Criterion Collection DVDs and Blu Rays: Some OUT OF PRINT Titles That I Love

The films discussed are as follows:
3:15 SPELLBOUND (Spine No. 136)
5:27 BLOOD FOR DRACULA (Spine No. 28)
8:21 HOWARDS END (Spine No. 488)
13:37 RAN (Spine No. 316)
19:21 THE THIRD MAN (Spine No. 64)
22:09 CHUNGKING EXPRESS (Spine No. 453)

[@nima8s8]

I would give anything for a RAN Blu-Ray digipack...Now that's a pre-order purchase for me!

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Hello Nima! Oh yes, I totally agree with you!

[@royceyun2600]

Would love to see your most desired films to enter the collection. EDIT: Any film that hasn't been touched by Criterion in the past.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

royce yun thank you so much! You read my mind! In fact I am preparing such a video right now. I will upload it very soon so please stay tuned. Best regards and thank you again 😃👍

[@royceyun2600]

Awesome, looking forward to it!

[@stevevincentfurness4537]

Just watched RAN on FilmStruck after watching this. I must say, it was an absolute revelation,and I was riveted from start to finish! How have I lived this long without seeing this?? Thank you for the recommendation! There’s a Studio Canal Blu-ray but I think I’ll spring for the OOP Criterion dvd, as it’s selling fairly cheaply on ebay.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Steve, I am so happy to hear that you saw RAN. It is such a magnificent film, is it not. Yes, the Studio Canal release exists, but I do not have that. I think that the Criterion OOP DVD is certainly obtainable for decent prices on eBay. That Criterion cover by the way has to be one of the best Criterion covers ever.

[@leocoh89]

another great video sir, you are forcing me to reassess hitchcock hehe, you know how I feel about Ran. The third Man has always been in my top 10 if not in the argument for number 1. it's literally perfect all the way to ' a parrot bit me'. And what an ending, surprised they got away with it. Chungking express is beautiful and dynamic, wonderful cinematography. All the best

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you, my friend. The THIRD MAN... this too is such a key film for me growing up. I really love how lovable and clueless Holly is in the film. And yes, at the very least, please give VERTIGO a chance! This is my favorite film ever.

[@zyrrhos]

I always loved THE BIRDS - for its surrealistic 'how the hell did that get made' tone - but it was NOTORIOUS that made me reassess Hitchcock as one of the great masters of cinema. I'd start there and then watch VERTIGO and NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

[@ggfffgggds]

I'd add "The Man Who Fell To Earth" & "Dead Ringers" to that list👌

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you very much, and I apologize for the lateness of my reply. I hope you are well.

[@darwinia55]

There's a very good chance that both SPELLBOUND and CHUNGKING EXPRESS will return to the Criterion Collection. Both are licensed by ABC/Disney, who recently re-licensed REBECCA and STRAW DOGS to the CC, both after more than a decade being OOP, as well as the practically confirmed return of NOTORIOUS.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Yes, and with the strong possibility of NOTORIOUS returning to the CC, and with REBECCA and STRAW DOGS having already returned, can SPELLBOUND be far behind! Indeed! That would be a day of celebration! And on such day, in honor of Dr. Constance Petersen, I will gladly help myself to a large serving of, not ham, but liverwurst.

[@TheLindawg14]

I too get so sad about particular OOP releases. I believe the only OOP films I have so far are Alphaville and The Third Man. Lucky for me, I found a copy of The Third Man for far, far lower than the online prices at my local record store in my small college town. I honestly don't think they understood how valuable that release was; I'm still so thrilled to own a copy!

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you for your comment, Lindsey. So you say you have only 2 OOP titles, but, gosh, you have 2 great ones there. And you got the THIRD MAN at your local record store????!!!!!! That has to be one of the coolest things I have ever heard!! That is fantastic! You must be a really sharp Criterion "hunter"! If you have a moment, please let us know what other OOP titles you are looking to find!

