I have looked at many, many collection on this webiste, and I have noticed that a lot of collections have many Criterions, and I was wondering if, how shall I out this, do you have so many Criterion DVD'S b/c it is a collection and you want to collect them all or do you just enjoy those movies put out by criterion, keep in mind I have a few criterion, but nothing to write home about.

they put out good titles, great extras...buy the ones that interest you and run with it....some people feel the need to own them all...thats not a bad thing...

I generally think Criterion Collection DVDs are overpriced and overrated. I think they have almost become a DVD collector's "status symbol", wherein some snobby collectors evaluate a collection by how many Criterions it has, and I honestly feel that drives a lot of their sales, along with the fact that in the past out-of-print Criterions have gone to very high values on Ebay and such (e.g. The Killer) so people buy them almost like speculating on stocks.

Don't get me wrong, they are well-made discs, and the supplements are top notch, but the prices are just crazy. And some of their ultra arthouse snob movies...I seriously doubt that people sit around and watch, they just like to talk about owning them. All the Criterion Collection discs that I have, I have because I really like the movie AND I got a great price or received them as a gift. Unless I had a net worth of about 8 figures, I'd never pay the regular retail price of anything Crtierion puts out.

Which are the "ultra arthouse snob movies"? Just curious.

Armageddon, duh.

Same reason a Ferrari is more expensive than a Honda

Well, they did put out three Wes Anderson films.

Just kidding! I love Wes Anderson.

As for Criterion, they put out a ton of films by directors I adore, such as Luis Bunuel, Akira Kurosawa, Jean-Luc Godard, and, yes, Wes Anderson. Does this make me an "ultra arthouse snob"? But if liking those movies makes me one, then I'll proudly say I'm an ultra arthouse snob.

Some of their titles are available in Europe (I think of the Studio Canal titles here for instance) with the same content and are just "regular" DVD.

I guess you also pay for the brand.

I wasnt asking a question I was answering one

I'm not an art house snob it's just that, in general, Criterion releases better movies than say Fox, Paramount, Warner Bros., and well everyone else.

And it's not just Criterion, I do seek out foreign films from other studios. Sony Pictures Classics is a good one.

There's a whole corral of bruised, dead horses somewhere due entirely to this question being asked about once a month over the last nine years.

Apples and oranges. Rights issues and expenses differ from one country to another.

Sorry, but just because a movie goes over your head doesn't mean there isn't an appreciative audience for it. Try to be a little less insulting of things that don't jibe with your taste. You'll last a lot longer around here.

I'll last until I get bored or banned. I won't be run off because others disagree with my opinions. I wasn't intending to start a flame war about the artistic merit of Criterion movies. You like them, fine. But save the "over my head" garbage. We can go in for competive IQ testing any time you want. But the undeniable facts are that the majority of the films released by criterion are 1) "appreciated" by only a small segment of the movie-watching audience, and 2) that small segment tends to feign cultural superiority and express disdain toward mainstream films and those that make and enjoy watching them, which pretty much fits the textbook definition of snobbery. I'd say anyone who denies that both of those statements are fact is out to lunch.

Where did you get these facts?

so I'm a jerk because i prefer The Seventh Seal to the Smokey & The Bandit Trilogy...

your calling people elitest because they like a certain type of film...so doesn't hating that movie make you a snob to the snobs

Number 1 may very well be true, which is why mainstream studios aren't releasing them. But god forbid every movie has to appeal to the widest possible tastes. I love a good popcorn flick as much as the next person, but I can also appreciate a film that has considerably more depth. Thankfully, studios like Criterion and Kino exist. And liking such films hardly makes me, or anyone with similar tastes, a snob.

As to your number 2, you're the one who is guilty of casting aspersions on other people's motivations. Until a Fellini fan comes into this thread and accuses you of being a slackjawed troglodyte because of the kind of movies you like, you should be a little less narrowminded.

I have quite a few criterions, I'm not out trying to own them all, couldnt care less.

But i do enjoy the stuff they put out, and the transfers are generally very very good.

They are pricey, but I think worth the money if you know you like what you're getting.

Most people who don't understand a movie are usually the ones that label it as a "snob movie" Coincidence? I think not.

I think you're proving my point about snobbery with phrases like "...a film that has considerably more depth" and "just because a movie goes over YOUR head...". That's another snob trademark: if someone doesn't like something, it is over their head, or too deep for them. Everyone's a genius on the internet. Like what you like, and enjoy. I don't think my original post was all that inflammatory, but y'all Criterion fanboys sure are sensitive to any less that glowing comment about them. The OP asked for opinions about Criterion and I gave him mine. Rather than attacking what I think, why not just say you think Criterion is great and move on, and the OP can make their own judgment based on all the opinions offered?

Instead of attacking what we think, why not just say you think Criterion is bad and move on. and the OP can make their own judgment based on all the opinions offered.

