64 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything you need to know for collecting Criterion DVDs, October 6, 2005
This review is from: The Criterion Collection Gift Set 2004 (Amazon.com Exclusive) (DVD)
Obviously many people feel very heated that this is not the complete Criterion set, however that is part of what makes the set so valuable. As Criterion dvds go out of print, they go way up in value (some almost up to $1000 each!!). An investment in Criterion is indeed a financial one as well as a cultural one. More of these DVDs will go out of print in the future as well.
If you really are wanting to obtain the whole collection (I am in my second year of obtaining this goal), there are a few things you should know. First, beward of bootlegs. You can consult the Criterion website to learn more about them: [...]. That is also a good place to buy Criterion DVDs as they are usually 30% or so below retail.
Following is a list of all Criterion DVDs that have gone out of print as well as about what you should expect to pay for them:
1. Spine #2--Seven Samurai (1954)
This has since been reprinted (got to www.criteriondvd.com to read up on the differences between first printings and second printings of dvds), so you can obtain the second printing for around $20. The first printing, however, is said by Criterion to be the hardest to find, but it is possible. I bought it from a seller on this website for $100 and there are still a few others listed. The first printing of this edition has the barcode on the bottom right rather of the dvd (it's on the top right on the reprint).
2. Spine #5--The 400 Blows (1959)
This has also since been reprinted, however as part of a boxed set (The Adventures of Antoine Doinel #185). This DVD, said to be the third hardest to find, is also available for purchase from sellers on this website for around $100 and well worth the price. The reprint is not in a keep case, so it is very easy to spot the original from a reprint with this title.
3. Spine #6--Beauty and the Beast (1946)
The fourth hardest to find in the collection, this has also been reprinted. The first printing's cover is all in black and white where the second printing was done in color. You can find the first printing for around $60 on this site.
4. Spine #8--The Killer (1989)
This is the second most expensive of all Criterion DVDs and the fifth hardest to find. No reprints of this exist, expect to pay upwards of $200 for a copy of this DVD.
5. Spine #9--Hard Boiled (1992)
No reprint of this exists, the original runs for around $50, but be careful! There are many bootlegs of this copy (I purchased 2 bootlegs before I final got an original)
6. Spine #12--This is Spinal Tap (1984)
This one is quickly becoming one of the hardest to find titles in the collection, and also the most expensive. No reprints of this title have been made, and a Criterion will cost you around $100.
7. Spine #13--The Silence of the Lambs (1990)
Fairly easy to find, this one will generally run somewhere around $30 for an official copy.
8. Spine #17--Salo (1975)
By far the rarest of the Criterion DVDs, there are many bootlegs of this DVD as well. An official Criterion release of this title will cost you usually around $600-$900. Said to be the most dangerous and insidious film ever made, it is also the rarest and a true gem that no Criterion Collection can sparkle without.
9. Spine #20--Sid and Nancy (1986)
$100 seems to be an average price for this dvd.
10. Spine #21--Dead Ringers (1988)
About $40 is the going price for an official Criterion Dead Ringers DVD. Again, beware, beware of bootlegs.
11. Spine #23--Robocop (1987)
I have to laugh that people refuse to pay $5000 for the Criterion DVD collection simply because this out of print DVD is not a part of it...especially since this DVD can be purchased for about $25 from this site.
12. Spine #27--Flesh for Frankenstein (1973)
Because horror films in the Criterion collection are so rare, they are usually a little higher, so you can expect to pay about $60 for this out of print DVD.
13. Spine #28--Blood for Dracula (1974)
This one does run a little cheaper, usually in the $40 price range.
14. Spine #30--M (1931)
This title has also been reprinted with an onslaught of special features. The first printing is noticibly different in that it has red on the cover (the reprint is all black and white) and forms the letter "M" using different pictures into a montage. The reprint is simply a picture of a man in black lurking around a corner. The first printing of this title is usually in the $30 price range.
15. Spine # 36--Wages of Fear (1953)
Don't expect to pay too much for this one, especially with a new release of the title out on October 25th 2005. $20 is a fairly typical price for this DVD.
16. Spine #55--The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
This title is quickly moving into the 'hard to find' category of Criterion DVDs. It is usually priced in the $60 range, though many bootleggers will be more than happy to sell a rogue copy for a few bucks less.
