Forthcoming Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.3

[rrenault]

Personally, I'd like Criterion to return to releasing DVD-only titles on the mainline, obviously mixed with blu ray releases, as well, because I'd think we'd get some interesting releases that Criterion obviously wouldn't be willing to release at the moment, due to their unconditional commitment to releasing all of their new additions to the mainline on blu ray. For example, I simply can't picture either a Rivette film or a post-60s Godard receiving blu ray releases, but it would be nice to see films from both categories be released by Criterion, or also films from say sub-Saharan Africa or films from Eastern Europe that aren't made by Eisenstein, Tarkovsky, Milos Forman, etc. I simply can't see a Vlacil film being released on blu ray in North America until blu ray actually becomes the standard home video format the way DVD was in say 2005. I realize an HD restoration of Marketa Lazarova has been completed, but I doubt the market for it exists in this country, although I'm sure there'd be a market for a Marketa BD in the Czech Republic, but that's besides the point. I'm sure releasing Red Desert on BD was a financially risky endeavor in and off itself, but that just had to be done in HD regardless of financial considerations.

[Saturnome]

My old post is indeed about the fact that the two Chabrol are coming on the Gaumont Classique line in september. But Gaumont made an agreement with Criterion to help for the restoration costs, so they're probably coming soon. September will also be the first anniversary of Chabrol's death.

[swo17]

Personally, I'd like Criterion to return to releasing DVD-only titles on the mainline, obviously mixed with blu ray releases, as well, because I'd think we'd get some interesting releases that Criterion obviously wouldn't be willing to release at the moment, due to their unconditional commitment to releasing all of their new additions to the mainline on blu ray.

What do you think the Eclipse line is for?

[SpiderBaby]

It would be interesting though to see what Criterion HAS put on the back burner ever since the switch to all blu mainline releases (prob not much). Just to see what we missed out on so far and we can complain about it. But it's a lose-lose, because if they go back to that way of releasing, they would put dvd-only releases to alot of stuff they would of done on blu (example, if they went all blu back in 09, Made in USA and 2 or 3 Things would of been on blu no doubt). Things like The Music Room and People on Sunday prob wouldn't of got blu releases.

[swo17]

I doubt they have anything that they want to release that they're going to say "too risky/in too bad of condition for Blu, too important for Eclipse, so we're just not going to release it at all." If they are sitting on anything right now, I'm thinking the worst case scenario is we have to wait a little longer to get it, but we'll get it on Blu.

[SpiderBaby]

^ That's what I think. Just the time they sit on things is what I meant. No way do I want them to go back to dvd-only releases, because like I said, People on Sunday and The Music Room type releases prob wouldn't of seen blu-rays if that was the case.

[rrenault]

Zazie in the Metro probably wouldn't have gotten a blu ray release either. One thing I will say though is that they released both Close-up and Red Desert on blu ray before they went all blu, and I wouldn't consider either one of those to be significantly more popular than The Music Room.

[rrenault]

I don't know where else to put this on the forum, but here's a brainteaser for kicks.

Name the Criterion film:

A)The film has been referenced in a Woody Allen film

B)The Criterion release of the film is in print

C)However, more than half the films Criterion has released by the director of this film are out of print

Task: Name the Woody Allen film and the referenced film that happens to be in the Criterion Collection.

[Gregory]

39 Steps in Hannah and Her Sisters?

[swo17]

Midnight in Paris and The Exterminating Angel, according to the internet.

[rrenault]

Well, I guess you're both right actually. I had swo's answer in mind, and then I subsequently realized that one of those two Hitchcock films must have been referenced in a Woody Allen film at some point.

[mfunk9786]

I had a sorta-friend in high school who professed to be the biggest Beatles fan in the world. He'd often ask people, as if it was the first time he'd offered up this expert-level question to them, who sang on "Yellow Submarine." I always really wanted to smack him around. This question was a bit more fun.

[swo17]

From Sam Smith's blog on the design of Solaris:

I hope anyone reading this will enjoy discovering or re-discovering this sci-fi classic by one of the world's master filmmakers, another of which is coming just around the corner from Janus Films...

Taking this literally to refer to another "sci-fi classic by one of the world's master filmmakers," it means we're getting Stalker, right? Right?

[knives]

I think Kino did say they didn't have Blu rights to Stalker (or was it Mirror) so that seems a very real possibility.

[med]

Didn't Kino say on their own Facebook that they didn't have the BD rights to Stalker? Which is odd, given that they released the (as far as I know) still in-print DVD version, and they're releasing BDs of The Sacrifice next month and Mirror next year.

[Peacock]

!!! Smith could have meant 'another classic Tarkovsky is right round the corner' - meaning Nostalghia, or a redo of Rublev (as I doubt Smith would know if Crit were upgrading Ivan, seeing as the cover wouldn't be changed).
But yeah Kino said they don't have the rights to do a Blu-ray of Stalker, while saying Mirror is coming in 2012 hopefully. So fingers crossed they have lost/sold the rights to Stalker - as it's probably one of the most requested titles for Criterion to release, and for my money, Tarkovsky's best film. Please let it be true!!!

[cdnchris]

My gut is saying Rublev... but like Swo I'm going to take it literally and really hope it's Stalker.

[Peacock]

Hmm the more I think about it, isn't Stalker from the same license holder as Mirror and The Sacrifice? It's possible Kino lost/sold the DVD rights as well but there's still stock to be shifted ala Pierrot le Fou, hence why Stalker is still available on dvd? I find it strange that Kino would get the Mirror rights to upgrade and not Stalker which is pretty high profile, they sounded pretty definitive on Facebook anyway?
Time for me to try and work out some veiled way of asking Kino whether the DVD is still going to be in print for the next few months.

[rrenault]

Let's talk about that image on Facebook from Trois Couleurs: Rouge. It looks like that'll be coming soon. I'm wondering if they'd release the trilogy as a whole or each film separately.


On a side note, is there or has there ever been Kino/Criterion crossover where each of the two companies had a release of the same film in print at the same time, or would that never happen. Because people seem to automatically assume that if a film is on Kino it wouldn't get a criterion release. As far as I know, there are plenty of films available on Criterion that have non-Criterion releases, as well (i.e. 8 1/2, Traffic, Sweet Smell of Success, The Double Life of Veronique, to name a few), so I don't think it's out of the question that Criterion could release a film also available on Kino, and it also doesn't need to be a Janus film to get a Criterion release. Janus has nothing to do with Last Year at Marienbad or Two or Three Things I know about Her, for example.

[RyanGallagher]

I was given a very unambiguous "no" when I asked about Janus if they had the rights to Stalker.

[matrixschmatrix]

If it turns out the news is 'only' an upgrade and blu of Andrei Rublev, I'll still be really excited. I've been holding off buying that one for months.

[bradass]

Another "sci-fi classic by one of the world's most masterful filmmakers"... is he not teasing at the upcoming run of World on a Wire?

[RyanGallagher]

Another "sci-fi classic by one of the world's most masterful filmmakers"... is he not teasing at the upcoming run of World on a Wire?

This seems much more likely.

[Peacock]

But guys, you remember how it goes - when the legend becomes fact, print the legend.

[captveg]

First Umbrellas of Cherbourg is strongly hinted at by Criterion Cast, and now Three Colors Trilogy is basically confirmed by Criterion's twitter? I'm in Criterion heaven!