Criterion Blu-ray Cases
Not sure what you mean. I think they’d just create a new booklet for the blu ray discs. If you going for the “upgrade” option, you can keep your case, send in your disc and get a blu ray replacement. That will solve the case issue. But I dont know why they’d have oversized Blu Ray cases (meaning, regular dvd sized ones). So either the reading supplements will be excluded (like all blu rays nowadays) or they will make it smaller in size.
Their blu-rays are being released in a cardbord slipcase the size of the standard plastic, blue-bordered ones that the major studios use. The booklets are exactly the same as the ones in DVD cases in terms of content, but slightly smaller.
I really like the new clear plastic cases that have been used for The Wages of Fear and In the Realm of the Senses, but I wish there were an option for those of us who purchased the earlier cardboard editions to get new packaging for the earlier titles.
I just picked up a copy of The 400 blows on BD and it was not a standard bluray jewel case. It was more like the special edition case for There Will be Blood on BD. There was a small booklet with it that had a short essay and some cast and crew notes on it.
Yes, Ken, those are the original blu-ray cases Criterion used. Starting with Wages of Fear and In the Realm of the Senses they’ll be moving to a clear-plastic case, basically a smaller version of what they use for dvds.
Anyone care to share pictures of the new cases? I’m very curious to see what they ended up with.
“I really like the new clear plastic cases that have been used for The Wages of Fear and In the Realm of the Senses, but I wish there were an option for those of us who purchased the earlier cardboard editions to get new packaging for the earlier titles.”
Agreed. Consistency is a pretty big deal to me. I appreciated the cardboard cases, but not now that they were so quickly discontinued. Will Criterion be reissuing current Blu-rays in the new plastic cases?
Hmm, I was expecting the plastic to be blue! They look pretty nice, though. Thank you, Brandon.
Will the previously released Blu-ray titles that used the digipak packaging be re-released in these new cases at some point? Is there any way to purchase this new style of case for the others that I own?
I just got The Wages of Fear today and the sticky security thing was on the booklet. I was unable to remove it without tearing the cover. :(
The horrid “Benjamin Button” release has the usual blue blu-ray case. It felt weird getting a Criterion from Walmart.
Can I mention my hate for Blu-ray packaging? Why make everything blue?! We get it “blue”-ray, but enough with ruining the cover artwork, already!!
I believe that the reason for the blue plastic is to clearly differentiate the difference between blu-ray releases and DVD releases. It comes from a place of obviously needing a different look for a different product, combined with the acknowledged stupidity of the general buying public, creating a need to overstate the fact that “THIS IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT, IT WON’T PLAY ON YOUR $25 WAL-MART DVD PLAYER, DON’T SEND US HATE MAIL OR SUE!”
Because you and I both know that would happen were the difference not made blatantly obvious, and probably already has anyway.
I would like to reiterate the question from Andrew Stokes. I would really like to buy the clear cases that Criterion uses for my other Blu-rays. Anyone know of a distributor?
I am buying from Amazon exclusively and thus far, I have only had cardboard packaging. I hope Criterion maintains consistency with one style and if they would gladly inform us which it is, that would be good too.
I think it depends on the release just like with DVDs. If the DVD comes in a digipack than the Blu Ray comes in carboard, if it comes in plastic the Blu Ray comes in plastic. I own three: The Seventh Seal, Last Year at Marienbad, and The Third Man. The first is the only one in plastic because the DVD is the only one in plastic. I personally like the cardboard packaging, despite it being more delicate.
You can find numerous websites that sell DVD cases if you feel the desire to change what you currently have. I’ve had to buy DVD cases for the DVDs of my films and they offer a wide variety of different kinds of cases.
The clear plastic cases Criterion used on the SEVENTH SEAL and WAGES OF FEAR Blu-rays are made by a company called Scanavo. Haven’t been able to find these particular type cases for sale by themselves anywhere.
from PMPBOARDER: “Consistency is a pretty big deal to me. I appreciated the cardboard cases, but not now that they were so quickly discontinued. Will Criterion be reissuing current Blu-rays in the new plastic cases?”
I sent an e-mail awhile back to Criterion’s Jon Mulvaney and here’s what he had to say:
“For a variety of reasons, we decided to make a custom clear plastic case that is much more durable than the original Blu-ray packaging, which you have seen with THE SEVENTH SEAL. Going forward, most of our Blu-ray releases will be packaged in this new custom case. We understand our customers’ desire for uniform packaging, and we are planning to offer the custom plastic case for all Blu-ray titles. We’ll announce this on our site, but please feel free to check back in a couple of weeks.”
…reply was sent on July 8. Hopefully we’ll hear more soon.
Am I the only one who likes the cardboard cases?
I mean for the ones that come in DVD digipaks it only makes sense. Criterion packaging has never been uniform.
The Marienbad Blu-ray cardboard case looks bloated because of the thick booklet. The DVD packaging is much more nice and well-thought of.
So apparently they are sticking with the snap cases for all releases and switching the old releases into the new cases. I better run out and get The Last Metro in a cool case before its too late.
Forgive me if this has been said already, but I was informed by the contact person at Criterion that they will eventually offer a replacement program for those of us who have bought the digipack releases but would like the new cases. He said hopefully September.
September’s come and gone… can anyone update all those concerned regarding Criterion’s Blu-Ray cases?
What of the replacement program? Or, is Criterion rolling out repackaged editions of previous digipack releases?
Anyone?
Bueller?
Bump. =). We all need to get lives.
*Edit: Oops, double post.
I haven’t seen anything show up on Criterion’s actual site announcing it but this is on the main page of criterionforum.org:
Criterion now offers replacement plastic cases for their early Blu-ray titles that came in Digipaks. To order replacement cases you can send a PayPal payment to store@criterion.com with your address. According to Criterion the cases are $5 each (including shipping) for domestic orders and $15 each for international orders. If you order more than two cases in an order, each case after the initial two are $2.50 each (for three cases the cost would be $12.50 if ordered domestically.) For more information contact store@criterion.com.
Some folks over at the blu-ray.com forums have ordered some of them with no problems, but it looks like they have a bit of a backorder on them at the moment ( http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=87316&page=247 )
I ordered one yesterday for The Third Man.
Does anyone know if a clear case is available for Benjamin Button instead of the blue one? I think the artwork would have to be changed to fit a clear case though. Any thoughts?
Scott, there’s only the blue one. I own it. I wold have more liked it if there was an actual Criterion Bluray case for it, as it would conform to my other Criterions better, but, alas, thats not the case.
Savvy
Just FYI: About three weeks ago I sent a payment of $17.50 to store@criterion.com via paypal, listing the five titles I needed cases for in the comments box. Didn’t get any order/shipping confirmation emails or anything, but my order arrived yesterday! So if anyone has been hesitant about this for any reason, just go for it!
divineM
Will they be like the standard Blu-ray cases or will they be like DVD cases so that the booklets will fit?