PopcornTreeCt

Are any of you guys buying the older Criterions worried about them going Blu-ray?

Just gazing over some lists. I think the following have a high chance of being re-released:

Vengeance is Mine
The Burmese Harp
Tokyo Story
Late Spring
Early Summer
Picnic at Hanging Rock

Shagrath

I'm wary to buy just about anything on DVD for fear of having to upgrade. That being said, I've still bought a handful of standard definition stuff during the sale so far.

Salo
Vampyr
Science Is Fiction
Rossellini's War Trilogy
Letters from Fontainhas

Unfortunately, Ossas from the Fontainhas set was scratched and every store around here is out of stock. They're going to order another one for me and have it sent to the store. Should be there early next week and I can do a straight swap.

Mr. Cinema

I've gotten more DVDs than BDs so far, but happy with my purchases. I stopped in another store tonight and got Spartacus ($17.50) with the $5 off and my membership discount and their only copy of The Blob.

goosh

Either way, Eclipse Series 23: The First Films of Akira Kurosawa isn't released until August 3rd and not included in the sale.
Guess I'll have to wait for the November sale.

Trevor

Why would you "have to upgrade"?

I hate how many of the blu-rays are taking away content from the DVDs, making them not much of an upgrade in my mind. Special features on one release, along with the longer cut, and the larger books on several titles.

And only one BD so far adds anything new, right? 8 1/2.

Obviously, I'm speaking as someone who likes the A/V upgrade, but it is not that important.

Shagrath

I don't "have" to upgrade, but if a release is on both formats, and not taking anything away (like The Last Emperor), then I'll go for Blu-Ray every time. The only title I've upgraded so far has been Man Who Fell to Earth, and I would probably upgrade Third Man if I found it as well.

I'm a cinephile, but also a collector. So having the best release in the best format is what I ultimately strive for.

PopcornTreeCt

I went to the Barnes and Noble in Waterford Lakes was pretty disappointed. They didn't have Blu-rays of Days of Heaven, Close-Up and a bunch others. I was able to get the last copy of Red Desert.

Maxflier

You can try staying up late the last night and seeing if you can catch it as part of the sale. I think people (maybe Trevor?) have had success doing that in the previous sale on stuff that was released the day after the sale ended.
But if not, November will be here before you know it anyways.

HistoryProf

weakness reigns: Another $5/15%off 2 coupon purchase:

Chantal Ackerman in the 70s Eclipse: $15.25
La Bete Humane: $11.47

This guy used the 15% off the lower priced title, but I wasn't going to make a fuss over a dollar. $27 for an eclipse set + Renoir makes me soooooooooo happy.

Shagrath

That was the only location so far that has given me any hassle whatsoever over using two coupons.

HistoryProf

huh? what does the bolded part mean? and i'm sorry, but HD transfers are adding the single most important thing new: HD image and improved sound. But your comment still doesn't make sense...Walkabout, Wages of Fear, Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, Black Orpheus, and Yojimbo/Sanjuro, were all upgraded releases w/ new extras on both DVD and blu ray...and largely inspired by the ability to release them in HD.

Trevor

? I thought I explained it well. Several BD releases take away content from the DVDs. As I mentioned, special features (essays on TLE), an entire cut of the film on TLE, and larger books/booklets on a few titles like TMWFTE.

I was obviously unaware that any BD releases besides 8 1/2 have extra content not on the DVD release. I'll have to check those out. But wait, you say new features on DVD and BD. Which ones have features unique to BD?

And speaking for Joe Sixpack, upgraded AV is largely wasted on most of the masses. More than half of BD player owners probably have the sound going through their TV only, and most probably sit at distances where the difference between upconverted DVD and BD is minimal.

kndy

It's because last time, we had those wonderful 20% off coupons that brought down the price quite a bit.

I think what he was talking about of how the re-releases of these titles on BD and DVD include more features than the previous Criterion release on DVD. Like "The Seventh Seal" with Bergman Island. With "Walkabout", they had the newer interviews with the cast and the documentary for David Gulpilil. "Wages of Fear" had a newer documentary and interview, etc.

It's still difficult to this day to explain to even Criterion fans on various cinema forums who are stuck on the DVD format and have many excuses of why they despise Blu-ray (ie. people trying to replace the theater experience, etc.) But I agree... from the type of equipment, to distance to even your eyesight and your hearing, many will see the cost to upgrade to expensive for them and thus are more open to digital streaming via netflix than going Blu.

But in the end, it's all subjective.

That is a wonderful price for the Chantal set. $15.25...Wow!!! With this sale and a 10% discount, I ended up paying $20.24 for it. But for $15....that's awesome.

BuckNaked2k

The sales clerk at the store I visited tonight, told me they will do a "ship to home" at the current sale price for any pre-orders coming out after the sale ends. By this, he meant titles appearing on their website, i.e., those with release dates in the week or two following August 3rd.

