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Criterion enters the LaserVision market in 1984 with Citizen Kane
and King Kong. For the first time, the CAV features of LV were used in a truly new and unique way, giving
film collectors a great new resource in film scolarship. Unfortunately, Criterion also introduced very high prices. True,
Criterion was licensing the titles and that combined with the production costs virtually required them to charge the high
prices asked. Still, it was a great shock to many collectors, especially when LV had always been promoted as a way of collecting
movies inexpensively.
Over the years, Criterion released many interesting titles and explored ever more intricate
discs releases. Titles such as Close Encounters and Bram Stoker's Dracula pushed the LV
format to unimagined new limits. Via their Voyager sub-label, they released facinating discs such as Call It Home
and You Can't Get To Here From There. Many of these titles are now being released on DVD.
Criterion's
last LaserVision release was Armageddon, but by that time, the LV release was eclipsed by the features of
the DVD-Video edition. On LV, Criterion went out with a wimper instead of a bang.
Scroll to the bottom of the page
to see Criterion's original 1984 ad announcing their first two titles.
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