criterionforum.org

After a decade of Criterion schedules, there are still members thinking that there is a trend in their monthly reeases, which is not the case.

canti10 wrote: January looks like a sucky month for those that were expecting the big ones.

Well, how much bigger than Rossellini and Sirk do you think it should get? This is the first month for a long time where all the releases in the main line are not only apparently very significant films (I must admit I haven't seen any of them before), but also where these releases all come with significant extras that seem to equal the classiest of Criterion releases of old. Yes, it's only three films in the main line, but unlike 'more Ozu' at least there are no real alternatives the world around, and these three releases PLUS that Eclipse set makes this the best month since June (where they did the equally classy Mishima discs) for me, the recent Ophuls discs notwithstanding. And with those films we know are coming soon, "Marienbad", "Cook" and hopefully "Human Condition", this gives me a strong feeling that it will be a good year for Criterion, and thus for us film collectors, even if you don't like Rosselini.

I TOLD you the hippo clue didn't guarantee Augustine of Hippo.

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

I do find it a little odd this box only consisted of three, and agree that another one is probably in the works, but I hope they wait a year or two to keep the Eclipse line varied. I'm thinking Criterion must've decided that the megaboxes like the Malle docs don't work as well as smaller sets of 2-4 films.

myrnaloyisdope wrote:Europa '51 is the Rossellini I would love to see released, but I have my doubts that it's coming any time soon.

It has shown on TV with a Janus logo at the head, but the dubbing of the performances by the same actors is idiosyncratic and poorly synchronised, which may disqualify it from a Criterion release, pushing it perhaps towards Eclipse... Hopefully they will relent however and put out a Rossellini/Bergman set on the main label crammed with extras...

I dont know. If they are able to restore Rome Open City, which they are claiming to be releasing in the future, then I'm optimistic that Europa would also happen.

Anyone know who has the rights to The Tarnished Angels? That's probably the most important Sirk title to not have a Region 1 release thus far.

Bete_Noire wrote:Anyone know who has the rights to The Tarnished Angels? That's probably the most important Sirk title to not have a Region 1 release thus far.

Universal

Perkins Cobb wrote:I TOLD you the hippo clue didn't guarantee Augustine of Hippo.

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

I do find it a little odd this box only consisted of three, and agree that another one is probably in the works, but I hope they wait a year or two to keep the Eclipse line varied. I'm thinking Criterion must've decided that the megaboxes like the Malle docs don't work as well as smaller sets of 2-4 films.

Don't mean another history box isn't possible, expecially when they DID mention Socrates.

It does have a subtitle, like the Silent Ozu set had, so I think there's at least one more Rossellini Eclipse in the wings for next january. I'm hoping that we'll get another Ozu eclipse set in March, another silent set would be nice, but so would any set that includes There Was a Father and Record of a Tenement Gentleman.

Cinephrenic wrote:Don't mean another history box isn't possible, expecially when they DID mention Socrates.

Which is, um, what I was saying in the final paragraph you quoted.

Does anyone know if Criterion still has the rights to Kon Ichikawa's The Makioka Sisters? I think they released it on laserdisc, and it would be great to have it on an English friendly DVD.

tojoed wrote:Does anyone know if Criterion still has the rights to Kon Ichikawa's The Makioka Sisters? I think they released it on laserdisc, and it would be great to have it on an English friendly DVD.

The exalted reputation of this Ichikawa film puzzles me. It is a very poor adaptation of the novel -- and not anywhere near the level of accomplishment of his best films (he must have at least 20 better films to his credit).

Film Forum is showing a new Janus print of JEANNE DIELMAN in January which would seem to confirm an impending Criterion release. Also, we already knew this was coming, but Rialto begins their run of MADE IN U.S.A. that month as well.

jaredsap wrote:Film Forum is showing a new Janus print of JEANNE DIELMAN in January which would seem to confirm an impending Criterion release. Also, we already knew this was coming, but Rialto begins their run of MADE IN U.S.A. that month as well.

oooooooooo. I remember (but can't seem to locate) a post saying films from Akerman and Eustache might be on the way. My mind must have been blown so intensely that I forgot whether or not specific titles were mentioned. Anybody remember? A criterion edition of The Mother and the Whore would be unbelievably great.

*****EDIT: actually, I believe that was the equally great MoC label that was mentioned as having Akerman and Eustache titles *maybe* in the works. Can somebody set me straight on this? I feel like I'm spouting misinformation, but I definitely read something here about Akerman and Eustache on DVD in the future.

