Guess the March 2014 Releases

[knives]

I feel length might cause special consideration for it, but otherwise I don't see what would.

[feihong]

Length and the fact that they already have an Edward Yang movie in separate release. The two would look cool next to one another.

But length is the big reason, as far as I'm concerned. The upcoming volume of the the WCF series has two movies to a BD, and I'm much prefer A Brighter Summer Day to be able to occupy the lion's share of its own disc.

[SpiderBaby]

I think a bunch of these films deserve standalone releases, including Limite, but we get what we get it seems. A Brighter Summer Day shouldn't be standalone if all of the others get shoved into a box. What does that tell us about Criterion and the rest of these films then (outside of having to put it on one disc, that can still be in a set)? Also, THE ELOQUENT PEASANT is a short film, so if need be, those 2 can go on a disc together (if they really need to do 2 films a disc which I think won't be the case), but it would make more sense for that to go with the other Shadi Abdel Salam film.

I can see 7 films in the next set (6 and a short):

Limite, Forest of the Hanged, Law of the Border, Revenge, The Night of Counting the Years (along with The Eloquent Peasant), and A Brighter Summer Day (which for my money makes this the better set of films as Limite and The Night of Counting the Years are 2 of my most wanted, along with the hopeful future Lino Brocka release). Besides Two Girls on the Street, that would take care of all of the pre-2012 restorations.

[rwiggum]

Honestly I think the biggest factor here to consider is how easy these titles would be to sell. A lot of these WCF titles are relatively smaller films with little to no name recognition, in which case attaching Martin Scorsese's name to them will greatly help them find an audience. However, A Brighter Summer Day is a much higher-profile release, and Edward Yang is a name that will make selling that title as a standalone much easier than standalone releases for something like Redes. I think Limite would also be a candidate for a standalone release for this same reason.

[knives]

That's probably not true. Even with Yi Yi in the collection it's not like Yang or his films are spoken of at the rate of Bergman or even Assayas. That sort of spacious argument could apply to several films in the first set perhaps even more strongly than Yang. Length aside there is no reason to suspect it being outside of a boxset and I honestly don't know why you would since it being in a boxset is ultimately cheaper.

[Perkins Cobb]

I would strongly agree with knives on that point -- A Brighter Summer Day is a much more widely-known film than any of the other WCF titles. It's the only one that's routinely mentioned in "best film ever made" lists and Yang is one of only a few directors of WCF features who have a strong international reputation -- really, only Ghatak is in the same league, apart from those who ended up making primarily English-language films (Zinnemann, DeToth). Plus, it had a small US commercial release in 2011. I'd say it's a very logical candidate for a standalone release, maybe the only one apart from Touki Bouki, The Housemaid, or A River Called Titas.

[Zot!]

And wouldn't the inclusion of such a film help to sell a box set of otherwise unknown films? While a I really appreciated the WCF project as a whole, I may actually sway to a MoC release of a Brighter Summer Day, as their WCF packages are more condensed, and there is more opportunity to be selective.

[zedz]

A Brighter Summer Day is my favourite film, and it completely deserves a standalone release, preferably with both versions included and copious extras. It's easily capable of being Criterion's "next Marketa Lazarova or Lonesome." But at this late stage of the game I'd be grateful for any release, and it's not as if its cellmates in a second WCF set will be chopped liver. I mean, Limite and The Night of Counting the Years could just as easily be Criterion's "next Marketa Lazarova or Lonesome." Let's just get these masterpieces out there as swiftly and efficiently as possible. A marketable box set with Scorsese's imprimatur gets everything out in one hit, whereas a prudent release schedule on Criterion's part would likely drip-feed the release of films like these over several years - or never.

[ptatler]

I feel like if they were going to release any of them as standalone they would have started with Touki Bouki considering its recent climb up the Sight & Sound poll and it's introduction and only representation of African cinema in the collection

It's a real shame that they didn't do this as a standalone. Mati Diop's A THOUSAND SUNS is a pre-made extra for the set (and still lacks any Stateside exposure). It's another DAISIES/PUTNEY SWOPE/[Fill In The Blanks] misstep. I'm glad they put it out (it looks gorgeous) but still wish there'd been a little more thought behind the extras on the set.

[colinr0380]

And don't forget the dropped commentary that is on the Korean DVD of The Housemaid. But as zedz says, it sometimes feels like kind of a miracle that just the films are getting out at all in a timely fashion!

[sir_luke]

Barton Fink
The Freshman
The Great Beauty
Limelight
Sirk upgrades

This whole "wait 'til after the weekend" thing is not good for my nerves.

[FrauBlucher]

The Great Beauty
Persona
Errol Morris Box Set
The Freshman
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Boudu Saved From Drowning upgrade

[Noiradelic]

I wonder if A Brighter Summer Day would really go into a box set like the one that is about to be released? It seems like a standalone event release to me.

I feel like if they were going to release any of them as standalone they would have started with Touki Bouki considering its recent climb up the Sight & Sound poll and it's introduction and only representation of African cinema in the collection

A Brighter Summer Day is at #88 and Touki Bouki at #98, so this is an argument for ABSD possibly getting better treatment. With Yi Yi's rep as the one of best films of the double-aughts and the relative popularity of Asian film, I think it's a good candidate, though the same could've been said for Putney Swope and others.

[MongooseCmr]

Barton Fink
The Great Beauty
Persona
The Freshman
The Lady Eve upgrade

[swo17]

A Brighter Summer Day is at #88 and Touki Bouki at #98, so this is an argument for ABSD possibly getting better treatment.

Is it though?

[adavis53]

A Brighter Summer Day is at #88 and Touki Bouki at #98, so this is an argument for ABSD possibly getting better treatment.

I mean Ordet is #25 and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is #97, yet Ordet is still in a box set. I think the actual position is rather arbitrary, its more just that a film is on the list gives them something to promote. If anything, your point about the popularity of it and Asian cinema would be why they would release it standalone but I also feel like the people who are interested in purchasing films like A Brighter Summer Day, Touki Bouki, or Limite are the kind who would shell out the extra money if it came in a box set with other classics of world cinema.

[Bando]

Persona
The Freshman
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Either a Peter Weir Upgrade Spectacular (Picnic at Hanging Rock/The Last Wave dual formats) or Cries and Whispers dual format upgrade
Les Blank documentaries Eclipse

[bringmesomechemicals]

Persona
Red River
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
Cries & Whispers upgrade
Les Blank Eclipse

[lacritfan]

Persona
The Freshman
The Great Beauty
Jubal 2

[Moe Dickstein]

I just hope we finally get Tootsie.

[HistoryProf]

so are we going to have to wait all the way till next Halloween for The Brood and Scanners?

and I'll guess:

Emigrants/New Land Box Set
The Great Beauty
Louisiana Story/Nanook of the North
SubUrbia

Picnic at Hanging Rock blu
Passion of Joan of Arc blu

[ptatler]

GREAT BEAUTY
L'ARGENT/TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC
PERSONA
THE SOFT SKIN
UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG

CRIES AND WHISPERS upgrade
SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER upgrade

Les Blank Eclipse

Realistic, right?

[bamwc2]

Persona
A Brief History of Time
Three Cases of Murder
Eraserhead
Antoine Doinel Box BD
Magnificent Obsession BD
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul BD