Rare Blu-rays: 10 Editions and How to Tell Them Apart

These ten Blu-ray editions need different checks: four Criterion discs listed as out of print, three Olive Signature releases and three sold-out Twilight Time pressings. Match the label and edition details before comparing listings.

Olive Films closed in July 2023, according to FilmRegistry. New copies of its Signature discs may still be in shops, and other labels have since released some of the same films.

For metal-case releases, the steelbook edition guide compares named retailer exclusives by artwork, wrapper and disc format.

The strips show current asking prices on eBay, and asking is not selling. Search results may include other releases; match the named edition before buying.

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Twilight Time Blu-ray editions · Scream Factory out-of-print editions

The Third Man: Criterion Blu-ray, spine 64

• Criterion lists its one-disc Blu-ray as out of print, spine 64. Its DVD uses that number too, so check the format.

• The Criterion disc includes two commentaries and the 90-minute documentary Shadowing the Third Man, alongside Peter Bogdanovich's introduction.

• StudioCanal's 75th Anniversary 4K + Blu-ray from November 2024 has its own packaging and discs (Blu-ray.com). A StudioCanal logo does not identify Criterion's release.

The Man Who Fell to Earth: Criterion Blu-ray, spine 304

• For The Man Who Fell to Earth, Criterion shows the Blu-ray as out of print under spine 304.

• Its commentary brings together Nicolas Roeg, David Bowie and Buck Henry; separate interviews feature Candy Clark and Rip Torn.

• Lionsgate's April 2023 4K + Blu-ray SteelBook uses UPC 031398338260 (Blu-ray.com). That metal case belongs to the Lionsgate release, rather than Criterion's spine 304.

Last Year at Marienbad: Criterion Blu-ray, spine 478

• Spine 478 is the Criterion Blu-ray of Last Year at Marienbad. The publisher's edition selector labels that format out of print.

• Criterion includes two earlier Alain Resnais documentaries, Toute la mémoire du monde and Le chant du styrène, plus an interview with film scholar Ginette Vincendeau.

• StudioCanal's September 2018 Blu-ray adds Resnais and Robbe-Grillet: The Wanderers of Imagination. Its disc is region B locked, according to Blu-ray.com; check your player's region before buying it.

Rosemary's Baby: Criterion Blu-ray, spine 630

• The Rosemary's Baby page at Criterion places an out-of-print status beside the one-disc Blu-ray, spine 630.

• Among its supplements are Komeda, Komeda, a documentary about composer Krzysztof Komeda, and a 1997 interview with novelist Ira Levin.

• Paramount's 55th Anniversary 4K + Blu-ray, released in October 2023, contains a Paramount Blu-ray disc (Blu-ray.com). A Blu-ray from that two-disc pack is not the Criterion disc.

High Noon: 2016 Olive Signature Blu-ray

• Blu-ray.com announced the September 2016 Olive Signature Blu-ray with a new 4K restoration. The restoration wording describes the source for this Blu-ray release.

• High Def Digest describes a clear case inside a matte sleeve and an eight-page booklet with an essay by Nick James. Ask whether those inserts are included.

• Kino Lorber's April 2024 4K + Blu-ray comes from another publisher (Collider). Check for Olive Signature when comparing High Noon listings.

Johnny Guitar: 2016 Olive Signature Blu-ray

• The Olive Signature announcement lists Martin Scorsese's introduction and Geoff Andrew's commentary for Johnny Guitar (Blu-ray.com). Both help distinguish the release's supplement package.

• High Def Digest records a matte sleeve and an eight-page booklet containing Jonathan Rosenbaum's essay. A seller's case photo alone may not show the booklet.

• The strip mainly shows other Johnny Guitar releases. Look for both Olive and Signature in the listing title and package photos before choosing a copy.

The Quiet Man: 2016 Olive Signature Blu-ray

• Blu-ray.com dates the Olive Signature edition to October 25, 2016. Its identifying barcode is 887090600606.

• The catalog lists a slipbox, inner print and booklet, with Peter Bogdanovich Remembers John Ford among the extras. Check the seller's photos for the separate slipbox and booklet.

• Olive's January 2013 60th Anniversary Special Edition is a separate Blu-ray (Blu-ray.com). The Olive logo appears on both; the Signature wording and barcode settle which one you are buying.

Night of the Living Dead: 1990 film, Twilight Time Blu-ray

• Twilight Time's October 9, 2012 Blu-ray is cataloged as a 3,000-copy run, sold out, by Blu-ray.com.

• Check barcode 851789003320 and the film year 1990. This is Tom Savini's remake; a listing for the 1968 film belongs to another movie with the same title.

• The package includes a booklet; the disc has Savini's commentary and an isolated track of Paul McCullough's score. Those details give you more to check than the title alone.

The Sound and the Fury: 1959 film, Twilight Time Blu-ray

• The September 11, 2012 Twilight Time pressing appears at Blu-ray.com as limited to 3,000 and sold out.

• UPC 851789003306 belongs to the 1959 film. Use that year with the barcode when a listing names only The Sound and the Fury.

• The release pairs an isolated track of Alex North's music with a leaflet in the case. A complete package should show that folded insert, rather than an assumed full booklet.

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot: 1974 film, original Twilight Time Blu-ray

• Blu-ray.com records the first Twilight Time Blu-ray on February 11, 2014, limited to 3,000 and sold out. Its UPC is 851789003757, and it includes a booklet.

• The Encore Edition, dated April 12, 2016, is also Twilight Time and also a 3,000-copy run. Its barcode is 811956021151 (Blu-ray.com). The label alone cannot separate the two pressings.

• The original disc carries a music-only audio track. The box may return Encore or Kino listings despite the search exclusions, so request a readable barcode photo.

More edition guides: Twilight Time Blu-ray and Scream Factory out-of-print editions.

How to read these listings

Asking prices are not sale prices. Open eBay's search and select Sold items. Compare several completed sales of the same edition, format and condition, including shipping.

Leave mixed lots and unrelated editions out of that comparison. Match the publisher and barcode to the case and disc. Check whether a booklet, slipcover or second disc belongs in that release and is included.

Ask for photos of any mark you cannot see. A sealed package hides the disc's condition; a search hit does not confirm the edition. Our guide to using Blu-ray.com shows how to look up an edition's barcode. Browse more film collector guides.

FAQ

Does out of print mean the film is unavailable?

It describes an edition, rather than every release of a film. A later publisher may offer the same movie with different discs and extras.

Does a limited run mean a disc is worth more?

No. A run size says how many were made. Check completed eBay sales of the same edition before paying an asking price.

What should I ask the seller to photograph?

The front, spine, back cover, barcode and disc label. Ask about scratches, missing inserts and any included booklet or slipcover.

Will every listing be the right edition?

No. Compare the label, UPC and photos with the edition named above. The search link stays under each box.

Sources

Criterion's edition pages supply its four Blu-ray status fields. Blu-ray.com catalogs supply Twilight Time dates, barcodes and sold-out entries; the Olive sources describe packaging and publisher history.