Why are they so expensive? I understand Criterion's pricing, but Stalker has an MSRP of $49.99?!! And Kino has released 2 others with $29.95 MSRPs. Are these DVDs worth the price? Or should I hold out to see if Criterion releases them?

I wouldn't expect Criterion to release them any time soon, but with Criterion releasing several former Kino properties on DVD (Diary of a Country Priest, The Tin Drum), I wouldn't count them out.

I don't own the Kino discs, but from my understanding, they're acceptable. Image's Stalker disc is alright...but Criterion's Solaris is superb. Print and transfer are super. The commentary is excellent, and the supplements are exquisite. Almost definately definitive.

In the case of Stalker, I can only imagine that Image's licensing costs were high, and their projected sales were low, leading to the $49.95 price tag. For all his genius, Tarkovsky is an acquired taste, so I doubt that many of his titles--other than maybe Solaris--sell very well.

Before you lay out any money, check out the Tarkovsky DVD recommendations from the definitive website, Nostalghia.com

The only way you'll know whether or not they are worth the price is if you've seen the movies. I paid full list price for Andrei Rublev on laserdisc, which was $100 or $125, can't recall... so I'm certainly the wrong person to answer whether they are worth it! (I also have three different releases of Stalker on DVD... just more evidence that I'm loopy and not to be trusted.)

Seriously... how can you spell "definite" incorrectly, right next to the word "definitive"?

"Niche" movies are almost always going to be priced higher than a title that can sell a zillion copies - the basic cost of getting the rights, (hopefully) preparing a decent transfer, gathering extras, etc. have to be covered somehow, and that cost is spread out over the projected sales figures.

tarkovsky website that reviews the best of the available dvds...

http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds...endations.html

http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds...VD_Covers.html

bravo, cygnet74!

Excellent site.

Specialist distributors must charge higher prices, and they are sometimes warranted. In the case of Tarkovsky DVDs, if price is an issue for an unseen film, find a way to rent and the sticker shock might get mitigated some.