47 comments

  • By Maltobizz
    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.
    Reply

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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.
    Reply

  • 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.
    Reply

  • By Alexander F.
    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.
    Reply

  • 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?
    Reply

  • By Enrique H.
    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?
    Reply

  • 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. : )
    Reply

  • By mietha
    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.
    Reply

  • 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.
    Reply

  • 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!
    Reply

  • 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.
    Reply

  • 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.
    Reply

  • 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.
    Reply

  • By Enrique H.
    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.
    Reply

  • 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.
    Reply

  • By Enrique H.
    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?
    Reply

  • 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.
    Reply

  • 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
    Reply

  • By WoodenLens
    June 07, 2012
    11:22 PM

    God, It's been over two years and these OOP announcements still haunt me. Imagine CC Bluray Upgrades of some of these titles. Really just sad. I do hope that Criterion can strike a deal with Lionsgate & Studio Canal to take these titles (which they obviously seem unable or wanting to put out) and have a new go with them again!
    Reply

  • By ComicsCinema
    August 06, 2012
    03:58 PM

    How can I find an updated list of soon-to-be OOP titles in Blu-Ray format?
    Reply

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