- ‘The Closet’ is a faithful reproduction of the famous Criterion Closet
- Browse in full 3D (the correct option) or in list view (boo)
- Connects to the Criterion Channel for easy streaming
If you’ve always wanted to tour 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 the thing for you: the entire Criterion Closet in virtual 3D form, which you can explore right in your web browser.
You can take a look at The Closet right in that link. It has 1,327 Criterion editions, all shelved in order of their spine number, and you can pull each disc case off the shelf to inspect the design more closely. You can also filter the collection by decade, director, country, language and more – the physical version cannot to.
If you’re not familiar with the Criterion Closet, it’s a library of special edition disc sets released by film distributor Criterion, which has released highly sought-after discs with beautiful art, amazing extra features, and often unique high-quality restorations since the Laserdisc days.
Since 2010, the real Closet has been a place where directors, actors and other famous faces – from Martin Scorcese to Charli XCX – are filmed choosing their must-see films from the lineup.
Why it’s fun to be in the closet
The cabinet is available in two variants: a full 3D rendering of the iconic cabinet and in list form. The list is more functional but much less fun because you won’t be surprised to find This is Spinal Tap immediately next to it The Seventh Seal.
The website is a really fun way to browse one of the world’s best movie collections, and while there are a few issues – it’s not really obvious how to get your mouse cursor back, so on my Mac I had to press Esc twice to return to the home page and escape the locker – it’s beautifully done and the closest you’ll get to the real thing without first getting your IMD belt.
What I really like about this is the discovery element. The Criterion Collection is wide-ranging, which means you never know what will hit the shelves next: Paris, Texas (number 501) is followed by the Australian thriller Revenge (502) and the historical German romanticism Lola Montes (503).
It makes it feel a lot like the Blu-Ray equivalent of crate digging for exotic vinyl records: the Criterion Closet is full of surprises.
A note from the editor
Hello! Matt Bolton, managing editor of TechRadar’s home theater coverage here. As a Blu-ray collector, I’ve decided to take the opportunity I’ll never get in real life and give you my Criterion picks—as in, the ones I actually own. I won’t give you a whole spiel about each one, don’t worry – but I will highlight why
- Anora — a chunky collector’s edition, and the best way to get a 4K version
- Blow out — essential for the DTS-HD Master audio and 4K restoration
- I know where I’m going — the first 4K restoration of a black-and-white film classic
- In the mood for love — one of my favorite movies, in the highest quality
- Lost Highway — the only way to get it in 4K Dolby Vision with a new DTS-HD audio restoration
- Moonage Daydream — the only way to get this in both Dolby Atmos and uncompressed audio, shockingly
- The power of the dog — the only way to get it in the higher bitrate of Blu-ray
- The red shoes — one of the most incredible-looking movies ever, in its best restoration ever
- Thief — the best-looking version of Michael Mann’s most gruesome film
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