The Criterion Collection goes Blu!

[Octavio]

Originally Posted by Vendetta-akk

I have been feeling this way for along time. I don't consider myself to be a film snob, I can enjoy stuff like Iron Man with the best of them. But, that being said every time someone here goes on and on about the PQ quality of some horrible mindless Hollywood crapfest, there is a part of me that painfully wants to point out that polishing a turd only gets you so far.

I understand you, Vendetta. I don't consider myself neither a film snob. I enjoy GOOD summer blockbuster for what they are.
Neither I am a "redneck" like those who keeps complaining because some movies aren't in "english" and they have to read "subtitles"

Pan's Labyrinth and Babel are an example of that. I don't get that people. Complaining because they don't like to "read" movies! c'mon! they are losing at least half of the best movies ever made!

Some people thinks that art films=Boring movies for "Snobs". (even worse if those movies are in a "foreign" language)

Obviously that people haven't had the chance to watch Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" or "Seven Samurai" films that later were remade (or ripped-off) by Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars) and John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven), respectively.

Fellini movies such as "Amarcord" or "Satyricon" are everything but boring!

Godard's "Alphaville" introduces the concept of an evil super computer with artificial intelligence that controlls everything. That was 3 years before Kubrick's "2001".

Buñuel films are incredible witty and irreverent some of them even quite blasphemous.

Jodorowsky's films, well, let's say you don't need to smoke pot or to eat mushrooms anymore once you have seen his movies.

"The Wages of Fear" is one of the best thrillers I've ever seen.

What about Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo" or Kieslowski's "Blind Chance"? Boring? "Run Lola Run" it's a free adaptation of Kieslowski's "Blind Chance" but IMO the latter is way better, and I do think that Run Lola Run is a very good picture!

Those movies aren't boring at all. And if you ask me what I prefer to watch between "Fantastic 4 and the Silver Surfer" or Tarkovsky's sci-fi classic "Stalker", it's a very easy choice to make.

Thank you Criterion! Hopefully Kino will join Blu and Anchor Bay, Image, Artificial Eye, MK2 could release more titles from their catalogs

[CheapChildren]

GIMME SHELTER!

[glenn-bob]

Spinal Tap please!!!!!!!

[Rustmonsteru]

Great news; I gasped when I got that email myself.

[SpaceDog]

I was just holding Last Emperor in my hands and wishing it were also on Blu Ray. If they renumber from 1 on Blu Ray I might need to obsess on some Criterion this time around.

[doctorsteve]

Nice... can't wait for Bottle Rocket

Now I just need "Fishing with John"

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by bferr1

they will be priced to match our standard-def editions.

That is fantastic news!

[RedIsNotBlue]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

That is fantastic news!

How is that fantastic news?? I am looking on Amazon and a lot of these Criterion Collection films are in the $30 range. Like Rushmore for example is a movie I would love to buy on Blu-ray but the Criterion DVD is going for $32.99 on Amazon. There is no way I am paying anywhere near that much for one movie.

[FilmmakingFiasco]

Originally Posted by RedIsNotBlue

How is that fantastic news?? I am looking on Amazon and a lot of these Criterion Collection films are in the $30 range. Like Rushmore for example is a movie I would love to buy on Blu-ray but the Criterion DVD is going for $32.99 on Amazon. There is no way I am paying anywhere near that much for one movie.

If price is the sole factor for you buying a movie then Criterion DVDs/Blu-rays are not for you. Their price is directly related to how much effort and time goes into the restoration/rights/special features that are included.

There is not one Criterion title that I've purchased that I've thought 'wow, that's not worth the price'.

[RedIsNotBlue]

Originally Posted by FilmmakingFiasco

If price is the sole factor for you buying a movie then Criterion DVDs/Blu-rays are not for you. Their price is directly related to how much effort and time goes into the restoration/rights/special features that are included.

There is not one Criterion title that I've purchased that I've thought 'wow, that's not worth the price'.

Its not the sole factor but it is definitely a big one. I just am not paying that much for a single movie sorry. Guess I will just have to pass if the movies really are that high priced. Meh hope you guys enjoy them.

[Octavio]

Originally Posted by FilmmakingFiasco

If price is the sole factor for you buying a movie then Criterion DVDs/Blu-rays are not for you. Their price is directly related to how much effort and time goes into the restoration/rights/special features that are included.

There is not one Criterion title that I've purchased that I've thought 'wow, that's not worth the price'.