[@jonhinson5701]

I love Howard's End and I am so glad I purchased my copy. I am a big fan of both Emma Thompson and Vanessa Redgrave ( my vote for the best actor of all time). I had to purchase a non-Criterion version of Ran but my collection would be incomplete without this amazing film.

[@kevlow9494]

2 years later but Chunking Express, Ran and The Third Man need to make a comeback! 🙏🤙

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you for visiting this older video!! Oh yes... Chungking Express is included in the Wong Kar Wai set, but it would be great to see an individual release.

[@chandanrawal4137]

Greetings from India to Daisuke. I also saw this movie in college about 3 years ago...and i loved it in the first viewing because i observed that how meticulously he played with TIME...my favourite song 'California dreaming' was also used like i would have imagined. I had already watched 'In the mood for love' a year ago before this but Wong Kar-wai became my favourite director after i saw Chunking express. I then watched Fallen Angels and i loved him more. I have now saved '2046' and 'Happy together' for viewing in the future as i am only 25 years old(as the protagonist in Chunking express turned 25 years as you remember) and i need to save some movies(gem/money) for future as our elders suggest. Thanks Daisuke for expressing your viewing experience about this film.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you so much for this! And this video will become very outdated soon I think, because of the likelihood that the Wong Kar-wai set will come to the Criterion Collection soon, and that it is likely that it will include Chungking Express (as well as other films). I hope you are well.

[@whataburgerchocolatechunk5659]

Ran is such a great masterpiece in cinema

[@DaisukeBeppu]

I agree my friend.

[@stevejespersen3829]

Just ordered Spellbound on Criterion. Thank you for your recommendation.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Oh that is great that you were able to get Spellbound considering that it is still OOP (as of the time of this comment). Best regards.

[@WolfGratz]

I know Merchant/Ivory have gone through a period of relative critical decline but at their best they were great film makers. And in my humble opinion this is one those films. A re-release would be very welcome indeed

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Yes... the early M&I films are really good (like the Guru or Shakespeare Wallah or Bombay Talkie, etc.), and there are the other more "famous" ones like Howards End and The Remains of the Day, etc. I have always loved in particular Howards End and The Remains of the Day and Maurice. I really love Howards End so much. I am so much in love with the novel, and the film is such a deep, deep masterpiece on so many levels. Maybe one day it can come back to the CC, but I am not sure if it will ever happen.

[@Pagaugezero]

I absolutely love Blood for Dracvla and Andy Warhol's Frankenstein. 2 of my favorite films. I was lucky enough to have seen them in 1974 when I was 14 yrs old at Cinema Village in Manhattan. Frankenstein was in 3D. Both had an X rating. I still have vivid memories of the 3D. Amazing.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Wow... this is such a great comment Chris. Thank you so much. I have never seen the films in the theater, and so I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like! Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this.

[@KMO325]

Good video. I have a few OOP, myself. You've piqued my interest in Howard's End. I not only have totally OOP, but also movies that were re-released in upgraded DVD or Blu-Ray format. Off the top of my head I know I have Ran, Stray Dog, Eisenstein: The Sound Years and Grand Illusion (spine #1!) and I also have older releases of Kwaidan, Brazil Box-set, Ikiru, Kagemusha, The Lower Depths (basically 60% of my Kurosawa collection). I possibly have more (like The Human Condition), but I'm not sure since I came to Blu-Ray extremely recently and am only now seeing what films have been rereleased and which have not, as well as what is in-print. I agree on The Third Man and would add the John Woo films, Port of Shadows (extremely rare and not well-known in the US), The Hitchcock films and possibly the Olivier films (?). I am looking forward to the new releases though, especially during the B&N summer sale. Dragon Inn is my main target, might possibly get Dead Man, but may make it in all King Hu affair and get the Blu-Ray of A Touch of Zen (though I keep thinking of getting a Blu-Ray of Seven Samurai since my DVD case is in rough shape after all these years).

