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kaujot wrote:It's whether or not it's actually any good. And yes, subjectivity, blah blah.

Discussion of Election and Alexander Payne moved here.

Cinephrenic wrote:Anyone know any info on Rex Ingram's The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) as for as in rights and releasing?

It's public domain, but the best material is owned by Warners (thanks to their ownership of Metro and older MGM films). It's aching for a release, but so are so many other silents that Warners keeps promising and delaying, promising and delaying.....

Email from Mulvaney stating that they have no current plans for any more Schrader.

How about Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant? It has a pretty lame R1 release, but I don't know who owns the rights to it, etc. etc.

I think that'd be a pretty nice Criterion release, yeah?

kaujot wrote:Email from Mulvaney stating that they have no current plans for any more Schrader.

Funny enough, I just re-watched American Gigolo yesterday and was thinking it would make for an interesting Criterion release (so underappreciated a film). Oh well.

How about Brewster McCloud? As far as I know, this is MGM property. It really is a crime that this film has not been released when even A Perfect Couple is available (granted, it was a Fox release).

CSM126 wrote:

kaujot wrote:Email from Mulvaney stating that they have no current plans for any more Schrader.

Funny enough, I just re-watched American Gigolo yesterday and was thinking it would make for an interesting Criterion release (so underappreciated a film). Oh well.

I've always kinda wanted to see Looking For Mr. Goodbar again...

kaujot wrote:Email from Mulvaney stating that they have no current plans for any more Schrader.

And I just rewatched Light Sleeper.... good movie but weird Criterion.

That's disappointing about Schrader, I think Blue Collar would make a great release. We need Pryor in the collection.

I stumbled across this terrific article today.

What do you guys think? I think a Robert Downey boxset would be a very welcome addition to the collection. Love me some Putney Swope. Not to mention that this would be quite a coup, as many of these films have been notoriously underground and obscure. With this new film series, we may see a resurrection of this seemingly misunderstood artist's oeuvre.

How about Wong Kar Wai's Ashes of Time being added to the Collection? I see there's a Redux version that's going to be released in theatres (or already has) and that it's being distributed by Sony Classics. The region 1 DVD is out of print. Does anyone know if Sony has the DVD rights as well?

Sony has all North American rights. It looks like they're finally doing business with Criterion (Bottle Rocket), but the odds they would farm out such a recent acquisition are close to zero.

Has Criterion any plans of releasing more vintage Japanese stuff? I think that some Naruse and Shimizu films would be perfect.

perkizitore wrote:Has Criterion any plans of releasing more vintage Japanese stuff? I think that some Naruse and Shimizu films would be perfect.

My idea of Heaven is a world where people are complaining about Criterion releasing too much Naruse (and Shimizu, too, judging from the raves his films get).

I emailed Jon Mulvaney about The Seventh Seal and Black Narcissus on Blu-ray, since they are both available in England, and here's what he said:

We'll definitely be doing some Bergman on Blu-ray next year. SEVENTH SEAL will get a new SD version and will be released on Blu-ray at the same time. BLACK NARCISSUS has been something we've been talking about re-doing but we no immediate plans. I hope this helps, and thanks for your email!

Best,

Jon Mulvaney

I also e-mailed him about a re-release of Picnic at Hanging Rock:

We do plan to rerelease this title at some point, but a specific date has not yet been scheduled. Feel free to check back, and thanks for your email!

Best,

Jon Mulvaney

Great news, all of those, though I'd long suspected (and basically knew) that The Seventh Seal would be getting the SD and Blu-Ray upgrade. Nice to have confirmation of Picnic at Hanging Rock, too.

Both Black Narcissus and Seventh Seal Blu-Rays are region-free, and very nice editions, so there's no pressing need to wait for Criterion to get around to them. However, since Seventh Seal is Tartan, I don't know about its continuing availability (BN is ITV).

It will be great to have a new SD of Seventh Seal though.

mfunk9786 wrote:It will be great to have a new SD of Seventh Seal though.

Tartan's Seventh Seal comes with two discs: 1 BR and 1 SD (PAL), and is still available (from Amazonat least). I don't know how the Tartan compares to Criterions old or new either in terms of PQ or extras; they're covered by the Beevif you want to wade through the comparisons. But all in all, I think £18 (less VAT for US customers) is a pretty good deal for an excellent BD Seventh Seal and a throw-in excellent SD Seventh Seal, all without having to wait for a Criterion release in the uncertain future.

They had better be redoing Black Narcissus, and sooner rather than later. Their DVD, while just passable for 2001, is now the worst-looking edition of the film on the market.

I don't have BD and don't plan on getting it. So... yeah, Criterion.

mfunk9786 wrote:I don't have BD and don't plan on getting it.

I bet you said the same thing about DVD ten years ago.

Matt wrote:They had better be redoing Black Narcissus, and sooner rather than later. Their DVD, while just passable for 2001, is now the worst-looking edition of the film on the market.

I suggest they work alphabetically and begin with Goddamned Andrei Rublev.

MyNameCriterionForum wrote:

Matt wrote:They had better be redoing Black Narcissus, and sooner rather than later. Their DVD, while just passable for 2001, is now the worst-looking edition of the film on the market.

I suggest they work alphabetically and begin with Goddamned Andrei Rublev.

I suggest they work numberically with Grand Illusion.

Solution:

January 2009 Titles:

Andrei Rublev
Black Narcissus
Grand Illusion

Tokyo Story with new hat