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Criterion will stream notable titles by black filmmakers for free
Criterion Collection announced a few steps it’s taking to fight systemic racism, including lifting the paywall on select titles from black filmmakers.
Criterion's classic film streaming service arrives April 8th
Criterion's curated selection of films will be available for you to stream again in a few short months. The standalone Criterion Channel service will arrive on April 8th in the US and Canada, and you'll be able to stream the movies on desktop, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, iOS and Android.
Criterion will launch its own classic film streaming service in 2019
Criterion won't kill its streaming channel after FilmStruck shuts down on November 29th -- in fact, it'll live on as an independent service slated for launch in spring 2019. The video distribution company started looking for a new home as soon as WarnerMedia announced that it's closing the doors on its classic cinema streaming service. Some thought it would go back to Hulu, its former home, but it clearly decided to take another path and to go all out.
Classic cinema streaming service FilmStruck will close November 29th
FilmStruck, WarnerMedia's streaming service that focuses on classic and indie cinema, is shutting down November 29th. The two-year-old platform is already closed to new subscribers.
FilmStruck's alternative streaming service is coming to the UK
A movie streaming service backed by Warner Bros. and Turner is launching in the UK in the "coming weeks," the pair have announced. FilmStruck has been lighting up screens in the US since late 2016, and will arrive across the pond with a slightly different name: FilmStruck Curzon. Underpinned primarily by the substantial archives of Warner Bros. and the Criterion Collection, the service will span "mainstream, cult, independent, classics, art house, foreign and documentary film." As well as providing logistical support, Curzon will have its own curated corner on the service that'll feature some content provided by its movie distribution arm, Artificial Eye.
A New York library card is your ticket to stream thousands of movies
Libraries have long let users check out DVDs and Blu-ray discs, but that's starting to feel a bit archaic thanks to Netflix, Hulu and all the rest. Fortunately for those who don't even have a disc player anymore, some libraries are getting into the streaming gaming. As reported by Gothamist, the New York Public Library is getting ready to give citizens access to Kanopy, a streaming service originally started to let university students access its library of films. Currently, Kanopy has deals with more than 3,000 colleges and universities, and the company has been making partnerships with public libraries as well.
The 11 best tech gifts for movie buffs
We're guessing this person on your list already owns a TV. (And if they don't -- or you just love them very much -- we have a couple suggestions.) But there are other ways to help your movie-loving friend round out their home theater setup. If money is tight, why not go for one of Roku's recently released media streamers? They come in at different price points, but we ultimately recommend them all. Alternatively, perhaps your friend could use a sound bar or a 4K HDR receiver for better audio, or a projector to make movie nights at home feel that much more cinematic. Or, you know, you could just get them some Blu-rays. Just make sure you exercise good taste. Here at Engadget, we recommend Lone Wolf and Cub, the Horace and Pete digital box set and the Mad Max "High Octane" edition. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
FilmStruck's streaming service for classic films is here
You can look at FilmStruck in two ways. For film aficionados, it's a one-stop shop for classic cinema. But it's also known as the service that ripped the Criterion Collection away from Hulu. Announced back in July, FilmStruck is officially launching today with plans starting at $7 a month for Turner Classic Movies' library of older films (and a bevy of special features). Bump up to $11 a month (or $99 a year) and you'll get access to the biggest collection of Criterion films streaming online. You can access FilmStruck on iOS, Android, the web, Fire TV and, later this month, the Apple TV fourth-gen. It'll also be available soon on Chromecast and Roku.
Turner Classic and Criterion launching FilmStruck streaming service
Here's something you didn't know you needed in your life: a Netflix, but just for the prestige films of yesteryear. That's the idea behind FilmStruck, a subscription service that's being developed by Turner Classic Movies and the Criterion Collection. According to the New York Times, the offering will house upwards of 1,000 films you can't get elsewhere, including Seven Samuari, Blood Simple and Mad Max. Pricing for the offering has yet to be decided, but the WSJ believes that it'll be under $10 a month. There's a sting in the tail for Hulu users, too, since Warner / Criterion movies that are currently available there are likely to be pulled.
