Pretty sure Criterion have already released 3 disc sets in the scanovo cases in the dying days of dual format. L'Eclisse sticks out in my mind as one such release.

And how many 3 disc sets will they even be putting out? It's these sorts of conversations that have helped to prevent Criterion from going down this road until now. These conversations don't seem to ever happen with any other label. At least not to the extent that they do with Criterion.

Finally. By the time they release them, it will have been almost 6 years after the first UHD-BD titles were released.

I'm just surprised that none of the 6 films they're releasing already have 4k releases - at least not in Criterion's home region.
And none of the titles are really all that obscure. I suspect Criterion realizes that a niche within a niche needs to be as big a niche as possible to make money.

I'm ready to laugh my ass off when I see how ridiculously expensive these are in Canada. Most Criterion BDs hover around the $39 for single titles, but some are in the $50-$60 range.
I can see these starting off at $49 CAD.

...which is in-step with how nearly all boutiques in the U.S. have been approaching their UHD releases. Vinegar Syndrome is the only real exception. Everything else has been very recognizable titles (or at least big in genre circles; Blue Underground's slate isn't peppered with titles that are household names, but they're all proven sellers). KL Studio Classics has said that even many very well-known, universally beloved classics wouldn't be viable on UHD BD (specifically referencing movies like To Kill a Mockingbird), and...yeah, I get it.

Beyond these announcements, I'd die a happy man if we could just get This Is Spinal Trap and a few more Powell & Pressburger. Everything else is gravy.

Close!

I’ll gladly double dip on the P&P moves if they go 4K. Spinal Tap would be awesome if they could get the rights again. I have a UK release with a great hour documentary and some extras that were never released on any US version.

George: “Well, that really seems like a lot of work.”

I might have that one -- my edition came with the mini-amp that goes to 11 and it fucking works! The outer collector's box was flimsy as hell, though.

Curious about the cases and prices. No interest in this first wave. Interesting selection.

I hope this announcement has absolutely nothing to do with their regularly scheduled title announcements on the 15th.

Other than you liking the movie and wanting to own another special edition of it for collecting purposes, in what way would Spinal Tap benefit from a 4K release?

The Criterion version has a straight up cast commentary that hasn't been available anywhere for 20 years. It was replaced with an in-character jokey commentary on every non-Criterion release since.

It's had a 4k restoration in recent years and the Blu ray was an early bd with sub optimal compression. It's 16mm, so it's grainy as heck and new scan + better encode would do wonders. The DVD was also missing the burnt in titles. Honestly can't remember if the bd fixed that or not, but if not, add that to the list.

Gotcha. These seem like fixes that would work just as well on a standard Blu-ray reissue.

The more 4K discs I watch of older movies, the more I feel that the format often only serves to exaggerate film grain well beyond anything the original filmmakers wanted you to see. A lot of titles go way past the point of resolving real picture detail, and show practically every particle on the emulsion. ​​​​​​And that's with 35mm. A 16mm production like Spinal Tap has next to nothing on the camera negative worth 4K scrutiny.

The original Evil Dead movies were shot on 16mm and look better in 4K. I’d personally love to have it along with the extras from the previous US and UK releases. The cast commentary on the DVD was great, and the commentary where they talk as the band was good but to a lesser extent. It would be a very good 4K Criterion offering.

Shocked that if criterion had plans to go 4K all along, that they would let silence of the lambs slip through their fingers and let Kino get the rights. I hope criterion can return the favor by getting the rights to release Lost highway in 4K.

The Criterion also has deleted scenes on it that aren't on the other editions. And the other editions have deleted scenes that aren't on the Criterion, though there is some overlap.

Wouldn't mind having a kitchen sink edition that has all of the stuff from all editions, and any other deleted scenes that aren't available elsewhere.

There's also that 3 hour version that has every scene in it.

So what will be the first Wes Anderson title to to 4K, Isle of Dogs?

^ That is what I would expect.
Similarly, I think the first Malick will be A Hidden Life.

A Terrence Malick box set would bring tears to my eyes. Every film including a disc with multiple cuts of Voyage of Time.

I’ve seen some rumors floating around about another possible HK set getting announced soon.

Malick is a lock at some point, even if it's just a few individual releases. I'm not sure how extensive a box set could be, especially with Paramount "taking back" Days of Heaven.

Still haven't seen this and Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of my most watched discs ever (not even joking).
If Isle of Dogs is any good, I'd love to make it my first Criterion 4K.

about that...

It's.. fine. Probably the weakest film of his, but not outright bad or anything. Hell, you may even dig it more than some of the others. Probably worth a 4K digital rental first, maybe...