The Criterion Collection

[Mister_Kidd]

I really hope that American film from the last 30 years is some kind of code for Japanese film from the 50s.

Super-exciting news whatever the title is.

[jshaide]

I hope it’s either a reissue or they do UHDs separate from blu-ray sets. I really can’t be paying so much for a tech I don’t have to get the disc for the tech I do.

[Gacivory]

I hope they go Dual Format. I know it didn’t got over well last time. But I would rather Criterion not try to cram extras on their 4K discs.

[Shanghai Express]

Dual format for 4K UHD + Blu-ray is 100% acceptable and understandable unlike Blu-ray + DVD which was a major gaffe from a premium boutique label.

[The Coconut God]

Originally Posted by yoloswegmaster420

There could be a chance that I lied about the nationality of the film just to throw off the scent....

Y tu mamá también was technically made on the American continent! Or you could have mistaken Cuarón for an American director... Who's to say how much you know? In any case, here's hoping!

Originally Posted by jshaide

I hope it’s either a reissue or they do UHDs separate from blu-ray sets. I really can’t be paying so much for a tech I don’t have to get the disc for the tech I do.

I hope for the exact opposite. I'm slowly building a 4K collection with the intention of upgrading in the future, but I would still like to watch the film in the meantime. Dual format seems like the best choice to me. If 4K continues to grow, you'd only be grateful for it a few years down the line... Some titles being randomly pricier doesn't phase me. That happens anyway with digipaks in the UK.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Shanghai Express

Dual format for 4K UHD + Blu-ray is 100% acceptable and understandable unlike Blu-ray + DVD which was a major gaffe from a premium boutique label.

Not really, considering DVD still made up a large percentage of sales and was a good compromise for that sizable market who may have been hesitant to upgrade for whatever reason.

When they announced dual format, their reasoning for it was completely sound:

It’s been five years since Criterion announced its first Blu-ray titles. During that time, we’ve taken measures to support our audience no matter which format they prefer. Every Blu-ray release has always been available on DVD as well, and as DVD pressing prices dropped, we’ve even passed along some savings to our DVD customers by pricing new DVD releases at $29.95 instead of our traditional $39.95.

Today, something like 60 percent of the discs we sell are Blu-rays, 40 percent DVDs. The good news is that the growth of Blu-ray has more than made up for the slide in DVD, and our overall audience is growing. But now, instead of having one physical product to produce we have two, and that’s where the problem starts.

The only way we can afford to produce the packages we are known for is to print large runs, because at small quantities the cost per unit kills any hope of breaking even. Larger quantities may cost more up front, but as long as we sell the copies, we can capture the savings over time and deliver you a better, more beautiful product.

Having two physical packages to produce has cut those economies of scale in half. Instead of one big, cost-effective run of DVD packaging, we now need two different runs, each about half as big, one for Blu-ray and one for DVD. But to make the packaging affordable on a per-unit basis, we still need to run the original big, cost-effective quantity of each, meaning, essentially, making twice what we need. The Blu-ray may sell briskly, and the packaging may need to be reordered fairly soon, but the DVD stocks will take longer to dwindle. When we finally run out of DVD packaging, printing another big, cost-effective run will not be an option, because we would never sell enough of the copies to pay for the packaging. And at the price for printing a small run, we might be losing money on every copy we sell. What do we do?

Looking around the industry, we saw lots of answers we didn’t like. We could stop making beautiful, substantive packaging, but that wasn’t really an option. We could stop making DVDs, but that would mean cutting off 40 percent of our customers, including most schools, libraries, and universities. We could just take the DVD out of print after its initial run, but we have always strived to keep all our titles in print as long as we have the rights to them. We could strip down the DVD packaging after the initial run and drop the booklet, but then we wouldn’t be publishing the edition we think our customers deserve. None of those solutions would serve our DVD customers well, and more importantly, all of them would run counter to our mission to keep up the quality of our product and serve our audience as well as possible, regardless of which format they prefer.

The model we kept returning to was dual-format releasing, and the more we looked at it, the more sense it made. What seemed like more waste was actually less. Instead of printing big overruns on two packages, we could now make one big, efficient run again. That would mean less wasted packaging. Discs can be printed in small quantities as needed, so there would be no wasted inventory there either. The savings we’d been passing along to DVD customers had evaporated at this point, but while DVD customers would be back to paying a higher price, they would also be getting a product that was “future-proofed” against the day when they might upgrade to Blu-ray. Blu-ray customers would not pay more for the addition of the DVD discs, so they would be no worse off, and they could even use their DVD copies as loaners to introduce their friends to their favorite films. Most importantly, it would allow us to continue to publish the best possible product, which is what we think you want from us.

