The Mystery of the Phantom Web Pages

[zedz]

And the Eraserhead problem was presumably based on an actual leak of actual information, not some fan's wild and unfounded speculation.

[matrixschmatrix]

I love all the speculation and detective work and so forth on forthcoming titles, but I would assume that the key to enjoying such is to remember that Criterion ain't owe us shit, ain't responsible for shit, and in theory is opposed to the whole process (though I imagine that it's overall beneficial to them.) If they want to get all espionage on the detectives out there by laying breadcrumbs that lead nowhere, they're 100% within their rights to do so, and answerable to nobody for it.

That said, I don't know that screwing with people is the most likely explanation of what happened there, and I'd be curious to know if they have an official one (though I'm guessing it would amount to 'huh, never heard about that.')

[Matt]

It would be more like Criterion (and a more reasonable way to spend employee time) to issue NO information than FALSE information. Unless it really is the product of unpaid interns dicking around on a Friday afternoon, I can't imagine what Criterion would have to gain by making web pages for films they never intend to release.

[zedz]

It would be more like Criterion (and a more reasonable way to spend employee time) to issue NO information than FALSE information. Unless it really is the product of unpaid interns dicking around on a Friday afternoon, I can't imagine what Criterion would have to gain by making web pages for films they never intend to release.

My non-conspiracy theory is that they had an unpaid intern, or a bunch of them, that they had to make work for, and simply asked them to populate the website with plausible names. At the very least, it saves somebody down the line the trouble of creating a profile page for Eli Wallach, say, when they release a film in which he appears. Once the intern(s) got through all the actual Hulu titles and such, they just called up films they liked on imdb and entered the cast and crew of them.

If you want to add a layer of conspiracy to it, you can easily imagine the supervisor saying, "there are these dweebs on the internet who are using these pages to predict forthcoming releases, which is really annoying and could even be commercially damaging, so why don't you just add a whole bunch of random names?" That's still a very long way from scheming to ruin your life with false hope for a Good, Bad, Ugly BluRay.

[dwk]

I know that interview is old, Moe, but It is obvious that Criterion's philosophy on the matter has not changed. In fact, I think they are less open than they used to be.

In the end it doesn't really matter why they added these names, I was just a little curious about it. It may be a case of them adding the names for other films, but the person who added the names noticed that all these people worked together on a specific film and even though Criterion doesn't have it, they decided to input them one after the other.

[Moe Dickstein]

Don't get me wrong - it's a great interview and I'm glad you shared it with us, just important to bear in mind it's from 1999 is all

[Buttery Jeb]

Cristian Mungiu

[Cinephrenic]

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days just confirmed?

Beyond the Hills also via IFC?

[rwiggum]

Cristian Mungiu

YES.

YES.

YES YES YES YES.

[Soothsayer]

Cristian Mungiu

YES.

YES.

YES YES YES YES.

seconded (please just put out his last two films at once Criterion, pleeeeease!)

now I just need them to make good on the Bruno Dumont phantom page...

[ordinaryperson]

Jacques Berr
[url=htttp://www.criterion.com/people/121930]Charles Barrois[/url]

[ptatler]

Charles Barrois (http://www.criterion.com/people/121930" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Offloading their Feyder perhaps? Either in an Eclipse set or a double feature of just CARNIVAL IN FLANDERS and KNIGHT WITHOUT ARMOR?

[Buttery Jeb]

Jacques Berr (http://www.criterion.com/people/121929" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
Charles Barrois (http://www.criterion.com/people/121930" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

They're both directors of early shorts featuring Jacques Tati; so, maybe we're getting the box set in June.

[jwd5275]

If they are going to throw films in that box not directed by Tati, they might as well throw in Sylvie et le fantôme, which was (still is..?) a long time Janus holding dating back to those old 70s catalogs (and also now impossible to find with english subs)...

[ordinaryperson]

Riccardo Freda

[knives]

I imagine, fortunately or unfortunately, this is more a sign for Bava than him considering how they have some ex-Image titles.

[HitchcockLang]

There used to be a phantom page for Woody Allen not all that long ago but it's gone now. Sad day. I was hoping for Take the Money and Run with Harvey Wallinger as a bonus feature.

[jwd5275]

Do you mean this page?

[Professor Wagstaff]

Since Senkichi Taniguchi has a phantom page, I wonder if Woody Allen's page means "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" might be in the cards.

[knives]

He's there for a different movie which is actually up on Hulu scripted by Kurosawa.

[jwd5275]

It's Snow Trail. I think it is also Mifune's first film too.

[Cold Bishop]

I imagine, fortunately or unfortunately, this is more a sign for Bava than him considering how they have some ex-Image titles.

Freda has some great films which would make a stellar Eclipse box: Don Cesare di Bazin, The Mysterious Rider, Maciste in Hell, The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock, The Seventh Sword, Double Face.

Certainly, his swashbucklers are much more deserving than Fanfan la Tulipe.

[HitchcockLang]

Do you mean this page?

Well I'll be darned. I swear before I could easily find it by searching his name on the Criterion site and the last couple times I tried I couldn't. I don't know how you found it, but it's comforting to know it's still there.

[FrauBlucher]

Any guesses at what the Terence Young film will be? I would have guessed Wait Until Dark but it's a Warner title.

[Jeff]

Any guesses at what the Terence Young film will be? I would have guessed Wait Until Dark but it's a Warner title.

There's been some speculation that it could be Red Sun, which would fit the New Year's clue. On the surface, it doesn't seem especially Criteriony, but I can see Janus possibly having picked it up as park of a larger package from an overseas licensor (Les Films Corona, perhaps) and it would be hard for them to turn down a Toshiro Mifune/Alain Delon team-up.