Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films

Discuss releases in the Janus Contemporaries, Eclipse, and Essential Art House lines and the films on them.
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domino harvey
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#76 Post by domino harvey » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:55 am

I can see how this would be a good set if you worked for a library or humanities dept and wanted to get a good all at once deal for your dept. can't fathom any other reason to buy this other than throwing money away

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HerrSchreck
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#77 Post by HerrSchreck » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:12 am

Really kind of bizarre box, considering that-- whether they like it or not-- the only group of people fanatical enough about old films to spend that kind of cash on a disc-collection/book, are those who will more than likely already own enough titles in the box to make a purchase of the box an expensive duplication just to acquire an Ichikowa & a couple others..

..that is, of course, outside of silly rich men & women who'll just blindly pick it up saying to themselves "Ah, Brad likes movies, I think this will make a nice present". And how many folks actually exist that, when they're just starting a DVD collection, would invest this amount of money to jump start it?

Some, but not many I'd wager.

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arsonfilms
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#78 Post by arsonfilms » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:23 am

I suppose the package might appeal most to people who make a substantial amount of money. I've certainly known a few who'd spend as much on dinner...
Maybe Martin Scorsese will give them out as Christmas gifts? The Guggenheims, perhaps?

I've also known a number of industry people who never really buy/rent dvds, or even really go to the cinema; they just attend film festivals and see what everyones talking about/what they're company is interested in. For some of these people, this might make an attractive office ornament or coffee table piece.

I have to say though that I'm getting progressively more irritated that I can't pick up the book by itself for $40 on sale somewhere.

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JHunter
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#79 Post by JHunter » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:37 am

To be fair, they haven't stated yet that it won't be available seperately. Maybe someone should fire off an e-mail to Matt Lipson.

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HerrSchreck
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#80 Post by HerrSchreck » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:38 am

I agree about the folks with money, but the problem with them as potential consumers is that the ones with disposable cash who are Really Into Film are the ones who already have those superhuge dvd collections-- they, like most of us here on this site (though to a lesser $ degree, at least in general), will have freely indulged their passion for CC long ago and probably built up a huge collection, since, unlike a lot of blue collar & college collectors, they don't have to anguish over picking & choosing which CC's & Kino's they can buy owing to price.

It's wealthy folks who "like TCM" & "like to go to the movies", but don't really buy DVDs-- not to mention those who don't want to think hard about what they give as gifts and love box sets like this to solve the problem-- that will go for this.

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hammock
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#81 Post by hammock » Thu Aug 31, 2006 5:02 am

This is just plain crazy. If you already own most of/the entire collection just buy the old Janus Films catalogs, that should satisfy you for a while and save you money and storage space. I sure can afford this set but there is no way I can justify to buy it already owning every title already released. I guess if someone only want the films and don't care for the supplements, they could buy this set and sell all the DVDs they already own. This would save them space (if they have about 10 titles or more) and money (if they sell about 30 titles for $20 each).

I already look forward to their 60 years anniversary!

Narshty
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#82 Post by Narshty » Thu Aug 31, 2006 5:55 am

HerrSchreck wrote:It's wealthy folks who "like TCM" & "like to go to the movies", but don't really buy DVDs-- not to mention those who don't want to think hard about what they give as gifts and love box sets like this to solve the problem-- that will go for this.
Nail on head time, c/o HerrSchreck.

They've gone to a bigger effort than I thought they would, but, apart from the Scorsese and Cowie contributions, I suspect the book is just 50 reformatted booklets. I wonder if the discs will be barebones editions or not? This is very much a "Janus" collection, as opposed to a Criterion one.

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Ashirg
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#83 Post by Ashirg » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:17 am

Don't forget there're those "collectors" who paid $600-700 for Salo. This is for them...

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Gigi M.
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#84 Post by Gigi M. » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:55 am

Ashirg wrote:Don't forget there're those "collectors" who paid $600-700 for Salo. This is for them...
What's for them?

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hammock
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#85 Post by hammock » Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:34 am

What the deuce? I decided to buy one to find out what it was about and then re-sell it. Guess what? I'm not even allowed to buy one:

Checkout Message

Sorry, we are unable to complete your order at this time due to incomplete or invalid billing information. This store only accepts credit card orders from customers with a billing address from the store's home country of US.


How many possible customers are we down to now that they have excluded The World except USA?

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a.khan
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#86 Post by a.khan » Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:53 am

This is fracked up.

Not only do they shut out Int'l Customers with deep pockets (not me) and weak resistance (me), they want to manage the fulfillment through their newbie store: UPS Ground Shipping does not ship to post boxes. OK. How about the trusty old USPS?

I smell this exclusive box as a calculated tactic, part of Criterion's Store & Couture promotion

I'm incredulous enough to want the set, Criterion, but it doesn't look like you're really interested in selling it to me.

