Nothing Is Certain At This Time

[zedz]

I've decided to open a thread to keep track of directors and films that have been subject to Mulvaney's gnomic "We hope to release x in the future, but nothing is certain at this time" response. Over time, I hope we'll see whether or not we should put any stock in this stock response.

The following names have been reported in the Random Speculation threads. I've ordered them by date and indicated, where relevant, when corroboration appears in the 'Forthcoming Criterion' thread. If you receive any similar responses from Mulvaney, post here or PM me and I'll update.

Please note: this is NOT an opportunity for further random speculation.

Undated Response / 2004
Oshima Nagisa
Jacques Rivette
Chris Marker (pre-A.K. inclusion on Ran) (Distinct Possibility)

April 2005
Eisenstein silents (Stalled Ex-certainty)

May 2005
Fassbinder ("Hopefully somewhere down the line")
Bergman (YES - Virgin Spring)

June 2005
Rossellini (+ December 2005) (Distinct Possibility)
Visconti
Hitchcock

July 2005
Naruse Mikio (Distinct Possibility)

November 2005
Teshigahara Hiroshi (Distinct Possibility)
Abbas Kiarostami (N.B. Mulvaney had reported "no plans" for Kiarostami in August)
Victor Erice (doesn't appear in the Forthcoming list, but confirmed here)
Powell & Pressburger (Certainty)
Billy Wilder (+December 2005)
Max Ophuls
Luis Bunuel (Distinct Possibility)
Bertolucci's Before the Revolution (Distinct Possibility)
Eric Rohmer (Distinct Possibility)
De Sica's Bicycle Thieves
Noah Baumbach (YES - Kicking and Screaming)

December 2005
Edward Yang (YES - Yi Yi)

[zedz]

While I'm at it, I might as well record that, according to posters, there were currently no plans for the following: Carol Reed, Nicolas Roeg, Mike Leigh, Satyajit Ray, Raoul Walsh, Hans-Jurgen Syberberg.

That was all in the last six months. Since then, Reed's great The Fallen Idol has been announced as forthcoming from Rialto (and ultimately, we assume, Criterion).

[mmiesner]

you can add Peter Greenaway to the list as well. i've mailed Mulvaney about individual titles a few times and Greenaway in general and everytime have gotten a 'We don't own the rights to any of his films' response.

Wong Kar Wai is also a possible addition here. i asked if it would be possible to see 2046 in Criterion format and was told they had no plans for anymore Wong Kar Wai. that makes me a sad panda.

somebody should ask him about seeing R. Dennis Steckler's 'The Chooper' and see the response. i think that would be a true gauge of how he handles these types of fanboy emails.

[daniel p]

you can add Peter Greenaway to the list as well. i've mailed Mulvaney about individual titles a few times and Greenaway in general and everytime have gotten a 'We don't own the rights to any of his films' response.

Wong Kar Wai is also a possible addition here. i asked if it would be possible to see 2046 in Criterion format and was told they had no plans for anymore Wong Kar Wai. that makes me a sad panda.

somebody should ask him about seeing R. Dennis Steckler's 'The Chooper' and see the response. i think that would be a true gauge of how he handles these types of fanboy emails.

There appears to be no 'hope' for these titles, isn't Zedz trying to compile a list of 'hopefuls'?

[zedz]

There appears to be no 'hope' for these titles, isn't Zedz trying to compile a list of 'hopefuls'?

Yeah. The hopeless postscript was just a postscript (and a chance to observe that even hopelessness might not be a permanent condition).

[davida2]

By the way, I was sure I'd come across a report somewhere on the forum of a similar response to Oshima Nagisa, but I couldn't find the reference. Any clues?

I got the response regarding Oshima, but it's been at least a year since I got the email, and I'll have to dig through old emails to find it.

[Cinephrenic]

I got a positive reponse on Oshima at least 2-3 different times of mail. Don't remember dates, sorry.

[ellipsis7]

Kiarostami is a possibility for the CC, in that MK2 are prepping loaded releases of ABC AFRICA (already with New Yorker R1) and FIVE, and also there are plans (how firm and advanced I'm not sure) to release the Koker Trilogy and other earlier films definitively on DVD... bfi also has delayed plans (from the Summer) to release FIVE....

