criterionforum.org

HypnoHelioStaticStasis wrote:So is there a definite yay or nay concerning Things to Come?

I got a yes from Mulvaney on Things to Come a few months back.

YES!!

I've heard the recent restoration done across the pond is magnificent. Can't wait to see it.

Has anyone asked about Von Trier's The Idiots? I've never seen it but it seems like it would be right up Criterion's alley.

I did a quick scan of the forum, but didn't see anything about it. If this has been covered, I apologize for the redundancy.

HypnoHelioStaticStasis wrote:I've heard the recent restoration done across the pond is magnificent. Can't wait to see it.

The restoration (as far as I remember) was very nice, Vincent Korda's production design was the star of the film. Though in all honesty I preferred Len Lye's fantastic six minute short film, The Birth of the Robot which played before when I saw it.

Harmonov wrote:Has anyone asked about Von Trier's The Idiots? I've never seen it but it seems like it would be right up Criterion's alley.

You never know, but Criterion is probably focusing all its von Trier attentions on Europa (Zentropa) at the moment.

To the best of my knowledge we do not have plans for any of those films at this time. Thank you for the email and suggestions, and feel free to write in again if you have any questions about Criterion!

Sincerely,

Jon Mulvaney

I asked:

I'm curious to inquire if there are any plans to include the films of Reinhard Hauff in either the Criterion Collection or the Eclipse line. His acclaimed films from the 1970s seem woefully neglected in any region or format.

These include:

Matthias Kneisl (1970) starring Rainer Werner Fassbinder
The Brutalisation of Franz Blum (1974)
Paule Paulander (1976)
Der Hauptdarsteller (1977)
Knife in the Head (1978)
Endstation Freiheit (1980)

Would make a great Eclipse box!

Zentropa briefly appeared on the coming soon, but the cover art was not there. Checked again and it was gone.

Edit: Criterion Dungeon has this and White Dog covers up, wonder what else is coming/ getting re-issued.

Haha, White Dog is going to get torn to shit in the cover art thread (if that is indeed the final artwork)...EDIT-Boy was I not on target...

And my guess is that's it that's all (Dog and Europa/Zentropa)...though I'd love to be wrong.

Probably get the two Fuller re-issues as well.

Specs for Dog and Europa are now up on the CC site.

Interesting....I agree that the other Fullers will probably be re-done. But also no Blus up for the high def junkies. Wonder if there will be no Blu releases in December?

psufootball07 wrote:Interesting....I agree that the other Fullers will probably be re-done. But also no Blus up for the high def junkies. Wonder if there will be no Blu releases in December?

I'm thinking no Blus for December (to make up for the heavier than anticipated, to my mind, November kickoff)...as for the two Fuller re-issues, I guess we just have to wait and see.

the specs are up and there's an essay on White Dog by none other than... Armond White!

I also saw on the forthcoming lists The Seventh Seal is getting re-done. Is that even necessary, or is this just because they can make a better version for Blu-Ray owners? It is currently in the box-set, so would it be possible that all of those would get make-overs, or just the Seventh Seal since it is so widely known?

Jesus Christ Criterion, release Out 1 already.

psufootball07 wrote:I also saw on the forthcoming lists The Seventh Seal is getting re-done. Is that even necessary, or is this just because they can make a better version for Blu-Ray owners? It is currently in the box-set, so would it be possible that all of those would get make-overs, or just the Seventh Seal since it is so widely known?

It would probably be a slight improvement over the existing transfer (a la The Third Man), but it's kind of a no-brainer for the first Bergman Blu-ray. The current Criterion DVD is nearly 10 years old and many of the supplements have a dated "laserdisc" feel, so that part of the package could certainly use some freshening-up. I doubt the other titles in the set would get re-done on DVD as they are relatively new. They will undoubtedly get Blu-ray editions, though, because Bergman sells.

psufootball07 wrote:I also saw on the forthcoming lists The Seventh Seal is getting re-done. Is that even necessary, or is this just because they can make a better version for Blu-Ray owners? It is currently in the box-set, so would it be possible that all of those would get make-overs, or just the Seventh Seal since it is so widely known?

