The Criterion Collection

[Brian81]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I purchase for the film, but I appreciate when the artwork is on par - Criterion is about the e tire package, great artwork, great supplements and great films.

The foldouts are awful. Worst idea ever for Criterion packaging in the BD-era. The original digipaks that everyone complained about were a much better idea than switching from booklets to foldout sheets. It's like I am pulling out a road map to read an essay.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Brian81

The foldouts are awful. Worst idea ever for Criterion packaging in the BD-era. The original digipaks that everyone complained about were a much better idea than switching from booklets to foldout sheets. It's like I am pulling out a road map to read an essay.

I love the digipaks an had no issues with them.

I get people didn't like the size, but I don't get why they didn't do them like Godzilla as that was very skinny - or they could stuck with them new plastic cases they made lol

Oh well!

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by Brian81

The foldouts are awful. Worst idea ever for Criterion packaging in the BD-era. The original digipaks that everyone complained about were a much better idea than switching from booklets to foldout sheets. It's like I am pulling out a road map to read an essay.

^^^ this. I understand if they need to cut costs and choose to eliminate the booklets. I'm disappointed, but I'll get over it. I just wish they'd skip the fold-out and have a simple 4 or 8 or even 12 page mini booklet with basic info, credits, and some pics, similar to what comes with a music CD (remember those?). Can a staple cost that much? My complaint with the fold-out is that they are cumbersome and easily torn or wrinkled.

Again, I understand if it was a cost thing. I'd rather forego the booklet altogether than have a price increase, but the new leaflets are lame.

[The Great Owl]

I must confess that, as much as I adore my Criterion titles, I've never read a booklet essay more than once. I always read the essay immediately after watching the disc for the first time, and then the booklet or leaflet goes back into the case forever and ever.

For this reason, I'm not as bothered by the replacement of booklets by leaflets.

Frankly, we're pretty fortunate to get any sort of literature at all with these films. Back in the happy DVD days, every movie seemed to come with a thorough booklet of essays and such. Bond movies, Alien movies, you name it. Later on, though, people forgot how to read, and the booklets became a thing of the past.

MoC has the best essays of all, and the amount of information exceeds even that of the Criterion essays. It's almost as though MoC were the equivalent of Jeopardy while Criterion is the equivalent of Wheel of Fortune. I only have a few MoC titles, though, because I'm purposely region limited to prevent overspending.

[GMarz]

So they're getting rid of the booklets? Too bad, but that is a good point. You only read them once and often times there is an interview added on that reiterates what is being said. In Bigger than Life they interviewed a writer and he hit every point on the booklet, deception of suburban appearances and all that.

[Scottie]

Pre-Orders

Eclipse Series 42 (DVD)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (BD)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Odd Man Out (BD)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

The River (BD)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

La Silence de la Mer (BD)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Sullivan's Travels (BD)
http://www.amazon.com/Sullivans-Trav...an%27s+travels

[Namuhana]

I pre-ordered Odd Man Out, which is enough for me presently.

[jmclick]

I ordered a copy of ¡Alambrista! on Criterion blu-ray for $12.99 plus shipping from an Amazon third-party seller. There are apparently several copies available if anyone else is interested. I've been curious to see this film for a while now; I figured at that price, it's worth a blind buy!

[belcherman]

Just pre-ordered Sullivan's Travels. Will wait for a sale for Odd Man Out and The Friends of Eddie Coyle.

[nondiatonic]

Just finished The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant. Wow. The power of some of the scenes reminded me of Cassavetes. Some absolutely superb cinematography. My first Fassbinder was Fox and His Friends, and while I enjoyed it, I wasn't completely taken. However, TBToPvK is going to hang with me for a while. I'm completely sold on Fassbinder!

[hoytereden]

The leaflets are sad but I can deal with them. I would say the lack of a commentary on some big name titles like Red River, It Happened One Night and La Dolce Vita was more disappointing.
Regardless, still my favorite company and the Biggest disappointment I have regarding them is not having deeper pockets to be able to purchase more titles; more often!

[dsman71]

I ordered Odd Man Out too since I was able to stream it on Amazon

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I love the digipaks an had no issues with them.

I get people didn't like the size, but I don't get why they didn't do them like Godzilla as that was very skinny - or they could stuck with them new plastic cases they made lol

Oh well!

now that would have been AWESOME. i absolutly adore these 3 disc plastic cases... they are heavy, they are loaded with stuff and just look "special" compared to other amaray cases.

i would have been fine with Godzilla like digipacks as well.

[pro-bassoonist]

Hello everyone,

Here are packaging photos for Criterion's latest batch of titles. (More photos in the reviews). In the next 4-5 days, we will have reviews for a number of new and highly anticipated titles.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend


The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant Blu-ray REVIEW







Pro-B

[pro-bassoonist]

The Palm Beach Story Blu-ray REVIEW







Pro-B

[pro-bassoonist]

Our review will be up shortly.







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[pro-bassoonist]

Pro-B

[jw007]

Originally Posted by jmclick

I ordered a copy of ¡Alambrista! on Criterion blu-ray for $12.99 plus shipping from an Amazon third-party seller. There are apparently several copies available if anyone else is interested. I've been curious to see this film for a while now; I figured at that price, it's worth a blind buy!

Good film from what I recall watching it a few years ago. I bought this on blu-ray also as a blind-buy... but if you like this type of subject matter, be sure to also pick up El Norte, which also is a good commentary on Mexican immigrants trying to move to/live in the USA.

[jw007]

I just got back from the local theater and saw Inherent Vice, the new P.T. Anderson film.

Words cannot describe what I just experienced for 2 1/2 hours.

I didn't read the Pynchon novel but now I might, just to get an understanding of what the author was trying to convey.

In my opinion, this is an incredibly cerebral, complex film and story.

I got the sense that this was about a parallel universe from back in the counter culture era of "what would have happened had the hippies won?". So its like a cop-crazed society and extremes between hippies and conservatives. "Hippie" is used liberally in the film, but these were not Cheech and Chong potheads but actually characters that had real jobs, real lives and real ethos. Joaquin Phoenix's character in the film played a "Doctor" and I believe he was also working for the police as well as some sort of "snitch" and intermediary. It's kind of a terrifying film in a way.

The ending was amazing too.

I'm still digesting this one.

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

The leaflets are sad but I can deal with them. I would say the lack of a commentary on some big name titles like Red River, It Happened One Night and La Dolce Vita was more disappointing.
Regardless, still my favorite company and the Biggest disappointment I have regarding them is not having deeper pockets to be able to purchase more titles; more often!

I haven't been following this thread, but have noticed this change. What is the deal with the "leaflets", is it a cost cutting move? Seems like they are doing this with more and more of their releases (actually almost all of them). I'm not a fan of these. Though if it's a cost cutting move it's better than nothing.

Would be nice if they did these things on a "case by case" basis rather than across the board... some of the booklets were quite nice to go through, and it's basically impossible for a "leaflet" to give that same feeling.