Criterion Random Speculation Vol.2

[Cinephrenic]

The late release La Bianche Notti is also from CristaldiFilm. Along with Divorce Italian Style, Salvatore Giuliano. If it safe to say that they have access to the catalog, then we will see some exciting releases. I picked a few high regarded films for those lazy fingers:

Senso (Visconti)
Murmur of the Heart (Malle)
Lacombe Lucian (Malle)
Seduced and Abondoned (Germi)
Kapo (Pontecorvo) COMING!
Brute Force (Dassin)
Europa 51 (Rossellini)

also a bunch of other Italian gems...

[backstreetsbackalright]

The late release La Bianche Notti is also from CristaldiFilm. Along with Divorce Italian Style, Salvatore Giuliano. If it safe to say that they have access to the catalog, then we will see some exciting releases.

Senso would be a glorious Criterion release. And Europa 51 would be the best thing imagineable!

[clutch44]

The late release La Bianche Notti is also from CristaldiFilm. Along with Divorce Italian Style, Salvatore Giuliano. If it safe to say that they have access to the catalog, then we will see some exciting releases. I picked a few high regarded films for those lazy fingers:

Senso (Visconti)
Murmur of the Heart (Malle)
Lacombe Lucian (Malle)
Seduced and Abondoned (Germi)
Kapo (Pontecorvo) COMING!
Brute Force (Dassin)
Europa 51 (Rossellini)

also a bunch of other Italian gems...

The Brute Force listed isn't the Dassin film, but a very impressive list of films none the less. Many of Pietro Germi's early films would make a nice CC box set and could we finally see a CC release of Bitter Rice.

[FilmFanSea]

For what it's worth, Sony's DVD of Ray's Pather Panchali and MGM's DVD of Jarmusch's Stranger than Paradise have both just gone out of print.

Also, FWIW, I asked JM last week about the "Apu" trilogy, or any other Satyajit Ray (based on the crappy Sony releases going OOP). His reply: "I'm afraid we have no plans for any Ray films at this time."

Granted, JM is about as forthcoming with factual information these days as the Bush administration, so take it with a grain of salt.

[flyonthewall2983]

Is there any hope for Cronenberg's Crash to be released by the CC on DVD finally, or has it fell through?

[souvenir]

The late release La Bianche Notti is also from CristaldiFilm. Along with Divorce Italian Style, Salvatore Giuliano. If it safe to say that they have access to the catalog, then we will see some exciting releases.

Senso would be a glorious Criterion release. And Europa 51 would be the best thing imagineable!

Europa '51 was on TCM last night and had the Janus logo at the beginning

[kieslowski_67]

The late release La Bianche Notti is also from CristaldiFilm. Along with Divorce Italian Style, Salvatore Giuliano. If it safe to say that they have access to the catalog, then we will see some exciting releases.

Senso would be a glorious Criterion release. And Europa 51 would be the best thing imagineable!

Europa '51 was on TCM last night and had the Janus logo at the beginning

Criterion really needs to release a Rosellini/Bergman box set that inlcudes "Stromboli", "Europa '51", and "Viaggio in Italia". I would not mind if they also include "Paula" and "Siamo donne" with the funny Ingrid Bergman chasing chicken scene.

[backstreetsbackalright]

Europa '51 was on TCM last night and had the Janus logo at the beginning

Shaaaazaaaaam!!! It's happy-dance time!

[davida2]

For what it's worth, Sony's DVD of Ray's Pather Panchali and MGM's DVD of Jarmusch's Stranger than Paradise have both just gone out of print.

Also, FWIW, I asked JM last week about the "Apu" trilogy, or any other Satyajit Ray (based on the crappy Sony releases going OOP). His reply: "I'm afraid we have no plans for any Ray films at this time."

Granted, JM is about as forthcoming with factual information these days as the Bush administration, so take it with a grain of salt.

Got the same response two days ago. Still hoping - Ray's work would be a perfect addition to their catalog. This is an improvement over the "We do not hold the rights to any Satyajit Ray films" that I got a couple years back; we'll see who ultimately gets these.

[Cinephrenic]

http://www.ammi.org/film_programs/progr ... _dark.html

Well Breaking the Waves is out-of-print, Dancer in the Dark is a Fine Line Feature, and The Idiots is not on dvd. I'm thinking we have a Golden Heart Trilogy from Lar von Triar in the works. Criterion anyone?

[mmiesner]

i've asked multiple times for them to look into 'The Idiots' and have never gotten a response - that is obviously better than a negative response. i would be surprised if they end up grabbing Dancer, but they had Breaking the Waves on LD, so i guess it's not an impossibility. long story short, this would give me a boner with a capital O.

