Obnoxious Spine Number Speculation and Whining

[domino harvey]

If it took anyone more than five seconds to stop being upset over a spine number, a number which literally signifies nothing of meaning with relation to the film's context or contents and merely shows its placement within a label's line of release, seek help. Preferably at Mubi

[The Narrator Returns]

Hey, I'm still shaking over the Fanny and Alexander debacle. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EXPLAIN THE MISSING SPINE NUMBERS TO MY CHILDREN?!?!?!

[criterion10]

If it took anyone more than five seconds to stop being upset over a spine number, a number which literally signifies nothing of meaning with relation to the film's context or contents and merely shows its placement within a label's line of release, seek help. Preferably at Mubi

I'm not upset by any means; I'm just saying it would've been cool had The Devils been Spine #666. In all honesty though, if Criterion releases The Devils, I couldn't care less about what spine it receives.

[jindianajonz]

If it took anyone more than five seconds to stop being upset over a spine number, a number which literally signifies nothing of meaning with relation to the film's context or contents and merely shows its placement within a label's line of release, seek help. Preferably at Mubi

I'm not upset by any means; I'm just saying it would've been cool had The Devils been Spine #666. In all honesty though, if Criterion releases The Devils, I couldn't care less about what spine it receives.

Yeah, but then you don't get the spine/backbone pun

[The Narrator Returns]

I think that "what spine number does it have?" is below even "does it have the slipcover?" in frivolous home video concerns.

[matrixschmatrix]

If I worked at Criterion, I would be seriously tempted to do out of order, fractional, or imaginary spine numbers, just to drive people crazy.

(This, among a multitude of reasons, is why I don't work at a place like Criterion.)

[zedz]

If I worked at Criterion, I would be seriously tempted to do out of order, fractional, or imaginary spine numbers, just to drive people crazy.

The Numero Group have enthusiastically adopted this approach, so that fanatics will have to track down numbers 24.5 and 32.5, as well as leaping hundreds of unused numbers in order to pick up 202.1, 202.2, 202.3 etc.

[knives]

i is still my favorite spine.

[domino harvey]

I prefer

[captveg]

If I worked at Criterion, I would be seriously tempted to do out of order, fractional, or imaginary spine numbers, just to drive people crazy.

(This, among a multitude of reasons, is why I don't work at a place like Criterion.)

Technically the first release of Brazil had 51.1, 51.2 and 51.3 on the spines for each keepcase for the 3 discs, so fractions have precedent.

[Cold Bishop]

The Numero Group have enthusiastically adopted this approach, so that fanatics will have to track down numbers 24.5 and 32.5, as well as leaping hundreds of unused numbers in order to pick up 202.1, 202.2, 202.3 etc.

See also: Factory Records history of assigning catalog numbers to physical buildings, events, logos (the logos themselves, not a particular copy), architectural designs to unbuilt buildings, a lawsuit, even a living cat, all in what started as a way to oppose "collectors".

[Bando]

If I worked at Criterion, I would be seriously tempted to do out of order, fractional, or imaginary spine numbers, just to drive people crazy.

The Numero Group have enthusiastically adopted this approach, so that fanatics will have to track down numbers 24.5 and 32.5, as well as leaping hundreds of unused numbers in order to pick up 202.1, 202.2, 202.3 etc.

Well, the .5 releases are normally Record Store Day or other one-off releases (that actually aren't that hard to find) that directly relate to one of the whole spine numbers. For instance, the Pressed/Burned/Dubbed at Boddie RSD release in 2011 is 35 1/2, while the normal Boddie boxed set is 35. So it at least that makes sense.

As for the other numbering sequences, yeah, that stuff is confusing. Numero is a generally confusing label to begin with. Why would you put out a 5LP set without a tracklist anywhere in the packaging? Heck, they don't put tracklists on most anything. It's disorienting, to say the least.

[Cinephrenic]

I prefer

Stay thirsty, my friends...

[Minkin]

Lest anyone forgot about this obnoxious CriterionForum trend, before there was monthly speculative guesses...

Ride the Pink Horse was Spine #750 (seems rather unceremonious)

The Graduate is spine #800 (perhaps more appropriate to the "big release" for every 100th title).
No, my post was not moved here, and yes I like reviving long dead threads.

[Cinephrenic]

Spine #1000 will be Kindergarden Cop. Just sayin....

[Ashirg]

We need to wait just 4 year for #1000. It seems they've been releasing 100 spines every 2 years since #500 -
#500 - January 26, 2010
#600 - February 21, 2012
#700 - February 18, 2014
#800 - February 23, 2016

[FrauBlucher]

We need to wait just 4 year for #1000. It seems they've been releasing 100 spines every 2 years since #500 -
#500 - January 26, 2010
#600 - February 21, 2012
#700 - February 18, 2014
#800 - February 23, 2016

#500 Roberto Rossellini's War Trilogy
#600 Anatomy of a Murder
#700 Fantastic Mr Fox
#800 The Graduate

[movielocke]

Spine #1000 will be Kindergarden Cop. Just sayin....

Nah, it'll be Citizen Kane, cause laserdisc.