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The Criterion Collection Thread — Page 2

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The older Strangelove Blu is no slouch though. Just watched it again recently. I’m really hoping Criterion gets to do The Shining, as there’s room for improvement on the decade old HD master.

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Where were you in '77?

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I’m sure that Criterion has its sights on getting the whole Kubrick collection, but I think the more popular ones like the Shining or 2001 will be tough to get.

The Person in Question

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SilverWook said:

The older Strangelove Blu is no slouch though. Just watched it again recently. I’m really hoping Criterion gets to do The Shining, as there’s room for improvement on the decade old HD master.

According to Bill Hunt’s review the two Strangelove blus are based on the same transfer (a 4K scan of various second +generation elements (the O-neg, I believe, was destroyed). The Criterion is just a more modern mastering of that transfer, which looks incredible considering the neg is lost.

TV’s Frink said:

I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.

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moviefreakedmind said:

I’m sure that Criterion has its sights on getting the whole Kubrick collection, but I think the more popular ones like the Shining or 2001 will be tough to get.

And they would have to get into 4K now to improve upon 2001, which Warner is putting out on UHD later this year.

TV’s Frink said:

I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.

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Alright, I won’t bother with getting the new Strangelove then. It’s also in a nice steelbook. But I might look at getting the Criterion release of The Graduate.

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It all boils down to whether the new extras interest you. I wish I had the first pressing of the Laserdisc that was recalled, because it had some early draft script pages Kubrick apparently didn’t want anyone to see!

Barnes & Noble has a Criterion sale every so often.

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Where were you in '77?

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Is all of the withheld Kubrick stuff, like the deleted footage from the Shining and 2001 and all the early script pages, still in storage. Apparently Warner Bros. still has some unseen 2001 footage (which means I bet they have the original Shining ending too) but won’t release it as per his wishes. I doubt that the studios would have destroyed anything if his will requested it.

The Person in Question

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The deleted 2001 footage is in the salt mine vault. No plans on letting anybody see it. If they don’t do it for the 50th, they may never do it in our lifetime.
The Shining is more murky. Kubrick’s personal assistant claims to have burned all the outtakes and such per Kubrick’s wishes. It’s possible the footage cut from one of the L.A. or New York area opening weekend prints survives, but who really knows? Only the editor dispatched to cut NY area prints has ever been interviewed. Nobody seems to know who cut the L.A. prints.
http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2016/03/10/the-story-behind-the-legendary-lost-ending-of-the-shining/

Shining superfan Lee Unkrich did discover 35mm frames of the ending and other footage in the Kubrick Archives. I presume these will appear in the book he’s writing about the movie.
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/78439

Script materials are probably also in the Kubrick Archives in London.

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Where were you in '77?

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I know that Kubrick’s personal collection was burned, but that ending of the Shining was part of the “final” cut before it premiered. Presumably it was in the negative, and if that’s the case then I bet Warner Bros. stored it much like they did with the cut footage from 2001 (which was also in that film’s negative at first). That’s my thinking anyway.

The Person in Question

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decent, but they tend to cost more than most other labels, I think the only criterion I have is the Carnival of Souls, good spook movie.

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On a side note, has anyone had any signs of disc rot with your Criterion DVD’s? I have one that is very discolored at this point, but plays with no issues. Not sure if it’s dual layer or not.

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Where were you in '77?

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Lucky you! I’ve had some old DVD’s go bad. All early editions of the 007 movies. Some choke on the second layer, one won’t play at all.

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Where were you in '77?

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That’s fascinating. To be fair, there are many DVDs that I haven’t watched in over a decade. I suppose it’s possible that some of them don’t work anymore, but I’ve not seen any discoloring or anything like that. I’ve never had that problem with old video game discs that I still sometimes play. Do you think it has something to do with the climate they’re stored in? Were they left in heat or humidity or something like that?

The Person in Question

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Where I live humidity is seldom a problem. It’s mostly down to some dodgy disc pressing plants in the early days of the format. HD-DVD had similar problems, only the discs went bad much sooner.

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Where were you in '77?

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Maybe it’s just me? The first Laserdisc I ever bought in the 80’s was defective. Took over a year to get a replacement on backorder. I didn’t know about the well stocked Laserdisc shops up in L.A. at the time.

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Where were you in '77?

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Interesting. I’ve had a couple instances of discs being loose in their cases and scratched up, but never defective or warped or anything.

The Person in Question

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This is somewhat of a Star Wars connection, so it deserves mention here. Criterion is releasing Shampoo, Carrie Fisher’s first film, on blu-ray next month.

The Person in Question

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I have the following of the Criterion Collection:

King of Kings (silent version) DVD *

Seven Samurai DVD

Gojira(Godzilla) Blu Ray

The Last Emperor Blu Ray

Stagecoach Blu Ray

Paths of Glory Blu Ray

12 Angry Men Blu Ray

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Blu Ray

A Night to Remember Blu Ray

*I guess you could say it is mine, inherited from my father.

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SilverWook said:

On a side note, has anyone had any signs of disc rot with your Criterion DVD’s? I have one that is very discolored at this point, but plays with no issues. Not sure if it’s dual layer or not.

I don’t think any of the Criterion movies I have on DVD or Blu Ray have had this problem, yet.

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If only I had a bigger paycheck to buy them all up now!