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Was hoping for The Piano Criterion... oh well.

Jack White vomiting in HD!

Brian C wrote:Hey now, that's great news. Been waiting for The Piano especially since forever. I don't think it ever even got a 16x9 release here in the US...?

No, it never did. I haven't seen Portrait of a Lady yet (which did draw its share of high praise), but otherwise, this was the last one she did that I really liked.

Screencaps from the new Evil Dead 2 Blu-ray.

Lionsgate is starting their own MOD line. The press release mentions Brighton Rock, so does that mean Criterion doesn't have it, despite the Rialto re-release?

In the comments on the HTF thread, someone mentions a Lionsgate DVD-R listing at Amazon for Went the Day Well, another Rialto title.

I hate this world

dadaistnun wrote:Lionsgate is starting their own MOD line. The press release mentions Brighton Rock, so does that mean Criterion doesn't have it, despite the Rialto re-release?

In the comments on the HTF thread, someone mentions a Lionsgate DVD-R listing at Amazon for Went the Day Well, another Rialto title.

Both of those films are available in excellent Blu-ray transfers from UK Studio Canal. Went the Day Well also includes Calvalcanti's short send-up/attack on Mussolini, Yellow Caesar. Both are Region B locked, however.

dadaistnun wrote:Lionsgate is starting their own MOD line. The press release mentions Brighton Rock, so does that mean Criterion doesn't have it, despite the Rialto re-release?

In the comments on the HTF thread, someone mentions a Lionsgate DVD-R listing at Amazon for Went the Day Well, another Rialto title.

A huge portion of the Rialto catalog including most of those that remain unreleased by Criterion are StudioCanal titles. I gave up my deep seated hope for Brighton Rock when I realized that (at least until something changes in that situation).

An absolute shame that these titles, in addition to receiving the typical Lionsgate treatment, they have to suffer the additional indignity of MOD...

Breathable air is honestly the only thing keeping me here at this point.

So UK Studio Canal has both films in excellent Blu Ray transfers (Region locked, but still) and Lionsgate dumps them on MOD DVDs in the US.
Is there really less of a collector's market in the US for titles like these than there is in Europe or do US companies calculate profits differently - what am I missing?

Maybe I should just trade in my DVD and BR collection for a ticket on the next space ship to Mars - arghh!

I believe that a region-free BluRay player is still cheaper than a ticket to Mars, and the Blu of Went the Day Well? is an excellent excuse to take that plunge.

Zedz - fully agree and I actually own a region free Blu Ray Player and these days before buying any BR I always check both sides of the Atlantic for available versions not just in terms of quality but also extras, so even if Lionsgate would have published these movies on BR in the US, I would carefully read reviews first before buying, especially given their track record.

However, my main question that I really don't have a good answer for is why has MOD taken off for classical titles in the US, while in Europe some of these titles can be bought in regular pressed versions?
Is it that the studios think there aren't enough US consumers interested in buying these titles to make it worthwhile, is it that the US collectors market is less discerning, is it that profit thresholds are different for studios to put some money behind a pressed release or is it that enough collectors buy the MOD versions, which seem more profitable for the studios anyhow, that studios decide why go through the additional investment with pressed releases if the same money or more can be had with MOD titles?

But you know what was really awesome? When StudioCanal took their licenses away from Criterion so that Lionsgate could MOD them.

vsski wrote:Is it that the studios think there aren't enough US consumers interested in buying these titles to make it worthwhile, is it that the US collectors market is less discerning, is it that profit thresholds are different for studios to put some money behind a pressed release or is it that enough collectors buy the MOD versions, which seem more profitable for the studios anyhow, that studios decide why go through the additional investment with pressed releases if the same money or more can be had with MOD titles?

My uninformed sense of the situation is that many corporations these days, especially in the US, are not satisfied with "profit". Something is not worth doing unless it generates "massive profit". As a result, companies like Criterion - and even smaller entities like Kino or Oscilloscope or what have you - are able to stay afloat while putting out extravagant releases of titles the big studios would never even dream of considering, while the studios give the big "fuck you" to considerably more prominent titles that they control.

