The Criterion Collection

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

When I revisited The Asphalt Jungle last night, by way of the Criterion Blu-ray, I was reminded that it really is about as close to perfect as a movie can be.

I've said before that The Asphalt Jungle is my favorite noir. The funny thing is that the part of it that I like most isn't really noir-ish. It's the bit where the two characters who seem to be the farthest apart in character -- Dix and Doc Riedenschneider -- bond while everything seems to be falling apart. Just a really nice bit of character work by a great director working with two great character actors.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

Just watched Pan's Labyrinth.... Oh boy, I can't even believe they released this atrocity.

[Show spoiler]An abysmal experience. Guillermo Del Toro has no nuance in his films. His characters are all types with zero dimension. The captain is a stock bad guy. Ofelia is the standard little girl in fantasy films who reads books and has an imagination. Carmen is the sweet and perfect, pregnant mother who is just a victim of circumstance. Mercedes and Pedro are the doomed lovers, torn apart by war. It's a real struggle to endure this film. The monsters are just there to look good. They too, are uninteresting and serve no greater purpose. The CGI and set design often feel artificial and create no sense of a real location. The script contains no surprises and leads us exactly where every other film of this type would go. The faun tells her not to eat anything on the table. Of course, she does, and problems arise. Brilliant. Don't even get me started on the black and white way Guillermo deals with the very complicated politics going on in this movie. I think had this been an English language film it'd be seen as a lesser Tim Burton film.

It's January 1st we're coming up on, not April 1st.

[MifuneFan]

My attempt to change the subject has failed miserably. Weather's nice, eh eh?

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

My attempt to change the subject has failed miserably. Weather's nice, eh eh?

The thing about the weather is that everyone wants to talk about it, but no one ever does anything about it.

[Cremildo]

Okay, I'll bite.

I'd be delighted to finally see a Glauber Rocha film teased in the New Year's drawing, but I haven't read anything about any recent restoration of his oeuvre so that's unlikely.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

My attempt to change the subject has failed miserably. Weather's nice, eh eh?

The weather in Pan's Labyrinth was rather bleak. Spectacularly bleak.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by UncleBuckWild

Crazy?!... Yes and No.

It's surely possible, sorry but discussing technical details on this matter is prohibited here.

I had a similar thought once but after realizing that each disc holds nearly 50GB and when you multiple that by the number of titles in your collection...

There aren't any economical options - other then throwing away a couple of grands on hard drives.

However, if you're willing to compress data files, it can be done easily without much cost.

Although... remember the overall process is quite time consuming.

Originally Posted by ravenus

I assume if you're moving somewhere, you'd hire a shipping van / container to move your household effects and personal things. Why would it be impossible to add 6 bins of blu-rays? Asking, because I have in the past moved to another city with a large DVD collection.

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Pack everything in binders then place them in Jewel cases upon settling.

Something 12" x 12" x 9" can hold 520 discs (i.e. Your collection basically)

I like Abdrewes' solution the most. About an hour or after writing that post, I realized that I could just throw all or most of the discs (or even some) into a binder with plastic sleeves and just take that with me, leaving the original blu-ray cases behind (or stored at a family's house).

Now the question is, is it ideal to keep all the blu-ray discs stored in the plastic sleeves or would mold form in between the tightly compressed plastic material, esp. if living in a much more humid/hotter climate? I know that standard jewel cases keep some air space in there so the disc can breathe a bit more. Also, I'm guessing that would prevent disc rot from forming too?

As for finding software to rip the discs that I own (considered legal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act), I did some research and yes, that is possible, but then I quickly realized how time consuming it would be, so I quickly reconsidered this option.

On a side note, how come Criterion doesn't release a digital copy with every blu-ray disc? I know other video companies do this, but I'm guessing Criterion's fan base or subscribers are purists and would think its sacrilege watching a Criterion film on a tablet or iPhone (much to the dismay of David Lynch, Terrence Malick or Chris Marker, who don't like when consumers watch their films on substandard media devices). Still, it would be a great option to those of us who want a high quality digital copy of the film that we can play back on a laptop hooked up to a 25 inch Apple cinema display (which I don't see as sacrilegious as watching on an iPad). Has anyone ever wondered why Criterion doesn't release digital copies with every disc they sell?

[KyleW]

Pans Labyrinth is great if there's a film you would categorize under I can't believe Criterion released this shit would be Armageddon or Jellyfish Eyes.