[pzman84]

On 12/4, I sent two e-mails to Mulvaney. I pointed out in the first one May would be Roberto Rosselini's 100th birthday. In the second, I pointed out June would be Billy Wilder's 100th birthday. I asked him if there were any plans to release some of their films in honor of the birthdays. I got this response on 12/6:

Dear Peter,

We hope to release more Rossellini and Wilder in the future, but nothing is certain at this time.

Best,
JM

Standard response.

[zedz]

On 12/4, I sent two e-mails to Mulvaney. I pointed out in the first one May would be Roberto Rosselini's 100th birthday. In the second, I pointed out June would be Billy Wilder's 100th birthday. I asked him if there were any plans to release some of their films in honor of the birthdays. I got this response on 12/6:

Dear Peter,

We hope to release more Rossellini and Wilder in the future, but nothing is certain at this time.

Best,
JM

Standard response.

That's consistent with responses others have received, so I'll note that at the top.

[Gigi M.]

Add De Sica's The Bicycle Thief. I got the usual responde from Mulvaney not to long ago.

[LightBulbFilm]

If Image and Criterion have a deal going on I don't see why Criterion just doesn't do a massive update to their collection, picking up the titles that they really want in their collection. A handful I can think of right now:

Bicycle Thief
Christ In Concrete
Bodies, Rest and Motion

[Ishmael]

I got that response when I asked about Rohmer on nov 23:


We look forward to releasing some Rohmer in the future, but nothing is
definite at this time.

Best,
JM

However, sometime in 2004, "Mulvaney" told me that Criterion hoped to release some Rohmer in 2005. Thus nicely illustrating the pointlessness of this thread.

[Cinephrenic]

Add Chris Marker. Undated Response.

[Ted Todorov]

Jacques Rivette -- from 2004.

Look, to me that response means: "yes, we have the rights to a particular film (or to film(s) by a certain director). We have even talked about doing a DVD or two. On the other hand we haven't started work on it, nor do we have it on the schedule to start work."

[zedz]

However, sometime in 2004, "Mulvaney" told me that Criterion hoped to release some Rohmer in 2005. Thus nicely illustrating the pointlessness of this thread.

Well, the point of the thread is precisely to see whether or not the films and directors so identified actually eventuate. At the moment ten out of the seventeen names have independent corroboration, so let's be optimistic.

[Alain3000]

Here's a response from a question about more Fassbinder from May, 7th.




Dear Alain,

Not at the moment. Hopefully somewhere down the line.

best,
JM

[zedz]

Here's a response from a question about more Fassbinder from May, 7th.

Dear Alain,

Not at the moment. Hopefully somewhere down the line.

best,
JM

Sounds like they had a trainee Mulvaney in that day who hadn't got the patter down.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

If Image and Criterion have a deal going on I don't see why Criterion just doesn't do a massive update to their collection, picking up the titles that they really want in their collection. A handful I can think of right now:

Bicycle Thief
Christ In Concrete
Bodies, Rest and Motion

Well, the Image DVD of Bodies, Rest and Motion has all the extras from the Criterion LD, so the only reason for Criterion to revisit it themselves is if there's something new they can bring to the table (and t'd have to be some pretty substantial new extras to justify Criterion-level pricing, seeing how the Image disc can be found for about six bucks). As for The Bicycle Thief, hasn't that been OOP for awhile? It may well be that Image doesn't actually have the rights anymore.

[Ashirg]

Christ In Concrete is not Image. It's All Day Entertainment distributed by Image. And I honestly can't see what Criterion can add to it.

Bicycle Thief is from Corinth Film and distributed by Image, but I think it's in Pubmic Domain since Catcom also released it on DVD.

[ByMarkClark.com]

Slightly OT, but for future reference: I think "Nothing is Certain at This Time" would be the perfect slogan to emblazon the front of a Criterionforum.org T-shirt.

[backstreetsbackalright]

Slightly OT, but for future reference: I think "Nothing is Certain at This Time" would be the perfect slogan to emblazon the front of a Criterionforum.org T-shirt.

Nice!

[Dr. Mabuse]

Received this from JM on may 3, 2005: ""We hope to release more Bergman, Fellini, and Hitchcock in the future, but nothing is certain at this time. ". Since then, only Bergman have come through.

[LightBulbFilm]

I asked him about Au Revoir les enfants about a year annd a half ago and he said that there were no plans to release it at the time. So anything is possible.

[edgarnazaretian]

I also got the response to more visconti coming in june 2005