Whisper ‘Criterion’ into the ears of sleeping cineastes, and there’s a good chance you will see them drivel. The highly revered DVD producer of the most important classic and contemporary films is kicking off its Blu-ray collection next month with five new titles to the line-up.

Wes Anderson’s debut feature film, Bottle Rocket, finally gets the go ahead as part of this new technology upgrade. Also jumping on the bandwagon: Nicolas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth; Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express; Carol Reed’s The Third Man; and Gregory Nava’s El Norte. These Blu-ray editions will go on sale on the 16th of December. For no explained reason, the sixth and slightly delayed Blu-ray release, Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, will be available on January 6th.

For those restlessly anticipating the above releases, Criterion’s website is taking perorders now.

The communique from Criterion did not end there. As the company is shifting to a new warehouse they are clearing out all old stock at 40% off the sticker price. That includes clothing, posters, mugs, totebags, and of course every Criterion DVD in stock. True blue fans, brace yourselves: the Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films is also part of the sale. This is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to save about $140 on the sticker price of this timeless collection of cinema’s greatest.

It’s all happening at www.criterion.com.
Sale ends when the clock strikes 12 on November 24th.