Criterion Blu-ray movies detailed, priced same as DVDs
by Alan Tsang 
{ Sep 1st 2008 at 7:15PM }
Criterion has also promised to use the current DVD numbering and beautiful packaging for the Blu-ray releases, "with the only physical difference being the use of the blue Blu-ray case," according to blu-ray.com. What if I have the DVD version already?! There is an upgrade program available for $25, where you send in the original DVD in exchange for the Blu-ray. That seems a little pointless though, when the discs can purchased at $27.95.
Finally, special features and bonuses for each movie are after the jump:
Source -- blu-ray.com
Source -- blu-ray.com
'The Third Man' (1949) will featured a restored high definition transfer in 1.37:1, and an uncompressed mono soundtrack. Extra features include:
- Video introduction by writer-director Peter Bogdanovich
- Two audio commentaries: one by filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Tony Gilroy, and one by by film scholar Dana Polan
- Shadowing "The Third Man" (2005), a ninety-minute feature documentary on the making of the film
- Abridged recording of Graham Greene's treatment, read by actor Richard Clarke
- Graham Greene: The Hunted Man," an hour-long, 1968 episode of the BBC's Omnibus series, featuring a rare interview with the novelist
- "Who Was the Third Man? (2000)," a thirty-minute Austrian documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew
- The Third Man on the radio: the 1951 "A Ticket to Tangiers" episode of The Lives of Harry Lime series, written and performed by Orson Welles, and the 1951 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of The Third Man
- Illustrated production history with rare behind-the-scenes photos, original UK press book, and U.S. trailer
- Actor Joseph Cotten's alternate opening voice-over narration for the U.S. version
- Archival footage of postwar Vienna
- A look at the untranslated foreign dialogue in the film
- A booklet featuring an essay by Luc Sante
'The Man Who Fell to Earth' (1976) will feature a high definition digital transfer approved by director Nicolas Roeg, and an uncompressed stereo soundtrack. Extra features include:
- Audio commentary by Roeg and actors David Bowie and Buck Henry
- New video interview with screenwriter Paul Mayersberg Performance, video interviews with actors Candy Clark and Rip Torn
- Audio interviews with costume designer May Routh and production designer Brian Eatwell
- Audio interview from 1984 with author Walter Tevis, conducted by Don Swaim
- Multiple stills galleries, including Routh's costume sketches; behind-the-scenes photos; and production and publicity stills, introduced by set photographer David James
- Gallery of posters from Roeg's films
- Trailers
- Booklet featuring an essay by critic Graham Fuller
'The Last Emperor' (1987) features a high definition digital transfer approved by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, and a stereo track in DTS-HD Master Audio. Extras include:
- Audio commentary by director Bernardo Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Mark Peploe, and composer-actor Ryuichi Sakamoto
- The Italian Traveler: Bernardo Bertolucci, a 53-minute film by Fernand Mozskowicz, tracing the director's geographic influences, from Parma to China
- Video images taken by Bertolucci in China
- The Chinese Adventure of Bernardo Bertolucci, a 52-minute documentary that revisits the film's creation
- A 47-minute documentary featuring Storaro, editor Gabriella Cristiana, costume designer James Acheson, and art director Gianni Silvestri
- A 66-minute documentary exploring Bertolucci's creative process and the making of The Last Emperor
- A 30-minute interview with Bertolucci from 1989
- A new interview with composer David Byrne
- A new interview with Ian Buruma examining the historical period of the film
- Theatrical trailer
- Booklet featuring an essay by critic David Thomson
'Chungking Express' (1994) features a restored high-definition digital transfer, as well as a remastered lossless soundtrack supervised by director Wong Kar-wai. Extras include:
- Audio commentary by noted Asian cinema critic Tony Rayns
- U.S. theatrical trailer
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- Booklet featuring a new essay by critic Amy Taubin and excerpts from a 1996 Sight and Sound interview with Wong by Rayns
'Bottle Rocket' (1996) features a new, restored transfer supervised by direct Wes Anderson and a lossless soundtrack. Extras include:
- Commentary by director/co-writer Anderson and co-writer/actor Owen Wilson
- The Making of "Bottle Rocket": an original documentary by filmmaker Barry Braverman featuring Anderson, James L. Brooks, James Caan, Temple Nash Jr., Kumar Pallana, Polly Platt, Mark Mothersbaugh, Robert Musgrave, Richard Sakai, David and Sandy Wasco, Andrew and Luke and Owen Wilson, and Robert Yeoman
- The original thirteen-minute black-and-white Bottle Rocket short film from 1992
- Eleven deleted scenes
- Anamorphic screen test, storyboards, location photos, and behind-the-scenes photographs by Laura Wilson
- Murita Cycles, a 1978 short film by Braverman
- The Shafrazi Lectures, no. 1: Bottle Rocket
- Booklet featuring an essay by executive producer James L. Brooks, an appreciation by Martin Scorsese, and original artwork by Ian Dingman
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ryan @ Sep 1st 2008 7:52PM
same price as dvd? should i be paying more than $19.99 for my regular-non-enhanced dvds?
doc j @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:39AM
Cannot wait for Seven Samurai
ryan @ Sep 2nd 2008 1:12AM
eh?
oh i see. you wanted to be heard so you replied to the top most comment.
jaredgood1 @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:38AM
Criterion discs are usually priced on DVD for about the same price current Blu-Rays go for ($30-$35) in most retail stores. I think that is where the same price bit is coming from.
doc j @ Sep 2nd 2008 11:42AM
Sorry, didn't mean to be an attention whore. Not exactly sure why I replied to the topmost post.