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Dear KMO 325, thank you so much for your excellent, excellent comment. I am extremely impressed. First of all, yes, you are so right about John Woo and PORT OF SHADOWS! I should do a follow up video talking about the other OOP titles. Thank you for your great suggestion. Another commenter below, Mr. Ben Vanasse, also made the great suggestion about JOHN WOO. As for the B&N sale, I am so happy and jealous! I hope you find all the titles that you are looking for. I haven't gotten my copy of DRAGON INN yet (though I have the Masters of Cinema release, which is stellar). It is a hard choice if you have to choose between TOUCH OF ZEN and DEAD MAN. But, as you say, there is something to be said about having a King Hu themed shopping spree, as it were. Is STRAY DOG now OOP? If so, then I didn't realize that! I know that the EISENSTEIN DVD BOX set just recently fell OOP as of July 2018. But STRAY DOG is news to me if it is true. I know that RAN is OOP, which breaks my heart, although I know that the folks at Studio Canal have released what appears to be a fine blu ray. By the way, I am so happy that you mentioned the HUMAN CONDITION set. That is one of the greatest, most exhausting film experiences of my life. I remember seeing that in a movie theater in NYC many years ago, spread out over three days. It was grueling and I felt drained of all emotion and feeling by the end. It was soul crushing and an unforgettable experience. You seem to have wonderful tastes in film. If you have a moment, I would love to hear more about some of your favorites, Criterion or otherwise! Best regards from Tokyo. EDIT: Let me add that if you decide to watch HOWARDS END, please let me know what you think about it! Cheers!

[@KMO325]

Thanks for getting back to me and the compliments. I'mma relative "youngin'" so my criterion collection is no where as big as yours. I don't think Stray Dog is officially OOP, but it looks like Criterion is letting its existing circulation go down, which means it is about to be rereleased or OOP. It was one of the last Kurosawa films I wanted for my collection (I still hope his last film is licensed by them), but it was the hardest for me to get (harder than even Ran). I've only used Amazon or B&N for my Criterion Collection, so I am amazed at what I have (instagram.com/p/BkRAgylFbcR/) The Human Condition is THE most brutal war film, even if it does not show the sort of blood and guts as modern war films. Part 1 was fine, but part 2 broke me--I waited almost 6 months to watch part 3. It's always very tricky for me to talk about favorites because I change my mind after awhile, but I can say with safety that Akira Kurosawa is my favorite film-maker. My top 5 films, in no particular order, are The Godfather, Seven Samurai, A Touch of Zen, Stalker, and Medicine for Melancholy (Barry Jenkins' first feature). I guess I will include this link to a post on how I started the whole cinephile life: instagram.com/p/Bcse_Son6Iz/ A lot of my collection is older-released DVDs, so I can decide, when I have money to spend, wat DVDs I want updated to Blu-Ray, though because I move around and don't always have access to a Blu-Ray player I'll probably keep getting DVDs (I hope the Criterion Collection will use its partnership with Filmstruck to start including HD streaming with their Blu-Rays like every other company). If I could have one movie get picked-up by Criterion it would be The Trial of Joan of Arc, the film that introduced me to Robert Bresson.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

I AM SO HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR FAVORITES LIST! That Barry Jenkins film is definitely one that I must see now! I have not seen it. This is fantastic. This is exactly why I joined KZbin and Facebook... to hear these great suggestions by great people like yourself, in order to get me out of my own personal zone of comfort with respect to my own film viewing habits. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! So, is this your Instagram account? If so, I have just followed you. This is so illuminating. Ohh! So many great posts! And such great taste in books and literature!! Your admiration for Kurosawa is shared by me. Have you seen Kurosawa's THE IDIOT? I wonder how you would react to it seeing how you have probably a strong grasp on Dostoevsky. Oh, and your CC wishlist of The Trial of Joan of Arc is really stellar. I second that. Any Bresson addition is welcomed by me anytime.

