The Criterion Collection

[Stormyyy]

Originally Posted by ravenus

They are based on the same master, so the basic qualities would be similar, although of course the 4K UHD from Arrow will be superior based on the increased resolution and HDR alone, even putting aside who did a better encoding job.

Thank you. I imported the 4K UHD release and read somewhere that a guy preferred the criterion release to the arrow release but it didn't make sense. I'll stick with the Arrow release then. Thanks again!

[Rayjg]

Originally Posted by Cinematt

I couldn’t care less if a filmmaker wants to tinker with their own movie and produce a new version, but as always I care if they don’t make both versions available. When you’ve fallen in love with a movie and seen it many many times it’s so disappointing to then find every new release isn’t the same movie anymore.

It does makes you wonder where they draw the line and usually when the filmmaker makes the changes they don’t include the original version.

[mande2013]

Originally Posted by hariseldon

I know there was that specific batch of Sonopress and a somewhat longer list of 'discs some people had trouble with" that I think were from different facilities and may not have been more isolated problems that entire print run issues..

It seems I ran across a mention of Red Desert in one post here or at HTF, but I didn't pay attention to the details
Actually looking at the Problem disc thread, it may have been your post I read -- ?? problems on a computer BD drive, but not a
standalone player. I couldn't find many other issues mentioned about Red Desert

I was having menu display issues with my copy of Red Desert when viewing via a computer BD drive. This may be taboo to discuss here, but I had no issues creating a backup of the disc on my HD, but the same menu display issues were present when playing the backup, so whatever the issue is must be encoding-related. And the issues started presenting themselves only after an update to the blu-ray playback software I was using (the problem with Red Desert went away when I rolled back the software( and they're not present on other Criterion blu-rays I own.

[presentedin4d]

I went to my local record/movie shop, tax refund gleefully in hand...Among the pickups was the Essential Fellini set, for $95! There's a bit of a dent on one side, and a rip on the front where a sticker once was. Everything else is virtually untouched. A steal if I ever heard of one! I wonder if Criterion would replace a damaged cover, even if I didn't buy it through them?

[mande2013]

Originally Posted by presentedin4d

I went to my local record/movie shop, tax refund gleefully in hand...Among the pickups was the Essential Fellini set, for $95! There's a bit of a dent on one side, and a rip on the front where a sticker once was. Everything else is virtually untouched. A steal if I ever heard of one! I wonder if Criterion would replace a damaged cover, even if I didn't buy it through them?

You'd probably have to wait for them to reinstitute their packaging replacement program, and they'd charge you $5 for the cover most likely.

[presentedin4d]

Originally Posted by mande2013

You'd probably have to wait for them to reinstitute their packaging replacement program, and they'd charge you $5 for the cover most likely.

Noted, didn't know that was a thing!

[FragnitoM]

I don’t really want to hassle criterion to get a whole package replaced because otherwise it’s fine, but one section of my WKW set for Days the glue I guess didn’t work so the paper try doesn’t stay down very well, so the disc will slide right through out of the package if you’re handling it. Is there a recommended type of glue I should use that won’t damage the packaging to reapply to get it to stay down?

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by presentedin4d

Noted, didn't know that was a thing!

Yup, I am waiting on them to get it going again because I need to replace my Bergman set outer box. Accidentally dropped it and busted it all up. $20 for a new one

[mande2013]

Originally Posted by bonehica

Yup, I am waiting on them to get it going again because I need to replace my Bergman set outer box. Accidentally dropped it and busted it all up. $20 for a new one

So I'm not the only one to have occasionally sought packaging replacements due to general wear and tear on my part...

Red Desert was my absolute favourite film for a while and so the art work just got worn out at the edges over time.

[dylrichard02]

Watched Mona Lisa on HBO Max for the first time yesterday after confirming it played with the Criterion logo a few days back. An excellent film, full of excellent performances! I would love to see this as one they bring back into print as a blu ray.

My guess is they still have access to the Hand Made films they once released on DVD considering many of them are streaming on Criterion Channel or have the logo when streaming elsewhere, so I don't see why they won't release more of them on blu ray. Here's hoping.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by dylrichard02

Watched Mona Lisa on HBO Max for the first time yesterday after confirming it played with the Criterion logo a few days back. An excellent film, full of excellent performances!

Check out The Long Good Friday, if you haven't already. It's a terrific hard-edged gangster film with Bob Hoskins doing a brilliant turn.

I have the Arrow UK blu's of these films, wonderful transfers supervised by the DoP. Sadly, locked to region B or I would have recommended them.

[misterlibby]

Originally Posted by dylrichard02

Watched Mona Lisa on HBO Max for the first time yesterday after confirming it played with the Criterion logo a few days back. An excellent film, full of excellent performances! I would love to see this as one they bring back into print as a blu ray.

My guess is they still have access to the Hand Made films they once released on DVD considering many of them are streaming on Criterion Channel or have the logo when streaming elsewhere, so I don't see why they won't release more of them on blu ray. Here's hoping.

