The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with physical media advocate, collector, and author Jeff Rauseo, a voice in cinephile circles whose obsession with formats, physical media, and how we watch movies runs deep. Jeff has built a reputation exploring the intersections of technology, culture, and film-lover habits, and now he’s dropped a book, Lost in the Stream: How Algorithms Redefined the Way Movies Are Made and Watched, that unpacks how streaming platforms, algorithms and physical formats are reshaping cinema’s future.
In this episode titled “FORMAT WARS”, we dive headlong into the battlefield of home video formats: from the early days of Betamax vs. VHS, to LaserDisc’s creation of audio commentaries, to DVD, Blu-Ray, UHD/4K, and the recent twists in television and audio formats that keep even the savviest collectors scratching their heads. Jeff guides us through the timeline and technology, where each format excelled, where they failed, and how some “obsolete” formats still hold advantages today when it comes to quality, archival value, and collector appeal. Using his deep knowledge (and thousands-strong collection) Jeff explains why certain older formats might actually outperform streaming or newer media in specific cases.
We also touch on how Criterion has embraced formats, how special editions, LaserDiscs of the past, Blu-Rays and UHD releases reflect not just technology but curatorial practice and preservation. This episode isn’t just a tech talk, it’s about what format says about film culture, ownership, and the act of watching itself. It’s also about why labels, brands, and proprietary formats (HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray, Dolby Vision vs. HDR10+, etc.) created confusion for consumers and shaped the war of formats in more ways than just “which disc looks better.”
Whether you’re a collector hunting rare tapes, a viewer exhausted by streaming thumbnails, or a lover of Criterion, this episode with Jeff Rauseo will give you a clearer map of the home-video terrain and a renewed appreciation for how we watch movies.
Jeff Rauseo
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The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with actor, producer, and director Arielle Friedman, co-founder of Ser Nocturna, the production company behind award-winning festival hits at Sundance, Tribeca, Frameline, and SXSW. Arielle shares her journey from professional ballet dancer at BalletMet to Columbia University film student, and how movement, identity, and myth shape her storytelling.
We discuss her latest projects, including her co-starring role in the critically acclaimed horror film Good Boy (2025), now in theaters, as well as the short film Breadwinner (available to watch October 27, 2025) and its upcoming feature adaptation starring Arielle. She also talks about her in-production documentary Curtain Call.
Arielle shares two personal Criterion picks: Teeth (2007) and The Lure (2015). Both films she’s examined deeply, even writing an academic paper on Teeth. We talk about how these stories intertwine femininity, transformation, and dark humor with the constant undercurrent of women navigating an unsafe world.
Arielle Friedman
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/arielle_friedman_
Website:
Ser Nocturna Instagram:
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with musician, author, and notorious punk rock icon Blag Dahlia, frontman of The Dwarves a band that’s spent decades gleefully torching the boundaries of taste, decorum, and decency in the name of rock and roll. But behind the chaos and provocation lies one of punk’s sharpest minds, a writer and storyteller whose work stretches from raucous stage anthems to novels like Armed to the Teeth with Lipstick, Nina, and Highland Falls, and even the bluegrass sway of his alter ego Earl Lee Grace or the smoothness of his Ralph Champagne.
In this episode, we take a wild and thoughtful ride through Blag’s creative universe—talking about his books, his long history with the punk scene, and the many personas he’s inhabited along the way. Blag brings five Criterion titles that pulse with rebellion and rhythm: Monterey Pop, Gimme Shelter, The Harder They Come, Sid and Nancy, and The Beastie Boys Anthology. Each one opens a doorway into the history of music on film and how cinema captures the raw, ecstatic power of sound, self-destruction, and transcendence.
This conversation roams from the gutter to the gallery, punk mythmaking, the art of provocation, and the strange, spiritual link between noise and narrative. Blag Dahlia doesn’t just perform punk; he’s spent his life dissecting it, reframing it, and rewriting what it means to live as both menace and artist in the same body.
