criterionforum.org

DimitriL wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2026 5:08 pmI know there was an opening logo change so it was kind of necessary, but they did take the opportunity to fairly dramatically re-encode Trainspotting.

Yeah, I know. They could’ve swapped out the logos without re-doing the entire encode but it was probably easier to just run another encode with their current presets. Criterion’s customer service didn’t know about this by the way and told people that they only changed the logo. They also defended their 2024 disc and firmly rejected claims that some of their past encodes have a blocky, DVD-like appearance. There’s someone at the company we’ve got to thank for their recent improvements across the board though. Maybe it results in a better Barry Lyndon encode but I can’t imagine it (yet).

I'll say this much: a lot of things may be converging where Criterion is just going to throw everything into this, including re-encodes. Like, the estate is probably pushing this as the last great Kubrick project with Jan and Christiane as caretakers, and they want it to be the definitive video statement. They they certainly had to cut through a lot of rights issues to make it happen. On top of that, Criterion has the Rales money and maybe they don't need to cut corners like they would've when things were tighter. And K-Pop is going to be a money faucet, which means even more room to operate.

I obviously don't know. It could be their biggest disappointment! But this is arguably the biggest opportunity they've ever had to make a statement, with one of the canon directors. So maybe that means going back and redoing everything. (IIRC, Bill Hunt said they're doing new special features for everything; in the past, they would've just repackaged extras. That's basically what they did on Wes Anderson, right? I don't know, but I have my fingers crossed. I doubt Criterion is unaware of what's riding on a Kubrick set and they have an incentive to get the details right.

DimitriL wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2026 9:31 pm (IIRC, Bill Hunt said they're doing new special features for everything; in the past, they would've just repackaged extras. That's basically what they did on Wes Anderson, right?

Yes they were all the same Blu-rays except Darjeeling Limited, which had a new transfer with the different color timing. However, since Anderson is still living, had he wanted to do any new extras for any of the previously released films they probably would have done them.

I would be stunned if the 2001, Shining, etc discs were just straight ports of the WB discs but I'm not exactly hopeful for new extras that are a total knockout given the Kubrick estate's usual wishes against such things. I would love scholarly tracks on those two films (or any new commentaries at all) but not holding my breath...I will be glad to have the Spartacus commentary at last though.

hopefully we get the announcement this coming week and don't have to wait long to find out what we're getting

I’m springing for it for sure.

Probability of blurays for
Room 237
Kubrick by Kubrick
Color Me Kubrick
Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
Kubrick Remembered
…
?

I'd only ask them not to repeat the Felllini set's packaging or the Godzilla, or Citizen Kane. Please!

Hopefully it will have both cuts of The Shining.

I'm wondering if it ends up being 4k only. I was about to offload all of my old Kubricks and realized I should hold off before that's confirmed.

Have they ever shifted all extras onto a UHD disc before? They'll still have BDs for the extras. My preference would be for a set with UHDs for the films and BDs for the extras, and a separate set for the Blu-ray crowd with the films on BDs. That way neither camp of buyers has to contend with a larger set to house an extra dozen discs on a format they won't be interested in using. But I figure Criterion will have the films on both formats in a single set. Not great for shelf space though.

Can someone move the long thread on this in the random speculation thread to here now that it has a life of its own? It would help curtail duplicate discussions on the same thing and keep other speculations from interfering with the discussion.

Finch wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2026 4:09 pm Have they ever shifted all extras onto a UHD disc before? They'll still have BDs for the extras. My preference would be for a set with UHDs for the films and BDs for the extras, and a separate set for the Blu-ray crowd with the films on BDs. That way neither camp of buyers has to contend with a larger set to house an extra dozen discs on a format they won't be interested in using. But I figure Criterion will have the films on both formats in a single set. Not great for shelf space though.

The Singleton set is just like that, separate Blu-ray and UHD editions with the UHD edition having a Blu-ray with all the special features (I thought that the Carax set was like this too, but I was wrong.)

I assume Criterion will either do dual format or only a UHD only edition with no corresponding Blu-ray only version .

Finch wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2026 4:47 am I'd only ask them not to repeat the Felllini set's packaging or the Godzilla, or Citizen Kane. Please!

Oh goodness, even the thought of this made me reconsider selling off all my 4ks before the announcement to get ahead of the prices bottoming out.

Lowry_Sam wrote:Can someone move the long thread on this in the random speculation thread to here now that it has a life of its own? It would help curtail duplicate discussions on the same thing and keep other speculations from interfering with the discussion.

I’ll get on that shortly.

Think it's more likely the Kubrick box will be dual format. Singleton Hood Trilogy and Life of Brian are both Sony, Playtime was StudioCanal. Think the latter was more because 99% of the people buying Playtime on 4K already have the Tati box set.

Most obvious packaging concept would be to literally use the archival box Kubrick commissioned for his personal archive, with stickers or silk-screening. They're available for sale online from the original manufacturer to this day.

Wouldn't surprise me if they went for something like the Taschen archive book.

Matt wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2026 6:36 pm I’ll get on that shortly.

Thanks!

If it's a book, hopefully it's not cardboard sleeves for the discs.

This will most likely be announced for an October release. So keep in mind that for September TCM will be having a Kubrick retrospective. You'll probably see many of the new restorations air and some of the supplements if you want to get an early taste

Lowry_Sam wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2026 2:36 am Probability of blurays for
Room 237
Kubrick by Kubrick
Color Me Kubrick
Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
Kubrick Remembered
…
?

A Life in Pictures feels obvious for inclusion