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