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Just because we find out most of the releases before we're supposed to doesn't make them boring.

backstreetsbackalright wrote: You do realize that there's more Bergman in the Criterion and Eclipse Collections than Ozu, don't you?

Yes, just as I am sure you realize that Bergman made nearly twice as many films in his lifetime as survived from Ozu's. And I am not making the case that everything Bergman ever made should be put in the Collection.

Tom Hagen wrote:

zedz wrote: Unlike other Favourite Unavailable Film(s) Criterion have rights and materials, so we should be glad they're not just sitting on them.

But that's my frustration exactly: where is The Magician? Or The Soft Skin? (I'd bitch about Vivre Sa Vie, but I know it will be coming soon.) As far as I know, they do have the rights to this stuff. Hell, they released it on laser. I am not upset that Criterion is giving us more Ozu instead of doing The Decalogue or something else that they haven't acquired rights for.

Well, yeah. I think we're talking about the same thing. If Criterion were releasing those titles and sitting on the Ozus, people would still be complaining, just about different titles.

I take domino's point, but I think chaddoli's right too. There are much worse things Criterion could be doing that releasing three Ophuls, three Kaurismakis and an Ozu! The more out-of-the-blue surprises we have, the less of the 'stuff we know they're sitting on' comes out. On the bright side, this means everybody's always got something to complain about!

Ah, very true. And as others have pointed out, there seems to have been a "more Ozu" outcry not long ago.

Tom Hagen wrote:Ah, very true. And as others have pointed out, there seems to have been a "more Ozu" outcry not long ago.

As I recall, it was the forum's default setting: "Why are Criterion releasing more Bergman / Kurosawa / Anderson / Suzuki / That Sucky Director when all we want is More Ozu?" Which makes the current outcry all the more entertaining to the aged among us. I guess the current equivalent is Mizoguchi or, if you're more récherché, Imamura or Gremillon.

I'm absolutely stroked that we've gotten nine Ozu films in less than 18 months. Does this make me aged?

I can't wait until people are complaining about 'excessive' amounts of Duvivier, Naruse, Bunuel, or Shimizu.

Fun. Times.

zedz wrote:I guess the current equivalent is Mizoguchi or, if you're more récherché, Imamura or Gremillon.

I was told by someone involved with the Imamura titles listed in the forthcoming thread to expect them in early '08. Don't know what's holding up those titles, but the wait has been nerve-racking.

At least we got some of his films on DVD, but it's a crime that Oshima is overlooked, along with Naruse.

What A Disgrace wrote:I can't wait until people are complaining about 'excessive' amounts of Duvivier, Naruse, Bunuel, or Shimizu.

That would be great if people were complaining about excessive amounts of Naruse - now those would be fun times. I'm not one to complain about more Ozu either though, as I find almost everything else they release considerably less interesting, even if I'm not very interested in the Ozu releases. Who would be asking for more Bunuel though!?

mattkc wrote:Who would be asking for more Bunuel though!?

Anyone who realizes that there are no acceptable English-subbed editions of either Simon of the Desert or The Exterminating Angel, for one thing.

Yeah, compared to how many Naruses not available with English subs...

mattkc wrote:Yeah, compared to how many Naruses not available with English subs...

True, but that doesn't mean I can't also keep asking for the two Bunuel masterpieces.

domino harvey wrote:My problem is the lack of surprise. Remember last year when House of Games's announcement blew everyone away in shock? We knew all of September's titles were coming, and now anyone can guess October's releases as well (Bottle Rocket, Chungking Express, Walkabout reissue, Rosselini Eclipse set). If Criterion's reading this: Please shock us next month! Move something surprising, something unexpected, something ballsy up in the release queue.

So are you saying I should keep my mouth shut?

justeleblanc wrote:So are you saying I should keep my mouth shut?

Unless it's Truffaut. Because if it's Truffaut, you can just tell us now.

HelenLawson wrote:Where the hell is Last Year at Marienbad, Monika, or The Makioka Sisters?

There's probably at least a dozen unreleased Ichikawa films that are better (and more interesting) than "Makioka Sisters" (a major disappointment).

I dont know why many people are complaining about Ozu, They have released tons of Akira Kurosawa in less time and considering that he is "not as good as Ozu" but thats very subjetive. And they have just released 15 of his 34 films that survive so why are you complaining? they havent released even the half of his films. Ozu is really a major director that deserves to be watched (all of them) by everyone. I am very excited by this new release.

People complain about Kurosawa releases all the time, and probably have since the beginning of the label. But Kurosawa didn't get two Eclipse boxed sets within months of each other, after consumers were dazzled with the promise of exciting new directors entering the collection via the new line.

stalker_ozu wrote:I dont know why many people are complaining about Ozu, They have released tons of Akira Kurosawa in less time and considering that he is "not as good as Ozu" but thats very subjetive. And they have just released 15 of his 34 films that survive so why are you complaining? they havent released even the half of his films. Ozu is really a major director that deserves to be watched by everyone. I am very excited by this new release.

