criterionforum.org

Oh hell yeah!!!! I saw this in Jan. at the NY Film Forum, and it was every bit as good as advertised. A two-disc set will be great (hopefully in the figure-8 case; I need to save the shelf space).

I hope they've found some footage of Melville talking about the film.

domino harvey wrote:figures since I just ordered this last night from the UK

Do us a favor and order Pierrot le fou and Breathless tonight, oui?

So it took a year basically to go from Rialto's release to a Criterion release. Good to know.

justeleblanc wrote:

domino harvey wrote:figures since I just ordered this last night from the UK

Do us a favor and order Pierrot le fou and Breathless tonight, oui?

Haha! At least I can be sure that the commentary on the BFI disc will be exclusive to the UK release, so at least I'm getting something out of the whole deal.

The Bfi release is the nuts, especially the booklet. You've done the right thing by ordering it.

As someone with no money, and as a big Melville fan, I'm secretly hoping for a $29.99 release. While there are endless possibilities for extras, there will be nothing you can't learn from Melville's written interviews or from Ginette Vincendeau's American in Paris. That said, a documentary on the Resistance itself would be nice.

justeleblanc wrote:So it took a year basically to go from Rialto's release to a Criterion release. Good to know.

Perhaps good to know. I was actually wondering about this a few weeks ago. Would Rialto's run being the first American release of the film have had an effect on Criterion's schedule? While the film isn't new, it is still being touted as a 2006 release every which way but loose -- potentially lumping it into the same boat as every other contemporary DVD release. I wonder if Criterion pushed to get this out in a timely manner because, unlike Sansho or Vengeance, we haven't been waiting decades and decades for this release. What's new to us and so on...

Which leads me to believe that this might be another reason we don't see many films go straight from theatres to Criterion. Unless you've got the big money backing the release (i.e. the Andersons), it's a tough call to push a contemporary release ahead of the droves of classics waiting patiently for their turn simply because of current standards in theatrical release to DVD release timeframes. It's not like they could hold on to something like, say Mutual Appreciation for two or three years before a DVD release. That's just not the way it works any more. And Army of Shadows just might be a rare instance of Criterion having to play along with mainstream production schedules.

Just something I had been thinking about when I thought I had missed my chance to see it in theatres. Turns out I hadn't, so I'm cool either way.

-Toilet Dcuk

toiletduck! wrote:... It's not like they could hold on to something like, say Mutual Appreciation for two or three years before a DVD release. That's just not the way it works any more. And Army of Shadows just might be a rare instance of Criterion having to play along with mainstream production schedules.

Is Mutual Appreciation just a random example or is there an inkling of a Criterion? I'd be pretty damn happy.

As for Army of Shadows it is a very bad example for a "typical" Rialto release: it was a huge hit, even The Film Forum kept bringing it back -- this just doesn't happen with most Rialto releases.

well there goes my "the commentary will be exclusive" theory

Ted Todorov wrote:Is Mutual Appreciation just a random example or is there an inkling of a Criterion? I'd be pretty damn happy.

Random example -- I just remembered seeing it on a contemporary Criterion wishlist somewhere around here. Sorry 'bout that!

-Toilet Dcuk

"Mutual Appreciation" is coming out from Image Entertainment/HVe is the next few months.

-BJ

Ted Todorov wrote:As for Army of Shadows it is a very bad example for a "typical" Rialto release: it was a huge hit, even The Film Forum kept bringing it back -- this just doesn't happen with most Rialto releases.

Yeah, the word of mouth (not to mention the reviews mentioning it as one of the best of 2006) has been remarkable. Army of Shadows played at a suburban Minneapolis Landmark theater this summer for a week. Then it came back to town in January at the Oak Street Cinema, which has been in dire financial straits. I saw it there with a pretty large crowd on a Sunday afternoon, and a guy who worked there said the film made more money there in its first two days than it had in its entire previous Twin Cities run.

Saw this at the Film Forum last summer, absolutely loved it, this will be a no-brainer for me, definitely have been impressed with 2007's lineup thus far.

The Bfi release is the nuts.

Damn right. And bollocks too. Hard to imagine CC making a dramatic improvement. And the CC cover is ugly.

Looks like an interesting movie and some real good extras. Will be picking this one up for sure.

Hell yeah for the Melville! =D> I'm getting this with Overlord and Sansho for sure!

After this one, Le deuxieme souffle, anyone?

JabbaTheSlut wrote:After this one, Le deuxieme souffle, anyone?

The next via Rialto: Le Doulos & Léon Morin, prêtre

The next via Rialto: Le Doulos & Léon Morin, prêtre

Thanks At least we can feel the same collective apathy in advance...

A Studio Canal/Universal HD DVD will be released in March, but no extras or English subs:

French: DTS-HD 4.0
German: DTS-HD 2.0

The next via Rialto: Le Doulos & Léon Morin, prêtre

Why don't they just release his remaining thrillers on Eclipse. Magnet of Doom, Le deuxieme souffle, Le doulos, Leon Morin pretre, etc...and get these out.

JabbaTheSlut wrote:Hard to imagine CC making a dramatic improvement.

Oh, but Criterion come up with such entertaining new colour schemes for their Melvilles.

Great news, though as a gander at the original thread when the Rialto resto toured last year, hardly surprising. One of Criterion's best stretches of title announcements, between the Naruse, Dassin, Mizo, this, etc.

HerrSchreck wrote:One of Criterion's best stretches of title announcements, between the Naruse, Dassin, Mizo, this, etc.

Totally agree. I can't remember Criterion ever releasing as many successive titles that I want to purchase. 2007 is already such an amazing year for them.

I know some of you are rabid collectors but this is a huge amount for me in a 4 month period. I'm still very much catching up on back catalogue at this stage! Of the above the only film I haven't seen is Overlord, but it certainly sounds intriguing enough for a blind buy. And I think May 2007 would have to be the first month I've ever wanted every single Criterion release on offer.

Well done CC, can't wait to upgrade my Army Of Shadows DVD, this is the release I've been crossing my fingers for since first seeing it last year. In retrospect this is my favourite Melville after Le Samourai. Amazing.

Specs have been updated and "More!" has become "Less!" (no trailers any more - everything else the same).

Narshty wrote:Specs have been updated and "More!" has become "Less!" (no trailers any more - everything else the same).

It seems strange that they wouldn't be able to at least include the Rialto trailer.