Customer Reviews

The Criterion Collection Gift Set 2004 (Amazon.com Exclusive)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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)

I haven't seen all of the movies in this set, but I've long been a fan of the Criterion Collection for having great transfers of great movies that unfortunately get overlooked far too much by other distributors. But, talk about sticker shock! Of course you're getting a lot of movies, but I wanted to share my math . . . the price as of this review is $5250, and it includes 282 discs in total, with 241 titles. So, that comes to $18.62 per disc, or $21.78 per title. It doesn't seem like one is saving a lot of money by purchasing this box set over aquiring your favorites individually. In fact, it would probably be cheaper to get them individually, since one person is not likely to want to own them all, and anyone likely to be looking at this set probably already owns a few of their favorites. Normally box sets save you a lot of money, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. It is a bit cheaper since Criterion is still fairly expensive, but $20 for a DVD these days is no bargain.

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.

I review (and own) a lot of Criterion DVDs, and I personally feel that most Criterion discs are of better quality (in terms of the movie, extras, scholarly content, etc.) than the discs from more mainstream companies. Look over the titles in this MEGA-HUGE collection, and you'll find many of the greatest films ever made.

Still, $5K is a waaay-outta here price for most consumers except crazy film buffs (like me) who are also extremely wealthy (not me, sigh). And of course, your postal delivery person won't be too happy at you for ordering this and breaking his/her back. But, the value ($17.7 per disc, 282 in all, or $20.7 per title, 241 in all) is quite good for Criterion discs.

If you have cash to burn, this is a solid value. Keep the films you like and auction off the few you don't.

As a film major, learning about movies and gaining an appeciation for them is something that I pay a hefty fee for each year. While nothing can replace my education, I have gained as much knowledge and love for cinema through watching Criterion DVDs as I have at school. Hell, I've aced many a paper by examining the supplements on these discs. I would undoubtedly buy this set if I could afford it.

Quite simply, this is *the* reference collection of cinema -- both world and American -- that everyone should own if they can afford it and adore the medium of film. Comedy from 'Trouble in Paradise' to 'Rushmore', Bergman from beginning to end. Does it contain every important film ever created? Of course not, but it has so many masterpieces, presented in gorgeous transfers with lavish care, that one's film experience isn't complete until watching some films in the collection.

So it doesn't contain the out-of-print DVDs: get over it. These titles are, yes indeed, out-of-print and therefore not readily available. Criterion is not a film studio, they don't "own" any films -- they "rent" out licenses from studios and sometimes, the rent expires. Several OOP titles can still be purchased separately through Amazon (such as Straw Dogs & The Bank Dick).

Without Criterion, I would never have been exposed to some of my now favorite films, such as: The Red Shoes/Black Narcissus, Charade, Cocteau's Beauty & the Beast, and the Passion of Joan of Arc [the greatest silent with the greatest performance]. As I said, if you have the money to burn or just want to become a film buff, buy this set while it is still available. HD-DVD isn't really a factor: many of these films are older and therefore weren't filmed with high-def in mind.

I doubt that anyone person will love every film in this set. Some of them may find you indifferent, some you may hate. But so many will open your eyes to what film is capable of, fill you with wonder and amazement, and stay with you forever.

I did some simple maths and it turns out that this is not a good deal at all! I assume that those items that are available as box sets are not contained twice, so what do we have:
14 box sets plus 182 normal discs. I didn't split the normal discs into expensive ones and more expensive ones but just assumed that it is 50:50. If you buy these 196 items for the best available price this gets you to about $4950 -- and you don't have to buy those that you already have...

These are not "very bad" films. These are, in most cases, the height of cinematic achievement. The fact that they are primarily small and foreign films should not daunt hardcore fans of cinema as the Criterion Collection has been in the business of presenting great films for a long time.
As for not having any "special editions" as one poster mentions. These are the most special of editions! When you buy Criterion, you are getting the best transfer of these hard to find films (many of which have never been released on video or DVD previously in the US). many of the titles have phenomenal extras.
Also, the "Out of Print" titles are literally that. Criterion is no longer producing those DVDs. the fact that you can buy them elsewhere is simply because they are still in someone's inventory, but they ARE out of print.
Despite the clout of the Criterion Collection. This set is probably a little extreme. Its a lot of money to drop for the best films in their best treatments, especially because most of the films are not well known. But, its your thousands of dollars not mine.
Enjoy!!

I have been a film fan for many years, and the remarkable popularity of the DVD format has made it much easier for me to find sought-after classics of American and world cinema. One thing I learned very quickly is that Criterion is the one company that has consistently delivered the absolute best product - best film, best transfer, best supplements, period. I have NEVER been dissatisfied with a Criterion purchase, except maybe in terms of sticker price (which is usually anywhere between 25 to 40 bucks for a single film and a helluva lot more for box sets). Even then, it is always worth it, but hunting for some of these titles in the major retail chains is still a problem for me. I usually shop brick-and-mortar and few chains carry the full range of Criterion titles.

Well, as of today, I have to hunt no longer. Though I own a good portion of the Criterion Collection already, I am STILL going to buy this whole set. Why? Because, quite simply, these are some of the greatest films ever made - all available together for the first time. Any movie lover will find something to enjoy, and the wealth of bonus material usually contextualizes and helps explain the impact and power of some of the more complex films in this set (especially the "I Am Curious" duology and the Cronenberg films). Contained in this gift set are numerous masterworks by reknown masters such as Fellini, Powell and Pressberger, Kurosawa, and Ozu, to name just a few. The set also contains more modern works in the form of cinema by Soderbergh, Kubrick, Altman, Scorsese - I could go on forever, literally.

In summation, ther's not much more to say. I'm getting this set as soon as I can scrounge up the money; if you love movies, treat yourself as well (although I recommend pawning of those Michael Bay atrocities at the first chance you get). Otherwise, happy hunting...

There's no arguing that this is a great collection, but by the end of 2005 HD-DVD will be on the scene. I am an avid film buff and have many Criterion releases, but ultimately I want everything in HD format.

All the studios recognize this, and will ultimately re-package and re-sell every title in HD (I don't think the timing of George Lucas releasing the original Star Wars Trilogy on DVD now was an accident).

To drop 5K now seems a bit premature. Plus, many films in this collection are old film to tape transfers meant for laserdisc so were mastered to D2 (a composite format.)

I started buying Criterion Collection DVD's about 3½ years ago. If I had known that they would do this super special edition gift set at a reduced price, I'd have saved my money. I have written reviews for over half of the Criterion DVD's individualy and am writing new ones as I see the films.

This set is for serious Criterion collectors only. But is sure to become a collector's item.

Maybe I could sell my DVD's individually and then buy this.

The only drawback is that their out-of-print titles aren't in this. But of course, that was unavoidable and you can still get them from Amazon.com marketplace sellers, auctions, and if you're REALLY lucky, at garage sales. Beware of bootlegs though.