Criterions Out of Print (OOP)

News on Criterion and Janus Films.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Omensetter
Yes We Cannes
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:17 pm
Location: Lawrence, KS, U.S.

Re: Criterion OOP

#251 Post by Omensetter » Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:58 pm

Essentially, yes, but this appears to be the first instance of a DVD release going out-of-print while the Blu release remains in print. I suppose Teshigahara is the closest comparison, although I do hope the entire box does eventually come back in print on both formats, with Pitfall and The Face of Another making their Blu debut.

User avatar
danieltiger
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:48 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA
Contact:

Re: Criterion OOP

#252 Post by danieltiger » Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:30 pm

Costa-Gavras' Z is now listed as OOP on criterion.com.

User avatar
Boosmahn
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2017 10:08 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#253 Post by Boosmahn » Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:43 pm

Is now a time to be concerned that State of Siege may go OOP?

User avatar
danieltiger
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:48 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA
Contact:

Re: Criterion OOP

#254 Post by danieltiger » Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:44 pm

I would say yes. Also Missing.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#255 Post by domino harvey » Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:52 pm

Z has long been expected to be upgraded, I wouldn't panic yet

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

Re: Criterion OOP

#256 Post by Ribs » Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:09 pm

Guys, Z is a Janus title still streaming on Filmstruck. Film Forum has a playdate booked through Janus in October. It’s not going anywhere, its licensing is basically totally different than The Confession’s (and the same is true of Missing). Panicing won’t achieve anything. It was restored in 4K over 3 years ago; it’s a title that probably sells pretty well for what it is, all things being equal, so a Blu-ray’s always been a when rather than an if.

KJones77
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:35 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#257 Post by KJones77 » Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:51 pm

This is terrific news about Z. Pretty much guarantees a forthcoming upgrade, no? Same thing that happened to Andrei Rublev before its upgrade announcement.

User avatar
Minkin
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#258 Post by Minkin » Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:15 pm

danieltiger wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:44 pm
I would say yes. Also Missing.
Missing is with Universal, so there's a 0% chance it would be affected by any of this.

I'm still incredibly wary about any of these Costa-Gavras OOP titles - and I suspect a Z upgrade is the most likely outcome (sounds like the sort of random upgrade that would be destined for a Dec release anyway).

davidhuxley
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2016 6:56 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#259 Post by davidhuxley » Mon Oct 29, 2018 8:25 pm

The Carl Th. Dreyer box is now officially out of print. So is the DVD edition of the Rossellini War Trilogy box.

User avatar
Boosmahn
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2017 10:08 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#260 Post by Boosmahn » Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:53 pm

Is Criterion trying to phase out DVD box-sets? First America Lost and Found, and now the War Trilogy?

davidhuxley
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2016 6:56 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#261 Post by davidhuxley » Mon Oct 29, 2018 10:21 pm

Boosmahn wrote:
Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:53 pm
Is Criterion trying to phase out DVD box-sets? First America Lost and Found, and now the War Trilogy?
Perhaps the cost to reset the machines that manufacture the boxes is too prohibitive, without any guarantee of a return. Some of these DVDs must be gathering dust in the warehouse, and once the inventory is depleted, they determine it's not worth the cost to print another run. That may be why the Eisenstein, Antoine Doinel, BRD Trilogy, and now Dreyer boxes are OOP. They still have the rights to all of those films. And they never even published a DVD edition of the new version of THE COMPLETE MONTEREY POP, the Zatoichi box, the combined Brakhage anthologies, and the forthcoming Bergman box.

So to answer your question, I think they are phasing out DVD box sets.

McCrutchy
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:57 am
Location: East Coast, USA

Re: Criterion OOP

#262 Post by McCrutchy » Mon Oct 29, 2018 10:36 pm

Boosmahn wrote:
Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:53 pm
Is Criterion trying to phase out DVD box-sets? First America Lost and Found, and now the War Trilogy?
As I've posted before, I strongly suspect that Criterion's DVD sales have been steadily decreasing since they dropped the dual-format releases, and I would think that by now, the majority of Criterion's remaining DVD sales are library/institutional, and that those buyers prefer individual titles in individual packaging for obvious reasons.

paulm
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 3:37 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#263 Post by paulm » Mon Nov 05, 2018 5:49 pm

Burden of Dreams DVD is listed as OOP on the Criterion website.

User avatar
The Elegant Dandy Fop
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:25 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Criterion OOP

#264 Post by The Elegant Dandy Fop » Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:33 pm

It must be getting reissued in some form considering that Criterion seems to have licensed the entire Flower Films library. I'll forever hang onto my copy as it's signed by the late Les Blank himself.

