Eclipse Discussion and Random Speculation

[Tommaso]

I dislike terrorism as much as the next guy... but if someone fire-bombed Water Bearer, I would probably stand up and cheer. =D>

At least they should do to their Pasolini discs what was done to the man himself.

[Apu]

I would probably commit crimes for an Edward Yang boxset with his films before Yi Yi.

[arsonfilms]

Considering how regimented the whole distributor annoucement process tends to be... I have to say that at this point it seems unlikely that we'll see an Eclipse release in May. Packaging orders tend to be placed around the same time that sellsheets are sent out, so its entirely possible that there was a small setback that couldn't be resolved in time for a May release. Maybe if we're lucky though we'll see two releases in June?

[kekid]

I hope we see a box of Rossellini on Eclipse. We did not see any of his films on DVD in 2006, despite great expectations. He remains the most underrepresented of all great Italian directors. Argument can clearly be made for some of his films receiveing a full Criterion treatment. However, if Criterion do not feel the source materials meet their exacting standards, perhaps they can oblige us with Eclipse.

[blowout]

I hope we see a box of Antonioni soon. Perhaps with the international works (Blowup, Zabriskie point, Chung Kuo, The Passenger) or the early works (Cronaca di un amore, La signora senza camelie, I vinti, Le amiche, Il grido) before they complete the incommunicability trilogy with La notte on Criterion line.

[miless]

I hope we see a box of Antonioni soon. Perhaps with the international works (Blowup, Zabriskie point, Chung Kuo, The Passenger) or the early works (Cronaca di un amore, La signora senza camelie, I vinti, Le amiche, Il grido) before they complete the incommunicability trilogy with La notte on Criterion line.

good luck with Blow Up, Zabriskie Point (both Warner titles) and The Passenger (Sony)... and they are all worthy of Criterion releases anyway (i'd rather have Red Dessert, personally)
the early works are more likely.

[portnoy]

(i'd rather have Red Dessert, personally)

[Andre Jurieu]

Well played, Mr. portnoy.

[miless]

(i'd rather have Red Dessert, personally)

mmm... pie.
I would rather have a red dessert than have to shell out more money on some (unrestored) Antonioni films.

but a correction is in order: Red Desert

[chaddoli]

It seems a little ridiculous to pine for a Criterion Passenger and Blowup when their current releases are more than decent, not to mention pointless because they are Sony and Warner titles.

[Cinephrenic]

I forgive you jkl, your not familiar with licensing and rights here in the U.S.

[pauling]

Since we've been treated to "Late Ozu", I'm guessing this means we'll get some "Early Ozu" down the line at some point. So many titles to guess from...

[Jun-Dai]

My guess is that Criterion will do all of Ozu, and that the films that don't make the cut for the Criterion Collection will get bundled up and put into Eclipse boxes. If we're lucky, the same will happen for Naruse.

[denti alligator]

We know that The Only Son and I Was Born, But... will most likely be Criterion titles. Are there any other early Ozu films besides these that will get the full treatment? What does that leave? One box of Early Ozu may not be enough.

[Cinephrenic]

An Autumn Afternoon
There Was a Father
Silents Box

[Steven H]

Does anyone have the direct link to the eclipse newsletter email that announced the Bernard and Ozu sets?

[blowout]

Criterion Collection Newsletter: Eclipse

[Cinesimilitude]

As for the early Antonioni, Story of a Love Affair is available in an excellent 2-disc special edition from NoShame, so I don't see Criterion touching it.

I'd personally love to see a boxset of a certain genre filled with films we've never heard of or are completely unavailable. I'm sure in their travels they've seen plenty of great films by directors who never made a name for themselves. Italian Romantic Comedies preferably.

[toiletduck!]

Agreed. As much as I appreciate the clearing out of the director stables, I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with the first genre box.

-Toilet Dcuk

[Cinephrenic]

I would love to see Early Japanese Masters set such as Hiroshi Shimizu, Heinosuke Gosho, Sadao Yamanaka, Yasujiro Shimazu.

[tavernier]

I'd love to see Late Kobayashi:

"Shokutaku no nai ie" (1985)
"Tokyo saiban" (1983)
"Moeru aki" (1979)
"Kaseki" (1975)
"Inochi bô ni furô" (1971)
"Nihon no seishun" (1968)

[JabbaTheSlut]

Films of Maurice Pialat, please. Late, early, all of them.

[zedz]

Films of Maurice Pialat, please. Late, early, all of them.

Several of them are eminently Criterionable, such as L'enfance nue, for which the French edition generated lots of extras, and which could also carry the early shorts, or any of the Depardieus (who is weirdly underrepresented), but you could do a magnificent 70s box:

La Maison des bois (2 discs) - (I just finished struggling through this unsubbed, and it's a stunning work)
Nous ne vieillerons pas ensemble
La Gueule ouverte
Passe ton bac d'abord

They're all great films, but they'd all be tough sells as conventional Criterions (except for maybe Passe ton bac). The remaining films have all got obvious hooks.

[Subbuteo]

Zedz - House of the Woods has been my favourite of Pialat, a devastating piece of cinema. Nice to know someone else has seen it.

[JabbaTheSlut]

Only 3 Pialat films with English subtitles are in release at the moment. A pity. In my opinion he is one of the greatest French directors of all time, in the same league as Renoir, Vigo and Truffaut. I truly hope CC has plans to release more Pialat after A nos amours.