The Criterion Collection

[monkeybrow]

Hoping for Seven Samurai

[herzog4life]

If they release Days of Heaven on blu-ray, all will be right with the world.

[Moviefan1203]

Originally Posted by herzog4life

If they release Days of Heaven on blu-ray, all will be right with the world.

All in good time. I agree with you, Malick is a freaking genius, and I can't wait to add this to my Blu-ray library. Eventually virtually all movies will be on Blu-ray, and in the meantime we just have to play the waiting game.

Does Criterion still own the rights to Days of Heaven?

[ccfixx]

"The Last Metro" review is now up on the front page!

CC

[ccfixx]

The following info was posted by tvrbob86 over in the AVS Forums...

The April 2009 issue of Home Theater Magazine has a nice story on the Criterion Collection and its move into the world of Blu-ray.

A few highlights:

• Criterion's simultaneous Blu-ray releases have made up 30-50% of the titles' total sales vs. the less than 10% typical for big studio films.

• Lee Kline, technical director: "If there's grain, we'll leave it in. We may tone it down a bit, especially with Blu-ray, where it can show too much. But you'll still see some grain. That's what makes a film look like film."

• Last Year at Marienbad will be released on Blu-ray (and DVD) "this Spring."

• "Coming, in the next few months": Walkabout, For All Mankind, Gimme Shelter, Monterey Pop.

• Peter Becker, president: "We're still figuring it out, deciding month-to-month. But we'll be more aggressive, not less, because sales have been pretty strong. We'll take chances."

CC

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

"The Last Metro" review is now up on the front page!

CC

Looks like another solid transfer........ I didn't pre-order this one.... but will certainly scoop it up.....

Originally Posted by ccfixx

• Peter Becker, president: "We're still figuring it out, deciding month-to-month. But we'll be more aggressive, not less, because sales have been pretty strong. We'll take chances."[/B][/I]

CC

Now THAT is promising!!!

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

The following info was posted by tvrbob86 over in the AVS Forums...

The April 2009 issue of Home Theater Magazine has a nice story on the Criterion Collection and its move into the world of Blu-ray.

A few highlights:

• Criterion's simultaneous Blu-ray releases have made up 30-50% of the titles' total sales vs. the less than 10% typical for big studio films.

• Lee Kline, technical director: "If there's grain, we'll leave it in. We may tone it down a bit, especially with Blu-ray, where it can show too much. But you'll still see some grain. That's what makes a film look like film."

• Last Year at Marienbad will be released on Blu-ray (and DVD) "this Spring."

• "Coming, in the next few months": Walkabout, For All Mankind, Gimme Shelter, Monterey Pop.

• Peter Becker, president: "We're still figuring it out, deciding month-to-month. But we'll be more aggressive, not less, because sales have been pretty strong. We'll take chances."

CC

CC! That is great news! Love it... I hope they get more aggresive.. would love to see day and date for each months BLU releases it helps from double dipping and LAST METRO according the this sites screen grabs looks like a solid 5 to me for filmlike quality etc... Can't wait... I want CONTEMPT so bad!

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

The following info was posted by tvrbob86 over in the AVS Forums...

The April 2009 issue of Home Theater Magazine has a nice story on the Criterion Collection and its move into the world of Blu-ray.

A few highlights:

• Criterion's simultaneous Blu-ray releases have made up 30-50% of the titles' total sales vs. the less than 10% typical for big studio films.

• Lee Kline, technical director: "If there's grain, we'll leave it in. We may tone it down a bit, especially with Blu-ray, where it can show too much. But you'll still see some grain. That's what makes a film look like film."

• Last Year at Marienbad will be released on Blu-ray (and DVD) "this Spring."

• "Coming, in the next few months": Walkabout, For All Mankind, Gimme Shelter, Monterey Pop.

• Peter Becker, president: "We're still figuring it out, deciding month-to-month. But we'll be more aggressive, not less, because sales have been pretty strong. We'll take chances."

CC

Thank you for posting these bits. Very encouraging news

Pro-B

[Seretur]

This is brilliant news, thanks for posting!

Hopefully this means that the Ran announcement will be the last single-title monthly engagement for Criterion. Hearing of such strong sales numbers is one of the strongest indicators I've yet heard that Blu-ray has matured far beyond the ranks of "PS3 gamers" that were looked down on even as recently as a few months ago. There is indeed a thirst for quality programming on the format, and it is just so right that Criterion is the one company that did it right out of the gate and is now reaping the benefits.

