Criterion Random Speculation Vol.3

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jbeall · #551 Post by **jbeall** » Tue May 15, 2007 5:55 pm

Cinephrenic wrote:Or Carnival of Flanders.

Same thing. La Kermesse Heroique translates approximately to "The Heroic Carnival." I just prefer the French title because the English title is a bit blander, and misses the point of the original title.

justeleblanc · #552 Post by **justeleblanc** » Tue May 15, 2007 5:57 pm

jbeall wrote:
justeleblanc wrote:For what it's worth, Criterion has no plans to release Feyder's THE GREAT GAME.
Are there any Feyder titles they might release, or was that the only one you inquired about? I'd love to see a criterion edition of Kermesse Heroique...

I asked about any Feyder, and then said "specifically THE GREAT GAME" then I asked if a print of it still existed. And their response was no plans for GREAT GAME.

Which is a shame, because I've been reading about Feyder in this French Film history book I got, and this films seems truly awesome.

jbeall · #553 Post by **jbeall** » Tue May 15, 2007 6:05 pm

justeleblanc wrote:
jbeall wrote:
justeleblanc wrote:For what it's worth, Criterion has no plans to release Feyder's THE GREAT GAME.
Are there any Feyder titles they might release, or was that the only one you inquired about? I'd love to see a criterion edition of Kermesse Heroique...
I asked about any Feyder, and then said "specifically THE GREAT GAME" then I asked if a print of it still existed. And their response was no plans for GREAT GAME.

Which is a shame, because I've been reading about Feyder in this French Film history book I got, and this films seems truly awesome.

My girlfriend took a class in French cinema this semester, and we watched La Kermesse Heroique (or Carnival in Flanders, if you prefer!) and I thought it was fantastic!! The acting performances were terrific, and I thought it was a very sophisticated comedy. The disc I watched had been recorded off TCM (I think), and the print was okay, but the subtitles were new. I wonder if that print was the same one the BFI used.

Anyway, I hope their negative answer regarding The Great Game doesn't mean they aren't planning on releasing anything else by Feyder.

Buttery Jeb · #554 Post by **Buttery Jeb** » Tue May 15, 2007 6:31 pm

According to the Janus site, they're now handling distribution to Gus Van Sant's "Mala Noche." A new print will be playing at the IFC Center in New York starting on June 1st.

Well, now we know what happened to the Plexifilm release way back when.

-BJ

backstreetsbackalright · Tue May 15, 2007 6:39 pm

That'll fit quite neatly with Criterion's American Indie titles. Kind of a shame for Plexifilm that this never took off for them....

justeleblanc · #556 Post by **justeleblanc** » Wed May 16, 2007 3:11 am

No complaints about only three titles this month? If this was 2006 this forum would but up in arms.

#557 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed May 16, 2007 3:14 am

justeleblanc wrote:No complaints about only three titles this month? If this was 2006 this forum would but up in arms.

I think it just means we're getting an uber-September like last year, and that my friend is worth waiting for.

miless · #558 Post by **miless** » Wed May 16, 2007 5:11 am

domino harvey wrote:
justeleblanc wrote:No complaints about only three titles this month? If this was 2006 this forum would but up in arms.
I think it just means we're getting an uber-September like last year, and that my friend is worth waiting for.

Well I sure won't be "waiting... There's something to rob my bank account every month... but I can never get mad (because I love it so... I guess it's sort of like a mentally, or Fiscally, abusive relationship)

Tommaso · #559 Post by **Tommaso** » Wed May 16, 2007 9:22 am

justeleblanc wrote:No complaints about only three titles this month? If this was 2006 this forum would but up in arms.

I think everyone is still exhausted (or their credit card is) from the Jodorowsky and Renoir sets, not to mention all the other much-wanted films ("Sawdust and Tinsel", "Vampyr", Svankmeyer, the restored "Potemkin", Pasolini Vol.2) released by other companies around the world. Good to see that Criterion is no longer the only provider of classy releases, not even when you consider R1 only. But of the three August releases, at least the Bunuel is a major event. And the Saura sounds interesting at least, though I dearly wished that they had done the missing Erice films instead.

Floyd · #560 Post by **Floyd** » Wed May 16, 2007 11:45 am

I never check this thread but now I see that was a mistake. Stranger Than Paradise is a film that to me is probably one of the most important films in my 22 years on earth and how it changed so much for me regarding the cinema. I am thrilled by it coming from Criterion.

Also, it is upsetting to see some bad comments of Hartley as he is one of my favorite filmmakers, if not my favorite. I certainly can see why Hartley is different strokes but Trust is my favorite film of all time without me thinking twice about it and I find what he does to be wonderful. I don't expect everyone to share the same feelings but I would love to see a Criterion of it even though I paid over $30 for the R4. Trust for me is some peoples Breathless I suppose.

Rupert Pupkin · #561 Post by **Rupert Pupkin** » Wed May 16, 2007 1:28 pm

Well... I have the z2 fr Trust Me/Unbelievable Truth... I would have liked a Criterion "treatment" far better than the Linklater series... (although the only one I would have liked on Criterion is not possible (Before Sunset/Sunrise)

I would have liked so much some Abel Ferrara's movies such as the uncut version of "Ms.45" or "Bat Lieutenant" with the original soundtrack...

I think that Ferrara (at least one of his first movies) could be in the Criterion catalog as a good figure of American cinema... at least he is as "legit" and "admissible" as Linklater...

I asked Mulv... but got a "no yes no no" answer... So I don't know...

