Criterion Blu-ray

[Napier]

Definitely not worth it. I got the Marienbad Blu-ray for $13.99. Why would I send my The Third Man reissue SD which I paid roughly $30 for, back to CC for $25, when you can get a new Blu-ray of TTM for $17 shipped. They really need to rethink this.

[tenia]

Definitely not worth it. I got the Marienbad Blu-ray for $13.99. Why would I send my The Third Man reissue SD which I paid roughly $30 for, back to CC for $25, when you can get a new Blu-ray of TTM for $17 shipped. They really need to rethink this.

I thought you would only pay the shipping fees.

As the price of the SD and HD release are supposed to be the same, it seems for me that their 'advantage exchange program' is nothing more than paying twice the price of the BR, except that, moreover, you won't even be able to keep your old SD edition.

What a scam.

[aox]

Definitely not worth it. I got the Marienbad Blu-ray for $13.99. Why would I send my The Third Man reissue SD which I paid roughly $30 for, back to CC for $25, when you can get a new Blu-ray of TTM for $17 shipped. They really need to rethink this.

I thought you would only pay the shipping fees.

As the price of the SD and HD release are supposed to be the same, it seems for me that their 'advantage exchange program' is nothing more than paying twice the price of the BR, except that, moreover, you won't even be able to keep your old SD edition.

What a scam.

precisely.

[aox]

Since I have gone Blu and won't purchase a SD DVD, it's made 2009 pretty easy for me. Looking forward to Playtime next week.

[HerrSchreck]

Why wouldn't you purchase a SD DVD? Just curious.. surely you don't think that for every SD released on every label (or at least the ones you are interested in), there will eventually be a Blu somewhere on down the line?

[cdnchris]

I can understand someone holding off but I think some people have this fanatical idea that Criterion (or any studio) will be releasing their titles currently on DVD all on Blu-ray in the next couple of years. It took Criterion 11 friggin' years to release Human Condition on DVD. You think they're releasing it on Blu-ray in the next couple if at all? Their pace so far for Blu-ray releases is slightly better than that when they first adopted DVD. But not by that much.

EDIT: I actually still continued to buy VHS when I couldn't get the film on DVD and I figured it would be a long while. But the one time I regret not buying a film on VHS years ago was when I passed on Magnificent Ambersons since I figured that would have to be coming out sometime soon on DVD...

[HerrSchreck]

Well unless I misunderstood aox I took it to mean he's not buying SD-DVD's period. From anyone, anywhere. Which for the time being insures he'll be watching nothing but the most basic of arthouse staples (and general mainstream releases).

[swo17]

Well unless I misunderstood aox I took it to mean he's not buying SD-DVD's period.

He's said as much about 30 times on the forum. I think he's pretty serious about it.

[cdnchris]

Well unless I misunderstood aox I took it to mean he's not buying SD-DVD's period. From anyone, anywhere. Which for the time being insures he'll be watching nothing but the most basic of arthouse staples (and general mainstream releases).

And I wish him the best of luck on that. Unless BFI (who has been releasing some surprising titles in high-def) is releasing every film ever made he's SOL on most fronts.

[HerrSchreck]

And I wish him the best of luck on that. Unless BFI (who has been releasing some surprising titles in high-def) is releasing every film ever made he's SOL on most fronts.

And I thought not buying some obscure masterpiece of a silent because it was improper PAL ---> NTSC was bad. Or sad. Or whatever.

Well unless I misunderstood aox I took it to mean he's not buying SD-DVD's period.

He's said as much about 30 times on the forum. I think he's pretty serious about it.

I'll keep you in mind for any further aox updates I may require in the future.

[Perkins Cobb]

Now, now ... aox is basically MOC's ideal customer.

[aox]

What I say is true. If I need to see something that is only on DVD, I either already own it, have it burned somewhere, use the library, or my netflix account. I will be queing the Human Condition in Sept.

I see no reason to spend another dollar on an SD DVD. It isn't like I am adverse to seeing a film on SD (I will be forced to for years to come), I am just adverse to buying them.

