Arrow Films

[L.A.]

Too bad Arrow don't offer courier like DHL or UPS as a shipping option. Bit scared of ordering those bigger sets like the upcoming Fassbinder via normal post. Even if it arrives in good condition, would have to pick it up from my local post office which is a bit ways off.

Also, collecting films is still great but I miss those days when you could order titles like one or two at a time. Nowadays it's limited edition this and limited edition that, a little breather from ordering wouldn't hurt.

[Ribs]

Arrow put a post up asking people what kind of box sets they'd like this year and are responding to many of them clarifying if they don't have the rights, but most notably is one person who produced a list and Arrow said to keep an eye out in the future. Here's what that person put down:

Woody Allen
Eric Rohmer
Sergio Martino
Lucio Fulci
Alexei German
Manoel de Oliveira

Obviously they won't respond with much more than a vague hint but they at least do seem to do the pleasure of denying what they can so if there's anything anyone's especially curious about it wouldn't hurt to ask them.

[domino harvey]

Woody Allen's with MGM, but he wouldn't let Arrow produce supplements, so that seems out. Fulci is well represented by Arrow already, but could be a collection I guess. They do own a fair number of Rohmer titles, though with the popularity of the French Blu-ray box, they'd have to offer some amazing supplements to make any Blu-ray set worthwhile. Don't know enough about the other choices to comment on their likelihood.

[tenia]

Actually, Rohmer might make sense because, quite stupidly / surprisingly, the CNC has funded new restorations these past months, meaning the movies have been restored again AFTER Potemkine has released them on BD.

These restorations might be better than what in the set, because while the result is overall very decent, there still is plenty of room for improvement (many movies are encoded in 1080i instead of 1080p, a few of them don't have the right OAR and finally some of them have had their grain tempered with).

Extras wise, sure it'll be hard to top, but still, that'd be a nice portage to the UK.

[Ribs]

I mean, it doesn't help that the extras on the French stuff are entirely not English-friendly. Even if they were pretty much identical on that front just the addition of subtitles would be huge (as well as the theoretically better transfers).

Rohmer seemed the most likely to me of that bunch, anyway, much to my chagrin, given it (the Comedies and Proverbs set, all I've got right now) is pretty much the only non-UK release I've imported. I'd be on board still though and it's a good fit for Arrow.

[jedgeco]

***Limited Edition Update***
We know a lot of you have been asking for updates on various Limited Edition releases so we thought we'd collect them in one handy update:

Fassbinder is selling quick. Rivette, with 60% remaining is a little surprising, given the excitement in these quarters, but also not, given its price tag, relative obscurity, and degree of difficulty.

[perkizitore]

Is it an Arrow store exclusive? If it is, selling 300 copies is an impressive feat in such a short amount of time (especially considering they require payment upfront).

[Ribs]

The box is not going to other retailers.

[sinemadelisikiz]

Alexei German

Well they did just release his last film so this isn't completely unlikely. None of these films have any formal release outside of Russia and he wasn't particularly prolific so his entire oeuvre could easily fit into one box. It would be a dream come true. Does anyone know why these haven't been released? Rights? Obscurity? Lack of interest?

As for ATG, I hope the floodgates have opened after the Yoshida release, but it doesn't look like it has sold enough yet.

[Robin Davies]

A cleaned-up Val Lewton collection would be nice.

[colinr0380]

A cleaned-up Val Lewton collection would be nice.

Seconded, and even more of a coup would be if the two non-horror Lewtons from that period, Mademoiselle Fifi (directed by Robert Wise) and Youth Runs Wild (directed by Mark Robson) could somehow be rescued from obscurity.

[Ashirg]

Those need to be licensed from Universal for titles and from Warner for quality transfers...

[MichaelB]

Alexei German

Well they did just release his last film so this isn't completely unlikely. None of these films have any formal release outside of Russia and he wasn't particularly prolific so his entire oeuvre could easily fit into one box. It would be a dream come true. Does anyone know why these haven't been released? Rights? Obscurity? Lack of interest?

Obscurity is the major issue, but materials is a problem too - although My Friend Ivan Lapshin has recently been restored. I'd love to work on a German box, but I can fully appreciate that it might be a commercial challenge too far.

[Gaddis]

Am I right in thinking The Satin Slipper has recently been touring? Manoel de Oliveira would be aces, particularly 'No, or the Vain Glory of Command'.