The very first George A.Romero such as "Night Of The Living Dead" (or "Martin" in its original length) would have been great; especially since the release of "Carnival of Souls"; and since "Night..." is free of (c) and the Anchor Bay release of "Martin" in its original ratio is now out of print...

I mean why not such movies by Romero when we got some monsters movie last year ?

mpippia · #562 Post by **mpippia** » Sat May 19, 2007 1:11 am

I was looking through the list of public domain films on Wikipedia and I was wondering what the likelihood of getting releases of some of those films, considering the excellent releases of other public domain films such as My Man Godfrey. If poor source material is an issue then perhaps they could release some of them in an Eclipse boxset rather than separate Criterion releases, which I imagine would be both popular and profitable.

I would be most interested in His Girl Friday and Zulu.

tryavna · #563 Post by **tryavna** » Sat May 19, 2007 3:56 pm

mpippia wrote:I was looking through the list of public domain films on Wikipedia and I was wondering what the likelihood of getting releases of some of those films, considering the excellent releases of other public domain films such as My Man Godfrey. If poor source material is an issue then perhaps they could release some of them in an Eclipse boxset rather than separate Criterion releases, which I imagine would be both popular and profitable.

I would be most interested in His Girl Friday and Zulu.

An interesting question, though I'm not sure that either His Girl Friday or Zulu are PD any more. I thought Columbia finally renewed the rights for HGF and MGM/UA did the same for Zulu...? Besides, the version of HGF that Sony released in their Cary Grant boxset is perfectly acceptable, and the R2 special edition of Zulu doesn't really need to be bettered (though that's one title I know so well that the PAL speed-up of the soundtrack actually bothers me slightly).

But there are other PD films that need somebody's attention. Renoir's The Southerner, for example, deserves much better than VCI was able to give it.

portnoy · #564 Post by **portnoy** » Tue May 22, 2007 12:15 am

MGM definitely renewed their rights to Zulu. Troma has 10+ boxes (100 DVDs a piece) of unreleasable Zulu DVDs in their basement as we speak (really).

thechallenger · #565 Post by **thechallenger** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:28 pm

Even though Horror Hotel (also know was The City of the Dead) was released by VCI in 2001 and you can get it for under $10 at Amazon, I can't help but hope that Criterion somehow released it with a boatload of extras and a wonderful new transfer.

Here's a Plot Plot Synopsis by Robert Firsching:

George Baxt scripted this extraordinarily good chiller from a story by Milton Subotsky, who also co-produced. A college student (Venetia Stevenson) with an interest in witchcraft goes to the Massachusetts town of Whitewood. It's a foggy, spooky town which gets even scarier when Stevenson discovers that the owner of the Raven's Inn, Mrs. Newlis (Patricia Jessel) is in fact a 268-year old witch. Jessel sold her soul to the Devil to regain her life after being burned at the stake. The whole town is her coven, including Stevenson's kindly history professor (Christopher Lee). Stevenson's boyfriend and brother arrive to look for her and discover human sacrifices and all sorts of evil goings-on. One of the few horror films of the period which still has the power to frighten, Horror Hotel is required viewing for genre fans.

denti alligator · Wed May 23, 2007 10:48 pm

The VCI edition can't be bettered! It's full of extras and the transfer is stunning. Only thing lacking is a decent cover.

thechallenger · #567 Post by **thechallenger** » Wed May 23, 2007 10:53 pm

denti alligator wrote:The VCI edition can't be bettered! It's full of extras and the transfer is stunning. Only thing lacking is a decent cover.

If I recall correctly - I think the cover is reversible (it has a regular and pulp novel version).

Tim · #568 Post by **Tim** » Fri May 25, 2007 12:52 pm

Criterion has no plans for Red Desert, according to an e-mail response to my recent enquiry. So I guess it's the Madman edition for me.

peerpee · #569 Post by **peerpee** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:10 pm

I'm aware of another version of RED DESERT being worked on (not MoC, not Criterion) and it sounds like it will better the Madman.

Rich Malloy · #570 Post by **Rich Malloy** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:49 pm

As I recall, it was reports regarding some hideous audio processing (noise-gating, filtering, or something) that caused me to hold off purchasing the Madman disc.

ellipsis7 · #571 Post by **ellipsis7** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:51 pm

There's a little undue audio compression on the Madman disc... Sound is better on the French Carlotta disc... Both are from restored prints...

Cinephrenic · #572 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Fri May 25, 2007 6:07 pm

400-401 will be Breathless and Pierrot le fou. Both 2-Disc. That's it!

arsonfilms · #573 Post by **arsonfilms** » Fri May 25, 2007 6:37 pm

Cinephrenic wrote:400-401 will be Breathless and Pierrot le fou. Both 2-Disc. That's it!

Or Berlin Alexanderplatz and the MAKING OF Berlin Alexanderplatz!!!

(Please don't hit me)

justeleblanc · #574 Post by **justeleblanc** » Fri May 25, 2007 7:00 pm

They hell did they move Cria Cuervos to 403 for?

Personally, I'm hoping for:

400 Out 1
401 Out 1: Spectre

Suck it.

BrightEyes23 · #575 Post by **BrightEyes23** » Fri May 25, 2007 7:24 pm

i've got this nagging suspicion that we might see either an eclipse or a CC boxed set of Rivette's work. there's a nice long write up on Rivette in the most recent cinema-scope and while they don't give any indication these are coming from criterion something about it, perhaps its just the touring prints, makes me think that Out 1 and more are coming in the not too distant future.

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Criterion Random Speculation Vol.3