2014 New Year's Day Drawing

[CSM126]

StudioCanal took the rights back and the Tati estate insisted they be returned to Criterion.

[Bando]

Bill Hunt thinks the New Year's Beatles hint is for Let it Be...

I guess if you look at it as four beetles/Beatles heading towards the edge of a cliff... It makes sense. Just think of all the extras that could be included.

Yet Apple holds the rights, and I don't see them being released to Criterion. But I'd love to be wrong about this.

[Feego]

That's not necessarily what Bill Hunt thinks it is, he's just saying there is "speculation" about Let It Be. For that matter, there has been speculation about Ringu, but as we have already learned in this thread, that film coming from Criterion is very unlikely.

[Yaanu]

StudioCanal took the rights back and the Tati estate insisted they be returned to Criterion.

Got any documentation on that? Because if that's the case, then that's hilarious.

[ShellOilJunior]

That's not necessarily what Bill Hunt thinks it is, he's just saying there is "speculation" about Let It Be. For that matter, there has been speculation about Ringu, but as we have already learned in this thread, that film coming from Criterion is very unlikely.

Then why not mention A Hard Day's Night. I'd love to get Let it Be but AHDN makes the most sense as it's been rumored for a June 2014 release several months before the CC card.

[Bando]

That's not necessarily what Bill Hunt thinks it is, he's just saying there is "speculation" about Let It Be. For that matter, there has been speculation about Ringu, but as we have already learned in this thread, that film coming from Criterion is very unlikely.

Then why not mention A Hard Day's Night. I'd love to get Let it Be but AHDN makes the most sense as it's been rumored for a June 2014 release several months before the CC card.

Do we know where he's getting this Let It Be speculation from? Everywhere I've seen has talked specifically about AHDN in regards to Criterion in addition to rumors of a longstanding, eventual plan on Apple's part to finally release Let It Be, which has been scuttled for any number of reasons over the years (from George/his estate not being comfortable to Neil Aspinall blocking it on the Apple end, bad source elements, the general acrimony surrounding the project at the time, etc.)

Simply, at face value, AHDN makes about 1000% more sense for Criterion than Let It Be.

[cdnchris]

Has Let it Be been released on video, short of the RCA CED my dad has? I haven't seen it since all of his players went tits up and it's one I've really wanted to revisit. I'd like to think Criterion somehow got it, but I seriously doubt it.

[zedz]

Speculation about the release of Let It Be on home video has been rife for decades, so it's only to be expected that some of it will settle on Criterion (and not for the first time).

Personally, I think the situation with this title is about as straightforward as possible: it's strictly a binary proposition -
0 - Apple will not release it (for all the usual reasons of personal antipathy / sensitivity)
1 - Apple will release it themselves, with all the bells and whistles.

I favour the latter: they're working on a restoration, and it will be a Very Big Deal when it's finally ready for release (as the last official artifact of the band's original output that remains unavailable). If they can make such a big deal about re-releasing the shitty US Albums, or the even shittier Magical Mystery Tour TV special, there's no way they'd license out this property to a third party.

[FlickeringWindow]

StudioCanal took the rights back and the Tati estate insisted they be returned to Criterion.

Not surprising since there's no way Lionsgate would release even one Tati film on Blu-Ray. I might be wrong, but they've only released seven films from the StudioCanal library so far in the US (The Third Man, Contempt, Delicatessen, Grand Illusion, Ran, The Ladykillers, and The Wicker Man) in 3 1/2 years.

[krnash]

Speculation about the release of Let It Be on home video has been rife for decades, so it's only to be expected that some of it will settle on Criterion (and not for the first time).

Personally, I think the situation with this title is about as straightforward as possible: it's strictly a binary proposition -
0 - Apple will not release it (for all the usual reasons of personal antipathy / sensitivity)
1 - Apple will release it themselves, with all the bells and whistles.

I favour the latter: they're working on a restoration, and it will be a Very Big Deal when it's finally ready for release (as the last official artifact of the band's original output that remains unavailable). If they can make such a big deal about re-releasing the shitty US Albums, or the even shittier Magical Mystery Tour TV special, there's no way they'd license out this property to a third party.

Well put, agreed. And the fact that A Hard Day's Night was/is a Miramax (whom Criterion have worked with before) title and Let It Be belongs directly to Apple (one of the most notoriously stubborn media companies ever, as you have pointed out), I think the clue's answer becomes pretty obvious.

[FrauBlucher]

StudioCanal took the rights back and the Tati estate insisted they be returned to Criterion.

Not surprising since there's no way Lionsgate would release even one Tati film on Blu-Ray. I might be wrong, but they've only released seven films from the StudioCanal library so far in the US (The Third Man, Contempt, Delicatessen, Grand Illusion, Ran, The Ladykillers, and The Wicker Man) in 3 1/2 years.

And The Obscure Object of Desire

[Zot!]

Speculation about the release of Let It Be on home video has been rife for decades, so it's only to be expected that some of it will settle on Criterion (and not for the first time).

Personally, I think the situation with this title is about as straightforward as possible: it's strictly a binary proposition -
0 - Apple will not release it (for all the usual reasons of personal antipathy / sensitivity)
1 - Apple will release it themselves, with all the bells and whistles.

