Criterion Blu-ray

[Rupert Pupkin]

It says Walkabout is coming out in a regular Criterion edition

So Chungking and Bottle Rocket, for now, are Blu-Ray only.

Doubtful. The wording at the beginning ("These new editions will feature glorious high-definition picture and sound, all the supplemental content of the DVD releases, and they will be priced to match our standard-def editions") and the lack of anything saying "Bottle Rocket and Chungking will be on Blu-Ray only" suggests they'll be on both. I was more assuming the releases won't be released on the same date (EDIT: forgot to finish with my guess is Bottle Rocket and Chungking are probably both coming out before October.)

I'am amazed by this annoucement...

I'm soooo happy to read that one of their first selection will be a Blue-Ray HD transfer of Walkabout since this is one of my all-time fav' movie and superb photography (a better "demo" IMHO for HD demo than many blockbusters released by Sony)- perhaps we can except also Insignificance since this was planned a long time ago.
I understand the news as that they will release a DVD-SD HD new transfer anamorphic with bonus, since they probably work for a restauration and the master HD is used for both formats.
I already have a Blue-Ray player but hope for other customers that the DVD format will not be deleted quickly...

Moreover there is the region/zone problem with Blue-Ray...What will be Criterion's "policy" regarding this point since for instance they refuse to replace a defective copy bought outside US/Canadian.

2. Chungking Express: altough I tend to prefer Fallen Angels, this is still one of my fav movie by W-K-W and I was surprised to read a Criterion treatment was to be released for this movie since I've never heard about WKW being released on Criterion before. So this is a big surprise. Especially regarding how "so-so" are the Tartan (albeit a good effort) to release on Blue-Ray such movies like Paranoid Park, Old Boy, some Bergman, etc...

Can't wait to see the supplements for this and the transfer with color supervised by C.Doyle. I already own 3 editions of this movie- the best being the restored and supervised color double-pack Chungking/Fallen Angels

This was the big surprise in this thread since they start to say that they "pick out" some titles in their back catalog, so I didn't expect new stuff.

I can't wait to see the whole Truffaut, Tarkovski, Cassavetes, PlayTime or Brazil of course.
Contempt (Le Mepris) is a good choice because the picture is stellar and it's in cinemascope. This will be a big change with HD!

[Tribe]

I HAVE upgraded, last year to a Toshiba HDDVD player, and more recently a 1080p PJ and 120 inch diagonal screen.

Sheesh, I guess you have! When I bought my upscaling player it was based at least in part on your enthusiasm for it. I'm still using it and happy as all hell with it.

The HiDef/BD transfers take everything up another step by giving you a higher rez with far more visual information which is something much closer to 35mm film (but nothing short of 8k is going to really do that.) I think the more 1080p stuff you watch, the more dissatisfied you become with a lot of SD titles.

Now that does sound like a real difference! My issues isn't with cracks and tears and stuff like that...I've never cared about that. But that notion of the material approximating film...that I care about a lot. Do you find a notable difference between an upscaled and the newer formats...or is it just a matter of degree only?

[miless]

2. Chungking Express: altough I tend to prefer Fallen Angels, this is still one of my fav movie by W-K-W and I was surprised to read a Criterion treatment was to be released for this movie since I've never heard about WKW being released on Criterion before.

In The Mood for Love is a Criterion title

[Jeff]

my guess is Bottle Rocket and Chungking are probably both coming out before October.

I would think so too. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see those two and El Norte announced for standard def next week when the August releases are announced.

[domino harvey]

and Salo

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

So how many are going to go out and buy a Blu-Ray player with your tax return? Metal Gear Solid 4 sold me on getting a PS3, but finally movies I ACTUALLY want to see. Oh, and the previous released Kubrick's.

[Tribe]

So how many are going to go out and buy a Blu-Ray player with your tax return? Metal Gear Solid 4 sold me on getting a PS3, but finally movies I ACTUALLY want to see. Oh, and the previous released Kubrick's.

I was gonna buy weed.

[fdm]

Old Boy is already out on Blu-Ray, via Tartan (in US).

[Rupert Pupkin]

2. Chungking Express: altough I tend to prefer Fallen Angels, this is still one of my fav movie by W-K-W and I was surprised to read a Criterion treatment was to be released for this movie since I've never heard about WKW being released on Criterion before.

Not only was In The Mood For Love released (as mentioned) but Chungking Express was on Criterion Laserdisc, sorta (see http://www.criterion.com/asp/laserdisc_browse.asp) as part of Quentin Tarantino's Rolling Thunder LD line which also had Switchblade Sisters and Sonatine. In any case, I always thought it was weird that those DVD rights went to Miramax. The LD cover was much nicer: http://www.lddb.com/cover/ld/10301-1040 ... /10340.jpg

Anyway, I'm so excited this is coming out on Blu-Ray and Criterion proper. (also, long time lurker, first time poster, hi!)

sorry talking about LD I'd like to see Belle de Jour by Criterion Blue Ray
I forgot about In The Mood For Love because the French edition was far better and more accurate for the color (according to DVBeaver for instance). That's the only time that I didn't buy a Criterion rather than a DVD z2 when both editions were available.
I'm afraid about Criterion's policy : zone blocked for all their Blue-Ray releases which would be a nightmare for me in Europe...

[jaredsap]

How many of you children have ever watched real repertory cinema in 16mm, let alone 35?

I see a few hundred 35mm prints a year in repertory and yes, the sad truth is many people have no idea how older titles are supposed to look on DVD or Blu-ray or the qualitative difference between the two. The sadder truth is I handle Sony Pictures' repertory programming and am constantly dealing with programmers, bookers and venue owners who don't understand the difference between film and video.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

So how many are going to go out and buy a Blu-Ray player with your tax return? Metal Gear Solid 4 sold me on getting a PS3, but finally movies I ACTUALLY want to see. Oh, and the previous released Kubrick's.

