'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

[cdnchris]

Holy shit! Every one of those releases is a surprise (well, except Downhill Racer). I'm actually quite stoked about November.

(Did I just use the word "stoked"?)

[Antoine Doinel]

(Did I just use the word "stoked"?)

Totes.

[Rupert Pupkin]

I honestly don't understand all the bitching. Of all a sudden it appears Criterion has access to WB, MGM, IFC, Focus and Sony. It would only make sense they make the most of the opportunities while they have it (and as Domino mentions, during Xmas season).

Only 1 Blu-Ray for November ? (Gomorrah which is already on BR available in France)
do you think there is still a chance that they announce another BR title (I'm waiting for Walkabout on BR since sooooo long....) [-o<

It's a bit disappointing for Arnaud Desplechin fans that A Christmas Tale isn't released on Blu-Ray since - then again - it's available in France on BR but without all the bonus announced by Criterion.
Moreover, La Sentinelle, or Léo dans la compagnie des hommes (which is my favorite so far) would have been a better choice for a Deplechin Criterion "approved" released. Especially since J-P.Roussillon recently died last week. He was fantastic in Léo...

[Tommaso]

Wow. I mean. Wow.

At last I'll be able to afford the rest of the Treasures from the American Film Archives series.

Exactly. With things like "Freudlose Gasse" coming from Filmmuseum, "Jeanne la Pucelle" from AE, "Benjamenta" from BFI, plus a great set of L'Herbier films from France, not to mention Murnau from MoC (oh, and there's just been an announcement for the deluxe edition of the new David Sylvian album at a cost of only 85$ dollar plus shipping), I can only say: Thank you, Criterion! These November releases are the only way to save my credit card from any further damage.

[Perkins Cobb]

Maybe it's time to change the name to The MOC Forum?

[eerik]

WTF? That's the only thing I can say right now. ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

I have now calmed down. I also have a lot of catching up to do with other releases and all my money in November goes to Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival anyway. I'm still hoping that they are doing something big for spine #500 next year... something like this Kurosawa boxset on Blu-ray would be enough for me. :-"

[Finch]

Maybe it's time to change the name to The MOC Forum?

And what if MoC run out of releases of the likes of Murnau et al? I won't be buying anything from November's schedule either (I'm going to spend on Sony's Film Noir 1 set, the North by Northwest reissue, MoC's Mankind disc and Up instead) but to call for a name change because the recent spate of releases from the main line doesn't appeal to some people (myself included) personally is a bit much (unless you were being sarcastic/ironic).

[Tommaso]

I guess it was irony, but it's not exactly surprising that something like this comes up. I don't see MoC running out of releases, btw. They have a knack of finding just the right films to make many of us happy, just as CC had some four or five years ago. It's a question of 'balancing'. I don't care for "Soul Power" at all, but at the same time they release it they will release other films catering to another part of their clientele. It's CC focussing on new films and (for me) not particularly exciting ones that stretches my patience, especially if things like "Senso" or the Rosselini War Trilogy seem to be pushed back again and again. The occasional "Koko" a few years back was a quite different situation compared to what we have now.

[Cinephrenic]

We use to have interviews with Criterion, is it possible to have another?

[HerrSchreck]

Wow. I mean. Wow.

At last I'll be able to afford the rest of the Treasures from the American Film Archives series.

Exactly. With things like "Freudlose Gasse" coming from Filmmuseum, "Jeanne la Pucelle" from AE, "Benjamenta" from BFI, plus a great set of L'Herbier films from France, not to mention Murnau from MoC (oh, and there's just been an announcement for the deluxe edition of the new David Sylvian album at a cost of only 85$ dollar plus shipping), I can only say: Thank you, Criterion! These November releases are the only way to save my credit card from any further damage.

And that Kino Avant Garde 3 islooking gobsmacking, especially with that amazing Cavalcanti (in a brand new HD Eastman House transfer!) plus a new Kirsanoff not available before in any backchannel!

Thank heavens these other labels are still keeping on with the original mission statement. And somehow surviving.

[Matt]

We use to have interviews with Criterion, is it possible to have another?

No. We tried.

Only 1 Blu-Ray for November ? (Gomorrah which is already on BR available in France)
... It's a bit disappointing for Arnaud Desplechin fans that A Christmas Tale isn't released on Blu-Ray since - then again - it's available in France on BR but without all the bonus announced by Criterion.

I'm sorry, I don't follow. Are you saying that Criterion shouldn't need to release these titles on Blu-ray since they are available in France? Exactly how many people in the US do you think own region-free Blu-ray players AND know enough Italian/French to follow a film without English subtitles?

[SSF]

The occasional "Koko" a few years back was a quite different situation compared to what we have now.

What situation, do we have now?

We've had a year of Bunuels, Godards, Marienbad, Repulsion, Human Condition, Z, Wings of Desire, Jeanne Dielman, Painleve, Oshimas, Rossellinis, Imamuras, and left-field picks like the Golden Age of Television. And this is just to name a few.

I'm sorry, but is the occassional release you don't want really a situation?

[Rupert Pupkin]

I'm sorry, I don't follow. Are you saying that Criterion shouldn't need to release these titles on Blu-ray since they are available in France? Exactly how many people in the US do you think own region-free Blu-ray players AND know enough Italian/French to follow a film without English subtitles?