My thoughts exactly. For me:

$5 for a movie like "Eragon" is too much even if it's on Blu-ray.

$30 for having Buñuel's "The Exterminating Angel" restored, remasterized, packed with great supplements and perhaps even with a booklet essay worth every penny.

But maybe it's just me.

[Teazle]

Originally Posted by Octavio

My thoughts exactly. For me:

$5 for a movie like "Eragon" is too much even if it's on Blu-ray.

$30 for having Buñuel's "The Exterminating Angel" restored, remasterized, packed with great supplements and perhaps even with a booklet essay worth every penny.

I feel the same way. Content is king and this massively affects the value proposition.

I'd be very keen on The Third Man et al but for me $40-$50 is really more than I can afford to spend on a single title. $30-$35 I can manage if the content is good enough to justify the purchase, and even then I'd have to sacrifice some of my hi-res audio collecting which would be a shame.

It looks like I'll be missing out on these Criterion titles unless I can scrape them up secondhand (unlikely).

[CheapChildren]

Originally Posted by RedIsNotBlue

How is that fantastic news?? I am looking on Amazon and a lot of these Criterion Collection films are in the $30 range. Like Rushmore for example is a movie I would love to buy on Blu-ray but the Criterion DVD is going for $32.99 on Amazon. There is no way I am paying anywhere near that much for one movie.

With Criterion you're not just paying for the movie your paying for a celebration of the movie. You get every cent worth. The transfer, the special features and everything.

[b-coli]

Originally Posted by CheapChildren

With Criterion you're not just paying for the movie your paying for a celebration of the movie. You get every cent worth. The transfer, the special features and everything.

+1 agreed ! they treat everything with the utmost care since they are true videophiles like us

even with title such as fishing with john. they can even make a fake fishing show into one of the funniest things out there... willem defoe and tom waits cracked me up, even dennis hopper.
damn... now i have the theme song stuck in my head (if you have seen it, you know what i mean) haha

[WickyWoo]

oh yeah... forgot the one i want most to come out with all the extras on north american format, and i hope they get the rights...

BATTLE ROYALE ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Battle Royale is unavailable for North American licensing. I was charged with acquring the film in both 2001 and 2004 by 2 seperate major lables. Toei wanted a Crouching Tiger size release for it, and refused to accept the reality of "Kids killing kids=NC-17. We either cut the film to ribbons to get an R (estimated 30+min cut), or it'll play in 12 theaters". In 2004 when I went to try again, they refused to even acknowlege the film's existence at the US office (seriously).

Armageddon will be released with the Criterion extras by Disney in the next year or so,they had to retransfer the movie, hopefully with the director's cut because the master tape got lost in a fire

[reginaroadie]

Awesome. I already have THE THIRD MAN, and I think I might pick up 400 BLOWS, GIMME SHELTER, WALKABOUT, FOR ALL MANKIND and THE WAGES OF FEAR.

To be honest, I never thought Criterion would ever release anything on Blu. I figured that it would be like THE ROCK or LIFE OF BRIAN on Blu-Ray with the studio releasing it and importing all the Criterion extras. But this is great news.

On my list, BRAZIL, FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, DAYS OF HEAVEN and THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS. And CHASING AMY with the 10th anniversary Q & A and any other new stuff.

[erowe83]

Dear Criterion Collection Newsletter subscriber,

We’ve got some exciting news for this fall, and we wanted you to hear it first.

Our first Blu-ray discs are coming! We’ve picked a little over a dozen titles from the collection for Blu-ray treatment, and we’ll begin rolling them out in October. These new editions will feature glorious high-definition picture and sound, all the supplemental content of the DVD releases, and they will be priced to match our standard-def editions.

Here’s what’s in the pipeline:

The Third Man
Bottle Rocket
Chungking Express
The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Last Emperor
El Norte
The 400 Blows
Gimme Shelter
The Complete Monterey Pop
Contempt
Walkabout
For All Mankind
The Wages of Fear

Alongside our DVD and Blu-ray box sets of The Last Emperor, we’ll also be putting out the theatrical version as a stand-alone release in both formats, priced at $39.95. Our Blu-ray release of Walkabout will be an all-new edition, featuring new supplements as well as a new transfer; we will also release an updated anamorphic DVD of Nicolas Roeg’s outback masterpiece at the same time.

[Romulus]

Didn't see the other thread, did you?

[Argento Fan]

The most important news for the month. Great surprise.