[Gregory]

Sounds reasonable. The extreme position is what I saw a couple of people at DVDTalk mention they were doing when I happened to drop in there sometime last year: selling off most or all of their DVDs as soon as they bought a Blu-Ray player.

[cdnchris]

Sounds reasonable. The extreme position is what I saw a couple of people at DVDTalk mention they were doing when I happened to drop in there sometime last year: selling off most or all of their DVDs as soon as they bought a Blu-Ray player.

Now that's crazy. Even from VHS to DVD I didn't sell off my tapes until I had the film on DVD. Sadly, unlike the transition from VHS to DVD, I doubt I'll be upgrading very many DVDs to Blu except in extreme cases (like upgrading the Kubrick films from the rather crummy early DVDs, or the Bond films from the early special edition DVDs.)

[aox]

Just to focus on Criterion for a bit, upgrading has been a pleasure.

I have sold the SD's of The Third Man, Playtime, The Seventh Seal, Wages of Fear, and the 400 Blows for no less then $19 on the Amazon Marketplace and was able to buy the BR's of each of those for $18-$26. It's practically just been an even exchange.

Now that's crazy. Even from VHS to DVD I didn't sell off my tapes until I had the film on DVD.

This is precisely how I am approaching my upgrading.

[Matt]

Now that's crazy. Even from VHS to DVD I didn't sell off my tapes until I had the film on DVD.

I wish I had been less crazy at the advent of DVD. I sold off ALL of my laserdiscs at once, assuming that it was just a matter of a couple of years (at most!) before they would all be available on DVD. So long, Criterion Collection laserdiscs of Repulsion, Lola Montes, The Magnificent Ambersons, Letter From an Unknown Woman, and Tristana! Farewell, laserdisc player, off to your new home in a karaoke bar in Anchorage!

What a schmuck.

[cdnchris]

I actually still have my laserdiscs, though everything I still have is now available on DVD. I never did sell those for whatever reason and I ended up buying most on DVD.

[swo17]

But the sooner you sell something the more money you're likely to make off the deal. (Says the guy who unloaded his DVD of Ran for $12 like a week after Criterion made the Blu-ray announcement.)

[swo17]

Coyle, an obscure-ish catalog title, is obviously less objectionable than, say, the unnecessary CC of Days of Heaven.

You're just digging yourself a deeper hole. On the contrary, Days of Heaven is one of a handful of titles just crying out for CC Blu treatment.

[Napier]

Coyle, an obscure-ish catalog title, is obviously less objectionable than, say, the unnecessary CC of Days of Heaven.

You're just digging yourself a deeper hole. On the contrary, Days of Heaven is one of a handful of titles just crying out for CC Blu treatment.

You are correct sir! =D> Days would make a splendid Blu-ray release.

[Tom Amolad]

You're just digging yourself a deeper hole. On the contrary, Days of Heaven is one of a handful of titles just crying out for CC Blu treatment.

<snob mode>

Blu-ray? Nah, you can't adequately watch that film except in 35mm. When's Criterion going to bring that out?

</snob mode>

[oldsheperd]

If only Criterion would release a Blu Ray of Night Patrol. It's just screaming for the CC BR treatment.

[knives]

I'm surprised they haven't announced Amarcord actually. That would be insane on Blu, they have a transfer ready, and I believe they have full rights to the film.

[Dr. Snaut]

Or Juliet of the Spirits, which arguably would look even better on blu-ray than Amarcord.

[anvilscepe]

If only Criterion would release a Blu Ray of Night Patrol. It's just screaming for the CC BR treatment.

I remember having this film on beta when I was a very young boy. It scarred me for life. Just thinking about that scene at the sperm bank makes me.... blech! It has its moments, I guess.

EDIT: I was unaware that a silent film called The Night Patrol also existed. So my apologies if that was what you were referring to oldsheperd. Still, the 1984 comedy is pretty raunchy.