45 comments

  • By James
    February 02, 2010
    01:27 PM

    Thanks for the heads up. Much appreciated.
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  • By Kenn
    February 02, 2010
    01:46 PM

    Yes, it's great that you're giving us fair warning. I'm taking as full advantage as my wallet will allow me to!
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  • By Pat Smith
    February 02, 2010
    01:48 PM

    Aww shucks... It's a shame that some of these films are gonna be out of print.
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  • By David Hollingsworth
    February 02, 2010
    04:02 PM

    Thanks for the warning, these film will be missed. I wish I had the money to buy some of these movies. Thankfully, I already own Pierrot le fou.
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  • By Ryan
    February 02, 2010
    04:06 PM

    Thanks for the info! Give Lionsgate all its worth!
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  • By Lee Bullitt
    February 02, 2010
    04:21 PM

    thanks a lot, those are some of my favorites and I've yet to purchase hem
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  • By Robprince
    February 02, 2010
    04:24 PM

    Ok. Now if only Barnes and Noble would start the 50 per cent sale!
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  • By eleanor sitea
    February 02, 2010
    04:54 PM

    How can I access the price list and ordering information?
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  • By Nikos Lazaridis
    February 02, 2010
    07:07 PM

    Sad news but it is indeed great that you are notifying us well in advance. This gives us a chance to go out and purchase the titles before they become collectible (& expensive). Hopefully you can reclaim right from Lionsgate and get them back in your collection.
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  • By Evan
    February 02, 2010
    08:07 PM

    I find it quite sad that so many films, including Grand Illusion spine number 1, will be going from the greatest DVD company in the world to one of the worst. Lionsgate will not treat these films with the same class and care that Criterion does. Shame those who hold the rights can't see that. Keep up the good work Criterion, and hopefully we will see these back in the catalog soon.
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  • By Geoff
    February 02, 2010
    08:29 PM

    If it weren't for the Criterion Collection, these films would not be as well known as they are. Now Lionsgate is capitalizing on their meticulous work. This is a slap in the face to a company that dares to have dignity and high standards. One of the few that seriously cares. Lionsgate could care less - a French masterpiece from 1938 or nuts and bolts to hold an outhouse together. Whatever they can profit from, it doesn't matter. Good luck, Criterion in getting these back into your catalogue where they should be.
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  • By MFD
    February 02, 2010
    08:41 PM

    This is alarming news. Lionsgate is the company that messed up the first release of John Huston's final film, "The Dead".
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  • By aaron mannino
    February 02, 2010
    11:24 PM

    I'm counting myself incalculably lucky that any of these films were available at all, and thanks to Criterion they were. I'm so glad I made the impulsive purchase of Saura's Trilogy the second it came out. I had a sense about it and subsequently Blood Wedding has become one of my favorite films of all time. I wager Lionsgate will be attempting to bolster its meager "Meridian Collection" with some of these titles. Lets leave it to the professionals people. Criterion LOVES and CARES for film... Lionsgate makes a new SAW movie every year. 'Nuf said.
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  • By David M Hundley
    February 02, 2010
    11:42 PM

    What is the fate, then, of the Essential Art House 50-disc set (which includes five of the above titles, I believe)?
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  • By Philip Maye
    February 03, 2010
    01:44 AM

    I'm sure that any of your hard work with picture quality and extras will NOT be included in the Lionsgate versions. Thanks for the advanced notice. I've just ordered The Small Back Room, Forbidden Games and The Last Holiday, the first two I've seen and enjoyed, and the third I'm going on Alec Guiness and reputation. Fortunately, I've long had The Fallen Idol and the beautiful and beautifully restored Grand Illusion, a film I saw in college in the early 80's in a poor, truncated print. Your disc was a revelation to me, and I remain grateful. I bought my first Criterion when A Night to Remember was released, and before these next 3 arrive, I have 72 of your fine editions. I hope you get all of these back, but thanks for your work, regardless.
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  • By Michael Leung
    February 03, 2010
    07:07 AM

    Sad to see them go, but at least I bought Le Trou (a great film that I saw a while ago) for cheap.
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  • By Chuck Phillips
    February 03, 2010
    09:28 AM

    I find it sad, but at the same time somewhat funny that the rights to such individual and unique films are in the hands of a company who releases the same movie everey year.
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  • By Godardimaniac
    February 03, 2010
    12:06 PM

