Collecting Criterion

News on Criterion and Janus Films.
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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Collecting Criterion

#326 Post by knives » Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:10 pm

Isn't this literally the plot of an episode of King of the Hill?

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#327 Post by FrauBlucher » Tue Nov 08, 2022 5:55 pm

When I would buy Criterions I would leave them wrapped in the plastic until I was ready to watch. I've read on the other forum (although haven't seen it here) that more discs are showing up scratched. So, going forward I'll unwrap to check the discs

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#328 Post by therewillbeblus » Tue Nov 08, 2022 7:03 pm

FrauBlucher wrote:
Tue Nov 08, 2022 5:55 pm
When I would buy Criterions I would leave them wrapped in the plastic until I was ready to watch. I've read on the other forum (although haven't seen it here) that more discs are showing up scratched. So, going forward I'll unwrap to check the discs
Exact same situation, though beyond Criterion I've been doing this with all discs for a while (sometimes it bites me though, like when I unwrap We Are the Best! but don't watch it and then double dip on the Moodysson set, etc.) - However, the previous version of me that was incredibly obsessive-compulsive around returning discs with the slightest mark now just sits on them if they play for the most part. I've had too many instances of returns that just come back with another scratched disc and it's exhausting- plus it seems that almost everything I buy these days is a return repackaged for me, with fingerprints on it and so forth. The most recent quite-anxious experience was after buying the Special Edition of Neon Genesis Evangelion for... a lot of money, only to find that the original dub discs had some light scratches and a few fingerprints on some discs. But the hassle of trying to issue a return to Rightstufanime didn't seem worth it, and all the discs played fine, so I figure I could apply the soap/water method in a worst case scenario down the line. It's pretty disheartening though, when every disc except the brand new ones pre-ordered are a coin-toss between clean or having a mark or two

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bottlesofsmoke
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:26 pm

Re: Collecting Criterion

#329 Post by bottlesofsmoke » Tue Nov 08, 2022 8:23 pm

My UHD copies of Lost Highway and The Power of the Dog came pretty badly scratched. Pretty much the only discs I've had trouble with as far as scratches and playback recently have been UHDs, both Rear Window and one of the Touch of Evil discs became unplayable halfway through.

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therewillbeblus
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm

Re: Collecting Criterion

#330 Post by therewillbeblus » Tue Nov 08, 2022 8:26 pm

Sounds about right

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Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Re: Collecting Criterion

#331 Post by Ribs » Wed Nov 09, 2022 12:40 am

I actually think many of the people on the other forum are deeply unwell and have fallen into a mass delusion that there is some widespread defect with scratches on UHD discs that simply does not exist. It seems they are all absolutely addicted to returning the same disc four times over. I think there’s no question the tone of their discourse has become wildly delusional in recent years and would urge great skepticism in what seems to me such a frankly ridiculous unfounded conspiracy theory.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#332 Post by therewillbeblus » Wed Nov 09, 2022 12:49 am

What's the "conspiracy theory" exactly? I've purchased a fair amount of UHDs and I'd say about half of the discs I've bought have had playback issues due to scratches I've noticed after the fact, without obsessively returning them or engaging in a paranoid process to avoid the unfortunate circumstance. I don't spend time on the other forum, but this has been my experience. Even the most knowledgable people posting here about the UHD format have identified that the discs are far more sensitive than blu, just as blu was to DVD, so it seems reasonable to get anxious about the disturbance a scratch could cause on a UHD vs a disc with less data. Not sure where the science stops and the 'conspiracy' starts..

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DarkImbecile
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#333 Post by DarkImbecile » Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:30 am

therewillbeblus wrote:
Wed Nov 09, 2022 12:49 am
just as blu was to DVD
I thought it was the opposite, that Blu-rays were substantially less susceptible to scratches impacting playback than DVDs

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RPG
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2015 6:05 pm

Re: Collecting Criterion

#334 Post by RPG » Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:41 am

DarkImbecile wrote:
Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:30 am
therewillbeblus wrote:
Wed Nov 09, 2022 12:49 am
just as blu was to DVD
I thought it was the opposite, that Blu-rays were substantially less susceptible to scratches impacting playback than DVDs
That has been my experience as well.

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cdnchris
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#335 Post by cdnchris » Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:44 am

Might be thinking of HD DVD where scratches were easy and the slightest knick pretty much destroyed any chances of smooth playback.

