The Criterion Collection

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Romulus

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that I'm completely SOL on finding a copy of The Third Man or Chungking Express without selling a kidney, correct?

That would depend on how much you think a kidney goes for these days.

Chungking Express can be had from several Amazon Marketplace sellers in new condition for $65 + shipping.

Owl recently managed to score a copy of The Third Man for about $75. At the moment, based on Amazon Marketplace listings, it seems to be going for $140-200.

[bwdowiak]

picked up Forbidden Games and Mr. Hulot's Holiday (never seen anything by Tati) from the library... will see the ones that were recommended to me here earlier today soon, but I like to spray to all fields.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Romulus

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that I'm completely SOL on finding a copy of The Third Man or Chungking Express without selling a kidney, correct?

it is fun searching for a deal and even more fun when you do actually find one. I have had the itch for a few OOP titles recently (the Melville films) and when it comes to these ones that have limited availability, I start rationalizing about maybe not being able to find a better price, etc. As it turned out, for Army of Shadows and Leon Morin, Priest, I got a good deal. For Le Cercle Rouge, I think I could have maybe done better, but impatience, thinking too much, and the desire to have all 4 of the Melville films on Blu got the better of me, so I pulled the trigger on it.

good luck to you though. when you're talking Third Man prices, best thing to do is be patient. It is my 2nd fav movie of all time and I haven't rationalized spending that kind of money on it yet. wait for a deal. you'll eventually find someone selling it for a price you can live with.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

picked up Forbidden Games and Mr. Hulot's Holiday (never seen anything by Tati) from the library... will see the ones that were recommended to me here earlier today soon, but I like to spray to all fields.

Forbidden Games is amazing. I'd love to see a domestic Blu-ray upgrade of that one someday.

[jw007]

I watched 12 Angry Men for the first time last night! Amazing film!!! I can't believe it took me this long to finally see it. Now I have 4 hours of supplements to watch tonight. That was a great buy.

This film was just so remarkable in how 90% of the movie took place in one single room and yet my attention was held throughout this scene. I thought it was going to be a court room drama but it turned out it was a jury room drama! I haven't seen anything else like it. Lumet was a genius.

Anyone else love this movie too?

[BLUgrass]

Quick question guys. Based on past history, when would the next 50 or 40% off sale for Criterions be?

[Gusto-Guus]

June or july

[brandon_260]

Getting in from a trip to Cuba and finally taking a look at the April slate. It may end up being the lightest month of the year for me so far. Only Master of the House (so glad we've already got two silents on blu from Criterion this year), for sure, and maybe Breaking The Waves after renting it from my library. The other two I'm going to look into a little more, though Il sorpasso has grabbed my interest, only because I've been discovering Italian cinema a little more lately.

[ultlife2013]

Do you guys think that when they re release oop criterions do the original versions drop in value? I looked at amazon.ca and cheapest the third man bluray is going for 300. A little expensive for a used copy.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by ultlife2013

Do you guys think that when they re release oop criterions do the original versions drop in value? I looked at amazon.ca and cheapest the third man bluray is going for 300. A little expensive for a used copy.

that's not a little expensive, that's insanely expensive. I have to laugh sometimes at the prices that some people attach to what they're selling... I find it interesting, too, to see people on ebay bid more on an item than what you can buy it for an Amazon or any other major online retailer. just do your research if you are interested in that title. another poster was asking just today about The Third Man, so read above and good luck!

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by ultlife2013

Do you guys think that when they re release oop criterions do the original versions drop in value? I looked at amazon.ca and cheapest the third man bluray is going for 300. A little expensive for a used copy.

One of the reasons it costs so much is because it is unlikely to be re-released by Criterion anytime soon. If that were to change, yes I would imagine that would effect the value.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jw007

I watched 12 Angry Men for the first time last night! Amazing film!!! I can't believe it took me this long to finally see it. Now I have 4 hours of supplements to watch tonight. That was a great buy.

This film was just so remarkable in how 90% of the movie took place in one single room and yet my attention was held throughout this scene. I thought it was going to be a court room drama but it turned out it was a jury room drama! I haven't seen anything else like it. Lumet was a genius.

Anyone else love this movie too?

I love it, too. The only (slight) disappointment with the release is that it didn't also include the late 90s remake that was done for Showtime. Written by Reginald Rose (who wrote the original teleplay, and the theatrical film screenplay), directed by William Friedkin, and starring (among others) Jack Lemmon, George C. Scott, James Gandolfini, Hume Cronyn, and Edward James Olmos. I guess Criterion figured that having three versions of the story in one set was overkill.

