Criterion Press Release: Dressed To Kill (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

You're welcome! I'm sure you're right that the first pressings shouldn't make it to stores, but I figured I should post just so people can make sure before they break the shrinkwrap!

I'm sure you're not supposed to sell off review copies on eBay but I bet some Criterion collectors would pay quite a bit of dough to get the first (albeit screwed up) printing.

 

[Derrick King]

That pic shows the shrinkwrap on the 2nd pressing but not the 1st, I don't think.


I don't still have the shrinkwrap for the 1st pressing, but I can say that without the shrinkwrap, the two releases look 100% identical except for the "First Pressing"/"Second Pressing" blurbs.

Yes. It looks like the second pressing, like the corrected ERASERHEAD, has a sticker over the UPC. So, with the shrinkwrap on it is easy to tell them apart.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I'm sure you're not supposed to sell off review copies on eBay but I bet some Criterion collectors would pay quite a bit of dough to get the first (albeit screwed up) printing.

My copy is for sale. Here are my terms:

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Yes. It looks like the second pressing, like the corrected ERASERHEAD, has a sticker over the UPC. So, with the shrinkwrap on it is easy to tell them apart.

Well, at least the info will help those who buy used copies!

 

[Will Krupp]

So I watched it last night and absolutely loved it! I actually liked the Criterion transfer far more than I thought I would. Without switching back and forth between screen caps to emphasize the color differences, I though it looked wonderfully natural and very "1980."


The overly cold "Green" look the screen caps suggest (again, comparing them side by side) isn't nearly as obvious or as obtrusive as those caps would lead us to believe.


The ONLY section that bothered me in terms of look, and this is purely personal and in no way indicates anything other than my own preference, was the subway scene (both on the platform and in the car itself) as it felt way too hazy bright and Nancy Allen's purple dress seemed overly pumped and "odd" somehow. It's a minor quibble though and everything else looked so detailed and film-like and "right" that it's easy to overlook.


I haven't had the chance to go through any of the extras yet but I'm really glad I pulled the trigger and double dipped on this one, and I'm glad they pushed the street date back to get it right.

 

[CraigF]

...I'm really glad I pulled the trigger and double dipped on this one...

What was the double dip, Arrow/MGM BD or did you mean an older DVD? (I have the Arrow BD and am pondering another dip myself.)

 

[ahollis]

So I watched it last night and absolutely loved it! I actually liked the Criterion transfer far more than I thought I would. Without switching back and forth between screen caps to emphasize the color differences, I though it looked wonderfully natural and very "1980."

The overly cold "Green" look the screen caps suggest (again, comparing them side by side) isn't nearly as obvious or as obtrusive as those caps would lead us to believe.

The ONLY section that bothered me in terms of look, and this is purely personal and in no way indicates anything other than my own preference, was the subway scene (both on the platform and in the car itself) as it felt way too hazy bright and Nancy Allen's purple dress seemed overly pumped and "odd" somehow. It's a minor quibble though and everything else looked so detailed and film-like and "right" that it's easy to overlook.

I haven't had the chance to go through any of the extras yet but I'm really glad I pulled the trigger and double dipped on this one, and I'm glad they pushed the street date back to get it right.

I was just going to message you to see if you have seen this. As I said at dinner, I was going to wait for reviews. This is the review I needed to pull the trigger. Thanks.

 

[Will Krupp]

I was just going to message you to see if you have seen this. As I said at dinner, I was going to wait for reviews. This is the review I needed to pull the trigger. Thanks.

Allen, it's really worth it. It looks fantastic!

What was the double dip, Arrow/MGM BD or did you mean an older DVD? (I have the Arrow BD and am pondering another dip myself.)

Craig, I have the MGM BD (which I was perfectly happy with) but this one is worth the upgrade, IMO

 

[Erik_H]

I watched the Criterion Blu-Ray last night and thought it looked very good, and an improvement over the MGM Blu-Ray. Good supplements, including new interviews with Nancy Allen and others.


Semi-related side note. I was at a performance of "Hamilton" in NYC last Saturday night. During intermission, I passed by an elderly gentleman with a familiar Cockney accent chatting with one of the ushers. It was Michael Caine (who looked terrific).

 

[Worth]

Scanned through this last night, and I echo the comments about the Criterion being superior to the MGM disc. I've never seen this theatrically, so I can't say for certain which is correct, but the look of the Criterion seems much more era-appropriate than the MGM. And the audio is superior - the original mono beats the remix hands down.

 

[Bob Cashill]

Hmm, just got my DRESSED TO KILL Blu from Amazon. It reads: "First printing 2015." I assume this is the incorrect disc? And if so--how do I get a corrected one (Amazon, sigh), and how much do you think I'll net from eBay with this one?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Hmm, just got my DRESSED TO KILL Blu from Amazon. It reads: "First printing 2015." I assume this is the incorrect disc? And if so--how do I get a corrected one (Amazon, sigh), and how much do you think I'll net from eBay with this one?

