Forthcoming Lists Discussion & Random Speculation

[stroszeck]

Last Year at Marienbad
The Conformist
Jalsaghar OR Apu Trilogy
Playtime -- NEW ED.
Make Way for Tomorrow (Not available on DVD)
Stalker
Mouchette
Le Samourai
Santa Sangre
El Topo

[ianungstad]

I will probably be flamed for this....but should critierion FINALLY release an animated film...I would love for them to release a decent edition of The Last Unicorn. I have had so many people ask me if there was a decent version of this film available but alas its just a simple pan and scan/ Wishfull thitnking I suppose...anyone else have any ideas about animated films that should be a part of the collection>

[Lino]

Yes, I would even dedicate a whole thread to it. Jiri Trnka's films are all Criterion worthy as are all or any of Karel Zeman's. Paul Grimault's Le Roi et L'Oiseau is an obvious choice though I'm perfectly happy with my french disc; Jiri Barta's Krysar aka The Pied Piper would be a wonderfull addition; any by italian master Bruno Bozzetto (check out HVe's Allegro non Troppo for a taster); any of the Toei's 60's productions would do as well; Belladonna of Sadness would be a dream release as my japanese edition doesn't have english subs; Halas and Batchelor's Ruddigore is one I'm dying to see; Shanghai Animation Studio's Uproar in Heaven and Nezha conquers the Dragon definitely need more exposure as well; any unreleased Ralph Bakshi is also mandatory.

So many, really.

[jcelwin]

There are lots of film types/genres/countries that are missing from the collection.

I still feel that criterion focus too strongly on the directors, and the films that are considered 'greatest films'. They seem less interested in the films that have, arguably, been more 'important'.

The lack of chinese films is also surprising. Is there any reason why there is this lack?

[solaris72]

Yes, I would even dedicate a whole thread to it. Jiri Trnka's films are all Criterion worthy as are all or any of Karel Zeman's. ...Jiri Barta's Krysar aka The Pied Piper would be a wonderfull addition

Hear, hear! They wouldn't even have to subtitle Krysar, as there's no intelligible dialogue. And Barta's still alive, and could use the money (he's stuck trying to arrange fiancing for his next feature, based on the myth of the golem). Plus there's a short film he made that would be a natural choice for an extra; it features various old films reenacted with a cast of gloves (including Satyricon, Keystone Cops, Godzilla, and I think also Last Year at Marienbad). Trnka would be awesome; I've emailed JM more than once about his Midsummer Night's Dream, mentioning how Cocteau raves about the guy in his book The Art of Cinema. I'd even like to see Criterion redo The Emperor's Nightingale; the Image disc is good to have, but it's a less than stellar transfer from a print that's in terrible condition; plus I'd like to see the film without the english voiceover, which seems overly expository. Zeman would rock my world as well; I had the privilege of seeing The Jester's Tale in 35mm a year ago, phenomenal stuff. Just through judicious mixing of 2D animation with live action, Zeman achieves the sort of effects that no one was willing to attempt until the CGI era.

[Lino]

Trnka would be awesome; I've emailed JM more than once about his Midsummer Night's Dream, mentioning how Cocteau raves about the guy in his book The Art of Cinema. I'd even like to see Criterion redo The Emperor's Nightingale; the Image disc is good to have, but it's a less than stellar transfer from a print that's in terrible condition; plus I'd like to see the film without the english voiceover, which seems overly expository.

All Trnka's features are available in Japan sadly without english subs. I have Midsummer Night's Dream and Old Czech Legends and just like you, although I have the Image Emperor's Nightingale, I would love to watch it with the original dub and opening titles (which I suppose are both present on the japanese disc).

[solaris72]

All Trnka's features are available in Japan sadly without english subs.

Yeah, I've seen those releases. I can deal with the lack of english subs, as Trnka was always first, foremost and by far a visual director (which is why I could do without the narration on Nightingale; I'd mute it, except that covers up some rather beautiful music), it's the ridiculously high prices on the Japanese discs that keep me away from Czech animated bliss.

