Forthcoming Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol. 4

[ianungstad]

mk2 is selling the restored color print of the Melies short "A Trip to the Moon" that debuted at Cannes last year as a package that includes a new 52 minute documentary about the efforts that went into restoring the film called "An Extraordinary Voyage". Would be a good project for Criterion to pony up the $$ for.

[swo17]

You mean like this?

[ianungstad]

Yep. Good for Flicker Alley

[Stefan Andersson]

Anbody up for Theo Angelopoulos joining the collection?

Several of his early films seem unreleased on DVD in the US: Reconstruction, Travelling Players, The Hunters, Alexander the Great. They´ve been recently remastered, including his short film Ekpombi (1968), and have been issued on DVD in Great Britain, France, and Switzerland. Ekpombi seems available on DVD in France only. Another early film, Days of 36, is out on Facets DVD.

The Hunters (1977) is of special interest since the remastered release is only 143 mins., not the full 168 mins. erroneously listed sometimes in various DVD info (on Ebay, for example). Reconstructing the full 168-min. cut seems a fine project for Criterion. For more info on this, see the Theo Angelopoulos thread in this forum. Thread includes links to YouTube where seven separate scenes, missing from the 143-min. cut, can be seen.

Angelopoulos´ films are full of often oblique references to Greek history, politics, literature and mythology; good material for an audio commentary or pop-up fact track.

[aox]

Anbody up for Theo Angelopoulos joining the collection?

He's a director I have been dying to dive into for years now, but haven't known where to begin. The Day's of '36 has the most interesting premise to me, but I read it is a lesser work and not that great. He does have one film that is streamable on netflix (The Weeping Meadow), but I just haven't managed to pull the trigger.

and checking IMDB just now, I had no idea he passed two months ago.

[jedgeco]

Anbody up for Theo Angelopoulos joining the collection?

No, but only because I just shelled out for the R2 boxsets....

[Peacock]

Doesn't NYer have most of the Angelopoulos films? Perhaps that changed though ala Weekend etc..

[jwd5275]

They still list Eternity and a Day and Weeping Meadow on their new website (unlike Weekend, The Life and Times of Harvey Milk and other old titles not with them), but beyond those two who knows...

[beamish13]

Is AND THE SHIP SAILS ON slated for a re-release? I remember hearing rumblings about Criterion locating better elements for it.

[Jeff]

Is AND THE SHIP SAILS ON slated for a re-release? I remember hearing rumblings about Criterion locating better elements for it.

Well they sure wouldn't be able to locate worse ones!

[atcolomb]

Is AND THE SHIP SAILS ON slated for a re-release? I remember hearing rumblings about Criterion locating better elements for it.

Well they sure wouldn't be able to locate worse ones!

TCM-HD did broadcast it a few months ago and i did compare it to my Criterion disc and TCM version was a better print of the film..sharper image and stronger colors and in a 16:9 format. Like the film very much so i hope Criterion will re-release it again.

[TMDaines]

Finding better elements isn't going to be difficult considering there's been a French Blu-ray for nearly a year now.

[andyli]

Exactly. Since there's a Gaumont sheet in CC's schedule photo last year, they must have known such a new transfer (scan) exist, along with City of Women.

[tavernier]

I just bought the French City of Women and Ship Sails On, so of course those will both be announced by CC soon.

[movielocke]

Could Scarlet Empress and Trouble in Paradise be on deck for blu upgrades?

[Emilio]

Could Scarlet Empress and Trouble in Paradise be on deck for blu upgrades?

Let's hope so...!

[krnash]

Could Scarlet Empress and Trouble in Paradise be on deck for blu upgrades?

For that matter, I'll be interested to see if the screening of Letter From an Unknown Woman comes with a Janus logo in front of it.

[matrixschmatrix]

I was under the impression the materials for The Scarlet Empress weren't up to an upgrade, as it had been poorly transferred from nitrate onto safety stock in the 50s.

[knives]

That's sort of true, but not really. That's a problem Criterion ran into because that's all Universal US had available at the time, but the UK has a significantly better source.

[andyli]

They mentioned the word 'restoration' for whichever film that will be presented in newly restored print.

I noticed in the information for the 4K restoration of GRAND ILLUSION that the theatrical distributor in USA is Rialto. Does that mean anything for a possible criterion blu-ray?

[Jeff]

I don't understand why it is assumed that because 35mm prints of these films are playing at the TCM fest, there must be some sort of restoration or home video reissue on the horizon. There are restos of Grand Illusion and A Trip to the Moon playing, but most of these are probably just studio archive prints. Is there something I'm missing?

Could Scarlet Empress and Trouble in Paradise be on deck for blu upgrades?

For that matter, I'll be interested to see if the screening of Letter From an Unknown Woman comes with a Janus logo in front of it.

Letter From an Unknown Woman is part of Paramount's Republic library, and they would handle theatrical. It's theoretically possible that Criterion could license it from Paramount for video at some point, but it would never screen with Janus logos.

I noticed in the information for the 4K restoration of GRAND ILLUSION that the theatrical distributor in USA is Rialto. Does that mean anything for a possible criterion blu-ray?

Rialto still has the theatrical rights for Grand Illusion and most other StudioCanal releases in the U.S, but Lionsgate retains the video rights.

[onedimension]

Good to see Cabaret's been restored, too- that and All That Jazz need good releases.

[knives]

Yes that's right. I forgot the specifics so tried to stay vague.

[SamLowry]

Could Scarlet Empress and Trouble in Paradise be on deck for blu upgrades?

Well Trouble In Paradise/One Hour With You just played @ The Stanford, no mention of a new print & only Paramount was listed in the credits. This quarter's schedule is pretty stacked: Life & Death of Colonel Blimp, Laura, The Bad & The Beautiful, All About Eve, Wings, Faust, Robin Hood (original silent), Stella Dallas (original silent), Julius Caesar, Henry V, Richard III, Othello (but not Macbeth), Midsummer Night's Dream...

A Shakespeare box would be nice, though my dream release would be a blu ray box with all the Dietrich/Sternbergs, I don't think I'd even wait for a B&N sale to pick that up (in spite of a hefty price tag).

I just bought the French City of Women and Ship Sails On, so of course those will both be announced by CC soon.

I'd like to see Casanova, seeing that the Carlotta blu is OOP.

[terratrema]

I just bought the French City of Women and Ship Sails On, so of course those will both be announced by CC soon.

I'd like to see Casanova, seeing that the Carlotta blu is OOP.[/quote]

Yes please to all those. And surely Criterion will one day (if they haven't already) license Satyricon and Roma from MGM?

Satyricon in Blu-ray. Heaven on earth.