The Criterion Collection

[Olmo]

Originally Posted by dwk

Because it is their 40th anniversary. A set celebrating that would always be previously released titles, no matter what. Can you imagine the outrage if they did have some titles exclusive to the boxset?

A most salient point in amongst the pearl clutchers.

That said, I'm not going anywhere near. For new collectors, though it's a perfect entry point.

[Big Hugger]

Originally Posted by dwk

Because it is their 40th anniversary. A set celebrating that would always be previously released titles, no matter what. Can you imagine the outrage if they did have some titles exclusive to the boxset?

This is exactly why I don't have any bad feelings about this set. Fans like us already own many of these -- I own more than half of them, some on 4K UHD -- so it would have been anger-inducing to include just a few unique titles and expect us to pay $400-$600 for the whole thing.

[dwk]

I said this at the Criterionforum, but a better 40th anniversary release would have been a book of as many of the commissioned essays (going back to the laserdisc liner notes) as possible.

A not very practical, or possible, but more interesting release would have been a box set of the the first 10 laserdiscs, the first 10 DVDs, the first 10 Blu-rays, and the first 10 UHDs.

[NeoNical]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Safe to say none of those 49 movies in the CC set won't also be getting a UHD upgrade (where applicable) in November?

It would certainly make guessing UHDs a bit easier for the month.

Which I bet is why Seven Samurai or any other Kurosawa film as of that matter weren't included in the set. Though I'm hoping to see some UHDs from some of those titles in the future (Looking at 8 1/2, Tokyo Story, and Mishima).

P.S.: There are 40 movies to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the company, not 49. There are 9 bonus discs in total, including one disc dedicated entirely to the Criterion Closet videos. Cleo From 5 to 7 (1962) is the only title in that set that never had an individual Blu-ray release but I believe it's a 1-disc edition.

The other 8 are additional discs from the Blu-ray editions of the following movies:

The Night of the Hunter (1955)
On the Waterfront (1954)
Do the Right Thing (1988)
Mirror (1975)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
His Girl Friday (1940)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by cgpublic

From where I'm sitting, this set is primarily curated to be given as a gift, especially so for the holiday season in places such as Barnes & Noble.

[Show spoiler]I'm sure Criterion is going to get a good deal of press and related discussion specific to the contents.

Expensive? Sure, but for those living in NYC, the price of this set won't even cover dinner for four in many of the city's best spots.

Unless you are a film aficionado, picking out a disc, or a set of discs, for someone else can be a very intimidating challenge. You may know someone who collects Criterion, or is a film lover, and this is perfect group buy where a number of people, say family, friends or co-workers, all chip in. You really can't go wrong, because there are 40 opportunities to make someone happy to find a favorite or to discover something new.

If purchasing for yourself, we can also agree many Criterion buyers are completionists. They'll buy this set on sale, some may even keep it sealed.

It's just a set, much like the Columbia sets, except here there are no exclusives.

It's not for everyone, but it's definitely for some, and let's face it, it will definitely look great on the shelf.

Unfortunately, the last place one should buy this set due to those awful spider wrap security devices.

Echoing the thoughts of most here...just who on earth is this set aimed at?

I joined this site because of Criterion, but it's now by far the label I buy the fewest number of titles from.

Of course, a release of that mythical Kurosawa box set would help rekindle my interest, as well as the long-awaited upgrade of Spellbound...

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Safe to say none of those 49 movies in the CC set won't also be getting a UHD upgrade (where applicable) in November?

It would certainly make guessing UHDs a bit easier for the month.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if a film in the box set gets an upgraded announcement.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the box set. Some of those titles have already been released by Criterion in 4K, yet they're only including the BD.

[Rayjg]

Be hilarious if the set had one exclusive premiere: Ken Russell’s The Devils.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by Scottie

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if a film in the box set gets an upgraded announcement.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the box set. Some of those titles have already been released by Criterion in 4K, yet they're only including the BD.

They have Peter Becker's introduction to the book on the site and it says that these are the 40 titles that have been taken most often from people visiting the closet.

When it came time to choose a theme for this commemorative collection in honor of our fortieth anniversary, in 2024, we struggled. How could we choose forty editions from among the 1,200 we had so carefully selected, each on its own terms, each for the story it had to tell? Gradually we realized that the answer was in the closet itself and all the passionate choices that had been made in that space. In a sense, the closet is the heart of the collection in the world, the sum of our work in all departments for forty years, gathered in one place—with all its potential energy intact and ready to be unleashed. No single curator could make this choice, but what if we were guided by the passions of all those inspiring visitors, by their curiosity and hunger to choose new film experiences or to tell the world about the films they love most?

When we gathered the list of the films most frequently selected from the closet, there was a palpable sigh of relief. Here was a selection we could all get behind, at once iconic and adventurous, not obvious in any way, featuring many of the finest films ever made, handpicked by nearly two hundred of the most creative and thoughtful people we know. These movies are accompanied by all of the special features from their stand-alone editions, including the essays that follow in this book. The result is the collection you have in your hands, a labor of love, an archive of the work of our community, and a very partial record of four decades of dedication to cinema.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by Rayjg

Be hilarious if the set had one exclusive premiere: Ken Russell’s The Devils.

Included in SD as an Easter Egg on the disc of closet visits.

[hoytereden]

This boxset reminds me of their Essential Art House dvd collection which was also a massive set. By my count, I own 29 of the 40 titles so I’m good.