From Criterion's webpage:

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/3646-dressed-to-kill-alternate-discs



Update, 8/6/15: Good news, everyone. The Dressed to Kill street date is moving to September 8. Thanks to the concerns of our customers and the efforts of reviewers at websites like DVDBeaver.com who helped point out the problems with the release early, we were able to make the fix before the bulk of orders had shipped. We will, of course, replace any faulty copies that may find their way into circulation, but we are working to ensure that all customers, including those who have placed preorders, and all major retailers will have corrected product in time for the new street date. To be certain that you have the correct version, look for the words “Second printing” on the back of the package and on the disc.

Original post, 8/4/15: In our haste to respond to customer concerns about the anamorphic compression on our release of Dressed to Kill, we posted incorrectly that the change had been made at the behest of the director. Brian De Palma did ask for a change to the geometry of the scan, but it was to address the distortion he saw in the image, not to apply it. Unfortunately, that change was never carried over in the final product, and the resulting discs are wrong. Therefore, we are reauthoring discs without the squeeze and will make them available to all purchasers of our release of Dressed to Kill free of charge. Simply e-mail Jon Mulvaney ([email protected]) with your name, address, and some proof of purchase, such as a receipt, and we will send you a corrected copy. We regret the inconvenience, but we hope that in the end all of our customers will end up with a copy of Dressed to Kill that accurately reflects the film as well as the director’s intentions.

 

[Bob Cashill]

Much obliged. I was under the impression that none of the bad discs made it to vendors.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Hmm, just got my DRESSED TO KILL Blu from Amazon. It reads: "First printing 2015." I assume this is the incorrect disc? And if so--how do I get a corrected one (Amazon, sigh), and how much do you think I'll net from eBay with this one?

Same here, I'm sending mine back to Amazon and will wait until Barnes and Noble sale in November.

 

[Will Krupp]

Hmm, just got my DRESSED TO KILL Blu from Amazon. It reads: "First printing 2015." I assume this is the incorrect disc? And if so--how do I get a corrected one (Amazon, sigh), and how much do you think I'll net from eBay with this one?

Did you open it to check the actual disc? Some people on the other forum got the first printing slipcover but had the 2nd printing disc inside. It should be easy to check as the corrected one will say "second pressing" around the rim. It seems like they had some old slipcovers they used on some of the new discs.


It's worth a shot!

 

[Bob Cashill]

Will do thanks for the tip.


EDIT: Checked--but mine does not. Criterion is sending a fixed one.

 

[CraigF]

Do Criterions usually come with slipcovers? I've never got one, even with pre-ordered titles. Don't recall seeing one in the (very few) stores that stock them here either.


I ask because my "online provider" is notorious (to me) for not providing slips even when you never see the title in a B&M without one, even years after release.


[An exception being Benjamin Button, not a "real" Criterion. OK, it is, but you know what I mean...]

 

[Derrick King]

Do Criterions usually come with slipcovers? I've never got one, even with pre-ordered titles. Don't recall seeing one in the (very few) stores that stock them here either.


I ask because my "online provider" is notorious (to me) for not providing slips even when you never see the title in a B&M without one, even years after release.


[An exception being Benjamin Button, not a "real" Criterion. OK, it is, but you know what I mean...]

Other than Time Bandits and Digipack releases (I guess those are technically slip covers), no.

 

[Will Krupp]

Do Criterions usually come with slipcovers? I've never got one, even with pre-ordered titles. Don't recall seeing one in the (very few) stores that stock them here either.

My fault, I said slipcover when I really meant to say "paper insert." My mind was thinking "the cover you slip into the case" but it wasn't really what meant at all. Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse the issue

 

[CraigF]

Thanks guys. I admit I would have been a bit surprised that I wouldn't have got the slip with a Criterion if there should be one, the vendor (OK, it's amazon) must know how "picky" Criterion buyers are.


[I like slips on catalog titles because I stuff the old discs in the new package (usually) and the slip helps keep the bulge/latches in check. Also, slips help prevent case damage during shipping. I like the way in the UK they shrink the slips on, never got a damaged case with a slip, the plastic they typically use (Amaray) is much more brittle than "ours". Scanavo is somewhere in-between. I had a helluva time getting Criterion's The Thin Red Line without a hugely cracked case a couple months ago. Apparently amazon's newish standard policy is only one replacement for a damaged disc, so it matters. I had to get an "exception" approved for subsequent replacements, I was very close to "no sale" and doing without...poor me. I guess what I'm doing is suggesting that maybe Criterions should have slips, maybe just a plain/unprinted cardboard protection wrapper if that's a lot cheaper, but they'd know better if case damage=returns warrant it. I have got a few Crits with severe dents in the cover inserts too, almost to the point of puncture, slips help prevent that.]