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Idea & Info: Combining all the Criterion Efforts?

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 (Edited)

Hello!

Wouldn’t it be great if all this effort and time that has gone into preserving/transferring the Criterion Collection LDs to DVD was combined into one project?

The most excellent work that has been put into those discs will most certainly be lost to future fans of the movies if nothing is done about it now (the LDs are not getting any younger or better).

Some of those “Crits” have already been transferred to DVD - including THE GAME, SEVEN and BLADE RUNNER. A very nice effort! My compliments!

I’d also love to see:

  • The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen
  • Dead Presidents
  • Menace II Society

What do you think about it? Any suggestions?

Best regards,
zar1967.

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I seem to remember early on that Criterion were going to release all of their titles on DVD but then some of the copyright holders claimed that Criterion's rights were for Laserdiscs only and did not apply to the DVD format.
Just about a week before I found this fourm, I bought a laserdisc player to do some of the some projects that I have found here were already done. I would like to contribute but do not want to do a title that has already been transfered.

Is there a list of Criterion laserdisc titles that did not make it to DVD by Criterion?
Is there a List of Titles that have been Done by Fans?
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I want to do Baron Munchausen and The Fisher King. I have both of the LD sets, I just need to get around to finding someone to transfer them.

I used to be very active on this forum. I’m not really anymore. Sometimes, people still want to get in touch with me about something, and that is great! If that describes you, please email me at [my username]ATgmailDOTcom.

Hi everybody. You’re all awesome. Keep up the good work.

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List of Criterion Collection laserdisc titles: Criterion Laserdiscs


List of Criterion Collection DVD titles: Criterion DVD List

This sounds like an excellent idea! I would offer to transfer the LD's myself, but I don't have a Pioneer "Elite" model Laserdisc Player yet.
At this time I use the Pioneer CLD-D504 (S-Video output) with a Sony Handycam (Firewire output) to make my sets. The problem with my set up is that the "reds" come out looking like red blocks. With a project such as combining all the Criterion Efforts, you would need to seek out the BEST transfers you can. If we can find a very reliable person with an "Elite" model Laserdisc Player, I would be willing to lend my Criterion Bond films out for re-transfer. Another Criterion title I have is A HARD DAY's NIGHT but it's still sealed in the shrinkwrap.

THX-1138

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Wow! Already a very nice reaction to my inital posting!

I'm afraid I cannot offer much technical advice - alas, I even passed on a great chance to buy a professional LD-player for a nice price, when I got my first collection of used laserdiscs. But then again, that was back in 1994.

Until very recently I considered this whole business of ld-transfers a rather hopeless effort - that was, until I had the chance to see some of citizen's, moth3r's and especially ocpmovies' LD-transfers!

It may be a good idea to ask those people for their advice (or even help). And since this should be a combined effort those people could teach some of us how to do the transfers themselves. The more who know how to do it, the better.

There are many more interesting discs out there that deserve preservation (check out some of the Japanese or European LDs that were released) and the Criterion LDs may only be the beginning of a much larger project!

Well, let us see, what we can do!

Best regards,
zar1967.
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Correct me If I'm Wrong but I thought I read somewhere that Dubbing from a laser disc using anything but the composite outputs is a wasted effort. That the S-Video signal is"pulled" after the composite circuit. That does not sound right to me. But if it is true. I will offer the services of my VP-7200 which is a Pioneer Built unit for Sylvania to Phillip's Specs. Read about it Here. I have done One Transfer Already using my Sony Digital Studio PC via composite ports and Burned using a Pioneer DVR-109.
The Resulting DVD is of very good Quality. The Drawback is that the player has no Digital Audio out. But even if there was, I would have no way to record the Digital Audio. My intent is to use this palyer to Transfer as many LD versions of Titles that are not available on DVD.
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I have been preparing to do a few criterion transfers, but have been met with problems on the laserdisc player end of it. They keep breaking!

A site that people interested in this undertaking can peruse is Chaumurky's Site. It is, as the header of the page claims, a copy of the Criterion website around 1999 before they gutted all of the information in favor of the DVD collection. The good thing about this website is that it clearly spells out the extra features on each of the discs, so anyone interested in doing these transfers can make sure that they aren't copying something that has been released subsequently on another studio's DVD release.

