And if that is something they do pull, they will have fallen even farther down from the top than I already view them after dragging their feet about getting into UHD.

Wow. I remember some of those conversations from here. Ages ago. How far they've come. Well, not really, and they're still doing Blu-only (or Blu/DVD) on the majority of new releases. Considering that UHD genuinely is the "highest technical quality", one would think that they'd just release every new acquisition in that format and keep everyone happy. Alas . . . their feet still seem to be dragging. I feel for you UHD folks, but I can't deny that I'm satisfied with Blu-ray not only from Criterion but also from overseas.

I am satisfied with Blu too and I do buy Criterion Blu-rays. For me, it is more about the not being presented with the option when the option is seemingly available in another country. If, for instance, there wasn't already the French UHD announced, I honestly wouldn't have though twice about Criterion not offering a UHD option.

Criterion has been pretty open about the fact that they aren't going to release everything on 4k. Maybe that will change, but for now it's just the reality.

And them not playing the upgrade game has nothing to do with them being exalted, but rather everything to do with their history. There are no patterns of behavior that suggest they are going to turn around and announce a 4k set in the near future. That's not to say it won't happen, just that it would be outside of their usual m.o. Given the single UHD announcement for In the Mood For Love, I wonder if they'd split it the first film on it's own sometime down the road. The difference being that ITMFL already had it's own spine#.

So, was that pic of Kyle MacLachlan just shown because there is really good coffee at the Criterion headquarters?

Like I said, there's undoubtedly some method behind decisions like this. Just because a 4K release exists somewhere, Criterion must be weighing other factors when considering whether to do the same. And frankly, as amazing as the first INFERNAL AFFAIRS is to this day, the sequels are not, and the trilogy has been released many times over the years, in all regions. The French labels have also released a number of vintage non-action HK titles on Blu-ray -- including comedies, dramas, teen movies, social-conscience stuff -- that will probably never see the light of day from 88 Films, Eureka, Arrow, let alone Criterion. And most of it isn't Englsh-friendly. In that sense, they'll probably always be ahead of the curve (or perhaps creating the curve), and we'll have to make do, or learn French.

This is actually what I was picturing from the first time I posted about this release. And UHD folks will buy it. I know I probably sound cynical in these posts, but I really don't think Criterion would be acting with malice if they did release 4K versions down the road. I don't think they're wringing their hands, thinking of ways to literally keep milking their customers. In a way, many high-end home theatre enthusiasts will simply keep doing that to themselves, regardless (and as weird as that sounds).

I don't think there's a label on the planet that's putting out all their new releases in UHD (I guess you could argue Blue Underground is these days, but it's not apples-to-apples since they're exclusively reissuing anyway), so I don't blame Criterion for picking and choosing just like everyone else does. I do feel like Infernal Affairs hits some marks that something like Destry Rides Again or The Lady Eve don't: more mainstream, genre allure, and all that. I have a hard time thinking this would be a tough sell on Ultra HD Blu-ray. Maybe it's a juggling act so as to not push too many UHD titles at once, maybe it's just the timing of not thinking the market's there for a $100+ UHD set, maybe it comes down to licensing restrictions (that European labels aren't facing?), or maybe I'm way off and Criterion just doesn't think this'd be a decent seller on the format... I dunno.

That's what Koch is doing in Germany: just the first film on UHD BD.

The sequels don't, despite what the French may think of their worthiness on UHD, or how they package them to convince that crowd. That's where I think you're not way off in wondering if Criterion knows the full series won't be decent enough seller to justify a UHD set. In no way am I suggesting they're bad films, either. Just good but unnecessary ones, certainly not "Important" in the Criterion sense. They were purely made, back-to-back no less, to cash in on the box-office bonanza generated (especially domestically) by the first film -- common practise in HK like anywhere else -- and they fill in somewhat longwinded backstories and side-stories we don't really need to know. The first film is a great standalone piece, highly original with a perfect ending. The sequels/prequels are there if you want them, but they don't make Part 1 a richer experience. As such, had 88 Films or Arrow picked these up and released them on Blu-ray only with Kung Fu Bob covers as part of their dedicated Hong Kong lines, I doubt many would've been too upset. Criterion is held to different standards, of course, especially now that UHD is a part of their catalog, and especially if 4K discs as much as exist in other markets. In that sense, I wouldn't be surprised if Part 1 warrants a UHD down the road, as noted earlier, but I just don't see the point for the sequels. Hell, I'd wager that a lot of people buying this set haven't even seen the sequels!