[@KMO325]

I agree about expanding your horizons, that's helped me discover many new things. That is my Instagram account. I've seen The Idiot, it is part of Criterion's Postwar Kurosawa Eclipse series. The only film from that set I haven't watched is Scandal. I liked the film even though it is infamous for being one of the most studio-butchered of Kurosawa's films. I have not read the novel (though Dostoevsky is one of my favorite authors), but I felt Kurosawa kept Dostoevsky's spirit in the film as he would also do in his other Dostoevsky (semi-)adaptation Red Beard. I love Bresson. I discovered The Trial of Joan of Arc when the Turner Classic Movies channel showed a late-night viewing of it (they tend to put "foreign" and "art films" on at night at that time before they aired the documentary series The Story of Film and started moving those films up some-what). I spent the next 24 hours as a Joan of Arc fan, but am still a Bresson fan till now. I really want to see it come to Criterion. But really, I just want this film to be legally available in region 1. If Kino films got it, I would buy it.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thanks. Ok. So I followed you on Instagram. Please feel free to do the same for me if you like! I post Criterion stuff on there occasionally, but as I have just started I am not yet used to how Instagram works.... Thank you for your comments about Kurosawa. Yes, RED BEARD is his "other" Doestoevsky adaptation of sorts (THE HUMILIATED AND THE INSULTED, right?). I really love Red Beard. I remember having that on a VHS 2 tape set back when I was a teenager and just watching that film over and over, as though it were on a loop almost. Have you seen any other Bresson films, such as Pickpocket, or Diary of a Country Priest, or A Man Escaped, etc.?

[@akajkyt]

Great video Daisuke! Ran was the first Kurosawa Blu ray I bought but ironically I still haven’t seen it, not because I don’t want to but because I’m using your curated order to watch Kurosawa’s films and I’m having a great time. In your ranking video I’m pretty sure that your favorite was between Ran and Seven Samurai, interesting to see you used to have Yojimbo above, I can see why I mean it’s so cool and entertaining and Mifune is excellent in it. When you’re rewatching Yojimbo do you double it up with Sanjuro or do you sometimes just watch Yojimbo or maybe just Sanjuro, because they’re born separate works, I’ve seen them both only once but I watched them together back to back one morning.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you so much for this comment. Yes, this is such a great group of Kurosawa films you mention. When I see Yojimbo and Sanjuro, sometimes I watch them back to back, but other times I watch them separately.

[@georgesanders5006]

Hi daisuke. Hope ur well. I just got real lucky. I went to my local goodwill thrift shop. I found 5 criterions titles. They were spellbound, the one disc release of notorious, the original two disc release of naked lunch, hamlet, and w c fields 6 short films collection. Was surprised when I saw them sitting on the shelf. Made my day. To find oop criterion titles for $2 dollars each. I don't know how someone can just donate them to goodwill. Oh well I'm happy.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you and it is so nice to hear from you as always. And that is really awesome!! What excellent finds. Well done.

[@neonnights1912]

Another great video! Can you do a video where you talk about what movies should have been made into a Criterion release? Or have you heard of any movies that were supposed to be released under the Criterion label and didn't? Cheers. Matt

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you so much Matt. How are you doing these days? I hope you are well. I don't have the information about what was planned to be released, with respect to the CC DVDs and blu rays. But, I do have some very skeletal information about what was planned on being released on CC laserdisc. Can you believe that films like Blue Velvet or the old Godzilla movies were planned to be released on LD but were pulled for whatever reason! It is amazing. Anyway, let me see what I can do. Take care, my friend. Cheers from Tokyo.

[@tysonmindham2986]

I remember when I was in High School my English teacher showed us Ran and I really enjoyed it then even though not being into movies all that much at the time.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Hello and thank you for commenting on this video! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed Ran!