[davida2]

Sony has lost the US licenses for several Satyajit Ray films. I've done some searching to see who does hold the US rights and thus far have been unable to turn up anything (IMDB info as of yet isn't updated). Given this turn of events, (and the announcement of 'Harakiri,' and the probability of eventual Mizoguchi, and possibility of a Naruse title), I'd like to revise my selections:

1 - Apu trilogy box set (Pather Panchali, Aparajito, Apur Sansar)
2 - Charulata
3 - Music Room
4 - Calcutta trilogy box (Company Limited, The Adversary, The Middleman)
5 - Mahanagar

[Narshty]

According to a flyer from the BFI, who were unable to include it in their current Antonioni retrospective at the NFT, Sony now own The Passenger and are currently undertaking some sort of restoration (probably just creating new elements).

[FilmFanSea]

Sony has lost the US licenses for several Satyajit Ray films. I've done some searching to see who does hold the US rights and thus far have been unable to turn up anything (IMDB info as of yet isn't updated).

That is tremendous news! Yes, Pather Panchai and Aparajito are both listed as "discontinued" by DVD Planet (I suspect World of Apu will join them once the stock is depleted).

Hmmm ... I wonder if Sony put so little effort into the DVD release of the trilogy films because they knew their rights were about to lapse? I'm not a praying man, but I would *love* for Criterion to snatch up any Ray they can get their hands on. But I also worry that Koch Lorber has been very aggressive lately in licensing high profile foreign films, so these could end up in their hands.

[viridiana]

Just thought I'd throw my list out there.

1. Bunuel "Mexican" set
2. Blue (Jarman, 1993)
3. The Cruise (Miller, 1998)
4. Berlin Alexanderplatz set
5. Titicut Follies (Wiseman, 1967)

If any of these were to happen, I would die of excitement. Le Samourai gets an honorable mention as well, as it and Titicut Follies fought for a long time over who would get that number five spot. There's some other stuff I could mention as well, but I'm too goddamn tired.

[skuhn8]

Just a question and forgive my cheekiness: is this a thread for suggestions that the folks at Criterion may read and actually consider (and I am confident that the good folks at CC do read this forum) or a place to collect the most obscure and utterly unmarketable pieces of cinema?

Honestly, and I live in Hungary, a screening of "Csontvary" at the Orokmozgo in Budapest (where they show films by Vigo, Bunuel's Mexican films, etc.) will get maybe 4 people in attendance. The CC is a company that tries to earn some kind of profit however small. Trying to charge $30 for something because it displays a unique use of color will not fly, and I think we all know that. So is this a "I know the darkest corners of cinema" thread? And I don't mean to pick on the previous poster and I honestly admire anyone that can pull obsucre Hungarian filmmakers out of their...I mean, come up with unexpected goods besides pedestrian snooze-fests by Miklos Jancso.

[Jun-Dai]

I haven't updated the list in a while, and I promise I will soon. This thread is intended as a suggestion of what you ask Criterion to put out if you had the option. The hope is that one would limit it to realistic titles (impossible ones are excluded), unless your desire for that title is so strong that. . .

I confess that my own choices were not entirely realistic, not least because the Jack Smith rights are bound to be tied up for a long time. The main goal is to see what we, as a forum, would push for had we the power to do so. Whether each of us, as participants in this overly complicated poll, choose to strengthen the weight of particular votes or try to broaden the spectrum isn't really important, as it does, in a way, reflect our own personalities in such collaborative acts. Obviously if we knew that this list actually meant something to CC, then it would affect our voting patterns--but I feel it would be too much to ask to pretend.

[zedz]

Further to Jun-Dai, I think it's only natural that people will be voting for films they've heard about but have never seen, and in those circumstances there's always the possibility that the film in question isn't going to live up to expectations. Maybe Huszarik isn't up to his reputation (however obscure), but how else are we going to find out? (By the way, if skuhn reckons he's as 'uninteresting' as Jancso, this piques, rather than dampens, my interest).

