1333 KPop Demon Hunters

[cdnchris]

I assume Criterion will manage to get this into mainstream shops like Walmart and Target too in time for it to be a default Christmas gift/stocking stuffer, can’t think of the last time that was a possibility. I bought my slip covered Criterion DVD copy of Royal Tenenbaums from a grocery store display, the DVD boom era was wild

Safeway sold The Irishman on Blu-ray, which always struck me as wild. For $19.99, too.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Unfortunately Costco stopped carrying discs awhile ago (they also no longer sell players). Other big-box chains still stock some, albeit in much reduced numbers and with a focus on box sets (like complete TV series) that I guess have a longer shelf life. I hope Criterion manages to get this into some major retailers, though Target no longer sells Criterion releases even on their website.

I remember picking up the Royal Tenenbaums DVD at Walmart with my employee discount, but that was an odd situation because it was released through Buena Vista themselves and was the only DVD edition in the U.S. (meaning there was no "standard" edition that retailers could stock instead—I think even rental stores carried the Criterion version). For The Life Aquatic, there was another edition that dropped the second disc but still had the Criterion branding.

[ryannichols7]

I think a pretty forgotten angle with Criterion releasing this is one I noted above, their most faithful and longtime partner...Barnes and Noble. K-Pop collectors already were helping to keep non-book/game physical media alive at B&N and bolster them to bring back media departments they had long scrapped from many of their stores, as well as of course, the Criterion sale that every B&N employee knows is a big thing to help their paychecks coming in (mind you, B&N are doing very well financially these days and are opening new stores regularly). K-Pop Demon Hunters is going to be a major crossover for those K-Pop collectors to start looking at the other thing that takes up most of the physical media section of B&N locations. maybe it'll help those collectors find other things that may look interesting to them and go from there - I know for a fact this has helped Arrow, Indicator, and Radiance's US sales. being put next to Criterion in these stores has helped people see that other labels are doing this too and may appeal to them. maybe if K-Pop collectors say "hey maybe I should try out movies" they may be more incentivized to move into another hobby that's very, very pro physical media. it may be easier for them to throw the film on Netflix, but they do love having the tangible product and all that comes with it too.

I am thankful at least that Criterion didn't opt for three different versions of this with different photocards, sticker sheets, etc that have bolstered K-Pop physical releases (especially at Target), but if they dared to go that route I'm sure they'd be super successful. I do however forsee Criterion doing more of the postcard/art card type stuff that Arrow, Radiance, and many of the other labels already do, helping the package be even more worth it. I thought we were gonna get more of this after The Girl Can't Help It and Flight of the Phoenix both offered cool physical extras but it's been relatively quiet on that front aside from Flow and now this.