'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

News on Criterion and Janus Films.
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Matt
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm

Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1826 Post by Matt » Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:48 pm

triodelover wrote:So if you want Everlasting Moments in Blu now, the best hope is to convince Mulvaney and the gang over the next month or so to release it concurrently with the DVD.
I don't know if it had any impact on the eventual decision to release A Christmas Tale on Blu-ray, but the day after it was announced as DVD-only, I sent an e-mail to the Mulvaney address trying to convince Criterion that there was a market for the film on Blu-ray. I don't know how many other people did the same, but something eventually convinced them that it was worth it to create a Blu-ray. But then maybe that experience taught them that it actually wasn't worth releasing certain films on Blu-ray, and that's why Everlasting Moments is DVD-only.

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Tom Hagen
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1827 Post by Tom Hagen » Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:56 pm

Did I just read DVDs being compared to automobiles with potentially lethal design defects?

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captveg
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1828 Post by captveg » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:01 pm

swo17 wrote:Actually, at this stage in the game, I would assume that if a film is going to get a Blu-ray release in the near future, it would be at the same time that it gets a DVD release. If there wasn't a compelling reason for Criterion to put this out on BD while they were actively working on a release of some form, what's going to motivate them to do so after they have moved on to other projects? For the next three months, the best strategy to get Everlasting Moments on Blu is to barrage Criterion with complaints, but failing that, the only effective way to lobby for a BD release is to show Criterion that it's a viable moneymaker by putting your money where your mouth is and buying the DVD!
Exactly. Anything released DVD only after spine # 450 (Bottle Rocket) - the first day and date DVD and Blu-ray release - simply won't have a Blu-ray release in the near future. They have to break that precedent to change this outlook.
Last edited by captveg on Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:08 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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triodelover
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1829 Post by triodelover » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:04 pm

Matt wrote:
triodelover wrote:So if you want Everlasting Moments in Blu now, the best hope is to convince Mulvaney and the gang over the next month or so to release it concurrently with the DVD.
I don't know if it had any impact on the eventual decision to release A Christmas Tale on Blu-ray, but the day after it was announced as DVD-only, I sent an e-mail to the Mulvaney address trying to convince Criterion that there was a market for the film on Blu-ray. I don't know how many other people did the same, but something eventually convinced them that it was worth it to create a Blu-ray. But then maybe that experience taught them that it actually wasn't worth releasing certain films on Blu-ray, and that's why Everlasting Moments is DVD-only.
No idea if the e-mail campaign could work. I'm guessing A Christmas Tale being a holiday movie with a release date shortly after Black Friday had a lot to do with Criterion rolling the dice on it. It's certainly not a case of the materials for the Troell not being up to it since there is a BD already out, so I suspect it's more an unwillingness to use resources on this rather than on other, potentially better selling titles. There are a lot of Blus coming out between today and the release date for Everlasting Moments.

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Brian C
I hate to be That Pedantic Guy but...
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1830 Post by Brian C » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:05 pm

Tom Hagen wrote:Did I just read DVDs being compared to automobiles with potentially lethal design defects?
No. What you read was a description of a specific logical process applied to an absurd circumstance in order to make a point. No direct comparison was made between the utility of DVDs and dangerous cars. If the example was too absurd for you to follow, well, just be glad I didn't start talking about how swo17 is like Hitler.

Flike
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1831 Post by Flike » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:08 pm

How fucking silly. I don't understand the VHS comparison either, as the next disc-based format will still feature DVD backwards compatibility.

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fdm
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1832 Post by fdm » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:21 pm

Fierias wrote: Edit to add:
fdm wrote:Wait if you think you must, but why try to convince anyone else that they are wasting their time/money/whatever if they don't share your opinion? And why be so obnoxious about it (this isn't blu-ray.com)?
give me a break. if you want to put words in my mouth, you could be more subtle at least. I'm not telling anyone to do anything. I'm defending an innocent decision to not buy something that was questioned by two posters who were quite more hostile in their approach than I was.
Sorry, must be getting my obnoxious posters mixed up.

ianungstad
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1833 Post by ianungstad » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:25 pm

What is even worse to me, is that I've seen a few people comment online that they sold off their entire collection of Criterion dvds for cheap on Ebay with the intents of purchasing the collection on Blu. There was an individual who did this on the .com forums and I asked why he did that if he loved these movies so much and got the tired old spiel about how great Blu Ray is and how the SD's are irrelevant now. I just don't understand the logic.

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swo17
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1834 Post by swo17 » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:26 pm

Fierias wrote:
fdm wrote:Wait if you think you must, but why try to convince anyone else that they are wasting their time/money/whatever if they don't share your opinion? And why be so obnoxious about it (this isn't blu-ray.com)?
give me a break. if you want to put words in my mouth, you could be more subtle at least. I'm not telling anyone to do anything. I'm defending an innocent decision to not buy something that was questioned by two posters who were quite more hostile in their approach than I was.
If you're referring to me as one of the hostile ones, well, what did you expect from Hitler? :twisted:

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triodelover
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1835 Post by triodelover » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:31 pm

ianungstad wrote:What is even worse to me, is that I've seen a few people comment online that they sold off their entire collection of Criterion dvds for cheap on Ebay with the intents of purchasing the collection on Blu. There was an individual who did this on the .com forums and I asked why he did that if he loved these movies so much and got the tired old spiel about how great Blu Ray is and how the SD's are irrelevant now. I just don't understand the logic.
Why exactly did he think the entire collection (including titles Criterion no longer has the right to ) would be issued again on BD? Because he wanted them?

