Holy Smokes - November Criterion! (1 Viewer)

[Jim_K]

Criterion really needs to take a step into the 21st century and start releasing in High Def.

"The Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, is dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. "

Either that or I think Criterion needs to revise their mission statement as it doesn't exactly hold true anymore.

I'd upgrade my Lady Vanishes but not on SD. I just can't justify spending $30 to $40 for the low resolution image of standard DVD.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Criterion will release on high def when they can sell more than 100 copies on high def. Criterion on HD/BD is simply not financially viable for the foreseeable future.

 

[Jim_K]

Depends on the title. Something like the Fassbinder set probably won't sell all that much (would it even sell over 100 copies on SD? ) but something like their Brazil set probably would do very well.

Nothing wrong with testing the market. Tartan can release Seventh Seal in HD and make it viable why can't Criterion? If an independent like Starz/Anchor Bay can release 4 of their biggest titles to BD to test the market, why can't Criterion?

If they weren't so backwater timid they'd test the market.

 

[Adam_S]

shame the new Lady Vanishes transfer is marred by being windowboxed...

 

[Patrick McCart]

The Lady Vanishes is my favorite of the British Hitchcock films I've seen, so I'm glad they're going all out on a new edition. The extra film seems to be a fun extra. I hope they can eventually get more Hitchcock in the future (especially Blackmail and The Lodger).

While I'm not that familiar with Berlin Alexanderplatz, that's neat that they're also including the 1931 movie. Criterion seems to be great at throwing in the kitchen sink.

 

[Jeff Newcomb]

Starz/Anchor Bay isn't exactly an "independent." It is a division of Liberty Media, a 15,000-employee corporation worth nearly nine billion dollars. The can afford to "test the market."

Criterion, on the other hand, is a privately held company owned by three people with around 40 employees. Testing the market could amount to financial suicide for them.

 

[Jim_K]

 

[Marc Colella]

I don't think I've ever heard "Criterion" and "mass market" in the same sentence before.

Only a slight change to the mission statement is needed:

"The Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, is dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in DVD editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements."

 

[Jim_K]

Well I struggled a bit with choosing "mass market", my first choice was "catering to the lowest common denominator" (which was doubly aimed at their windowboxing policy) but I figured that would be too abrasive.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Criterion would probably do really well with the wider audience recent films like Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, The Rock, and Armageddon. F&L is their top seller on regular DVD. Maybe other "newer" films like Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, Chasing Amy, and The Life Aquatic. Even a title like Seven Samurai isn't going to make a lot of money now. Apparently, not even Warner's ultimate HD-DVD of Casablanca is making a lot of money. So, you can count out anything slightly obscure or older. It doesn't help that most people believe anything made before the 1980s won't look good on HD formats.

Even if they did put out some titles, I'm fairly sure they would be expensive. Anyone up for paying $100 for Seven Samurai or $300 for Berlin Alexanderplatz?

 

[Dale MA]

I can't wait for the new Lady Vanishes DVD, but I'm sick to death reading about HD in the Film and Documentary area, sheesh!

Makes me glad I'm not buying into HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, as they seem to turn you into a right moaner! (Joking, of course!)

 

[Jim_K]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm sick and tired of every time the HD format gets mentioned around here people frantically wring their hands and get their panties all bunched up. Look out!!....your precious DVD collections are in danger........ the HD boogyman is out to get you all! (Joking of course! )

 

[Dale MA]

Jim, both HD formats are still niche, so obviously you're not going to get HD versions of everything coming out on DVD -- it's going to take time for some of these titles to filter through to HD, but I'm sure that you'll eventually get The Lady Vanishes in 1080p.

Personally, I love all this HD technology, it means people who want HD can get it, and people who want standard def DVD can get that also -- my 50" HD plasma and up-converting DVD player are all I need.

I like to think that everyone is happy... and then I see posts like yours. Let's face it, now is probably the best time ever to be a movie fan, I mean it's incredible what we can now pick and choose from.

Anyway, back to the real topic. I wouldn't mind double dipping on a new edition of The 39 Steps, however it would be REALLY great if Criterion could release some of Hitch's other works, such as The Lodger and also re-release Rebecca and Spellbound.

 

[Patrick McCart]

As it stands right now, I could replace 25 of the 334 releases in my collection by the end of 2007. I'll get worried when silent films come out on BluRay.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Two smaller companies that are on the same level as Criterion has stated that it would be suicide for them to release a single title to HD due to the low sales numbers and the fact that they don't deal in mainstream material.

 

[Jeff Newcomb]

This is another problem with the idea of Criterion releasing films on HD formats. They do not own the rights to any of the films listed above (or the aforementioned Brazil). Those are all Universal and Disney films. They licensed the rights to them for release on DVD. They would likely have to negotiate new licensing agreements to get these films out on another format, and their profit margin isn't nearly as high on licensed titles. If Criterion ever did release a title on an HD format, it would likely be something owned by Janus.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Ronbo's announcement thread contained this at the bottom of the Criterion press release.



Can you really refuse to sell a title in particular Canadian provences?

 

[TravisR]

Just a guess but maybe if there isn't a French language track or French subtitles, stores in French speaking Canada don't want to sell it?

 

[Marc Colella]

Criterion can let the major studios release these films on HD for all I care. Hell, F&L is already available on HD-DVD. I want Criterion to dedicate themselves to foreign and smaller independant films - the ones that wouldn't get any worthwhile attention by the major studios.

Unfortunately the typical Criterion release caters to a niche market, and HD releases would be a subset of that niche market (a niche of a niche) - so it would be pretty damn small. Cinephiles are more interested in the film than the technology so they wont rush to HD so quickly - which makes this market even smaller for the next few years. I'm not even sure Criterion will jump to HD even in the next couple years. I'm in for a long wait I suspect.

 

[Jim_K]

Synapse is hardly on the same playing field with Criterion. C'mon....That's like comparing the Weinstein studio with Warner.........yeah technically they're both major studios but not really. I don't even think they have HD masters of their films to start with. The second is what Blue Underground? A company that is constantly on the verge of bankruptcy and can't get their product into major outlets. They're right, HD would be suicide for BU.