    I can see to some extent why StudioCanal did this: international markets. If you look here: http://www.studiocanal-collection.com/collection, you will notice that these new releases are reigon-free and come with subtitles in many foreign languages. On the other hand, there looks to be a serious lack to effort to create any original bonus content. Bad move trusting Lionsgate, StudioCanal.
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  • By Shaun
    February 03, 2010
    01:23 PM

    I'm as upset as anyone, and losing Grand Illusion on Criterion is like losing a family member, but we should all feel lucky that when Criterion says they're "losing the rights" they mean the films are going to be available from somewhere else .The alternative could have been their disappearance into some legal morass for several years. Yes Lionsgate has a poor reputation, but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. I can't afford to grab all of these (I own a few), but I'll try to get some of them for sure. And Criterion lost The Third Man too!! Oh my god I just defecated a kidney.
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  • By Kyle T.
    February 03, 2010
    04:51 PM

    I don't really have much to say that hasn't already been said. I have managed to pick up five of the titles, and hope I can get at least two more.
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  • By Zack
    February 03, 2010
    08:13 PM

    Alphaville is my favourite film of all time and I only know it from my Criterion DVD. Criterion- you rock.
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  • By Shaun
    February 04, 2010
    08:00 AM

    The wiki article says StudioCanal "owns the third-largest film library in the world". How will this affect Criterion in the future? Will there be another round of titles to be taken out of Criterion's hands? How many titles in the Criterion catalogue are StudioCanal titles? I hope a Current article will talk about these events soon.
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  • By Chris
    February 04, 2010
    04:11 PM

    Oy. Just looked at Studio Canal's Web site, and there are a lot of Criterion titles in there -- most notably, many of the Melville masterworks ("Army of Shadows," "Bob Le Flambeur," "Le Cercle Rouge," "Le Doulos"). Also in the SC catalog: "Breathless," "L'Eclisse," "Casque D'Or," "La Bete Humaine," "Beauty and the Beast," "La Haine," "Made in USA," "Touchez Pas Au Grisbi." I'm sure there are more I've missed. Bad enough to lose pictures like "Contempt," "The Third Man," "Grand Illusion," and "Pierrot Le Fou." Sadly, unless the studio decides to extend its existing Criterion licenses, it looks like we'll be seeing "OOP" next to a fairly substantial batch of cherished CC releases.
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  • By Craig
    February 05, 2010
    11:13 AM

    I was missing only 2 of the titles on the list, and found them thru Amazon.com for 50% off thru a third party. They arrived, still sealed yeterday so I would advise those trying to buy these titlles to try that route.
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  • By Michael Goi, ASC
    February 05, 2010
    06:41 PM

    Given the quality of both the transfers and the supplemental material contained on many Criterion releases, they have become the preferred edition of many titles that have been released by other distributors. I am glad to see that some advance notice has been given regarding these titles going out of print, and I hope this becomes standard operating procedure for the future. Those of us who love these movies and collect them because they are a treasured viewing experience have been victimized too many times in the past by those who accumulated multiple copies and sold them for five times their price once they went out of print. The true film fan deserves to obtain films that are important to them at a reasonable cost without price gouging, and this advance notification goes a long way toward making that possible. Michael Goi, ASC President American Society Of Cinematographers
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  • By Matt
    February 06, 2010
    10:25 PM

    Are there any examples of existing releases that went out of print and were relicensed and put back into print?
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  • By Michael Goi, ASC
    February 07, 2010
    03:40 AM

    I believe that "Charade", "Salo" and the Tati films "Playtime", "Mon Oncle" and "M. Hulot's Holiday" were Criterion releases that went out of print, and then later reappeared through Criterion with new transfers after being relicensed, but many more have gone out of print and stayed that way (The Killer, Hardboiled, Robocop, How To Get Ahead In Advertising, Sid And Nancy, Straw Dogs, Flesh For Frankenstein, Blood For Dracula, This Is Spinal Tap, Spellbound, Rebecca, Notorious, Ran, Silence Of The Lambs and The Unbearable Lightness Of Being come immediately to mind). I would suggest that one take advantage of this advanced notice and pick up the films you really love. If a couple of them come back to Criterion in the future, great.
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  • By Matt
    February 09, 2010
    03:28 PM

    Haven't each of those Essential Art House titles been released in the last 6 months? That seems bizarre.
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  • By Brandon Wunder
    February 09, 2010
    03:53 PM

