The Criterion Collection

[Jaymole]

Originally Posted by benricci

I think you've gotta understand that for a lot of us who've been collecting titles on home video for 30-40 years (or more), there's a lot of upgrade fatigue. Frankly, we'd rather see new titles hitting disc than just upgrades of old favorites that have all been on the market for years already.

Again, if you're pumped on 4K upgrades, that's awesome for you. Just try seeing it from other people's points-of-view too...

October was a way more exciting month for me as all 5 films were new to blu-ray/4K here in the USA as compared to just 1 this month.

I collect 4K, (and upgrade many), but I find the upgrade from DVD to blu-ray is a bigger leap, for me at least, than blu-ray to 4K.

[Taylor3978]

4K upgrades feel like Hollywood now only doing remakes or sequels. it's safe and keeps the revenue going, just don't ask me to be excited about it, especially when there are so many classic films that still languish on DVD. I'm not objecting to some upgrades, but a whole month of upgrades only when there is speculation that Criterion is sitting on so many other DVD-only titles? This is getting ridiculous.

Shape of Water seems strange. I wonder if this is a situation where releasing this was the price of releasing some other Del Toro titles later (that hopefully are worth the consideration).

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by pauleky

A fabulous month. Paper Moon is pre-ordered. Will pick up Funny Girl, Godzilla, and The Shape of Water eventually. Possibly Scarface, too. Of course, I only recently bought the Seventh Samurai Criterion...sigh. I've finally learned not to buy any Criterion catalog items. As soon as I do, they'll release a 4K.

It is probably a good idea to hold off on Criterion "Legacy" titles for now. They seem committed to UHD and upgrading titles. Paris, Texas has newly been restored and will most likely be a December release. Army of Shadows, Wages of Fear, and others have been restored and have been showing lately at festivals and the revival theatre circuit. The Janus Films website is a good source to find out what has been recently restored, and most likely will be released eventually.

[ilenewoodsfan99]

By the way, does anyone have a list of titles that are Criterion dvd only and have yet to have a US Blu-Ray/4K release? Excluding titles that got an upgrade elsewhere, like Indiscretion of an American Wife.

Thank you ahead of time.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by Ishai

Still, from all the Fox titles Disney has locked up...

I’m totally with you

[Shanghai Express]

Originally Posted by Taylor3978

4K upgrades feel like Hollywood now only doing remakes or sequels. it's safe and keeps the revenue going, just don't ask me to be excited about it, especially when there are so many classic films that still languish on DVD. I'm not objecting to some upgrades, but a whole month of upgrades only when there is speculation that Criterion is sitting on so many other DVD-only titles? This is getting ridiculous.

Those who suffer from Criterion Derangement Syndrome will always find a way to spin the label's lazy, sloppy, obvious, or downright bad decisions into something positive. This month is particularly egregious with all the low-hanging fruit they picked.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Haha. Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the current BD's, but I'm not complaining too much as they gave me a most wanted title for October, so that prevents any real complaints from me for a little bit.

I do hope they release some new to disc in the US Toho titles soon like Red Beard and The Bad Sleep Well soon enough.

Same but this is an exciting lineup I don’t own Seven Samurai, or Godzilla physically yet so this makes so happy.

I think December might have more Kurosawa new to disc titles like say Stray Dog, Drunken Angel, and The Bad Sleep Well as Criterion has been knocking it out of the park with all of the Japanese titles they’ve released this year so I have a strong feeling more are coming whether next month, or next year.

[postmodel]

Originally Posted by benricci

I think you've gotta understand that for a lot of us who've been collecting titles on home video for 30-40 years (or more), there's a lot of upgrade fatigue. Frankly, we'd rather see new titles hitting disc than just upgrades of old favorites that have all been on the market for years already.

Again, if you're pumped on 4K upgrades, that's awesome for you. Just try seeing it from other people's points-of-view too...

I get it, I really do, I’d also prefer new titles never released on disc, but do you really think labels are actively saying “no thanks” to all these other titles in favor of a 4K? Paper Moon and even Gummo have been rumored for years and are only seeing releases from Criterion now.

And I’m not trying to antagonize the situation (in case it seems that way) just sharing my thoughts like everyone else.

[The Sovereign]

Nice looking month, but Paper Moon is the only must-have for me. I’d add Seven Samurai to that, but I still think a box set is forthcoming and I don’t need a third copy.

[Namuhana]

November's slate is much more exciting to me than October's. I'm 110% getting Funny Girl, Paper Moon, and The Shape of Water. I'll likely get Seven Samurai and Godzilla at some point too.

[javy]

I actually needed to save some money anyway. 🖤

[benricci]

Originally Posted by postmodel

I get it, I really do, I’d also prefer new titles never released on disc, but do you really think labels are actively saying “no thanks” to all these other titles in favor of a 4K? Paper Moon and even Gummo have been rumored for years and are only seeing releases from Criterion now.

And I’m not trying to antagonize the situation (in case it seems that way) just sharing my thoughts like everyone else.

I get it, and you're not coming off that way at all.

I think that part of the frustration is that literally all 6 announced titles already have blu-ray releases (some of which are incredibly recent), and some already even have stellar 4K disc releases on the market.