The fact that they discontinued dual format a year later actually speaks to the fact that the DVD market is still large enough to make a dent on their sales, and that population wasn't buying dual format as much as they hoped, so they were forced to split them back up again.

[Jackie Scanlon]

Originally Posted by dressedtokill

Well, the list of possible films goes down when we consider the following facts: it's an American film and it can't be a movie that comes from studios like Warner, Paramount or Fox/Disney since they don't license UHD rights. That just leaves from the major studios, Sony and Universal.
I think it will probably be a film that already has a 4K restoration avalaible, like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas or The Princess Bride or something.
Knowing Criterion they will probably end up releasing Dr Strangelove again with the addition of their booklet. Can you imagine?!

Fear and Loathing is a good shout - some peeps seem to be fairly certain that Arrow is releasing the UK UHD at some point in the relatively near future (based on what I have no idea), so Criterion doing the US release would make sense.

[Zorba]

Done with Criterion for this sale. I ususally only get a couple but more questions were asked than answered so...

I got one each from these four directors



and four from this one guy

[Mr. Kino]

Originally Posted by Snicket

A user on Criterion forum has let slip a Criterion UHD is on the way and it’s an American film made in the last 30 years. Not sure if this will be the first UHD, but it’s coming.

Edit for clarification: They know what the title is, but don’t want to say as to not upset Criterion.

Finally! Kindergarten Cop! GeekGab was right all along…
I will admit, i'm glad but somewhat disappointed by the fact it’s the last 30 years, since i was hoping for Raging Bull or West Side Story, but it is a start!

Also, i can’t imagine it would be something recently (last 4 or 5 years) released on blu by criterion already, unless it’s a brand new master. But let’s wait and see.

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by yoloswegmaster420

There could be a chance that I lied about the nationality of the film just to throw off the scent....

Since you won’t name the title (which is fine) do you happen to know anything about a release/announcement window?

[ShellOilJunior]

Something to consider for the potential UHD.

Sales numbers are very difficult to find for boutique labels. These two I could find because they were very strong. The Royal Tenenbaums cracked the top 10 for its release week.

These are units moved week 1 (If anyone can find totals, I'd be interested in seeing them.)

Mulholland Dr.
Release week: 11/1/15 - 13,901 units
Source: https://www.the-numbers.com/home-mar...art/2015/11/01

The Royal Tenenbaums
Release week: 9/19/12 - 15,234 units
Source: https://www.the-numbers.com/home-mar...art/2012/08/19

[yoloswegmaster420]

Originally Posted by Snicket

Since you won’t name the title (which is fine) do you happen to know anything about a release/announcement window?

I honestly don't know when they are going to release it, if it's a dual format, or if it's going to be their first 4K release.

[Snicket]

I am very nervous about what MSRP Criterion is going to invent for UHD. It's already low key absurd that a single disc blu ray retails for $39.99, when something like a Arrow UHD with premium packaging sells for the (nearly) same.

Will they attempt a blu-UHD dual format? Will blu-ray only collectors throw a fit and get them to stop like DVD collectors did?

Will UHD be stand alone? I can't imagine Criterion opting to have 3 different releases on shelves.

An ideal outcome (for me, I must stress) is the removal of DVD entirely (send it to streaming) and a $35.00 MSRP for blu-ray and a $39.99 for UHD. I just can't wrap my head around anything higher than $40 for a single title, unless Criterion UHD line is going to aim for premium packaging.

[Shanghai Express]

I bet they will be $50 like some of their two-disc Blu-ray sets.

[Zorba]

Originally Posted by Snicket

Will blu-ray only collectors throw a fit and get them to stop like DVD collectors did?

Yes there will be fits.

[Rayjg]

Word on the street is it's Inland Empire

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Rayjg

Word on the street is it's Inland Empire

Perfection!

[BigDmo531]

I'm feeling Mulholland Dr. given that there's been talk of it getting a 4K release and it seems to be one of their more popular titles.

[misterlibby]

Originally Posted by rayjg

word on the street is it's inland empire

don't tease me

[mmarczi]

I'm so excited for this FAR MORE in the hopes of it killing a lot of the "Criterion is dead with no 4K" comments than I am about the actual prospects of their releasing 4K (and I am 4K-equipped and absolutely prepared to put my money down to make sure Criterion recognizes there is support for the format).

Assuming of course that any of it is actually true.