Criterion Licenses?
- swingo
- Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2004 10:35 am
- Location: Mexico City
- Contact:
Criterion Licenses?
I was stumbling on Gary's site and found the Passion of Joan of Arc and Notorious to had been released in Korea and are the same as Criterion. My curiosity started to grow when a mexican company called Zima that had been releasing some Ingmar Bergman movies, more specifically:
Cries and Whispers, Scenes From a Marriage, Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries and Fanny and Alexander so far.
The releases got my attention since the majority has the same covers as the CC's, and I own all of them except cries and whispers (have the CC don't want to double dip) and scenes from a marriage (ordered and on the way).
The image quality is great and that only got my curiosity growth, before I bought Fanny and Alexander I didn't know (and still don't for sure) if the film was the same as the criterion's -since I do not own the cc versions of wild strawberries and seventh seal- but when I bought the fanny and alexander dvd and put it to check if it was ok, the Janus Films logo popped in(!!!!!!!!!!) needless to say the quality of the film is EXCELLENT and I'm pretty 99% sure that AT-LEAST the Fanny and Alexander is the same as the CC.
The prices of the Zima's Bergman's are about 15 dollars each, barebones editions with only spanish subtitles.
I sent a mail to Jon Mulvaney asking if Criterion does license their images, extras, covers etc. because, Like I said on the mail to JM:" I'd like to buy a dvd that is TAKING ADVANTAGE of the CC artwork and/or films =O-N-L-Y if the Criterion Collection agreed and licensed their stuff, otherwise I'd feel like being ripped off".
I got no response from the CC staff...
Here are the covers: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
Cries and Whispers, Scenes From a Marriage, Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries and Fanny and Alexander so far.
The releases got my attention since the majority has the same covers as the CC's, and I own all of them except cries and whispers (have the CC don't want to double dip) and scenes from a marriage (ordered and on the way).
The image quality is great and that only got my curiosity growth, before I bought Fanny and Alexander I didn't know (and still don't for sure) if the film was the same as the criterion's -since I do not own the cc versions of wild strawberries and seventh seal- but when I bought the fanny and alexander dvd and put it to check if it was ok, the Janus Films logo popped in(!!!!!!!!!!) needless to say the quality of the film is EXCELLENT and I'm pretty 99% sure that AT-LEAST the Fanny and Alexander is the same as the CC.
The prices of the Zima's Bergman's are about 15 dollars each, barebones editions with only spanish subtitles.
I sent a mail to Jon Mulvaney asking if Criterion does license their images, extras, covers etc. because, Like I said on the mail to JM:" I'd like to buy a dvd that is TAKING ADVANTAGE of the CC artwork and/or films =O-N-L-Y if the Criterion Collection agreed and licensed their stuff, otherwise I'd feel like being ripped off".
I got no response from the CC staff...
Here are the covers: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
- swingo
- Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2004 10:35 am
- Location: Mexico City
- Contact:
lol, not in the first place (just wanted to share), but now I do. can anyone tell me what comes in after the cc logo and before the SF logo in Wild Strawberries? because this mexican version has a some sort of blue with a hawk portuguese or brasilian logo before the SF one.BWilson wrote:Do you have a question?
Axel.
- swingo
- Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2004 10:35 am
- Location: Mexico City
- Contact:
I think that yes, they do license some of their works but not all of it. either the transfer (as the mexican Fanny and Alexander) and no extras or the opposite (as the Dead Ringers, Mexican In the Mood For Love, etc.)BWilson wrote:As far as I know the answer is no. Even the Canadian Dead Ringers with all the same extras does not have Criterion's transfer.jcelwin wrote:Has Criterion ever lisenced their transfers out to anyone?
My dad has a brasilian version of Gimme Shelter which has all of the CC (which I own) including the CC logo introduction. But my guess is that the Brasilian one, is a bootleg since the transfer's quality is not the same as the CC.