So the lack of anything new is really the main disappointment. Just upgrading stuff that's already out doesn't spark a ton of excitement anymore for many of us, that's all.

Again, to those who will be owning some of these titles for for the first time or are excited about the prospect of upgrading, I don't want to steal your joy. Just stating how I feel, that's all...

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by speedracer5

I'm excited about "Paper Moon." I love that movie. I'm kind of meh about "Funny Girl." Streisand is great; but I think the film is way too long. However, there are parts that I like, so I might get it. Then as someone who primarily collects Classic Hollywood film and especially love precode, I'll probably pick up "Scarface."

I’ve been praying for Paper Moon for literally years. It’s in my all-time top ten, not just great films but films that I have to watch if I turn them on in the middle. I would’ve been thrilled if that had been the only title of note this month, but chrissakes this is some month.

[Rayjaymay]

I think the hopes for a Kurosawa box set are now dimming. It seems their strategy in the past has been to release the box (Bergman, Fellini, Wong Kar Wai) set and then upgrade a prominent title or two from the box set after that. With Kurosawa, they have already released two 4K upgrades (Dreams and Seven Samurai) without the box set.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by postmodel

I love the cover for The Shape of Water. I just adore when an image from the film is utilized…whether it’s an actual shot or an artist rendering. Same with Paper Moon.

And I do not understand how upgrading to 4K is “running on fumes”. Shape of Water I can understand the complaints though it’s very much a Wall-E situation. But a solid Blu-ray doesn’t mean they shouldn’t upgrade to 4K.

Same we’ve been spoiled so much this year with so many dvd upgrades just to list some of them now here’s what we ended up getting, or are getting this year.
Peeping Tom
Pat Garrett
The Long Good Friday
Demon Pond
Happiness
Werckmeister Harmonies great film watched it on Sunday it’s really really good
Black God White Devil
Pandoras Box
Paper Moon
I walked With a Zombie/ The Seventh Victim
Gummo
Mother
Real Life

And there’s probably a number of other titles I didn’t list, but I have to say we’ve been quite spoiled this year. I have a feeling we’re getting a couple of box sets in December one being a Kurosawa set with multiple new to Blu-Ray titles.

[prkchopexpress]

Originally Posted by Taylor3978

4K upgrades feel like Hollywood now only doing remakes or sequels. it's safe and keeps the revenue going, just don't ask me to be excited about it, especially when there are so many classic films that still languish on DVD. I'm not objecting to some upgrades, but a whole month of upgrades only when there is speculation that Criterion is sitting on so many other DVD-only titles? This is getting ridiculous.

Shape of Water seems strange. I wonder if this is a situation where releasing this was the price of releasing some other Del Toro titles later (that hopefully are worth the consideration).

i get this, but of course we are going to get upgrades of popular titles. it will help offset the titles that no one buys.

[DimitriL]

I really don’t understand this whole “unnecessary” BD argument I’m seeing here. At this point, almost every important marquee film has at least a serviceable, perfectly adequate BD that would’ve looked like a quantum leap from DVD. Unless you really care about color reproduction and film structure and cleanly rendered grain and motion fluidity and information density, ALL UHDS are “unnecessary.” Is this really how we should be thinking about all this? Or is this about owning a version of the film that comes as close as any of us will have to an archival print on physical media?

If that doesn’t matter, why keep buying physical media at all? Punch in a few last worthy and obscure films in the pipeline, get some of those Kurosawas finished up and whatever, but really, lock the barn doors bc we can just say, you know, what’s there is good enough, physical media had its moment, time to walk away, good enough.

I choose not to think that way.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by Watershipdownisgood

[Show spoiler]Same we’ve been spoiled so much this year with so many dvd upgrades just to list some of them now here’s what we ended up getting, or are getting this year.
Peeping Tom
Pat Garrett
The Long Good Friday
Demon Pond
Happiness
Werckmeister Harmonies great film watched it on Sunday it’s really really good
Black God White Devil
Pandoras Box
Paper Moon
I walked With a Zombie/ The Seventh Victim
Gummo
Mother
Real Life

And there’s probably a number of other titles I didn’t list, but I have to say we’ve been quite spoiled this year. I have a feeling we’re getting a couple of box sets in December one being a Kurosawa set with multiple new to Blu-Ray titles.

I actually think them releasing Dreams and Seven Samurai on 4K on there own actually decreases the chances we getting a Kurosawa boxset. Furthermore, I think they will release Stray Dog, The Bad Sleep Well, and Drunken Angel on Blu-ray individually.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by StarDestroyer52

I actually think them releasing Dreams and Seven Samurai on 4K on there own actually decreases the chances we getting a Kurosawa boxset. Furthermore, I think they will release Stray Dog, The Bad Sleep Well, and Drunken Angel on Blu-ray individually.

I personally don't mind if they don't release a boxset, if they just get to the major missing ones on disc, but would buy any Kurosawa release.

The Bad Sleep Well, Drunken Angel, Stray Dog, Red Beard, and Dersu Uzala are my most wanted ones.

[Sage00]

November is good timing on the 50% off B&N sale.