Criterion announces FilmStruck replacement Criterion Channel

You may have heard that FilmStruck, the streaming service that exclusively includes Criterion’s catalogue, is closing doors later this month. It’s a shame, as I had very much been looking forward to its rumoured expansion to Europe.

Fortunately, Criterion doesn’t seem to be going anywhere from the streaming space. They have now announced a new service called the Criterion Channel, fully owned and controlled by Criterion themselves, unlike with FilmStruck or Hulu, where the catalogue first appeared.

The service will launch first in the US and Canada, “rolling out additional territories over time”. I really hope that they could secure global streaming rights to their titles.

More information about the Criterion Channel plans can be found in Criterion’s announcement.

I put myself on the list, I’ll pay for a year long subscription.

just received a gift subscription to the criterion channel. during the next six months, i plan to binge on kurosawa, bresson, antonioni, bong, and ozu. some channel collections (e.g., seven samurai, yojimbo) include streaming commentary tracks and other DVD/blu-ray-level extras, features not found on streaming services like netflix (netflix with DVD rental is another matter).

current kurosawa offerings (my understanding is that the channel’s offerings change somewhat from month to month):
the bad sleep well
dersu uzala
dodeska-den
drunken angel
the hidden fortress
high and low
the idiot
ikiru
i live in fear/record of a living being
kagemusha
the lower depths
madadayo
the men who tread on the tiger’s tail
the most beautiful
no regrets for our youth
one wonderful sunday
rashomon
red beard
sanjuro
sanshiro sugata
sanshiro sugata, part two
scandal
seven samurai
stray dog
throne of blood
yojimbo

time for me to catch up on a bunch of kurosawa films i’d been meaning to see. currently watching i live in fear.