[@benvanasse3397]

Thanks for sharing those. I share your love for Ran and The Third Man. Maybe you could discuss John Woo's OOP next

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you very much for your kind words, Ben. And it is amazing because you read my mind...! I am planning to make a second video on the Criterion OOPs, in which I plan to cover THE KILLER and HARD BOILED (as well as PIERROT LE FOU and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH and LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD, and, if time permits, a couple others). Thank you so much for the great suggestion. Are you a John Woo fan perchance?

[@benvanasse3397]

Yes indeed, John Woo was a revelation to me-especially those two titles. I greatly admired his whole output particularly his pre-Hollywood phase.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Are there any in particular that you recommend?

[@benvanasse3397]

In addition to those two, I would recommend the "A Better Tomorrow" part I & II as well as "Bullet in the Head." However, none of those are on Criterion.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Those suggestions are really excellent, Ben. I love those films very much also. I assume that you are also into his post Hard Target phase as well, right? Are there any recommendations you would make regarding John Woo's Hollywood phase of his career and beyond?

[@1dbanner]

The Dead Ringers laserdisc set is magnificent, and I do wish CC could get the rights back and reissue it, ditto Taxi Driver.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you my dear friend!!

[@djxbudda]

I found my copy of Howard's End in a thrift store for $2.99, good deal I say!

[@DaisukeBeppu]

that is a very good deal. Well done.

[@metalfacemoviereviews8979]

Daisuke my dear dear friend have you ever thought about making a movie? Tarantino once said if you love movies enough you can’t help but make a good movie. I think you fit that bill pretty well! If you ever did I would love to help in any way I could!

[@DaisukeBeppu]

It’s been really great to hear your comments lately and also on this older video of mine as well! I am truly honored. To address your question and suggestion, actually when I was in high school and in college, I did dabble in short video projects but they were not very good at all, and I don’t have any copies surviving. I also tried my hand at writing but it was not so successful at all. That being said, you are very kind to make such a comment to me!! Thank you so much 👍

[@issadad]

May I submit a request? I don't know how many collectors would echo my interest, but I'd love to see you present a video about Criterion laserdiscs that only exist as Criterion laserdiscs, never making it to DVD or Blu-ray. You might also include Criterion laserdiscs that have been reissued, but offer a feature, such as a commentary track, that Criterion is no longer licensed to offer, and so exists only on the laserdisc.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you very much for the nice suggestion! What a great idea! So, while I cannot promise anything (and especially because it does take a lot of preparation to make a video that is a kind of comparative examination of all releases on various formats over the course of the past 35 years), I will at least consider it.

[@issadad]

@@DaisukeBeppu Thank you for your gracious and quick reply. I just finished watching the Top 50 Poll results video, quite wonderful -- and left a list of my Top 15 not included in the Top 50. I have 403 Criterion titles on DVD/Blu-ray -- I update my collection on Criterion's site -- and a few LD's (like the CAV CITIZEN KANE) that Criterion hasn't reissued -- I'd love to find more.

[@michaelzendejas4586]

Currently in an eBay bidding war for The Third Man, a must have!

[@DaisukeBeppu]

I wish you the best of luck. By the way, is it DVD or blu ray?

[@michaelzendejas4586]

@@DaisukeBeppu it’s the dvd double disk version! Sadly all the blu ray versions I can find are $150+, but hopefully one day! This’ll do until then hahaha

[@TheHYEGUY]

My personal favorite Kurosawa film is HIGH AND LOW with RAN a close second. I would love to see RAN receive a Criterion upgrade but I don't think StudioCanal will be playing ball anytime soon.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

HUGEHYE thank you for the comment. Oooh....yes HIGH AND LOW is a great choice. I love the purity of its structure, and also the fact that it’s an aces thriller story! Your comment makes me want to watch that film again now! As for RAN, what do you think the chances are? Of course I will try to be optimistic and hope for a kind of detente between CC and StudioCanal, but I am not holding my breath.