Criterion Collection streaming library to remain a Hulu exclusive
The Criterion Collection became a part of Hulu's lineup back in 2011, quickly turning into an essential feature within the company's premium video streaming service, Hulu Plus. Today, Hulu announced it has reached yet another multi-year deal with Criterion, allowing it to keep the streaming rights for over 800 films from the popular Criterion Collection. Hulu says this agreement will also allow it to offer previously unreleased films as Hulu Plus exclusives, adding that the goal is to "create a destination to drive discovery and appreciation of some of the greatest films from around the world." To celebrate the extended partnership, Hulu's now letting Plus subscribers stream The Great Beauty, an Oscar-winning film by Paolo Sorrentino. And in case you're not familiar with it, perhaps the trailer after the break will help spark your interest.
Criterion cancels your weekend plans, makes its Hulu collection available for free
Followers of the Criterion Collection on Twitter or Facebook have no doubt already dove in, but those that haven't yet heard may want to direct their attention to the Hulu page featured at the source link. There you'll find hundreds of Criterion titles ready for streaming, all of which have been made available for free this weekend (for those that have access to Hulu, that is). It doesn't include all of the films Criterion has released on DVD and Blu-ray, but it's an impressive selection, including many well-known classics and more obscure gems alike; there's even some that Criterion hasn't yet released on physical media. If you're looking for some science fiction to get started (this is Engadget, after all), we'd recommend an art house sci-fi double feature of Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's World on a Wire -- or Chris Marker's La Jetée, the inspiration for Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys, if you'd prefer something a bit shorter.
The Criterion Collection comes to iTunes
With virtually no fanfare -- or even a press release -- The Criterion Collection has made 46 of its 680 films available on iTunes. Among the films released are art house classics any lovers of cinema will recognize, including The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman, Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa, and The 400 Blows by Francois Truffaut. Criterion is known for its releases of some of the world's greatest films (plus, strangely, this one by Michael Bay), and it publishes them with the utmost care and quality given to the film-to-digital transfer. The company first released films on Laserdisc in the 1980s before moving to DVD and Blu-ray in the following decades. However, with the move to iTunes, The Criterion Collection loses one of its most appealing features: the extras. Gone are the multi-track commentaries, behind the scenes featurettes and documentaries, and pretty much anything else that sets the collection apart. Perhaps it's that lack of extras that is the reason for the average US$14.99 price of each Criterion Collection movie on iTunes. That's in line with most other new releases on iTunes, and a far cry from the premium price a Criterion DVD or Blu-ray commands.
Hulu Plus for iOS updated to v2.3, resumes resuming
Sure, Hulu Plus is on the Xbox 360 now, but that's not the only platform getting some love this week as the app for iOS was updated yesterday. New tweaks in v2.3 include tabbed search results, a dedicated menu for the Criterion Collection plus improvements for the iPad 2 and other minor tweaks. If you were missing the "resume" button take heart - it's back now. Hit the app store for the updated version of the free app and put that $7.99 per month subscription to work.
Hulu Plus for PS3 updated, users still complaining about playback issues
Just a few weeks after hitting v1.01, the Hulu Plus app for PlayStation 3 was updated to v1.03 a few days ago, crediting user feedback as helpful in clearing up issues with skipping or stalling during playback. Unfortunately, in the comments many users are reporting they're still having issues, with many saying they only started in the last month or so. It's hard to determine the cause of each individual's issues from here, but if you're having any problems we'd suggest letting Hulu know so they can get straightened out. In happier Hulu news, the company released its Q1 stats at the beginning of the month, calling its projected growth to 1 million Hulu Plus subscribers this year the fastest launch it is aware of for any online subscription video service, and 90 percent revenue growth over last year. Criterion fans should also notice some new sorting options, along with supplemental videos which, if you'll recall, was a part of what lured the flicks away from Netflix in the first place. Feel free to check them out whenever the PlayStation Network comes back up again.