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domino harvey
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#336 Post by domino harvey » Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:49 am

It’s not a theory, Blu-rays have a protective coating that DVDs lack. Now, granted, that means any Blus that get scratched (not scuffed, which I think describes most issues) are more catastrophic than DVDs with scratches, but I own thousands of movies on Blu and have yet to encounter an issue. Free advice: stop looking at the underside of new discs if it gives you so much anxiety

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therewillbeblus
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm

Re: Collecting Criterion

#337 Post by therewillbeblus » Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:53 am

That's why I stopped doing it- the only times where blu-rays have resulted in playback issues are from lib rentals, where I now almost always go for DVDs because they seem to play no matter how scratched they are vs blus that struggle with less visible damage. That's why my experience with UHD has been so frustrating- it's challenging the work I've done to disengage from that anxiety with a high ratio of tangible evidence

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jheez
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:17 pm

Re: Collecting Criterion

#338 Post by jheez » Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:23 am

I'm a bit perplexed about what to conclude with UHD. I have had zero issues playing hundreds of UHD discs in my collection since I got my Panasonic 820 player, some with minor scratches. I had many, many playback issues on my Sony x700 player (perhaps most correlated with triple layered discs?). I wonder how many of these issues are player specific? I don't recall ever having to return a disc because it wouldn't play due to scratches on either Blu or UHD. The UHD format does make me take pause in the longevity of the format based on the reports on the other forum, even though I'm not currently having issues myself.

I also never had problems playing blu-ray discs, except for a few rentals and the Criterions that rotted/bronzed.

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therewillbeblus
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm

Re: Collecting Criterion

#339 Post by therewillbeblus » Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:25 am

I'm working with a Panasonic 420 player- maybe I need an extra 400 units of x to resolve the problem

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ShellOilJunior
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#340 Post by ShellOilJunior » Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:41 am

Years ago, when I'd borrow DVDs from the library (which had a great selection), roughly 50% of them would not play all the way through the movie. I recall borrowing Automn Sonata and watching all but the last 2 minutes of the movie. I found it funny how that particular library only accepted DVD or CD donations if the items were brand new! As others have mentioned, blu-ray has been very reliable. I've encountered a few CC blu-rays which will be a bit sluggish to load the menus but have not had that issue with the PS5.

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bugsy_pal
Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 1:28 am

Re: Collecting Criterion

#341 Post by bugsy_pal » Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:49 pm

domino harvey wrote:
Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:49 am
It’s not a theory, Blu-rays have a protective coating that DVDs lack. Now, granted, that means any Blus that get scratched (not scuffed, which I think describes most issues) are more catastrophic than DVDs with scratches, but I own thousands of movies on Blu and have yet to encounter an issue. Free advice: stop looking at the underside of new discs if it gives you so much anxiety
Yes, blurays have that coating, and I have had quite a few discs shipped that have come off the spindle but had no visible scratches. DVDs on the other hand are much more susceptible to scratches when they're banging around loose in the case.

I assume that UHDs would have the same coating as blurays. I haven't had issues with 4K discs, but haven't played that many. My main issues with 4K discs are getting black levels right - each one seems to require different adjustments to my TV.

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Ashirg
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:10 am
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#342 Post by Ashirg » Wed Nov 16, 2022 12:25 am

I started removing plastic and checking for discs after receiving sealed Detour blu-ray from Amazon that didn't have a disc inside. Just a booklet.

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hearthesilence
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#343 Post by hearthesilence » Wed Nov 16, 2022 12:52 am

I mentioned this before, but I got Army of Shadows on BD, but after Criterion announced that it was going out-of-print, I finally got around to opening it and discovered they accidentally packaged the DVD. (The lithograph and blue sticker clearly indicated it should have been a Blu-ray.) I found a brick-and-mortar B&N that still had it and was willing to swap since it fell within the parameters of their exchange policies at the time, but from that point on, I always checked my purchases as soon as I got them.

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tenia
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#344 Post by tenia » Wed Nov 16, 2022 9:28 am

hearthesilence wrote:
Wed Nov 16, 2022 12:52 am
I mentioned this before, but I got Army of Shadows on BD, but after Criterion announced that it was going out-of-print, I finally got around to opening it and discovered they accidentally packaged the DVD. (The lithograph and blue sticker clearly indicated it should have been a Blu-ray.) I found a brick-and-mortar B&N that still had it and was willing to swap since it fell within the parameters of their exchange policies at the time, but from that point on, I always checked my purchases as soon as I got them.
Same here : I always open my purchases (Criterion or not) as soon as I get them just to check if there's anything wrong or missing.

