The Criterion Collection

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Wait....

They are releasing the boxset as a boxset + separate films?

Thats.... odd lol.

Seems like the best thing for a company to do when releasing a boxset that includes a film they have already released. There would be a bunch of complaints otherwise.

I already have Vanya, and will most likely pick up both of the other films.

[pro-bassoonist]

The Fisher King: It will be interesting to see what the Criterion release would look like, because the Image release has a wonderful transfer. Excluding some encoding optimizations, it is firmly in the 4.5/5 territory.

Pro-B

[Arkadin]

I know it wasn't a Criterion release, but people do realize The Fisher King got released on bd back in 2011.
A lot of posts seem to make it like it hasn't made it to bd until now.
as for the overall month--disappointment doesn't even begin to cover it unfortunately.

[BobbyMcGee]

In for all the June releases except for Five Easy Pieces, already own it. The most intriguing release to me is The Bridge, most excited for that one.

[JMDiaz718]

I'm hoping they release Fiend Without A Face, if they still have the rights. If not, hope Scream Factory or Kino get it.

Still patiently waiting for The Brood announcement.

[Angel Eyes]

Please, please all be in Scanavo cases! Five Easy Pieces without question is a day one for me same with The Fisher King.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

Seems like the best thing for a company to do when releasing a boxset that includes a film they have already released. There would be a bunch of complaints otherwise.

I already have Vanya, and will most likely pick up both of the other films.

Yeah I guess its nice - just wonder how they are getting away with it cost wise, I thought they were struggling yet they are doing this?

I see the good points as it leaves customers with more freedom, i assume the boxset will be digipak style which means extra printing costs, seems pointless doing separate releases and then a amaray style boxset...

But yeah maybe they are starting to pick up a bit? will be nice if they can start to bring booklets back and such fi they are doing better financially.

[myka22]

I think the Five Easy Pieces release makes sense. Most of the people who were going to buy the BBS Set have probably done so already. This can probably grab sales from the people who haven't wanted to get the set. Plus it is such a well known film they can probably sell copies to people who aren't as knowledgeable about Criterion. Finally it is an easy and cheap release for criterion since they already released it.

[joie]

The Tati set may someday be available as separates. I think I saw a separate for "Playtime" in the UK.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Yeah I guess its nice - just wonder how they are getting away with it cost wise, I thought they were struggling yet they are doing this?

I see the good points as it leaves customers with more freedom, i assume the boxset will be digipak style which means extra printing costs, seems pointless doing separate releases and then a amaray style boxset...

But yeah maybe they are starting to pick up a bit? will be nice if they can start to bring booklets back and such fi they are doing better financially.

I'm betting one or the other will be retired after the first run.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by BobbyMcGee

In for all the June releases except for Five Easy Pieces, already own it. The most intriguing release to me is The Bridge, most excited for that one.

The description of it being an important film for the generation of German filmmakers that followed sold it to me. I'm surprised it's not more well known.

[Infernal King]

Originally Posted by iScottie

It's a very, very good film. There's a lot of rich, philosophical dialogue that engrossed me, as well.

I can only see myself purchasing that one, though, as I did not care for Vanya and I do not see myself liking AMB.

A Master Builder looks too histrionic and melodramatic for me, while I also don't think I'd be able to get into Vanya on 42nd Street.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Yeah I guess its nice - just wonder how they are getting away with it cost wise, I thought they were struggling yet they are doing this?

I see the good points as it leaves customers with more freedom, i assume the boxset will be digipak style which means extra printing costs, seems pointless doing separate releases and then a amaray style boxset...

But yeah maybe they are starting to pick up a bit? will be nice if they can start to bring booklets back and such fi they are doing better financially.

I'm fairly confident this won't be a digipack style affair. I suspect it'll be like the Sanjuro/Yojimbo box-set, with amarays in a slip.

I also don't think it's fair to suggest that Criterion are "struggling". They're still putting out 5 or 6 titles per month, each of a high quality, in production terms, with the lone casualty being the booklets, which are hardly a sign of the company's value anyway (I'm fairly confident that their profits are significantly higher than MoC or Arrow's, both of who include lengthy booklets with every release).

