The Criterion Collection

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

As far as I'm aware, CC has never commented on their region locking policies while other companies (MoC, TT, etc) have made their policies on the matter clear.

From the '98/'99 archive I posted a link to a while back:

Q: What's your position on Region Coding: are you going to release DVDs without coding, or activated only for Region 1 (North America)?

A:We currently have only North American distribution rights on any of our releases. We haven't really explored the finer points of region coding because we've been too busy with fine-tuning other important features in the DVD format. However, keep posted to the Web site for news of any developments along this front.

From the FAQ:

11. Does Criterion sell its DVDs and Blu-ray discs outside the United States? And what regions do they play in?

We only publish DVDs for the North American market, and our DVDs and Blu-ray discs are encoded region 1.

20. Are Criterion’s Blu-ray discs region-encoded?

Yes. Criterion is licensed to sell most of its editions only in North America.

[paul000]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Repo Man is a cult film, through and through. I would not go so far to say that it was an obscure film during the 1980s, because the VHS tape was always prominently displayed at rental places even in the small rural Georgia city where I grew up, but it was definitely one of those films that does not necessarily click with every viewer.

For me, Repo Man admittedly fell into my wannabe-pseudo-subversive-punk persona of my teenage years in the late 1980s, when I was addicted to bands like The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, early R.E.M., British punk/new wave, and all of that. Repo Man and Return of the Living Dead always, without fail, made for a killer double-feature movie rental night, because the general hardcore punk aesthetic of both movies went quite well together.

Repo Man is one of those beloved 1980s movies that seems rather innocuous today, but seemed quite subversive when I was younger. Just like Return of the Living Dead, Blue Velvet, Near Dark, Sid & Nancy, The River's Edge, and the like. It was a movie for its time in so many ways, but it also plays well now in 2013.

There are some movies that just do not seem to scream "high definition Blu-ray" to me, because I grew up watching them on old worn-down VHS dubbed copies taped from HBO and such. I was chuckling at times when I watched my recent Blu-ray purchase of Near Dark for this reason, because the high definition format seems somehow antithetical to how I always enjoyed the movie during my teen years. I feel the same way about Repo Man, but I'll be buying that Blu-ray instantly nonetheless.

I'm hard-pressed to recommend blind-buys to people on this site, but it's probably safe to say that, if your pulse was quickened by 1980s movies like Sid & Nancy, Return of the Living Dead, and such, then Repo Man will probably be up your alley.

Repo Man has the "coolness stamp" of a Harry Dean Stanton appearance, and that's the greatest thing that the movie has going for it. I always knew through the years that, if Harry Dean Stanton starred in a movie, then it would be a cool movie. Even his recent appearance in The Avengers upped the prestige scale of that movie quite a few notches.

Great post. I think everyone should check this film out. If you like the films mentioned above it's pretty much guaranteed you will have a nice experience with Repo Man. & as stated, it's worth a watch for Harry Dean Stanton alone.

[paulgeneacepeter]

As soon as I saw that it starred Emilio Estevez, I started having doubts.

[paul000]

Originally Posted by paulgeneacepeter

As soon as I saw that it starred Emilio Estevez, I started having doubts.

I don't blame you.

[Jr7936]

just got qatsi trilogy and traffic criterion version in a trade. qatsi was worth the wait, sampled it and it looks beautiful. can't wait to watch it all the way though tonight

traffic also looked good, but was more interested in qatsi, and i have been wanting qatsi since it came out =)

[Monty70]

Kudos to Criterion (along with BFI) for a great job on The Man Who Knew Too Much BD. The picture quality is impressive, let alone for a film of this vintage. Criterion included a fascinating supplement on the digital restoration process responsible for such a beautiful moving image.

[I KEEL YOU]

So what's up with Repo Man? Checked imdb and it got a low rating yet it seems to be a cult favourite. Love Sid & Nancy which was written by Alex Cox but is Repo Man worth a blind buy?

I didn't watch this movie myself until about a year ago. I watched it once and I couldn't figure out the cult hype it has, thought I wouldn't watch it again. Still, I found myself watching it over and over again and I really have no idea why.

[pro-bassoonist]

The Kid With A Bike Blu-ray REVIEW

[SammyJankis]

I really can't wait to get my hands on The Kid With a Bike. I was so taken with it when I saw it earlier this year.

[Snicket]

Did you not get a review copy of Piña?

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

From the '98/'99 archive I posted a link to a while back:

Q: What's your position on Region Coding: are you going to release DVDs without coding, or activated only for Region 1 (North America)?

A:We currently have only North American distribution rights on any of our releases. We haven't really explored the finer points of region coding because we've been too busy with fine-tuning other important features in the DVD format. However, keep posted to the Web site for news of any developments along this front.

