The Criterion Collection

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

Criterion exclusively licenses for the English-speaking North American market. Why is that so hard for people to understand?

Yeah! But Canada is in North America but we don't get HULU here either

[italy12]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

Really Nice Digibook, I could have sworn that DVDBeaver noted the release as a plastic case... which is fine that it is a digibook I just need to do a Barnes & Noble in store reserve for it, my Amarcord came from amazon a bit beat up. They love the yellow bubble envelopes.

My Amarcord from B&N arrived in perfect shape. The only other movie from Borders that I ordered, and received, was Double Life of Veronique. It arrived in less than stellar packaging, meaning it was rather flimsy and not sturdy enough. I will just have to be patient and see what happens!

I have read on the forums that Amazon uses those bubble envelopes quite often. I have never received anything from them in that packaging, whether ordering one or multiple BDs. My Seven Samurai came from them and it was perfect.

The DVDBeaver review did, in fact, say that SSoS was in a plastic case. For the artwork on this release, I think the digi is very nice!

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by italy12

That is beautiful. Let's hope it survives the trip from Borders' warehouse to my house!

This is a problem with the Digipaks for me. Seven Samurai is a nice-looking set, but not so nice when one side of the slipcase has been dented with a huge crease along the entire height. Since it was from B&N I wasn't even going to try to get it replaced. Knowing their customer service they'd probably refund me my money minus the $8 shipping fee and tell me to re-order it at the current price of $45.

Definitely not going to risk ordering any more Digipaks from anyone but Amazon.

[italy12]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Yeah, Playstation hasn't been able to integrate Hulu into their systems yet, it seems... and streaming "HD" through Netflix is only comaparable to a standard DVD. I took the time to make a comment under Peter Becker's article on Criterion's site. Still, though, I just can't imagine the crowd that wants to watch such quality films on a 4" cell phone screen. I know people do it all the time, but who are these people? Plus, I don't really want to spend another $7.99/month for Hulu Plus.

CC

Oh Chris. Come on now. People can't bring their 65" plasmas on business trips when they go away. And what if they have a craving for Bergman or Kurosawa while vacationing in Aruba?? The quick fix is here!

But I hope physical media is never replaced!!

I see it happening already at Best Buy. We've already sent back THOUSANDS of DVDs and CDs (not BDs, though) to make way for portable digital music devices and Cinema Now cards. We push Netflix streaming on just about every frickin' device we sell (PS3s, Wiis, Xboxs, HDTVs, BD players, etc.).

Still, we have a large crowd of people who buy DVDs and CDs and BDs on a regular basis.

I feel confident that BD is going nowhere. With all the money invested in the format, and the new 3D technology, I can't imagine companies just dropping physical media altogether.

I would die a slow death if that were to happen. True story.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

I understand that frustration - I was speaking more to the Europeans and Australians who gripe about not being able to buy Criterions locally or play Zone A discs but somehow expect unrestricted internet streaming. I'm not even saying Criterion is right - when you put something online you are broadcasting to the world and any restriction is really antithetical to the concept of the web - but that is plainly how their business has always been set up.

Well for them I always retort back that they have BFI which as release quite a few movies I sure wish were available here, so no reason to complaint for them.

But yes people do have a hard time understanding releasing rights and such. They don't always realise all the back room stuff that goes on in getting these deals together over multiple production companies, directors, heirs and family control.....I would not want to be part of stuff like that, must be a nightmare.

[italy12]

I was reading that article on CC's page about hulu, and I had to laugh at one thing. Today, people can post stuff on fb's wall to request films and repost the same title for 46 days straight in some attempt at convincing Criterion that it should be in their library.

But thinking about how it went down in the age before the internet is interesting. Peter writes that he saw a bunch of letters, written to Jon Mulvaney, most of which asked for certain films to be part of the collection.

In today's world, the fast-paced "connected" world, it is hard to imagine someone writing a letter for 2 months straight with the words, "DAY XXX: release XXXXX!" and sending it in.

Might get expensive...

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by italy12

Oh Chris. Come on now. People can't bring their 65" plasmas on business trips when they go away. And what if they have a craving for Bergman or Kurosawa while vacationing in Aruba?? The quick fix is here!

I see that I created a bit of a stir after my post over at Criterion's site. Some person from Australia even called me "gramps."

CC

[italy12]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

I see that I created a bit of a stir after my post over at Criterion's site. Some person from Australia even called me "gramps."

CC

Oh my god this is hilarious!!! I am trying not to laugh so loud at work....

From CC's page:

"I am not even in America, so I can’t use this new service at all, but damn Chris, you are a whiney *****. “ADD crowd”? What? Poor people have ADD now? My iPad carrying rich friends got ADD too I suppose? You think that offering more options in viewing older, great movies is “a tragedy”? You know what’s a tragedy? The Holocaust. This is a sweet deal. Hulu Plus is what, $8 a month? Do you know how damn cheap that is? I can buy maybe one or two new Criterion movies every few months at $30-5 australian or so, and now I’ve watched them so many times, and given them to my ADD riddled friends, they’re all scratched up. Do you want to buy me new copies? You want kids in film school learning Na’vi because they can’t afford to get their own copy of Wild Strawberries in order to learn Swedish? Damn. You dread the day Criterion gives up on physical media format? I CAN’T EVEN USE THIS AND I’M APPRECIATIVE. Get a clue gramps."