[rapta]

Arrow put a post up asking people what kind of box sets they'd like this year and are responding to many of them clarifying if they don't have the rights, but most notably is one person who produced a list and Arrow said to keep an eye out in the future. Here's what that person put down:

Woody Allen
Eric Rohmer
Sergio Martino
Lucio Fulci
Alexei German
Manoel de Oliveira

Obviously they won't respond with much more than a vague hint but they at least do seem to do the pleasure of denying what they can so if there's anything anyone's especially curious about it wouldn't hurt to ask them.

More Martino and Fulci are likely, considering the recent titles by those two. Rohmer would be likely but I assume the rights are still with Artificial Eye - unless they let them lapse. And Allen would be nice, but as people have said, extras would be tough.

You did fail to quote the rest of the OP's post though, which they could well have been replying to when they said 'keep an eye out for announcements!':

SUBJECTS AND GENRES
Lesser seen giallo and Italian horror in general
Classic Bollywood
Quebec cinema of the 1960s and 70s
American experimental film
Non-American experimental film
Classic Japanese horror
Art Theatre Guild

I myself suggested Jodorowsky, Kobayaski (specifically The Human Condition Trilogy), Polanski, Bergman, and Shimizu (specifically his Ju-on films). They replied with 'Polanski rights elsewhere' but no mention on the others. Jodorowsky I'm especially optimistic about as that was a name a lot of others seemed to mention (they even replied to someone else with 'Jodorowsky is a dream!').

Also, collecting films is still great but I miss those days when you could order titles like one or two at a time. Nowadays it's limited edition this and limited edition that, a little breather from ordering wouldn't hurt.

I don't wanna be a party-pooper but I'm starting to agree with you here - as much as I understand the limited edition model and the great strides Arrow are taking in bringing these titles to us, I really hope they can slow it down a bit. There is no way in hell I'd be able to afford all of these box sets as frequently as they're coming out. Not only am I looking to try and get Yoshida as soon as I can afford it, but Rivette is also staring at me, demanding my attention (i.e. my money). Fukasaku and Fassbinder are out of the question entirely, and the more box sets means the less I'll be buying less of their smaller titles (and I can't be the only one there).

I'm just worried that by the time I get 'round to being able to afford Yoshida, the Rivette set will be nearing OOP status, and then by the time I get near the Rivette set, yet another set has been lined up. It's a slippery slope, and one that's going to be frustrating to manage.

My mind's a little more at ease about Fukasaku and Fassbinder because they'll be releasing most of the discs separately. It's the ones that aren't getting reissues I'm worried about.

[TMDaines]

I've seen it all now. People non-sarcastically asking for less exciting films to be released. -.-

[Calvin]

More Martino and Fulci are likely, considering the recent titles by those two. Rohmer would be likely but I assume the rights are still with Artificial Eye - unless they let them lapse. And Allen would be nice, but as people have said, extras would be tough.

Arrow already have the rights to a number of Rohmer films - they put out a box set on DVD. I imported the French set and, although it has its flaws, I'm not sure it has enough for me to double dip on his filmography. I'd certainly be up for a release of 'Everything Not Subtitled in the Potemkine set' though!

Re: Allen, I'm aware of his anti-extras stance but I never did get a response from Twilight Time when I asked for more info on how it's enforced. Is it written in the contract? I know that there a number of (very) short extras on the discs of his newer films, so can he also prevent inclusion of archival material? Can it be circumvented by including all extras on a separate disc? And I think the Twilight Time discs have a Julie Kirgo essay, so would a big Arrow Academy book be possible? I think those are questions that it's definitely worth Arrow asking, but even if they're all a dead end then I'd still be very appreciative of a barebones box set at an affordable price.

I'd love the aforementioned Aleksei German set, or a Shinji Somai set or a Terayama set or a Kira Muratova set or an Edward Yang set or...I could probably go on forever

[rapta]

I've seen it all now. People non-sarcastically asking for less exciting films to be released. -.-

If you're referring to what I said, then no. What I actually said was that I'd prefer if Arrow didn't do as many expensive and/or limited edition box sets as often as they have been doing. It will just lead to a lot of people missing out on some, and scalpers buying them up for resale once they're OOP. Be more sensible to spread them out at least by a few months (or do one every two months or something, if that's entirely necessary).

[Calvin]

Interesting tidbit from Arrow's facebook page today is that they wanted to put out a Klimov/Shepitko box set but the rights weren't available.

[tomN245]

When Arrow was looking for suggestions, I was surprised at the amount of people requesting Terayama. This makes me happy :-"

[Orlac]

I've seen it all now. People non-sarcastically asking for less exciting films to be released. -.-

If you're referring to what I said, then no. What I actually said was that I'd prefer if Arrow didn't do as many expensive and/or limited edition box sets as often as they have been doing. It will just lead to a lot of people missing out on some, and scalpers buying them up for resale once they're OOP. Be more sensible to spread them out at least by a few months (or do one every two months or something, if that's entirely necessary).

