Criterion Blu-ray

[HistoryProf]

Was Au Revoir Les Enfants really one of the choices in that poll? I don't remember that being one of them...but I've been really hesitant to buy the 3 films set because it seems like a perfect opportunity for a cool blu upgrade...at least for Au Revoir Les Enfants.

[swo17]

Yes, but Les diaboliques wasn't. Down by Law was. We do know they're working on a rerelease of Les diaboliques though.

[Cinephrenic]

I wonder when we will see a Kwaidan redux on Blu?

[Svevan]

Nick mentioned the 6 month delay problem in the MoC Kwaidan thread. Japan hasn't released it on Blu yet, which means Western publishers are SOL for the time being. Perhaps Criterion can negotiate to jump the gun, as with Hausu, but I doubt it.

[Cinephrenic]

Nick mentioned the 6 month delay problem in the MoC Kwaidan thread. Japan hasn't released it on Blu yet, which means Western publishers are SOL for the time being. Perhaps Criterion can negotiate to jump the gun, as with Hausu, but I doubt it.

That post was in 2009, but the delay is sure taking long. All the recent acquisitions probably delayed a whole bunch of titles like Kwaidan and Cronos.

[Svevan]

I'll be really surprised if Criterion makes Cronos one of their November releases, at this point. I think it got bumped, and November's too big of a month for that title (in my estimation at least).

[knives]

Del Toro has said that Cronos should be a December title, not November therefore proving your theory I suppose.

[Svevan]

Yeah but Criterion only does two titles max in December. I guess weirder things have happened!

[captveg]

I would hope with as many titles as they've licensed they may be able to release a larger amount this December.

[perkizitore]

Nick mentioned the 6 month delay problem in the MoC Kwaidan thread. Japan hasn't released it on Blu yet, which means Western publishers are SOL for the time being. Perhaps Criterion can negotiate to jump the gun, as with Hausu, but I doubt it.

That post was in 2009, but the delay is sure taking long. All the recent acquisitions probably delayed a whole bunch of titles like Kwaidan and Cronos.

Unfortunately Toho are very strict about the 6 month delay, the other Japanese studios are more relaxed on this issue.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Unfortunately Toho are very strict about the 6 month delay, the other Japanese studios are more relaxed on this issue.

They don't seem that attached to the six-month rule, given that they've made at least three exceptions in the past year -- Classic Media's Gojira came out four days after Toho's, Criterion's Yojimbo after four months, and now House is apparently coming with no Toho BD at all.

[perkizitore]

They are stricter than Shochiku and Nikkatsu according to MoC's Nick Wrigley.

[HistoryProf]

Would it be possible to amend the first post to put a list like the forthcoming one for blu ray only in this thread? Could have saved me a trip to return Passion of Joan of Arc since I missed the comment on facebook a while back. Seems a good topic to keep more organized track of considering how they seem to be picking up the pace of late.

[matrixschmatrix]

I would appreciate that too- the only upgrade that seems certain and unannounced that I know is Videodrome.

[Matt]

Maybe Cinephrenic can just add a section to the Forthcoming list. We don't have a staff here or anything, so I can't just assign someone to do it.

[Cinephrenic]

I use to have a section just for Blu-ray when they first announced titles that would be forthcoming in Blu. But since, all those titles were released and anything in the collection at this point is a candidate for the format. Just going by that premise, I thought it was pretty useless. I can add a section if you guys want.

[aox]

has there been any correlation between what sold well the first round on DVD and what has made it's way to Blu Ray reissue? It's interesting to me that The Wages of Fear or For All Mankind would see a reissue before what I perceive to be films I assumed moved more weight. The Seventh Seal and 8 1/2 make sense in that regard. Though, whenever someone mentions numbers I am always surprised to see that releases like The Golden Age of TV and Jean Painleve are the biggest sellers, so what do I know what sells and what doesn't.

[captveg]

For All Mankind got the upgrade due the 40th Anniversary of the moon landing.

[perkizitore]

Though, whenever someone mentions numbers I am always surprised to see that releases like The Golden Age of TV and Jean Painleve are the biggest sellers, so what do I know what sells and what doesn't.

They were the biggest sellers on Criterion's website, which merely means organizations like libraries and universities prefer buying 'academic' titles directly from Criterion, not that The Red Shoes sells less than those titles.

[Minkin]

I use to have a section just for Blu-ray when they first announced titles that would be forthcoming in Blu. But since, all those titles were released and anything in the collection at this point is a candidate for the format. Just going by that premise, I thought it was pretty useless. I can add a section if you guys want.

You have my vote for the list. It's nice to know what things can be expected soon. I'm willing to wait a year for a Bluray of Fanny and Alexander or Joan of Arc (or any other rumored title) but a lot of titles might never come around (or be like that forthcoming Eisenstein box). For the more paranoid of us, it's nice to not have to re-purchase titles (as I found out the hard way with The Seventh Seal) a few months later or miss out on buying something.

[andyli]

Rule of thumb: any title previously released as two-disker, three-disker, etc. is strong candidate. Any early single-disc title promised to be updated is strong candidate.

[movielocke]

I'd also like a list of rumored bluray upgrades.

and I'd add to the above rule of thumb that rereleased titles like Amarcord and Lady Vanishes are probably also strong candidates for bluray release.

[HistoryProf]

Maybe Cinephrenic can just add a section to the Forthcoming list. We don't have a staff here or anything, so I can't just assign someone to do it.

I understand that of course, I just figured someone here has to be keeping track of it. This community has more knowledge about rights issues, who owns them, other region releases, etc than any on earth that I know of. It would be cool if that could be put to use to put a small list together of confirmed upgrades, rumored ones, and distinct possibilities and/or 'never gonna happen' types based on rights or overseas releases. For instance, I assume Rules of the Game and Tokyo Story will be redone as blu rays because of their status among the all-time universal Great Movies....but for all I know, someone else has the rights and I should just go ahead and get them.

Personally I am especially avoiding bigger names in the first 150 spine #s and those that already got re-releases in the year or two before blu ray started (High and Low, Amarcord, Beauty and the Beast, and Lady Vanishes, I'm looking at you!). The 200s get a little more sketchy in that respect, but then from about Rohmer forward I feel fairly comfortable that even if they do get revisited, it won't be for a couple of years so there's no point in putting those off. But it's all a guessing game in the end, and a very nebulous one at that....

[HistoryProf]

Rule of thumb: any title previously released as two-disker, three-disker, etc. is strong candidate. Any early single-disc title promised to be updated is strong candidate.

and since we all can't a pay attention to every tweet and facebook post, that's the kind of thing that would be good to keep track of.

[Cinephrenic]

The list will be highly speculative, which I've been trying to avoid in the forthcoming list, but I have added a section for strong confirmations and clues. Will be working on it a little more. I'm not gonna list titles in the collection that I think or will be the next Blu-ray upgrade because it is highly regarded film (Rashomon, The Rules of the Game, etc...). I think that kind of list would be better done in the 'other lists' section. If there is hints at possible upgrades from Criterion, send me a pm to add to list.