milkdog

Hell yes about Pierrot le fou!

PopcornTreeCt

There's not even a hint of hundreds of Criterions on Blu-ray. I'm sure it will get a release, eventually.

Drexl

Of course. They'll use lossless audio instead of the lossy audio on DVD.

bluetoast

Last Year at Marienbad arrived today. First of all, it comes in the same awful packaging that plagued the first few Criterion BDs. What's going on, I though this was a universal switch to the clear cases?

Second....I can't even get it out of the damn slipcover. I've had some tight slipcovers before, but this takes the cake. I'm looking in over the top, and I can see the case is stuffed, with a thick booklet. This is bullshit.

Doctorossi

It was. Marienbad was just a victim of production-queue bounce.

Hey, at least you've got a beautiful copy of a great movie.

bluetoast

I'd love to watch it, but...I cant..even access it!

Where are my pliers?

theWitcher

I wonder if and when they'll update the specs on their website. It seems like lossless sound would be the main selling point for this particular release (and a lossless stereo track would be preferable to including both TrueHD and DTS-MA tracks. Are there any set-ups that can play DTS-MA and cannot play TrueHD?)

Another selling point would be HD (or at least decent SD quality) versions of the Outtake Performances, but I know that won't happen.

ThriceDamned

Owning "Pride & Prejudice" (1995) on BD, I can tell you that 16mm can look absolutely spectacular in HD if done right.

cartman

I have the same problem. I cannot get the damn slipcase off. I've already crumpled it a bit trying and I think I'm going to have to just tear it off, ruining the case, to get it out.

bluetoast

I ended up reaching in and taking the booklet out first, then the slipcover. Pretty ridiculous.

Doctorossi

Man, you guys ain't kiddin'! Thanks for the tip on the booklet- that (finally) did the trick. May this be the last of these cardboard-sleeve victims.

kefrank

YMMV, but...

My buddy e-mailed his complaint about the tight packaging to Criterion. The response he got back was that they're aware that the packaging was too tight on the first run due to an error at the packaging facility that has since been corrected. They offered to send him one of the extra slipcases they had at the production offices that would fit better.

Drexl

Hmmm, they have Dolby Digital and DTS listed, but I can't imagine it won't be lossless on the BD, probably with just DTS-HD MA. Some other titles like Chungking Express don't have lossless listed on their site, so I think sometimes they just have the DVD's info. They used 2.0 DTS-HD MA for The Last Emperor, so it's certainly possible they could include a stereo track in that format.

bluetoast

Thanks kefrank, I emailed Jon Mulvaney about it.

NoirFan

DVD Beaver comparison of For All Mankind

PopcornTreeCt

I'm probably the only one, but the original transfer looks better to me.

Richard Malloy

There was a similar sizing issue with the first run of the (amazing) Rohmer boxset, and so I sent the email.

Received four resized boxes over the course of the next several weeks!

And then I decided I preferred the tighter packaging...

Dan

Just wanted to chime in and say that I love the packaging for The Seventh Seal. All standard Blu-ray releases should be in these cases.

bluetoast

Just got the new slipcover in the mail. Fits like a glove now.

HistoryProf

No you're not. frankly, i don't understand at all why they chose FAM for blu-ray given the hundreds of choices that would benefit more from the upgrade. the very nature of the film using all the old footage makes any possible improvement minimal. It's a wonderful film, but it's at the bottom of Criterion's that should get the blu treatment imo.

pro-bassoonist

Because this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, perhaps the greatest event from America's recent history!

This being said, looking at screencaptures only would not reveal to you the type of improvement(s) the Blu-ray release offers. The new transfer is notably stronger, more stable and with a dramatically improved grain-scheme. Even on mid-size screens - 50' to 55' inch - the upgrades are very easy to detect. On larger screens - 102' and up - the upgrades are impressive.

Pro-B

NoirFan

Pro-B's review of For All Mankind from Blu-ray.com

HistoryProf

50-55 inches is a "mid-size" screen now?!??!!

NoirFan

I know. I remember when one of my friends purchased a "massive" 32-inch screen, and we were all in awe.

DthRdrX

Honestly, it is!

Can't beat a 100+ inch screen.