Criterion Collection now streaming on Hulu Plus, maybe Sanjuro and Hanbei will settle differences (update: Netflix and Hulu won't)
Hulu Plus just got a whole lot more appealing for cinephiles. The streaming service just rolled out 150 properties from the Criterion Collection, perhaps the premiere pusher of amazing films, with that number expected to top 800 in "the coming months." It'll include the regulars, like plenty of offerings by Kurosawa, along with some films "so rare that they have never been seen in the U.S. in any medium." Indeed this deal is available only in America, so we'll send our apologies to our friendly neighbors to the north, but you're certainly welcome to come on down on movie night. Just bring some popcorn. Naturally the quality here won't match a Blu-ray and we're guessing the usually epic Criterion special features won't be streaming, but you can't have everything for $7.99 a month. Update: We got a note from Hulu indicating that, yes indeed, special features will be here too. Director commentary, deleted scenes, and lots of other bonus goodies will be coming to the mix. Maybe there'll be something in there explaining the deep, hidden meanings of Sans Soleil. Oh, and it's an exclusive deal, which is a bummer for Netflixers. Update 2: Netflix is losing out in more ways than one: "All of the films that are currently on Netflix streaming will be down by the end of the year," reads a somewhat bitter Criterion Collection post on Facebook. Criterion will continue to ship Netflix discs, but we all know that Netflix doesn't care about those so much anymore. [Thanks, Dan]
Criterion Collection's October Blu-ray release schedule includes Seven Samurai
It hasn't been that long since Criterion collection started shipping its classics on Blu-ray, and one of the most recently announced movies on the way is Akira Kurosawa's classic, Seven Samurai. A flick which should need no introduction, it will get a three disc set when it arrives October 19 with a $49.95 MSRP, while we'll have to wait for more specs and features, there will also be a few other incredible movies like The Magician, Paths of Glory, House and The Darjeeling Limited arriving around the same time, so make your preorder choices wisely.
Criterion Collection Blu-ray Disc review roundup
Sometime between the third crescent moon and a witch's equinox (or early last week, to be specific), Criterion began shipping out its long-awaited Blu-ray Disc collection. The question remains, though: are these much ballyhooed discs worth their weight in gold, or what? We've rounded up a number of reviews from around the web covering a wide range of the first wave titles, and generally speaking, critics were floored. Almost every single reviewer had a difficult time hitting the "stop" button on their praises of the visual / auditory qualities, and while the plots of each film are completely subjective, it's safe to say that these are quite the must-haves for strict audio- / videophiles. The only title that didn't receive an inordinate amount of laud was Chungking Express, with the reviewer noting that it had "a somewhat erratic look on Blu-ray, alternately semi-soft and sharp." Outside of that, however, it's all glowing.Read - The Third Man reviewRead - Bottle Rocket reviewRead - The Man Who Feel To Earth reviewRead - Chungking Express reviewRead - Overview of Blu-ray transfer process
First wave of Criterion Blu-ray Discs to tout plain packaging, ship December 19th
The long wait for Criterion's break into the world of Blu is just about over, and we're assured that our patience will not have been in vain. According to Criterion technical director Lee Kline: "If our Blu-ray discs are going to come out, then they'd better look right." Presumably addressing the delays, he noted that "we had to make sure that the compression was right, that the audio encoding was up to par, and we had to make sure that the discs played on all players, particularly the older generation models, as well as [the] PlayStation 3." Possibly the most exciting news is that the first wave of releases will be available for purchase on December 19th. Also of note, each title will "not be housed in the traditional blue-colored Blu-ray boxes that the major studios have adopted, nor will they carry the Blu-ray Disc logo. Rather, the Criterion titles will carry a small credit on the back of the box indicating that the title is in the Blu-ray format, and there will be a blue sticker on the shrink wrap indicating the same." Way to go your own way, Criterion.
Criterion Blu-ray collection delayed again until at least December
We'd like to think that anything put out by Criterion would be worth the wait, but this is getting a wee bit annoying. After first announcing that a gaggle of Criterion Blu-ray Discs would be out by October, we were hit with the unfortunate news that things were being pushed back 'til November. Here we are in that very month, and now we're staring yet another month-long delay in the face. For reasons unknown, classics like Bottle Rocket, Chungking Express, The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth and The Last Emperor have all been knocked back to December with the exception of the last film, which is being delayed until January of 2009. Bah, humbug![Via Sound & Vision, thanks Anthony]
Criterion Blu-ray debut delayed until November
Criterion's firmed up its release plans, backing off the initial October projections and announcing the first five flicks to get the C stamped on their Blu-ray case. Included are three classics already out on Criterion DVD due November 18 - The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Third Man and The Last Emperor. The following week Bottle Rocket and Chungking Express hit day and date with their DVD counterparts, all for the promised MSRP of $39.95 (tagged $31.96 in the Criterion store.) Original aspect ratios, BD-50 dual layer discs and the company's usual care and attention to detail, of course, are part of the package, the only question is whether you can wait one more long month.
