Searching for OOP Criterion Films

#CriterionCollection #film #movies
My ongoing search for OOP Criterion Films.
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[@KeepYourDaydream]

Nice job!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Thanks very much.

[@ModernPlague]

Criterion news & chat is always welcome. I enjoyed this, as well as some of your other Criterion videos. Subscribed!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Thanks very much and welcome to the channel.

[@juancmorenor]

I decided not having more stress to get Criterion OOP titles! It doesn’t make any sense to pay inimaginable high prices for them. Criterion films like Teshigahara box set and The Man Who fell to Earth are OPP titles that I would like to have!

[@WoodyAllenManiac]

Criterion years ago used to make announcements when something was about to go OOP. Now they don’t and titles just drop off the website mysteriously. It really upsets me, I wish they would go back to at least giving us a heads up about it.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Totally agree with your thoughts and I wish Criterion would announce when titles are planned to be OOP. Or at least print a number of copies so you know better when to pickup a copy if the stock starts getting too low.

[@WoodyAllenManiac]

@@CinemaDaveMedia Thanks for the response! In another comment to your video, I find prices on EBay for OOP Criterions are super high and expensive.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

@@WoodyAllenManiac I agree!

[@hectorperezjr2102]

Without actually seeking it out, I discovered a used copy of the dual format edition of Nashville. The guy sold it to me for $50! Great spot in Portland called Variety Records.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Wow, that's very good luck. Congrats on picking up Nashville for that price.

[@throws89]

I usually just go on eBay. There’s one or two stores I visit now and the. But for the most part I hunt online for OOP Criterion’s. I just picked up White Dog (at reasonable prices). My white whale is Nashville. One Strange thing that happened to me was when I found Le Corbeau at a good price. Maybe 2 months later Criterion announced it was coming back in a Blu-ray release after being OOP for YEARS!!!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Dan. Great advice. I've been looking on eBay too. I have the Criterion release of Nashville though I never even realized it went OOP. Hope Criterion brings back more OOP titles.

[@maartenlemmens8628]

Variety lights by Fellini is my Criterion holy grail.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Oh yes, good pick.

[@Stealthborn]

I can say that I have some of my personal favorites for OOP titles from Criterion. Some of the ones that come to mind: Hard Boiled The Killer Grand Illusion The Two of Us Spellbound Le Doulos The Face of Another The Man Who Fell to Earth Ran Dead Ringers I also want to add that I actually have Diary of a Country Priest. It is a unique film that gets overlooked in Bresson's catalogue. A good succinct movie, but the Criterion edition is hard to find.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Oh wow, all amazing films.

[@BonicBebop82]

I usually go to my local used record/dvd stores and go with the luck of the draw. I've found a few Gems like The 3rd man dvd, Pandora's box , Nitrous (when it was out of print)

[@Bob-Savage]

OOP titles can bite you. Has anyone checked what an older BluRay copy of ‘Le Circle Rouge’ is going for on eBay since Criterion released the 4K? I’m sure they’re not going to get the $300 they were originally asking for! Gotta be patient sometimes. I’ve been lucky a few times at pawn shops or good-will stores. I found the Criterion DVDs of ‘..Tenebaums’, ‘Silence of the Lambs’, ‘Armageddon’ and ‘Life of Brian’

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Robert. Totally agree. I am usually checking eBay and other sites for OOP titles every month but often don't want to pay the expensive price to get some of the films I'm searching for since there is still so much on my wish list. I need to start shopping the thrift stores and flea markets to see if I can get lucky and find some OOP films (and other films as well).

[@Tim_Raths]

I hope Criterion gets the rights to The Third Man again. I would love to see them release a 4K of that film.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Yes, same here.

