Blu-ray: Finally Worthwhile

[Manny Calavera]

Blah, blah Blu-ray. I remember bemoaning in a previous HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray thread that I couldn't give two ***** which format won as long as the only films available in HD were all by Michael Bay. Well, I've since purchased a handful of fairly alright movies on BR (Clockwork Orange, 2001, Blade Runner and an imported The Seventh Seal) but, besides the Tartan Seventh Seal disc, nothing has really "sold" me on the format as the future of high-caffeinated, high-definition entertainment. But...that all changed yesterday when I received this email:

Dear Criterion Collection Newsletter subscriber,

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.

Most of their initial choices are a little "meh", but I'll surely pick up El Norte, Contempt, Walkabout (which will be incredibly beautiful in HD), The Third Man, Bottle Rocket and Chungking Express. The 400 Blows is tempting but unless they reissue a BR edition of the Antoine Doinel box-set, I'm not interested in upgrading.

Traditionally frightened of the home theater crowd that's rallied around Blu-ray, but I can't help but be excited by this news . Some folks said that the "format war" would be decided by the porno industry, but for me it was whoever the art house labels sided with. Now for Kino to unveil their Blu-rays.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

This is the awesome part:

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.

IE... the CC BR disks will be the same price as the already pricey (if in many cases, worth every penny) standard def DVDs.

 

[dusty]

Not saying they aren't worth it, but $40 is steep even for Blu-rays (assuming this is what CC still costs).

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by dusty

Not saying they aren't worth it, but $40 is steep even for Blu-rays (assuming this is what CC still costs).

Agreed, but for a boutique video distro company, many times releasing THE definitive, or in some cases, ONLY edition of something worthwhile - frankly, they could have tacked on an extra $10 or something, and people would have paid it.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Are you excited for The Criterion edition of Armageddon on Blu Ray or what!?!?

 

[acidboy]

I hope they finally bring out the complete David Spade box set in Blu Ray.

 

[Manny Calavera]

Originally Posted by dusty

Not saying they aren't worth it, but $40 is steep even for Blu-rays (assuming this is what CC still costs).
Well, I'm pretty sure the pricing scheme for Criterions has always been $39.99 for two disc sets and single disc DVDs with commentary, $29.99 for single discs and $899.99 for box sets, so it really isn't that expensive especially considering companies like Fox and Disney are pricing some of their new Blu-ray discs at $39.99 Edit: Slim, I've been meaning to ask you: which version of Blade Runner did you end up getting?

 

[Artisan Fan]

BluRay was worthwhile before Criterion but this helps. I have really enjoyed this format's clarity and color fidelity. We just need the prices to fall. Fortunately a nearby CD Warehouse sells BDs for $11-12 each.

 

[gdl203]

Some of these make sense for Blu-Ray I guess but others don't IMO. Les 400 Coups in HD? hmm.. considering the original film quality and grain, I'm not sure what the benefit of blu-ray would be

 

[imageWIS]

The Third Man is awesome...I would to see it on BR.

Jon.

 

[Manny Calavera]

Originally Posted by gdl203

Some of these make sense for Blu-Ray I guess but others don't IMO. Les 400 Coups in HD? hmm.. considering the original film quality and grain, I'm not sure what the benefit of blu-ray would be

I agree; that and a few other choices are a little odd and I would've figured some Tarkovsky or Malick perfect to kick off the HD line.

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by jonglover

I agree; that and a few other choices are a little odd and I would've figured some Tarkovsky or Malick perfect to kick off the HD line.

Yep. Solaris in Blu-Ray could be quite sweet

 

[Johnny Amiga]

Originally Posted by jonglover

I agree; that and a few other choices are a little odd and I would've figured some Tarkovsky or Malick perfect to kick off the HD line.
Damn straight. I'll buy a BR the moment Criterion puts out Nostalghia and Stalker or Days of Heaven & Badlands (preferably Thin Red Line and The New World too) out. Well, assuming a decent region-free BR player is out by then. ******* region coding, the one reason why I'm annoyed that HD DVD didn't win the war.

 

[chorse123]

Originally Posted by gdl203

Some of these make sense for Blu-Ray I guess but others don't IMO. Les 400 Coups in HD? hmm.. considering the original film quality and grain, I'm not sure what the benefit of blu-ray would be

Yeah, Bottle Rocket? Seriously?

 

[gdl203]

On the other hand, I might purchase a blu-ray player for the sole reason of seeing Le MÃ

pris in HD.

How expensive are players now? Is there such a thing as a zone-free BR+DVD player?