I was gonna buy weed.

Weed comes in goes. Heroin is your money drug.

[Morbii]

As far as spine numbers, I almost got the impression that they would simply match the DVD spine numbers and new discs would possibly be released on both formats (which may possibly mean that all those aforementioned discs are coming to us at the end of the year, minus a few that will be BD only like the Third Man Re-Re-Release).

Or maybe I'm just sort of hoping this is the case as I am a bit of an obsessive collector.

[miless]

The Third Man will likely just be the same package as is currently available (same with all the other titles that are currently available in SD)

[Feast on me]

I do hope that the new Blu-Ray discs that Criterion will release will simply match the numbers of the previously released SD's. Mainly because that way titles I don't have when I do purchase them I can simply put them in the place of the SD (yes, I'm obsessive compulsive)

Even though I'm probably a year away from actually purchasing a BD player this is terrific news, primarily because I can now concentrate on purchasing the more obscure titles, which will probably take criterion some years to release and even then it would take a considerable image and features upgrade to merit a purchase.

Not to mention that the BD are going to maintain the MSRP's of SD Criterion's =D>

[criterionsnob]

I'm extremely pleased by this news. I recently purchased a Sony Bravia LCD and a PS3 (thank you severance package from my old job) and have been very happy with the results and my small blu-ray library. When watching upconverted Criterion DVD's, I'm completely happy with them, but pop in a blu-ray and I'm totally stunned.

Thank you Criterion for pricing the discs the same as SD. Any more expensive would probably make most people buy less and rent more, so that was a wise decision.

My wish list for Criterion blu-ray would be some Tarkovksy, Fellini, Melville, Antonioni, Kieslowski, and Malick.

[Svevan]

I'm still concerned about which movies Criterion will be "re-releasing" in high-def format. Those of us who have a shit ton of Criterions (or those like me that have 50, a sizable investment!) don't want to re-up on every single title; I'd rather know that Criterion is picking and choosing the titles that actually look substantially better on Blu-Ray. If this is a slow changeover of the majority, or even 25% of the catalog, consider me unhappy.

Also, they said they'll be starting in October, so they'll probably only have a few of the Blu titles on that list available that month; how long will this list last? End of the year? Are they going to periodically e-mail us and tell us which re-releases are coming out over the next four months? When they re-released movies like The Third Man or The Lady Vanishes, there was a significant reason to upgrade beyond just picture quality; in this scenario, I am essentially getting the same special features and transfer, plus extra gigabytes, for double the price. Woohoo?

This announcement raises too many questions for my contentment.

[a.khan]

This announcement raises too many questions for my contentment.

You need to be a little patient. I'm certain further details/specifics will be released in the coming weeks. This was just the heads-up.

[Svevan]

This announcement raises too many questions for my contentment.

You need to be a little patient. I'm certain further details/specifics will will released in the coming weeks. This was just the heads-up.

"heads up, don't buy anything over the next four months, don't you know we have a recession going?"

[TedW]

Of course this is excellent news, but... Gimme Shelter? A run-and-gun doc shot on 16mm? Why that one for the inaugural batch?

[bradass]

I'm sure they've tested all these films already, and they must look pretty damn good. I'm unbelievably excited for The 400 Blows in 1080p, but a little surprised no Kurosawa, Bergman, or Fellini made it. A little less of their basic stock films and more of the cult appeal titles seems to be their tactic.

[TedW]

Well, the best it could ever possibly look is as good as the camera original, which is still 16mm. So anyway...

And for my money, Kurosawa, Bergman, Fellini et. al should be first up.

[Petty Bourgeoisie]

"heads up, don't buy anything over the next four months, don't you know we have a recession going?"

Haha. The most trenchant analysis of this Criterion announcement I've heard so far. I'm still not buying into the HD hype just yet. BluRay disc's aren't selling that well are they, especially with gas pushing $4.00 a gallon. I'm thinking BluRay is "Laserdisc the Sequel". I'm waiting for 3D nanotechnology which can be injected and the movie will then screen in my minds eye as I feel every emotion experienced by the characters. Top on my want list is experiencing being seduced by Mrs. Robinson. C'mon Sony, get on this!

[bradass]

A few more thoughts on this... the way that I read the newsletter, my understanding is not that all of these titles will be available in October, but that the first few will be released, and that a few of these is where they will start. If that is the case, will Chungking Express, El Norte, and Bottle Rocket be the October releases? May other titles come out in October, not on Blu-ray? Will every title successively be on Blu-ray? If they can make 16mm sparkle on 1080p, then I don't see any reason to not release every title going forward. If they are starting a new spine number order, then maybe these will all be released at once. I just hope they don't double back... once October hits, I want to be able to buy every release in its definitive edition, without fear of a HD double-dip. Also, this the best news, like, ever.

[DDillaman]

once October hits, I want to be able to buy every release in its definitive edition, without fear of a HD double-dip.

Just wait til 2K home monitors hit in 3-4 years. If not sooner. And everything gets re-released in Red Ray, or holographic, or or or.

There is never going to be a definitive edition in an industry that exists to make sure there's perpetual re-purchasing of the same intellectual content over and over.

The only thing there will ever be is good enough for you. And Blu-Ray may well be that. But I'll bet $100 without flinching that in ten years, Blu-Ray is not the highest-end consumer format, and that any number of titles that are in Blu-Ray today are available in that higher-end format, and that Internet forums are full of people having the same discussions that we're having today, only with different nouns.

(None of which is to bag Criterion. This is an auspicious launch, well handled, and I look forward to seeing what they have to offer. Although, until Blu-Ray is region free, my participation is somewhat questionable.)