The Third Man CC DVD & Blu-ray OOP (1 Viewer)

[Tim Tucker]

According to the Criterion website and their Facebook page.

 

[mdnitoil]

Yeah, the news hit the DVD Talk forums and folks are starting to hit up Amazon. I'm embarrassed to say that I'm one of them. I had the original release and just never got around to upgrading.

 

[Tim Tucker]

I ran out at lunch, and picked up a copy at Barnes & Noble.

 

[David_B_K]

Glad I bought the BD during a Barnes & Noble sale a few months back. I still had the original DVD version, but the BD is a big improvement. I'd just like to download cover art and ditch the cheesy cardboard case.

 

[Tim Tucker]

There is (or was) a replacement program for that. From criterionforum.org:

Originally Posted by Jon MulvaneyWe currently have THE THIRD MAN replacement cases in and we will be receiving the rest come November. The cost for a replacement case is $5, which includes shipping. If you would like to go ahead and purchase an upgraded case for THE THIRD MAN simply make a payment of $5 to the email address [email protected] through PayPal, providing your mailing address and item needed in the message field, and we'll send it out to you! If you prefer to receive [it and other] cases together, I would advise waiting until we have all cases available and then making the payment of [$5 each] through Paypal.

 

[David_B_K]

Thanks, Tim. I will give that a try. I just looked at their forum, and as of a few days ago, they still had replacement covers.

 

[Sten F]

I don´t like the "windowboxed" format so the previous Criterion is still the best in my book.

 

[Albert_M]

I have the first criterion release from a while back and am content with it.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

I wonder if MOC will pick it up now for R2 and take advantage of int'l sales...

 

[David_B_K]

Originally Posted by Albert_M

I have the first criterion release from a while back and am content with it.

Have you rented the Blu-ray? It is really (IMO) an improvement over the original DVD.

 

[Dick]

It is an improvement, in that it offers the tremendous clarity of the better classic Blu-ray titles with what apears to be the proper grain, plus great contrast. This is one of those movies that has such superb cinematography that only the best avalailable video source will do. This OOP status surprises me...the Blu-ray hasn't been out for more than a year, has it?

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

I'm not 100% on this, but I have heard Rialto Pictures is planning another reissue of THE THIRD MAN to arthouses in 2010 - perhaps they've asked Criterion to put it on moratorium to boost ticket sales. Happens all the time with MGM when they have a new Bond film in the works.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Rumor has it that this is a casualty of a Studio Canal / Lionsgate deal.

 

[mdnitoil]

Amazon just sold out of the Blu so the rush is obviously on. And yeah, this is not a moratorium thing, it's a Criterion no longer has the license thing. It looks like it's falling victim to the same thing Ran did as they are both Studio/Canal.

 

[Tim Tucker]

If that's the case, what other Studio/Canal titles could be pulled from Criterion?

 

[BillyFeldman]

While it may be an improvement over the Criterion DVD, the Criterion Blu-Ray of The Third Man is nowhere near what it should be and that has everything to do with their source material. A gorgeous restored DVD came out in England a couple of years ago and that's what The Third Man should look like.

 

[Bob Graham]

Who released the THIRD MAN DVD in England that you are talking about, Billy? I think I'd like to pick that up rather than the Criterion.

 

[BillyFeldman]

It's Universal UK (from Studio Canal) - a two-disc special edition. Checking amazon.uk it seems to have disappeared off the face of the Earth. There's one from Optimum that also says Studio Canal, but I don't know if it's the same as this one.

Update: This is the weirdest thing ever - I can find no trace of the Universal DVD anywhere - no reviews (I could have sworn there was a comparison on DVD Beaver, but his redesigned site is very odd and you can't search the way you used to), no mention of it anywhere. I'd be curious to see if anyone else can find it.

 

[John Hodson]

The original UK DVD came from Warner / Studio Canal. After Warner lost the UK rights to this and a whole other slew of Studio Canal owned titles, the much improved edtion (which is a tad better than the Criterion transfer IMHO) was by Optimum, who are owned by Studio Canal. Universal never has released the disc in the UK, though they have in France where they have a distribution deal with Studio Canal.

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

Originally Posted by mdnitoil

Amazon just sold out of the Blu so the rush is obviously on. And yeah, this is not a moratorium thing, it's a Criterion no longer has the license thing. It looks like it's falling victim to the same thing Ran did as they are both Studio/Canal.

I am certain that Criterion will do what they can to relicense both titles. While StudioCanal seems to be funneling the majority of their product to Lionsgate, they still seem to prefer making individual licensing deals with Criterion for the prestige titles in their catalog. The only instance I can think of where a Criterion-level movie went to Lionsgate was DIVA, and I suspect that may have been Criterion's decision to pass on it and let it go there. Right now, I'm sure they're just bickering about money and residuals and all the related matters that go into sublicensing.

That being said, I did pick up a RAN, and I will likely get my THIRD MAN very soon.