Criterion releases THE box set

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
This one's a doozy. 50 of the "greatest" films Criterion has released (through Janus films) in one professionally bound boxed set.

http://janusfilms.com/

It looks pretty fucking sexy, but I don't see a price set, and I'm personally estimating it'll hover around the $999 range. I've noticed a few key titles missing too, namely 8 1/2, Brazil, Chasing Amy (KIDDING, KIDDING, PUT THE GUN DOWN), Passion of Joan of Arc, Spartacus. Just my opinion, but I think these titles are essential to anyone's collection. And some weird additions... Umberto D.? Come on...

Anyway, anyone thinking about picking this up? I already have too many of these titles to warrant it, but that book looks sexy.
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
WOW thats great, it probably will be extremely expensive, and yea why isn't Spartacus in there or all of their Kurosawa releases. And I wouldn't consider Chasing Amy to on the same level as those, but I did like it, and I own it. I think that and Fear and Loathing are the only two criterion releases I have. I have a different version of Seven Samurai. But I'll most likely own this when I get the cash. I can't wait to see how much their asking, if it's any type of a deal then I'm jumping because thats the only thing thats held me back from buying most of these titles, their so damn expensive.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
LINK to the Criterion Collection Store

It's available at $650 from that store.

In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Janus Films, we're offering an amazing discount on pre-orders of ESSENTIAL ART HOUSE: 50 YEARS OF JANUS FILMS; Fifty DVDs and a 240-page illustrated book in a linen-bound box set. Pre-order before the October 24, 2006, street date and receive two free shirts or hats, free UPS Ground shipping, and an entry into a raffle for twenty-five free Criterion DVDs. This offer is exclusive to the Criterion Collection Store.
 
S

Some Guy

Guest
Pretty good deal, as that's roughly $13 per film plus the really nice packaging. Oddly enough it seems that there are only 49 films in the set though, with the "50th" as a documentry.

I think the reason some films like Spartacus and Le Samourai weren't included was because they aren't under the Janus Films umbrella. I haven't seen most of the films in this set, since I only watched the more popular ones like Wages of Fear and The Third Man so I'm in no position to decide how good the set is overall, though I trust that most of them are good.
 
I always liked Criterion DVDs. As you know, Roman Polanski's debut feature film "Noz w Wodze" (or Knife in the Water), was released on DVD by them. Also, Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs, that was released by Criterion was probably the only "perfect" DVD release that it ever had. Judging by its quality and the amount of extras, the Criterion DVD beats the shit out of the MGM/Orion DVD releases of the film. I'm wondering if those 2 movies are gonna be on that set? After all, their Criterion DVD releases are out-of-print now and pretty hard to come by.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
BayJumper said:
I'm wondering if those 2 movies are gonna be on that set? After all, their Criterion DVD releases are out-of-print now and pretty hard to come by.

The list of the included films is in evidence on the page Walter linked in his post. Knife in the Water is part of the set, but not The Silence of the Lambs. Keep in mind this box set is only about classic movies released by Janus Films.
 
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