[Tribe]

Breaking the Waves is out-of-print, Dancer in the Dark is a Fine Line Feature, and The Idiots is not on dvd. I'm thinking we have a Golden Heart Trilogy from Lar von Triar in the works. Criterion anyone?

I'd be as excited for a Criterion box set of these as I would for a mythical Greenway box of The Cook, the Thief, Propsero's Books and Baby of Macon.

I mean really excited!

If only Europa/Zentropa were in the mix, we'd also have a Criterion (sorta) Europa trilogy with Element of Crime and HVE's Epidemic.

Tribe

[Cinephrenic]

New Malle titles added as confirmed.

[In Heaven]

New Malle titles added as confirmed.

Are you saying ALL of those are to be released by Criterion?

[What A Disgrace]

New Malle titles added as confirmed.

Are you saying ALL of those are to be released by Criterion?

After reading all of this, it seems difficult to believe otherwise.

Furthermore, am I alone in thinking that there's plenty of material here for more than two boxed sets? Not even considering that there are plenty of supposedly available Malle films not listed there; including the near confirmed Damage, that comes to four documentaries (one quite massive), and eight feature films (including Elevator to the Gallows and Damage).

[ellipsis7]

Yes, while Malle is OK he is not quite up there with the greatest... Nevertheless I think the CC is planning ahead, extending their director franchises, and this is one to play out over quite a while...

[What A Disgrace]

Yes, while Malle is OK he is not quite up there with the greatest... Nevertheless I think the CC is planning ahead, extending their director franchises, and this is one to play out over quite a while...

With Criterion's performance, as of recently, being somewhat sparse, and with no less than three director's massive catalogues untouched or barely touched, their future seems increasingly uncertain and exciting.

[Astroman]

My hope is, if Criterion were to release Breaking the Waves, Bowie's "Life on Mars?" would magically reappear as the music playing over the epilogue title card, as I remember it back when I saw it (twice) theatrically. Mr. John's "Your Song" is a really poor substitute for that moment in the film, I think. Dang music licensing rights, anyway. Don't know if the reasons for or likelyhood of this happening has been covered anywhere yet.

Yeah, a Golden Heart trilogy with Bowie fully represented would indeed make for the cool.

[Buttery Jeb]

Um, guys... we've had this talk before. This is the Theatrical/Non-Theatrical Criterion Films company, the one not affiliated with the Criterion Collection/Janus Films.

Doesn't mean more Von Trier Criterion DVDs won't ever happen. Just don't be getting your hopes up based on this listing.

-BJ

[Cinephrenic]

I'm quite aware of that, though my post wasn't based on that. The DVD could be released by anyone, just random speculation that they could have aquired it.

[Buttery Jeb]

And in a very surprising (to me) turn, I was further informed that the CC is also exploring the possibility of an erotica imprint.

Fair enough. Speculate on.

-BJ

[What A Disgrace]

Assuming that the Satyajit Ray films are still under the control of Merchant Ivory...I wonder if a Merchant Ivory-ish label for Ray's films is a possibility.

[davida2]

Assuming that the Satyajit Ray films are still under the control of Merchant Ivory...I wonder if a Merchant Ivory-ish label for Ray's films is a possibility.

That's what I'd hope - the Apu trilogy, Mucic Room, Devi, Mahanagar, Charulata and Middleman were the initial Sony/Merchant Ivory VHS releases, along with two of the Three Daughters films. I'd love to see them releasing all of these; especially if Three Daughters was properly released.

The Middleman is the last of a loose trilogy that also includes The Adversary and Company Limited, neither of which were released in the US, and both of which are currently up for grabs. Restored prints of those are stored at UCSC in California, along with a few other 60s Ray films (Kanchenjungha, Nayak, Days And Nights In The Forest and The Adventures Of Goopy & Bagha).

While Criterion's response doens't give us too much to hope for, it's not the firm 'no' that I received two years ago, and they have mentioned wanting to release some Indian films at some point, and Ray is the obvious best starting point.

[JHunter]

"Tales of Hoffmann" has been in limbo at Criterion for more than four years now. Apparently the prints haven't been satisfactory enough to release.

I believe Kino still has the rights to Tarkovsky's "Nostalghia."

There will be more Bresson, but it's anyone's guess when they'll be coming.

[ByMarkClark.com]

Apropos of nothing: Anybody know who owns the DVD rights to Renoir's American films? For me, at least, a boxed set of Woman on the Beach, Diary of a Chambermaid, The Southerner, This Land is Mine and Swamp Water (with Salute to France as a bonus feature) would be an immediate buy.