Criterion announces first Blu-ray titles

yup, it's such a privilege to give them our money, nothing like HTF for bringing up the "high prices are great!" rationalization.  I'm definitely the sort who values DVDs more if fewer people can buy them. :-/ 

Good to hear, since I just ordered it today for $19.99 from Barnes and Noble.  If any of you haven't heard, all Criterion titles (including box sets and blu-rays) are 50% off, which makes most single releases $19.99:

http://video.barnesandnoble.com/u/DVD-The-Criterion-Collection-of-Special-Edition-DVDs/379000756/?cds2Pid=16444&afsrc=1&lkid=J28402286&pubid=K44150

I was going to check that and the Amazon sale out.  It is payday and I have a few extra $$$ to buy some movies.

I think what may be frustrating people is that Criterion's very consumer friendly policy of charging the same price for the DVD and Blu-ray only lasted for about 3/4 of a year and now there's already a price increase. Plus, it doesn't help that this price increase is coming on the heels of the Warners' tremendously unpopular decision to release expensive box sets of their classics and Touchstone/Disney's laughably high price increase on their new releases.

Criterion has never done holiday-themed releases like that.  There were no horror movies in October 2007 or October 2008 either.

As for the price increase, it could be a mistake.  Wouldn't be the first time they made an error in their initial postings of new announcements.  But it's probably the real deal.  While I can't say I'm jumping for joy over it, it's not going to affect my buying decisions either way.

Wings of Desire

Too bad Z isn't getting a Blu-ray release too, but you can't win 'em all.

It is disappointing that the price appears to be higher for BDs now than the DVD counterparts. But the realist in me has always known that Criterion pricing their BDs the same as their DVDs was bad business. It was *shocking* news when they said that would be their strategy, as everyone had expected a slightly higher price. And now with the economy in the toilet every company is trying to figure out their business model. If it's a quality product I'll pay for it - and I'm by no means some inordinately wealthy individual - and from my experience Criterion's BD releases are the best in the business,

On the other hand, there have been MSRP mistakes in the past on Criterion's website, especially in the first 48 hrs after new titles are added, so there's a chance they'll be $39.95 instead of $49.95.

And of course, nobody gives Criterion credit for when it goes the other way, such as for the Complete Monterey Pop Festival: $79.95 on DVD, $69.95 on BD.


Edited by Brandon Conway - 7/17/2009 at 07:42 am GMT
Edited by Brandon Conway - 7/17/2009 at 07:57 am GMT
Edited by Brandon Conway - 7/17/2009 at 07:58 am GMT

Never?  Really?

Kwaidan - release date 10/10/00
Sisters - release date 10/3/00
Haxan - release date 10/16/01
Devil and Daniel Webster - release date 9/30/03 (close enough)
Eyes Without a Face - release date 10/19/04

While they're far from being consistent the past several years (partly because they just don't release many horror themed titles at all) and unlike other companies aren't stringent upon only releasing these types of films in the Sept/Oct timeframe(i.e. Vampyre in July 08, Monsters and Madmen Jan 07), the timing of the releases above are hardly coincidental.



Well Criterion has always gotten a free pass for charging a premium price (over and above other specialty labels) so the rationalizations aren't surprising to me.  If anything they should be lowering the $40 SRP on their standard def releases but their most reliable customers enjoy paying more so they've got to keep 'em happy.

Sure the licencing aspect adds to the cost, but lets face it most of the extra cost is just for the "Criterion" label. 

 The last figure I read (IIRC this was in a post from the Bits Jeff Kleist over on the Blu-ray.com forum), production costs on Blu-ray- for a plain old vanilla disc, no fancy next gen content, just basic features and naviagation- are still five times compared to publishing on sd DVD.

Not a surprise they are going to be jacking the price up. The market is probably too small for most of these even on sd, so there doesn't seem like there is much room to leverage cost anywhere.

Criterion's Eclipse line is excellent value for money, especially considering that Warner Archive charges double without making new transfers. Eclipse makes new transfers, often including subtitles, yet the discs cost half what Warner Archive charges.