Blag Dahlia
Website:
Instagram:
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with director, writer, actor, and artist Shannon Plumb, where laughter and heartbreak meet in the middle of the living room and the everyday gets turned into something quietly extraordinary. Shannon’s feature Towheads (2013) is currently streaming on The Criterion Channel, and we begin by celebrating that rare and well-earned platform for a film that transforms motherhood into a sly, Keatonesque dance of chaos and tender truth. The film premiered at MoMA and is now held in the museum’s moving-image collection.
This episode is above all a praise song for Shannon’s singular creative voice. She has made hundreds of short films and performance pieces for galleries, festivals, and the web, work that is equal parts slapstick and strange, witty and heartbreakingly tender. Shannon also discusses two Criterion titles, Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know and Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture, and we reflect on how those films speak to her own approach to art and storytelling.
Shannon Plumb
On the Criterion Channel:
https://www.criterionchannel.com/towheads
Website:
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/shannonplumb
YouTube:
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode where shadows flicker, reality splits, and David Lynch’s surreal visions echo across the screen.
With Jeroen Bijl of Horrible Reviews we explore every David Lynch film Criterion has graced with their signature glow. From Eraserhead’s industrial dreamscape to Mulholland Drive’s fractured Hollywood mystery, tracing how Criterion has lovingly preserved Lynch’s uncanny artistry.
We also pause to honor the filmmaker’s legacy. David Lynch, that master of the uncanny and dream logic, passed away on January 16, 2025, at the age of 78. The cause of death was cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
As we reflect, the conversation deepens, touching on Lynch’s sound design, his use of atmosphere as character, and the way Criterion’s editions let us peer into the uncanny layers he so artfully built. Expect conversation that’s equal parts analysis and homage, as we honor the dreamer who made us question what was real, and what was just better felt.
Horrible ReviewsYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@HorribleReviewsLetterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/horriblereviewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/Horrible.Reviews
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with Michelle Kisner—also known as ROBOT COOKIE—a powerhouse film critic, fearless freelance writer, champion of physical media, essayist with encyclopedic knowledge, and lifelong GODZILLA fanatic, for a deep dive into Godzilla vs. Biollante, newly released by the Criterion Collection. They reflect on the curious brilliance of this late-‘80s kaiju entry and how it stands out from the rest of the franchise with its strange blend of bioengineering, psychic children, heavy geopolitical undertones, and sexual symbolism.
They also revisit Criterion’s earlier Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975 box set, unpacking the cultural legacy and cinematic evolution of everyone's favorite atomic lizard. Expect reflections on miniature sets, suit acting, Godzilla switching from villain to hero back to villian, and why Godzilla continues to stomp through our collective imagination.
Michelle Kisner
Letterboxd:
https://letterboxd.com/robotcookie
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/robotcookie
Facebook:
https://facebook.com/michelle.kisner1
Rotten Tomatoes:
https://rottentomatoes.com/critics/michelle-kisner/movies
Spoiler Free Movie Sleuth:
https://spoilerfreemoviesleuth.com
Substack:
https://substack.com/@michellekisner
Michelle Kisner has also contributed to: Arrow, Vinegar Syndrome, Error_4444, Severin, Umbrella, Second Sight, BFI, Kino Lorber, 88 Films, Imprint, Terror Vision, and more.
