Which North American boutique DVD distributors aside from Criterion...
Strand Releasing, IFC Films, Cinema Guild, Magnolia, Oscilloscope…I’m sure I’m forgetting some (this is just off the top of my head).
And of course after Criterion, SPC makes the best DVDs around.
Koch Lorber is fine sometimes but terrible other times. Their Marco Ferreri DVDs are nothing to complain about, but the Fox Lorber DVD of Goodbye South Goodbye just made me want to puke.
I just don’t see what the problem is. If you have a problem with it, then do something about it. N.America isnt the only country to have companies that release specialty DVDs. Buy an all region player and look elsewhere. If not, why not look into the business of acquiring licensing rights and do releases them yourself. And if not, it looks as though you’re just going to have to deal with it, or just never watch another movie again which looks like the more suitable solution for you.
“just never watch another movie again which looks like the more suitable solution for you.”
Did I ever imply this was the solution? No. I don’t see why you have any reason to get so angry. I just wanted recommendations of N. American DVD companies that release decent transfers I can rent from netflix, and for other films that are either unavailable or only available in terrible transfers I look elsewhere to the UK for example. I already have a multi region DVD player. I don’t see what you need to be so rude about.
Did I ever imply that anything I said was directed to you? No. Nothing unsaid was directed to any one person. You took it upon yourself to assume that I was speaking to you where I was speaking generally. I just hate that CC has made so many people so cinematically inclined to the point where one complains about things completely irrelevant to the content of the film itself. If I’ve offended you in some way, I’m sorry. I don’t like to offend people in real life let alone across the Internet. Also, I’m an alcoholic.
Get a region free DVD player.
I do have a region free player, but I suppose I’m simply trying to address a solution the problem and the way many boutique labels seem to operate. Personally, I think the wiser thing to do would be to release as many films as you can afford to and still provide quality transfers rather than to release as many films as possible regardless of transfer-quality, just to get those films into the marketplace. In other words, run a business like Second Run where they haven’t released many films, but each release they put out is of worthy quality.
There are really only 3 or 4 ways to get top of the line transfers.
Buy big studio releases
Buy Criterion releases
Buy Masters of Cinema releases from Eureka in the UK.
Studio Canal blu rays.
always buy blu ray when available.
Well pretty much all the UK boutique releases offer solid transfers, Artificial Eye, Second, MOC, BFI, etc.
As far as Blu-Ray:
Kino Blu-Ray is not as good as Criterion, but definitely pretty great. Happy Together looks amazing. Much better than their DVDs which mainly look like shit. Strand just put out their first Blu, Uncle Boonmee, so I’m excited to see how that one is. Magnolia, Oscilloscope, IFC, and Sony Pictures Classics put out great looking and sounding stuff. MOC and Artificial Eye put out some wonderful stuff too. I’m not too familiar with many of the other foreign boutique labels.
severin films is much better than criterion
Criterion Forum (not the specific forum for the Criterion Collection) has good topics on specific releases if you are unsure. There’s also DVD Beaver and other similar sites. I wouldn’t make it a fast and easy rule to endorse and condemn companies, you may find that some companies can surprise you (in a good or bad way).
You could always subscribe to Film Movement.
Perhaps I could subscribe to Film Movement. Maybe I haven’t seen enough of their output, but the films from Film Movement I have seen seemed a bit bleh to me, but that’s besides the point. Either way I appreciate the recommendation, but going back to the point of the thread; even if I am being a bit picky about acquiring a solid transfer I think these images below make it a bit difficult to appreciate a film:
milestone films has an impeccable catalog
Thanks for the recommendations. In any case, I do feel overwhelmed, since I know there’s so much I should see that I haven’t, but I’d say it’s better to just my pace myself, and to allow myself to go one film at a time without worrying the next 20 films I’m gonna watch. Then I just stress myself, and it’s not like there’s some finish line I’m racing towards, so I don’t need to and can’t see everything. In other words, if it doesn’t seem as though Film A is within the next 5 or 10 films I plan on watching I’m probably better off not worrying about it yet. It’s not worth it to overwhelm myself, just to keep up with, well nothing to be perfectly honest, coupled with the fact that I’ll probably want to replay certain films on a fairly regular basis, so…how do others approach their film viewing habits? Then of course, there are certain films that, if you’re a fan of them, lend themselves to being viewed multiple times in a year if you have the time, such as Last Year at Marienbad, Vivre Sa Vie, or The Green Ray, whereas I’m sure films like In Vanda’s Room, Solaris, and Marketa Lazarova you can only watch so often probably from start to finish, even if you’re a fan of them. A film like Solaris or Jeanne Dielman I could only watch once, maybe twice a year from start to finish, but films like L’Eclisse, Last Year at Marienbad, or Vivre Sa Vie I could easily watch once a month
“Get a region free DVD player.”
Yeah, it’s great that I can order Meek’s Cutoff now instead of waiting until September 13 for it to be released in the U.S.
“Buy big studio releases”
except for MGM. they do really shitty work.
Warners and Fox deserve real credit for the quality and diversity of their releases. Fox especially. their John Ford and Murnau/Borzage box sets are probably the two best box sets ever put out. by anyone. anywhere. ever.
also, like everyone said, get a region free player. there really isn’t much of a price difference anymore. of course, spend some quality money and get a region free dvd/blu-ray player, and you’ll be unstoppable.
“get a region free player. there really isn’t much of a price difference anymore.”
At least for region free DVD players. Region free blu ray players are still pricey. Hopefully, they’ll be more affordable, but there really isn’t all that much that’s available on non-region A blu ray that’s not available on region A compatible blu ray. Most of the ones I can think of are either coming to blu ray on Criterion (i.e. Salo, Belle de Jour, Trilogy of Life) or are available on CC DVD, which I’m content enough with being able to rent.
I’m gonna have to look into these Milestone Films releases. Araya and Killer of Sheep seem to be must-owns.
ThisLife
have perfectly watchable transfers of the films they release? Not to seem picky, but I’d like to steer clear of poor transfers if I can, because there’s nothing more annoying than unknowingly receiving a bad transfer form netflix. Facets I know is pretty much always bad. Kino is usually bad, but I’d imagine their blu rays and more recent releases are okay. New Yorker is okay sometimes, but terrible others, and Strand Releasing seems to always have good transfers thankfully. How is Noshame?