Criterion Discs (1 Viewer)

[Steve_Knutzen]

I just had a few questions about the Criterion Collection's DVDs. First off is there any chance that they will be able to port their Halloween or Bram Stoker's Dracula Lasers to DVD or should I try to find a cheap LD player and the Lasers on e-bay? And how come the Life of Brian disc is still $30? I'm not complaining I was just wondering if there might be a price cut.

Any input is appreciated.

 

[rutger_s]

No, on Halloween & Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Halloween was licensed to Criterion and the only truly notable supplement is the audio commentary track. Anchor Bay has released the original theatrical version with a new documentary and the extended television version(with all violence and nudidity intact) on DVD.

Bram Stoker's Dracula is being handled by Zoetrope Studios for Columbia Tri-Star Home Entertainment. This third release will be the long awaited special edition.

And Criterion rarely cuts prices due to their business models. The only time a Criterion title gets a price cut if if the distribution is handled by another party.

 

[Steve_Knutzen]

Thanks Rutger. Does Criterion own the rights to the commentary tracks for all their movies?

 

[rutger_s]

If Criterion paid for the recording sessions then they own them. If another party paid for the recording sessions then that respective party owns them.

Paul Thomas Anderson paid for the commentary sessions for the Boogie Nights Criterion laserdisc and so he was able to port it ove to the Boogie Nights: Double Platinum Series DVD.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment paid for the commentary sessions for Armageddon: Criterion and so they were able to allow BV International Home Video the rights to use these commentaries on the R2 special edition DVD release.

 

[Veli-Matti Reitti]

At dvdplanet.com the Life of Brian CC is "only" $25.97. IMO that's a bargain for such a magnificent DVD.

 

[andrew markworthy]

If it's of interest, some Criterion extras have appeared on R2 releases of the same titles (e.g. Armaggedon and the forthcoming The Rock), and some of the Criterion remasters have appeared without much fanfare on (cheaper) R2 releases.

BTW, if you're wondering about the price, the Criterion Life of Brian has a lot of extras.

 

[Jon Robertson]

The BFI disc of The Hidden Fortress utilises the same restored high-def master as the Criterion (though different, far more appropriate subtitles - these are fairly large, non-optional and surrounded by a shaded box), and the HMV exclusive disc of Chasing Amy is a direct port of the R1 disc.

Several, though not all, of Criterion's extras on The Third Man are on Warner's R2 disc, but the transfer is noticeably inferior.

Anchor Bay's disc of Mona Lisa features an anamorphic transfer and the same commentary track as the Criterion but adds some more extra features (video interviews with Neil Jordan & Bob Hoskins, old television appearance of Nat King Cole singing "Mona Lisa", photo gallery) into the brew.

Criterion licenced Columbia-Tristar their Gilliam/Jones director commentary track for the Monty Python and the Holy Grail 2-disc in exchange for, it is believed, Bottle Rocket.

It seems Criterion are perfectly willing to licence material to non-R1 companies, which bodes well for HKL's upcoming editon of The Killer, if they can get the John Woo/Terence Chang track on there.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

Halloween was licensed to Criterion and the only truly notable supplement is the audio commentary track. Anchor Bay has released the original theatrical version with a new documentary and the extended television version(with all violence and nudidity intact) on DVD.

The Criterion CAV set that includes the commentary also includes the additional TV scenes (in full frame, as they would have appeared on TV) at the end of each side so that you can 'program' them back into the theatrical version.

It also includes the classic episode of Sneak Previews where Siskel and Ebert trash the slasher film genre while heaping praise on Halloween, and also a really neat still-frame text & picture history of slasher films.

It's a great set. I paid full price for it back when it was originally released, which was something like $79 CDN, and it was worth every penny.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

Forgot to mention, the very best reasons to pick up a used LD player and start collecting LDs are the over 300 titles from the Criterion Collection, many of which will not be issued in the same way on DVD.

The spine numbers went up to 384, but I believe that some numbers were reserved for titles that were never produced. Also, many titles were released twice, as a CAV disc loaded with extras and then again as a CLV disc with either no extras or fewer extras (or in the case of Lawrence of Arabia, different extras). Usually they'd share a number: LoA CAV was spine number 78, and LoA CLV was 78A.

In the case of Halloween, the single CLV disc has no extras. Make sure you're getting the two-disc CAV set. Bram Stoker's Dracula was only issued as a CLV/CAV set with extras, so you can't go wrong shopping for that one.