a lot more discs in the future. Streaming is great for convenience, but even standard Blu-Rays look absolutely stunning on a 4K TV. True 4K films are just mind-blowing.
Source: Twitter
