The Criterion Collection

[yoloswegmaster420]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

My biggest question: What's going on with Toho?

Busy with the Godzilla/Mothra 4K restorations, as well as finding the thought-to-be lost original negatives and planning a restoration for Kurosawa's 'I Live in Fear'.

Originally Posted by jshaide

That was me. And that's a long story from like last November or so when this thread was hopping for like a week. But it should be taken with a grain of salt until some months pass and we see whether this user making "leaks" was for real or full of it.

That things said by the "leaker" should be ignored since he was already caught being full of sh*t when he said that there were no NEON titles just 2 days before NEON announced that 'The Worst Person in the World' was getting a Criterion release. He was pretty much just "confirming" titles that have been known to be forthcoming from Criterion, as well as making vague assertions.

[captveg]

Criterion's reasoning for dropping DVD versions from many of their most recent releases is pretty understandable: if there was either a previous Criterion or a major studio release on DVD of a title they considered doing a new DVD not worth its production cost. This makes a lot of sense, considering many of their DVD sales are for libraries/schools, who likely still have the previous DVD release, and would be less likely to buy them again.

[gudemameshiba]

Originally Posted by captveg

Criterion's reasoning for dropping DVD versions from many of their most recent releases is pretty understandable: if there was either a previous Criterion or a major studio release on DVD of a title they considered doing a new DVD not worth its production cost. This makes a lot of sense, considering many of their DVD sales are for libraries/schools, who likely still have the previous DVD release, and would be less likely to buy them again.

I don't disagree, but out of curiosity, have they said as much outright?

[Hellspawn28]

I want Criterion to release What Time Is It There? (2001) on Blu-ray this year. It really needs a HD upgrade and it has been a title that is hard to find.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by gudemameshiba

I don't disagree, but out of curiosity, have they said as much outright?

Essentially. This was an email response to a consumer in August 2021:

[ShellOilJunior]

That's very interesting that Criterion does take into account a movie being available on DVD (Even if not from Criterion) when deciding to give a movie a DVD release.

There must be different considerations for issuing blu-rays when a movie is already available from another label. Maybe this has changed since adopting UHD.

[Rayjg]

Did Criterion ever consider a laserdisc/DVD combo set at the dawn of DVD era?

[JasonMichael]

Most people forget Criterion's early VHS/Betamax combo pack.

[Ned Brainard]

Originally Posted by JasonMichael

Most people forget Criterion's early VHS/Betamax combo pack.

Or their Discovision/Selectavision combos.

[gudemameshiba]

Originally Posted by captveg

Essentially. This was an email response to a consumer in August 2021:

Thanks!

(Personally I don't think the previous DVD releases of Once Upon a Time in America IV / V / and China should count, but I have the Blu-ray, so I'm not overly concerned!)

[mmarczi]

They don't put out too many of their box sets on DVD anymore. The only more recent ones I can think of are the Koker Trilogy, the Karel Zeman set, The Signifyin' Works of Marlon Riggs, Dietrich & Von Sternberg, and the third volume of the World Cinema Project. And Koker is already going back to 2019. Dietrich is 2018. Obviously none of the bigger recent box sets (Bergman, Fellini, Varda, Bruce Lee, Van Peebles, WKW) got one with the exception of the Riggs documentary set, so I'm definitely not surprised OUATIC didn't get DVDs either.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

That's very interesting that Criterion does take into account a movie being available on DVD (Even if not from Criterion) when deciding to give a movie a DVD release.

It may be also a factor of another party holding a valid DVD license at the time of Criterion's BD release.

Originally Posted by Rayjg

Did Criterion ever consider a laserdisc/DVD combo set at the dawn of DVD era?

Haha, cost-wise, that would be like bundling some prime Wagyu beef steak with an order for a McDonald's burger.

[gbm82]

Originally Posted by ravenus

It may be also a factor of another party holding a valid DVD license at the time of Criterion's BD release.


Haha, cost-wise, that would be like bundling some prime Wagyu beef steak with an order for a McDonald's burger.

but did it come with french fries?

[MifuneFan]

Predictions:

Mississippi Masala
The Sound of Metal
Mr. Klein
Cure 4K
Peeping Tom

[Gacivory]

Do we think they will wait for Oscar announcements to announce Drive My Car, or can we expect it soon? I just hope they don’t wait 5 or so years.

[TheArgentinian]

What do you think of this criticism? (from DVDBeaver):

Criterion really suffered a diminishment in the quality of their output in 2021.
This was disappointing because they have usually been at the pinnacle of the industry and have consistently released films that were of artistic and/or historical value. Generally, such films have been old enough where they can be viewed with some detachment through the prism of history.

Continuing the trend of the past few years, in 2021 Criterion released many modern and even contemporary films that are far too new for it to be known how they will stand the test of time. Many of Criterions releases in 2021 may seem trendy and inclusive today. However, throughout cinema history, many films have been released that have initially been deemed significant, but often as little as one generation later, these same films can seem dated and irrelevant.

[yoloswegmaster420]

Originally Posted by TheArgentinian

What do you think of this criticism? (from DVDBeaver):

Such a lazy piece of criticism. Criterion have released many titles in 2021 that are of artistic/historical value. Such titles include Bringing Up Baby, Mirror, The Ascent, the Marlon Riggs boxset, Ashes and Diamonds, Celine and Julie Go Boating, High Sierra/Colorado Territory, Streetwise, The Human Condition Trilogy, the Melvin Van Peebles boxset, Menace II Society, the Once Upon a Time in China series, Throw Down, Nightmare Alley, and many more.

[ShellOilJunior]

No early clues on Criterion.com. I usually comb their site on the morning of announcement day. They've gotten pretty good about not tipping their hand early.

[MifuneFan]

Translation: Criterion released too many black films.

[ThePasswordIs]

Historically does Criterion release the day before if the 15th comes on a weekend, or will we be waiting until Mon — Tues even with MLK day?