[mclellandj]

I get people's complaints but this is the perfect gift for at least 3 people in my life (at BN price) so I'm happy they did it.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by dwk

They have Peter Becker's introduction to the book on the site and it says that these are the 40 titles that have been taken most often from people visiting the closet.

Yes. But in terms of the actual release, it looks incredibly lazy.

For that price, why wouldn't you, at the very least, include the already released 4Ks? Why wouldn't you also give the 4K UHD treatment to some of the other titles in the set, even if those films would remain exclusive to this set for the foreseeable future?

You could probably get all of these standalone (including the UHDs) for the same price at a sale.

[Member-682067]

Originally Posted by sfmarine

I don't see the market for it when people can already pick the available individual releases that are to their taste to buy.

[gkolb]

This is not a complaint, I have about 50% of these Criterion releases already, so there's no way for me to justify a purchase. And I thought the Olympics set was pricy when I got that one.

For those just getting their feet wet on Criterion releases, please go for this. You may need a Go Fund ME to get the money together for your purchase. Just sales tax here in my city in California would be $66 on the full msrp pricing. Ouch.

[sfmarine]

Originally Posted by TV2693

I don't see the market for it when people can already pick the available individual releases that are to their taste to buy.

There is a limited market for it and it’s a nice starter set or gift for someone. It will come out to $10 per disc if you get it during the 50% off sale which is a pretty good deal.

The majority of us collectors just wish Criterion would have done something else.

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Unfortunately, the last place one should buy this set due to those awful spider wrap security devices.

When I last visited a B&N, they had Pat Garrett behind the counter, and my guess this set will be given a similar position for the holiday season.

Originally Posted by Reddington

Echoing the thoughts of most here...just who on earth is this set aimed at?

If you already own most or all of the films in this set, it's not as if this is the last set Criterion will ever release. It's a set to celebrate their 40th.

From a personal collection of 200 Criterion's, I own 16 of the 40 films in this set. If I received this set as a gift, I would have a grin from ear to ear, and later sell off the 16.

Originally Posted by Reddington

I joined this site because of Criterion, but it's now by far the label I buy the fewest number of titles from.

There are plenty of people here for a decade that have bought most or all of the Criterion titles that they want for their collection, so it's perfectly understandable to support and purchase more from other labels.

By the end of each year, I typically buy 20 or so Criterions, including sets. I'd say that's pretty close to the top of the labels I support, and that's a good thing, as there are some good labels out there.

Originally Posted by Reddington

Of course, a release of that mythical Kurosawa box set would help rekindle my interest, as well as the long-awaited upgrade of Spellbound...

No doubt that a Kurosawa set and The Third Man UHD would be big sellers and a nice way for Becker to close out his ownership.

[Member-682067]

Originally Posted by sfmarine

There is a limited market for it and it’s a nice starter set or gift for someone. It will come out to $10 per disc if you get it during the 50% off sale which is a pretty good deal.

The majority of us collectors just wish Criterion would have done something else.

Why would someone want to pay any kind of money for a title that's not their kind of movie?

[Martin_31]

Originally Posted by dwk

I said this at the Criterionforum, but a better 40th anniversary release would have been a book of as many of the commissioned essays (going back to the laserdisc liner notes) as possible.

A not very practical, or possible, but more interesting release would have been a box set of the the first 10 laserdiscs, the first 10 DVDs, the first 10 Blu-rays, and the first 10 UHDs.

A book (perhaps a collection of all linear notes) would have been amazing. I hate the pamphlets.

[Areyakiddin]

Originally Posted by NeoNical

A few more things:

- Seeing Barry Lyndon and 8 1/2 (Among a few other big titles) in this set makes me wonder if any of these titles will get a 4K UHD down the line. I mean it would kinda suck for people who bought this set to find out that Barry Lyndon is getting a 4K UHD down the line. As far as I know, only 3 titles have already been upgraded to 4K UHD (The Night of the Living Dead, The Red Shoes, and In the Mood for Love).

- Trivia: And this also does seem like a fair bargain compared to the 2004 Amazon Gift Set. The Amazon reviews from 2004 are saying this costed a little over $5000 for 241 titles! It's a little over $20 per title and this was all before the Blu-ray came out. This is a little trivia that most people don't know about this company!

Repo Man is releasing on 4k through Criterion next month.

The Night of the Hunter, On the Waterfront, His Girl Friday, Do the Right Thing have received 4k releases from other labels.

So yeah, I'd expect at least another 2-4 of these movies in this boxset to have 4k releases by the end of 2025 which would make approx. 1/4th of the set have 4k editions elsewhere

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by GenPion

The 40th Anniversary Criterion Collection box set looks incredible. I am sure it will be especially relevant and fun for newcomers and beginners looking to build their own Criterion physical media collection.

I already own half of the releases in the set but I can always sell off the ones individually released that I own (exceptions of course for the 4K UHD editions not included in the big set). Considering I'll gain 20 films I still had on my wish-list and can recoup some costs by selling the other editions, alongside the average cost of $10 each being much better than $20 each, it's a bargain - especially for people who own few if any of these releases. (Love the deluxe packaging, hefty book addition, and bonus disc with Criterion Closet videos).

Yeah I agree it is incredible for newbies new to the Criterion Collection I just prefer buying some of these titles individually as some of them I haven’t bought yet. My Criterion tastes are quite interesting so I have very particular genres I’m interested in, and also love foreign films too.