The Criterion Collection

[John Bergqvist]

I wish Criterion collection would allow their 'exclusive' special features for international releases. It really sucks because I know that as a UK viewer, whenever a blu-ray is set to be released by Criterion in the US, I know that half the time, the International version (released by some other distributor) will suffer in terms of extra features.

A case in point being Rosemary's Baby. While the US & UK releases have the same transfer (thank God for that at least), the US Criterion release has extra features, whereas the UK release has absolutely zero, so as a result of Criterion's ego in wanting exclusives on their discs, international viewers then suffer. You could of course import the criterion one, but then you'd need to fork out for an unlocked blu-ray player, which defeats the point I feel.

I also hate how they're all like "this is an exclusive" etc. etc. when quite often, the transfer certainly isn't exclusive, and ocassionally there are the odd special features that get shared across international releases.

I just think that if they feel they're doing films & extra features a good thing by actually producing them to a high standard in the first place, they should give something back by making those features available to international viewers to be put on their country's respective releases, who can't afford to import their locked releases.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

I still never saw Django Unchained (2012), so I can't include that in my top 10.

I liked Django Unchained when I saw it at the theater, but I've had no overwhelming inclination to revisit it.

Originally Posted by Polaroid

People on IMDB defending the film actually used the argument - "You don't know what ghosts look like"

Yes cause ghosts of real look like poor cgi lol

This reminds me of a phone conversation that I had with a friend back in 1993 when I was in college...

Friend: "Where were you this morning?"

Me: "A bunch of us went to see Jurassic Park, because it's opening day, and we wanted to beat the crowds later on."

Friend: "Cool! Do the dinosaurs look like real dinosaurs?"

Me: "To the best of my knowledge."

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by jw007

Really looking forward to seeing The Hateful Eight due out in December.

Yes, especially as it was shot in Ultra Panavision.

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2014/western/index.htm

A couple of cinemas close to me that can project it in 70mm and will hopefully be part of the roadshow. Plus, scored by Ennio Morricone.

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by jw007

Holy smokes, Owl. I remember seeing Pulp Fiction in the theater in 1994 also, and it was my very first R-rated film I had ever seen. I was still 15 at the time. It was all the big hype when it came out as you very well remember as well. I knew pretty much next to nothing in terms of films back then, and didn't understand the references being so young, but I too suffered from "Tarantino-burnout" (if such a syndrome is real), because I used to watch so many of his films back in my 20s.

And now... I'm 37 years old and I still have all my Quentin Tarantino films on blu-ray wrapped in cellophane after having purchased them YEARS ago! I still can't figure out a way to want to see his movies again anytime soon. I had seen Pulp Fiction so many times, I basically memorized every damn scene. It was my all time favorite movie up until I was 22 years old or so.

Anyway...here are my 10 favorite Tarantino films (as director/screenwriter/actor).

If anyone else wants to chime in and include their top ones, go ahead!

01. Pulp Fiction
02. Jackie Brown
03. Reservoir Dogs
04. True Romance (as screenwriter)
05. Inglorious Basterds
06. Four Rooms (Short film - Penthouse: "The Man from Hollywood")
07. Kill Bill 1 & 2
08. Natural Born Killers (original story)
09. From Dusk till Dawn (as screenwriter/actor)
10. Death Proof

I still never saw Django Unchained (2012), so I can't include that in my top 10.

Really looking forward to seeing The Hateful Eight due out in December.

I'm a big fan of Tarantino's work. Here is my personal ranking of the films that he's directed:

Pulp Fiction
Jackie Brown
Inglorious Basterds
Django Unchained
Kill Bill
Reservoir Dogs
Death Proof

I also enjoy True Romance, but I've never seen Natural Born Killers. I really like Grave Danger as well, the episode of CSI that he directed.

Can't wait to see The Hatefull Right! Although The Revenant might overshadow it.

[Arch Stanton]

Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece and the only time I've really enjoyed something he did without either completely hating it (Kill Bill, Death Proof) or having my enjoyment spoilt by irritant elements (Django, Basterds). It's probably the perfect kaleidoscope of movie references, music and culture.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by belcherman

Criterion has a relationship with Terence Malick. Warner Brothers, not so much.

Except they have publicly said that they now have a working relationship with WB and have more WB titles coming.

[Marlow27]

I'm ridiculously excited for Gilda. Like, ridiculously excited. I'm so excited it's ridiculous.
Seriously though, I'm very excited, I haven't seen it yet but its always been high on my to-watch-list and I can't wait.

The American Friend is also a must buy for me as well.


I really, desperately hope we get the Orson Welles restorations sometime over the next few announcements too.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by jw007

Tarantino: Does he have a place in the collection?

