The Criterion Collection

[castor]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

https://youtu.be/DVfmA83PKRM

Tantalizing clip from "Cold War"...

Don't usually blind-buy but loved this...the music, the imagery and pacing, the sensitivity and character in the faces, the mood of reverie. Does it generally reflect the film as a whole?

Yes, if you love that clip, I'm sure you will love the film.

[scottpcusa]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

I bought the UK Bluray. If you’re region free it’s a terrific disc. Commentary, great A/V

Definitely waiting for Criterion discs of Secrets & Lies, High Hopes, and Career Girls which seem like they are definitely coming eventually

Wish Happy Go Lucky, All or Nothing, and Vera Drake would get bluray too ):

I recently gave up on Happy-Go-Lucky getting an upgrade to blu-ray and bought it on iTunes for $7.99.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

Don’t. Buy. It. If money is your issue, it’s really that simple. There are many younger film lovers who might be persuaded to watch for the first time. Also they must have thought a restoration would be beneficial

Money’s not the issue. Money well spent...is. There’s an endless list of movies I want yet to buy. Criterion is competing for that money with a bunch of other studios. And if they’re going to release something I own already, there has to be justification for that expenditure.

If somebody wants to see, or better yet buy one of the great films of the classic era, I’m happy for them. But there has to be a reason to purchase this new release over the existing one. Otherwise, what’s the point?

If reviews show that there’s even a halfway decent upgrade to technical marks, I’ll grab it. I love Bette Davis, and would gladly buy every movie of hers on blu-Ray. If there are even a few new worthy supplements, I can justify that purchase. If there’s no significant improvement, just buy the 2011 release. Take the money saved, and put it towards another classic film. Put it towards WAC’s Jezebel.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by JasonMichael

I don't think those are out of print?

https://www.criterion.com/films/682-notorious
https://www.criterion.com/films/2882...-love-the-bomb

Originally Posted by StarDestroyer52

I feel like there ought to be a sticky any time someone replies in the thread that Criterion titles are not OOP unless it says so at Criterion.

Yeah, I worded that kinda poorly, guys. My apologies for the confusion. The first blu-Ray releases of Notorious and Dr. Strangelove, from MGM and Sony, respectively, are out of print. The Criterion Dr. Strangelove was backordered both on Amazon and Criterion’s site when I bought it during the most recent B&N sale. But as I’d already planned on buying it, and several of their stores had copies, I decided to grab it.

Now, I just need to grab The Killing and Barry Lyndon during the next sale.

[andantelise]

Cold War is a film I've been meaning to watch ever since it was recommended on Arrow's podcast.

[moviebuffed]

Originally Posted by Namuhana

Cold War, All About Eve, and Now, Voyager are definite buys for me.

Ditto to your exact comment. I can just see Bette (wherever she is) walking past Joan in Baby Jane mode saying "But ya are Joan, ya are jealous I got TWO Criterion releases in the SAME month!".

[Doc Moonlight]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

It might be as simple as Polanski isn't a fan of the film, so he doesn't want to participate in extras. That would be a strike against a Criterion release (though why it never got a R1 DVD release, I can't explain).

Polanski directed a stage musical version in Vienna in 1997. There were talks of bringing him to New York to direct the Broadway version, but that didn't work out.

I think he's still a fan of the film.

[ilenewoodsfan99]

Originally Posted by moviebuffed

Ditto to your exact comment. I can just see Bette (wherever she is) walking past Joan in Baby Jane mode saying "But ya are Joan, ya are jealous I got TWO Criterion releases in the SAME month!".

I'm picturing Miriam Hopkins throwing a tantrum on a couch like in Old Acquaintance because, even though she is one up on Bette Davis in the collection (2 if you count The Smiling Lieutenant), Davis got two in one month. Hopkins had years apart in all of hers.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by Bolo Seagull

That isn't really a clip. It's different parts from the whole movie edited into a montage ....including the ending.
If others haven't seen the film yet, do not watch that video.
But in answer to your question, yes it captures the mood and looks of the film.

Point taken. But in fact I wasn't sure that the scene referenced was in fact the end of the film. Now, unfortunately, I am.

[Show spoiler](I think I may have been optimistically hoping, given the setting, that perhaps they were reaffirming their faith in the face of oppression, using beans or something as a substitute for the host.)

Thanks for the confirmation regarding the film's merits. And I will go back and edit in a spoiler warning!

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

I have no issue with double dipping when doing so is warranted. I bought The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night and Some Like it Hot because the Criterion clearly represented an upgrade. I'll add Barry Lyndon for the same reason, and Lolita if and when Criterion gets it. Others like Dr. Strangelove and Notorious, have gone out of print, and while I owned both films on blu-ray already, both represented upgrades due to remasters, or restoration and remaster.

