Criterion goes Blu!

powerknowledge · 05-07-2008, 11:28 PM

No April Fools joke, folks; this is the real deal, announced in their newsletter today (and posted over at highdefdigest.com). The best part: the BR releases will not only have all of the same supplementals as their SD counterparts, but sometimes more and...wait for it...will be priced exactly the same as the SD releases!

Here's the content of the announcement:

"We’ve got some exciting news for this fall, and we wanted you to hear it first.

Our first Blu-ray discs are coming! We’ve picked a little over a dozen titles from the collection for Blu-ray treatment, and we’ll begin rolling them out in October. 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.

Here’s what’s in the pipeline:

The Third Man
Bottle Rocket
Chungking Express
The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Last Emperor
El Norte
The 400 Blows
Gimme Shelter
The Complete Monterey Pop
Contempt
Walkabout
For All Mankind
The Wages of Fear

Alongside our DVD and Blu-ray box sets of The Last Emperor, we’ll also be putting out the theatrical version as a stand-alone release in both formats, priced at $39.95. Our Blu-ray release of Walkabout will be an all-new edition, featuring new supplements as well as a new transfer; we will also release an updated anamorphic DVD of Nicolas Roeg’s outback masterpiece at the same time."

Source URL:
Criterion announces first titles on Blu - High-Def Digest Forums
(I trust, and hope, that this is legit!)

hemmel · 05-07-2008, 11:58 PM

Legit. I just got an email from Criterion announcing it.

hemmel

dugpa · 05-08-2008, 12:38 AM

Oh my god, I think I just wet myself! Woohoo!!!!! There are 11 titles on that list I know I'll be buying. Be nice if they fixed the aspect ratio on Last Emperor, but such is life.

powerknowledge · 05-08-2008, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hemmel

Legit. I just got an email from Criterion announcing it.

hemmel

Thank god/Criterion/whatever. So much for having finally gotten out from all of my credit card debt.

Now, what remains to be seen (beyond additional catalog reissues) is whether CC will do simultaneous SD/HD releases for all upcoming titles. Those people joking about 1080p Salo might have to be careful what they "wished" for...

**Pirate** · 05-08-2008, 01:08 AM

YAY! And a new version of Bottle Rocket to boot!

***Wirehed*** · 05-08-2008, 01:29 AM

AWESOME!!!!

Now if we can get similar announcements from Synapse and Anchor Bay.

dugpa · 05-08-2008, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wirehed

Now if we can get similar announcements from Synapse and Anchor Bay.

We already do. Anchor Bay is Starz and they have several releases out already.

LeChuck · 05-08-2008, 12:46 PM

This is the best news to come about in a long time! The Third Man! Bottle Rocket! Chungking Express! Those three right there are some of my favourite movies of all time. I have never been so excited for summer to be over. Woohoo!

Mikado · 05-08-2008, 01:54 PM

Great news. Can't wait to pick up The Third Man and Bottle Rocket. Same price as the dvd version? I don't think anyone saw that coming. Do you think stores will actually price accordingly or jack up their prices because they can?
I'll be interested to see how Criterion handles these. Menus, audio etc...

Derb · 05-08-2008, 03:00 PM

Never heard of any of those.

Criterion usually charges a lot more than their dvd counterparts so I expect these to be in the MSRP $49.99 range. Probably sale $35 at best.

esc · 05-08-2008, 03:54 PM

yay for Walkabout. I've never seenit and no I'll probably buy it blind.

and here's hoping for an anamorphic Silence Of The Lamb in HD...

Ruined · 05-08-2008, 03:55 PM

Walkabout is a cool movie, I'll get that for sure.

***Wirehed*** · 05-08-2008, 04:43 PM

I hope those don't all come out on the same day.

Sehnzeleid · 05-08-2008, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esc

and here's hoping for an anamorphic Silence Of The Lamb in HD...

Full rights went back to MGM/Fox.

Toefur · 05-08-2008, 07:56 PM

Yay!, I didn't think they'd announce this soon. I figured they'd wait until the install base was bigger. Too bad I just bought The Last Emperor on DVD a few months back.

Shawn Watson · 05-08-2008, 10:05 PM

Fuck the Queen Mum in the bum!

Puh-lease don't be region coded!

Shawn

Jast3r Rogu3 · 05-09-2008, 12:34 AM

Still no news of digital download support?

lmao.

***chlngr1970*** · 05-09-2008, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jast3r Rogu3

Still no news of digital download support?

lmao.