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by Infernal King

Good on them for releasing the Apu Trilogy later this year. He must be another significant seller for them, considering the number of releases his films have received on Criterion and Eclipse.

While he has a reputation of one of the all time greatest, i don't think he is a significant seller just based on the number of collections in here of his previous releases.

So Kudos to Criterion for keep pushing his films, hopefully the Apu Trilogy being his most well known will be a great seller, so they can keep releasing more on blu instead of relegating them to Eclipse.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

I'm fairly confident this won't be a digipack style affair. I suspect it'll be like the Sanjuro/Yojimbo box-set, with amarays in a slip.

I also don't think it's fair to suggest that Criterion are "struggling". They're still putting out 5 or 6 titles per month, each of a high quality, in production terms, with the lone casualty being the booklets, which are hardly a sign of the company's value anyway (I'm fairly confident that their profits are significantly higher than MoC or Arrow's, both of who include lengthy booklets with every release).

I was mainly referring to their bronzing disc/Eraserhead issues and replacements.

Im not going to get into a debate though as this has been brought up so many times in the past :P

Even if they release it with standard amaray cases in a slip it will still require extra printing. Just seems silly going through the effort of releasing it as a separate boxset and just keeping it in an amaray style case with sleeve. They might as well just stick to individual releases. If they were to do as a digipak set then atleast that sets it apart and gives more reason to buy that over the single releases.

I know we had the tati and demy set, but I love those style packs, similar to BBS story and Qatsi, would bench to see more of that come back rather than the (in my opinion) silly amaray boxset releases... I know the film is whats important and i get that, but having a nice overall package makes it even more worth it :P

I wish the recent Errol Morris releases were together in a boxset rather than the separate releases....

Anyway just my opinion and probably not explaining myself well lol

Not seen any of the film in the set but might look into them a bit

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

A lot of what gets released has to do with what has been restored. Ray's films have undergone an extensive restoration.

Exactly. They released a subpar Children of Paradise restoration to much displeasure, then turned down the master they were given for Le Samourai and people complain because they haven't released it yet. It's almost a waste of time releasing anything that isn't given a new scan/cleanup, especially for particular foreign films that weren't kept in good condition by their respective countries.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by joie

Sure, it's in Asia. So is Pakistan.

Ray isn't a typical Indian director; much less an Asian director.

So he's not typical. He's still an Asian director. Godfrey Reggio isn't a typical American director, either, but that doesn't mean he's not an American director.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

His post was totally nonsensical in context and didn't mean anything, but I think most people generally consider Indian films and Russian films to not be "Asian" and lump the ones made by people that look ethnically "asian" all together (ex China/Japan/Korea/Vietnam etc). So technically all of them are asian films, but when someone says "asian" film they're usually only referring specifically to east and maybe southeast asia.

Perhaps. But doesn't it also depend on where you're from? Use the word "Asian" in the UK, and most people will assume that you're referring to Indian or Pakistani, not Chinese or Japanese.

As for Russia, that's a tricky example. While the Easternmost parts have more in common with other East Asian countries than with Europe, I think most people think of "Russia" as being part of Europe, because the focus (from out perspective) of attention with respect to Russia tends to be on the Westernmost areas. Look up "East Asia" and you won't find Russia listed, but look up "South Asia" and you will find India listed.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

I know it wasn't a Criterion release, but people do realize The Fisher King got released on bd back in 2011.
A lot of posts seem to make it like it hasn't made it to bd until now.
as for the overall month--disappointment doesn't even begin to cover it unfortunately.

I've always thought of it as a Criterion title, because I have the Criterion LD edition.

[Thebunk]

Originally Posted by SilentDawn

I understand your viewpoint there. I'm sure everyone would rather have a brand new title released, but as someone who doesn't own Five Easy Pieces, it's an interesting but exciting move. I just hope this doesn't become a trend in the future. Hell, releasing Valerie and Her Week of Wonders forgives all in my eyes.

So releasing FEP is "an interesting but exciting move" but at the same time, you "hope this doesn't become a trend in the future"?!

People - it is ok to criticize Criterion. We all love them but this is yet another move in many in the last 18 months or so to cut costs and boost revenue. This move though is especially suspect if they start randomly releasing single releases that are part of a box set AND do not increase their releases per month. Very, very strange move...