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with actor and aviator Jacob Reynolds, known as Solomon from Harmony Korine’s Gummo. With the film’s long-awaited Criterion Collection release, Jacob shares brand-new behind-the-scenes stories from the set, offering fresh insights into working with Korine and the unique experience of bringing Gummo to life. He talks about directing a film about autism, and shares that he has autism himself. We also dive into his journey beyond acting—including writing the webcomic Perish—and what it was like to be slapped over and over again by Anthony Hopkins. If you think you’ve heard all there is to know about Gummo, think again—this episode delivers new stories and perspectives you won’t want to miss.Jacob ReynoldsInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/gummoreyPerish:https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/perishIMDb:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0721758
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with special guest Eternality Tan, a cinema teacher and lecturer at multiple universities in Singapore, as well as the Vice-Chair and Programming Director of the Singapore Film Society. We explore the world of animation and stop-motion films released by The Criterion Collection, discussing their artistic impact, historical significance, and what makes these films stand out in the Criterion catalog.Eternality Tan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eternalitytanMovie Reviews:https://eternalitytan.comLetterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/eternalitytanX:https://X.com/eternalitytanBlusky:https://bsky.app/profile/eternalitytan.bsky.socialTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@eternalitytanFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/eternality.tanIMDb:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7675625
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with satirical Bathroom Review video creator, actor, stand-up comic, and Master's in Psychology student Danielle Thorpe, as we dive into the 2021 film Drive My Car, recently released by The Criterion Collection. In this conversation, Danielle shares her insights on the film’s intricate storytelling and its exploration of grief and human connection. We discuss how Drive My Car stands out in contemporary cinema and the importance of its release in the Criterion catalog. Whether you're already a fan or discovering the film for the first time, this episode offers a rich and thoughtful look into one of the most celebrated films of the past decade.Danielle ThorpeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellethorpeIMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3577441
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode celebrating the legendary documentarian Les Blank and his massive amount of releases on The Criterion Collection, joined by special guest Spooky Sarah Says! Founder of the food blog Geeks Who Eat, where film and flavor collide, Sarah helps us savor the rich storytelling of Blank’s work. From the garlic-infused passion of Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers to the soulful rhythms of Yum, Yum, Yum! A Taste of Cajun and Creole Cooking, we explore how Blank captured culture through food, music, and community.
We also dig into Sarah’s award-winning blog, her essay in Creepy B;tches: Essays on Horror from Women in Horror, and the wild chaos behind Burden of Dreams, where Blank chronicled the filming of Werner Herzog's infamous Fitzcarraldo. Join us as we celebrate a filmmaker who made every frame a feast!
Spooky Sarah Says
Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/spookysarahsays
Geeks Who Eat:
https://2geekswhoeat.com
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with Michael Beardsley, known as Humphries on the cult classic Freaks and Geeks. He shares behind-the-scenes stories from the show, including Judd Apatow unexpectedly putting him on the spot for a commentary session on the pilot episode for the special edition box set. We also dive into memories from Freaks and Geeks reunions and ceremonies.Beyond nostalgia, we explore The Criterion Collection’s philosophy—prioritizing artistic merit and cultural significance over medium—and how its past TV releases prove that some television deserves the same preservation and recognition as film. Together, we pitch a Criterion release of Freaks and Geeks and discuss how it would ensure the show’s legacy lives on for future generations.Beardsley also reflects on his early career, from his first acting credit on Party of Five to appearing in Judd Apatow's Freaks and Geeks sequel Undeclared, and even getting bullied by Tommy Lee Jones on the set of Men in Black.Plus, he gives us a look at his latest projects, including his starring role in the upcoming award-winning feature film The Hitchhiker Affect.Michael BeardsleyIMDb:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0063985 Professional :https://www.michaelbeardsley.com
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with Grant L Fletcher, a seasoned Comic-Con host who has interviewed Doug Jones, Guillermo del Toro’s go-to creature actor, many times. We dive into del Toro’s deep, unique relationship with The Criterion Collection, how he became the first to step into the Criterion Closet on video and sparked a trend. We also examine his influence on Criterion’s curated releases, uncovering how his passion for cinema has shaped their catalog. And we tackle a lingering question: Why does Criterion still occasionally release contemporary films, despite discontinuing the practice in the late 90s?
Grant L Fletcher
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/grantlfletcher
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@realgrantlfletcher
HUMBL3SHOW:
https://www.youtube.com/@HUMBL3SHOW
Grant Fletcher On The Mic:
https://www.youtube.com/@GrantFletcheronTheMic
The CINEMA CENTRIC meet up for an episode with Michelle Kisner (Robot Cookie) to discuss the essays included with physical media from distributors like The Criterion Collection and explore her process for writing film reviews for Rotten Tomatoes and The Movie Sleuth.Michelle Kisner has contributed to: Arrow, Vinegar Syndrome, Error_4444, Severin, Umbrella, Second Sight, BFI, Kino Lorber, 88 Films, Imprint, and Terror Vision.Michelle KisnerLetterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/robotcookieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/robotcookieFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.kisner1Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critics/michelle-kisnerSpoiler Free Movie Sleuth: https://www.spoilerfreemoviesleuth.comSubstack:https://substack.com/@michellekisner