Compare this to Warner's dismayed attitude to their catalog releases (it's of paramount importance that our catalog musicals with lossy mono audio do well! Otherwise we'll just keep on cranking out bitstarved encodes of multiplex dreck on the format and forget about our catalog!). Seriously, with numbers like these (even though we're probably talking a degree of magnitude less with Criterion, I haven't checked sales threads in ages), ALL studio bosses should put their catalog releases on track to be done right.

Or just (preferably) license them out to Criterion.

[Beta Man]

I couldn't take it anymore...... no deals to be found, so I just ordered "Chungking Express" from Amazon...... I only need a couple of the pre-orders now...... FEED THE MONKEY!!!!!!

[ccfixx]

Glad you finally bit the bullet on "Chungking Express," Beta Man! I'm not letting any of these blu-rays slip by me. They're coming out at such a rate that I can actually keep up with them for now.

CC

[horseflesh]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Glad you finally bit the bullet on "Chungking Express," Beta Man! I'm not letting any of these blu-rays slip by me. They're coming out at such a rate that I can actually keep up with them for now.

CC

That's what I want to do too, but it's going to prove difficult after losing my job a few weeks ago.......

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by horseflesh

That's what I want to do too, but it's going to prove difficult after losing my job a few weeks ago.......

Sorry to hear that..... you're in Ireland though.... so I can only imagine the outlook is better there. Good luck.

[zedd_117]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Glad you finally bit the bullet on "Chungking Express," Beta Man! I'm not letting any of these blu-rays slip by me. They're coming out at such a rate that I can actually keep up with them for now.

CC

Just caught up here. Ordered "El Norte" from Criterion.com (had a $25 Gift Card). Then ordered "The 400 Blows" and "The Last Metro" from amazon along with some other blus they had as part of there big Blu sale. "Weeds saesons 1 - 3" and "Into the Wild"
All told I spent about $125. Not bad for 3 Criterions, 3 Seasons, and a Movie.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by zedd_117

Just caught up here. Ordered "El Norte" from Criterion.com (had a $25 Gift Card). Then ordered "The 400 Blows" and "The Last Metro" from amazon along with some other blus they had as part of there big Blu sale. "Weeds saesons 1 - 3" and "Into the Wild"
All told I spent about $125. Not bad for 3 Criterions, 3 Seasons, and a Movie.

were the Criterion's on sale.... or their normal $28 or $29 for Amazon?

I have everything currently released, and The 400 Blows pre-ordered.... Still need to order "in the Realm of the Senses" "The Wages of Fear" and "The Last Metro" but I'm hoping (probably too optimistically) for a big sale so I can pick them up before or shortly after release date....... I just want to make sure I get them all within a month of release..... if I don't get them in the first month, I may get behind...... and if they start pumping out releases I'll never get caught up!

[zedd_117]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

were the Criterion's on sale.... or their normal $28 or $29 for Amazon?

I have everything currently released, and The 400 Blows pre-ordered.... Still need to order "in the Realm of the Senses" "The Wages of Fear" and "The Last Metro" but I'm hoping (probably too optimistically) for a big sale so I can pick them up before or shortly after release date....... I just want to make sure I get them all within a month of release..... if I don't get them in the first month, I may get behind...... and if they start pumping out releases I'll never get caught up!

ehh, got 400 blows for $21.99, then the last metro for $28.99.
Cheaper than Criterion.com. Plus you can pre-order. What's up with that criterion.com?

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by zedd_117

ehh, got 400 blows for $21.99, then the last metro for $28.99.
Cheaper than Criterion.com. Plus you can pre-order. What's up with that criterion.com?

Add them all to your "Wish List" and they'll show up in you "Gold Box" for $1.50 off...... I got Chungking for $28.50 that way

[horseflesh]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Sorry to hear that..... you're in Ireland though.... so I can only imagine the outlook is better there. Good luck.

Believe me it's not, and it's getting worse by the week

[zedd_117]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Add them all to your "Wish List" and they'll show up in you "Gold Box" for $1.50 off...... I got Chungking for $28.50 that way

That's some shady amazon dealings right there.
Wish I would have known that before placing my order.
Oh well, now I know for future reference.
And knowing is half the battle.

[yoxodo]

has anyone seen White Dog which Criterion recently released on DVD? it is an excellent film and a powerful study of race relations. it was made in the early 80's and never formally released until now because of the contraversial content but it still packs a hell of a punch today. plus Kristy Macnichol was in it and she was a little cutie...