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

I see that I created a bit of a stir after my post over at Criterion's site. Some person from Australia even called me "gramps."

CC

I saw that comment, man you are loved all over the internet...

[aggienader08]

Wow! I've been out for a couple o' days. I wonder why they announced the May releases yesterday instead of today? Anyway, May is really shapin' out to be a strong month IMO. I really love the Solaris cover, but I feel like it's missing something.

[italy12]

Originally Posted by jcs913

I saw that comment, man you are loved all over the internet...

I'm actually still laughing at the kids in film school learning Na'vi!

If ccfixx posted what he did on here, nobody would have batted an eyelash. They just don't "get" him.

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by italy12

I'm actually still laughing at the kids in film school learning Na'vi!

If ccfixx posted what he did on here, nobody would have batted an eyelash. They just don't "get" him.

but that's the beauty of it. as we are privleged to his personality...

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by italy12

If ccfixx posted what he did on here, nobody would have batted an eyelash. They just don't "get" him.

I know.

I really wish you could quote & reply on Criterion's site like you can in this and other forums.

CC

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by italy12

I'm actually still laughing at the kids in film school learning Na'vi!
.

I had to google it.... He referenced "Avatar" ha! I feel like the 'gramps' now...

[blkhrt]

This is a rather interesting tidbit from the front page article about Image's success at making a profit thanks to blu-ray:

"Remarkably, the top-selling titles for the quarter included two black-and-white, 50-year-old titles from The Criterion Collection (which Image distributes): The Night of the Hunter and Paths of Glory."

Hopefully facts like this will help Criterion get access to other films we would like to see.

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5890

[whbinder]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Yeah, Playstation hasn't been able to integrate Hulu into their systems yet, it seems... and streaming "HD" through Netflix is only comaparable to a standard DVD. I took the time to make a comment under Peter Becker's article on Criterion's site. Still, though, I just can't imagine the crowd that wants to watch such quality films on a 4" cell phone screen. I know people do it all the time, but who are these people? Plus, I don't really want to spend another $7.99/month for Hulu Plus.

CC

Sorry CC, I have to disagree with you. Hulu has been available for the PS3 for some time. And as to the quality of the streams, that's simply not true.

Now, dislaimer: I'm not a fan of streaming. I prefer discs always. I'm not panicing over the addition of different ways for people to get their Criterions though.

As to the quality of Netflix. If you're streaming a flash file in a web brower, yeah it's only so-so. Sadly, too many people do this and run a cable from their laptop to their TV and it looks like poo. X-Box uses the Silverlight system which is oddballs. Running it from my TiVo or Bravia gives pretty good results - DVD quality.

But I'm sorry, the new version of Netflix streaming for PS3 gives results much much higher than upscaled DVD. Depending on your speed of course, the highest quality mode is X-High which is 1080p and DD 5.1 (not upscaled)

Of course not all titles are available in HD, but those that are look fine.

Again. I rarely use the feature because I always prefer Blu-ray. Also, streaming isn't going to "take over" anytime soon because... well... how long did it take you to explain DVDs to your parents. The older set will not adopt to streaming for a while. but let's not say the quality is bad.

[repete66211]

Originally Posted by jcs913

I hear all the talk of the Great Dictator cover. I just hope people understand it before they slam it. I think if you have seen the film, you would think it is basically a great description of the film through the cover art.

I love the cover art on for The Great Dictator. I guess I'm in the minority though. I see people complaining that it's a repetition of the Topsy Turvy cover art, but the topsy turvy Hitler/Chaplin comparison isn't a Criterion invention. I recently watched The Tramp and the Dictator (included with the Blu-ray extras) which showed at least one cartoon from the 1930s with a similar topsy turvy Hitler/Chaplin comparison. So at least this one is based in reality rather than just a play on words. I also like the Fraktur font.

[aggienader08]

Originally Posted by repete66211

I love the cover art on for The Great Dictator. I guess I'm in the minority though. I see people complaining that it's a repetition of the Topsy Turvy cover art, but the topsy turvy Hitler/Chaplin comparison isn't a Criterion invention. I recently watched The Tramp and the Dictator (which will be included with the Blu-ray) which showed at least one cartoon from the 1930s with a similar topsy turvy Hitler/Chaplin comparison. So at least this one is based in reality rather than just a play on words.

I thought it looked like Hitler at first, then I realized it was Chaplin's stash.

[repete66211]

Originally Posted by aggienader08

I thought it looked like Hitler at first, then I realized it was Chaplin's stash.

It's both. The hair is Hitler's and the hat is Chaplin's. They had the same mustache, a fact which didn't escape anyone at the time. Chaplin, no fan of Hitler (and possibly Jewish), capitalized on this by making fun of him in The Great Dictator.

[whbinder]

Originally Posted by repete66211

It's both. The hair is Hitler's and the hat is Chaplin's. They had the same mustache, a fact which didn't escape anyone at the time. Chaplin, no fan of Hitler (and possibly Jewish), capitalized on this by making fun of him in The Great Dictator.

Two men. Two destinies. Separated by philosophy. United by a mustache