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bump. I would like to see a Region 1 release. Come on Criterion. Acquire the domestic rights from Warner or who ever owns it.

Both these films deserve to be on DVD. Above all, we need the final 6-hour cuts with english subtitles. According to my sources Warner still owns the rights to both titles - which is rather worrying actually - but with the new SFI transfer on hand all they need to do is make a direct port of the superior scandinavian DVD-transfer. Instant cash-cow right?

Come on Criterion (or Warner, for that matter). This would be a very important release.

piano player wrote:Instant cash-cow right?

Er--no. Region 1 audiences haven't been exactly clamoring for Troell DVDs. (Even the Swedes have been notoriously selective in what Troell films are getting the DVD treatment.)

piano player wrote:This would be a very important release.

You're right on that score, and the SFI set is perfect in every way except for lack of English subs--which makes an R1 release a no-brainer. But again, hardly anyone discusses Troell any more (even on this board), so I wouldn't hold my breath.

The Emigrants and The New Land are showing at LACMA (in Los Angeles) in January, I believe. Must be the same print.
No burned in sub titles on a print makes it less likely that there would be burned in subtitles on a DVD.

tavernier wrote:

piano player wrote:Instant cash-cow right?

Er--no. Region 1 audiences haven't been exactly clamoring for Troell DVDs. (Even the Swedes have been notoriously selective in what Troell films are getting the DVD treatment.)

piano player wrote:This would be a very important release.

You're right on that score, and the SFI set is perfect in every way except for lack of English subs--which makes an R1 release a no-brainer. But again, hardly anyone discusses Troell any more (even on this board), so I wouldn't hold my breath.

I doubt it's the diminishing marquee value of Jan Troell that's holding Warner's back from releasing these films. They have more obvious selling points that Warners can exploit--multiple Oscar nominations, epic American subject matter, popular and critical success, etc. If that were the case, they would've handed these over to Criterion long ago.

Adam wrote:The Emigrants and The New Land are showing at LACMA (in Los Angeles) in January, I believe. Must be the same print.
No burned in sub titles on a print makes it less likely that there would be burned in subtitles on a DVD.

Thanks. And they're showing the original three hour versions (!), which is amazing. To see these films in a theatre would be a fantastic experience and a dream come true, but sadly I don't live in California. Liv Ullman is always best on a big screen, so don't miss out.

Edit, here are the links.

Looks like they're also showing Jan Troell's latest film Everlasting Moments
Oh, and it looks like Troell will be there in person before the Everlasting Moments screening. I would like to ask him why he doesn't talk to someone at Warner, in order to get The Emigrants on DVD in the United States.

i would like to make a correction to some of the posts above..

The Swedish dvd-set is released by SF (Svensk Filmindustri) not SFI (Svenska Filminstitutet), SFI preserve films but they don't release any DVD, VHS or Blu-ray dscs.

Which means that Isis controls DVD rights for the long versions in the United States at this time, but the prints are SF? or does it? Warners probably still owns US distribution.
Well, in any case, I caught "The Emigrants" but wasn't able to make it to "The New Land" at LACMA. "The Emigrants" is magnificent, and really should be made available on DVD as soon as possible. Epic and subtle, and Troell has very interesting, even unique editing rhythms, cuts with ellipses of multiple years, interesting coverage and staging of events.

90-year-old "worst Criterion critic" John Simon was interviewed for Criterion's upcoming Jan Troell double feature The Emigrants and The New Land, supposedly coming in February.

They recently interviewed Liv Ullmann; so that sounds about right.

tavernier wrote:90-year-old "worst Criterion critic" John Simon was interviewed for Criterion's upcoming Jan Troell double feature The Emigrants and The New Land, supposedly coming in February.

huh? who's john Simon and why is he notorious?

I'm nowhere near as down on Criterion's choice of releases of late as most seem to be but this has to be the most exciting release in years, right? The fact it's coming so soon (theoretically to be announced officially in a week's time) is incredibly surprising as well.

Disappointing emigrants and new land aren't in the mold of the leopard with the American cuts and dubs included, but I'm excited to finally see the original language and cut.

Disappointing emigrants and new land aren't in the mold of the leopard with the American cuts and dubs included, but I'm excited to finally see the original language and cut.

do you happen to know which cuts were released on iTunes? those are the only versions i've ever seen...

barryconvex wrote:

Disappointing emigrants and new land aren't in the mold of the leopard with the American cuts and dubs included, but I'm excited to finally see the original language and cut.

do you happen to know which cuts were released on iTunes? those are the only versions i've ever seen...

No idea I've only seen them on VHS

I forgot today was the day and I went to Criterion.com to look for something else, and... Well, I literally gasped when I saw the cover art on the Upcoming Releases page.

I cannot wait for this release. What a treat.

DVD Beaver

The screen caps look gorgeous, but I'm waiting for more reviews before buying. I'm absolutely expecting to see reports about compression issues.

Looking close-up at their screenshots, if there are compression issues, they're much subtler issues in comparison to Mulholland Dr. or The Rose or My own Private Idaho, where the issues were plainly obvious in those big screenshots.

I think the screencaps of Mullholland Dr. on DVD Beaver looked great, too. It was the caps made available elsewhere that uncovered the serious compression issues. I pretty much don't pre-order any Criterion release anymore.

Perhaps Criterion can go to the next step and release the film made by Troell between HERE IS YOUR LIFE & EMIGRANTS namely: EENY MEENY MINY MOE (starring the wonderful Per Oscarsson). Then - not being too greedy - how about the first four features by Bo Widerberg who is undeservedly ignored in the English-speaking world on DVD.

Werewolf by Night wrote:DVD Beaver

The screen caps look gorgeous, but I'm waiting for more reviews before buying. I'm absolutely expecting to see reports about compression issues.

massive step up from the washed out vhs!

charal wrote:Perhaps Criterion can go to the next step and release the film made by Troell between HERE IS YOUR LIFE & EMIGRANTS namely: EENY MEENY MINY MOE (starring the wonderful Per Oscarsson). Then - not being too greedy - how about the first four features by Bo Widerberg who is undeservedly ignored in the English-speaking world on DVD.

I think Olive has the right to those Winderberg's.

Just a little note to the review here; after the credits there's a card that says the film was restored in 2004, so yes, it's not a "new" high definition transfer so much as a high-definition transfer thats new to home video.

FWIW I thought it looked encoded beautifully. Criterion's stepped their game back up.

The film is way better when not in English and shortened as it airs on TCM, as should be obvious, and I'm so happy to finally be able to see it this way.