Michael Kerpan wrote:

tojoed wrote:Does anyone know if Criterion still has the rights to Kon Ichikawa's The Makioka Sisters? I think they released it on laserdisc, and it would be great to have it on an English friendly DVD.

The exalted reputation of this Ichikawa film puzzles me. It is a very poor adaptation of the novel -- and not anywhere near the level of accomplishment of his best films (he must have at least 20 better films to his credit).

I think it's a superb adaptation of the novel, and ranks among his best films. But, anyhow, it would be nice to have a DVD available so that others who haven't seen it can make up their own minds. I think you would agree with me on that at least.

Hopscotch wrote:

jaredsap wrote:Film Forum is showing a new Janus print of JEANNE DIELMAN in January which would seem to confirm an impending Criterion release. Also, we already knew this was coming, but Rialto begins their run of MADE IN U.S.A. that month as well.

oooooooooo. I remember (but can't seem to locate) a post saying films from Akerman and Eustache might be on the way. My mind must have been blown so intensely that I forgot whether or not specific titles were mentioned. Anybody remember? A criterion edition of The Mother and the Whore would be unbelievably great.

*****EDIT: actually, I believe that was the equally great MoC label that was mentioned as having Akerman and Eustache titles *maybe* in the works. Can somebody set me straight on this? I feel like I'm spouting misinformation, but I definitely read something here about Akerman and Eustache on DVD in the future.

Either way great news. I work at a university, a prof. was supposed to buy that Belgian set then pass it on to our internal video library & get reimbursed but then ended up keeping it for himself. Grr.

I can't remember who used to have Jeanne Dielman, I've projected it before... New Yorker maybe? ...[checking]... yeah, New Yorker.

Between the potential for the above and the looming Gorin set I'd be content for the year.

If Jeanne Dielman is in fact a Janus property, this is huge, as it means New Yorker is finally selling some of the properties they've been sitting on. Wow, so many great possibilities now!

tojoed wrote:I think it's a superb adaptation of the novel, and ranks among his best films. But, anyhow, it would be nice to have a DVD available so that others who haven't seen it can make up their own minds. I think you would agree with me on that at least.

It would great to have 20 Ichikawa films available on subtitled DVDs (and at least 40 Naruse ones, by the same measure), but Makioka Sisters would be way down at the bottom of my recommendations. I'd much rather see a good subtitled DVD of Abe's 1950 version of Sasameyuki made available.

I don't see how you can say it is even a minimally adequate adaptation. It positively wrecks the structure of the story, compressing widely separated events into a ludicrously short time frame. Like most of Ichikawa's post-Wada films, the script here left much to be desired.

Went to see this film at the AFI Silver last year. After about 30 minutes or so into the film, I felt like I was wasting my time and left the theater.

artfilmfan wrote:Went to see this film at the AFI Silver last year. After about 30 minutes or so into the film, I felt like I was wasting my time and left the theater.

I was really taken aback by Ichikawa's Makioka Sisters too. The only less satisfactory Ichikawa film I've seen is his utterly dreadful biopic about Kinuyo Tanaka -- which was not even honest hack work.

Abe's older version is not as showy as Ichikawa's, but does a better job of adaptation -- and has far better performances overall. I've never seen the 1959 Daiei version (directed by Koji Shima) -- but it also has a pretty impressive cast.

jaredsap wrote:Film Forum is showing a new Janus print of JEANNE DIELMAN in January which would seem to confirm an impending Criterion release.

Confirmed as a "Janus Films Release" in the FF calendar.

Just this incomplete list of janus titles should put to bed the notion that the fact of Janus right-holding/distribution creates the probability of a CC release.

HerrSchreck wrote:Just this incomplete list of janus titles should put to bed the notion that the fact of Janus right-holding/distribution creates the probability of a CC release.

Bull! My Criterion edition of Snowriders 2 is my most prized possession!

souvenir wrote:

jaredsap wrote:Film Forum is showing a new Janus print of JEANNE DIELMAN in January which would seem to confirm an impending Criterion release.

Confirmed as a "Janus Films Release" in the FF calendar.

This has been confirmed as an eventual Criterion DVD from a trustworthy source.

HerrSchreck wrote:Just this incomplete list of janus titles should put to bed the notion that the fact of Janus right-holding/distribution creates the probability of a CC release.

Virtually all the major titles on this list are out in Criterion editions. Of course Janus distributing a new print of a major title creates the probability of an eventual CC release. We all know Janus owns more titles than they know what to do with (hence Eclipse). But when you see a new Janus print of e.g. JEANNE DIELMAN show up, it's a no-brainer. Ditto DILLINGER IS DEAD.