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In Reply to: Why are the Criterion dvds so costly? posted by Dmitry on February 17, 2004 at 09:21:39:
Reissuing The Right Stuff will only take a moment, but things like Grand Illusion took I believe years to restore, literally going frame by frame, doing retouching trying to preserve the feel of the original. Ditto for things like Kane, Rules of the Game, and many others. In the trailer, and in other releases of those old classics, you will see the original and the restored copy - it is like day and night.Also - the films they roduce do not sell in the volumes of Herry Potter - and volume drives the price.
All told, I think their prices are very reasonable... high, yes, but reflect the unique nature of their product.
BTW - there are always some used ones on ebay for less.
Follow Ups:
...Criterion's DVD of Ozu's "Good Morning." Lots of schmutz. I recently saw a much better restored print on the big screen at the Castro. Criterion had obviously redone the subtitles, though, for the better.Jeffery
How was the film itself - I haven't seen it... worth buying?
Well, have you seen any of Ozu's movies? They have a very unique pacing. Some people---such as myself---find it captivating. Some people find it boring as heck."Good Morning" is a comedy set in a Japanese suburb. Two young brothers want a TV, their parents refuse to buy one. The boys throw a tantrum, their parents tell them to shut up. So, the boys stop talking. Meanwhile, there's a lot of gossip going on among the neighborhood housewifes and a little romance thrown in. It's all very Ozu: extended families, modernization, social conventions (in this film, small talk in particular, hence the title), daily routine. Beautifully composed and photographed, and in color (Ozu made only a few color films before he died).
Criterion has also released "Tokyo Story," a much better known Ozu film, on DVD. It's a bit pricey, but it includes a bonus disc with a very good Ozu documentary done for Japanese TV (and a not-very-good shorter one). Personally, as much as I like "Good Morning" I'd recommend starting with "Tokyo Story" if you're new to Ozu.
Jeffery
Thank you... I will check him out. Right now I don't recall seeing his films, but who knows?
For good work and an exceptional catalogue there is NO price. In France we have the edition Montparnasse who do this job, but not sooo good.http://207.136.67.23/film/DVDCompare2/rulesofthegame.htm
Yeah, but what about the recent stuff they rerelease?
I doubt it costs much to repackage the Time Bandits.
My guess would be the licencing fees they pay to the rights owners.
Still, $40 for a single disk looks a bit out of whack.
Maybe I'll change my mind if I become a Criterion addict.Think we'll score some on Gorbushka?:)
It is my guess, of course, but I suspect they spread the high cost of some films over the whole catalogue. So instead of the Grand Illusion costing $300 and Time Bandits $15, they make the whole catalog more uniform.Often it is done that way.
Never been to Gorbushka, but given the recent roof failure at the aquapark, I am not sure I want to spend my time under the big Russian-built constructions.
Just kidding...
--Never been to Gorbushka, but given the recent roof failure at the aquapark, I am not sure I want to spend my time under the big Russian-built constructions.Grobushka?
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