The Criterion Collection

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Yeah, I really wouldn't consider those the "traditional" boxsets we are used to getting from Criterion. We used to get a yearly massive boxset of mostly new titles, and this year we get one of titles that have already have single releases? Yeah, Criterion hasn't released one of their boxsets in awhile. Zatoichi? Now that's what I call a boxset.

I mean, those are getting harder and harder. Rights fracture or live in different studio homes, and there’s less and less opportunity to grab something that’s a showstopper. But what we’re seeing more and more - and it’s what I tried to point out - was a lot more multi-disc sets, mini-boxes. (And some like TUR are not that mini - there’s an astonishing amount of content in that. I don’t know why, but that’s an absolutely epic set loaded with content and it seems to fly under everyone’s radar.) Frankly, it’s easier for me to blind buy a three-film set than a $250 Bergman drop.

I also think it’s unfair to just dismiss this year’s set, too. Peter Becker describes it as the biggest effort the company has ever undertaken, almost everyone in the company was involved over 18 months, doing something they thought would represent them as a company. And it’s really frustrating because we’ve spent all this time talking about how media is dying, and they do a set that’s aimed solely at being a bedrock set for a new generation of film enthusiast, one that’s gonna go straight into schools and libraries, and it’s oh no, what’s in it for ME? I’ve been a collector since the first LDs and I celebrate what they’re doing here. Am I gonna buy it? No. But it’s okay that it’s not for me.

Anyway, look. We all want what we want and I’m not gonna critique you for that. But understand, a lot of us aren’t Criterion defender so much as the audience they’re producing for. If you’re not that audience so much anymore? Go with god, seriously. But this month was pretty close to what I consider a diverse, ideal month. I don’t own any of them but PDL. (And if PDL is there to keep alive their relationship with PTA - which is a totally valid reason to release a title! - I am totally fine with that.)

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by DimitriL

I mean, those are getting harder and harder. Rights fracture or live in different studio homes, and there’s less and less opportunity to grab something that’s a showstopper. But what we’re seeing more and more - and it’s what I tried to point out - was a lot more multi-disc sets, mini-boxes. (And some like TUR are not that mini - there’s an astonishing amount of content in that. I don’t know why, but that’s an absolutely epic set loaded with content and it seems to fly under everyone’s radar.) Frankly, it’s easier for me to blind buy a three-film set than a $250 Bergman drop.

I also think it’s unfair to just dismiss this year’s set, too. Peter Becker describes it as the biggest effort the company has ever undertaken, almost everyone in the company was involved over 18 months, doing something they thought would represent them as a company. And it’s really frustrating because we’ve spent all this time talking about how media is dying, and they do a set that’s aimed solely at being a bedrock set for a new generation of film enthusiast, one that’s gonna go straight into schools and libraries, and it’s oh no, what’s in it for ME? I’ve been a collector since the first LDs and I celebrate what they’re doing here. Am I gonna buy it? No. But it’s okay that it’s not for me.

Anyway, look. We all want what we want and I’m not gonna critique you for that. But understand, a lot of us aren’t Criterion defender so much as the audience they’re producing for. If you’re not that audience so much anymore? Go with god, seriously. But this month was pretty close to what I consider a diverse, ideal month. I don’t own any of them but PDL. (And if PDL is there to keep alive their relationship with PTA - which is a totally valid reason to release a title! - I am totally fine with that.)

I like your outlook on the matter even if I don't agree with everything you said. You presented your points very well and I can respect that.

I just wish there was a realistic way for Criterion to deliver more of their content onto physical discs and outside of sub licensing and massive boxsets, I don't have many other ideas.

[ShellOilJunior]

I'm sitting out February but I'm optimistic about Criterion in 2025.

Seven Samurai 4k in November, Yojimbo/Sanjuro in January 2025, and hopefully more to come in 2025. The Toho train cannot stop!

There's also the overdue Adventures of Antoine Doinel and a likely release of The Wages of Fear on UHD.

For selfish reasons, I'd really like to see Ozu, Kore-eda, and Kiarostami movies get UHDs. Would also like to see more Korean movies on blu-ray.

[mande2013]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I'm sitting out February but I'm optimistic about Criterion in 2025.

Seven Samurai 4k in November, Yojimbo/Sanjuro in January 2025, and hopefully more to come in 2025. The Toho train cannot stop!

There's also the overdue Adventures of Antoine Doinel and a likely release of The Wages of Fear on UHD.

For selfish reasons, I'd really like to see Ozu, Kore-eda, and Kiarostami movies get UHDs. Would also like to see more Korean movies on blu-ray.

Given the available source elements for Tokyo Story and Late Spring, Ozu’s two most popular films, I doubt they’d be able to noticeably improve on the FiM-encoded Blu-rays released in Europe.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I'm sitting out February but I'm optimistic about Criterion in 2025.

Seven Samurai 4k in November, Yojimbo/Sanjuro in January 2025, and hopefully more to come in 2025. The Toho train cannot stop!

There's also the overdue Adventures of Antoine Doinel and a likely release of The Wages of Fear on UHD.

For selfish reasons, I'd really like to see Ozu, Kore-eda, and Kiarostami movies get UHDs. Would also like to see more Korean movies on blu-ray.

Honestly I hope more Kurosawa comes out from Criterion for 2025. However, and to be honest with you I think some of the new to Blu-Ray titles Kurosawa wise are going to come from BFI, but maybe we also get some more from Criterion too. Still Stray Dog is getting a Blu-Ray from BFI in January and I'm pretty excited about that.

[javy]

More Godard is good.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by javy

More Godard is good.

