Criterion releases in UK

[Stuart N]

I sure I read recently that Criterion had moved into the UK DVD market. Can someone confirm whether any Criterion films have been released in the UK so far and what else is scheduled? I'm interested as they've restored and released several films 'The Lady Vanishes and 'Rebecca' in the US that I would be interested in buying. Can we expect these restored prints to be released on UK shores or do I, like many others, have to import them?

[Narshty]

The special edition features from their discs of Armageddon and Withnail and I have turned up on UK discs, but apart from that, nothing.

[jonathan.e]

Why not just buy the excellent US discs?

[FightForTheRight]

I haven't bought any myself - although I might in the future.

However, I think the price may put some people off - added to the fact that Withnail and I, for example, had a better edition released over here.

I think it probably comes down to price with most folk though.

[DeadKenny]

Originally posted by jonathan.e

Why not just buy the excellent US discs?

1. Price
2. NTSC
3. Older discs are non-anamorphic - new issues, UK or otherwise might be anamorphic :D

That aside, many Criterions are excellent, but I still think they're overpriced in todays market. In the days of elitist laserdisc maybe :rolleyes:.

If other companies can take the same material and produce vastly cheaper versions in the UK, then it makes you wonder about Criterion.

[jonathan.e]

Err... Lady Vanishes and Rebecca will never have anamorphic transfers and you’d be hard pressed to better the amazing two disc version of Rebecca that Criterion released.

Anyone who has ever bought one laserdisc will tell you there is no such thing as an overpriced DVD.

[DeadKenny]

Yes, yes, I know 4:3 titles aren't likely to be anamorphic. I obviously wasn't referring to those :rolleyes:

Specific ones I can think of that are annoyingly non-anamorphic...

Armageddon, Brazil, Robocop

(and yes, it's worth having 1.66:1 titles anamorphic - especially if you've got a Sony WEGA 50Hz set. In fact any Sony WEGA... the nearest mode is 14:9 which is not 1.66:1 and the visible scan lines in NTSC are awful. It's even arguable that 1.33:1 would be better anamorphic, but it would **** 4:3 owners off unfortunately).

Suffice to say I'll be changing my Criterion Robocop for the anamorphic R2 SE when it's out, and I expect it will be vastly cheaper and yet is the same as the criterion plus has additional extras.

And as for laserdisc, I'm talking in relative terms, I know they used to be a lot more expensive that DVD but that's because of the relatively small market by comparison. In those days, Criterion was still v.expensive compared to the rest, but it was one of the only ways the get quality (okay there were a few others). This has stuck in peoples minds and everyone thinks that Criterion is obviously worth the massive expense. In many cases they're worth a bit more, but I still think they're overpriced.

I take point with The Lady Vanishes though. I was seriously disappointed with the lack of content there compared to Rebecca and yet it set me back almost the same amount (and with customs charge it cost me around £38!, even without it would have been £30). Rebecca is a far better disc, but still I think no 2-disc set should be more than £20 (and I think all 1 discs should be around £10 to £15 anyway).

Excepted that Brazil is worth a bit more cash but a pain that it's non-anamorphic.

[jonathan.e]

DeadKenny you’re confusing what you want to pay with the practicalities of selling for profit in the marketplace. I’d like an Aston Martin DB5 and I don’t think I should pay more than £50 for it but I do live in the real world and realise that’s not going to happen. Criterion are not some philanthropic organisation out to better all our lives by offering us dirt cheap DVDs. Probably worth you reading up on the amount of work that goes into a 2 disc set like Rebecca and then maybe you’d realise what extraordinarily good value it is.

And where in God’s name did you buy Lady Vanishes from? DVDEmpire is the only store selling it for more than $30. You could get it from DVDPlanet for just over $30 shipped at the moment and that’s without employing any coupons.

Maybe your perception of Criterion is clouded by the fact that you seem to be paying half as much again as everyone else.

Think of Criterion as the same as a fine tailor. Sure, you can pop into Top Man and pick up a jacket and trousers that’ll look great for a year or so but you and I both know that we’d rather have a bespoke set of clothes and this is worth paying a little (emphasis on the little) extra for.

[DeadKenny]

Lady Vanishes came from Amazon.com. $35.96 (and that's reduced price!), plus shipping at $9.48 = $45.44, less $5 voucher = $40.44, which is £28.88, plus duty and tax was about £35, plus postie fee was about £37 (okay, not £38). By law you should be paying the duty&tax anyway - don't overlook the fact you're getting away with an illegal activity and taking away from UK income and jobs by not paying duty & VAT on imports over £18 (not that it isn't nice to not have to pay it :D).

