The Elephant Man (1980)

[Surge92]

Originally Posted by chetripley80

I had a twinge of regret for a few seconds, as I just ordered the Studio Canal 45 steelbook from Zaavi a couple of weeks ago.

However, that regret went away pretty quickly. The cover art of the steelbook and the Criterion release is identical, and the 4K picture quality should look like quite a bit better than Criterion's release.

I wanted the steelbook also, but snoozed and lost. I might still get it if I can find it at a good price.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by HotTastyChili

What? The whole company's motto is to present films in "editions of the highest technical quality" as it says so on the back of their discs. They're no longer doing that, so if you've got the 4K what's the point of buying this other than brand loyalty?

Criterion can do what they want to do. If they don't want to release 4K movies they don't have to, and there is not a damn thing nobody can do about it.

[chetripley80]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Criterion can do what they want to do. If they don't want to release 4K movies they don't have to, and there is not a damn thing nobody can do about it.

Wrong. They can not buy it.

[Joey9775]

I imported the 4k but will probably buy this for the extras. But c'mon Criterion its time to go 4k, just stop selling the dvds.

[Purplenoon]

Big upgrade from the vhs I’ve been watching for years, so I’m all in. Thanks Criterion!

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by chetripley80

Wrong. They can not buy it.

People have been buying Criterion releases for decades and they're not going to stop now and if so, one monkey don't stop no show.

[professorwho]

I'm laughing so hard now. Will gladly skip this. It would have been a PERFECT title to put out on 4K UHD, but NOPE.

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by Joey9775

I imported the 4k but will probably buy this for the extras. But c'mon Criterion its time to go 4k, just stop selling the dvds.

The extras aren’t that exciting until “MORE!” is announced - an audiobook extract and a 1981 AFI audio interview. Not bad, but all the other extras match the StudioCanal.

[yoloswegmaster420]

Originally Posted by professorwho

I'm laughing so hard now. Will gladly skip this. It would have been a PERFECT title to put out on 4K UHD, but NOPE.

How could it have been the perfect title to put out when Paramount doesn't even license UHD rights?

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Criterion are in a league by themselves and that's what make them different than other distributors. If they started releasing 4K UHD blu-rays, they would no longer be a unique, they'll be just like everybody else.

They're unique because they release inferior products!!

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by starsteam

Yeah but UHD being better doesn't make Blu-ray quality bad. Eventually something will be better than UHD and so forth. You can't really fault people for choosing to stop somewhere. And frankly Blu-ray probably is the end of the road for a lot of movies, as far as disc format is concerned.

There can't be anything better than UHD, really, other than lossless compression. 35mm film is roughly the equivalent of 4K, so there's no more information to get, so that's all the detail there is.

Originally Posted by yoloswegmaster420

How could it have been the perfect title to put out when Paramount doesn't even license UHD rights?

Because they could've put it out themselves? The master was already done.

Originally Posted by slimdude

Criterion doesn't need to release 4K movies they have their own strategy, and they're not mandated to don't have to jump on the bandwagon either.

Their own strategy to be inferior, I guess. "Not mandated to don't have to" is English?

[DukeTogo84]

OK, everyone probably should relax a little bit. In a perfect world this would be getting a 4K release from Criterion or Paramount, but it's not a perfect world and we really need to start setting expectations to reality.

Month after month there are hundreds of posts of forum members complaining about a new release not getting a 4K release. These studios are here for one thing and that's making money. 4K costs more money to produce with less of a profit margin than DVD or Blu-ray. If these things were selling like hot cakes, then all the new films would be getting 4K releases.

As the physical market dwindles there are going to be fewer DVD and Blu-ray releases, let alone 4K. It's just the way things are heading. For this particular release there is ALREADY a 4k release. If you want it in 4K go ahead and buy it. However, complaining about Criterion not releasing it in 4K isn't going to contribute to Criterion releasing this in 4K. They like any other company are doing what they can to stay afloat. They even mentioned that they are NOT going to release the Irishman in 4K and if there should be a title in 4K it's that one. They have access to information we probably don't in terms of what's profitable and what's not for them. I'm sure at some point they might jump to 4K, but there is also the possibility that they may not stay in the 4K game for long.

At the end of the day, we all have different priorities, and most want the best possible product. However, we aren't going to get the best possible product in many cases now, and moving forward. I've noticed a trend of no 4K, no buy. That begs the question of what would you rather have, a Blu-ray disc, or streaming in 4K?

Personally, I still think Blu-ray's look great, and I'm satisfied. I know others are not. Just there needs to be a realistic expectation that moving forward there are going to be titles not coming out on 4K. If you want the physical format to survive there still needs to be support for Blu-ray. Is it inferior to 4K? Yes. Is it still a damn good product? You better believe it. I just want the physical format to survive. I just feel like the 4K or bust attitude is going to me a lot more detrimental in the long run.

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

OK, everyone probably should relax a little bit. In a perfect world this would be getting a 4K release from Criterion or Paramount, but it's not a perfect world and we really need to start setting expectations to reality.