User avatar
solaris72
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:03 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: Criterion OOP

#265 Post by solaris72 » Tue Nov 06, 2018 11:57 am

Certainly has seemed a no-brainer for a blu-ray upgrade both in content and popularity.

User avatar
danieltiger
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:48 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA
Contact:

Re: Criterion OOP

#266 Post by danieltiger » Tue Nov 06, 2018 7:27 pm

If Harrod Blank is to be believed, it is indeed being reissued on Blu at some point.

StevenWest
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 11:07 am

Re: Criterion OOP

#267 Post by StevenWest » Thu Nov 08, 2018 11:33 am

I'm a bit confused about editions with 'books'. I have Short Cuts, Two Lane Blacktop, Man Who Fell To Earth, and maybe a few more with books. And from what I'm garnering here is that if Criterion continues and/or reissues them, the books will always be omitted? Is there a list here or elsewhere of Criterion releases with books at one point, but have been sacrificed due to OOP or reissue?

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: Criterion OOP

#268 Post by swo17 » Thu Nov 08, 2018 11:43 am

It's case by case--for instance, Red River and Vampyr got reissued with their books intact

User avatar
jazzo
Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2013 12:02 am

Re: Criterion OOP

#269 Post by jazzo » Thu Nov 08, 2018 1:08 pm

I can't really find any North american retailers with 49th Parallel in stock. Between printings, perhaps?

User avatar
jazzo
Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2013 12:02 am

Re: Criterion OOP

#270 Post by jazzo » Thu Nov 08, 2018 1:11 pm

Actually, Criterion, itself, seems to have it, so scratch that.

User avatar
Bando
Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 1:42 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#271 Post by Bando » Mon Nov 12, 2018 7:47 pm

swo17 wrote:
Thu Nov 08, 2018 11:43 am
It's case by case--for instance, Red River and Vampyr got reissued with their books intact
Wasn't there an in-between phase when Vampyr was reissued sans book before it was reintroduced?

User avatar
Minkin
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#272 Post by Minkin » Tue Nov 13, 2018 9:56 am

StevenWest wrote:
Thu Nov 08, 2018 11:33 am
I'm a bit confused about editions with 'books'. I have Short Cuts, Two Lane Blacktop, Man Who Fell To Earth, and maybe a few more with books. And from what I'm garnering here is that if Criterion continues and/or reissues them, the books will always be omitted? Is there a list here or elsewhere of Criterion releases with books at one point, but have been sacrificed due to OOP or reissue?
It needs some updating for 2018 and such, but I maintain this list.

In regards to the above about Vampyr - the DVD was reissued without the book, but then the blu-ray came out with the book. So the Blu has it, but the DVD does not (anymore).

User avatar
Minkin
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#273 Post by Minkin » Sat Dec 29, 2018 7:47 am

As posted Here

Putney Swope appears to be coming to AGFA next year for the film's 50th anniversary. The Janus site still lists all of the other Downey Sr films, except Putney Swope.

I'm inclined to believe they probably don't have the rights anymore; and the Eclipse set may be going OOP in the near future. The only other possibility I can think of is whether AGFA only have theatrical or Blu rights; not DVD rights. Either way, if you want these films, I'd highly recommend picking up Eclipse Series 33: Up All Night with Robert Downey Sr at the next sale; and to keep an eye out on its availability. You can still purchase it at Criterion.com - but that may change in the future.

User avatar
Yaanu
Joined: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:18 am

Re: Criterion OOP

#274 Post by Yaanu » Wed Jan 02, 2019 5:25 pm

Minkin wrote:
Sat Dec 29, 2018 7:47 am
Putney Swope appears to be coming to AGFA next year for the film's 50th anniversary. The Janus site still lists all of the other Downey Sr films, except Putney Swope.

I'm inclined to believe they probably don't have the rights anymore; and the Eclipse set may be going OOP in the near future. The only other possibility I can think of is whether AGFA only have theatrical or Blu rights; not DVD rights.
I sent AGFA an email after reading this post about whether or not they had the home video rights. Here's what they responded:
Bret Berg wrote:[T]hanks for reaching out. [...]

Currently AGFA does not have home video rights to the film. To our knowledge, our upcoming theatrical release does not affect Criterion's home video rights.


cheers
bret
So it looks as if Putney Swope is safe.
Last edited by Yaanu on Thu Jan 03, 2019 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Minkin
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Criterion OOP

#275 Post by Minkin » Thu Jan 03, 2019 9:39 am

Thanks for checking on that! Glad to know.

Although I'm sure most of us would prefer the Eclipse set go OOP if it meant we got a Blu in the process. Maybe one day Criterion will give this film an upgrade.

Post Reply