I was trying to say (sorry for my bad English) : a) that I regret that there is only 1 Blu-Ray title announced for the Criterion batch

b) since Arnaud Desplechin makes his entry in the Criterion collection with "A Christmas Tale", I think that it's sad that it is only available on DVD.
Especially when it is states that the DVD transfer has been supervised by Arnaud Desplechin (and I assume that the DVD will have the "A.Desplechin criterion" approved sticker)
Such movie should have been available on both format DVD/Blu-Ray. Especially since a blu-ray edition is already available in France.
"Region A" "people" would like to have this movie on blu-ray format too, with English subtitles, etc...
What I wanted to say : why no Criterion blu-ray transfer ?

(on the other hand, I'm not so fond of A Christmas Tale and if I had to choose a Desplechin movie for the Criterion collection it would be rather Leo dans la compagnie des hommes)

[Michael Kerpan]

I'm not happy unless Criterion issues 5 times more new releases than I can afford. If they only put out twice as many, I feel cheated.

[domino harvey]

I'm not big on Blu-ray whiners either, but Christ, if any recent movie deserves to be seen in brilliant full resolution, it's A Christmas Tale. I wonder if Criterion didn't have rights to the Blu-ray for some reason?

[Cinetwist]

Artificial Eye released Gomorrah on Blu region free I believe. (Edit - it was Optimum who released it, which I knew. Brain fart. And I'm now I'm doubting its coding too).

What a shockingly depressing slate of releases... Stuff that would not have gone undistributed (and indeed hasn't). Quite baffling really.

[HerrSchreck]

The occasional "Koko" a few years back was a quite different situation compared to what we have now.

What situation, do we have now?

We've had a year of Bunuels, Godards, Marienbad, Repulsion, Human Condition, Z, Wings of Desire, Jeanne Dielman, Painleve, Oshimas, Rossellinis, Imamuras, and left-field picks like the Golden Age of Television. And this is just to name a few.

I'm sorry, but is the occassional release you don't want really a situation?

Oh, please.

[Cinetwist]

Most of the stuff mentioned above already had good releases anyway. Although the Blus were welcome re-releases.

[Finch]

I guess it was irony, but it's not exactly surprising that something like this comes up. I don't see MoC running out of releases, btw. They have a knack of finding just the right films to make many of us happy, just as CC had some four or five years ago. It's a question of 'balancing'. I don't care for "Soul Power" at all, but at the same time they release it they will release other films catering to another part of their clientele. It's CC focussing on new films and (for me) not particularly exciting ones that stretches my patience, especially if things like "Senso" or the Rosselini War Trilogy seem to be pushed back again and again. The occasional "Koko" a few years back was a quite different situation compared to what we have now.

Hi Tom; just to clarify I didn't mean to have a go at either you or Perkins_Cobb. And naturally, my suggestion that MoC would eventually run out of releases was purely theoretical although it is possible that some years down the line they'll find themselves in the same situation as Criterion, especially if they want to avoid overlap with other companies' releases. I'd agree though that MoC seem to hit the sweet spot for most forum members more often than Criterion. I totally share your concern about certain titles pushing other films further back; I'd personally like to see the McCarey and Yang released sooner rather than later but again, they may not be ready as yet. Re Rosselini - remember Criterion may want to spread the releases of his films out so that people don't get "overdosed" on one particular director. I think there was speculation once that releasing too many Mizoguchis in a row might have hurt MoC's sales of these.

[Matt]

I was trying to say (sorry for my bad English)...

Thanks for clarifying. I'm in full agreement with you (except for your feelings about A Christmas Tale.

Wow, everyone's pretty cranky, huh? Last month we all whined because all we got were re-releases. Now we're whining because it's a bunch of new stuff. I think we need to throw a virtual pool party with some burgers and dogs, and lots and lots of cold beer. At the very least, some of us need to step away from our computers and go get an ice cream cone.

[Perkins Cobb]

I was kidding about the name change, of course.

Although ... maybe it would slap some sense into Becker & Co. if they awoke one morning to find that their Mulvaney-mocking nemesis had suddenly morphed into the Flicker Alley Forum!

[Cinetwist]

I was trying to say (sorry for my bad English)...

Thanks for clarifying. I'm in full agreement with you (except for your feelings about A Christmas Tale.

Wow, everyone's pretty cranky, huh? Last month we all whined because all we got were re-releases. Now we're whining because it's a bunch of new stuff. I think we need to throw a virtual pool party with some burgers and dogs, and lots and lots of cold beer. At the very least, some of us need to step away from our computers and go get an ice cream cone.

But it's not really a bunch of new stuff is it? These are films that already have good releases and that received recent theatrical runs after having been lauded on the festival circuit. These are not films that we wouldn't have seen if it were not for Criterion...

[Matt]

But it's not really a bunch of new stuff is it? These are films that already have good releases and that received recent theatrical runs after having been lauded on the festival circuit. These are not films that we wouldn't have seen if it were not for Criterion...

I don't really know how to respond to the latter half of your argument (I mean, why not Criterion? You folks who always bring up the mission statement do remember the part about contemporary films, right?). But in response to the first part, you have to remember that most of Criterion's customers are not multi-region-capable. A good number of the people on this forum are not multi-region-capable. This argument comes up a lot (especially in the context of shared MoC and Criterion titles), but I think it's a specious argument. If Criterion (or MoC or whoever) didn't make money releasing DVDs "that already have good releases," then they wouldn't do it, right? Clearly somebody is buying these DVDs, even if it isn't you.

Why was it good news for you when Eureka announced that they were releasing Bad Boy Bubby in the UK when it was already coming out on Blue Underground in the US? Shouldn't you have been railing against Eureka for releasing something that already existed?

[GringoTex]

Get out of the way of my Criterion hate, Matt.

[SSF]

Oh, please.

Please what? You don't like your special edition Bunuels?