The Criterion Collection

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by Fabs

But some directors have been waiting years for another release of their work. I realize restoration takes a while, but Criterion is a company who makes a good amount of money and restoration shouldn't take this long on some films.

The last Edward Yang release was 9 years ago.
The last Eric Rohmer release was 9 years ago.
The last Mikio Naruse release was 8 years ago.
The last Billy Wilder release was 8 years ago.
etc

It's a matter of that these are important directors whose films are not available in the US (and OOP in the rest of the world). And for films they don't have rights to, they could use the money from the sales of the films of Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach, Terry Gilliam, etc to securing them.

Its not quite that simple though, if it were I'm sure we would have at least a few of the Studio Canal titles back. Some rights holders are just completely stubborn with their films and don't want to give them up.
Also, Criterion doesn't seem to make quite as much money as we seem to think they do hence some of their budget cut backs (on booklets and such).
A lot of them are on the horizon, they just can't release it all in one fell swoop or they have other reasons for not putting some out yet (like touring their restorations theatrically for example).
We have gotten some releases of those directors work within the last couple of years too, just last year we got a great blu ray release of Ace In the Hole for instance.
Just gotta sit tight, they're still coming!

Originally Posted by filmmusic

Yes, again I bet the Arrow releases will be much better!
Both films are in 50GB discs, while here we have one 50GB disc for 2 films!
There's not enough room for the films to breathe.

Plenty of room to breathe for both films and extras.
I only have to point to Grindhouse's blu ray of The Swimmer for instance which includes a three hour long making of documentary on top of the 95 minute feature and extras.
Completely possible to get great looking PQ on both of these films.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Fabs

Blu Ray upgrades, while great, really don't count. As the last time they actually released a Yang film was the original Yi Yi DVD in 2006.

I would still take a When A Woman Ascends The Stairs upgrade

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

Yes, again I bet the Arrow releases will be much better!
Both films are in 50GB discs, while here we have one 50GB disc for 2 films!
There's not enough room for the films to breathe.

Its just like putting a 3 hour film in one 50GB disc , the problem could be depending how much of extras it has to hold too.

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

Just gotta sit tight, they're still coming!

True. Just having to wait another month is like torture.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by CriterionBlues

As for Wilder, Ace in the Hole was last year.

And it's not Billy Wilder is under-represented (in terms of either quantity or quality) on Blu-ray. I want The Fortune Cookie too but in the meantime I can rewatch The Apartment or Some Like it Hot or Double Indemnity or Sabrina or Stalag 17 or Sunset Boulevard or so forth and so on.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Its just like putting a 3 hour film in one 50GB disc , the problem could be depending how much of extras it has to hold too.

But still I bet the Arrow discs will have double bitrates and this may affect quality in Criterion!

By the way, the arrow release of 1964 version has both aspect ratios!
Size of disc is 49GBs with each version of the film holding 23 and 22,5 GBs

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by Ray_Rogers

until if the Criterion is confirmed a double disc.

well, in the site it says it's one disc!

[starman15317]

Solid month. I actually have a copy of the Criterion DVD of Hiroshima Mon Amour from my school library that I need to watch. So glad I waited on Moonrise Kingdom; can't wait for the Criterion.

I also need to check out The Killers (both versions).

[Yami]

I'm definitely in for Troell's Here Is Your Life. A masterful film, with some stunning cinematography. It should look great on Blu.

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by octagon

And it's not Billy Wilder is under-represented (in terms of either quantity or quality) on Blu-ray. I want The Fortune Cookie too but in the meantime I can rewatch The Apartment or Some Like it Hot or Double Indemnity or Sabrina or Stalag 17 or Sunset Boulevard or so forth and so on.

Isn't the argument the same for directors like Lynch, Malick, and Anderson who have most of their films outside Criterion on Blu Ray as well?

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

But still I bet the Arrow discs will have double bitrates and this may affect quality in Criterion!

By the way, the arrow release of 1964 version has both aspect ratios!
Size of disc is 49GBs with each version of the film holding 23 and 22,5 GBs

Right. And high bitrates do not guarantee the type of supreme quality you think they do. There are discs in the 20+ range that look vastly superior to discs that are in the 30s. Not only that, but the latter actually have serious compression issues. (You can see Warner's Performance).

It does not work like this: Release A 23+ and Release B 26+ therefore release B is more "robust".

