Eclipse Discussion and Random Speculation

[Cinephrenic]

One thing for certain is that all three remaining Tati films are Janus catalog titles. I think they would want to get them out on Eclipse without worrying about extras. They didn't seem to be in a rush to get out Jour de fete after a announcment for release like four years ago on their website.

[backstreetsbackalright]

I think they would want to get them out on Eclipse without worrying about extras. They didn't seem to be in a rush to get out Jour de fete after a announcment for release like four years ago on their website.

But then an alternate view might be that it's taken four to get the extras pulled together.

[Derek Estes]

I think that a Tati Eclipse set makes sense. Though I was really hoping for both versions of Jour de fete being released, and that would be unlikely as a barebones Eclipse release.

[CSM126]

I think that a Tati Eclipse set makes sense. Though I was really hoping for both versions of Jour de fete being released, and that would be unlikely as a barebones Eclipse release.

I've been thinking maybe a wholly Jour de fete Eclipse set - three discs for the three versions (B&W/Partially colorized/Fully colorized). Makes sense to me anyway.

[Joshua Dago]

Criterion releasing a Jour de fete boxset with all three versions WITHOUT any extra's woundn't make sense. isn't this a movie where the supplements can provide the viewer with the necessary information about the different versions?

[CSM126]

Criterion releasing a Jour de fete boxset with all three versions WITHOUT any extra's woundn't make sense. isn't this a movie where the supplements can provide the viewer with the necessary information about the different versions?

Well maybe I'm missing something but I think the explanation would be easily fit into three short essays on the back of the cover insert (something every eclipse disc has anyway). He wanted to shoot in color, it didn't work so he released it in B&W and then went back and colorized it. One sentence.

[manicsounds]

So May or June.... no Eclipse?

[movielocke]

I'm really hoping Series 11 will be a mizoguchi set, ideally Early Mizoguchi with Osaka Elegy, Sisters of Gion and Story of the Late Chrysanthemum. I don't really give a damn about balance between different countries and more or less well known filmmakers, I just hope/want the films to get released.

[cinema4ever]

Mizoguchi or Shohei boxset will be nice...

[Awesome Welles]

I'm really hoping Series 11 will be a mizoguchi set, ideally Early Mizoguchi with Osaka Elegy, Sisters of Gion and Story of the Late Chrysanthemum. I don't really give a damn about balance between different countries and more or less well known filmmakers, I just hope/want the films to get released.

That would be nice, I've been wanting to see Osaka Elegy for a while. I can't see it happening though.

[Stefan Andersson]

The Republic line of VHS releases of Janus Films titles had some fine Japanese films like MOTHER, WILD GEESE and GATE OF HELL. Add SNOW COUNTRY and you´d have a fine Eclipse box. But yes, a Mizoguchi Eclipse box would be nice.

[mteller]

On my way to lunch today, I had a vision that the next set would be a Satyajit Ray collection with Devi, Charulata, Mahanagar and Jalsaghar.

Sadly, we'll probably get "Eclipse Series 11: Ozu Ozu Ozu Ozu Ozu"

[What A Disgrace]

On my way to lunch today, I had a vision that the next set would be a Satyajit Ray collection with Devi, Charulata, Mahanagar and Jalsaghar.

Sadly, we'll probably get "Eclipse Series 11: Ozu Ozu Ozu Ozu Ozu"

I wonder if, in five years, there will be groans of disappointment when Artificial Eye starts putting out even more Satyajit Ray titles on DVD.

[mteller]

On my way to lunch today, I had a vision that the next set would be a Satyajit Ray collection with Devi, Charulata, Mahanagar and Jalsaghar.

Sadly, we'll probably get "Eclipse Series 11: Ozu Ozu Ozu Ozu Ozu"

I wonder if, in five years, there will be groans of disappointment when Artificial Eye starts putting out even more Satyajit Ray titles on DVD.

Well, not from me, anyway.

ECLIPSE SERIES 11: LONG-LOST FILMS OF YASUJIRO OZU
Somewhat Early Midsummer
Fashionably Late Autumn
Summer or Possibly Spring Equinox
Didn't I Make This Film Like Twice Already?
Really Late Winter, Let's Just Say Early Spring

[tavernier]

I'd take more Ozu over any Ray any day.

[PimpPanda]

I've seen a few (Taipei Story/Desires, The Terrorizer, and A Confucian Confusion, with A Brighter Summer Day and Mahjong still to come, missing only That Day, On the Beach) at the Cinematheque Ontario retrospective.