[@benvanasse3397]

Hi Dave-Diary of a country priest is available as a french edition Blu-ray for 15$. Like most french editions it does not have English subtitles, so that may not work for you. I got my OOP criterion copy from a reseller on a Facebook criterion group for $30 a few years back. Ebay is really hit or miss. I find criterion enthusiasts more reasonable. I also had good luck with secondhand bookstore/DVD stores.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Ben. Thanks for your comment and advice. I need to look at the FB groups as well as thrift shops and other stores. Might even pickup the french edition since getting this film has become a bit of an obsession 😃

[@HenryLaPierre]

You're probably aware of this already but in case not, where you mention bootlegs by way of finding a burned disc placed in the case, keep in mind that most bootlegs coming out of places like Hong Kong/China are actually pressed discs. The design and packaging can be near identical, but things like missing features or different type of disc (9 instead of 5 in the case of a lot of DVDs) being used will give them away. Good luck with your search.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Thanks Henry. Great information and most appreciated.

[@MarkAS56]

I've been hoping for a re release of their Pandora's Box for years

[@Macktube]

The main criterion that that oop thats been on my list forever Is The Third Man Digipack It's my white wale I will get it 1 day hopefully.😅🙏

[@alexvillarreal6039]

I wish I would’ve gotten the Guillermo del Toro Blu-ray box set from Criterion. You can still find the individual movies, and even the DVD set, but I would have to scour eBay for that OOP set.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Alex. Oh yes, would be great to have that set!

[@cinema.inspired]

I’m not sure how much OOP titles I own but I do have rosemarys baby and Harold and Maude. I love Harold and Maude as well so that’s probably my favourite OOP title I own. I also have don’t look now but no idea that was OOP!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

That's great, still wish I picked up Rosemary's Baby (and many others) but am thankful for the few OOP titles I have.

[@orderlycollector]

I am a new collector and decided to collect in spine order. The two John Woo movies cost me close to 200.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

@@orderlycollector Wow, that’s expensive.

[@orderlycollector]

@@CinemaDaveMedia I have been buying al of them off ebay used for less than I would even at half off from barnes and noble. So it kind of evens out.

[@suemurray2109]

Glad I could be the start of a good conversation… 😊 hope we all find some of these out of print copies! So many criterions we need for our collections! Good luck to every fellow searcher!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Thanks Sue for inspiring this video. 😀 It really got me back on the trail for some oop films.

[@OldMan_PJ]

I don't really keep track of what's OOP or not, only what hasn't been released. If a movie is OOP that I want to watch then I'll seek out alternate releases, including: foreign release, DVD, VHS, or streaming. As a last resort I'll turn to unauthorized streaming or download of it. The thing with having seen so many films in theaters or having rented them in the past is that I don't "need" to own them so I don't feel I'm missing out by not owning them, they're just nice to have.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

I usually spend some title looking for certain films, realized that the film is OOP and then search for an outlet, a good price on the OOP title if possible, or a Blu-ray release from another label. It is time consuming sometimes.

[@tomlawlor4345]

i really struggle tracking down OOP titles because i have the worst FOMO but i really can't afford the premium most people charge for this stuff on eBay. here in the UK there's a second-hand chain called CeX, which makes it a bit more affordable because i can trade stuff for in-store credit that i'm not super interested in anymore to take the edge off some of the really high prices. i think the trouble is, like in video games (but less so), people see many of these purchases as an investment - which is totally their prerogative but makes buying and watching OOP stuff really difficult

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Tom. I completely agree with your thoughts. Very expensive to pickup OOP titles so I’m also always hopeful there might be a rerelease. Plus as much as I love some OOP releases, I often opt for picking up more films rather than spending so much on one title.

[@tomlawlor4345]

@@CinemaDaveMedia that seems like a really sound way to go about it. you'll probably discover more stuff you hadn't expected to pick up and enjoy like that too!

[@chriswalker3375]

Harold and Maude, such a great film!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Yes, one of my favorites!

[@chriswalker3375]

@@CinemaDaveMedia Did you look up handbrake, MakeMKV, and Plex?

