The Criterion Collection

[capnnarcolepsy]

Originally Posted by jacobsever

Do you guys usually read the booklets before or after watching the films?

I usually wait until after if it's one I have never seen before. It seems that many of the articles or essays assume the reader has already viewed the film in question. I will, however, excessively glance through them once I get them. I usually have stuff delivered to work and the booklets make for a nice distraction.

[Illy Scorsese]

Debating with myself whether or not I should buy "Ikiru" and "High And Low" now, or wait for Blu-Ray's down the road...

UGH

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

If you think Criterion collectors are OCD check out the Steelbook forum. At least almost all of us Criterion collectors open and watch our films. The Steelbook forums are loaded with people who horde large numbers of un-opened steelbooks. I love steelbooks but only buy them if I like the films and I always open and watch mine.

The steelbooks are just collectibles. Whether you like the film or not doesn't seem to matter, its a collectible.

[Bluyoda]

Hi everyone!

I have a question about the pricing of Criterion BDs:

I have quite a few Criterion BDs in my shopping cart at Amazon.com, observing the price, and it only seems to go up and up!

Will they ever go down in price again, or simply keep going up and eventually become unavailable???

Best Regards

Ali

[feeter]

I maybe wrong as I only keep track of a few Criterions OOP but they usually keep going up

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by Illy Scorsese

Debating with myself whether or not I should buy "Ikiru" and "High And Low" now, or wait for Blu-Ray's down the road...

UGH

I'd say go ahead now and buy them. Criterion has planned a Seven Samurai Blu for this year, giving Kurosawa 4 blu-rays by Criterion. So there prob won't be another this year, so you will be waiting atleast a year for one of those on blu, even if those 2 are on top of Criterion's list. So I would buy the dvds.

[fdm]

While I buy them faster than I can watch them (a situation seemingly about to change, i.e., more time and less income, the mathematics yet to be hashed out), I've rarely run across any that I've found to be stinkers. The Collection and my tastes are pretty close. I even like most of the ones that everybody else gripes about... just takes me a while to get to them.

I don't get the need to harp on who buys what and who doesn't and why or why not anyone does so. (Except maybe the part about only buying BDs when there are so many great DVDs in the collection that end up being ignored.) Mostly seems to end up being a Criterions-are-overpriced thing, which as far as I'm concerned is: fine, so don't buy them, quityer b*tchin.

[Old Geezer]

Originally Posted by Bluyoda

Hi everyone!

I have a question about the pricing of Criterion BDs:

I have quite a few Criterion BDs in my shopping cart at Amazon.com, observing the price, and it only seems to go up and up!

Will they ever go down in price again, or simply keep going up and eventually become unavailable???

Best Regards

Ali

I would advise to buy now if you're planing on buying anyway. Just recently Amazon seems to be intent on raising their prices on Criterion's. Case in point is their prices on recent pre-orders. "Walkabout" and "M" are $37 apiece preordered currently. I waited awhile to see if the price would drop but just today cancelled my preorder from Amazon and ordered both from Criterion. Total cost was just under $60 shipped. The AFS (25% off) code still works for me when ordering from Criterion.

[Bluyoda]

Originally Posted by Old Geezer

I would advise to buy now if you're planing on buying anyway. Just recently Amazon seems to be intent on raising their prices on Criterion's. Case in point is their prices on recent pre-orders. "Walkabout" and "M" are $37 apiece preordered currently. I waited awhile to see if the price would drop but just today cancelled my preorder from Amazon and ordered both from Criterion. Total cost was just under $60 shipped. The AFS (25% off) code still works for me when ordering from Criterion.

Hmm, I have observed that recently many BDs, regardless of studio have been raised in price at Amazon. com lately, as prices fluctuate all the time. I am just worried that Criterion might be different and actually stay this pricey!

[Bluyoda]

By the way, I have just finished watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and boy was I stunned!!!!!

The Presentation is mesmerizing in every way!!!

The movie is sooooooo beautiful to look at on BD, that it truly reminds one of why BD is the best thing that ever happened to Home Theater!!

Gorgeous!!

[fdm]

Temporary amazon price hike thing, or permanent? If temporary, when do we finally get relief? I wonder (... and have a couple of theories/guesses, but they're way too off topic).

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by fdm

Temporary amazon price hike thing, or permanent? If temporary, when do we finally get relief? I wonder (... and have a couple of theories/guesses, but they're way too off topic).

I keep wanting to buy as I'm way behind, but if I buy will the AFS code, then I know B&N will finally announce their 50% off sale.

