Out of Print

It looks as though the Criterion Collection has lost the rights to The Third Man and it’s now gone out of print. What’s going on?! Just last year they lost Contempt and Ran, and now this? This certainly isn’t the way I wanted to start the new decade. I’m glad I already own it.

Glad I got the blu-ray. They will probably get the rights back.

This was due to rights issues with Studio Canal. Contempt is coming to blu on February 16th through Lions Gate. Hopefully it’s good.

Yeah, I still cant believe they canceled Ran, I was looking forward to that probably more than any other blu ever. Its going to be released still with Lionsgate or something but a Criterion release would have been to die for.

Does anyone know any current info about this release?

I don’t think it will go out of print just because Criterion loses the rights. That’s a high profile film, and there’s always gonna be someone who wants to distribute it. But it’ll be hard to find a distributer better than Criterion.

StudioCanal is doing this awful thing called the ‘StudioCanal Collection’, which sounds oddly familiar. They’ve released some other titles that criterion has like Last Year at Marienbad and Contempt.

So The Third Man will be released under the StudioCanal Collection?

@ Jesse

Films for which StudioCanal holds the rights will be distributed in the US by Lions Gate. Lions Gate The Third Man is one of several titles(along with The Graduate, Le Cercle Rouge, Mulholland Drive, The Pianist and Delicatessen ) which will be released on Blu-Ray sometime in September. Not clear on what (if any) plans have been made re: standard DVD release.

That is a hideous cover and art design.

That it is. From what I’ve seen they all sort of look like that.

Thanks Matt, I really appreciate the info! (Sucks that I just recently bought The Graduate…)

So glad I have the Criterion DVD. That set is about the ugliest DVD set I’ve ever seen in my life.

Peeping Tom, Mulholland Drive and The Elephant Man?!? Yes!

Now I’m kind of glad I ponied up the money for the Criterion Blu of The Third Man.

Blu-ray, Schmoo-Ray…go to the picture theatre!

Harry Lime demands it.