Criterion and MGM

[ianungstad]

http://www.thewrap.com/mgm-hit-with-5-m ... ndo-films/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The italian production company P.E.A is suing MGM for damages and seeking to terminate MGM's rights to their titles. This stems from allegations that MGM has been cooking the books in terms of royalty payments on films produced by P.E.A. Titles include the Sergio Leone films and Last Tango in Paris.

Some of the disputed titles include Satyricon; Roma and Burn! which are all set to be released by Criterion. The rights are with MGM/Criterion until a judge says otherwise. It would be a shame if Criterion put out Satyricon and then had to discontinue the release a few months later.

[Max von Mayerling]

A couple things worth noting in that article.

First, it says that P.E.A. has sued MGM on this issue twice before - in 1990 and 1996. Both times the parties settled. So this almost seems to be kind of how they do business, as dumb as that may be (although I am sure that their lawyers don't mind it).

Second, note that both suits settled approximately 3 years after they were brought. So even if they don't ultimately settle, it seems highly unlikely that MGM's licenses (or Criterion's) would be terminated in the near future.

[ianungstad]

The Kino Insider at HTF says that Marat/Sade (Peter Brook) has been licensed by MGM to another label (presumably Criterion). He made similar comments about Women in Love (Ken Russell) and The Knack (Richard Lester), In addition to the new year's drawing hinting at Dressed to Kill and Spinal Tap; it looks like these are all part of the "new" MGM deal.

[Minkin]

As a reminder, that Misterlime list of MGM titles is starting to be narrowed down a bit. I now realize that it was just some dude on the HTF forum posting a random list of films he wanted (thus that explains why some are not licensed by any company) - to which Misterlime responded:

Some are with Criterion, others with Twilight and a couple with Shout and others with no one. Two or more are future Kino Lorber releases.

With Criterion / Janus:
TOM JONES

Leaving us with these films still to be announced by any company:

THE BEST MAN
THE DEFIANT ONES



--------------------
Announced by other companies:

BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ - TT
HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES - TT
I WANT TO LIVE! - Kino DVD
JACK THE GIANT KILLER - Kino
JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG - TT
THE KNACK...AND HOW TO GET IT - Kino
THE MAGIC SWORD - Shout (MST3K - or are these different rights?)
THE MIRACLE WORKER - TT
MOBY DICK - TT
THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY'S - Olive
THE OFFENCE - Kino
ONE, TWO, THREE - Kino
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF/GUNFIGHTER - Kino has DVD rights, TT has blu.
TOPKAPI - Kino
THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT - TT
COLD TURKEY - Olive

DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES -Warner
D.O.A. (1950) - PD/not MGM

------
Edit - Fine then, last time I ever put faith in random guy on HTF.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
There's also this list, of which two are apparently Criterion bound:

Criterion: Women in Love

The Music Lovers
Park Row

---------------
Not part of the two:

Hi Mom! - Arrow
Eureka - TT

[Noiradelic]

Isn't Days of Wine and Roses Warner?

[ianungstad]

D.O.A isn't an MGM title either. It was an indie production that has long since passed into public domain.

[sir_luke]

THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT was just announced by TT.

[britcom68]

I WANT TO LIVE! just announced as DVD-only by Kino via Facebook.

[Minkin]

I WANT TO LIVE! just announced as DVD-only by Kino via Facebook.

That doesn't leave much left for Criterion to potentially announce, as Criterion is said to have "some" of these:

THE BEST MAN
COLD TURKEY
THE DEFIANT ONES
JACK THE GIANT KILLER
THE KNACK...AND HOW TO GET IT
TOM JONES
---------------

I doubt Jack the Giant Killer went to Criterion (seems more like TT / Shout). Best Man / Defiant Ones seems more like TT/Kino territory, but who knows. I am all but certain that The Knack went to Criterion, given their interest in Lester + the quality of the film. I might hope for Tom Jones, and perhaps the new years soldiers indicated that. The most likely thing to happen though: All of the non-Criterion films (the 3 or 4 left) will be announced sooner by other companies, probably leaving 3-4 titles that are assuredly coming from Criterion.

