The Criterion Collection

[G_MOVIES]

Personally, the issue of damaged or "imperfect" discs revolves mainly around pricing. For years I bought mostly second hand DVDs ($1) and Blus ($2-3) out in the wild. Frequently I would run into discs with scratches, but depending on how much I wanted the movie, I'd take a chance on a disc because it was so cheaply priced. From time to time, I'd get a disc with scratches that wouldn't play or freeze up. But I could look at it like I gambled and only lost a buck or two. Plus, I had bought lots of movies with imperfect discs that played fine so I felt I was ahead since I would have paid much more for them new.

When I started buying more movies brand new, the prices were a little hard to get used to compared to what I was used to paying. But I would think to myself that for a higher price I was getting a pristine disc and if there was any problems I could get it replaced. And I have to admit that even at a sale price of $20 for Criterions, I would feel like that was still a lot for a Blu-Ray. But if you say that people will respond, "Well, you're paying for the best transfer available, great supplements, and superior packaging." In other words, you're paying for quality. So where do discs that are not perfect fall into the quality category? If I gamble on cheap used discs that's one thing. But if I'm buying brand new, I don't look at it as gambling anymore. If I'm buying quality it should be quality.

Now I get that there might be some resentment against people who for various reasons need to have perfect merchandise. These folks can get obsessive. (Sorry. I'm aware some people can't help it due to conditions they have and it's not their fault. I'm not trying to be rude.) But don't they have a point? I still don't get how you can argue against the notion that something you buy brand new should be brand new. Fine. I'm willing to cut a boutique label some slack. If a disc has blemishes and it plays OK I'll let it go (more out of laziness than anything, if I'm being honest). But labels are businesses and businesses put themselves first over their customers all the time when it comes to the bottom line. So then why should I be cool to companies when I receive less than brand new quality product when companies will raise the prices of their products with no regard to us customers? If it's just business when you raise prices because your costs have gone up, then handle your business and replace imperfect discs at no further cost to customers. And if you're product's selling point is that it's quality product then that's what we customers expect.

(By the way, this doesn't apply to just Criterion. This can be directed at Shout Factory, too. More so for SF, since their prices tend to stay on the higher end.)

[Mushi Minion]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

I wouldn't "harangue" a cashier over a scuffed tomato

This is the scratch that doesn't affect playback.

if I buy a food product that's within its sell-by date and it turns out to be partially rotten, then yes I would take it back to the store and talk to the customer service person

And this is the scratch that does.

Glad you see the difference.

[nicwood]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

New Janus Films poster for the 4K restored version of Le Samourai



And trailer:

Le SamouraÏ - 4K Restoration Trailer - YouTube

Gentle reminder for anyone looking forward to the new restoration of Le Samouraï. Instead of waiting for the Criterion UHD, Pathé already released their 4K version in France last December as a collector’s edition and now again in April as a standard edition with English subtitles. https://www.amazon.fr/Samoura%C3%AF-.../dp/B0CRLGP3MP

I’ve tested the French UHD and it’s absolutely amazing in every regard - free of scratches as well: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...2&postcount=45

As Criterion likely retain the old BD in the upcoming UHD set, I simply kept my BD for the bonus.

Hope you enjoy this beautiful and necessary 4K upgrade!

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by nicwood

Gentle reminder for anyone looking forward to the new restoration of Le Samouraï. Instead of waiting for the Criterion UHD, Pathé already released their 4K version in France last December as a collector’s edition and now again in April as a standard edition with English subtitles. https://www.amazon.fr/Samoura%C3%AF-.../dp/B0CRLGP3MP

I’ve tested the French UHD and it’s absolutely amazing in every regard - free of scratches as well: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...2&postcount=45

As Criterion likely retain the old BD in the upcoming UHD set, I simply kept my BD for the bonus.

Hope you enjoy this beautiful and necessary 4K upgrade!

Yeah, I already pre-ordered the Pathe 4K instead of waiting for the Criterion.

[Mike0284]

Do the $50 gift certificates you earn expire or do they last forever?

I ask because I was going through my email and realized I never used the codes for 2 of them. One was from the October 2016 Flash Sale & the other was from the February 2018 Flash Sale.

[jiggyblau]

Originally Posted by Mike0284

Do the $50 gift certificates you earn expire or do they last forever?

I ask because I was going through my email and realized I never used the codes for 2 of them. One was from the October 2016 Flash Sale & the other was from the February 2018 Flash Sale.

It's my belief that no gift certificate or coupon issued by Criterion ever expires. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, though.

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by Mike0284

Do the $50 gift certificates you earn expire or do they last forever?