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[demonknight]

Originally Posted by KyleW

Pans Labyrinth is great if there's a film you would categorize under I can't believe Criterion released this shit would be Armageddon or Jellyfish Eyes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd add Walker to that list.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Only a few more days till the New Year's drawing

It's a bright spot in the depressing post-Christmas blues I have.

[UncleBuckWild]

Originally Posted by KyleW

[Show spoiler]Pans Labyrinth is great if there's a film you would categorize under I can't believe Criterion released this shit would be Armageddon or Jellyfish Eyes.

There are movies like The Internship and Anchorman 2 in my collection therefore I've lost all legitimacy to pass a judgement.

Still have to say Jellyfish Eyes is one god awful film.

Originally Posted by jw007

[Show spoiler]I like Abdrewes' solution the most. About an hour or after writing that post, I realized that I could just throw all or most of the discs (or even some) into a binder with plastic sleeves and just take that with me, leaving the original blu-ray cases behind (or stored at a family's house).

Now the question is, is it ideal to keep all the blu-ray discs stored in the plastic sleeves or would mold form in between the tightly compressed plastic material, esp. if living in a much more humid/hotter climate? I know that standard jewel cases keep some air space in there so the disc can breathe a bit more. Also, I'm guessing that would prevent disc rot from forming too?

As for finding software to rip the discs that I own (considered legal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act), I did some research and yes, that is possible, but then I quickly realized how time consuming it would be, so I quickly reconsidered this option.

On a side note, how come Criterion doesn't release a digital copy with every blu-ray disc? I know other video companies do this, but I'm guessing Criterion's fan base or subscribers are purists and would think its sacrilege watching a Criterion film on a tablet or iPhone (much to the dismay of David Lynch, Terrence Malick or Chris Marker, who don't like when consumers watch their films on substandard media devices). Still, it would be a great option to those of us who want a high quality digital copy of the film that we can play back on a laptop hooked up to a 25 inch Apple cinema display (which I don't see as sacrilegious as watching on an iPad). Has anyone ever wondered why Criterion doesn't release digital copies with every disc they sell?

I don't know man, the idea of putting the discs in those plastic sleeves or jewel cases... ummm, a bit brutle ain't it?

Since you might be moving to a place with warm climate... I'd say go through this thread > https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=128389

Why boutique labels don't offer digital copies, surely it's due to added cost which they're tryna avoid.

In Criterion's case it might also conflict with their online streaming service - FilmStruck.

Hope you find a good solution... as moving to a new place can be really stressful.

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by jw007

I have a crazy but important question.

I'm wondering if this is even possible...

What if I wanted to digitize my entire Criterion Collection blu-ray library?

Could I actually do this or does each disc have some sort of lock for ripping discs?

Could Criterion send me complimentary digital copies if I sent them proofs of purchase (from receipts I saved over the years)?

I mean, being a loyal customer, I feel it would be unfair if I simply wanted digital copies of all of my films and they told me I'd have to re-buy everything digitally. And that's just counting Criterion. I figured bigger video distribution companies would be impossible to persuade if I just bought their physical media on blu-ray or dvd.

Ya know, let's say I plan on moving overseas or someplace like Hawaii and want to live in a yurt and can't possibly manage to take 6 bins full of blu-rays with me for my relocation...wouldn't it be amazing to have digital copies of my entire film library?

What are my options here? Or do I even have any options at all or am I shit out of luck and now forever punished for buying physical media?

Always wondered why Criterion doesn't include digital copy codes. You are paying a premium price for a premium product, so you think digital copies would be pretty much standard?

[Cujo]

What's more amusing is people pulling out the old "Oh, but you love so and so." nonsense as a defense of Del Toro. But hey, if you want to play that tired game, I'm sure anyone could look at your Blu collection and find something to do the same.

[mja345]

The beautiful thing about film, or any creative medium in general, is one person's turd can be another person's gold. The thing I absolutely hate in film criticism are people who love everything that is supposedly good by general consensus and hate everything that is bad by general consensus. That is the worst. Watch a film, judge it by your own tastes, and decide if you enjoy it and want to own it. If other people don't like it, who gives a shit? Nobody on this forum doesn't have a film in their collection that would be considered bad by a lot of people. We all love certain films that may suck by a lot of traditional measures.

I happen to agree with Rich Pure Doom in a sense. Argento is/was a much more interesting filmmaker than Del Toro. I like "Cronos" and "The Devil's Backbone", don't get me wrong, but think "Pan's Labyrinth" is massively overrated. For all of Argento's somewhat hacky, less refined qualities compared to Del Toro, I find many of his films a much more fascinating watch than many of Del Toro's. It's all purely subjective.

