Criterion and Warner Bros.

[HypnoHelioStaticStasis]

Tonight, Criterion Collection exec. producer Kim Hendrickson spoke at the Wexner Center in Columbus, OH, as part of a "DVD release party" for Simon of the Desert. Hendrickson confirmed several releases for the coming year (none of which are really surprising, but still cool to hear straight from someone inside CC)...

...Furthermore, she said they’d love to do more Linklater and more Malick since they’ve established relationships with them and their studios, and that Paul Schrader was “fun and easy to work with." New deals have apparently been made with Warner Brothers and Fox. She didn't elaborate on what's being picked up, but when asked if it could include “classics from the 30’s,” she said yes (whatever that means).

To quote nearly every Simpsons character, but in particular, Moe:

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?"

[ZLow]

I really wish I could elaborate, but Kim didn't, so I can't either. My girlfriend and I are both sure we heard he say Warner Brothers, but there were no specific films mentioned, no number of films, no information on what kind of deals were made, etc. Still, crazy.

[Highway 61]

As amazing as the Warner rumor seems, I can believe it. Their catalog DVD output has been on the decline for two years now, and with Paramount, MGM, Miramax, and Sony joining the Criterion bandwagon, I can see Warner finally biting the bullet. Let's hope this means the major Warner silents will finally see the light of day!

[ianungstad]

If there are deals with Warners and Fox coming into play, Dreams (Akira Kurosawa) seems likely and I suppose we'll get Darjeelling Limited.

I asked Mulvaney about the licensing deal with Warner Bros. Vague but promising? .

Hi, a few days ago Kim Hendrickson spoke at the Wexner Center in Columbus and apparently said that you guys had a few titles from WB in the works? Will we see any of these titles in the 2009 schedule or will they start to roll out in 2010? I also wonder if the films licensed from WB will focus on the silent era? I know that silent films have been one of WB's weaknesses.

Thanks for any tidbits you could provide.

Hi there,
These deals can take quite a while to finalize, and I don't have any specific information to share at this point. Feel free to check back, and thanks for your e-mail!

Best,
Jon Mulvaney

[Matt]

Jon Mulvaney is so mad at Kim right now.

[Jeff]

I'll bet a bazillion dollars right now that any deal with Warner involves Rick Linklater's Before Sunrise/Before Sunset. He's been saying for years that it was something he would be doing with Criterion.

[Thomas J.]

I know that silent films have been one of WB's weaknesses.

But it has been a strength of Criterion? I'd have to look up the statistics, but I have no doubt WB's rate of silent releases rivals that of Criterion, if not beats it outright. For example, 4.69% of Criterion's releases in 2008 were silents (and that's including the Eclipse line on which WB's films wouldn't be released anyway, so we shouldn't even include those into the statistic). You think WB's 2008 output of silents was much less than 4.69%? I'm even less skeptical of Criterion beating WB on this topic if we were to remove the Eclipse releases from the statistic as well as WB's contemporary line of releases for which Criterion doesn't offer an equivalent (removal of these two would formulate a fair, apples-to-apples statistical comparison, after all). Seems highly improbable.

My point being, is there another reason to think that Criterion would release WB's silents other than "it's WB's weakness"?

[domino harvey]

Wishful thinking, like 95% of the posts in this thread

[ianungstad]

I know that silent films have been one of WB's weaknesses.

But it has been a strength of Criterion? I'd have to look up the statistics, but I have no doubt WB's rate of silent releases rivals that of Criterion, if not beats it outright. For example, 4.69% of Criterion's releases in 2008 were silents (and that's including the Eclipse line on which WB's films wouldn't be released anyway, so we shouldn't even include those into the statistic). You think WB's 2008 output of silents was much less than 4.69%? I'm even less skeptical of Criterion beating WB on this topic if we were to remove the Eclipse releases from the statistic as well as WB's contemporary line of releases for which Criterion doesn't offer an equivalent (removal of these two would formulate a fair, apples-to-apples statistical comparison, after all). Seems highly improbable.

My point being, is there another reason to think that Criterion would release WB's silents other than "it's WB's weakness"?

Your totally right. Mostly my email was just an attempt to pry some information about a possible WB deal out of Mulvaney.

I asked about silents because Warners has lots of high profile silent films that have not been released on DVD. While Criterion has not had a very good track record regarding silent films...we at least know that they have picked several high profile silent films from Paramount (Wedding March, Sternburgs), so I thought that logic may follow to WB as well. Time will tell.

