The Criterion Collection, a de facto subsidiary of arthouse film distributor Janus Films, is justifiably regarded as the gold standard for cinematic physical media. As the DVD craze first seized the consumer marketplace and then subsided, replaced with Blu-ray and other high-resolution offerings, Criterion has succeeded by remaining consistent and true to its core mission: providing curated, exhaustively restored and lovingly packaged films that represent a valuable cross-section of important classic and contemporary cinema.

The reason for that near-peerless reputation is richly glimpsed in a new Blu-ray box set, available to consumers on November 19, that celebrates the company’s first four decades of operation. The monumental 40-film selection (spread out across 49 Blu-ray discs) gathers an electrifying mix of films both old and new, and presents them with all their corresponding special features and essays in a deluxe clothbound, slipcased edition. Billed simply as CC40, the eclectic collection includes the releases most frequently chosen by the hundreds of filmmakers, actors, writers, and other movie-loving luminaries who have visited Criterion over the years, as documented in the brand’s popular and sometimes cheeky “Closet Picks” video series. Neither a historical survey nor a simple popular-leaning “Top 40” compilation, this exciting, highly personal, and altogether unpredictable anthology reflects the cinematic joys and inspirations of the creative community that makes the Criterion Collection possible.

Herewith, a list of the films: 8½ (1963), Tokyo Story (1953), All That Jazz (1979), Bicycle Thieves (1948), Repo Man (1984), Naked (1993), Jules and Jim (1962), Being There (1979), Weekend (1967), Yi Yi (2000), The Night of the Hunter (1955), Pickpocket (1959), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), On the Waterfront (1954), Do the Right Thing (1989), Ratcatcher (1999), Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), Mirror (1975), Barry Lyndon (1975), Safe (1995), Seconds (1966), His Girl Friday (1940), Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985), Y tu mamá también (2001), My Own Private Idaho (1991), Love & Basketball (2000), Night of the Living Dead (1968), Ace in the Hole (1951), 3 Women (1977), The Red Shoes (1948), Down by Law (1986), La Ciénaga (2001), Wanda (1970), House (1977), Sullivan’s Travels (1941), The Battle of Algiers (1966), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), Persona (1966), and In the Mood for Love (2000).

The set, which naturally is anchored by digital restorations of all 40 films, includes hundreds of hours of supplemental features; alternate soundtracks and dubbed tracks; feature-length audio commentaries from film critics, historians, and experts-in-field; extensive documentaries and making-of programs; interviews with casts and crews; outtakes and deleted scenes; trailers and TV spots; English subtitles and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing; a selection of “Criterion Closet Picks” videos; and more. All of this comes in deluxe packaging, with a lavishly illustrated, 216-page book featuring insightful essays on the films by critics, scholars, and authors. Set your digital retail calendar reminder now for November 19, whether as a holiday gift for the cinephile in your life, or an indulgence for yourself.