First of all, I must say that the list by SinjinSB looks like the list of the greatest movies of all time. That they have them all on DVD is impressive, most impressive. You'd have to be very proud of a collection like that. I only wish I had the funds to buy everything on my wish list. Gradually, I hope to include many of those titles.
The very first Criterion release was "King Kong" on Laserdisc in a boxed set, somewhere around 1983 or 1984 I believe. It was too expensive for me to purchase back then, so I passed on it. Criterion releases was the main reason I bought laserdisc. The first Criterion disc I purchased was "Citizen Kane". I only wish the laserdisc format had been more stable. Unfortunately, the glues which hold the two large plastic discs together are not stable, and most of the early discs are no longer viewable. Despite the improvements, laserdisc ultimately gave way to lighter, smaller, cheaper, faster. There is nothing wrong with that as long as picture quality and sound do not suffer. Fortunately for us all, they have not. In fact, the picture is vastly improved.
I am so grateful to the people at Criterion who have recognized quality in their choices for preservation versus popularity. I only wish they were not so expensive, but I understand why they are so costly, with all the work that is put into each disc.
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