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What is the 'Real' Aspect Ratio of 'On The Waterfront?' Plus, Restoring a Warped Hitchcock Classic

02.23.13 @ 5:05PM Tags : aspectratio, cinematography, criterioncollection, digitalintermediate, film, filmscanning, hitchcock, onthewaterfront, restoration, shooting

The aspect ratio is one of the fundamentals determining your compositions. Even though we live in a time where displaying any aspect ratio is incredibly easy, films are still being shown incorrectly in many mediums in an attempt to make them fill the entire screen (even if that’s not the intention of the filmmaker). Interestingly enough, cinema history has actually been plagued by these kinds of issues related to aspect ratio. A visual essay by Criterion Collection illustrates how the intended aspect ratio of On The Waterfront is still in question to this day, and we also get a demonstration of the impressive restoration to Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much from a heavily warped and damaged print. More »

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Over 800 Criterion Collection Films Are Streaming Free on Hulu Through February 17th

02.15.13 @ 11:27PM Tags : criterioncollection, hulu, huluplus, streaming, watch

If you’re a big fan of cinema, at some point you’ve probably heard of The Criterion Collection. They specialize in cult, foreign, and critically acclaimed films from many of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Originally available on Netflix, their entire streaming collection moved to Hulu a few years ago. Right now and through Sunday, February 17th, they are streaming over 800 films for free (only in the United States, unfortunately). Embedded below are just a few of my favorites available on the service. Click through to check them out. More »

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Apple's Subscription Service, Google's One Pass, and What They Could Mean for Independent Content Creators

02.17.11 @ 2:46PM Tags : apple, criterioncollection, distribution, google, hulu, huluplus, netflix

In the world of digital content distribution, things are changing so quickly that if you blink, you miss it. With iTunes and iOS, Apple is the 800 lb gorilla in the room, and ever since the iPad became the fastest-selling gadget in history, the elephant in the room (too many analogous animals in the room now?) has been magazine subscriptions. The iPad has the perfect form-factor for reading magazines — I personally like the Kindle more for reading books — but until now, Apple didn’t offer a standardized method of “subscribing” to a magazine. Until now. And as it turns out, Apple’s new subscription terms are going to govern far more than magazine subscriptions, but applications sales, video distribution, and more. More »

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Watch Criterion Collection films online for $5

05.27.10 @ 9:18AM Tags : criterioncollection

I’m a few months late with this, but the purveyors of the finest DVDs and Blu-rays in the land (with the finest special features) — the Criterion Collection — have made many of their films available to watch online for $5. Films are available from auteurs like Fellini, the Maysles brothers, Les Blank, and more. The $5 charge goes towards the price of the full disc, should you decide after watching a film online that it belongs on your bookshelf.

Link: The Criterion Collection Online