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jheez
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:17 pm

Re: Collecting Criterion

#345 Post by jheez » Thu Nov 24, 2022 2:38 pm

Where's the best place to get replacement Criterion blu-ray cases (clear blu-ray cases) these days?

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#346 Post by FrauBlucher » Wed Jul 12, 2023 7:26 pm

A fun OCD question...
This isn't so much about Collecting Criterions but watching Criterions. I watched Andrei Rublev a few months ago. I just bought the bluray. So, instead of rewatching the movie I started with the supplements.

Are folks more apt to watch the film first even if they've seen it recently or many times before before they get to the supplements? And when you do get to the supplements will you watch them in the order they are listed on the disc?

BTW..I started with the Seán Martin and Louise Milne documentary which is not the first supplement on the disc

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#347 Post by therewillbeblus » Wed Jul 12, 2023 7:41 pm

Everyone's obsessive-compulsive symptoms are different. When it comes to going through supplements for me it's a lot like cleaning - I can do the basics and clean lightly, just like I can throw on the movie to watch or skip around and watch maybe one feature. But if I get in that space where I start really focusing on cleaning, get locked in and it becomes my mission, I'm not satisfied until my place in spotless. Same with a disc - if I start getting curious about the extras and fully engrossing myself into the background of the film, and make a conscious decisions to go through the supplements, I'm going to stop what I'm doing to go through them all before moving on to other tasks. The worst is when I get curious about a commentary, I'll watch the movie twice in a row, the second viewing with the commentary. This is especially difficult when watching long movies - I recently revisited Celine and Julie Go Boating, and even though I had done the back-to-back with the Adrian Martin commentary last year, I didn't remember a lot of it and was craving context.. but I just did not have seven hours to give to that movie. Fighting off those compulsions is a bitch

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Rayon Vert
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#348 Post by Rayon Vert » Wed Jul 12, 2023 8:02 pm

All I've been doing for the last year, and probably at least for the next year or more, is watching blu-ray upgrades of DVDs (or previous lesser blu-rays). I go straight for the supplements, then I'll watch the commentary only - if there is one (or two or three) - not the film itself. Unless I haven't seen the film in a long time and want to regrade it. If there is no commentary, I'll watch the movie by itself (to marvel at the image!), but again after the supplements. (Part of that is also not wanting to have spent 50 Canadian bucks on an upgrade and not see the film itself! And to check for potential defects.)

If it was a new (meaning previously unseen) film, then I always watch the film first, then the non-commentary supplements, then the commentary(ies).

My OCD makes me watch all of the supplements, even the dreary ones, with very rare exceptions. I don't listen to the radio theatre adaptations of Hollywood classics, though, and don't watch the trailers.

I will also watch the extras in the order they're listed on the disc. (Exceptions of course being commentaries, which are always last. If there's three commentaries, I'll watch all three in a row.)

Current watching is the Studio Canal Vintage Classics release of The Winslow Boy (no commentary, so watching the film itself after doing the supplements/interviews - which by the way were recorded extraordinarily low in volume compared to the rest of the disc and the inserts of the film clips. I have to crank my stereo to full volume to hear the sound as I'm walking on my treadmill at the same time.)

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Rayon Vert
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#349 Post by Rayon Vert » Wed Jul 12, 2023 8:23 pm

Not directly related to the question but related to collecting: to save shelf space, I will get rid of the previous DVD or lower quality blu ray unless they have extra supplements. If that's the case (i.e. they contain exclusive supplements), I discard the packaging of the older disc (I might save the booklet and put that elsewhere), just insert the DVD or older blu ray disc into a plastic sleeve, and try to make that fit somehow into the "superior" new blu-ray disc's packaging. I love dual format releases like a lot of the older MOCs, for example, because then I can get rid of, say, the MOC DVD and put in its place the other label's DVD or blu ray.

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DeprongMori
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Re: Collecting Criterion

#350 Post by DeprongMori » Wed Jul 12, 2023 9:37 pm

Along those lines, in anticipation of the 4K release of Rio Bravo, I’m looking for somewhere to purchase empty 4K cases that hold two disks as it looks like the 4K release is dropping the supplements from the 2015 Blu-ray and I’d like to add the Blu-ray to the 4K case. Any suggestions for sources?

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