[@TheHYEGUY]

I love Toshiro Mifune's subdued performance in HIGH AND LOW. For sure it is less showy than his previous work with Kurosawa. But it still retains his intensity albeit through a filter of maturity and compassion. I think we will be waiting a while for a criterion upgrade of RAN, although I hope i'm wrong. I watched RAN for the first time last year and it is astonishing how Kurosawa works with color. Thinking back on my childhood memories, I remember the sky and grass being a particular color blue and green respectively. Before seeing RAN, I had not seen those shades of colors since. It is bizarre how nostalgic I feel while watching RAN. Please forgive me if this tangent didn't make any sense.

[@TheHYEGUY]

Apologies for the late comment. KZbin decided not to publish the reply I made a week ago. I have really grown to appreciate Toshiro Mifune's more nuanced and calculated acting seen in movies like HIGH AND LOW and RED BEARD. This is showcased well In HIGH AND LOW in the way the first half takes place in one location allowing tension to build naturally through the characters. RAN on Criterion is looking doubtful in my opinion but you have the right attitude. Akira Kurosawa's use of color in RAN astounds me. I saw the film last year for the first time and it is bizarre how nostalgic I feel about it. In my fondest childhood memories, the sky and grass would always be present. they would have a particular shade of blue and green respectively. Before seeing RAN, I had never seen these distinct shades of colors represented outside of my memories. Over the years I kept an eye out for the use of these colors in films but would always be disappointed in the color palettes used. Please forgive me if this little tangent made little sense.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

HUGEHYE hello! It is good to hear from you 😃. So you pack a lot of quality in your comment... let me try to unpack it.. I agree with you on the “late” period of Mifune-Kurisawa. I wonder what your opinion is of his performance in RECORD OF A LIVING BEING. It is an astounding performance I think. As for the use of color in RAN... yes! I agree completely. Let me ask, what do you think of Kurosawa’s use of colors in DREAMS?

[@TheHYEGUY]

Daisuke Beppu Unfortunately I'm not familiar with Mifune's work outside of his collaboration with Kurosawa. I was introduced to him through a marathon of Akira Kurosawa films via FilmStruck and was captivated ever since. Any recommendations of his work would be appreciated. I have conflicting feelings about DREAMS in general. To be honest I need to have a re-watch of that one because it did not stick with me much. I respect the more experimental nature not present in his earlier films. DREAMS' use of over emphasized color worked well in combination of the nightmare/dream logic set up by the film. It felt jarring, but necessarily so. Also each piece of the anthology had a distinct color scheme that helped differentiate them from each other.

[@customlego09]

I have a question about the Criterion release of Ran. I’ve finally watched the film and streamed it on amazon prime and wow, I think it is his best film. However I noticed the picture quality wasn’t as good as it should of been. I understand Criterion does restore the film and also adds documentary but is there a difference between this and a Blu Ray release of the film? Especially when the Criterion release is not in print anymore and is nearly 100$.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you very much. So I do not know exactly which version you happened to see on streaming, and I am not sure exactly what versions you might have seen. However, there was a recent digital restoration of the film that was released on home media. And so for many, I am sure that such version is the preferable one over, say, the older Criterion DVD release. If you want a nice breakdown of what supplements are on each of the releases, here is a link to DVDBeaver's discussion of the releases: www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_71/ran_blu-ray.htm

[@customlego09]

Daisuke Beppu Thanks for the link! The 4K Blu Ray version is unfortunately region locked so I can’t get it here in the US. From what I’ve read the Criterion release is still superior to the studio canal blu ray that is available here. I’ve also just purchased the Yojimbo/Sanjuro set along with Kagemusha and War of the Worlds from Criterion. Excited to watch these again!