Yes, I feel the same. One box-set every two months is enough.

[AK]

When Arrow was looking for suggestions, I was surprised at the amount of people requesting Terayama. This makes me happy :-"

Me too! Me too!

Arrow, please, we're asking really nicely.

[TMDaines]

I've seen it all now. People non-sarcastically asking for less exciting films to be released. -.-

If you're referring to what I said, then no. What I actually said was that I'd prefer if Arrow didn't do as many expensive and/or limited edition box sets as often as they have been doing. It will just lead to a lot of people missing out on some, and scalpers buying them up for resale once they're OOP. Be more sensible to spread them out at least by a few months (or do one every two months or something, if that's entirely necessary).

They are employing this model to mitigate the risk on their side. I doubt an alternative would be releasing the Rivettes and Yoshidas in simple editions without first ensuring they break even with this model. Ask MoC how some of their more esoteric standalone releases worked out for them. We raved about them here but they didn't sell particularly well. At least Arrow with their limited model, unlike say Twilight Time, are still offering good value, a reasonably safe investment and a more exciting range of films. What's more, most of the stuff comes out in a non-limited form further down the line.

You say "a lot of people missing out on some" as if it is a bad thing. Why do you need to own every limited edition put into print? It'd be a sad day if my film purchasing choices were limited to the budget of Joe Bloggs. It's largely a digital product after all. If you're enough of a maniac to throw a couple of hundred pounds at scalpers, essentially for a nice slipbox and book of essays that you cannot afford, then more fool you. You can either pick up the non-limited re-release at great value (as I did with Boro) or if the material was never made available elsewhere, just grab it off the Internet. You don't have to engage with scalpers.

[Ribs]

The fact Arrow seems to generally being make such a success out of it does make me wonder if Criterion should reconsider it's "everything must be perpetually in print" thing to allow some more interesting risky releases, but on the other hand I absolutely admire them for standing by these convictions. It's a tough balance I can see either side of but ultimately they're businesses and it comes down to their margins, if things could stay in print forever and be a success they would be.

(I'd quite like to see Criterion offer LE BDs of the Eclipse sets or the like, I could see that being a success)

I, for one, am a big fan of this model because if Arrow or whomever do take a risk and it does turn out oh no there's no commercial interest then at least we got a box set with several films out of it rather than just one or two that were in the pipeline. I want these sets to be a success so badly but Arrow can't expect them all to fly off the shelves.

(Also somehow the Yoshida box has unveiled that apparently there is a tremendously active interest amongst Arrow's fanbase in a Terayama set, which is thoroughly odd but the sheer frequency of its mention must surely mean Arrow is going to try and genuinely sort it out)

Also Arrow have said *if* Yoshida or Rivette sells out they will be rereleased, but that it would be on DVD. It wouldn't be going out of print.

[tenia]

Ask MoC how some of their more esoteric standalone releases worked out for them. We raved about them here but they didn't sell particularly well.

I think there is a reason why their line-up has become a bit (to say the least) less esoteric than before. Sure, many silent films having new restorations have been released, so you need some others to keep feeding the label, but still, there is quite a world between a Madame Dubarry BD and a Man of the West one. Comparing 2014 and 2015 clearly shows a difference in the type of titles being released, and I would be surprised sales hasn't anything to do with it.

At least Arrow with their limited model are still offering good value,

You don't have to engage with scalpers.

I think that's my main issue with those complaining about it. I understand how it constraints the time window within which you need to get it or you'll miss it. It IS a constraint because you simply can't push your purchase indefinitely.
On the other end, the prices for these LE are indeed usually quite good (the Rivette was a steal with its early bird price, the Fassbinder even more) and they're announced way early enough to help anybody saving money for this.

The most recent exemple is the Hellraiser LE : I pre-ordered mine on July 8th, and it sold out only 2 weeks prior to its release date. It means that anybody who wanted to buy it at a proper price only needed to save £4 per week. So it's silly doing the blame game and shifting it on Arrow.

Sure, I'd like to be able to build my purchase time table without having the feel it has to be built around expensive sets release dates (it will be for me for December because of the Fassbinder set).


As for scalpers, as long as there are people willing to pay £100 for a 200p book and an numbered outer case (Boro set) or a 200p book, an outer case and a bonus disc, why shouldn't they take advantage ?
There was a French humorist (Coluche) who used to say "One need to remember : it only needs us stop buying them for those to stop selling" ("Quand on pense qu'il suffirait d'arrêter d'en acheter pour que ça arrête de se vendre").