From the FAQ:

Which makes even less sense, since CC has released many region free DVDs.

North American distribution rights aren't the same as region locks. Twilight Time only has North American distribution rights and yet they release region free Blus.

Unless Criterion has contracts that work differently than everyone else's, their blanket position on blu region locking is something they have decided on themselves.

[tonylopez]

I found at Costco for $19.99 Criterions of ROSEMARY'S BABY, THE GAME, ANATOMY OF A MURDER and FOLLOWING. I bought FOLLOWING having never seen it before so I'm looking forward to watching that.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by tonylopez

I found at Costco for $19.99 Criterions of ROSEMARY'S BABY, THE GAME, ANATOMY OF A MURDER and FOLLOWING. I bought FOLLOWING having never seen it before so I'm looking forward to watching that.

Ooooh, I was planning on going tomorrow, I hope they have them here. Following is the only one I don't have, and I'm interested in getting it. Thanks.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by rkish

You wouldn't be sorry...I nabbed it directly from MoC, when it first came out and they had it marked down to £10.99. It's a great transfer and a great film. I just ordered their version of The Blue Angel and it shipped on Wednesday.

You'll drive yourself crazy with trying to second guess a region B release and if/when it will be released in region A land. I opted for the Kino "Die Nibelungen" and sans the booklet, it's pretty close to the MoC version. I did burn myself on Fear and Desire, figuring that MoC wouldn't release those other shorts (which they did, of course). As a Kubrick completist, I'll pick that one up at some point and sell or give away my Kino version. If you're considering the von Sternberg blu, I'd go with the UK version...nice extras and a commentary...Kino version is bare bones.

Hulu, at least is allowing me to check out a number of films I've never seen and discover new directors, whose films I had never seen.

I completely agree about Le Silence de la mer.
I actually put in a UK order the other day: Die Nibelungen, Before the Revolution, Les Vacances de M. Hulot and Mon Oncle.
I got sick of waiting to see if Criterion would release the Tati's and I liked the look of the Masters of Cinema version of Die Nibelungen.
Der Blaue Engel will have to wait for the next order... Luckily, there's still plenty of other blu-rays in that cart

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

I really can't wait to get my hands on The Kid With a Bike. I was so taken with it when I saw it earlier this year.

I can't wait based on how much I loved La Promesse and Rosetta
It will be a blind-buy, but I feel very confident...

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

Twilight Time is a bad example because they are licensing major studio releases exclusively. Sony for example is not licensing these titles to other labels in other regions, they are essentially using Twilight Time as their front-end.

I'm curious about the list of region-free Criterion DVDs. Does anyone have a list? Are any of the releases recent (meaning within the past 5 years or so)?

Is it a bad example that a license to sell exclusively in Region A doesn't equate to region locking? Okay then.

MoC is the most obviously CC-like, although they are smaller and across the pond. I don't think any company has been more vocal and straightforward about their feelings on region locking.

Domestically, labels like Kino, Olive, and Shout Factory all feature a mixture of locked and unlocked releases.

Again, I don't see any evidence to suggest that a blanket locking policy is coming from anywhere other than CC itself.

[TylerDurden]

The 2013 slate is looking good so far. Finally Naked Lunch will arrive on Blu!

[mrjohnnyb]

...be sure to visit the Princeton Record Exchange. They are known for buying out the stock of DVD/Blu-Ray retailers going out of business. I stopped by two days ago and picked up the blu-ray of Zazie dans le metro for $19.99!

Also, currently in blu-ray stock for $19.99:

Les Cousins
Le beau Serge
My Life as a Dog

[tenia]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

Is it a bad example that a license to sell exclusively in Region A doesn't equate to region locking? Okay then.

MoC is the most obviously CC-like, although they are smaller and across the pond. I don't think any company has been more vocal and straightforward about their feelings on region locking.

You can do all the comparisons you want.
The only real one is about competitors.

So yes, you can't draw an exemple like this, just because they only have the rights for North America.
The matter is not only having the rights for there, it's "does anybody having the rights for somewhere else want to prevent me to be able to sell my stuff there ?"

It's the case for numerous independant editors.
Twilight Time is not concerned, because they buy stuff from majors, and thus, the majors in the end are their own competitors. So they don't really care.

Criterion, on the contrary, usually faces other independants, who pay their own rights to right holders, and they love not to be in competition with Criterion.

On the other end, I'm quite sure that some CC releasess could have been region free, but now, they are just used to lock everything and don't even think about it, certainly because they are very happy with their current sales.

[KrugerIndustrial]

Oh, how much I wish Criterion to release Dillinger is Dead on blu this year. One of those films that will stick in your mind forever. Simply amazing.