I don't really, but the excuses people make for refusing to move on are just ridiculous at this point. My in-laws are the same way. What I care about is that Criterion tried something, got complaints, tried something else, got more complaints, and just gave up and went back to separate releases entirely, which is a shame, because it's a poor business model, in my humble opinion.

You're right on both counts, but I don't care that much if they include a DVD or not. Yes, I personally prefer a Blu-ray only release, but honestly, the dual-format solution didn't stop me from buying titles, and it would have been their best move based on what they were trying to accomplish (pleasing everyone while maintaining their margins). They should have stuck to it, despite the complaints.

I'd like to see proof of this before thinking this was the case. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I don't think there are a high number of schools or libraries that really care about this content, and further, would have been overly vocal about it. I would love for Criterion to further explain their "a fairly large proportion of our audience has not made the leap to Blu-ray yet." statement, because they aren't saying if this meant actual lost sales, or just empty complains. Hell, I complained about the early packaging issues (cheap cardboard), but I still bought the damn titles I wanted.

I agree. I think Joe Blow down the street couldn't care less. If he sees one package available, that's what he'll buy.

Yeah, you're right. It just feels like they don't even know what their own business plan is any more, because they can't stick to a single structure for long enough. I think they let the empty complaints get to them. Sure, they probably saw a decrease in sales, but that doesn't mean it was tied directly to people refusing to buy the dual-format releases because there was a filthy Blu-ray in there. If anything, I'd just like to see more information on how and why Criterion made the decisions they made, because I don't think it's in their (OR their consumers') best interest to continue to pump out separate DVD and Blu-ray packages.

Criterion also cater to a very niche market, I'm sure they want to make sure that they don't possibly leave anyone out.

Yeah. They should have just stayed dual format. How many CC fans still get the DVDs as their prime source. For any released film since they went BD... getting a current CC DVD is pointless. Fuck those people. BD ain't expensive anymore. New releases sure but the rest not so much.

I personally am glad that they've gone back to separate releases. As many have stated, most of us have no need for the DVD and it just sits there, taking up space. For a one-disc release, it's not a huge deal. But then you look at stuff like Zatoichi that went from a 9 blu-ray set to a 27 disc dual format behemoth. The Tati set would have been about the same size as well if they were still doing dual-format.

As far as schools/libraries not caring, I'd have to disagree with you. This is hardly proof of anything, but I did a quick google search and here are a handful of schools with dedicated Criterion pages on their library catalog sites. These were all page 1 hits.

http://libraries.unl.edu/Criterion

http://www.library.txstate.edu/news-...n-Exhibit.html

http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/media/lists/criterion.php

http://guides.lib.washington.edu/con...81&sid=2106113

Here's another page 1 hit. It's a press release from Alexander Street Press (a distributor of digital content to libraries) announcing that they had secured the rights to provide Criterion titles to libraries via streaming.

http://alexanderstreet.com/press-roo...014-03-27/1341

Again, this is not proof of anything, but I'd bet that outside of classic/foreign film nerds, academic institutions and libraries are the only people buying these releases.

I'd agree that Criterion thought it was in their best interest to release films dual-format, but that obviously isn't the case. Otherwise they would not have abandoned the practice. And I certainly don't believe that they would make this change purely on the basis of a few internet complainers. People bitch on the internet all the time. Furthermore, the kind of person who cares enough to bitch on the internet is more than likely going to buy the releases anyways because ultimately what they care most about is the films themselves.

Jeeping fuck! I had no idea. I had to look it up on Blu-ray.com just to make sure you weren't joking or exaggerating for effect.

I don't mind a dual-format if they just throw an extra DVD in there for a single film, but that's friggin' ridiculous.

When most upgrader arguments seem to be "You're an untermensch if you don't upgrade," no wonder people are content to remain so-called Luddites.

"DVD users should be sent to the ovens and purged to make way for the master format." Yeah, great incentive.

