Upcoming Non-UK Blu-ray Releases

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

I find that aspect of the Criterion Collection releases to be extremely strange, so classic German, Japanese, French, British, Russian etc films are coded so they are designed to only play on Blu-ray players made in North America.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Japan's also Region A.

It is strange, though. Especially as the majority of western, English speaking people seem to have a problem with subtitled films.

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

Covers (most of them) for the individual US blu-ray releases of the Bond Films. Photoshopped crap! A couple of them are ok (From Russsia With Love, and Goldeneye), but most are shit. Would it really have been so difficult to use the original poster artwork?

[the blob]

None of them showing up here...

[Rik]

Originally Posted by the blob

None of them showing up here...

Thankfully, I've seen them and they're utter shite, especially the Moonraker one

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

Strange. I can see them. Oh well, here's the link to the digitalbits where they're posted.

The Digital Bits: Celebrating Film in the Digital Age - Blu-ray, DVD & Download

[the blob]

Yuck!

For Bond that's a travesty..

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by the blob

Yuck!

For Bond that's a travesty..

Completely – they are lousy covers. It's a good job I'm not a massive fan of the Bond films, or I'd currently be reconsidering my pre-order.

[the blob]

I'll put it another way..

Shocking...... Positively shocking...

[Nemesis]

Originally Posted by Baseball Fury

Yep! Every single release Criterion have ever put out is locked to A for blu-ray, irrespective if other companies have released it region free or not. They also refuse to ship cross-region from their online store. They occasionally release a Region 0 DVD, but it's a rarity.

This and this - Black Narcissus is a case in point. ITV put out a region free blu, while Criterion locked theirs. I don't doubt that in the majority of cases, Criterion has to lock due to requests by the rights' owners, but the fact that they have not put out one region free blu says it all - they cannot be bothered.

And dare I say it, but Criterion really is the play it safe label. It puts out the well known titles, puts out a few blockbusters to act as cash cows (fair enough!), and the few titles it does take a chance on - well, Tiny Furniture anyone?

One thing I will give it props for though, is the Eclipse boxset range. There have been some superb choices there - it's just a shame Criterion does not treat these titles with the due reverence that it's treated some of the more well known releases.