[@grey1951]

This is a great topic. There are two OOP Criterions that I've searched for on Ebay. One is a Film Noir from the early 60's called Blast of Silence. I'd never even heard of it until last year when some folks on YT started raving about it. The copies on Ebay were way too expensive. The other one is a Carl Dreyer film called Day of Wrath, made in 1943. I had picked up a copy from Sinister Cinema out of curiosity. I loved the film, but the DVD-R was in terrible shape. Again, the prices on Ebay were outrageous. The good thing about Criterion is that they quite often bring their items back into print. For example, the Japanese classic Onibaba, which I had wanted for years. I subscribe to the Criterion Channel, and I'm starting to make good use of it instead of buying every Criterion release that interests me. And they have Day of Wrath, so I'm looking forward to seeing it again in good condition. I rarely do business with Amazon. Good luck finding the titles on your want list! By the way, speaking of flea markets, I recently picked up the Criterion DVD of The Royal Tenenbaums for a dollar. Itt's in pristine condition. It wasn't something I was looking for, but I wasn't about to pass it up!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

You are so right that eBay prices are often very expensive so I often make the choice to focus on picking up other more affordable releases. I hope Criterion rereleases some titles or I can find OOP print titles at a yard sale, thrift shop, or flea market.

[@marianneguevara8279]

Its interesting how you bring up this subject when I've recently gotten the OOP Criterion edition of Leon Morin, Priest! That one I managed to get from eBay at a pretty good price. Though its the DVD version which I personally prefer since I'm more of a DVD collector. Luckily, I was able to snag both Don't Look Now and Rosemary's Baby before they went out of print. Aside from eBay I have been able to spot some criterions at my secondhand section in my local Booksamillion. Its always great to check out the secondhand section of any place selling physical media. You never know what gems you'll end up finding.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Marianne. Oh wow, cool that you picked up the OOP Criterion of Leon Morin. I'm happy to have the film from another label but keeping an eye out for it on eBay. I need to check more thrift shops and other stores. Great advice and I do love searching for some of these hard to find films.

[@larabrongel8863]

I’m always looking for a Blu Ray of The Third Man by Criterion, though I hear it’s the most expensive and hardest to find!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Oh yes, so difficult to find and expensive. I’ve been thinking about searching in flea markets and thrift shops lately.

[@moviesbye9294]

I recently got a sealed Criterion laserdisc of Dead Presidents, the only way to get the unrated movie with special features. It will never get another release, because of Disney.

[@joshua2814]

120?! Wow. Does Criterion ever re-release these apart from box sets? I love Criterion, but if I have a movie, I personally only upgrade to Criterion if it's a format upgrade (like DVD to BD) or part of a set.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Joshua. I haven't seen too many releases of OOP titles so far.

[@frankgetz6743]

Good discussion topic. I have a handful of Criterion out of print titles. Ran is my most treasured because it took me a good 10 years to finally find one Eisenstein Sound Years & Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara are ones I'm still seeking. As far as searching for out of print Criterion titles, I look at it like crate digging for records. Search high & low. Never know what you'll find or where you'll find them.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Frank. Oh yes, wish I had picked up Ran but happy that I have the film also. I am spending more time looking for OOP Criterion titles and you are right, so much like crate digging for records. I will continue my search for sure.

[@thomaswilke6312]

Harold and Maude, Don’t Look Now, and Nashville are available on blu-ray but they are on the Paramount label

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Yes, I picked up the Nashville release from Paramount though nothing close to the Criterion release in my humble opinion.

[@robsavage3217]

@@CinemaDaveMedia Interesting. I prefer the Paramount version (I own both) because it has the vastly superior transfer of the film.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

@@robsavage3217 Good point about the transfer.