Blast it, I'll dive in I guess, but only for the released titles.

EDIT: No, no I won't. I've been a bad boy lately.

[Old Geezer]

Funny coincidence? I think not! - I've been waiting for 1-2 weeks to see if Amazon would lower their pre-order price on "Walkabout." Less than 15 minutes after I cancelled my pre-order..............."Walkabout appeared in my Today's Deals box for 34.46. I'm sticking with my Criterion pre-order for under $30. With my luck, I'd wait in vain for Amazon to lower their price more and Criterion would end their 25% off promotion.

[bugsy_pal]

Originally Posted by jimonee78

I've seen it mentioned once or twice before, but is anyone else unhappy that Criterion has chosen (at least for now) to package all their blu-rays in the uniform clear plastic cases?

One of the coolest things about the DVDs was the variety of packagings especially their side loading cardboard digipaks (Bicycle Thieves, Ugetsu, Amarcord, Pandora's Box, Vampyr etc). I agree their cardboard digipaks from the original blu-ray releases were flimsy and needed to be replaced but the DVD side loaders were much sturdier. I'd love to see mini versions in the future if any of the aforementioned films were to receive the blu-ray treatment.

I'm with you - I would like to see the variety in bluray packaging that Criterion have had with their DVDs. However, I know it's not going to happen - I suspect that economics rules it out.

I own the DVD package for "The Furies" and it's a beautiful set - I love the tactile feel of the matte paper sleeves. Some of the other paper sleeve digipaks are also stunning - I like the look of the Ophuls DVDs, the Videodrome box and the Mishima box (although I haven't seen inside them). Of course, these things are more fragile and you have to treat them with care. But they are very neat.

I wonder what Crieterion will do if they want to do a bluray release and include a substantial book with it - perhaps they'll have to have a clear plastic case for the disc and put that in a paper slipcase with book...

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by bugsy_pal

I'm with you - I would like to see the variety in bluray packaging that Criterion have had with their DVDs. However, I know it's not going to happen - I suspect that economics rules it out.

I own the DVD package for "The Furies" and it's a beautiful set - I love the tactile feel of the matte paper sleeves. Some of the other paper sleeve digipaks are also stunning - I like the look of the Ophuls DVDs, the Videodrome box and the Mishima box (although I haven't seen inside them). Of course, these things are more fragile and you have to treat them with care. But they are very neat.

I wonder what Crieterion will do if they want to do a bluray release and include a substantial book with it - perhaps they'll have to have a clear plastic case for the disc and put that in a paper slipcase with book...

I think you'll see something different when Seven Samurai is released in the fall. It will undoubtedly be a 2-disc edition.


BTW-- I saw Hausu this past weekend. A good little film which will probably be on Criterion Blu come October 2010.

[Kevtronn]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I saw Hausu this past weekend. A good little film which will probably be on Criterion Blu come October 2010.

I really, really want to see Hausu and would love for Criterion to put it on blu-ray!

[SpiderBaby]

I love the packages like Breathless and Two-Lane Blacktop for the dvds, but I just don't see them doing that for blu-rays (yet). Those are different from those slim crappy digipaks for the blu's. Those are 2 different packages IMO, and that is why I love the clear cases for the blus, but still love the thicker cardboard packages for the dvds that provide them.

[SpiderBaby]

kndy,

Since we don't have a Kino thread (atleast I don't know if we have one), I was going to ask you if you have watched your D. W. Griffith's Mastrworks box sets and if they are worth it. I am seriously thinking about buying them on deepdiscount since they are now only $50 and $45. I know who Griffith is and seen some of his films (also Godard was influenced by him), just wanted to know your thoughts (I am actually looking more at the 1st set for now due to the "Biograph Shorts" which I have never seen and very much curious about). Thanks.

Then again, I might just skip the boxsets and just get:

Griffith's Biograph Shorts dvd
Avant Garde (1920s & 30s)
It

That should hold me over until mid-April when the best Criterion release of the year comes out (Vivre sa vie).

[stobbart]

Tried watching El Norte tonight. Got about 40 min into and just could not stand it anymore. This is the first Criterion that I have just turned off, there was just something about it.

Wondering what other Criterion titles people just could not make it through.

[jacobsever]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

BTW-- I saw Hausu this past weekend. A good little film which will probably be on Criterion Blu come October 2010.

Movie was great, I bought the Masters of Cinema dvd of it, but a Criterion blu would be amazing as well.