I know, right?! And they forgot to fill out the proper (paraphrased) form:

matt wrote:WTF, Criterion?!?!? I can't believe you're wasting more time on OZU when I have been waiting ________ years/months (circle one) for a remastered version of/Criteiron release of (circle one) ___________. I realize you might not think that _____________ is as "important" a director as OZU, but come one!!! This is rediculous. OZU is the worst movie in the entire Criterion Collection, even worse than Armageddon/The Rock/Fat Girl (circle one). Well, fine! At least I'll definatly be able to save some money by not buying this whenever it comes out.

mattkc wrote:Who would be asking for more Bunuel though!?

Ensayo de un crimen (1955)
Wuthering Heights (1954)
La Ilusión viaja en tranvía (1954)
El (1953)
Bruto, El (1953)
Subida al cielo (1952)
Susana (1951)
Olvidados, Los (1950)

IMHO, this represents the greatest five-year run by a director ever. They can be tracked down via various shitty transfers from Mexico, France and Facets, but a Criterion box would give everybody a chance to see that Bunuel's Mexican studio films are at least the equal (and I say superior) to his later Euro-financed productions.

Also, we have no subtitled dvd of Las Hurdes, which prefigures Bunuel's feature output to a far greater degree than Un Chien Andalou or L'Age d'or.

I'm not sure if Criterion was upfront about their Eclipse line. From whom I've talked to, Criterion and Janus have licensed a bundle of films over the years, and the original owners have been getting pissed that their films weren't getting released. I'm not sure how many films Criterion or Janus ended up not releasing because the windows expired, but Eclipse was meant to counter act that. In the hopes of going through and cleaning out films they've owned and have been needing to release fast, they created the Eclipse label. I know they've been sitting on the Lubitsch's for a while, and the Ozu's have been a long time coming, so expect more Ozu's in the future.

Also, I wouldn't expect them to look for new films to fill out their Eclipse label for a while. They have a long list -- maybe another 18 months worth -- of shelf-emptying series that will get the foreign and domestic owners off their backs. From what I understand, the Japanese owners were becoming disgruntled.

I may be wrong, and maybe they will entertain new ideas, like a box of Eustache's documentaries or Truffaut's romances, or Dziga Vertov Group's comedies, but I doubt this is likely. I do foresee Buneul/Mexico in the future, however.

mattkc wrote:Who would be asking for more Bunuel though!?

Me. Buñuel was my introduction to world cinema (alongside Tarkovsky's Solaris) and I would relish the chance to see some of his middle period films that never even made the leap from film to home video (DVD or VHS). For a filmmaker I was so obsessed with for many years, I sure don't have anywhere near an understanding of the man's cinematic output. I have seen, maybe, 1/3 of his films (and I love every one I've seen) but wish they were all available.

Great stuff, juste; thanks for posting. That context really puts the Ozu bonanza into perspective.

justeleblanc wrote:Also, I wouldn't expect them to look for new films to fill out their Eclipse label for a while. They have a long list -- maybe another 18 months worth -- of shelf-emptying series that will get the foreign and domestic owners off their backs. From what I understand, the Japanese owners were becoming disgruntled.

You get the best gossip. They must have almost all the major Japanese studios after them, if the Eclipse sets have been from Toho and Shochiku, there was that rumour that they bought the rights to Shintoho's entire catalogue to get Jigoku, I've heard it rumoured that they've been sitting on some more Suzuki for quite a while and the upcoming sets likely include a fair number of Nikkatsu titles too.

personnally I think some people get upset if they don't get a chance to bitch about eclipse once a month. I've bought two eclipse releases, silent ozu, and late ozu. I look forward to more. I'll probably buy Lubitsch, Kurasawa, Malle and Bernard in that order, and I may pick up the shepitko blind, but will definitely netflix at least one. at the very least, the transfers of the ozu stuff seem to be from the glory days (ie pre-windowboxing, that heinous practice), so more of that would be excellent.

My understanding always was that Criterion had made at least a "moral commitment" to get pretty much all of the Ozu catalog onto DVD -- either released by itself or by its (late) partner HVE. This sort of thing is taken very seriously. If other Japanese rights holders felt Criterion reneged on such a commitment, this could very much complicate future dealings with any Japanese companies. While Criterion was not responsible for (and surely didn't foresee) the evaporation of HVE, this would not relieve it of any obligation it owed to Shochiku. by prioritizing Ozu (for a while), Criterion, re-affirms its good faith and commitment,

Disclaimer -- not based on any inside information whatsoever.