I was there for those last two screenings (A Brighter Summer Day + Mahjong, I tragically could not make it to any of the others) and the prints were in a similar state. Mahjong only had English subtitles but there were some scenes with intense scartches and some scene's seemed like they were cut off. A Brighter Summer Day had the Chinese and English subtitles and was also full of scratch marks. Of course, it was still a revelation to watch it on the big screen. I still would love for someone to release them on dvd (especially those that I didn't see), as the prints available right now are nearly unwatchable. I think there are problems with ABSD's rights too because if I remember correctly there were many different parties who funded the film and it's hard to bring them all together/find them. Rosenbaum has said that, "I'm reminded of the little-known fact that a surprisingly large amount of the art cinema of both Taiwan and Hong Kong is financed by gangsters." Maybe that poses a problem too?

[Cinephrenic]

art cinema of both Taiwan and Hong Kong is financed by gangsters

We should have them take over Hollywood.

[Tribe]

Summer or Possibly Spring Equinox

There is no equinox in Summer.

Tribe

[reno dakota]

I'd take more Ozu over any Ray any day.

Me too. But I wouldn't complain about any Ray titles either, or anything else that is not available in R1. I honestly do not understand all of the hostile remarks about the recent Ozu releases. We've known since 2003 that Criterion has had plans to release a significant number of Ozu titles (12, if I remember correctly), so they are just doing what they intended. I don't think it's fair to accuse them of going Ozu-crazy or neglecting other worthy titles. They may be giving Ozu more attention at the moment, but I suspect this has more to do with scheduling than some sort of preferential treatment.

[starmanof51]

ECLIPSE SERIES 11: LONG-LOST FILMS OF YASUJIRO OZU
Somewhat Early Midsummer
Fashionably Late Autumn
Summer or Possibly Spring Equinox
Didn't I Make This Film Like Twice Already?
Really Late Winter, Let's Just Say Early Spring

Thud.

I don't think even the .com forum would laugh at that.

[criterionaficionado]

I am actually excited about the possibility of finally getting an Eclipse boxset of early mizoguchi. I have been waiting many years now for a DVD release of the Story of the Late Chrysanthemums. Let's just hope CC actually does release this set in june. I love Ozu but at this point I think we have enough Ozu to hold us off for at least until the end of this year.
Just to mention something a little outside the box which was eclipse's original intent when announced; how about a boxset of brazil's cinema novo era. The obvious director would be Rocha, but I would add another name to the list, which would be Anselmo Duarte. "O Pagador de Promessas" (1962) would be a great movie grouped with a few other of Duarte's films such as; Vereda de Salvacao (1964), O impossivel acontece (1969) and O Crime do Ze Bigorna (1977).
I know this brazilian/cinema novo boxset will never happen but boy would that not be the release of the year, at least for those of us whom are South American moviephiles?

[Michael Kerpan]

My recollection is that Criterion was originally going to release 12 or so Ozu films -- and that HVE would release all the others. At this point, I doubt there will ever be 12 Criteion Ozu releases. I suspect there will be a few more, but that almost everything else that comes out (probably nowhere near all 37 films) will just be barebones Eclipse releases.

[reno dakota]

My recollection is that Criterion was originally going to release 12 or so Ozu films -- and that HVE would release all the others. At this point, I doubt there will ever be 12 Criteion Ozu releases. I suspect there will be a few more, but that almost everything else that comes out (probably nowhere near all 37 films) will just be barebones Eclipse releases.

I think of Criterion releases as the collective of Criterion-line and Eclipse-line releases, so I count the eight Eclipse titles as continuing fulfillment of the 12-title promise. I, too, would be surprised by 12 Criterion-line Ozu releases, but I am just as happy to have them as Eclipse releases. The lack of extras does not bother me in the least.

[Michael Kerpan]

I think of Criterion releases as the collective of Criterion-ine and Eclipse-line releases, so I count the eight Eclipse titles as continuing fulfillment of the 12-title promise. I, too, would be surprised by 12 Criterion-line Ozu releases, but I am just as happy to have them as Eclipse releases. The lack of extras does not bother me in the least.

I am happy to see subtitled releases too. My point is that -- once upon a time -- there was (sort of) a commitment to the release of all of Ozu's work in subtitled form -- and I don;'t think this will ever happen now (unless Panorama in HK fills the final gaps in its catalog).

[reno dakota]

I am happy to see subtitled releases too. My point is that -- once upon a time -- there was (sort of) a commitment to the release of all of Ozu's work in subtitled form -- and I don;'t think this will ever happen now (unless Panorama in HK fills the final gaps in its catalog).

I was not aware of any commitment to release subtitled versions of all of Ozu's films. That would be great, if it happens. Was this a Criterion commitment, or was this something Shochiku had planned?