Criterion/MoC Overlaps

[Numero Trois]

Yes, you're in the happy position that us Britons were in about 2006-08, when the exchange rate was two US dollars to the pound. Now it's just $1.50:£1 or thereabouts, so make the most of it.

Even if the exchange rate were even though, most UK DVDs would probably have far more competitive pricing than the comparative offerings over here. And on a far more regular basis. This seems to be especially the case for smaller labels like New Yorker Films or other similar ones.

[swo17]

I'd like to maintain a master list that briefly compares the merits of the releases for all films that have been put out by both Criterion and MoC. I'm primarily concerned with the presentation of the film, and with any substantial extras that might be on one edition but not on the other. I'm not so much interested in cataloguing every single difference between the two editions, but rather, just the big ones that might have factored into someone favoring one edition over the other. In most cases, I'm only familiar with one edition (or neither) and am mostly going off of DVD Beaver comparisons or other reports on the internet. If anyone feels I've misrepresented anything, or missed something important (and I probably have), please let me know.

A nos amours - PQ roughly comparable between the two, some extras unique to each release, MoC's a little more extensive
The Burmese Harp - CC is more cleaned up but also pictureboxed, MoC has it on Blu-ray, some unique extras on each release
Colossal Youth - MoC has slightly better PQ and more extras, but CC comes with Ossos and In Vanda's Room
The Devil and Daniel Webster - PQ roughly comparable between the two, CC has more on-disc extras but MoC has a substantial booklet
The Face of Another - CC has slightly better PQ (but pictureboxed), only comes in Teshigahara box with lots of extras, MoC has Rayns commentary, MoC is OOP
F for Fake - PQ roughly comparable between the two, unique extras on each release, MoC has the trailer in color
Floating Weeds - MoC coming out with a Blu-ray, CC includes A Story of Floating Weeds, waiting for MoC release to compare further
The Flowers of St. Francis - CC has sharper image but is also a little cropped compared to MoC, some unique extras on each release
For All Mankind - both editions roughly comparable
General Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait - PQ probably roughly comparable between the two (can anyone confirm this for certain?), both have minimal extras, MoC is OOP
Grey Gardens - MoC has slightly better PQ on the DVD but a CC Blu-ray is forthcoming, CC has The Beales of Grey Gardens, MoC has substantial unique extras of its own
Harakiri - framing slightly better for MoC, CC picture more "worked on" (for better or worse), unique extras on each release but CC's a little more extensive
House - CC in correct ratio and on Blu-ray, unique extras on each release but CC's more extensive, including the short Emotion
The Idiot - PQ roughly comparable between the two but MoC has extras, CC only available in Eclipse set
The Insect Woman - MoC has it on Blu-ray, CC only comes in Imamura box with lots of extras (including Intentions of Murder), MoC includes Nishi Ginza Station
Island of Lost Souls - PQ roughly comparable between the two, some unique extras on each release
Kuroneko - CC has superior PQ on Blu-ray though the image is slightly cropped, CC has more extras
Kwaidan - MoC has the full film (20 minutes longer), better PQ, and a substantial booklet
L'Enfance nue - CC is yellow-tinged which they defend but is probably wrong, some unique extras on each release
M - PQ roughly comparable between the two (though CC more "worked on," for better or worse, and a German edition trumps them both), some unique extras on each release
Make Way for Tomorrow - MoC has it on Blu-ray, extras roughly comparable between the two
Onibaba - MoC has slightly better PQ and more extras, including Shindo commentary
The Passion of Joan of Arc - MoC coming out with a Blu-ray (Criterion supposedly preparing one as well), will wait to compare
Pigs & Battleships - MoC has it on Blu-ray, CC only comes in Imamura box with lots of extras (including Intentions of Murder), MoC includes Stolen Desire
Pitfall - CC has slightly better PQ (but pictureboxed), only comes in Teshigahara box with lots of extras, MoC has Rayns commentary, MoC is OOP
Salesman - PQ roughly comparable between the two, some unique extras on each release
Sansho the Bailiff - MoC has it on Blu-ray, both have unique extras and substantial booklets, CC has commentary, MoC has Gion bayashi
Scandal - CC has better PQ but MoC has extras, CC only available in Eclipse set
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse - MoC has it coming on Blu-ray, CC has more extensive extras
Trouble in Paradise - will wait to compare
Twenty-Four Eyes - MoC has slightly better PQ, CC is windowboxed, both have minimal extras
Two-Lane Blacktop - MoC has it on Blu-ray, both have substantial extras, some unique on each release
Ugetsu - MoC has it on Blu-ray, both have unique extras, CC has Rayns commentary and Shindo doc, MoC has Oyu-sama
Vampyr - PQ roughly comparable between the two (though CC more "worked on," for better or worse), both have substantial extras, some unique on each release, MoC has Del Toro commentary
Vengeance Is Mine - CC DVD has better PQ than MoC but MoC Blu-ray is best of all, some unique extras on each release, MoC has a Rayns commentary

[ezmbmh]

Thanks, swo--that's really helpful.

[walsgrave]

Thanks so much, swo17! That's a really useful list. One small addition: the CCs of The Face of Another and Pitfall are pictureboxed, unlike the MoC editions.

[RossyG]

Very useful. I have the MoC version of the Idi Amin film. It's NTSC, so I imagine it's pretty much identical to the Criterion if not a straight copy.

[med]

Since you note that MoC's releases of The Insect Woman and Pigs & Battleships come with films not available from CC, it's worth specifically mentioning that the latter's Imamura box contains Intentions of Murder, which MoC has stated they will not be releasing themselves. (I know you've written that the CC set has "lots of extras," but the inclusion of a feature-length film is worth pointing out!)

[TMDaines]

Might be worth noting for M that the German edition (which I still need to get) is probably the best of the bunch, because the video and, in particular, the audio received further restoration, plus it has a different set of extras and a beautiful digibook.

[Drucker]

Might be worth noting for M that the German edition (which I still need to get) is probably the best of the bunch, because the video and, in particular, the audio received further restoration, plus it has a different set of extras and a beautiful digibook.

Are the extras English-friendly, for that edition?

[JPJ]

Might be worth noting for M that the German edition (which I still need to get) is probably the best of the bunch, because the video and, in particular, the audio received further restoration, plus it has a different set of extras and a beautiful digibook.

Are the extras English-friendly, for that edition?

If I remember correctly,everything except the commentary is subtitled in english.This is an essential release.

[TMDaines]

Might be worth noting for M that the German edition (which I still need to get) is probably the best of the bunch, because the video and, in particular, the audio received further restoration, plus it has a different set of extras and a beautiful digibook.

Are the extras English-friendly, for that edition?

If I remember correctly,everything except the commentary is subtitled in english.This is an essential release.

Not quite everything but the bulk of the good stuff does: Blu-ray.com

[swo17]

I've updated the first post to reflect all the new overlaps from the last few months. If anyone feels I've misrepresented anything, let me know.

[peerpee]

FWIW, MoC REPO MAN is not "cropped". It's 1.85:1 as the director intended for theatrical presentation (the film's OAR is 1.85:1). Criterion have "done a Warner Bros" and opened it up to 1.78:1 for Blu-ray (which I think looks great). The master MoC were presented with was 1.78:1 and we masked it to 1.85:1.

[swo17]

Fixed, thanks.