Your posts have become nothing but trolling. Think very carefully before you post again.

j

cherno · 05-09-2008, 04:16 AM

I am most excited about Third Man from this first set. I probably won't pick up any of the others from this initial grouping.

dugpa · 05-09-2008, 06:48 AM

The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Last Emperor, The 400 Blows, Contempt and Walkabout are must buys for me the day they come out. Bottle Rocket, Gimme Shelter, The Complete Monterey Pop and For All Mankind I'll buy eventually for sure. Chungking Express, El Norte and The Wages of Fear I'm not interested in.

**aintnosin** · 05-09-2008, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wirehed

AWESOME!!!!

Now if we can get similar announcements from Synapse and Anchor Bay.

Anchor Bay? Won't that mean like a dozen new versions of Army of Darkness?

Squid Lips · 05-10-2008, 07:23 AM

Wages Of Fear, Contempt and The Last Emperor for sure! I was going to buy TLE this week but now will hold out. Can't wait for Seven Samurai one of these days....

George McFly · 05-10-2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chlngr1970

Your posts have become nothing but trolling. Think very carefully before you post again.

j

thank you that guy adds nothing

back on topic

nothing on this first list
hopefully Armageddon, The Royals Tenenbaums, Chasing Amy and Rushmore are not far off.

Shawn Watson · 05-10-2008, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George McFly

thank you that guy adds nothing

back on topic

nothing on this first list
hopefully Armageddon, The Royals Tenenbaums, Chasing Amy and Rushmore are not far off.

I have a feeling that Armageddon will be Disney, just like The Rock.

Personally, I want The Most Dangerous Game in Hi-Def.

There's a suggestion I never thought I'd be making.

Shawn

dugpa · 05-10-2008, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George McFly

nothing on this first list
hopefully Armageddon, The Royals Tenenbaums, Chasing Amy and Rushmore are not far off.

I doubt Disney will license any of them for blu-ray. They'll release them themselves.
You should really expand your cinematic horizons a bit. There's a lot of great films on the first list. Not to say Tenenbaums or Rushmore are bad films, but your missing out on some great cinema.

LeChuck · 05-11-2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugpa

Chungking Express, El Norte and The Wages of Fear I'm not interested in.

I imagine you have seen some Wong Kar Wai films to know that you are not interested, but if you haven't seen his work, CE is an amazing film that you really should see. A wonderful art film.

brian · 05-11-2008, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugpa

I doubt Disney will license any of them for blu-ray. They'll release them themselves.
You should really expand your cinematic horizons a bit. There's a lot of great films on the first list. Not to say Tenenbaums or Rushmore are bad films, but your missing out on some great cinema.

Who said he hasn't seen the films before?

Hayrab · 05-11-2008, 04:09 PM

Brazil....bluray....now

George McFly · 05-11-2008, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brian

Who said he hasn't seen the films before?

actually I haven't

05-07-2008, 11:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
powerknowledge Actor Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Twin Cities Suburb	Criterion goes Blu! No April Fools joke, folks; this is the real deal, announced in their newsletter today (and posted over at highdefdigest.com). The best part: the BR releases will not only have all of the same supplementals as their SD counterparts, but sometimes more and...wait for it...will be priced exactly the same as the SD releases! Here's the content of the announcement: "We’ve got some exciting news for this fall, and we wanted you to hear it first. Our first Blu-ray discs are coming! We’ve picked a little over a dozen titles from the collection for Blu-ray treatment, and we’ll begin rolling them out in October. 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. Here’s what’s in the pipeline: The Third Man Bottle Rocket Chungking Express The Man Who Fell to Earth The Last Emperor El Norte The 400 Blows Gimme Shelter The Complete Monterey Pop Contempt Walkabout For All Mankind The Wages of Fear Alongside our DVD and Blu-ray box sets of The Last Emperor, we’ll also be putting out the theatrical version as a stand-alone release in both formats, priced at $39.95. Our Blu-ray release of Walkabout will be an all-new edition, featuring new supplements as well as a new transfer; we will also release an updated anamorphic DVD of Nicolas Roeg’s outback masterpiece at the same time." Source URL: Criterion announces first titles on Blu - High-Def Digest Forums (I trust, and hope, that this is legit!) __________________ "The splinter in your eye is the best magnifying glass." Theodor W. Adorno, "Minima Moralia"

05-07-2008, 11:58 PM	#2 (permalink)
hemmel Actor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Columbus, OH	Legit. I just got an email from Criterion announcing it. hemmel __________________ Putting Up Good Numbers That's some bad hat, Harry.

05-08-2008, 12:38 AM	#3 (permalink)
dugpa Nothing But the Best Join Date: Sep 2004	Oh my god, I think I just wet myself! Woohoo!!!!! There are 11 titles on that list I know I'll be buying. Be nice if they fixed the aspect ratio on Last Emperor, but such is life. __________________ DVD collection LD collection Format war rules: Never let facts get in the way of dogma.