[Jeff]

My point being, is there another reason to think that Criterion would release WB's silents other than "it's WB's weakness"?

I'm afraid I have to agree with Thomas J. here. I can't really see Criterion picking up many if any of Warner's silents. I wouldn't expect any Golden Age Hollywood Classics either. If Criterion and Warner are cooking something up, it would likely consist of contemporary American independent stuff from Criterion pals like Linklater, jazzed-up versions of Warner's foreign holdings like Dreams or the Viscontis, maybe Brewster McCloud if we're lucky. I'll even allow myself to ponder a Criterion Blu-ray of Barry Lyndon, even though I know such a glorious thing could never happen.

Hmmm...wonder why Warner canceled that release of The Devils?

[Perkins Cobb]

I heard about six months ago that Warners had put out feelers to license some classic TV shows to indie labels specializing in that type of release. I was skeptical, but it does seem like there's more evidence that the WB vault door may have been opened a crack.

The obvious title that has no one has mentioned yet from the Warner catalog is Greed....

[kaujot]

I'm afraid I have to agree with Thomas J. here. I can't really see Criterion picking up many if any of Warner's silents. I wouldn't expect any Golden Age Hollywood Classics either. If Criterion and Warner are cooking something up, it would likely consist of contemporary American independent stuff from Criterion pals like Linklater, jazzed-up versions of Warner's foreign holdings like Dreams or the Viscontis, maybe Brewster McCloud if we're lucky. I'll even allow myself to ponder a Criterion Blu-ray of Barry Lyndon, even though I know such a glorious thing could never happen.

Hmmm...wonder why Warner canceled that release of The Devils?

Or perhaps even Day for Night.

[Dr Amicus]

Or perhaps even Day for Night.

That would tie in nicely with The Last Metro. I understand Truffaut saw them as the first two in a trilogy, uncompleted at the time of his death, the last part of which would deal with music hall.

[atcolomb]

Or perhaps even Day for Night.

That would tie in nicely with The Last Metro. I understand Truffaut saw them as the first two in a trilogy, uncompleted at the time of his death, the last part of which would deal with music hall.

It would be nice for Two English Girls (1972) to have a new transfer and The Green Room (1978) which was only released on VHS tape and the only Truffaut i have not seen.

[domino harvey]

Criterion is currently sitting on plenty of Truffaut titles, why would they pick more of what they already aren't releasing if given an opportunity to raid the Warner vaults?

[aox]

Blow Up please...

[arsonfilms]

Criterion is currently sitting on plenty of Truffaut titles, why would they pick more of what they already aren't releasing if given an opportunity to raid the Warner vaults?

Completism?

[dx23]

The Warner could be some type of agreement about the New Line catalog. Since the merger, those titles haven't been mentioned at all, except for the big films like Nightmare on Elm Street, Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Rush Hour films. There are several New Line titles that Criterion could roll out in my opinion.

[kaujot]

I'm sure Day for Night would sell very well.

[Jeff]

I'm sure Day for Night would sell very well.

It might, but the Warner edition is pretty good as it is. It would take something pretty special for me to consider upgrading -- JLG commentary could be hilarious.

[Antoine Doinel]

I heard about six months ago that Warners had put out feelers to license some classic TV shows to indie labels specializing in that type of release. I was skeptical, but it does seem like there's more evidence that the WB vault door may have been opened a crack.

The obvious title that has no one has mentioned yet from the Warner catalog is Greed....

I would imagine any TV shows would go in the direction of people like Shout! Factory.

[domino harvey]

You know, in all seriousness, Godard is always willing to make a film essay for a commission, why doesn't Criterion pony up some money and get an original work to add to whatever their next Godard title is? Oh right, they think his career stopped in the sixties

[Antoine Doinel]

There are several New Line titles that Criterion could roll out in my opinion.

Definitely. I would love to see Birth in Blu.

[HelenLawson]

Does this mean Criterion could release The Emigrants and The New Land?

[dx23]

New Line titles I could see Criterion releasing:

Sid & Nancy (although I don't know if MGM got the rights to it, but their releases are OOP)
Damage
American History X (the long running .com joke)
Bamboozled
Mar Adentro
The New World
Birth
Punch Drunk Love
John Waters films
Little Children
The King of Kong