I ask because I was going through my email and realized I never used the codes for 2 of them. One was from the October 2016 Flash Sale & the other was from the February 2018 Flash Sale.

They don't seem to have an expiration date, but those are fairly old. If you try to use them and they end up not working, I bet if you reached out to customer service and explained the situation they might send you working replacements. I assume you earned them via purchases directly from the Criterion Shop?

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

I wouldn't "harangue" a cashier over a scuffed tomato that I picked out for myself

Originally Posted by Mushi Minion

This is the scratch that doesn't affect playback.

And this is the scratch that does.

Glad you see the difference.

If you're going to quote me because you think you've caught me in some sort of "gotcha", then include the entire quote.

When you buy blu-ray discs, do you get all of them from a big store where they're all in one pile and you get a chance to inspect the playing surface of each and every one of them? No? Then your tomato analogy is irrelevant. You know it's damaged by being scuffed and you take the risks and buy it anyway.

That's not the case with discs that are supposedly brand new and sealed. I'm not going to sit there and watch 90 minutes of a movie, only to discover at the 91st minute the scratches affect playback. The playing surface of the disc is the "business end" of the disc. If it's scratched, it's damaged, and I expect whoever is selling it to make good, not to gaslight me and tell me it's fine because they can't be bothered to fix the problem.

[El Sleezo]

Originally Posted by Mike0284

Do the $50 gift certificates you earn expire or do they last forever?

I ask because I was going through my email and realized I never used the codes for 2 of them. One was from the October 2016 Flash Sale & the other was from the February 2018 Flash Sale.

Can confirm my certificate from 2019 is still redeemable and waiting.

[Mushi Minion]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

When you buy blu-ray discs, do you get all of them from a big store where they're all in one pile and you get a chance to inspect the playing surface of each and every one of them? No? Then your tomato analogy is irrelevant.

Sir, are you prepared to go on record admitting you’d hassle a grocery store employee for a refund if they picked out a tomato for you that you discovered had a scuff on it when you got home?

[SeanJoyce]

Thread has officially jumped the shark.

[Brad1963]

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

New Janus Films poster for the 4K restored version of Le Samourai



And trailer:

Le SamouraÏ - 4K Restoration Trailer - YouTube

Perhaps a July release? That month always seems to have a superb line up of titles.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Brad1963

Perhaps a July release? That month always seems to have a superb line up of titles.

Yeah, I'm expecting it during one of their big sales month, so either July or November. The original BD came out in November, but hopefully it's the former.

[sfmarine]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Yeah, I'm expecting it during one of their big sales month, so either July or November. The original BD came out in November, but hopefully tit's the former.

I feel like it will be announced in November, but I’ll take a July announcement.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by Mushi Minion

Sir, are you prepared to go on record admitting you’d hassle a grocery store employee for a refund if they picked out a tomato for you that you discovered had a scuff on it when you got home?

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

Thread has officially jumped the shark.

Try to introduce a little bit of reason into a conversation and you'll find out just how many people are riding with the Fonz.

[javy]

Originally Posted by nicwood

Gentle reminder for anyone looking forward to the new restoration of Le Samouraï. Instead of waiting for the Criterion UHD, Pathé already released their 4K version in France last December as a collector’s edition and now again in April as a standard edition with English subtitles. https://www.amazon.fr/Samoura%C3%AF-.../dp/B0CRLGP3MP

I’ve tested the French UHD and it’s absolutely amazing in every regard - free of scratches as well: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...2&postcount=45

As Criterion likely retain the old BD in the upcoming UHD set, I simply kept my BD for the bonus.

Hope you enjoy this beautiful and necessary 4K upgrade!

Will have to get the French release. I forgot Criterion bundles old BDs with 4K new transfers. Thank you for the heads up on that 😊

[MifuneFan]

Indicator have announced a Blu-ray release of Obssesion (1949) for the US and UK. It was brought up in the Indicator thread that the film opens with the Criterion logo on their channel. I don't have the service currently, but can someone verify that that's still the case:

https://www.criterionchannel.com/obsession-1

If so, then it can go into the category of stuff they have streaming with their logo, but someone else is releasing it physically.

[koberulz]

Still opens with the Criterion logo, yes.

[Gacivory]

Ready for disappointment tomorrow, but would be elated if announcements included any of the following:

Any more Pedro Almodóvar(especially Bad Education)
Raise the Red Lantern (recreate that Australian boxset release so I don’t have to import it)
Hou Hsiao-hsien‘s Taiwan Trilogy (A City of Sadness, The Puppetmaster, Good Men, Good Women)
A Confucian Confusion & Mahjong (I’d take an Edward Yang boxset)
Caché