List of technical issues on Criterion BDs + Superior International Alternatives

[professorwho]

In addition, I will also list a disc replacement program from Criterion themselves if it exists for a title listed here.

In some cases here, the Criterion edition may not be outright terrible, but have a superior international alternative, thus be listed here. This is meant to show titles with better releases outside of Criterion, even if Criterion's may still be of a good quality.

If the superior version uses the same master, I will point that out as well as a tier system to help show how the difference between the Criterion and the superior disc is. Here is an explanation:

LOW tier shows that the two discs share a similar enough makeup, usually with the same master, though with slightly better aspects on the superior international version.

MID tier shows that there is a good difference in quality between the two discs. They may share the same master, or use a different one, but it is a nice upgrade over the Criterion, typically in areas like compression, colour grading and a newer scan.

HIGH tier shows a massive upgrade over the Criterion edition in potentially more than one area- including compression, colour grading, a new master and potentially a longer restoration (extended version). These are the titles where the superior international edition is highly advocated over the Criterion release.

12 Angry Men
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK/DE MGM BD

Ace in the Hole
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression (UK release has incorrect AR, though)
Solution: UK Eureka BD

The Age of Innocence
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: EU/JP Sony releases

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Arrow BD

The American Friend
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: DE Studio Canal BD

Beauty and the Beast (1946)/La belle et la bête
HIGH tier
Reason: Newer scan exists
Solution: UK BFI BD

Berlin Alexanderplatz
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Second Sight BD
NOTE: You must have a TV which can accept a 50i signal, or have a player that can convert to 60i in order to play the main episodes.

Before Sunrise
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: DE Warner BD

Before Sunset
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: DE Warner BD

Being John Malkovich
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Arrow BD

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Arrow BD

Bicycle Thieves
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: IT San Paolo BD

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Arrow BD

The Black Stallion
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: DE Capelight BD

Breathless
HIGH tier
Reason: New 4K restoration and UHD exists
Solution: UK/FR/DE UHD

Le Cercle Rouge
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression and worse colour timing
Solution: UK Optimum BD

The Cranes Are Flying
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: French Potemkine BD

Crash
HIGH tier
Reason: 4K UHD exists of the same title
Solution: UK Arrow 4K UHD

Dekalog
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression, frame rate issues
Solution: UK Arrow BD
NOTE: You must have a TV which can accept a 50i signal, or have a player that can convert to 60i in order to play the main episodes. If you can play back PAL content, then it is a HIGH tier, but as many cannot, it is listed as MID tier.

Don't Look Now
High tier
Reason: Newer 4K restoration exists
Solution: UK Studio Canal Remastered BD
NOTE: A 4K UHD Blu-ray has also been released by Studio Canal which itself is a huge improvement over their already fantastic remastered BD. A 4K Blu-ray player or drive is required to play and a TV with HDR is needed to see the full effect of the restoration. A Dolby Vision layer is present on the disc as well, as such, to see the full colourspace of the transfer, a Dolby Vision equipped TV or monitor is required.

Dragon Inn
LOW tier
Reason: Poor compression
Solution: UK Eureka BD

The Earrings of Madame de...
MID tier
Reason: Less DNR and worse compression
Solution: UK BFI BD

The Elephant Man
HIGH tier
Reason: 4K UHD exists of same title
Solution UK/DE/FR/AU UHD

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
HIGH tier
Reason: New scan exists
Solution: UK Arrow BD

Fellini Satyricon
Reason: Poor compression
Solution: UK Eureka BD

Forty Guns
LOW tier
Reason: Poor compression
Solution: UK Eureka Remastered BD from the "Fuller at Fox" box set

The Friends of Eddie Coyle
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Eureka BD

Funny Games
HIGH tier
Reason: DNR and poorer compression
Solution: FR BD

Harold and Maude
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution UK BD

If...
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Eureka BD

Ikiru
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: JP Toho BD

It Happened One Night
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: DE Sony BD

Kes
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Eureka BD

The Killers (1946)
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Arrow BD

The Killing & Killer's Kiss
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression, and lossy audio on Killer's Kiss
Solution: UK Arrow BD

Koyaanisqatsi
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression and DNR
Solution: UK Arrow BD

Kwaidan
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Eureka BD

The Last Emperor
MID tier
Reason: Incorrect aspect ratio
Solution: JP Geneon BD
NOTE: There is an Italian 3D Blu-ray which uses a newer 3D transfer showing more detail, however, the brightness levels have been elevated to compensate for watching in 3D.

The Last Picture Show
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: DE Sony BD

Last Year at Marienbad
HIGH tier
Reason: Newer scan exists
Solution: UK Remastered BD

Late Spring
Reason: Newer scan exists
Solution: JP Shochiku BD

The Leopard
HIGH tier
Reason: Newer scan exists
Solution: DE Koch BD

M
MID tier
Reason: More thorough restoration with more footage has since been created with better compression and brightness levels than Criterion
Solution DE Universium BD

Marketa Lazarová
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: DE Bildstörung BD

McCabe and Mrs Miller
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: EU Warner Bros BD

Medium Cool
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression and black levels
Solution: UK Eureka BD

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression and wrong aspect ratio
Solution: DE Studio Canal BD

Ministry of Fear
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Indicator/Powerhouse Films BD

Mon Oncle
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Studio Canal BD

Mulholland Drive
HIGH tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Studio Canal BD

My Darling Clementine
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression and DNR
Solution: UK Arrow BD

My Life as a Dog
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Arrow BD

My Own Private Idaho
HIGH tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: EU/Asia Warner releases

Nashville
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Eureka BD

Odd Man Out
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Network BD

On The Waterfront
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: DE Sony BD

One Eyed Jacks
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Arrow BD

Orpheus
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression and incorrect aspect ratio
Solution: UK BFI BD

Pan's Labyrinth
HIGH tier
Reason: Poorer compression and black levels
Solution: UK Optimum BD
NOTE: A 4K UHD by New Line has since been released. Whether or not it is an upgrade over the UK disc is up to the reader. A 4K Blu-ray player or drive is required to play and a TV with HDR is needed to see the full effect of the disc.

