The Criterion Collection releases

[bradavon]

Criterion have got it wrong on occasion. Their Black Narcissus DVD was rubbish, Armageddon and Robocop were non-anamorphic.

Most are excellent though, which is fine if the competition is rubbish (and the price hike is more worth it) but more and more you find this isn't the case. Che and Gomorrah for example have perfectly respectable UK BDs, both with decent extras not as good as the Criterion but still a decent selection.

Thin Red Line UK Fox BD also has pretty much all the Criterion extras yet is only £7-8. The same applies to "The Double Life of Veronique", a very good Artificial Eye BD for about £7. Some should be budget too, like their Charade DVD.

I will be getting the odd Criterion BD, like Traffic for instance. Their is no UK BD (EIV) and the normal USA one is that upscaled Universal nonsense. I have a handful of Criterion DVDs, many during those wicked CD WOW £8 vouchers :-(. They are:

Videodrome: As Salty has pointed out the competition is rubbish
Ran: I got this cheap through CD WOW but by all accounts the Warner UK DVD is equally as good, maybe better
Fanny & Alexander: A mammoth box set with both cuts
The Last Temptation of Christ
Traffic: A whole lot better to the UK and US DVDs

Would Ivan Dragon have bought all of those titles he listed had the distributor been Warner Home Video?

I seriously doubt it or more to the point he wouldn't know. We've all got multiple Warner, Fox DVDs etc... but they're not categorised.

[Killer Meteor]

Would Ivan Dragon have bought all of those titles he listed had the distributor been Warner Home Video?

I seriously doubt it or more to the point he wouldn't know. .

No Brad, I'm not as clueless as you are.

I've only bought Criterion for the film, and occasionally have chosen it over a R2 disc for say the short films as extras. But when its time to get say, a great film such as DO THE RIGHT THING, I'll deffo go for the cheap R2 disc if it's anamorphic.

One Criterion release pissed me off big time (though I didn't buy it). They did a boxset of four 50's sci-fi/horrors, MONSTERS AND MADMEN, which despite extensive extras reused old pan'scan and open matte masters.

[grim_tales]

Seven Samurai is a classic of course, Videodrome is an excellent film, own Throne of Blood, Thief of Bagdad (really enjoyed it) and enjoyed (if thats the right word) Onibaba (though I dont own it) and Peeping Tom (on Optimum DVD).
Not sure about getting Le Samourai though, saw it in college years ago (was interested because of the similar story to The Killer).
Ivan I think I have an old edition of Throne of Blood, whats the essential Art House edition?

[Killer Meteor]

The essential Art House is barebones, and was cheaper

PEEPING TOM - the Criterion is better framed then the Optinum and has a great documentary. Plus I got it for a tenner!

LE SAMOURAI - I got this in a trade. It's good, but I've not watched it for four years. Will have to re-visit it!

[bradavon]

No Brad, I'm not as clueless as you are.

Are you so sure? You've completely missed the point of what I said . No one collects Warner blu-rays and lists them like they do Criterions.

@ Grim: Don't forget there's a Peeping Tom Optimum blu-ray too.

[Killer Meteor]

No Brad, I'm not as clueless as you are.

Are you so sure? You've completely missed the point of what I said . No one collects Warner blu-rays and lists them like they do Criterions.

Its a lot easier to list cult labels because they have fewer titles but DVDAf can tell me which Warners titles I have just as easily as it told me which Criterions I had.

[grim_tales]

No Brad, I'm not as clueless as you are.

Are you so sure? You've completely missed the point of what I said . No one collects Warner blu-rays and lists them like they do Criterions.

@ Grim: Don't forget there's a Peeping Tom Optimum blu-ray too.

I read about that, according to to reviews such as the DVD Beaver one the BD transfer has been heavily DNR'ed.

[bradavon]

I wouldn't say heavy but it's obvious DNR has been applied, it's no Predator botch job. Reading reviews most give it decent marks.