Forthcoming Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.3

[Tommaso]

I'd actually like to see that one...

[Cinephrenic]

Then it won't be long until this enters the collection:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051889/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Already out

[Arthur Bannister]

If there are different licensors for the Apu trilogy films, that might present Criterion with something of a headache!

Artificial Eye boxed them together as a set so, headache or no, it's not out of the realm of possibility. On the other hand, Sony issued them as stand-alone releases. Surely Criterion would prefer to release the trilogy as a package, but who can say how they might end up handling them if in fact they do handle them? I imagine there's plenty of material for extras however it goes.

Regardless, the trilogy and any other classic Ray films can't come fast enough for me.

[SpiderBaby]

Didn't the Costa films come from 2 places as well (Bazar do Video and Lusomundo Audiovisuals, S.A.)? I don't think the Apu Trilogy would be hard then.

[ShellOilJunior]

Then it won't be long until this enters the collection:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051889/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Already out

DVD? Then it's dead to me.

[ianungstad]

It looks like Chasing Amy might not be discontinued after all. According to Amazon, Lions Gate will release Chasing Amy: The Criterion Collection on May 17, 2011. I wonder how Criterion feels about that? From what I understand; Chasing Amy was a work for hire gig and the title was never actually licensed to Criterion. Since it was technically a Buena Vista release, I suppose Lions Gate probably has the rights to use the Criterion name and spine number on this release. I wonder if they even consulted with Criterion?

http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Amy-Colle ... 15&sr=1-38" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dwk]

from the New York Times summer preview

Roman Polanski’s macabre comedy “Cul-de-Sac” makes its debut on DVD and Blu-ray on July 26, as does Jean-Pierre Melville’s “Leon Morin, Priest” starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.

On Aug. 2 Cocteau makes his second home video appearance of the summer with the DVD and Blu-ray release of his “Orpheus.” The same day the complete works of Jean Vigo arrive, including his only feature, “L’Atalante,” one of the most lyrical and profoundly beautiful films ever made.

Obviously "Cul-de-Sac" was delayed, but it is nice to know "Orpheus" is coming back so soon (and good news on the Vigo set as well).

[John Edmond]

Hell, if Criterion only release Cul-de-Sac, Orpheus, and the Complete Vigo in August I'd consider it one of their best months.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Hell, if Criterion only release Cul-de-Sac, Orpheus, and the Complete Vigo in August I'd consider it one of their best months.

I wonder what they might be able to add to the pretty comprehensive Gaumont /AE sets that would warrant picking the Criterion up as well.Any ideas ?

[Tom Hagen]

Other than high def and region 1 availability?

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Other than high def and region 1 availability?

Yes since that's a given. I can't think of any extra Vigo related extras that might tempt us inhabitants of Region 2. And btw I count Julien Temple's Vigo as a well poisoner.

[matrixschmatrix]

Also, you know, not being out of print.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Also, you know, not being out of print.

Gaumont is not out of print and there are plenty of AE in circulation. Anyone else wanna get snippy/snipey while I'm on? It was a simple enough question viz. Is there anything out there that can add to the pretty comprehensive extras on the Region 2 sets? Sarky bastards need not apply.

[ellipsis7]

The only improvement I can imagine, is that the films, L'ATALANTE especially, are quite cropped in the transfers on the AE set, but I suspect this may be product of the restorations and recovery, and be on the actual print/current neg, and so maybe cannot be bettered by the CC...

[rrenault]

May I just ask why boutique DVDs and blu rays are so much cheaper in the UK? On Amazon UK, BFI, MOC, Second Run, and AE discs are all steals. What is it, more public funding of the arts perhaps? Shipping and handling included, I payed 15 US dollars for the Region Free AE blu ray of Cache, the same price it would have cost for me to purchase the measly US DVD.

[dwk]

Licensing costs. The population of the US is 5 times larger than the UK, so the US companies end up paying more for the rights than the UK companies.

[John Edmond]

Um, but then they just spread the licensing cost over 5 times as many people. UK RRP actually seems higher than US RRP, it just seems UK websites discount far more heavily. There is also the removal of VAT - which has driven down the original pre-VAT price so that when the 20% VAT is added the total sum is still at a reasonable price point.

Plus the various European Amazons seem a great deal better run than the US Amazon - at least from an Australian perspective.

[dwk]

Do the US companies actually sell 5 times as many copies? What the US companies sell and what the films owners think they'll sell are not the same. The films owners see a market of 300 million people and the licensees see a market, if they are lucky, in the thousands or, if they are unlucky, in the hundreds.

I do agree that, other than the current Criterion Blu-ray sale and some good deals on Blue Underground's Blu-rays, the US Amazon has not been offering very good discounts on DVD/Blu-rays from the indie labels.

[Minkin]

Also don't forget that the pound used to be more expensive (over 2 dollars to one pound), which would make the MSRP of MoC and bunch be closer to Criterion's prices. A better question would be: why is Amazon UK able to discount everything so well? 50% off is the norm and boxsets are even better. As my favorite example, I always find it hilarious to see the Basil Rathbone set in the US sell for $130 MSRP (there are also the older three sets- at $70 each!) when I was able to buy the UK version for roughly $25. Even if you had to buy a region free player, it's still a large discount.

I would consider Edition Filmmuseum as overpriced, but where else will you find those films? I was lucky enough to make my huge Filmmuseum purchase last summer when the Euro was only $1.20 - although I didn't enjoy the 75 euro shipping fee as the only shipping option (it did arrive the next day though!).

Besides, who ever buys a Criterion for more than $20 anymore?

[John Edmond]

It's true that licensors can be lazy when it comes to smaller foreign markets - I've heard rumours Gaumont gave Madman the Australian distribution rights in to their catalogue for the price of a bummed cigarette. However, conversely the bigger markets should also have advantages of scale.

Hadn't realised the pound had fallen against the US so sharply, with the way the US has been collapsing recently I'd presumed the opposite, that the discrepancy between UK and US prices was even sharper.

[perkizitore]

Amazon UK is price matching their 2-3 biggest rivals, while the American simply doesn't do it with a few exceptions. Also, catalog titles get massively discounted in the UK, while in the US the new releases are cheaper.

[Cinephrenic]

Digital Bits:

Finally this morning, a Friday story in The New York Times about summer movie releases on DVD and Blu-ray included this intriguing tidbit:

...The piece also adds this, which we assume refers to an as-yet-unannounced Criterion release...

"On Aug. 2 Cocteau makes his second home video appearance of the summer with the DVD and Blu-ray release of his Orpheus. The same day the complete works of Jean Vigo arrive, including his only feature, L'Atalante, one of the most lyrical and profoundly beautiful films ever made."

Not really anything new, just wonderful to see these coming sooner.

[ellipsis7]

Look back to 30 April, was already posted then by dwk in this thread...

[TMDaines]

Awesome prices on a lot of UK DVD and Blu-ray releases is really just down to the business models of the biggest half dozen or so online retailers. Amazon UK works on completely different principles to Amazon DE and IT for example. Online shopping is much more common here than in certain central european countries and Amazon here is an absolute giant compared to the other two.

[zedz]

AV Club interview with D. A. Pennbaker confirms that Criterion are working on The War Room - which we knew - but also hints they might be working on another, or some other, of his films.

[Criterion] are doing The War Room. They’re doing that, but they can’t take on all of them. We have maybe a hundred films here. So Criterion is only going to save one or two of them, even as Steve Savage did with Don’t Look Back.

Really obvious potential for an Eclipse set here, though we have been waiting on their Maysles material forever.