Metal_Gear @ Sep 1st 2008 9:32PM
I have noticed Blu-Ray prices slowly drop in the UK. More people are getting PS3s, and they will be buying movies on Blu-Ray rather than on DVD.
In supermarkets you can walk out with £5-7 and walk out with a pretty good movie.
WWE release their PPVs on Blu-Ray and I cant wait to see The Dark Knight again on my PS3 ^_^
I see no reason why Blu-Ray sales wont surpass DVD sales for 2012.
DrunkRaba @ Sep 1st 2008 9:50PM
I'll definatley be getting the dark knight for blu-ray!
Deviation @ Sep 1st 2008 8:21PM
Oh my... I just purchased all five of those. I love Criterion.
ADPolicenaut @ Sep 1st 2008 8:36PM
People confused the Criterion Collection with Criterion Games? Oh lord.
Zim @ Sep 1st 2008 8:44PM
They did the special edition of fear and loathing in las vegas. Would be good ti eventual get this on blue ray, though only if they add even more stuff.
Popfrogs @ Sep 1st 2008 9:18PM
Not real impressed with these titles, waiting for Fear and Loathing in LV to get released from them among others.
As I've said before, Criterion really _cares_ about film; their bonus discs are filled to the brim with greatness, their transfers are flawless and the audio tracks are always handled with care. If anything is worth owning on video, it's any film from Criterion. They destroy the standard.
PSU Fan @ Sep 1st 2008 9:50PM
Two words, one movie: Naked Lunch. Where it be???
kentuckyfried @ Sep 1st 2008 10:09PM
Oooohhh..Chungking Express. Love letting that run, late-nite...it's just a weird, entertaining movie.
bkalasin @ Sep 2nd 2008 2:08PM
Mmm...criterion. Seven Samarai please!
The_Black_Circle @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:57AM
"There is an upgrade program available for $25, where you send in the original DVD in exchange for the Blu-ray. That seems a little pointless though, when the discs can purchased at $27.95."
Methinks most Criteron collectors would have several films they'd want "upgraded"
JaseH @ Sep 2nd 2008 2:34AM
BURNOUT PARADISE....
THE MOVIE.
Coming to cinemas near you.
Rated PG13+
_________________________________
JaseH.
Danko @ Sep 2nd 2008 5:07AM
It's all good but are these region free or region locked?
timmy @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:20PM
Criterion's DVD releases are all Region 1, distributed in North American only. Licensing issues. I assume it will be the same w/ BluRay. Beautiful stuff if you can get it though.
Mojo Yugen @ Sep 2nd 2008 8:57AM
Region locked to North America due to licensing agreements with the studios who own the films (according to Criterion)
anda @ Sep 2nd 2008 9:24AM
Chungking express is a unique movie. Two different stories, different characters and settings. It more like a hongkong 'pulp fiction' title.
I also knew that Faye Wong (singer of FF VII theme song) played the main role on that movie.
anda @ Sep 2nd 2008 9:25AM
FF VIII actually.. My bad..
anda @ Sep 2nd 2008 9:27AM
FF VIII actually.. My bad..
elephant_stone @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:18AM
Way to rip off the Biffy Clyro logo!
e.g.
http://cdn.last.fm/coverart/130x130/3259618.jpg
ChrisCW @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:24AM
At first I was like finally a comany gives Blu-ray owners some respect and is not gouging them. Then I saw all Criterion is doing is gouging both DVD and Blu-ray owners with overprice movies. NO movie is worth more then $20, $25 if its a special edition with lots of features. I don't care if its in HD, or regular D, there is not a movie made in the last 20 years worth more then $20.
Johan @ Sep 2nd 2008 4:28PM
I got one in my collection; the last temptation of christ. In it, Criterion blurred any visible genitals on naked people. Not acceptable, not by any means. Criterion will not get any more of my money, regardless of what resolution it is in.
Matt @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:06AM
Hey Johan,
I also have that film on CC. Are you sure that Criterion is the one who did the blurring? It could have been what the studio gave them. I didn't see the film in theaters, and a quick google search of the issue didn't come up with much. Given their other films, I can't imagine that they would go in on their own and do something that a) wasn't already there or b) they were not contractually obligated to do.
I mean, come on! It's Criterion!