Parasite
High tier
Reason: 4K UHD exists of the same title
Solution: US/FR/UK/AU UHD

Paris, Texas
High tier
Reason: Newer restoration exists, better compression and color grading
Solution: DE Studio Canal Remastered BD

Police Story & Police Story 2
HIGH tier
Reason: Poorer compression, and in the case of PS2- incorrect black levels
Solution: UK Eureka BDs

Rebecca
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: FR Carlotta Films BD

Salo: 120 Days of Sodom
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: Remastered UK BFI BD

Scanners
MID tier
Reason: Incorrect colour timing and aspect ratio
Solution:DE Subkultur BD

Seconds
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression and black levels
Solution: UK Eureka BD

Shoah
HIGH tier
Reason: Poorer compression and colour timing
Solution: UK Eureka BD

The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: JP Shochiku BD

Sweet Smell of Success
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Arrow BD

The Third Man
MID tier
Reason: Newer scan exists
Solution: UK/DE Studio Canal BD

Time Bandits
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Arrow BD

The Tin Drum
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: DE Kinowelt BD

Thief
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK Arrow BD

Tokyo Story
MID tier
Reason: Further digital restoration of same master
Solution: UK BFI Remastered BD

A Touch of Zen
MID tier
Reason Poorer compression
Solution: UK Eureka BD

The Tree of Wooden Clogs
MID tier
Reason: Worse colour timing and poorer compression (main issue is colour timing)
Solution: UK Arrow BD

Ugetsu Monogatari
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: JP Kadokawa BD

The Wages of Fear
HIGH tier
Reason: Newer restoration exists, Criterion is shorter by 5 minutes
Solution: UK BFI BD

Walkabout
HIGH tier
Reason: Newer restoration exists, in correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio
Solution: UK Second Sight BD

Westfront 1918
MID tier
Reason: Poorer compression, incorrect brightness/black levels
Solution: UK Eureka BD

Women in Love
LOW tier
Reason: Poorer compression
Solution: UK BFI BD

[professorwho]

Reserved 1

[professorwho]

Reserved 2

[imsounoriginal]

Thief has poor compression? Always looked fine to me.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

Thief has poor compression? Always looked fine to me.

It's not terribly poor, but it has a superior international alternative with better compression.

[tama]

Thief's compression was so poor that no one noticed it until Arrow released their version and people could compare via pixel peeping.

What an absolutely worthless thread to start.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by tama

Thief's compression was so poor that no one noticed it until Arrow released their version and people could compare via pixel peeping.

What an absolutely worthless thread to start.

My point is to show superior Criterion alternatives in one place that’s easy to find, rather than have to look up title by title. In this case, yes, Criterion’s Thief still looks good, but Arrow’s BD is better, so it lands a spot here. This is not a worthless thread as it shows editions better than Criterion’s for those who want to know of their existence. If you don’t like this, than I suggest ignoring this thread.

[lilboyblu]

Originally Posted by professorwho

Pan's Labyrinth
Reason: Poor compression

Solution:


10/1/19 Release Date, Pending

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by lilboyblu

Solution:

It's not out yet, so while I considered putting it on there, I ended up not, as not everyone is 4K ready and there's no screencaps of it yet (even though I believe it'll be superior to Criterion's encode)

[frakking toaster]

The Wages of Fear and Beauty and the Beast have superior releases overseas as well.

[HD Goofnut]

DE Release of 12 Angry Men has better compression

[Kyle15]

Criterion and Arrow's Videodrome look exactly the same, they even take up the same amount of space & have the same bitrate. (though if you get down and dirty, Criterion's size is slightly bigger in both areas but it's negligible)

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by Kyle15

Criterion and Arrow's Videodrome look exactly the same, they even take up the same amount of space & have the same bitrate. (though if you get down and dirty, Criterion's size is slightly bigger in both areas but it's negligible)

Okay. Removed, then.

Keep the suggestions rolling, guys, I'm going through Criterion's catalog using my memory for better editions, but one man's memory is nothing compared to lots of posters online.

[HD Goofnut]

Better compression than their Criterion counterparts:

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
The American Friend
Before Sunrise
Before Sunet
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Bicycle Thieves
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
Le Cercle Rouge
Dekalog

[Gerby]

Shoah (Eureka) - better compression & colour timing.

The Tree Of Wooden Clogs (Arrow) - better colour timing.

[HD Goofnut]

Better compression (continued):

The Friends of Eddie Coyle
Germany, Year Zero
If....
Ikiru
It Happened One Night
Kes
The Last Picture Show
Late Spring
The Leopard


Correct aspect ratio:

The Last Emperor

[HD Goofnut]

Better compression (continued):

M
Marketa Lazarová
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
Ministry of Fear
Mon Oncle
My Own Private Idaho
Nashville
Odd Man Out
On the Waterfront
One-Eyed Jacks

[HD Goofnut]

Better compression (continued):

Shadows and Fog
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum
Sweet Smell of Success
The Third Man
The Tin Drum
Ugetsu Monogatari
The Wages of Fear
Westfront 1918
Women in Love


More accurate color timing:

Scanners

[HD Goofnut]

That's all I have for now.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

The Leopard

Thanks for all the titles so far!

Though, it appears a better edition of the Leopard has been released since- the DE Koch BD.