I have the following Criterion LD's that I have been waiting to transfer:
Bram Stoker's Dracula -- a unique Coppola commentary, editing workshop that I want to adapt to DVD format, and an isolated score found nowhere else.
Ghostbusters -- deleted scenes. not sure if they have been released on other releases, but it's one of my favorite childhood movies.
Carrie -- commentary not found anywhere else.
Shine -- director commentary not found anywhere else
Boyz in the Hood -- a commentary, but I'm not sure if it's on the DVD. I bought this one for a few dollars off eBay without really looking into the disc's contents. One of those "combine shipping now!" deals.

I have even gone far enough as to make artwork for the Dracula transfer that I'm waiting to do. Dracula Cover I also have a 40+ page booklet written with historical, filmic, and literary articles about all the various Dracula incantations.

If people are looking for projects to do concerning the Criterion Laserdiscs, here are some highlights from the collection:
Boogie Nights - One of their last releases. It has a commentary and documentary that haven't been released on DVD yet.
Help! and A Hard Day's Night - various extra features. The AHDN DVD is pretty good. Not sure if there are any Criterion extras that didn't make it out.
Robinson Crusoe in Outer Space - NO DVD AVAILABLE! If someone can shell out the 200 dollars this can fetch on eBay, it would be an awesome transfer. This one has been widely (and poorly) bootlegged by various Asian outfits. The skill of some of the people on here could do it justice. Reportedly (can't remember the source on this), there are no more remaining negatives of this film, so the LD is essentially the last time this is going to see release unless Criterion secures the rights again.
Raging Bull - The CAV edition has a Scorsese commentary that hasn't been released elsewhere. I read somewhere that it is one of the more candid of his commentary.
Taxi Driver - see Raging Bull. same thing.

Anyway, if people with the proper hardware start looking at these, make sure you get the CAV release. Criterion released both deluxe CAV releases brimming with extras and barebones CLV relases. The CLV releases are usually denoted by having an "A" after the spine number.

That's enough of me for now. Later,
--Brad

ps - here's a spreadsheet of all of the laserdisc titles minus the ones that were subsequently released on DVD and minus the CLV editions of the same movie. (actually, the titles are on there; they're just hidden) --Brad
Criterion Projects done: She's Gotta Have It, The Princess Bride, The Fisher King

In Progress Criterions: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (99% done), Taxi Driver (90% done), Citizen Kane (50% done), Othello (99.99% done)

Possibly coming next: Ghostbusters, The Magnificent Ambersons (the theatrical cut, a reconstruction according to Prof. Carringer's script analysis, and the colorized version)
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Bram Stoker's Dracula -- a unique Coppola commentary, editing workshop that I want to adapt to DVD format, and an isolated score found nowhere else. I believe DigitalFreakNYC started work on a transfer of the Dracula Criterion a few weeks ago. Nice cover though!

Ghostbusters -- deleted scenes. not sure if they have been released on other releases, but it's one of my favorite childhood movies. This one has already been tackled. Not sure if it was complete though.
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=3550

Boogie Nights - One of their last releases. It has a commentary and documentary that haven't been released on DVD yet.
I believe the commentary was released on the New Line Platinum Series 2-Disc set.

Raging Bull - The CAV edition has a Scorsese commentary that hasn't been released elsewhere. I read somewhere that it is one of the more candid of his commentary.
Taxi Driver - see Raging Bull. same thing.
The Raging Bull commentary IS available on the recent Special Edition released by MGM. Criterion licensed it out to them. However, I would love to hear the Taxi Driver commentary! At the least, if anyone has the LD, maybe they can do a simple audio capture and upload it as a an mp3 file or something.


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Must have gotten the Taxi Driver and Raging Bull commentaries mixed up. I didn't know about the Boogie Nights, though. (I never liked the movie anyway. I own it in any form) I'm fairly new to the forum, so I didn't really know what everyone had worked on in the past.

Thanks for the info,
--Brad
Criterion Projects done: She's Gotta Have It, The Princess Bride, The Fisher King

In Progress Criterions: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (99% done), Taxi Driver (90% done), Citizen Kane (50% done), Othello (99.99% done)

Possibly coming next: Ghostbusters, The Magnificent Ambersons (the theatrical cut, a reconstruction according to Prof. Carringer's script analysis, and the colorized version)
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all the special features of Close Encounters of the third Kind (CAV LD) are on the Hiphats DVD (but not the original edit).