I favour the latter: they're working on a restoration, and it will be a Very Big Deal when it's finally ready for release (as the last official artifact of the band's original output that remains unavailable). If they can make such a big deal about re-releasing the shitty US Albums, or the even shittier Magical Mystery Tour TV special, there's no way they'd license out this property to a third party.

Well put, agreed. And the fact that A Hard Day's Night was/is a Miramax (whom Criterion have worked with before) title and Let It Be belongs directly to Apple (one of the most notoriously stubborn media companies ever, as you have pointed out), I think the clue's answer becomes pretty obvious.

Yes, also that HDN has previously been released by Criterion. I think we can quash that rumor. Had it been Yoko Ono hiding under a piano, I might give it more creedence.

[zedz]

Had it been Yoko Ono hiding under a piano, I might give it more creedence.

I was hoping for a half-eaten Chocolate Digestive.

[jindianajonz]

Obviously they would have gone for a single plum floating in perfume served in a man's hat.

[Feego]

That's not necessarily what Bill Hunt thinks it is, he's just saying there is "speculation" about Let It Be. For that matter, there has been speculation about Ringu, but as we have already learned in this thread, that film coming from Criterion is very unlikely.

Then why not mention A Hard Day's Night. I'd love to get Let it Be but AHDN makes the most sense as it's been rumored for a June 2014 release several months before the CC card.

Do we know where he's getting this Let It Be speculation from?

It's possible Hunt just took a quick glance at this and didn't bother to read the rest of the discussion.

[Bando]

Speculation about the release of Let It Be on home video has been rife for decades, so it's only to be expected that some of it will settle on Criterion (and not for the first time).

Personally, I think the situation with this title is about as straightforward as possible: it's strictly a binary proposition -
0 - Apple will not release it (for all the usual reasons of personal antipathy / sensitivity)
1 - Apple will release it themselves, with all the bells and whistles.

I favour the latter: they're working on a restoration, and it will be a Very Big Deal when it's finally ready for release (as the last official artifact of the band's original output that remains unavailable). If they can make such a big deal about re-releasing the shitty US Albums, or the even shittier Magical Mystery Tour TV special, there's no way they'd license out this property to a third party.

Well, it's really one of two major projects that aren't available yet widely requested, the other being the Carnival of Light piece. Which Paul seems intent on releasing in some form at some point. But, yes, I agree with this particular binary. I don't see Apple passing up on this title given the hype and widespread demand, if it's even going to be released at all. It's pretty much the last major, new revenue item they can hang their hats on, now that the reissues are done on both CD and vinyl, the digital tracks are out there, the other films (once AHDN gets its release this year) are on blu-ray, etc.

In other words, you don't hand off a windfall like that to Criterion.

[zedz]

Well, it's really one of two major projects that aren't available yet widely requested, the other being the Carnival of Light piece.

I was going to say that the big difference was that 'Carnival of Light' was never actually released at the time, but I suppose it was, technically. I'd say that Let It Be has approximately 1000 times the profile of 'Carnival of Light', which is coveted only by us obsessives (and has a 95% chance of being terrible!) Plus, Let It Be offers a lot more opportunities for ancilliary marketing and releases (e.g. reproduction of the original deluxe album / book package - something which I don't think has ever been done; making-of documentary; additional compilations of the unused film footage; 'Let It Be' sessions CD box set). They could milk it for a year.

I'm optimistic that 'Carnival of Light' will eventually be released, but I expect it will be in the context of Anthology 4, or some other release that wouldn't stand or fall on fans of 'Yesterday' and 'Hello Goodbye' liking Paul McCartney's fifty-year-old stab at Stockhausen.

[mrmarbach]

What stab at Stockhausen is that?

[Numero Trois]

Has Let it Be been released on video, short of the RCA CED my dad has?

Yes

[Bando]

What stab at Stockhausen is that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_of_Light" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[richast2]

I'm optimistic that 'Carnival of Light' will eventually be released, but I expect it will be in the context of Anthology 4, or some other release that wouldn't stand or fall on fans of 'Yesterday' and 'Hello Goodbye' liking Paul McCartney's fifty-year-old stab at Stockhausen.

My guess is that it'll be released in 2017 as a copyright-extension download-only deal, like that "Bootleg Recordings" thing they put out last month.

[zedz]

I'm optimistic that 'Carnival of Light' will eventually be released, but I expect it will be in the context of Anthology 4, or some other release that wouldn't stand or fall on fans of 'Yesterday' and 'Hello Goodbye' liking Paul McCartney's fifty-year-old stab at Stockhausen.

My guess is that it'll be released in 2017 as a copyright-extension download-only deal, like that "Bootleg Recordings" thing they put out last month.

Except that, as Bando hinted, because it was performed publicly in 1967 it presumably doesn't qualify as 'unreleased', so there isn't any legal incentive to sneak it out to extend its copyright. It should already be covered for the maximum 70 years.

[Rayon Vert]

L'Avventura? (bushes on the rock island)

[ShellOilJunior]

This came to mind:

[FrauBlucher]

Sold!