[@damianp564]

Years ago, Criterion did give a head-up that they were losing the rights to a number of titles including Leon Morin, Priest, Last Year at Marienbad and Le Cercle Rouge so I was able to snatch those up from Deep Discount but usually I find out after the fact like The Third Man (still, way too expensive). I hit thrift stores all the time and I can count on one hand all the Criterion blu-rays I've found. Thankfully, one of them was Rosemary's Baby so there is slim hope there. As for ebay, you just have to watch. Most sellers are looking for top dollar but sometimes a seller just wants the film to go to a real fan. Keep in mind a seller is paying about 17% alone in fees so don't begrudge one asking a bit more than it cost at the time of release. That said, look at what they're selling. If it's a bunch of rare titles that they've already sold numerous times then they are most often selling bootlegs. Cheers!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Damian. Oh, I didn't realize that there were Criterion notifications for some titles going OOP. I need to start looking in thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets at some point especially as more and more people start unloading physical media in favor of streaming. I also worry about bootleg copies on eBay. I had a chance to pickup Rosemary's Baby (on my list for a sale) and then missed out or forgot about it in favor of other titles.

[@anthonydiggle2926]

Very interesting video Dave that certainly resonates with me. I would say that The Criterion DVDs I wish I had bought were “Pandora’s Box”, “Spellbound” and the title you mention, The Olivier Shakespeare boxset. For the Blu rays, I often torture myself for not buying “The Third Man” when it was first released. Would love to buy it now but I really don’t fancy paying the exorbitant prices on Facebook. I have the excellent UK Studio Canal release though, which has a fantastic picture quality and extras. For these deleted titles I have missed, I try and reconcile my mind to the hope that another studio may pick them up or maybe reissued by Criterion, with an improved transfer which certainly does happen every so often. Really fascinating video thank you. 😊

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Anthony. I so wanted that Olivier box set and still high up on my list. I wish Criterion would rerelease Hamlet at least so I can have all three films (Hamlet is a top favorite). I need to check out the FB groups also. Thanks so much for your comment and kind words.

[@southendonseaarts]

I’m lucky to have most of the titles you’ve showed last year I managed to get a pristine The Man who fell to Earth bluray id been after that one for a few years cost me £65

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

That’s great!

[@davidosborn6714]

Great topic, Dave! For me it would be the Third Man blu-ray, although I did manage to get hold of the Criterion DVD digipack reissue with all of the great extras.

[@anthonyL1995]

I just started laughing... The moment that I saw this video my first thought was... "Gee, I wish they would reprint Harold and Maude." I'm going to see a local production of the obscure musical version of the film on Saturday. So, when it was literally the first topic at hand. Which it's crazy to think that a movie like Harold and Maude wouldn't be a staple for Criterion. It's so quintessentially '70s and just a wonderful cult film.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Anthony, would be great to see some of these titles back in print at some point. One of my favorite 70s films too.

[@777JonT]

I'm really late to the party, but did you ever find a criterion for Rosemary's Baby?

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Jonathan. I haven't found/picked up a copy of the Criterion release of Rosemary's Baby.

[@maartenlemmens8628]

Don,t believe in Amazon; i,ve bought films there that supposedly were almost sold out. After i ordered they were still available. 🙄

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Yes, can’t always trust those Amazon stock levels.

[@michaelthemovieattic]

Great subject Dave! I have a few old Godzilla releases that are out of print. I'm just glad I got them when they came out. But that's not always the case if you arrive late to the party. I usually get my out of print stuff on eBay and have had good luck with that approach. Two titles I would currently like to get are the DVDS of "Secrets Of Isis" the 1970s superhero series and "The Lost World" with Bob Hopkins. They are currently a little more than I want to pay. It sometimes helps if they're not part of a series or collection like Criterion. But I can see where having all of them would be really cool. Anyway, I hope you get those titles on your list.

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Michael. I do regret not picking up some Criterion titles before they went OOP. Such is the life of a collector sometimes. I often hope there is a rerelease or another label at releases the film so I can get a copy of film(s) where maybe the OOP Criterion release is too expensive and/or not available.