If maxing out bitrates guaranteed the type of supreme quality you think they do, then the entire encoding process would be streamlined and automated: the labels will max out bitrates and we will have beautiful releases across the board.

Pro-B

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Right. And high bitrates do not guarantee the type of supreme quality you think they do. There are discs in the 20+ range that look vastly superior to discs that are in the 30s. Not only that, but they actually have serious compression issues. (You can see Warner's Performance).

It does not work like this: Release A 23+ and Release B 26+, therefore release is more "robust".

If maxing out bitrates guaranteed the type of supreme quality you think they do, then the entire encoding process would be streamlined and automated: the labels will max out bitrates and we will have beautiful releases across the board.

Pro-B

I cant believe this still hasn't caught on to so many people yet.
I once again have to point to The Swimmer. The average bitrate for the entire film is around 22/23 and it looks incredible.
Transfer is hardly reliant on the bitrate.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

well, in the site it says it's one disc!

The advantage i see is that right now it has a SRP of $39.95 which is the regular price in case you only love one of the 2 films, i am sure if it was in 2 discs it would be $49.95.

[Yami]

Speaking of Yang, it is a bit perplexing that those restorations coming out of Taiwan haven't been picked up by anyone (with the exception of the upcoming Rebels of the Neon God). Yang's The Terrorists would be a fantastic title for any label, as would the Hou Hsiao-Hsiens and Tsais.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Fabs

Isn't the argument the same for directors like Lynch, Malick, and Anderson who have most of their films outside Criterion on Blu Ray as well?

Yes. In fact I've made that made argument myself. Hell, I made that argument about Anderson today.

My point was simply that Billy Wilder isn't exactly a poster child for 'slighted directors'. I'm sure Criterion would have been delighted to release at least some of the titles released by Universal or MGM or Paramount or whomever but that wasn't in the cards.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

I cant believe this still hasn't caught on to so many people yet.
I once again have to point to The Swimmer. The average bitrate for the entire film is around 22/23 and it looks incredible.
Transfer is hardly reliant on the bitrate.

Well, it is probably because there are plenty of people that "review" discs by looking at tech stats, and then speculate about the quality of the presentation. Of course, there are basics that matter, but the numbers alone do not make a release look better.

Pro-B

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by Yami

Speaking of Yang, it is a bit perplexing that those restorations coming out of Taiwan haven't been picked up by anyone (with the exception of the upcoming Rebels of the Neon God). Yang's The Terrorists would be a fantastic title for any label, as would the Hou Hsiao-Hsiens and Tsais.

The Hou Hsiao-Hsien films are currently touring in a retrospective, so some of those might be on their way from someone!
Was kind of disappointed that I missed them as I've never seen any of his films, but I had too much happening at the time and no money.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Right. And high bitrates do not guarantee the type of supreme quality you think they do. There are discs in the 20+ range that look vastly superior to discs that are in the 30s. Not only that, but the latter actually have serious compression issues. (You can see Warner's Performance).

It does not work like this: Release A 23+ and Release B 26+ therefore release B is more "robust".

If maxing out bitrates guaranteed the type of supreme quality you think they do, then the entire encoding process would be streamlined and automated: the labels will max out bitrates and we will have beautiful releases across the board.

Pro-B

Criterion and Arrow are both companies that take (or make, i don't know) great transfers so the differences will count in small things too I believe like in bitrates.
I didn't refer to a comparison between a company that takes a bad transfer and hightens the bitrate and another one that takes a great transfer and lowers the bitrate, in which I guesed the first one would be better just because it has higher bitrate.

edit: on the other hand, you may be right:
Koyanisquatsi arrow and Criterion have almost the same bitrate and Arrow wins in the details. (better grain resolution)
The Thief Criterion has higher bitrate than Arrow, but Arrow wins in the details.(better grain resolution)

Again, even if we leave the bitrates out, i still think Arrow will win (for people who want both aspect ratios) since it includes both. (unless Criterion does too which I doubt it. Then it would be 3 films in 1 disc?)

[Namuhana]

I'm certainly interested in getting Hiroshima mon amour, My Beautiful Laundrette, and (of course) Moonrise Kingdom.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

I cant believe this still hasn't caught on to so many people yet.
I once again have to point to The Swimmer. The average bitrate for the entire film is around 22/23 and it looks incredible.
Transfer is hardly reliant on the bitrate.

It's a great presentation of a great film and very affordable. Everybody should go buy one.