[@RareDivers]

I have been meaning to pickup The Third Man for a while. The Studio Canal release from 2015 seems to be the best version. In fact, the only Orson Welles film I have seen is The Trial, which was fascinating. But I am really interested in F For Fake, which looks fascinating. Luckily that is from Criterion too. :D I must correct this obvious hole in my library. I was unaware that Chungking Express was OOP. That is a shame, really want to see it. Also seems to be OOP worldwide, but it is rumored that Criterion will re release it later this year? forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=304533

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Zyrother, you are quickly becoming the go-to person for all things blu ray release and everything! You are the expert!! Thank you so much! So, yeah, about CHUNGKING EXPRESS, the rumors have been flying around the ecosphere for quite some time. I don't know anything, and so I hesitate to say anything concrete. However, as the current OOP blu ray and DVD are somewhat expensive on eBay, it might be worthwhile to sit back and wait a bit more to see if there is any movement by CC to re-release it. At the very least, I'd say wait until the end of this year to see if there is any news, and then go from there. By the way, the TRIAL is another great one! I have the Japanese blu ray of that, and it is fantastic. F FOR FAKE is a little miracle of a film I think. And yes, I concur: the Studio Canal release of THE THIRD MAN seems to be the best way to go right now. I think that there is no need to spend a lot of money on the CC OOP blu ray unless you are a CC completionist. The most important thing is to be able to see the film itself! Cheers from Tokyo my friend.

[@RareDivers]

Yes, patience is a virtue. I am more than willing to wait. You are too kind, I am by no means an expert. I merely take the extra time to research titles to choose the best version on the market. How you view a film is sometimes just as important as what film it is. More often that not, the best version is on LaserDisc! Its also why I invested in a region free Blu-ray player, and why any serious film collector should. Hurts the wallet though... :P

[@WolfGratz]

@@RareDivers The Studio Canal release of The Third Man is pretty good actually. And yes it is arguably my favourite Carol Reed film - it vies with The Fallen Idol.

[@unityoc]

Couldn't agree more about Spellbound, it sticks out like a sore thumb as the only of the 8 Criterion Hitchcocks that's OOP and doesn't even have a Bluray release. As if that wasn't enough, the DVD is also from a very dated transfer that's 20 years old!

[@DaisukeBeppu]

Thank you for this comment! This is a nice coincidence because last night my time I was revisiting Spellbound. Thank you Unity OC!!

[@B57846]

Daisuke, where is Fishing with John.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

At the time of the video, Fishing With John was not OOP. Even now, it looks like it is available, so as it is not OOP it is not included in the video. I hope that helps! www.criterion.com/films/580-fishing-with-john

[@B57846]

Did not realize this. Thank God they realize the importance of this masterpiece. American cinema at it's best.

[@JohnSmith-zl8rz]

Pay tons of money for movies is stupid, by example criterion will be reissue Third Man later... movies are not like comics, games, or music! I prefer plastic cases than digipacks by the way, criterion insist in some digipacks like night of the living dead, not good.

[@DaisukeBeppu]

I think this is so good, because you point to something that I agree wholeheartedly with: namely why do some of these titles go for lots and lots of money relatively speaking?! It is a bit hard for me to understand as well, especially like the THIRD MAN, which is available under different labels, etc. I suppose though that there is something about collecting Criterion Collection films that is undeniable, and so it is worth it sometimes to pay a little higher prices for some titles... however, yes, the prices can be too expensive. However, and while I am not sure as to its long-term sustainability, there is a niche market for used DVDs and blu rays. I dare say that the market could continue if streaming takes over more and causes blu rays to decline in production numbers in the future. Of course, even in such a case, it is impossible for me to tell exactly how lucrative such a market would become. And the plastic case comment is really a good one. Thank you so much. Yes, digipacks are somewhat hard to deal with, but on the positive side, there is potential for more materials to be included (such as longer booklets or even books like with MR ARKADIN, RED RIVER, or PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK), and so there is value in having digipacks if it means being able to get more written supplementary material. That being said, as a mode of storage, plastic cases are way better and I agree with you.

[@JohnSmith-zl8rz]

I like a lot your channel, I hope comment more later ;)

[@DaisukeBeppu]

John Smith, and I love your comments too. It makes me very happy to read them. Thank you so much! Best regards from Tokyo.