criterionforum.org

One man's trash, &c

Finding this out now especially rankles as I had the case for TMWFTE. If only I knew I was tossing out $80.

Here's something odd... about 5-6 months ago I ordered Criterion's 2-disc "The Killers" from an ebay seller. I had noticed that it was unavailable on Amazon for a while, and getting hard to find elsewhere. Thinking it might be out-of-print, I grabbed a copy on ebay and waited for delivery to Oz. It never arrived.

A few months later, I found a copy locally and grabbed it. It has the double-width double opening DVD case with the separate info slip glued on the back. I've noticed these cases often arrived a bit warped. In general they are a bit of a pain.

Then yesterday, out of the blue, I received the copy of The Killers that I'd ordered on ebay. It was in a different style double-with case, with the 'figure-8' overlapping disc array on one side of the case. There was no info slip glued on the back. Are bizarrely, instead of the twin booklets for 2 versions of The Killers, it has the insert for Ikiru!

I'm guessing that The Killers has been reprinted/repressed and Criterion are going with the different style of case, possibly saving on costs. The lack of the rear information sheet is disappointing (unless it was an error with my particular copy). Interesting that they are using the double with case with the overlapping discs - I would have thought that if they were repressing, they could have switched it to a single width case (liek for example, tati's "Trafic") - but that would have required a change to the artwork, and perhaps they are doing this as cheaply as they can.

med wrote:

Archers of Loaf wrote:I sold six cases - including The Third Man and The Man Who Fell to Earth - for over $80. I was shocked that it made it that high as I had started the listing at $10. I was clear that they were empty and without booklets, and yet I still had a lot of bids and no complaints.

...the hell. I've been throwing mine away!

Well then... looks like these are going up on eBay!

bugsy_pal, I know what cases you are talking about. In the early part of 2006 Criterion released a few titles in those double-width-but-figure-8-overlapping-disc cases (Young Mr. Lincoln and Elevator to the Gallows are two that come to mind, but there may have been others), but they only used them for a very short time.

I think Criterion is repackaging older 2-disc sets in the clear figure-8 cases (although, The Rules Of The Game is the only one I'm aware of.)

dwk wrote:bugsy_pal, I know what cases you are talking about. In the early part of 2006 Criterion released a few titles in those double-width-but-figure-8-overlapping-disc cases (Young Mr. Lincoln and Elevator to the Gallows are two that come to mind, but there may have been others), but they only used them for a very short time.

I think Criterion is repackaging older 2-disc sets in the clear figure-8 cases (although, The Rules Of The Game is the only one I'm aware of.)

I think (although I can't confirm) that they've also said they were going to do the Killers and Stories of Floating Weeds, which is why they disappeared for a while.

No digipack for Veronique on Blu-ray:

Bummer.

I think it's been quite obvious since they cut some of the contents from the booklet for the blu-ray release.

So no blu-ray for me then, keeping my dvd digipack.

The selling point here, is the new hi-def transfer. Not the case.

I know, but the missing content from the booklet is a reason for me to not do the upgrade. If I want to upgrade I want to buy a better (or at least equal) release than the one I already have. That goes for the whole package: not only the transfer count for me, but the extra`s, the packaging and the booklet as well.
If there`s content missing from the booklet or extra wise I personally see it as downgrading instead of upgrading.
But hey, that`s just me

It's weird but the only reason I own the dvd is because of the packaging, didn't care for the film.

Yeah, unless there's some vast difference between the two transfers, I'm just gonna import the super cheap Artificial Eye disc and keep my Criterion.

TheGodfather wrote:I know, but the missing content from the booklet is a reason for me to not do the upgrade. If I want to upgrade I want to buy a better (or at least equal) release than the one I already have. That goes for the whole package: not only the transfer count for me, but the extra`s, the packaging and the booklet as well.
If there`s content missing from the booklet or extra wise I personally see it as downgrading instead of upgrading.
But hey, that`s just me

I'll go ahead and pretend that I understand your logic that the film and the quality of viewing that film (transfer) isn't the key point when buying a film; however, you could buy the BD and put the disc in the old DVD case/digi.

More like it means I have to keep my DVD copy AND upgrade

aox wrote:

TheGodfather wrote:I know, but the missing content from the booklet is a reason for me to not do the upgrade. If I want to upgrade I want to buy a better (or at least equal) release than the one I already have. That goes for the whole package: not only the transfer count for me, but the extra`s, the packaging and the booklet as well.
If there`s content missing from the booklet or extra wise I personally see it as downgrading instead of upgrading.
But hey, that`s just me

I'll go ahead and pretend that I understand your logic that the film and the quality of viewing that film (transfer) isn't the key point when buying a film; however, you could buy the BD and put the disc in the old DVD case/digi.

And then what? throw out the blu-ray case and booklet?

It is important, however: I already have an excellent release of the film. So for me to buy the film again in a version that,obviously except for the transfer, doesn`t add anything to the version I already have doesn`t make sense to me. I understand if people do upgrade but I myself rather spend that money on a film I don`t in my collection yet.

Each to his own, right?

Just buy the DVD and BD, switch the discs out, and then sell the DVD in the BD case on ebay for $80. Everybody wins!

swo17 wrote:Just buy the DVD and BD, switch the discs out, and then sell the DVD in the BD case on ebay for $80. Everybody wins!

Except for the poor schmuck who bought it.

TheGodfather wrote: Each to his own, right?

Yes!

swo17 wrote:sell the DVD in the BD case on ebay for $80. Everybody wins!

Don't laugh! It might be a collector's item someday!

"In 30 Years, you will archaically value this 35mm film downgraded and scanned to beautiful 480p and presented in fine MPEG2 compression! You can then join your friends in a hyper-accelerator 8K scanned MPEG15 interactive neuro-booth and marvel at how people once watched films in that manner."

aox wrote:Don't laugh! It might be a collector's item someday!

"In 30 Years, you will archaically value this 35mm film downgraded and scanned to beautiful 480p and presented in fine MPEG2 compression! You can then join your friends in a hyper-accelerator 8K scanned MPEG15 interactive neuro-booth and marvel at how people once watched films in that manner."

Yeah, well at least I don`t have to buy it then since I still own my excellent dvd version
Seriously though: are you guys really replacing all the films in your collection and upgrade everything to blu-ray?

TheGodfather wrote:Seriously though: are you guys really replacing all the films in your collection and upgrade everything to blu-ray?

I am, if the consensus on sites I read give positive reviews, the film has been recompressed as MPEG-4 AVC (not ported over from DVD) in 1080p, and is on a 50gig BD disc.

DVDs generally look mediocre to horrid on my flat screen. I still buy DVDs for things I know won't be upgraded in the next few years like the Eclipse sets though b/c I want the film first and foremost.

Ok fair enough. I`d rather spend my money on films I don`t own yet and only upgrade for my favorite films.

I upgrade as soon as the price is nice

I've noticed a drop in the value of the DVD once the Blu is released, so I tend to spend the time between the announcement and the release of the Blu without the film. I just buy Amazon giftcard money in the amount of my DVD eBay sale. Usually ends up costing $10 or less out of pocket for the Blu-ray.