P.S. Free t-shirts or hats, ha!

pmunger
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#87 Post by pmunger » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:17 am

I think their choice of films is a bit odd. Ivan The Terrible part II but not part I? No Godard? White Sheik but not 8 1/2?

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Gigi M.
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#88 Post by Gigi M. » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:34 am

What're the specs on the disc? Are they an exact replica of the CC discs? The art of Forbidden Games looks completely different from the CC disc.

On the other side, nice to know that FIRES ON THE PLAIN, LE JOUR SE LÈVE, and MISS JULIE (1951) are comming soon.

rwaits
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:24 pm

#89 Post by rwaits » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:51 am

On the other side, nice to know that FIRES ON THE PLAIN, LE JOUR SE LÈVE, and MISS JULIE (1951) are comming soon.
But do we know they're really going to be released individually? Any guesses on when we might see them?

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Le Samouraï
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#90 Post by Le Samouraï » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:52 am

Looking at this box I would imagine it is probably as much made as a gift for the long time business associates of Janus as it is for sale. I could definitely see Janus sending this out as a present for the filmmakers and scholars represented in the Criterion Collection. At least I have seen other companies do something similar at their anniversarys (i.e. hire an author to write a short book about the company history and send it out accompanied with 12 bottles of expensive wine).

Napoleon
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#91 Post by Napoleon » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:59 am

hammock wrote:What the deuce? I decided to buy one to find out what it was about and then re-sell it. Guess what? I'm not even allowed to buy one:

Checkout Message

Sorry, we are unable to complete your order at this time due to incomplete or invalid billing information. This store only accepts credit card orders from customers with a billing address from the store's home country of US.


How many possible customers are we down to now that they have excluded The World except USA?
Isn't that because of rights issues though?

Besides, if you've already got most of the films in the box wouldn't you be better off spending all that cash on something more practical? Like say, a pair of pants made from endangered tiger fur.

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hammock
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#92 Post by hammock » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:15 am

n w wrote:Isn't that because of rights issues though?

Besides, if you've already got most of the films in the box wouldn't you be better off spending all that cash on something more practical? Like say, a pair of pants made from endangered tiger fur.
Oh, yeah, I was crazy there for a moment. Do you by any chance have a link for the pants and are you sure they will accept me as a customer?

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colinr0380
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#93 Post by colinr0380 » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:21 am

arsonfilms wrote:I've certainly known a few who'd spend as much on dinner...
Image

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skuhn8
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#94 Post by skuhn8 » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:39 am

rwaits wrote:
On the other side, nice to know that FIRES ON THE PLAIN, LE JOUR SE LÈVE, and MISS JULIE (1951) are comming soon.
But do we know they're really going to be released individually? Any guesses on when we might see them?
Money down it's January. Get all the orders in before October 24, announce Jan. titles beginning of November.

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denti alligator
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#95 Post by denti alligator » Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:34 am

pmunger wrote:I think their choice of films is a bit odd. Ivan The Terrible part II but not part I? No Godard? White Sheik but not 8 1/2?
Well, White Sheik is the better film. :wink:

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colinr0380
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#96 Post by colinr0380 » Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:47 am

denti alligator wrote:Well, White Sheik is the better film. :wink:
After I Vitelloni its the best one of all (or something like that!) :lol:

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dx23
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#97 Post by dx23 » Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:22 am

n w wrote:How many possible customers are we down to now that they have excluded The World except USA?
Isn't that because of rights issues though?

Besides, if you've already got most of the films in the box wouldn't you be better off spending all that cash on something more practical? Like say, a pair of pants made from endangered tiger fur.[/quote]
If rights issues is the reason they are not shipping outside the US, then why the fuck would they not ship to Puerto Rico? We only recieve Region 1 DVDs. Sometimes, i really feel like a second class citizen. :x

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arsonfilms
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#98 Post by arsonfilms » Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:42 am

dx23 wrote:If rights issues is the reason they are not shipping outside the US, then why the fuck would they not ship to Puerto Rico? We only recieve Region 1 DVDs. Sometimes, i really feel like a second class citizen. :x
I'm sure it's just the added shipping costs, although now that I think about it, it can't possibly be that much more to ship to, say, Hawaii. I'm sure that if anyone could get the policy changed by complaining it would be you, since you've got more grounds for it.

ByMarkClark.com
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#99 Post by ByMarkClark.com » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:01 pm

Well, I'd love to have Criterion editions LE JOUR SE LEVE and FIRES ON THE PLAIN, but I'm not buying a $650 boxed set to obtain them!

Maybe we'll see these in January?

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Matt
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm

#100 Post by Matt » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:18 pm

Hmm... all those people who were speculating about Wes Anderson or Luis Buñuel box sets are awfully quiet now. Could it be because they've been...

Image

Sorry, I've been waiting to use that for months.
Last edited by Matt on Sun Sep 03, 2006 10:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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