Then there was the guy over on the Blu-ray.com forum who had bought all of Criterion's BDs and was posting to ask the assembled minions if they though he would like the films. ](*,)

Some boys just can't get over their shiny toys.

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Fierias
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1836 Post by Fierias » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:32 pm

swo17 wrote:
Fierias wrote:
fdm wrote:Wait if you think you must, but why try to convince anyone else that they are wasting their time/money/whatever if they don't share your opinion? And why be so obnoxious about it (this isn't blu-ray.com)?
give me a break. if you want to put words in my mouth, you could be more subtle at least. I'm not telling anyone to do anything. I'm defending an innocent decision to not buy something that was questioned by two posters who were quite more hostile in their approach than I was.
If you're referring to me as one of the hostile ones, well, what did you expect from Hitler? :twisted:
haha, no, wasn't referring to you.

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triodelover
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1837 Post by triodelover » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:32 pm

swo17 wrote:
Fierias wrote:
fdm wrote:Wait if you think you must, but why try to convince anyone else that they are wasting their time/money/whatever if they don't share your opinion? And why be so obnoxious about it (this isn't blu-ray.com)?
give me a break. if you want to put words in my mouth, you could be more subtle at least. I'm not telling anyone to do anything. I'm defending an innocent decision to not buy something that was questioned by two posters who were quite more hostile in their approach than I was.
If you're referring to me as one of the hostile ones, well, what did you expect from Hitler? :twisted:
So you're the guy Glenn Beck keeps talking about? :-k

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aox
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1838 Post by aox » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:34 pm

I am sick of people denying the DVD Holocaust. Blu-Ray is here, it's great, and it is the future. Adapt.

ianungstad
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1839 Post by ianungstad » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:59 pm

The future is video on demand which is why every company is pushing the format hard. Depending on the article you read, VOD sales were $2 billion last year, almost double the sales of blu software. That probably scares me more, as I like having the actual product sitting on my shelf versus as a file on a hard drive. VOD doesn't get debated much on the forums as I'm sure most people have their reservations about the technology but it's the definitely the juggernaut looming in the background. The other major issue that's not discussed as much as it should be is that people just aren't buying movies anymore. The total dollar amounts generated by the home video market has been seeing double digit declines for almost a half decade now regardless of the format. (classic and foreign language films being hit particularly hard)

Personally, I've been buying the Criterion blus when they are available but buying a DVD of Z or Golden Age of Television, Everlasting Moments, etc. is fine. I understand that there are market considerations that prevent those from happening for different reasons. Nothing to make a stink over, IMO.

EDIT: Just to add something that's actually on topic. The MGM dvd of Coffee and Cigarettes is also out of print. Since Jim has been transitioning his library over to Criterion, I wouldn't be surprised if Coffee and Cigarettes wasn't in que.

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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1840 Post by Flike » Tue Mar 16, 2010 6:57 pm

You're now all expected to purchase the Everlasting Moments Blu that was just posted on the site.

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Highway 61
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1841 Post by Highway 61 » Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:32 pm

With Close-Up (and The Traveler) bumped to Blu, I think it's safe to say that 2010 is Criterion's most impressive year ever. =D>

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triodelover
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1842 Post by triodelover » Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:35 pm

Highway 61 wrote:With Close-Up (and The Traveler) bumped to Blu, I think it's safe to say that 2010 is Criterion's most impressive year ever. =D>
Wouldn't be more accurate to say the best half-year ever? We're only through June. A number of good teams have faded in the second half. 8-[

Flike
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1843 Post by Flike » Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:37 pm

triodelover wrote:
Highway 61 wrote:With Close-Up (and The Traveler) bumped to Blu, I think it's safe to say that 2010 is Criterion's most impressive year ever. =D>
Wouldn't be more accurate to say the best half-year ever? We're only through June. A number of good teams have faded in the second half. 8-[
See: last year, actually.

For me however, this is Criterion's best year in some time.

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domino harvey
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1844 Post by domino harvey » Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:45 pm

This is far from Criterion's most anything

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Svevan
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1845 Post by Svevan » Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:50 pm

Amen to Domino.

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Brian C
I hate to be That Pedantic Guy but...
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1846 Post by Brian C » Tue Mar 16, 2010 11:27 pm

Flike wrote:You're now all expected to purchase the Everlasting Moments Blu that was just posted on the site.
I will, too, and probably also Close-Up , unless I simply hate it when I see the new Janus print, which I'll see when it plays here in Chicago (it's playing in Chicago at some point, right?).

I'll also take credit for the addition, since it was obviously my "gullible consumer" post that made the difference. Clearly it was the threat of being associated with Toyota that broke them.

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Mikos Stenopolis
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1847 Post by Mikos Stenopolis » Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:10 am

I'm sure if we start complaining from now until tomorrow we can get Night train to Munich on blu making it Criterion's first official month where all their releases are both SD and BD. Start now people!

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knives
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1848 Post by knives » Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:16 am

Last month already did that, there was actually more Blu releases than SD, not that it ultimately matters.

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StevenJ0001
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1849 Post by StevenJ0001 » Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:25 am

This is tremendous news! EM is visually ravishing, and CU is simply one of the greatest and most enthralling films to come out of Iran in the past couple of decades or so (which is saying a great deal!) HD is a fitting way to see these gems at home. =D>

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Ashirg
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Re: 'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

#1850 Post by Ashirg » Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:30 am

So what's the first Eclipse set that will get a Blu-ray treatment? Discuss.

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