17. Spine #57--Charade (1963)
The Anamorphic new release of this title has actually helpt the price of this title, as the original is now usually just below $20. This title actually says on the back if it's the first or the second printing. Other than that the cases are pretty much identical.
18. Spine #78--The Bank Dick (1940)
Not terribly difficult to find, this one is usually around $40 a copy.
19. Spine #112--Playtime (1967)
This is another DVD moving up both in price and increasingly difficult to find. Though a reprint of this title has been announced, don't expect to lay your hands on a first printing for less than $60-$70.
20. Spine #120--How to get Ahead in Advertising (1988)
$70 is a typical price for this DVD, though i've seen it listed for much more.
21. Though there is no spine number for this, the first official Criterion Box Set to go out of print is the Hitchcock Box set--probably because 3 of the titles in it are out of print (see the next 3 movies on this list) It runs for around $250 for the set of 5 movies--The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps, Rebecca, Spellbound, Notorious.
22. Spine #135--Rebecca (1940)
Part of the out of print Hitchcock box set, this title is the most expensive of the set usually priced around $60
23. Spine #136--Spellbound (1945)
This title usually runs around $40-$50
24. Spine #137--Notorious (1946)
Out of Print status has done very little to drive the price of this DVD up as it sits comfortably around $35.
25. Spine #182--Straw Dogs (1971)
The newest addition to the out of print Criterion group, you can still find this one in shelves at some stores, usually about $32 a copy.
So all in all, even if you're paying higher end prices for these dvds, the whole set will cost you around $2200. Not bad, considering what they're already worth and what they will continue to be worth in the future.
If you hope to obtain the complete collection, you should also be aware that there are 5 boxeds sets that do not have spine #'s (and hence do not show up on the Criterion catalog lists). Buying these, however, usually saves you quite a bit of money while collecting anyway (ie, spines #14, #15, #16 are retailed at about $90, whereas the box set of all three can usually be purchased brand new for $50--almost 50% savings!)
The 5 box sets are as follow:
The Samurai Trilogy (Spine #14, #15, #16)
Great Adaptations (Spine #31, #32, #43, #46)
Akira Kirosawa (Spine #2, #52, #53, #116)
Hitchcock (Spine #3, # 56, #135, #136, #137)
Rebel Samurai (Spine #310, #311, #312, #313)
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65 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not a complete Criterion library, unfortunately., December 7, 2004
This review is from: The Criterion Collection Gift Set 2004 (Amazon.com Exclusive) (DVD)
I love The Criterion Collection. This series has consistently produced the finest DVDs I've seen, with the richest and most detailed bonus materials, geared towards film lovers and even filmmakers. Just compare the Criterion editions of RoboCop and Traffic with the current official editions to see the difference.
However, even an avid Criterion fan like myself would not advise getting this collection, unless you were attempting to build a comprehensive film collection on DVD. The quality of the product is not the issue. Rather, it's a question of: How many of us would buy nearly 250 films on DVD in one fell swoop?
Even more importantly, this collection does not include The Criterion Collection's out-of-print titles. If it did, even I might have been tempted just a little. Off the top of my head, you'll be missing Criterion editions of John Woo's Hard-Boiled and The Killer (the latter of which fetches nearly $300 on eBay), David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers, RoboCop, Flesh for Frankenstein, even Notorious. The fast expiry of some of its titles is a problem Criterion has always wrestled with, possibly because it's harder to get even a limited license to release films that have been picked up by major studios. So while it's not the company's fault, it still damages the collectibility and investment value of this $5,000 set substantially.
Finally, keep in mind that many Criterion films, especially films like Chasing Amy, Armageddon, The Rock, Seven Samurai and Walkabout, are very easy to find in second-hand bins. If you're interested in enough of these, you will end up paying less by buying them individually.
Once again, however, my rating is not a negative comment on the quality of these DVDs. If a title is available on Criterion, it's almost always going to be a superior release than any other edition available. And I'm personally thankful to the company that after years of my begging, it's finally getting ready to release Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha, my favourite Kurosawa film. This collection will be best for film scholars and historians who love every film ever made, or need access to thousands of films on DVD for teaching, study, and research purposes -- one of my old film-school professors would probably find this collection useful, for teaching his classes. The rest of us, however, may want to think twice about exactly how many DVDs we need to own before dropping $5,000 on the table.
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