Desperately need the HandMades on blu. Withnail and I! I'm not region free.

[Gmamalis6]

I would love to see from Criterion on Blu-ray Heaven Can Wait (1978), Strange Days (1995).

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Check out The Long Good Friday, if you haven't already. It's a terrific hard-edged gangster film with Bob Hoskins doing a brilliant turn.

I have the Arrow UK blu's of these films, wonderful transfers supervised by the DoP. Sadly, locked to region B or I would have recommended them.

Yes, fantastic releases. The Long Good Friday is in my Top 10 all-time. Mona Lisa is also a favourite. Hoskins is superb in both.

These are the kind of films/releases that make becoming region-free essential in my opinion.

[bigbadwoppet]

Originally Posted by dylrichard02

Watched Mona Lisa on HBO Max for the first time yesterday after confirming it played with the Criterion logo a few days back. An excellent film, full of excellent performances! I would love to see this as one they bring back into print as a blu ray.

My guess is they still have access to the Hand Made films they once released on DVD considering many of them are streaming on Criterion Channel or have the logo when streaming elsewhere, so I don't see why they won't release more of them on blu ray. Here's hoping.

Since Criterion got on the blu-ray game, they've been more focused on adding new films to the collection than on updating their existing catalogue. I fear it's become completely unrealistic to expect they'll ever get around to releasing all their titles on BD (and by "all" I mean the ones that are still in print). As time passes, some earlier selections will become increasingly less popular/demanded.

Back on the laser disc days, they released several titles that would be described as commercial/mainstream, such as Ghostbusters or the first three James Bond movies. Even if their owners were willing to license these nowadays, I doubt Criterion would make them a priority.

Now they seem to be hellbent on releasing increasingly obscure niche titles representing every existing minority on the map. I read somewhere that a good percentage of their sales are to libraries/schools who'll buy whatever Criterion puts on the market. This would explain why their range has become so unfocused.

[Egbert Souse]

I half-expected Criterion to do a big box for Handmade Films in 2019 to coincide with the anniversary of Life of Brian. Really puzzling how they've only released Time Bandits so far, despite Arrow's restorations of The Long Good Friday and Mona Lisa existing (plus the four Indicator released).

[misterlibby]

Originally Posted by Egbert Souse

I half-expected Criterion to do a big box for Handmade Films in 2019 to coincide with the anniversary of Life of Brian. Really puzzling how they've only released Time Bandits so far, despite Arrow's restorations of The Long Good Friday and Mona Lisa existing (plus the four Indicator released).

A documentary about the studio came out, too. An Accidental Studio. Highly recommended if you haven’t seen it.

[mande2013]

Originally Posted by bigbadwoppet

Since Criterion got on the blu-ray game, they've been more focused on adding new films to the collection than on updating their existing catalogue. I fear it's become completely unrealistic to expect they'll ever get around to releasing all their titles on BD (and by "all" I mean the ones that are still in print). As time passes, some earlier selections will become increasingly less popular/demanded.

Back on the laser disc days, they released several titles that would be described as commercial/mainstream, such as Ghostbusters or the first three James Bond movies. Even if their owners were willing to license these nowadays, I doubt Criterion would make them a priority.

Now they seem to be hellbent on releasing increasingly obscure niche titles representing every existing minority on the map. I read somewhere that a good percentage of their sales are to libraries/schools who'll buy whatever Criterion puts on the market. This would explain why their range has become so unfocused.

How many spine numbers are still DVD-only and how many spines have upgraded blu-ray releases after once being DVD only? For example, of the first twenty spine numbers, sixteen have blu-rays. The other four are all OOP. Of the first 30 spines, Summertime is the only one still in print and DVD-only. Granted, a few titles have blu-rays within boxsets like Nights of Cabiria, Cleo from 5 to 7, Vagabond, And the Ship Sails On and so forth, but the spine-numbered releases remain DVD-only for the time being, so do we count those as "blu-ray upgrades"?

[mande2013]

Originally Posted by Reddington

I looked into this a little bit a couple of years ago. Obviously not definitive, but I could find no immediate evidence that the film was ever framed for exhibition at 2.55:1.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...stcount=184988

Well I just went ahead and finally ordered the Criterion blu-ray of The Leopard after a decade. I have the Pathé blu-ray release, but it's a QOL pressing, so who knows if it's reliable, and it wouldn't be worth the hassle to get it replaced.

[Cinematt]

Originally Posted by mande2013

How many spine numbers are still DVD-only and how many spines have upgraded blu-ray releases after once being DVD only?

I believe spine 534 is the last DVD only release on the market so every spine after that is/was on BD.
Before that:
Spines
1-100: 57 BD
101-200: 43
201-300: 51
301-400: 43
401-500: 42
501-600: 89
So that's 325 of the first 600 (and everything after that.)
I think there are 68 titles that are OOP on DVD that never got an individual BD release or included in a BD box set, so that would leave 207 spine numbers that are in print as DVD only.