PopcornTreeCt

Joe sixpack doesn't buy Criterions. I think A/V should be the #1 reason to upgrade. And I'll just say that progressive scanned DVD is very overrated. The difference between upconverted DVD and blu-ray is night and day and should be for the Criterion cinemaphile too.

sleepyhead55

Bought Today:

The Wages of Fear
La Haine
Army of Shadows
Days of Heaven

The only bummer was that the cheaper criterions ($30 msrp) didn't qualify for the coupon. On the expensive ones they were accepted without a hitch. I don't think they cared that I used it multiple times either. I suspect this is because they don't sell that many criterions. I'll probably just print out the 15% coupon and use it on the $15 ones.

kndy

You would think that would be the case.... But...

Bob Bunny

Lola Montes?

Future Man

I just drove 10 miles to pick up the former title on reserve, only to find it was a digipack. I assumed that this was the only way it was issued, so I plunked my $13.xx down--oh well. I must say the plastic they wrap the digipacks in is the toughest substance on earth.

BuckNaked2k

It just shows how slowly these titles move during the year...(at least at B&N stores).

If you really want to upgrade to a keep-case, Criterion will send it to you with the applicable artwork for $5.

Details

HistoryProf

the content not available in the blu booklets is available on the website - how many times do you need to read it? the cases can't hold as much...pretty simple solution. Calling those "special features" is kind of strange. you can still read them as much as you want on-line. Or keep the booklet from your old DVD if you do upgrade. no big whoop. What do you want them to do? Spend thousands and thousands of dollars to develop packaging that will hold a book and protect the film like an amaray case? release everything in digipacks? it's a lose/lose...no pleasing everyone. I personally don't care for the digis - they are pretty, but flimsy. I *just* bought the Leopard and it's already creased on the spine.

And I didn't say those examples have extra content not on the dvd, i said the re-releases are loaded with extra content on both formats and inspiration for revisiting those films was largely inspired by advances in AV capabilities. if there was no high definition, most of those would not exist. Why it would matter is hard to understand though...you don't buy a blu ray for special features, you buy it to see a film in the best possible presentation. I don't give a rats ass about what special features are or are not on one release or another...I care about getting a great film in the closest possible quality to an actual film. If you can't see the difference between a blu and an upconverted dvd, then either your equipment or your eyes are inferior and it's not worth discussing.

you last comment is also hardly worth addressing. I'm sure Joe Sixpack is really ecstatic about getting Red Desert. I'm sure he's waiting on bated breath to see the restoration of Red Shoes, or the revelation that is The Leopard on blu. It is a strawman and completely irrelevant here. The Last Emperor is as well...the extended cut is a curiosity not endorsed by the director shown on tv overseas. there was no reason to spend the money to include it. The quality of the extra material wasn't worth the upgrade anyway...


blu ray exists to give us the best possible presentation of a film - not to add extra special features. that's it. They do have the ability to hold more material, but i'd rather they used it for higher quality audio and video. Anything else is gravy. I'm not going to rewatch interviews - but i am the films themselves. Criterions efforts on the format thusfar have been really rather amazing, with hardly ANY issues with the transfers. Compare that to other companies, who can't seem to get basic color schemes correct. Every single release is practically essential viewing, if not owning. Considering their narrow customer base, they have served us extremely well as they've made the transition, and I expect them to continue to do so as they expand their facilities and staff to put even more out in new editions.

You'll note as well that they have adopted a new pricing structure: DVDs that would have previously been $39.95 msrp are now $29.95 while the blus stay at the higher tier - including 2 disc releases. so if AV isn't that important to you, you should be even happier. I honestly can't understand the problem. If extras are more important than A/V then you can get them on the DVD at a great price, if A/V is more important, then you have stellar blu rays to enjoy and can rent the dvd from netflix if you really need to see a 10 minute interview with Peter Bogdanovich.

There's simply no pleasing some people....and this is all especially confounding coming from someone professing to desire to own the entire collection, even the duds like Jubilee and Border Radio. That suggests a collector obsession more than a love of the films. though perhaps that explains your issue with the special features....I don't know. but it's odd.

HistoryProf

first point - that's probably all I needed to say to Trevor above


2nd point...I KNOW!! it's ridiculous. that's with the member discount + $5 coupon. I may have to go back for the Dusan Makavejev set if I can get it at the same price. That one intrigues me but would be a complete blind buy. Anyone have opinions on it? I have WR: Mysteries of the Organism but it's in the ever growing unwatched pile...i've read enough to know I'll enjoy it though....I love freaky, avant garde craziness.

HistoryProf

that guy is a moron on a board full of morons. that place is populated with idiots. note Criterion's move to distance themselves from the place as it has evolved into a truly sad place....their film discussions are pathetic.

PopcornTreeCt

brizz, well written. I recently watched Jubilee the other day and didn't think it was that bad. Considering all the negative info I had read about it. I also watched WR: Mysteries of the Organism which was just as bad or worse than Jubilee.

hindolio

im not arguing. rather, just having a constructive dialogue

i love me my digipaks, but cc has done some odd things with them. i dont understand how they seem to have prolly paid thousands to make custom digipaks of the cheapest quality. maybe they paid so much because they seem to self-destruct?

i concur. however...

criterions have always been known for their wealth of special features and painstaking time and money poured into gathering as much as possible onto the disks. so it is a bit odd to see cc blu releases that not considered very extensive.

again, i concur. i include myself as "some" people too