Beaver
- hearthesilence
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
- Location: NYC
I think Keaton's right. I'm still waiting on a reply for Criterion, but when I asked Jon about the Canadian DEAD RINGERS DVD, he said Criterion did indeed license the extras to them, but wasn't sure about the transfer and would look into it. It's been weeks and he hasn't sent another e-mail yet, but I figure he would've said something if Criterion has a policy against licensing transfers.
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- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:46 pm
I have the Canadian Dead Ringers and when you play the move, the white on black Criterion logo plays immediately before the start of the movie, so I would say it is the Criterion transfer, in fact the disk is a bit-for-bit copy of the Criterion release.As far as I know the answer is no. Even the Canadian Dead Ringers with all the same extras does not have Criterion's transfer.
- dx23
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:52 pm
- Location: Puerto Rico
According to the Criterion website FAQ, they do license transfers and extras outside Region 1:
Are Criterion DVDs available outside of North America?
Criterion Collection DVDs are generally available throughout the U.S. and Canada. From time to time, certain editions are distributed internationally, usually by our studio licensors and their international partners, but at present we have no international distribution arm of our own
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- Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:06 pm
I was told the canadian release was anamorphic. Is it?nredding2 wrote:I have the Canadian Dead Ringers and when you play the move, the white on black Criterion logo plays immediately before the start of the movie, so I would say it is the Criterion transfer, in fact the disk is a bit-for-bit copy of the Criterion release.
- swingo
- Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2004 10:35 am
- Location: Mexico City
- Contact:
- hearthesilence
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
- Location: NYC
There's a post archived in one of these forums that says the Dutch (or maybe European in general) CD licenses the Criterion extras and indicates this, but uses a different transfer that is anamorphic and 1.85:1 (not 1.66:1, the aspect ratio on the Criterion DVD, and the ratio Cronenberg preferred).
The Canadian DVD uses the same extras, but every post I've found on other sites say the transfer is 1.66:1, and NOT anamorphic. A few DVD review sites took the time to compare it to the Criterion, including one for horror films on DVD (which wrote up the most in making this comparison - forgot what the site is called), and they say it looks the same. Whether it IS the same, I'll have to wait for Jon to get back on that.
The Canadian DVD uses the same extras, but every post I've found on other sites say the transfer is 1.66:1, and NOT anamorphic. A few DVD review sites took the time to compare it to the Criterion, including one for horror films on DVD (which wrote up the most in making this comparison - forgot what the site is called), and they say it looks the same. Whether it IS the same, I'll have to wait for Jon to get back on that.
- The Invunche
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 2:43 am
- Location: Denmark
I emailed them and asked if they had any connection to Criterion and they said "No, we're a completely Danish company".hammock wrote:Does anyone know how this happened?
For those who don't understand Danish, they copied the complete concept of CC and even took a very similar name. I was wondering if they license titles from CC or they are just a plain rip-off...
They also own www.on-air-video.dk which is the shittiest DVD company in Denmark.
Last edited by The Invunche on Sat Apr 23, 2005 3:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
- swingo
- Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2004 10:35 am
- Location: Mexico City
- Contact:
Re: Criterion Licenses?
I actually have approx. 80 zima movies I bought in Mexico and I noticed the same thing, that's why I searched online to see if they had the rights. Unfortunately, I still don't have an answer, but I would also like to add more movies in which i've noticed the Janus and criterion logo. Here is my list:
Akira Kurosawa
Drunken Angel
Rashomon
Yohimbo
Hidden Fortress
Luis Bunuel
The exterminating angel
Viridiana
Simon of the desert
Tristana
The discreet charm...
obscure object of desire...
and many more!
Akira Kurosawa
Drunken Angel
Rashomon
Yohimbo
Hidden Fortress
Luis Bunuel
The exterminating angel
Viridiana
Simon of the desert
Tristana
The discreet charm...
obscure object of desire...
and many more!