Of all films, I'd choose Pulp Fiction as the most eligible candidate for placement in Criterion.

EDIT: I just noticed this is available on Criterion LD. But who watches laserdiscs these days! Comeon, Criterion, I want this as an upgrade. Surely its on your radar, no?

Why? The current disc has WAY more extras than the Criterion ever did. Just because it has a "C" on it doesn't mean it'll be better.

Criterion won't upgrade a current disc for PQ alone; they've insomuch as said that by refusing to re-issue Silence of the Lambs, stating that there's nothing they could offer as an incentive to upgrade other than a new scan, since the MGM disc used their pervious extras on their own disc.

On top of that, they'd have to wrestle away the rights from Miramax/Lionsgate, but it's not 1994 anymore. Not gonna happen.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by John Bergqvist

I wish Criterion collection would allow their 'exclusive' special features for international releases. It really sucks because I know that as a UK viewer, whenever a blu-ray is set to be released by Criterion in the US, I know that half the time, the International version (released by some other distributor) will suffer in terms of extra features.

A case in point being Rosemary's Baby. While the US & UK releases have the same transfer (thank God for that at least), the US Criterion release has extra features, whereas the UK release has absolutely zero, so as a result of Criterion's ego in wanting exclusives on their discs, international viewers then suffer. You could of course import the criterion one, but then you'd need to fork out for an unlocked blu-ray player, which defeats the point I feel.

I also hate how they're all like "this is an exclusive" etc. etc. when quite often, the transfer certainly isn't exclusive, and ocassionally there are the odd special features that get shared across international releases.

I just think that if they feel they're doing films & extra features a good thing by actually producing them to a high standard in the first place, they should give something back by making those features available to international viewers to be put on their country's respective releases, who can't afford to import their locked releases.

I try to be empathetic to this argument, but it's tough. My region free player cost less than a single Criterion.

I think it's unreasonable to expect Criterion to take features that they create for their own releases and make then available for other company's releases. Why not instead be critical of the other companies who are releasing bare bones releases for not creating/finding their own special features for their releases? If they would do that then we would all have more options.

[wondervamp]

All this talk of Tarantino films getting the Criterion treatment gets me excited...huge fan. Unfortunately not a fan of Inglorious Basterds though.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Except they have publicly said that they now have a working relationship with WB and have more WB titles coming.

How I'd love a Curtiz-Flynn Box!

[John Bergqvist]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I try to be empathetic to this argument, but it's tough. My region free player cost less than a single Criterion.

I think it's unreasonable to expect Criterion to take features that they create for their own releases and make then available for other company's releases. Why not instead be critical of the other companies who are releasing bare bones releases for not creating/finding their own special features for their releases? If they would do that then we would all have more options.

Yes, but I think its better to have an identical extras set across all English-speaking regions. I'm being penalised because not only do Criterion only release in the US, but they also lock their releases so people can't even import them without having a multi-region blu-ray player, which are grey-market anyway.

So essentially they're penalising me because I simply happen to live in the UK. Why don't Criterion release in the UK then? I'd be happy for them to do that.

IMO it's one or the other. Either it's Criterion's fault for having the worldwide exclusive rights to their special features, and then refusing to officially make them available outside of their home country, or it's the other countries distributor's faults for not doing the same thing with their own special features? It's silly... If they went about it your way, we'd have 2 wildly differing special feature sets, whereas it's much better to have 1 the same, the best of both worlds then.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by John Bergqvist

Yes, but I think its better to have an identical extras set across all English-speaking regions. I'm being penalised because not only do Criterion only release in the US, but they also lock their releases so people can't even import them without having a multi-region blu-ray player, which are grey-market anyway.

So essentially they're penalising me because I simply happen to live in the UK. Why don't Criterion release in the UK then? I'd be happy for them to do that.

How having identical releases across regions instead of companies competing to make their releases better than their competitors is better is beyond me. When Masters of Cinema creates their own features for a film I love because Criterion isn't sharing theirs, I get more features and more options.

[John Bergqvist]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

How having identical releases across regions instead of companies competing to make their releases better than their competitors is better is beyond me. When Masters of Cinema creates their own features for a film I love because Criterion isn't sharing theirs, I get more features and more options.

Yes but its the restricting of special features based on geographical boundries that I think is wrong. And does it not bother you that you're missing out on some of the other features, if you buy the UK one, rather than the US one? Surely it would be better if all the features were on each? That way both UK (masters of cinema) and US (Criterion) would be happy.

Surely if companies compete against each other, that only harms the consumer in terms of the content available, because they'll have to buy multiple copies/editions to ensure that they have all possible content?