05-08-2008, 01:08 AM	#5 (permalink)
Pirate Director/Moderator Loves Yellow Subtitles Join Date: Jun 2003	YAY! And a new version of Bottle Rocket to boot! __________________ Early Adopting So You Don’t Have To.

05-08-2008, 01:29 AM	#6 (permalink)
*Wirehed* Producer/Admin NSFW Off 'the list' Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Sacto, Ca --Near Galt, home of LeVar Burton	AWESOME!!!! Now if we can get similar announcements from Synapse and Anchor Bay. __________________ The Order of the Zombie. The world's greatest zombie culture website. "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wagn'nagl dominos" In his house in R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits for the pizza delivery guy.

05-08-2008, 12:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
LeChuck "Woman Hands" man Join Date: May 2004 Location: Cambridge, MA	This is the best news to come about in a long time! The Third Man! Bottle Rocket! Chungking Express! Those three right there are some of my favourite movies of all time. I have never been so excited for summer to be over. Woohoo!

05-08-2008, 01:54 PM	#9 (permalink)
Mikado Actor Join Date: Jan 2004	Great news. Can't wait to pick up The Third Man and Bottle Rocket. Same price as the dvd version? I don't think anyone saw that coming. Do you think stores will actually price accordingly or jack up their prices because they can? I'll be interested to see how Criterion handles these. Menus, audio etc... __________________ My collection Reality exists as an objective absolute—facts are facts, independent of man's feelings, wishes, hopes or fears.- Ayn Rand

05-08-2008, 03:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
Derb Actor Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: canada	Never heard of any of those. Criterion usually charges a lot more than their dvd counterparts so I expect these to be in the MSRP $49.99 range. Probably sale $35 at best. __________________ DVD, HD DVD & BD Collection Finished supporting High-Def. Time for Blu to go mainstream.

05-08-2008, 03:54 PM	#11 (permalink)
esc Stay behind my aura! Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: camrose, alberta, canada	yay for Walkabout. I've never seenit and no I'll probably buy it blind. and here's hoping for an anamorphic Silence Of The Lamb in HD... __________________ -I Early Adopted... Then It All Went Wrong -my collection (hasn't been updated in a long time) Last edited by esc : 05-08-2008 at 05:00 PM.

05-08-2008, 03:55 PM	#12 (permalink)
Ruined It's Good to Play Together Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: NJ, USA	Walkabout is a cool movie, I'll get that for sure. __________________ For every shadow, no matter how deep, is threatened by morning light.

05-08-2008, 04:43 PM	#13 (permalink)
*Wirehed* Producer/Admin NSFW Off 'the list' Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Sacto, Ca --Near Galt, home of LeVar Burton	I hope those don't all come out on the same day. __________________ The Order of the Zombie. The world's greatest zombie culture website. "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wagn'nagl dominos" In his house in R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits for the pizza delivery guy.

05-08-2008, 07:56 PM	#15 (permalink)
Toefur Actor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Glen Burnie, MD, USA	Yay!, I didn't think they'd announce this soon. I figured they'd wait until the install base was bigger. Too bad I just bought The Last Emperor on DVD a few months back. __________________ My DVD Collection

05-08-2008, 10:05 PM	#16 (permalink)
Shawn Watson Actor Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: The Underverse	Fuck the Queen Mum in the bum! Puh-lease don't be region coded! Shawn __________________ Four out of five people enjoy gang-rape.

05-09-2008, 12:34 AM	#17 (permalink)
Jast3r Rogu3 Banned Join Date: Sep 2007	Still no news of digital download support? lmao.

05-09-2008, 04:16 AM	#19 (permalink)
cherno Actor Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Emporia, Kansas	I am most excited about Third Man from this first set. I probably won't pick up any of the others from this initial grouping. __________________ "Principles only mean something if you stick by them when they are inconvenient" My DVDs My Home Theater Oh no! I broke history - Hiro Nakamura

05-09-2008, 06:48 AM	#20 (permalink)
dugpa Nothing But the Best Join Date: Sep 2004	The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Last Emperor, The 400 Blows, Contempt and Walkabout are must buys for me the day they come out. Bottle Rocket, Gimme Shelter, The Complete Monterey Pop and For All Mankind I'll buy eventually for sure. Chungking Express, El Norte and The Wages of Fear I'm not interested in. __________________ DVD collection LD collection Format war rules: Never let facts get in the way of dogma.

05-10-2008, 07:23 AM	#22 (permalink)
Squid Lips Actor Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Los Angeles CA	Wages Of Fear, Contempt and The Last Emperor for sure! I was going to buy TLE this week but now will hold out. Can't wait for Seven Samurai one of these days....

05-11-2008, 04:09 PM	#28 (permalink)
Hayrab Actor Join Date: Oct 2003	Brazil....bluray....now