Product Details

• Actors: Jean Servais, Carl Möhner, Robert Manuel, Edward Arnold, Walter Huston
• Directors: Abbas Kiarostami, Adam Bernstein, Adam Yauch, Agnès Varda, Akira Kurosawa
• Format: NTSC
• Number of discs: 282
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Criterion Collection
• DVD Release Date: November 2, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0006A05RM
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #222,028 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

For this unprecedented collection of Criterion Collection DVDs, it's easier to talk about what's not in the massive collection: namely, a few future releases and several films that have had the rights returned to the original studio. But that's only 20 titles out of the 261-title library (as of fall 2004). Criterion set the standard in Laser Discs in the first digital age. Although other studios create some great DVDs, no one has matched Criterion for consistently producing fabulous-looking, extras-laden films on DVD, especially if your thing is classic or international films. The care in print and sound quality is a marvel. Something like the 1932 comedy Trouble in Paradise shouldn't look like it was made yesterday. The reconstruction of the original 1928 print of The Passion of Joan the Arc is legendary. Subtitles are always new and reexamined for translation; original aspect ratios and sound design are carefully presented.

Being about "a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films," Criterion has developed relationships with many top directors, including Steven Soderberg (Traffic), Terry Gilliam (Brazil), David Cronenberg (Dead Ringers), and Robert Altman (Short Cuts). The extras are not fodder from the publicity train, and often outside sources round out the retrospection of the film. What other company would conceive of presenting Truffaut's Antoine Doinel series this way? The label is so strong, film mavens often buy the next Criterion disc without knowing anything about it (ever heard of Onibaba, The Ballad of a Solider, or the Orphic Trilogy?). Either they know they are getting a history in film, or they don't want a gap in the numeric order of releases (plus Criterion discs hold their value better than most DVDs). Either way, this collection is the ultimate way to quickly start your cinema library, be it for your organization, office, or suddenly bigger home collection. As you ponder over the striking cover art or read a printed essay, know this: all classic films--and many contemporary ones--dream of being a Criterion disc. There is no better digital fate. --Doug Thomas

Description

Now available for the first time, The Criterion Collection is proud to present its prestigious collection of films together in one gift set! Totaling 282 discs, The Criterion Collection Holiday 2004 Gift Set consists of all of their published DVDs through October 2004 (except for the out-of-print editions): that's 241 titles on 282 discs and includes a Certificate of Authenticity. This much sought after collection of films is the most significant archive of contemporary filmmaking available to the home viewer. Included in this set:

Alexander Nevsky	Hiroshima Mon Amour	Pornographers
Ali: Fear Eats The Soul	Honeymoon Killers	Port Of Shadows
All That Heaven Allows	Hopscotch	Pygmalion
Alphaville	Horse's Mouth, The	Quai Des Orfevres
Amarcord	I Am Curious - Blue	Rainer Werner Fassbinder: The BRD Trilogy
And God Created Woman	I Am Curious - Yellow	Rashomon
And The Ship Sails On	I Am Curious Yellow/Blue Set	Ratcatcher
Andrei Rublev	I Fidanzati	Red Beard
Armageddon	I Know Where I'm Going!	Red Shoes
Autumn Sonata	I Vitelloni	Renoir Boxed Set: Stage & Spectacle
Ballad Of A Soldier	Ikiru	Richard Iii
Band Of Outsiders	Il Posto	Rififi
Battle Of Algiers, The	Importance Of Being Earnest, The	Rock, The
Beastie Boys	In The Mood For Love	Royal Tenenbaums. The
Beauty And The Beast	Indiscretion Of An American Wife/Terminal Station	Rules Of The Game
Bed And Board	Ingmar Bergman Makes A Movie	Ruling Class, The
Big Deal On Madonna Street	Ingmar Bergman: A Film Trilogy	Rushmore
Billy Liar	Insomnia	Salesman
Black Narcissus	Ivan The Terrible I & II	Salvatore Giuliano
Black Orpheus	Jimi Plays Monterey/Shake! Otis At Monterey/Outtake Performances	Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
Blob, The	John Cassavetes: Five Film Boxed Set	Samurai II: Duel At Ichijoji Temple
Blood Of A Poet	Jubilee	Samurai III: Duel At Ganryu Island
Bob Le Flambeau	Juliet Of The Spirits	Sanjuro
Branded To Kill	Killers Double Disc Special Edition	Scarlet Empress, The
Brazil	Killing Of A Chinese Bookie. The	Scenes From A Marriage
Brief Encounter	Knife In The Water	Schizopolis
By Brakhage, An Anthology	Kwaidan	Secret Honor
Carl Theodor Dreyer Boxed Set	La Strada	Seven Samurai
Carnival Of Souls	Lady Eve, The	Seventh Seal
Charade	Lady Vanishes	Shadows
Chasing Amy	Last Temptation Of Christ, The	Shock Corridor
Children Of Paradise	Last Wave, The	Shop On Main Street
Cleo From 5 To 7	L'Avventura	Silence, The	Sisters
Cocteau's Orphic Trilogy Boxed Set	Le Corbeau	Slacker
Constant Forge, A	Le Dames Du Bois De Boulogne	Smiles Of A Summer Night
Contempt	Le Million	Solaris
Coup De Grace	Le Trou	Spartacus
Coup De Torchon	Leopard, The	Stolen Kisses
Cranes Are Flying	Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp	Stories Of Floating Weeds
Cries And Whispers	Lola	Stray Dog
Day Of Wrath	Long Good Friday	Sullivan's Travels
Devil And Daniel Webster, The	Lord Of The Flies	Summertime
Diabolique	Lost Honor Of Katherina Blum, The	Tanner '88
Diary Of A Chambermaid	Love On The Run	Taste Of Cherry
Diary Of A Country Priest	Loves Of A Blonde	Testament Of Dr. Mabuse
Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie, The	Lower Depths, The	Testament Of Orpheus
Do The Right Thing	M. Hulot's Holiday	That Obscure Object Of Desire
Double Suicide	Magic Flute	Third Man
Down By Law	Maitresse	39 Steps
Early Summer	Mamma Roma	3 Women
Eight & 1/2	Man Bites Dog	Throne Of Blood
Eisenstein: The Sound Years Boxed Set	Marriage Of Maria Braun. The	Through A Glass Darkly
Element Of Crime	Mon Oncle	Time Bandits
Elena And Her Men	Mona Lisa	Tin Drum, The
Eyes Without A Face	Monterey Pop	Tokyo Drifter
Faces	Monterey Pop Festival Boxed Set	Tokyo Olympiad
Fat Girl	Monty Python's Life Of Brian	Tokyo Story
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas	Most Dangerous Game	Traffic
Fiend Without A Face	My Life As A Dog	Trouble In Paradise
Firemen's Ball	My Man Godfrey	Truffaut's Adventures Of Antoine Doinel Boxed Set
Fishing With John	My Metier	Tunes Of Glory
For All Mankind	Naked Kiss	Umberto D
400 Blows. The	Naked Lunch	Under The Roofs Of Paris
French Cancan	Nanook Of The North	Vagabond
General Idi Amin Dada	Vanishing, The
George Washington	Night Porter	Variety Lights
Gertrud	Night To Remember	Veronika Voss
Gimme Shelter	Nights Of Cabiria	Videodrome
Golden Coach. The	Nous La Liberte, A

These out-of-print titles are not included: Beauty & The Beast (Original Release, Spine # 6), The Bank Dick; Blood For Dracula; Dead Ringers; Flesh For Frankenstein; Hard Boiled; How To Get Ahead In Advertising; The Killer; M (Original Release, Spine #30); Notorious; Playtime; Rebecca; Robocop; Salo; Sid & Nancy; The Silence Of The Lambs; Spellbound; Straw Dogs; The Unbearable Lightness Of Being, The; and This Is Spinal Tap.

About The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, is dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. Criterion began with a mission to pull the treasures of world cinema out of the film vaults and put them in the hands of collectors. Now in its 20th year, all of the films published under the Criterion banner represent cinema at its finest.

The Criterion Collection DVD Process
The foundation of the collection is the work of such masters of cinema as Renoir, Godard, Kurosawa, Cocteau, Fellini, Bergman, Tarkovsky, Hitchcock, Fuller, Lean, Kubrick, Lang, Sturges, Dreyer, Eisenstein, Ozu, Sirk, Buñuel, Powell and Pressburger. Each film is presented uncut, in its original aspect ratio, as its maker intended it to be seen. For every disc, we track down the best available film elements in the world, use state-of-the-art telecine equipment and a select few colorists capable of meeting our rigorous standards, and take time during the film-to-video digital transfer to create the most pristine possible image and sound. Whenever possible, we work with directors and cinematographers to assure that the look of our releases does justice to their intentions. Our supplements enable viewers to appreciate Criterion films in context, through audio commentaries by filmmakers and scholars, restored director's cuts, deleted scenes, documentaries, shooting scripts, early shorts, and storyboards.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you need to know for collecting Criterion DVDs, October 6, 2005

By	Susan Christiansen "filmatic fanatic" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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)

51 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing set. Too much money?, November 1, 2004

By	Funky Kikuchiyo (Fairfax, VT USA) - See all my reviews

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.

67 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a complete Criterion library, unfortunately., December 7, 2004

By	D. Mok (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.