The boxset is just a re-packaging of existing titles, most of which are pretty recent. The Seventh Seal came out nearly a decade ago, and could certainly stand to see hi-def mastering and some substantive extras. I can virtually guarantee the newer titles in the gift set won't be revisited any time soon if at all.

EDIT: Damn! I was just a shade too slow on the submit, and then again on the delete. So yeah, basically what Matt said.

Jinx. Buy me a Coke.

So The Seventh Seal is mainly getting re-done for Blu-Ray, but the SD release will be an improvement in picture (not by much as you said) but will pack more extras? I mean, yeah I'm a sucker, so I would definitely double-dip, maybe I will have a blu-ray player by then, but probably not.

psufootball07 wrote:I also saw on the forthcoming lists The Seventh Seal is getting re-done. Is that even necessary, or is this just because they can make a better version for Blu-Ray owners? It is currently in the box-set, so would it be possible that all of those would get make-overs, or just the Seventh Seal since it is so widely known?

When I e-mailed Mulvaney a week or so ago (posted here on page 15), he said there will be "some" Bergman on Blu-ray in 2009, which makes me think they have plans to release more than just The Seventh Seal. Whether that means previously released titles or new ones, I don't know.

Yeah I bet Wild Strawberries, and either Cries and Whispers or Fanny and Alexander get the Blu-Ray update, but I doubt that any of those films get SD re-issues, obviously the Seventh Seal will see that. Wild Strawberries could have a distinct possibility of getting re-done, my personal favorite Bergman film, but I guess just have to wait and see, maybe I'll e-mail Mulvaney about Wild Strawberries, it did appear in the Janus box set that recently got released as well.

Wonder if Picnic at Hanging Rock gets both SD and Blu-Ray treatment, I woudl assume that would be a good prediction when it comes.

Some highlights from the last two months:


Me : I was wondering what are the chances of seeing Ingmar Bergman's Face to Face or Roger Vardim's Blood and Roses in the 2009 schedule?

Mulvaney : To the best of my knowledge we don't have plans for either of those titles at this time. Thanks for your email, and feel free to write in again if you have any other questions!

Me: Will we see more Costa Gavras films besides Missing in the near future?

Mulvaney: We do hope to release more of Gravas's films on DVD but I don't have any specific information about titles or dates to share at this time, so please check back!

Me : I noticed that a restored version of Rashomon is playing in Japan and is set to debut in a few weeks in Los Angeles, does this mean we will be seeing a rerelease of this in the near future?

Mulvaney: The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences just completed a restoration of the film elements of RASHOMON so I suspect at some point we may revisit it, but it's not on the schedule now. Feel free to check back, and thanks for your email!

Me: Is there any chance of seeing Oliver Twist and Great Expectations rereleased?

Mulvaney: As far as I know we have no plans to rerelease either of those two titles at this time.

Me: I noticed that you guys acquired the Korda library. Any chances of seeing Things to Come and some of the other Korda adventure films in the near future?

Mulvaney: We do plan to release more Korda films, and I believe "Jungle Book" and "Things to Come" are two of them. Please keep checking back, and thanks for your email!

Me: Will we see a Criterion of Drowning by Numbers or Prospero's Books?

Mulvaney: "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover" is the only Greenaway film that we currently have plans for. I hope this helps, and thanks for your email!

Why do they never respond to my emails?

Now that White Dog is coming and knowing that a reissue of Shock Corridor and Naked Kiss was promised for 2008, I hope that sometime tomorrow they come up as next releases at the website.

Dante Vescio wrote:Now that White Dog is coming and knowing that a reissue of Shock Corridor and Naked Kiss was promised for 2008, I hope that sometime tomorrow they come up as next releases at the website.

I wouldn't count on it. That was my first impression (seems smart to release all Fullers together), but if you look at the forthcoming thread, you will see what I mean. Most of everything promised in 2008 (and even 2007) is delayed.