Kerborus

For being the absolute BEST at releasing classic and cool movies in the best presentation, with the best quality, best features and best foreign films, etc. they have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE when it comes to packaging their movies up.

I have hated this for years, but it just keeps getting worse. I think there are about 16 different packaging sizes for their library - the worst ever being the Zatoichi series which may as well have come in a treasure chest, as it has no hopes of fitting anywhere near the other movies in my collection.

So, we have DVD packaging, blu packaging, paper blu packaging, that ridiculous holiday card Godzilla packaging, all of those oversized but different paper box sets (here's looking at you BBS set), etc. It's like they invent new non-standard, fragile packaging to torment me.

Why can't we have the option to purchase just the artwork (or even print the artwork ourselves) and buy the cases that Criterion already sells to those that want them? This is the absolute worst part of collecting their movies. I don't understand why they wouldn't want their movies to appear uniform on the shelf. Or how about releasing the hardcovers in a paper slip case? The slip case can then fold like origami or whatever the fuck they want it to do to appeal to the douchebags that like gags with their movies.

Now, a new dagger - the combination of movies. Grey Gardens, blu ray, now has a 'now with more Beales' - Includes the Beales of Grey Gardens!. So apparently, that spine number just *poof* disappears. They've always screwed up the spines anyway, so I guess that's just another thing to deal with for this OCD collector.

smurr05

Dude no offense BUT I think you need a Valium or two!

Kerborus

I know, I know... I'm crazy but a serious collector!

smurr05

I definitely hear you on that Bro-

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

Counterpoint: Armageddon. A film so awful that even Michael Bay admits it's crap.

Robocop. Have to look elsewhere for the unedited version.

Equinox. Now there's a fine, fine film.

They have their fair share of duds.

hanshotfirst1138

But when I take the Valium, it makes the voices go away and I don't have anyone intelligent to talk to!

smurr05

BUT, That's what DVD's were made for ...NO???

flansered

Isn't this set designed to either sit on one side at blu-ray height, and be rotated to sit on another side and be dvd height? I seem to remember Criterion mentioning that before it came out.

Ash Ketchum

I would love to get the Zatoichi set, but I have so many of them already, it seems wasteful to pay $234 (the price at Barnes & Noble when I went there last week) for it, even if it DOES free up some shelf space (esp. since half my Zatoichis are the old VHS editions).

shadokitty

I too would love the Zatoichi set as I don't have any of them. I just can't afford that kind of money right now.

smurr05

SOOOO glad I got the Zatoichi set at the B&N 50% off sale for $115.00 shipped. It is a great set and does fit on my Criterion shelf just fine!

Jory

All of my Criterions come with pretty standard cases, like this:



The only exception is Godzilla, which comes in this crazy pop-up case:



But even that has a standard disc tray, and it's done with a bit of class.

I don't have the Zatoichi set, but watching a YouTube unboxing, it doesn't look too bad. Reminds me of the Alien Anthology set, which is a book with thick pages with the discs secured in a recessed area. Compare that to the fucking awful Universal Classic Monsters set I recently bought, which is a disaster of unsecured discs flopping around and getting scratched and scuffed. The Zatoichi set doesn't look too big, either. The Monty Python and Three Stooges sets I've got are both larger, and neither of them seem unreasonably big to me.

As for Armageddon, I'm still having trouble believing that someone at Criterion thought it was even remotely worthy of adding to their collection. The Rock also got a release from them. If the Library of America ever publishes Twilight, it'll be no less ridiculous.

flansered

You can make an arguement that Michael Bay has a unique style that is identifiable to him, like Kurosawa or any of the other auteur directors. He just prefers to make dumb, loud action movies.

hanshotfirst1138

I think Michael Bay is an auteur and an artist, I just think he makes stupid, vulgar, bad art, the aesthetic value of which is disputable.

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

I liked The Rock and absolutely hated Armageddon. I'm sure there's a reason Criterion released it but I can only assume it involved pod people or mind slugs.

MTRodaba2468

The issue with Grey Gardens/Beales of Grey Gardens isn't the first time this has been done. It was also done with The Seventh Seal/Bergman Island.

But anyway, I really don't see the issue with the different styles of cases, although I should state that I've never been one to want my cases to all look uniform on the shelf. I like variety.

hanshotfirst1138

I think it had a lot more to do with Michael Bay and money, let's be honest, Criterion cater to a niche audience, I'm sure the idea of a release which might actually make them some money held appeal.

weallwantsome1

flansered

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Here is the Zatoichi set with a Criterion blu-ray and dvd. Like I said the left side is the same length as a blu-ray, and the front's length is the same as a dvd. So it could sit on a shelf with the rest of your CC discs if you wanted it too. Mine is sitting on the top of a shelf with other odd sized cases like the Blade Runner briefcase and the Lawrence of Arabia set.

ororama

When I went to pick up the Zatoichi set the day after Thanksgiving, it was the only time during the last Barnes and Noble Criterion sale (or since) that I was refused use of a coupon. I immediately went to their nearest store (about 7 miles away) and had no problem using the coupon ($225 with 50 % off, 10 % membership discount and a 30% coupon works out to 31.5 % of list price plus tax). My guess is that you will find a local store that has it during the next sale. There is a lot of interest in it on this forum, but most people in the real world aren't looking to spend that kind of money on a Japanese movie series that they have never heard of.

I haven't started watching it yet, and will probably have to wait for an appropriate challenge. I am curious whether The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (Zatoichi 2) is as dark as the Home Vision Entertainment DVD was. It seemed that most of the daytime scenes looked like they were shot day for night.

flansered

I got it during the 50% off sale. The $101.25 after the 50% off + the 10% off for B&N members, then the cashier applied a 20% off coupon I got off the website ($81), the $8 off any dvd or blu-ray priced $39.99 or higher coupon ($73), and the $5 off any purchase over $50 coupon ($68). I know that I only got it for that price due to the cashier being super cool about the coupons, and if it was any of the other employees I would of been denied all but the first coupon. I think that some of the people on bluray.com got it for cheaper.

And of course I haven't started watching it yet, or most of the other CC titles that I got during the sale.

Upper pylon 3

I have never bought a Criterion DVD before but I am interested in the It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World release. Problem is, I'm not a Blu person and since this is a 5 disc set containing both the dvds and Blu rays, I was wondering, is there any chance that they will release a separate set with just the dvd's at a lower price point? Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread away from packaging, but thought I'd ask.

The Questyen

They are no longer releasing separate editions of their movies. Everything will be dual pack. It wasn't cost effective for them to keep doing that.

boc4ever

The Criterion for Robocop is unedited, in the director approved 1:66 ratio, but non anamorphic.

izatright

I came across this in a FAQ purported to have been written by Criterion some time ago:

Q: Since Criterion is supposed to release "important films," why did Criterion release Armageddon?

A: Criterion makes every effort to represent every genre in its releases. Armageddon is considered to fulfill the "big-budget summer blockbuster" genre.