Seconding this I need to pick up more of his titles as I only own a couple of them.

[MichalisM]

I'm somewhere in the middle regarding Criterion's recent output, meaning I still find interest in a portion of the latest selections, but not so much as in the past. Things I hope they consider, in decreasing order of probability:

1. Update dvd-only titles from their catalogue, some of which are currently OOP (Salvatore Giuliano, Made in U.S.A, The Fallen Idol, etc).

2. Try out some type of smaller director box sets in order to bundle popular with lesser known films that wouldn't justify, in terms of potential sales, a stand alone release.

3. Licence to other labels that are willing to do justice to films in Criterion's extensive catalogue.

[Scottie]

Nathalie Emmanuel’s Closet Picks - YouTube

[Thomas Veil]

Giving some love to Crossing Delancey, glad they got it out. I had it back in the VHS days and looking forward to a revisit.

[mande2013]

Originally Posted by MichalisM

I'm somewhere in the middle regarding Criterion's recent output, meaning I still find interest in a portion of the latest selections, but not so much as in the past. Things I hope they consider, in decreasing order of probability:

1. Update dvd-only titles from their catalogue, some of which are currently OOP (Salvatore Giuliano, Made in U.S.A, The Fallen Idol, etc).

2. Try out some type of smaller director box sets in order to bundle popular with lesser known films that wouldn't justify, in terms of potential sales, a stand alone release.

3. Licence to other labels that are willing to do justice to films in Criterion's extensive catalogue.

I’d add Dillinger Is Dead, although it’s not actually out of print (I ended up buying the Italian Blu-ray, which doesn’t have English subs, but you can get by without them if you’ve already seen the film a few times). Also À Nos Amours, which is also in print incidentally. At one point, these two films pretty much epitomized what made Criterion so precious to me.

[MifuneFan]

I can't wait to watch Criterion Closet: A Film By Ken Burns

[mclellandj]

Manifesting Megalopolis in the collection

[Bolo Seagull]

I have a weird gut feeling Criterion is going to put out a lot of winners for me in 2025 as well. 2025 is already shaping up to be a bigger year of purchases for me than the previous 3.

I'm actually fine with a mix of upgrades and new titles, including 4K upgrades of releases available on blu-ray. There's a few very specific upgrades and releases that feel like they've been coming forever, yet don't. Hopefully this will be the year for them. I'd really like to retire my DVD of 'Talk to Her'/'Hable Con Ella' and have a copy of 'Chungking Express'. If 'The Bad Sleep Well' and 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' leapfrog blu-ray straight to 4K, I'll be happy about those too.

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I'm sitting out February but I'm optimistic about Criterion in 2025.

Absolutely. I've purchased 15 of their titles this year, primarily UHD, and have another 25 or so on my wish list that ebbs and flows with every announcement on top of my CC sub.

Criterion is in their own class, but that doesn't mean they're perfect, or necessarily superior in every aspect. Sure, there are plenty of labels which offer a better selection in certain genres and or provide superior aspects of a release, but once again, nobody else is producing the quantity of titles combined with the quality of films and related supplements across all genres.

Just a perspective, but since we're talking about 2025, it's important to remember that times change and we're no longer living in 2005, the peak of physical media.

The industry and certain audiences have moved on, and films which Criterion may have once licensed and continue to hold a license may no longer be commercially viable for their present audience and related release strategy. That's life.

Hopefully, and I have a feeling with the sale this will happen sooner rather than later, Criterion will release these titles and they will find a home with one of the smaller, niche labels.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by Bolo Seagull

I have a weird gut feeling Criterion is going to put out a lot of winners for me in 2025 as well. 2025 is already shaping up to be a bigger year of purchases for me than the previous 3.

I'm actually fine with a mix of upgrades and new titles, including 4K upgrades of releases available on blu-ray. There's a few very specific upgrades and releases that feel like they've been coming forever, yet don't. Hopefully this will be the year for them. I'd really like to retire my DVD of 'Talk to Her'/'Hable Con Ella' and have a copy of 'Chungking Express'. If 'The Bad Sleep Well' and 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' leapfrog blu-ray straight to 4K, I'll be happy about those too.

I'm with you January was fantastic, and February has a lot of great stuff too although not all of it is for me, and March is probably going to be just as big.

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by mande2013

For sure, although there’s room for improvement on some of the streams in terms of compression, Alice in the Cities being one of the bigger offenders. Kings of the Road and The American Friend, on the other hand, are perfectly watchable on the channel.

It's also tricky bc artifacts and general digital crud can be introduced and/or exacerbated at a number of different points besides the source signal.

[SpiderNerd09]

50% Off Criterion 4K Sale Round 2:

[joshinminn]

Originally Posted by DimitriL

... I also think it’s unfair to just dismiss this year’s set, too. Peter Becker describes it as the biggest effort the company has ever undertaken, almost everyone in the company was involved over 18 months, doing something they thought would represent them as a company.

This comment almost pushed me over the edge to buying the CC40 set with the BN sale going on... I only have five of the titles, so it seems like a pretty solid deal.

[kmhofmann]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Either way, I kind of expected a lot of devout Criterion fans to chime in to my rant, and I respect everyone's opinions, well, almost everyone's. I still think Criterion has become mostly a joke and as someone else said, is mostly driving in neutral and riding on its own coattails for awhile.

Your rant ignores two things:

1. Your specific taste in movies that you would like to see from Criterion is extremely niche, and thus your overall wishes are unrealistic.
2. Criterion is still a business that needs to operate profitably.

There is some truth to the fact that Criterion could up their game, but movie selection is one of the less important things I'd complain about.