But I just watched All About Eve on blu-ray recently, and I just don't know how big of an improvement can be made. Unless somebody is hell bent on owning a Criterion because it's a Criterion, what's to stop a person from buying the digibook, saving money in the process?

Maybe Criterion knows something we don't. Maybe the 2011 FOX release is going out of print. Maybe Criterion saw an opening, and took it. But as of right now, does this announced release justify my spending another $20-23 on a film I already have? No.

I'm thrilled about Now, Voyager, and Cold War certainly interests me (the others I just don't know about yet). But, overall, I'm left scratching my head over this one decision.

Seriously dude, if you feel the release is superfluous (just like I feel about every Wes Anderson re-release by 'C') just don't buy it. I'm also puzzled by the people who make a big hue and cry every time a studio re-issues a title or re-presses a disc. "Oh it's just the same as the previous disc, they are greedy scum who want to steal all our monies". Nope, it's more about finding new buyers who don't already have it. We do our research and we double-dip if we feel it's worthwhile, not because we are doing a favour to the label.

[kuzronk]

Most of the Wes Anderson films are the only Blu-ray releases though.

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

I always believed JJB’s earlier film Diva would have been the perfect Criterion release. But they would have to wrestle it from Studio Canal and have a access to the original elements. The German import looks abysmal.

I have their LD of Diva, pretty sure the Pal DVD I have is Warner tho?

[ShellOilJunior]

I'm not sure why some get upset when others post a release is superfluous. Everyone has a different take on a given film. I thought the Strangelove release was unnecessary. I didn't post about it but others did when it was announced.

Nobody gets upset when haul lists or shipping notices are posted (The ultimate in "it's about me"). For the most part those are superfluous in my opinion.

[Member-222782]

I generally agree with the people scratching their heads over the needless reissues but I also generally prefer when a boutique label takes over any Hollywood property because they generally do a much better job overall presentation-wise. Generally speaking.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I'm not sure why some get upset when others post a release is superfluous. Everyone has a different take on a given film. I thought the Strangelove release was unnecessary. I didn't post about it but others did when it was announced.

Nobody gets upset when haul lists or shipping notices are posted (The ultimate in "it's about me"). For the most part those are superfluous in my opinion.

The specific poster was making it look like the label's problem that they were releasing a film he/she already had a good copy of. When people on this forum say "Criterion should release XYZ" I'm usually one of the first guys to offer suggestions of existing good releases from alternate labels, but at the end of the day Criterion is just another label. They have no obligation to keep track of what other labels their customers buy titles from. If they make a wrong selection they'll see it in their sales figures.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by ravenus

The specific poster was making it look like the label's problem that they were releasing a film he/she already had a good copy of. When people on this forum say "Criterion should release XYZ" I'm usually one of the first guys to offer suggestions of existing good releases from alternate labels, but at the end of the day Criterion is just another label. They have no obligation to keep track of what other labels their customers buy titles from. If they make a wrong selection they'll see it in their sales figures.

I think there's frustration in that there's a blu-ray currently in-print being offered for about 1/2 the price of what Criterion is asking for their version. The Fox release is also North American. If it were an overseas release then it'd be different. In the end it's Criterion's call and they must believe they can move units with this release.

[belcherman]

Yes, I personally think the Criterion release of All About Eve is superfluous. I'm happy for people who are happy that Criterion is releasing it. If I didn't already own the Fox release, I might even consider buying the Criterion over the Fox release.

My main issue is that Criterion's release schedule is a zero-sum game. They only release a fixed number of films per month (usually five). That means that for every film they choose to release in a given month, there are many more films that don't get released. This also means that films like Pickup on South Street, Thieves' Highway, and Unfaithfully Yours, films which have existing 4K masters, aren't getting upgrades (at least this month) and many more great films are still waiting to be released on blu. Again, many of these films already have existing 4K masters.

I think this is the issue that a lot of people have with these types of double-dip releases. It's not so much about what Criterion is releasing, it's about all the films they (and other labels) are not releasing.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by belcherman

I think this is the issue that a lot of people have with these types of double-dip releases. It's not so much about what Criterion is releasing, it's about all the films they (and other labels) are not releasing.

Bingo.

[nitin]

Unfaithfully Yours has a 4k master?

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by nitin

Unfaithfully Yours has a 4k master?

Park Circus labels a 4K DCP.
https://www.parkcircus.com/film/1159...ithfully-Yours