Month after month there are hundreds of posts of forum members complaining about a new release not getting a 4K release. These studios are here for one thing and that's making money. 4K costs more money to produce with less of a profit margin than DVD or Blu-ray. If these things were selling like hot cakes, then all the new films would be getting 4K releases.

As the physical market dwindles there are going to be fewer DVD and Blu-ray releases, let alone 4K. It's just the way things are heading. For this particular release there is ALREADY a 4k release. If you want it in 4K go ahead and buy it. However, complaining about Criterion not releasing it in 4K isn't going to contribute to Criterion releasing this in 4K. They like any other company are doing what they can to stay afloat. They even mentioned that they are NOT going to release the Irishman in 4K and if there should be a title in 4K it's that one. They have access to information we probably don't in terms of what's profitable and what's not for them. I'm sure at some point they might jump to 4K, but there is also the possibility that they may not stay in the 4K game for long.

At the end of the day, we all have different priorities, and most want the best possible product. However, we aren't going to get the best possible product in many cases now, and moving forward. I've noticed a trend of no 4K, no buy. That begs the question of what would you rather have, a Blu-ray disc, or streaming in 4K?

Personally, I still think Blu-ray's look great, and I'm satisfied. I know others are not. Just there needs to be a realistic expectation that moving forward there are going to be titles not coming out on 4K. If you want the physical format to survive there still needs to be support for Blu-ray. Is it inferior to 4K? Yes. Is it still a damn good product? You better believe it. I just want the physical format to survive. I just feel like the 4K or bust attitude is going to me a lot more detrimental in the long run.

I’d understand the complaints more if it was something that didn’t already have a 4K release. Unless that one has significant issues?

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

I’d understand the complaints more if it was something that didn’t already have a 4K release. Unless that one has significant issues?

From what I've read it's a great release and of course is region free. You don't need the Criterion release if you already have the other one. The only major difference is that it has the Criterion name on it and the Criterion packaging.

[BluProofie]

Criterion: We heard your complaints, here’s our first UHD!

*Releases one like Kino and stops due to sales*

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Their own strategy to be inferior, I guess.

Criterion is not holding a gun on you or anybody else to buy their blu-rays. If you don't like their blu-rays then don't buy them. If you dislike Criterion so much, then why do you want them to release 4K movies. Dammit if they do dammit if they don't!

[Kyle15]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Criterion is not holding a gun on you or anybody else to buy their blu-rays. If you don't like their blu-rays then don't buy them. If you dislike Criterion so much, then why do you want them to release 4K movies. Dammit if they do dammit if they don't!

YouTube

[sonicyogurt]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

*Releases one like Kino and stops due to sales*

Kino Lorber didn’t drop UHD. As recently as March, they had 3 UHD releases slated for 2020. The pandemic got in the way of all 3. 1 title requires approval from its director/DP, which is problematic with the current situation. The other 2 are from a deal which hasn’t been signed, as the pandemic is getting in the way of finalizing that as well.

They didn’t say why they dropped Valkyrie, but they didn’t just abandon the UHD release; they amended their deal with MGM to strike it entirely. No Blu-ray release either. And they were still experimenting with the Dollars trilogy well after Hannibal was on store shelves. That came down to just how much it would cost to regrade the 3 movies.

But Kino Lorber Insider has said that sales for Hannibal were good overall and that they’re happy with its performance when it was all said and done. And KLI is pretty candid about titles that don’t do well, so I don’t have any reason to question that.

[mikesncc1701]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Criterion is not holding a gun on you or anybody else to buy their blu-rays. If you don't like their blu-rays then don't buy them. If you dislike Criterion so much, then why do you want them to release 4K movies. Dammit if they do dammit if they don't!

I know that reply wasn't for me but a lot of us feel there's no reason for them not to jump into the UHD game.

I love Criterion! I've been collecting their discs since the early 2000s and paying upwards to 200 dollars at the time for OOP titles like Salo, The Killer, Spinal Tap, How To Get Ahead In Advertising...the list goes on. I want Criterion to release 4K discs so I can support them! When stuff like his happens in an era where people pay specific attention to quality down to the last pixel, they're only doing themselves a disservice. I haven't bought this particular title on anything but DVD but given the choices presently, I'd buy the SC disc over the Criterion. If Criterion had announced this in UHD, I'd buy that one. It's not a complicated issue, you're just being an argumentative twat.

[yukon30305]

Another 4k scan mostly wasted on a standard 1080p Blu-ray. Just put the high quality scan you already did on the proper disc already! Criterion used to stand for the best picture quality AND the best bonus material. Not any more (now just good bonus material). Other small labels are producing 4K UHD discs with HDR -- BEST picture quality. E.g. StudioCanal's release of Elephant Man in Europe. Even the big names, like Universal, are also putting out features-rich releases with 4K UHD: Jaws. Criterion will start losing business to people choosing region free 4K discs over 1080p. I want Criterion to succeed and evolve like when they moved to Blu-ray, but they need to evolve soon! If Vinegar Syndrome can put out little known crappy movies like Tanny and the T-Rex on 4K UHD, so can Criterion with excellent movies.