Rose was also responsible for the best legal drama ever done for TV: The Defenders. Originally an episode of one of the 50s anthology series, with Ralph Bellamy and William Shatner as the father/son defense team, and Steve McQueen as the defendant. Later a long-running series with E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed. Unfortunately, the series was never released on DVD, though the Bellamy/Shatner/McQueen production was.

[ultlife2013]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

One of the reasons it costs so much is because it is unlikely to be re-released by Criterion anytime soon. If that were to change, yes I would imagine that would effect the value.

But if it's released as bluray/DVD combo pack wouldn't collectors still flock for the previous version?

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by ultlife2013

Do you guys think that when they re release oop criterions do the original versions drop in value? I looked at amazon.ca and cheapest the third man bluray is going for 300. A little expensive for a used copy.

There will always be interest in the original release because it's a "first edition", but yeah, I would expect that if Criterion reacquired the rights and brought it back into print that prices would drop on the original.

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

that's not a little expensive, that's insanely expensive. I have to laugh sometimes at the prices that some people attach to what they're selling... I find it interesting, too, to see people on ebay bid more on an item than what you can buy it for an Amazon or any other major online retailer. just do your research if you are interested in that title. another poster was asking just today about The Third Man, so read above and good luck!

Back in the late 90s, there was a Canadian SF TV series, Lexx, that aired down here on the Sci Fi Channel, but started out as four 90-minute movies that aired on one of the Showtime channels. Those movies were released on DVD in Canada, but not the US. At the time, while people were bidding and paying for a set of the four movies on eBay for as much as $180, one could order them from Canadian e-tailers for about $20 a movie. I think I paid about $70 (including shipping) for the four.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jayembee

There will always be interest in the original release because it's a "first edition", but yeah, I would expect that if Criterion reacquired the rights and brought it back into print that prices would drop on the original.



Back in the late 90s, there was a Canadian SF TV series, Lexx, that aired down here on the Sci Fi Channel, but started out as four 90-minute movies that aired on one of the Showtime channels. Those movies were released on DVD in Canada, but not the US. At the time, while people were bidding and paying for a set of the four movies on eBay for as much as $180, one could order them from Canadian e-tailers for about $20 a movie. I think I paid about $70 (including shipping) for the four.

yep, I believe it. on that note, another PSA if people don't already know. if you are region free, don't buy your Masters of Cinema titles or anything else form the U.S. Amazon site. provided you have a bit of patience to wait for the title to ship, many of these releases can be had for like $15 or so if you buy from Amazon UK.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

yep, I believe it. on that note, another PSA if people don't already know. if you are region free, don't buy your Masters of Cinema titles or anything else form the U.S. Amazon site. provided you have a bit of patience to wait for the title to ship, many of these releases can be had for like $15 or so if you buy from Amazon UK.

And it doesn't require a whole lot of patience. I just recently ordered a region free edition of Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers from Amazon UK, and I got it in 10 days. I've had faster shipments from overseas, but 10 days is more than acceptable.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by ultlife2013

But if it's released as bluray/DVD combo pack wouldn't collectors still flock for the previous version?

Collectors, yes. But those folks who just want a copy of a Criterion release would go for the reissue. Which would decrease the demand for the original release in the used market.

[rrpmpstck]

Lexx was a great show. Totally wacky and fun to watch.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by rrpmpstck

Lexx was a great show. Totally wacky and fun to watch.

To be honest, I didn't care for the ongoing series, but the original four movies were gems of SF TV.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Yes. The man with the hat and pipe is the very image of Tati's character M. Hulot. And he's in a box.

There should be little doubt that such a set will include M. Hulot's Holiday, Mon Oncle, Playtime, and Trafic, which are all Hulot films, and all previously released by Criterion on DVD.

The only real question is whether it will also include Jour de fête and Parade. He doesn't play Hulot in these, but it'd be nice if we were able to get a Complete Tati set, not just a Complete Hulot set.

Anyway, Jour de fête and Parade were released by Criterion on LD (as were the first two of the Hulots), so there's precedence.

I'm totally unfamiliar with Hulot's character. Can someone fill me in? Sounds like a Mr. Bean meets Mr. Magoo type character.

Originally Posted by jw007

I watched 12 Angry Men for the first time last night! Amazing film!!! I can't believe it took me this long to finally see it. Now I have 4 hours of supplements to watch tonight. That was a great buy.

This film was just so remarkable in how 90% of the movie took place in one single room and yet my attention was held throughout this scene. I thought it was going to be a court room drama but it turned out it was a jury room drama! I haven't seen anything else like it. Lumet was a genius.

Anyone else love this movie too?

I still maintain that 12 Angry Men and Anatomy of a Murder could quite possibly be the best court/legal related double feature ever.