I should watch Malcolm X at some point, but it's not something I'd rewatch often. Another no-buy month for me.

In The Mood for Love is only SDR by the way.

Is there a Criterion sale after the release date of Infernal Affairs? I don't keep up with when they have sales whether it's BN or from the Criterion site.

Yeah it's a little disappointing that they aren't releasing a 4K UHD set for Infernal Affairs, but I'm not going to lose sleep about it. I can still watch and enjoy it as an HD upgrade as I don't own it on BD. As I said before I currently own these 3 :




and I also have the edited 4-5 hour? version. And in addition I have 2 and 3 from Dragon Dynasty.

It will come out during the next B&N sale and should be $50.

The Barnes & Noble Criterion sales are in July and November each year.

In for X and Infernal for sure!

Whoa that trilogy is pricey.

Don’t get too thrown off by the price right now. Because it’s launching during the Barnes and Noble sale, it’ll only be $50 on day one.

Also $100 MSRP is about on par for a three-film set from Criterion.

Why does Criterion restore stuff in 4K and then not release a 4K version? Is it just so they can release a 4K down the road and sell Blu-ray copies now? Makes no sense to me.

Oversampling, for archival purposes, VOD/streaming, because "new 4K remaster" or "4K DCP" sounds good in marketing... Lotsa possibilities. Just like HD remasters were becoming common years and years before Blu-ray or HD DVD came to market, 4K scans (or, if less common at the time, full 4K remasters) were common long before Ultra HD Blu-ray. Even when Lee Kline was at his most "UHD BD is dumb, HDR is dumb too, and you're dumb for wanting it (unless you have a projector, then maybe, I guess)", 4K was still a regular part of their workflow.

Out of all the boutique labels the world over, no one's fully switched over to all-Ultra-HD-all-the-time (with an asterisk next to Blue Underground), and plenty still haven't even issued their first UHD titles, despite having their fair share of 4K scans/remasters too. The authoring and manufacturing costs still come at a significant premium. There isn't a market for every title in Ultra HD.

All the more reason why I find it humorous and exciting at the same time that Street Trash will be released on UHD.

Sometimes it feels like Blue Underground is only doing UHD to maintain some visibility in the marketplace. Seems like they've been coasting on their existing catalog for ages now, rather than acquiring new titles. Their site teases a UHD edition of QUIET DAYS IN CLICHY, another oldie of theirs. There's a demand for that?

Bill said in an interview a while back that he would be focusing on movies he owned outright (or at least didn’t have to worry about licenses expiring). That puts him in a better position to recoup his investment. Keeps him out of bidding wars with other labels. Doesn’t have to sweat making his money back in ____ years before a license is up for grabs again and his version is taken out of circulation.

And BU’s biggest sellers aren’t necessarily what we’d guess. The Final Countdown outsold Zombie, for instance. Goodbye Uncle Tom did crazy numbers, despite being…errrr…yeah.

There’s some Jess Franco on the way (supposedly two before the end of the year), and they tweeted a question or something a while back about 90s erotic thrillers. Trying to remember others… The Prowler is a possibility, but they’re looking for better elements. They were planning on Fire and Ice, but they couldn’t find the elements they’d hoped for.

Quiet Days in Clichy, for those adventurous few who love the film, should be pretty revelatory. They discovered the original camera negative, while all previous releases were many generations removed from the OCN. A release print, even!

The following movies will be getting Criterion releases in November 2022:



Originally from https://www.reddit.com/r/boutiqueblu...rion_releases/

^I still can’t get over how bland that Malcolm X cover is. The famous photo of armed-Malcolm protecting his home, which was re-created for the film, would have been more ideal (And would have been a better side-by-side companion with Criterion’s fellow Dorm-room poster for Che)

I'll concur how bland that cover is but I guess they want casual sales from Denzel fans.