In a wish-list thread like this, I think commercial viability should be the least of our concerns. If Criterion is reading our suggestions, they're more than capable of providing that kind of filter.

[Grimfarrow]

1. Satantango (Tarr)
2. Springtime in a Small Town (Fei)
3. A Brighter Summer Day (Yang)
4. Children of the Beehive (Shimizu)
5. The Ascent (Shepitko)

[exte]

Wouldn't it be great if Criterion or HVe went ahead and tackled shorts like "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"? That film is really in need of a restoration, with original language track and everything. Perhaps they could put out a classic shorts volume, including La Jete and some others...

[solaris72]

Wouldn't it be great if Criterion or HVe went ahead and tackled shorts like "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"? That film is really in need of a restoration, with original language track and everything.

I don't recall there being any dialogue in that film.

[exte]

Well, there's an english song in there, and supposedly when Rod Sterling acquired it, he had it over-dubbed. At least that's what they complain about at amazon.com. The picture can certainly use a restoration, both in terms of the print and digitally, too. The sound track has some pops and clicks to it that can also be cleaned. I'm pretty sure it's a foreign film that carried its own language track, whatever it entailed...

[solaris72]

Well, there's an english song in there, and supposedly when Rod Sterling acquired it, he had it over-dubbed. At least that's what they complain about at amazon.com.... I'm pretty sure it's a foreign film that carried its own language track, whatever it entailed...

What they're referring to is how he added his own narration to the beginning and end (which was of course standard for an episode of Twilight Zone). I'm pretty sure the song was in the original. But I'm pretty sure none of the characters speak, and so there'd be no real dubbing to speak of. I think Serling did edit it down to meet time requirements, however.

[pzman84]

Since February 2006 will make the 60th anniversary of "Open City" debuting in America, does criterion have any plans?

[kieslowski_67]

I don't really care whether a great movie is released on DVD in high quality by Criteiron, HVE, Wellspring, Warner, or region 2, 3, 4 etc. As such, the DVDs I am really looking forward to a release by Criterion or anyone else are:

1) Berlin Alexanderplatz
2) the conformist
3) double life of Veronique
4) De Sica's 'shoe shine' and 'bicycle thief' (the current DVD releases are not of high quality)
5) Rossilini's triloy 'open city', 'paisa' and 'german year zero' (all three movies have been on DVD but the transfers are generally subpar)
6) Antonioni's "passenger" and "identification of a woman" (Japanese DVDs are not anamorphic and obviously not restored)
7) Kieslowski's 'dekalog' (I have at least 3 versions and only the Korean release is watchable on big WS TV)
8) Visconti's 'senso', 'la terra trema' and 'ossessione' (these movies deserve much better transfer)
9) Kusturica (with 'underground' and 'when father was away on business' enjoying DVD appreciation, where is 'time of the gypsies'?)
10) more Jarman

[Timec]

Now here's an obscure recommendation:

While I was visiting Vienna over the summer I wandered into a Film museum where I picked up an essay (in English) on the film "Limite" by Mario Peixoto. It's supposedly quite a brilliant film, and the only one the director ever completed. I've been trying to track down a copy, but have had no such luck. Though it probably wouldn't sell worth beans, I would still love to see Criterion (or any other company) give it a quality release on DVD.

[htdm]

I picked up an essay (in English) on the film "Limite" by Mario Peixoto. I've been trying to track down a copy, but have had no such luck.

Timec, have you tried here?

the text is in Portugese, French, and English.

[Jem]

Nazarín (Buñuel, 1959)

Suna no onna / Woman in/of the Dunes (Teshigahara, 1964)

Irma Vep (Assayas, 1996)

[rwaits]

Any chance we'll ever see Renoir's Day in the Country??