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by John Bergqvist

Yes but its the restricting of special features based on geographical boundries that I think is wrong. And does it not bother you that you're missing out on some of the other features, if you buy the UK one, rather than the US one? Surely it would be better if all the features were on each? That way both UK (masters of cinema) and US (Criterion) would be happy.

I think the point you are missing is that the restrictions encourage the creation of more features for us, the consumer.

If Criterion released a film with a commentary that they create, and MOC would like to release the same film and would just include the same commentary if they could, then we all get one film, one commentary. If MOC cannot use the commentary, but does not want to release the film without commentary, they now create their own commentary, and we the consumer now have 2 commentaries available for a film we love, instead of one.

You may think it's "wrong", but it's beneficial.

[John Bergqvist]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I think the point you are missing is that the restrictions encourage the creation of more features for us, the consumer.

If Criterion released a film with a commentary that they create, and MOC would like to release the same film and would just include the same commentary if they could, then we all get one film, one commentary. If MOC cannot use the commentary, but does not want to release the film without commentary, they now create their own commentary, and we the consumer now have 2 commentaries available for a film we love, instead of one.

You may think it's "wrong", but it's beneficial.

Surely quality over quantity though? If the 2nd commentary is SOLELY being made because the people who have the 1st one won't release it to *other countries*, then that's not right IMO.

I could understand more if both releases were legally & officially being sold in the same country and both had the same region etc, but they're not, which is why I feel it's wrong, and I feel it does harm the consumer, solely because they are being penalised due to the country they are in.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by John Bergqvist

Surely quality over quantity though? If the 2nd commentary is SOLELY being made because the people who have the 1st one won't release it to *other countries*, then that's not right IMO.

I could understand more if both releases were legally & officially being sold in the same country and both had the same region etc, but they're not, which is why I feel it's wrong, and I feel it does harm the consumer, solely because they are being penalised due to the country they are in.

Lost me on the quality/quantity bit. The quality of the 1st commentary is not effected in any way, shape, or form by the creation of the 2nd commentary, and I have no reason to believe that the 2nd commentary would be of poor quality. Is the expert/critic/person involved with the film that is being paid to record the 2nd commentary going to be doing a half-assed job because they know there is a another commentary out there? I'm not sure i understand what you're getting at here.

I'm also not quite sure what you are using as your basis for judging things as "right" and "wrong", I just know that I'm not too eager to give up my choices as a consumer just you can have buying choices that require less thought, research, and effort.

[Al_The_Strange]

My QT rankings:

1. Kill Bill Volume 1 (5/5)
2. Inglourious Basterds (4.5/5)
3. Pulp Fiction (4.5/5)
4. Kill Bill Volume 2 (4.5/5)
5. Django Unchained (4.5/5)
6. Reservoir Dogs (3.5/5)
7. Death Proof (3.5/5)
8. Jackie Brown (3.5/5)

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

My QT rankings:

1. Kill Bill Volume 1 (5/5)
2. Inglourious Basterds (4.5/5)
3. Pulp Fiction (4.5/5)
4. Kill Bill Volume 2 (4.5/5)
5. Django Unchained (4.5/5)
6. Reservoir Dogs (3.5/5)
7. Death Proof (3.5/5)
8. Jackie Brown (3.5/5)

1. Pulp Fiction (5/5)
2. Reservoir Dogs (3/5)
3. Django Unchained (3/5)
4. Inglorious Basterds (3/5)
5. Jackie Brown (3/5)
6. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2/5)
7. Kill Bill Vol. 2 (1/5)
8. Death Proof (0.5/5)

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by John Bergqvist

Yes, but I think its better to have an identical extras set across all English-speaking regions. I'm being penalised because not only do Criterion only release in the US, but they also lock their releases so people can't even import them without having a multi-region blu-ray player, which are grey-market anyway.

So essentially they're penalising me because I simply happen to live in the UK. Why don't Criterion release in the UK then? I'd be happy for them to do that.

IMO it's one or the other. Either it's Criterion's fault for having the worldwide exclusive rights to their special features, and then refusing to officially make them available outside of their home country, or it's the other countries distributor's faults for not doing the same thing with their own special features? It's silly... If they went about it your way, we'd have 2 wildly differing special feature sets, whereas it's much better to have 1 the same, the best of both worlds then.

Nonsense, we all know it is not Criterion fault that they don't have region free releases, same for only English subtitles, they simply don't have the rights to do international releases.

As for the extras, I am sure they can be negotiated with other companies outside the US, they can't be forced to give them away for free, also the other companies are free to get the old interviews or documentaries on their own, or do their own new interviews, like Arrow who does a lot of extras that Criterion releases doesn't have.

Just get a region free player and do your research to decide which version to get or if you really need both.