And yes, I'm keeping my post above updated with all of these announced titles. There was also a second list of potential MGM titles that Misterlime indicated had some Criterions:

The Music Lovers
Women in Love
Park Row
Hi Mom!

[domino harvey]

Shout! released the remake of the Miracle Worker, so they might have some existent interest in putting out the original

[dwk]

During an interview on the Killer POV podcast last October, Nick Redman said that Twilight Time has Eureka.

[criterion10]

And Misterlime, in a later post, claimed that Criterion is rumored to have the rights to the three MGM Russell titles: Women in Love, The Music Lovers, and Valentino.

[domino harvey]

Shout! released the remake of the Miracle Worker, so they might have some existent interest in putting out the original

Twilight Time just implied on Facebook that they're the ones with the rights to this

[Moe Dickstein]

The best thing Criterion could get right now from MGM would be Texasville. The longer cut should get out there

[SexualAmbulance]

Any possibility of Blow-up? A quality restoration of it that isn't censored would be nice.

[domino harvey]

Though an MGM title on release, it's with Warners now, and there's been a healthy amount of discussion on the possibility in this thread

[SexualAmbulance]

Though an MGM title on release, it's with Warners now, and there's been a healthy amount of discussion on the possibility in this thread

I forgot Warner had gotten the rights, it looks like they did so for Zabriskie Point as well. Sorry for the confusion.

[Minkin]

Well, Kino just announced The Knack. Of all the titles on the Misterlime list, that one seemed the most likely to be Criterion destined, so who knows at this point, its probably just Misterlime being a troll. Anyway, here's what's left of his "some are Criterion" list:

THE BEST MAN
COLD TURKEY
THE DEFIANT ONES
JACK THE GIANT KILLER
TOM JONES

[beamish13]

Well, Kino just announced The Knack. Of all the titles on the Misterlime list, that one seemed the most likely to be Criterion destined, so who knows at this point, its probably just Misterlime being a troll. Anyway, here's what's left of his "some are Criterion" list:

THE BEST MAN
COLD TURKEY
THE DEFIANT ONES
JACK THE GIANT KILLER
TOM JONES

Hope Cold Turkey is one. The MGM burn on demand disc is atrocious, and we're fortunate to still
have Norman Lear with us. Would love to see the original cut of Tom Jones in HD, too

[FrauBlucher]

Tony Richardson has a phantom page, while three of the directors on the list don't. And of course, Stanley Kramer has a page for everyone's favorite film.

[britcom68]

I keep thinking that Defiant Ones will not come to Criterion, for some reason it just seems Twilight or Kino instead.

I really kept expecting Shout Factory to jump all over Cold Turkey per their past relationships with Norman Lear, but maybe they just were not interested or didn't jump fast enough. Either way, as a lifelong Iowan, I really hope somebody- anybody- gets a better release out than the previous MGM burn. Hopefully the re-release comes with the thorough and enjoyable Iowa Public Television documentary about the making and legacy of the film.

[domino harvey]

+ How I Won the War (1967) [is coming to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics]

Okay, for those keeping track at home, I can now safely reveal that this is the "mystery" MGM title that Criterion licensed years ago and then aborted plans for release

[criterion10]

+ How I Won the War (1967) [is coming to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics]

Okay, for those keeping track at home, I can now safely reveal that this is the "mystery" MGM title that Criterion licensed years ago and then aborted plans for release

Any idea why Criterion abandoned this title?

[britcom68]

On their facebook page, Twilight Time commented on a post confirming they passed on The Defiant Ones due to the masters falling short of their release criteria. They later posted that MGM would love to do a new scan... if someone else would pay for it.

[Calvin]

MisterLime has said that Godard's King Lear is with another label and I'd be very surprised if that was anyone other than Criterion.