    I wish Criterion was able to re-license some of the Laserdiscs they put out; mainly Taxi Driver which to this day is the only release that contains a commentary track by Scorsese. I agree that this should be the new routine for future titles going out of print. It's a very sad day to learn that these titles are being lost to a lesser company like Lionsgate, it's quite blasphemous. Such a demotion for these films. Mainstream film is already awful enough, now they have to take away our art house and other essential/important films. I feel for you Criterion, I'm on your side to the bitter end.
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  • By Matt McGraw
    February 11, 2010
    06:55 PM

    Lionsgate? The fools behind countless Saws, ______ Movies, and action abortions starring Jason Statham? This is a serious slap in the face to fans of art house pictures and those outside the mainstream, for now a large portion of our films will be owned by perhaps the most questionable studio in Hollywood, the "geniuses" who gave us Meet the Spartans, The Transporter 3, and whatever the hell that action thing from 2008 with Nicholas Cage was. This is a tragic loss for Criterion, and as an active supporter, I truly feel for my favorite DVD company. Why couldn't Lionsgate have just taken the collection's two Michael Bay movies and Benjamin Button?!? I'm going to order as many as I can, and I strongly appreciate the early notice. You folks at Criterion and Janus are wise, benevolent gods among men, or at least gods of film.
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  • By al
    February 12, 2010
    10:06 AM

    Obtaining a Criterion release and opening it is akin to a self declared holiday, the bar has been set for any future release of these titles.
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  • By roscoe_1891
    February 16, 2010
    06:51 PM

    Thanks for the heads up, I hope they will last on here until the end of March. I just went to amazon.com and people already are selling them at outrageous prices. Both Wal-mart.com and amazon.com are sold out of the ones I wanted, so I will be getting them here. All I really want is Alphaville and Le Corbeau. I have Grand Illusion and will be keeping it forever. Also I was wondering if since these films are going out of print is Criterion.com still going to sell the posters of the out of print films?
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  • By Enrique
    February 17, 2010
    04:16 AM

    What happens to the Criterion box sets that contain some of these soon to be OOP titles? Are the box sets -- for instance, the Janus 50 DVD box set -- also going?
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  • By Shaun
    February 17, 2010
    07:38 AM

    Enrique, StudioCanal has transferred the distribution rights from Criterion to Lionsgate in N. America. All of these titles, in whatever form, will no longer be offered by Criterion. Your question about the Janus Art House box is a good one because Criterion didn't single it out in the above note. I'd wager it's affected by the current changes like everything else. If they've lost the rights, they're lost the rights. It's as simple as that. And may god forgive StudioCanal. Amen. : )
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  • By Eric Rich
    March 02, 2010
    11:31 AM

    Little late to the party here, but 400 Blows is another film that was OOP and then came back. I literally paid $196 for it back in ~2001, $200 for The Killer, and $125 for This Is Spinal Tap. I never was able to acquire Salo back then because it was going for about $450 and there were as many bootlegs and real ones (or more) around at the time. Thankfully those obscenely high prices seem to mostly be gone (although I do already own most of the OOP stuff). I just came back to trying to complete the collection after about 8 years, and was only missing 12 OOPs. I believe the most I've paid (and I have all of them at least ordered at this point) is about $64. I thank criterion for bringing back into print anything they can, and especially Salo, because otherwise a complete collection would have basically never been possible for me. As for the going OOP stuff, I have bought all of them (only waiting for the last three to be shipped from Criterion) and I would strongly advise anyone who can, and has interest, to do so as well. You just never know how absurb the aftermarket is going to get. One of the Hitchcock OOP film's (Rebecca, I believe) average price went up 50% in just a matter of days while I was tracking it. It doesn't take much to make this stuff skyrocket.
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  • By Ken Henderson
    March 10, 2010
    02:24 PM

    Studio Canal is a subsidiary of Vivendi SA(Canal + etc) which is involved with Universal and Universal Music Group(UMG) etc. Very complicated. Ties up old British film companies like British International(at Elstree) that became Associated-British Pictures Corp and into TV etc. With all this shifting of owners etc it is a wonder much is left intact of these great films.
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  • By Daisy
    March 10, 2010
    08:28 PM

    I happen to work at Lionsgate and some of these comments are very mean. I too am a huge fan of the Criterion collection and own many , many titles. You can't blame Lionsgate because it is Studio Canal that made the change. The folks who run the DVD dept at Lionsgate care very deeply for the films that are put out on our lable. Most of you folks who are writing the comments have no idea how costly it is to restore these film's image and sound, and add specials features , et al. Perhaps profits were a consideration; anway, it is just a fact of life. In case you been living in a cave for the past year, Lionsgate is just about the only independant film company left here in town. Alot of film makers are proud to have their film released by us, and we release films that other studios won't touch. We also have some real gems in our library i.e. "Open Your Eyes" ," Requiem for a Dream" and on and on. Long live the Criterion collection and may they find other worthy titles!
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  • By Pascal
    March 15, 2010
    10:40 AM