Yeah, I might hold off on Zatoichi boxset in the hopes that they release a much smaller, BluRay-only version in the future.

I don't see anyone telling DVD owners that they're sub-human or deserve to die, but okay.

My point is simply that we're nearly a decade into Blu-ray. Prices are rock-bottom cheap. I just saw a player for $50, so that's actually 5% of the cost of the first players that came out in 2006. There's no reason not to buy a player (especially if you're the type of person buying movies on discs), since they're all backwards compatible anyway. Disc prices are pretty damn close, and I've even seen a few DVDs that cost more than their BD equivalent.

The only excuse is pure stubbornness, which I guess is how it is. People are free to do what they want. I figured Criterion would be the type of studio to make some bold moves in this market, but they're still a little too old-school.

You forget there's still a big population of people who don't even have an HDTV.
Plus there are people who want to play the movie in a few different places other than their HD-enabled living room (ie. kids rooms, mini-van entertainment system, cottage, etc.). Not everyone can afford to be HD-enabled at all the places they watch their movies. So stubbornness isn't the only reason.

The Zatoichi set is the only set I complain about being dual format. However, I don't see that even if it were just the nine discs in the set that it would fit on a regular shelf just because of the odd design of the box. Yes, the dvd makes the set thicker but the set itself is longer and oddly shaped in the first place. It is the only Criterion blu ray set that I have that doesn't reside on the shelf with other 150 Criterions bds that I own. All of the rest of the dual format releases sit just fine with me. I wish I had a dvd copy of El Norte without having to go buy another copy.

Yes! Tati set looks awesome!!!

But if it wasn't 27 discs, the box probably wouldn't have been designed as such. Luckily, I've got plenty of shelf space as well, so the dual-format stuff hasn't bothered me too much (other than being useless). I did have to move all of the stuff I haven't upgraded to blu yet to another area to avoid doing a complete reorganizing though. As of now, the Criterions take up almost 3 shelves that span the entire wall.

I still believe the box didn't need to be as long as they made it.

How do you guys organize your Criterions? Do you do it numerically by mixing and matching the clams with the digis? Or do you do them numerically by clams and then follow it up with the digis? I use the latter organizational method.

Here is mine and it is spoiled for size.


My Zatoichi set is stored elsewhere due to the previously mentioned size.

I just mix them in with my other blurays and organize them all alphabetically.

I'm not at home to post pics, but I can edit this later this afternoon.

I have mine sorted strictly by spine number, with dvds in one section, and blu-rays in another. As mentioned, I had to clear up some space (in order to avoid a complete re-org of my entire library), so I moved all the stuff I've yet to upgrade (a lot) to another section of the room. I'm at 540 titles right now between dvd and blu-ray.

My dvds are not even on this shelf and I actually do not have all of my Criterion dvds together in one place. I still look at Armageddon and The Rock and scratch my head as to why they were even released by Criterion.

I bet new addition day is a pain in the ass around your house.

All my Criterions are together and shelved numerically. DVDs and BDs are mixed together. If I upgrade a DVD, I just pull it out and slide the BD in its place.

I was just browsing some of my titles on Amazon and I came across this 2004 Criterion gift set.

I wonder what that cost back in the day?

Many of my DVDs are organized by director, so I would never keep all my Criterions together.

This. Except I've separated all of my Akira Kurosawa discs (Criterion or otherwise) and put them on their own shelf in an attempt to remind myself to watch the ones I haven't seen yet.

The price at the time was listed as $5250, but the MSRP was surely much higher.

Ok, OCD'ers, enough with your uber sexy ways of organization. I'm sure it drives the females crazy. Let's move on to something else.

Well, I mean, my wife did once get really frustrated, saying, "Dammit, Dan. Just tell me where the fuck I can find Dazed & Confused! It's not under the D's, so where the hell is it?!"

So, yes. Yes it does.

Kenny Powers alphabetizes his Criterions.