[Ray Jackson]

Last night I watched Blow Job by Andy Warhol.

What a powerful film that is.

The sheer beauty of the story almost brought me to my knees. If you're looking for an art film that really makes you think, this is one you have to see. To my knowledge, Criterion does not have any Andy Warhol films in the collection.

That needs to be remedied.

I would urge everyone here to send Jon Mulvaney an email about this ASAP.

He'll get the message the next time he checks his email account and sees 20+ emails with the subject line...Blow Job.

[demonknight]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Last night I watched Blow Job by Andy Warhol.

What a powerful film that is.

The sheer beauty of the story almost brought me to my knees. If you're looking for an art film that really makes you think, this is one you have to see. To my knowledge, Criterion does not have any Andy Warhol films in the collection.

That needs to be remedied.

I would urge everyone here to send Jon Mulvaney an email about this ASAP.

He'll get the message the next time he checks his email account and sees 20+ emails with the subject line...Blow Job.

Back in the DVD days they released Flesh for Frankenstein & Blood for Dracula, which Warhol has his hands in to the point where they were also released as Andy Warhol's Frankenstein & Andy Warhol's Dracula, respectively. Not directed, but there was involvement.

[UncleBuckWild]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Last night I watched Blow Job by Andy Warhol.

What a powerful film that is.

The sheer beauty of the story almost brought me to my knees. If you're looking for an art film that really makes you think, this is one you have to see. To my knowledge, Criterion does not have any Andy Warhol films in the collection.

That needs to be remedied.

I would urge everyone here to send Jon Mulvaney an email about this ASAP.

He'll get the message the next time he checks his email account and sees 20+ emails with the subject line...Blow Job.

Bro, watta about those damn drawings... this would be one wacky tease.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by jw007

On a side note, how come Criterion doesn't release a digital copy with every blu-ray disc?

Which boutique label do you know of that includes digital copies of their releases? It's only the major studio labels that do it. Pretty sure that'll incur an hefty additional license cost, on top of what they need to spend on download servers and DRM software etc.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Which boutique label do you know of that includes digital copies of their releases? It's only the major studio labels that do it. Pretty sure that'll incur an hefty additional license cost, on top of what they need to spend on download servers and DRM software etc.

Drafthouse is the only one I can think of (not sure if they still are), but their digital copies are real funky in terms of accessing them.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Which boutique label do you know of that includes digital copies of their releases? It's only the major studio labels that do it. Pretty sure that'll incur an hefty additional license cost, on top of what they need to spend on download servers and DRM software etc.

I still think if a company such as Criterion wants to stay in business and up with the latest consumer trends, they will have to make digital copies accessible, because the future is digital I'm afraid to say. As much as I'm a believer in physical media such as blu-rays, all patterns trend towards digital media (whether its music, books, movies, etc.).

Originally Posted by UncleBuckWild

I don't know man, the idea of putting the discs in those plastic sleeves or jewel cases... ummm, a bit brutle ain't it?

Since you might be moving to a place with warm climate... I'd say go through this thread > https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=128389

Why boutique labels don't offer digital copies, surely it's due to added cost which they're tryna avoid.

In Criterion's case it might also conflict with their online streaming service - FilmStruck.

Hope you find a good solution... as moving to a new place can be really stressful.

THANK YOU sir! I just spent 30 min reading that entire thread from beginning to end. Moral of the story: keep the discs in the original packaging (ie. blu-ray cases). And if you're going to store them in binders, use Tyvek sleeves, store them vertically (without pressure or overcrowding) and if possible use "Discsox" storage sleeves too. I think I'm going to forget about taking the blu-rays out of their cases and storing them in binders... however, it would be feasible to maybe take a portion of my collection (my fave. films) and buying super slim jewel cases to store them in (and the rest of my collection can be stored at a family's house).

FilmStruck is a great streaming service, but I think giving consumers an option of owning digital copies of their expensive blu-rays would be an amazing idea.

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

Always wondered why Criterion doesn't include digital copy codes. You are paying a premium price for a premium product, so you think digital copies would be pretty much standard?

Yes, exactly. Giving consumers the option of owning digital copies makes so much sense, esp. when spending $30-40 for each blu-ray title (at normal MSRP prices).

I'd for sure choose to own a digital copy over renting, buying or streaming a movie through such services as iTunes or Apple TV.

I guess I'll just continue to fantasize about such a possibility.