    When I partake of a Criterion collection offering I am sitting at my favorite table at the Paradise restaurant near the marina. Consuming the bread of angels.
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  • By telecine
    March 16, 2010
    04:35 AM

    Disagree. StudioCanal is making a bad business decision, as they have done with the theatrical rights to many of their films. StudioCanal could have easily allowed both versions to exist on the market. There are certain parties which want to put these films out of print on DVD, so audiences will not have easy access to them in the future, a certain "Cinematheque" which Criterion has done business with in the past. The logic is simple: If audiences cannot buy the DVD, they will have to go to see the films at the "Cinematheque" -- Criterion should be more careful in the future with who it does business with. Criterion fans should speak up -- Criterion should be allowed to renew the rights to these films. Removing these films them from the market shortchanges customers who might be interested in these films, and the marketplace itself.
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  • By DVD Phreak
    March 27, 2010
    01:16 PM

    It's sad to see so many titles gone, but I do realize that distribution rights are not forever and OOPs are bound to happen. Most of the titles are pretty old so Criterion have probably made enough money off of them. THE REAL TRAGEDY is, of course, Pierrot le fou. It is a spectacular job - the only edition that shows the Sam Fuller scene in the correct color. And yet Criterion didn't have the time to reap the rewards of their hard work. Whoever is going to rerelease this, if ever, had better do a comparable job.
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  • By Enrique
    March 31, 2010
    03:14 AM

    Brandon, TAXI DRIVER is not the only release to feature a commentary track by Martin Scorsese. Criterion's edition of TALES OF HOFFMANN (one of the titles going OOP this month) also has audio commentary by Scorsese. (Talk about a great bonus feature!) Other Criterion titles owned by StudioCanal include CRISIS, THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY, THE SILENCE, WILD STRAWBERRIES, DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID, THE MILKY WAY, ICE STORM, LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD, PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII, THAT HAMILTON WOMAN, TRAFFIC, and THIEF OF BAGHDAD. No word yet as to whether Criterion will lose those titles. Some of the movies that Criterion lost to Lionsgate are being re-released as part of the StudioCanal Collection, which, as far as I can tell, includes only Blu-ray, so those who want the DVD versions might be out of luck after Criterion stops making them. Thanks to Shaun for answering my question. I e-mailed Criterion's press division with the same question (whether the box sets are also going OOP), but they never answered. It makes sense that the box sets would be going though. Have a good one.
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  • By Godardimaniac
    March 31, 2010
    10:46 PM

    Enrique, I think Brandon was referring to the only edition of Taxi Driver to come with a Scorsese commentary track. No DVD edition from Columbia or anyone else since that laserdisc has included this.
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  • By Enrique
    April 01, 2010
    02:02 AM

    Godardi: Thanks for the correction about Taxi Driver. By the way, I finally heard back from Criterion about the box sets, and this is an exact quotation: "For the time being, the Essential Art House box sets that include soon-to-be out of print titles will not be going out of production." Does anyone understand how Criterion could be losing these StudioCanal films to Lionsgate -- and yet continue producing box sets that include those very titles?
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  • By Shaun
    April 01, 2010
    10:16 AM

    Thanks for that list Enrique - for what it's worth I borrowed Hobson's Choice from my library and StudioCanal is involved with the restoration. So, maybe this great Lean title is also at risk? Personally, I'll be getting some of those StudioCanal Melville titles Criterion has on offer because they're so very good. Peace.
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  • By Stephen
    January 14, 2011
    05:36 AM

    I'm so sad to learn that these films are out of print. I was especially hopeful to get a copy of James Joyce's The Dead. I read many reviews of the offering from Lionsgate on Amazon, and I would venture to say that 90% of the reviews mentioned that 8-10 minutes of the film were left out of the Lionsgate release. Many people also said they had contacted Lionsgate about replacement, and many of them complained about poor customer service, and of having to wait weeks and as long as a month for their replacement. The correct running time is 83 minutes. Most online retailers are selling a 72 minute version. Lionsgate has admitted that there was a technical error in the production of the DVDs, but there is no information available as to when a corrected version will be made available. Bad move Studio Canal. I hope Criterion is able to regain licensing of this film and many other OOP films in the not to distant future
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