With the possible exception of Kwaidan & Sisters, yes, they are coincidental (unless you can provide some kind of promotional material that says "Buy THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER... just in time for Halloween!").  There are several other horror and horror-themed films that they released in months other than October.

I wonder if Criterion was getting a subsidy from the Blu-Ray group that has now ended and now they have to raise prices to offset the increased cost.

Just to let you guys know, the Howards End Blu-ray is up at amazon for $29.99, so you might want to preorder before the price increases

http://www.amazon.com/Howards-End-Blu-ray-Anthony-Hopkins/dp/B001P829O6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1247845311&sr=8-1

http://www.criterion.com now shows the prices at $39.95...

So, it ends up being the typical misinformation that often occurs in the first 48 hrs of the new titles going up on the website. I hope everyone is calm now.

What a relief.   I look forward to purchasing all three titles.

Yes good news indeed.  The person responsible for this mishap should be castrated.  

Now if only they'd start releasing some films I want to own.......... 

Agree Simon,

Eclipse is a value, and I certainly don't feel like I was sodomized like I do after buying a Criterion DVD.

However anything is a value when stacked up to a Warner Archive (considering what you get for your money)

it occurs to me that Cronos may still be coming in October, but that it may receive a special announcement ala Benjamin Button.

I imagine Che will also get a special announcement treatment for it's November or December release.

...and yet you keep buying them.  Such is the glory of Criterion!  :D

Absolutely - however most I bought when heavily discounted at over 40% off.  They offer titles I can't get anywhere else (but that's no different than several other specialty labels Kino, Anchor Bay, Blue Underground, Animiego, etc, etc) so why wouldn't I buy the titles I want to own?

All that doesn't change the fact that their SD titles are obscenely overpriced, especially in the HD era.

I do admire the effectiveness of their Marketing strategy.  The fancy artwork, the spine numbering, the illusion of elitism.  What other specialty label has an army of loyal fan-boys?  It's quite an accomplishment.

And their reputation basically stems from the Laser Disc era. Personally, I'm not particularly thrilled about the quality of their DVD's.
Granted: they're commonly good, above average. But not superb, sometimes I find the image on a DVD of theirs a tad soft.


(I bought a lot of their DVD's, though, mainly because it was the only way to get certain wanted titles.)

L.

Oops!  Double-posted -- thought I could maybe add a quote in my edit, but guess not.

_Man_
 

Good to hear it was just a pricing mistake.


That's a bit extreme, no?

_Man_

if u've been paying attention to amazon prices, Criterion titles can be had for $15-20 range =).

So, theoretically we'll get info on the November releases on either Friday or Monday. Any guesses? They've confirmed that they are working on the following titles for Blu-ray that have yet to be announced:

Gimme Shelter
Walkabout

So I guess either of these is possible. Other re-issues that they've confirmed for DVD re-release but not BD that could logically see a BD release are:

Diabolique
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Rashomon

Nor would I be surprised to see BD only upgrades for any of the following, since they already got DVD re-releases:

Amarcord
Beauty and the Beast
Brazil
Cleo from 5 to 7
High & Low
The Lady Vanishes
M
Seven Samurai
Vagabond
Yojimbo/Sanjuro

And if the BCI UK release is any indication, they may be prepping a re-release and BD of The Red Shoes.

Maybe a Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums or The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou BD to cross promote with Fantastic Mr. Fox?

They also have announced that they are working on a few films that would be new to the collection, but would be "big" enough to get a BD release:

Che
Cronos
Revanche

Thoughts?

Boy, I'd love to see an BD release of LOLA MONTEZ.  Across the pond it only was issued in HD and I really think the new restoration deserves high definition.  Fingers crossed!!

I'm still waiting (vainly, I'm sure) for the announced BD of The Spy Who Came In from the Cold.

additionally Chasing Amy seems likely for a bluray reissue this fall.

 Since it is the one I've been patiently waiting more than a year already for, I think we can safely say Walkabout will NOT be one of November's titles.

Unfortunately, one has gotta think that since the DVD release came after the Criterion released some BDs that the odds are fairly low.



From what I've heard Buena Vista is gonna simply release it themselves rather than going through Criterion. So the content should be identical.