I can think of many quality DVDs that exceed Criterion discs that sell for far less. I'm well aware of the effort they put in, but it's no less than many other companies (small or large) these days (accepted that there are many companies churning out junk as well). My point is they used to be worth it because they were the only ones doing it, but now they don't hold that monopoly any more. I seriously doubt in the American marketplace they are struggling to make a profit.

The fact you can get the discs cheaper in various places is a meaningless argument, the point is Criterion market them at prices like $39.99 and the price is too high for a disc like The Lady Vanishes in my book.

[Narshty]

Go and buy it from ********* for a comparitively meagre £25, then.

[tezmo]

It's even arguable that 1.33:1 would be better anamorphic, but it would **** 4:3 owners off unfortunately

how the hell can you even have anamorphic 4:3? the vertical resolution of widescreen and 4:3 sets is the same, so theres no extra resolution room at the top or bottom to include extra transfer detail....dont be insane.........or correct me :D

[MikeToone]

Originally posted by Narshty
Go and buy it from ********* for a comparitively meagre £25, then.

Hell yes I get all my Criterions from *********, the only way the other online retailers (Amazon DVDBO, AB Sounds) will better their prices is if they have them on offer or you have loads of gift certificates........

[cervaro]

Originally posted by DeadKenny
By law you should be paying the duty&tax anyway - don't overlook the fact you're getting away with an illegal activity and taking away from UK income and jobs by not paying duty & VAT on imports over £18 (not that it isn't nice to not have to pay it :D).

How can you be taking away from UK income and jobs with a product that is produced and only sold in the USA, Canada, Australia, etc.? If, as in the case of Criterion editions they are only sold in that form in the US, and we don't have the option of buying a UK product, so have to import if we want it.

I don't agree that C&E should set an arbitrary limit of £18 for non-EU imports just because it suits them financially. After all, I'm still taking money away from the UK economy by buying things in Europe, but the import limit is something like £75. Surely setting such a wide variance in the EU/non-EU customs limit is a restraint of trade and hence illegal. Remove all customs restraints and let countries fight it out in a free market is what I say.

[Chris]

Originally posted by tezmo


how the hell can you even have anamorphic 4:3? the vertical resolution of widescreen and 4:3 sets is the same, so theres no extra resolution room at the top or bottom to include extra transfer detail....dont be insane.........or correct me :D

You zoom the 4:3 image out and place it in a 1.78:1 frame, then you make it anamorphic.

Anamorphic 4:3 examples can be found on many Anchor Bay discs. Anamorphic 4:3 is inferior to non-anamorphic 4:3 as Anamorphic 4:3 has less active pixels.

Anamoprhic 1.66:1 is donw by zooming out the image as well (see R1 disney Tarzan etc, and AB Army of Darkness). Anamorphic 1.66:1 is better than non-anamorphic 1.66:1 as anamorphic 1.66:1 has more active pixels than non-anamorphic 1.66:1

[jonathan.e]

Originally posted by DeadKenny
The fact you can get the discs cheaper in various places is a meaningless argument, the point is Criterion market them at prices like $39.99 and the price is too high for a disc like The Lady Vanishes in my book.

Fine. If you want this movie and don’t want to pay Criterion’s prices why did you not opt for one of the lower priced alternatives?

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005BI9E.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000C0QO.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

Both the above are available for $4.99 and $9.99 respectively from Amazon.

BTW, shipping for one disc from Amazon is $5.98 not $9.48! Hardly Criterion or Amazon’s fault that you got stung for duty either.

Not only do you seem to be manipulating the facts to suit your argument but you also seem to have gone out of your way to order from an etailer that had the most expensive price for that particular title - why?

This seems to be simply yet another moan about how Criterion are higher priced than other studios. Well, yes, they are because they are a smaller company than most others and they’re selling to a smaller base of consumers. An elementary grasp of basic economics should help you realise why they are charging $5-$10 more per title.

Short answer - if you don’t like their prices, don’t buy their stuff.

[tezmo]

Originally posted by Chris


You zoom the 4:3 image out and place it in a 1.78:1 frame, then you make it anamorphic.

Anamorphic 4:3 examples can be found on many Anchor Bay discs. Anamorphic 4:3 is inferior to non-anamorphic 4:3 as Anamorphic 4:3 has less active pixels.

Anamoprhic 1.66:1 is donw by zooming out the image as well (see R1 disney Tarzan etc, and AB Army of Darkness). Anamorphic 1.66:1 is better than non-anamorphic 1.66:1 as anamorphic 1.66:1 has more active pixels than non-anamorphic 1.66:1

ahhhhhh - like on carlton cinema, such that the widescreen viewer has left and right black bars imposed, and bars all around on a 4:3 set - now i understand :)