I guess it's possible that the economics of the situation work out for Criterion (and others) but not the studios. But I have a hard time imagining how that could be. To me, it looks like a massive market inefficiency, but what do I know.

vsski wrote:However, my main question that I really don't have a good answer for is why has MOD taken off for classical titles in the US, while in Europe some of these titles can be bought in regular pressed versions?
Is it that the studios think there aren't enough US consumers interested in buying these titles to make it worthwhile, is it that the US collectors market is less discerning, is it that profit thresholds are different for studios to put some money behind a pressed release or is it that enough collectors buy the MOD versions, which seem more profitable for the studios anyhow, that studios decide why go through the additional investment with pressed releases if the same money or more can be had with MOD titles?

It's an interesting question, especially considering the US market is much bigger. I can't help but think sometimes that those in charge do see Americans as far less discerning. See pay-per-view: the number of PPVs in Britain is far, far less and the prices when the events on PPV are much, much lower. Sky are all but stopping PPV now. In most of Europe PPV doesn't exist at all. People over here simply aren't interested and won't buy it and the same goes for MOD titles. I'm literally flabbergasted at the prices Americans "have" to pay for UFC, Boxing and WWE PPVs. It's simply crazy.

TMDaines wrote:

vsski wrote:I'm literally flabbergasted at the prices Americans "have" to pay for UFC, Boxing and WWE PPVs. It's simply crazy.

I'm flabbergasted that people actually want that stuff...

This just shows that Lionsgate aren't really aware of what they have, and don't think these 'old British movies' would make an American Buck.

manicsounds wrote:This just shows that Lionsgate aren't really aware of what they have, and don't think these 'old British movies' would make an American Buck.

Enough American bucks...Brian's correct.

But I think it's also true inn the US that the collector's market is an aging market. Whether its film or music, younger generations are simply not interested in owing the physical package. They are more interested in being able to load the product on one of a variety of mobile devices and "consuming" it in that fashion. Look at the success of the iTunes model. Consider the smart phone ads that tout the ability to watch movies on that tiny screen as a plus.

Bah, that tells us only what marketers wish to sell to young people, not necessarily what young people want to buy. I think the degree to which those two things fail to overlap is sort of the whole point at issue here.

Beaver on The English Patient. Commence argument ... now!

There's little argument to be had when few people actually care about the film.

American Dad put it best: It looks beautiful, but it takes a very long time for an unsatisfying pay-off.

Is that what passes for a joke on a Seth MacFarlane show? I was going to go with:

ARGUMENT: The English Patient is boring.
COUNTER-ARGUMENT: I agree.

END SCENE

swo17 wrote:Is that what passes for a joke on a Seth MacFarlane show?

It's no "Obama is a socialist"

Seinfeld wrote:[Elaine and Peterman are watching "The English Patient". Elaine is about to freak out of boredom]
Elaine Benes: [quietly] No. I can't do this any more. I can't. It's too long.
Elaine Benes: [yells] Quit telling your stupid story about the stupid desert, and just die already! DIE!
J. Peterman: [surprised] Elaine, you don't like the movie?
Elaine Benes: [shouts] I hate it!
[the audience shushes Elaine]
Elaine Benes: [shouts back] Oh, go to hell!

Later...

[as Elaine turns to re-enter the theatre, she sees Gail, Carol and Lisa coming out]
Elaine Benes: [surprised] Hey, what're you guys doing here?
Lisa: We just saw "The English Patient" again.
Gail: It's even better the second time.
Elaine Benes: [sarcastically] They made it longer?

I, too, would have preferred to see Sack Lunch.

BDdefinition's review also puts the Lionsgate release in picture quality above SC, (and the Lionsgate has a lot more extras as well).

But the difference in the color scheme, unusual if all the previous releases were similar.

How about the stuffed toy take on the film?