...Too Easy!

Ok let's go over your first post.

Great that's your opinion. I disagree, but we can hopefully agree to disagree.

So if you enjoy dvd from criterion your a snobb? Or you dislike people who consider the crown jewel of their dvd collection anything criterion?

What drives their sales is the quality of the work that goes into a dvd they release.

Yes, most of the world is a free-market economy. If they want to speculate on the price of dvds then so be it. This happens to all kinds of dvd. Most OOP are treated this way. What makes Criterions special in this regard? And for the record I bought my copy of The Killer because it's a bad ass movie. I also own the HKL version.

But you just said that Criterions were overrated. As for the price. You pay for what you get. If you want to get the public domain version of My Man Godfrey, or the barebones version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas then have at it. If you want the best transfer with the best supplements then you most likely want to buy the criterion.

Can you give me a list of these movies?

Good for you! Most people do the same thing. Are there blind buy criterions that I did not care for. Of course! Just like all the other blind buy dvd that I purchase. Some I liked, some I hated, others I loved. Are you really trying to claim some moral high ground here?

I pitty people who pay retail price for an dvd. We have a great secion of our forums dedicated so people don't have to. http://forum.dvdtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1

I'm still waiting to see these facts.
I've been one of the biggest opponents of criterion recently, with respect to their policy of windowboxing/pictureboxing. For this reason I have refused to buy any release that is pictureboxed by criterion. Why because by doing this they are not living up to their standard of presenting the best picture quality possible. So please don't call us, or at least me, fanboys.

These threads are so funny.

For what it is worth, what Criterion releases is very much about taste. My taste is not what Criterion puts out for the most part. That is why I buy very few of these discs. None of them are "over my head." If I do watch films of this nature I tend to rent or borrow not own.

I have some and they are well made in general but these days they are hardly superior and I really don't think they are worth the price. Warner in particular has been releasing classics on par with Criterion if not better for a couple years now and other studios are as well at about 25%-50% lower prices.

This I can agree with. Masters of Cinema has also been releasing quality dvd for a little while now also. Personally I've become a huge fan of Panik house recently. Quality transfers of interesting films and decent extras.

I guess I'd better become a Closet Criteron Collector so people won't think I'm a snob, sitting home watching The Blob, Silence of The Lambs, Flesh For Frankenstein, Carnival of Souls, My Man Godfrey, Mr Hulot's Holiday, Gimmee Shelter, Do The Right Thing, Charade, The Red Shoes, Spartacus, Robocop, etc. - elitist titles all. And oh yeah, they sometimes slip in titles y such recognized film greats as Fellini, Kurosawa, Goddard, Hitchcock, etc. But that's ok - I'm sure there are people who think that owning the complete Police Academy series is the height of film appreciation.

I agree that there are some fine efforts being put out by many companies -- not just Criterion. I always just buy what I like... but that said, I have a considerable number of Criterions. I don't know how many off the top of my head but somewhere around the century mark. This IS DEFINITELY a result of brand recognition. I also have quite a few Kino and NoShame releases. However, when a new wave of Criterions come out there's an immediate attraction -- I'll probably rent the ones I haven't seen and buy the ones I want to own. Talk of retail price is silly. With patience you can get just about all C's below $20. Kino's releases are just as expensive -- and usually for fewer supplemental materials. But I'm damn sure to own as many Buster Keatons and Harold Lloyds as I can afford. Criterion receives attention because of their reputation. Same as Kino. Same as NoShame, same as etc. Whether you agree with that rep is entirely up to you.

I do think there are people out there that collect Criterions just to collect them but calling this snobbery because they like the way they look on their shelf is quite short-sighted. As a compulsive collector of "stuff" I fall partially into that group (but that addiction encompasses more than just Criterions - I have all the Fox Film Noirs, for example, and I do not like them all. But I keep them because it's not worth it to me to discard the 2 that I don't particularly care for). However, when it comes to Criterions, I do not wish to own them all. I sell the ones of which I've tired and love the way they look on my shelf. I could care less whether anyone knows that I own them or even knows what they are. Most of my friends could care less and have probably never even heard of Fellini (although, I'm quite fond of nearly everything he's done).

The bottom line is: when I feel like watching a DVD but don't know what to watch I first go to my Criterion shelf. ...and the majority of my collection could probably still be called mainstream.

Why people to bicker over this issue, I still don't understand, as a thread like this surely comes along at least once a month. Everyone buys movies for their own personal reason, and that should be good enough. Does it matter what kind of movie it is? Some people buy CC's because they actually enjoy the movies; some buy them because they respect what Criterion does and are willing to give one of their movies a blind-buy shot; and some buy them purely because it says Criterion on the spine of the case. And who cares which reason it is? Ya'll are some silly ducks for fighting.