Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[therewillbeblus]

Bergman set was announced on the business day before or after his centennial birthday but the release date was end of the year. I’d bet we get an announcement on that Tuesday or sometime around MLK/his birthday for a release sometime later this year. Since we are apparently getting a bunch of box sets though who knows when it’ll be released

[yoloswegmaster]

'Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'Me and You and Everyone We Know' are being released in April.

[captveg]

Army of Shadows back in print, & Destry Rides Again and The Cremator being released.

[Glowingwabbit]

Disappointed to see a slot wasted on a re-release (Army of Shadows) and another Czech film that Second Run already put out (Cremator). Destry Rides Again is one I never got around to seeing so I look forward to that one.

[dwk]

They are working on four big boxsets, two of which could be Bergman sized. So be prepared for more things like StudioCanal re-releases, straight blu-ray upgrades, and/or Bergman boxset breakaways.

[Glowingwabbit]

They are working on four big boxsets, two of which could be Bergman sized. So be prepared for more things like StudioCanal re-releases and

Oh yeah thats a good point. Hadn't thought about that. And I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune when it's an SC title that I don't already own.

[domino harvey]

Or an upgrade for a DVD title, which KL Insider suggested was forthcoming in spades

[Glowingwabbit]

Or an upgrade for a DVD title, which KL Insider suggested was forthcoming in spades

Definitely. It's really just the ones that are merely coming back into print with no upgrade or nothing new added. Although the film is great so it's good that people don't have to pay ridiculous ebay prices for it anymore.

[Matt]

They are working on four big boxsets, two of which could be Bergman sized. So be prepared for more things like StudioCanal re-releases and

Oh yeah thats a good point. Hadn't thought about that. And I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune when it's an SC title that I don't already own.

Army of Shadows is probably the first title to come back in print precisely because they already have a disc master ready to go for it. All they need to do is order a new print run (if they don't already have some unsold/unsellable stock).

[Minkin]

The Cremator - One of the many titles confirmed from the Czech National Archive + also on Criterion Channel

Destry Rides Again - the Kino Insider hinted that Criterion had the rights

Me and You and Everyone We Know - Domino jumped the gun by declaring this forthcoming, although we had no actual confirmation (he turned out to be correct though!)

The Grand Budapest Hotel - hinted / expected for years with some confirmation from Anderson himself

Army of Shadows - 2nd return of Studio Canal titles, thus a direct version of what was once in print, no confirmation though
=============================================
53 OOP mainline titles remain to return


This month's All-Around Cowpoke is (once again)....

Bressonaire!

They were the only person to get anything correct (unless Graphist hasn't heard of the two "old BnW films" announced )

Until next month's Speculation Rodeo.

[Bressonaire]

This month's All-Around Cowpoke is (once again).... Bressonaire!

Although I'm pleased to receive the golden lariat as a prize rather than be hanged with it for being a witch after the accusations that swirled around Haxan, I should point out that it's my first time receiving it, Minkin.

[Omensetter]

It's an ice day on my end, so I cannot go outside and plant a tree. The cowpoke is relatively new, I think, but you definitely won the guess-thread in December 2018 with fairly off-the-wall guesses no one else made, January 2019 (a tie), May 2019 (with a pick no one else made), June 2019, and pretty much September 2019 until McNulty won a tight game with a Cluny Brown at the buzzer. You're good at this!
-----------------------
I'm a big fan of Francesco Rosi, who I find sorely underrated (or maybe just currently unfashionable) and have been hoping for a label to pick up Christ Stopped at Eboli, which is wrapping up a run of the complete, uncut version.

I stumbled upon a Film Forum link, presumably from April, which mentions quite explicitly that there are no plans for a home video or streaming release. Is that likely? The restoration of Lucky Luciano at least made its way to streaming.

[Close The Door, Raymond]

I'm a big fan of Francesco Rosi, who I find sorely underrated (or maybe just currently unfashionable) and have been hoping for a label to pick up Christ Stopped at Eboli, which is wrapping up a run of the complete, uncut version.

I stumbled upon a Film Forum link, presumably from April, which mentions quite explicitly that there are no plans for a home video or streaming release. Is that likely? The restoration of Lucky Luciano at least made its way to streaming.

Surely it means at the time of the Film Forum screening there were "no plans for a home video or streaming release." But I hope that that will change in the near (or distant) future. Who knows, maybe a deal is happening right now?

[senseabove]

Is it secretly a StudioCanal title? I don't think it had an SC bumper when I saw it, but I wasn't watching for that so I'm not certain, and it looks like Rialto's site doesn't indicate whether they own the rights or they're just US theatrical distributor for SC on any titles, so that's no help. But I can't turn up any UK/EU screenings that would indicate it's SC...

I have the impression that Rialto likes to just sit on rights without releasing things on home video. Am I wrong about that? Googling turns up Criterion's releases of Lola Montes from 2010, Battle of Algiers from 2011, and Elevator to the Gallows from 2018, which is pretty slim...

[yoloswegmaster]

It seems like Criterion won't be releasing 'In Fabric' anytime soon since Lionsgate is releasing a BD-R on February 11.

[dda1996a]

Good, would be a waste of a spine (but then we do get John Waters' films...)

[DeprongMori]

I have the impression that Rialto likes to just sit on rights without releasing things on home video. Am I wrong about that? Googling turns up Criterion's releases of Lola Montes from 2010, Battle of Algiers from 2011, and Elevator to the Gallows from 2018, which is pretty slim...

There are quite a few Rialto films that are or were part of the Criterion Collection.

[Omensetter]

Thank you for the information, senseabove. Panique coming from Rialto in December 2018 after there being nothing new from them for like a decade gave cause for optimism. Criterion has historically released Cristaldi's films, but this seems to be a wait-and-see affair, and I don't know if Rosi is apart of their stable in the same way that, say, Fellini is (although he should be). Hopefully someone will take this on, is all.

[Lowry_Sam]

They are working on four big boxsets, two of which could be Bergman sized. So be prepared for more things like StudioCanal re-releases, straight blu-ray upgrades, and/or Bergman boxset breakaways.

I went to see Variety Lights yesterday at the PFA. The website said it would be a DCP, but there was no mention of a restoration. They announced that Ritrovata was restoring it but that it probably wouldn't be finished until the end of the year. They also mentioned that London had the only 35 mm print available for screening, so they ended up playing the Criterion dvd, which was a disappointment, because it's an old one (and I own it). They did also mention though that this would be the only film in the retrospective for which this was the case though.

I also got to the Christ Stopped At Eboli 2 weeks ago & it did look great. I wasn't much of a fan of Salvatore Giuliani or Hands Over The City, but I loved this one, it was a much more subtle presentation of its subject, & would be a day one purchase if it makes it to disc.

[Ribs]

The Janus Fellini retro isn’t kicking off proper until December per MoMA’s notes for Roma. Doesn’t mean the box won’t come beforehand or simultaneously with that but indicates several of the titles are probably still having work done.

[yoloswegmaster]

The Janus Fellini retro isn’t kicking off proper until December per MoMA’s notes for Roma. Doesn’t mean the box won’t come beforehand or simultaneously with that but indicates several of the titles are probably still having work done.

Would you happen to have a link to the MoMA notes?

[senseabove]

I went to see Variety Lights yesterday at the PFA. The website said it would be a DCP, but there was no mention of a restoration. They announced that Ritrovata was restoring it but that it probably wouldn't be finished until the end of the year. They also mentioned that London had the only 35 mm print available for screening, so they ended up playing the Criterion dvd, which was a disappointment, because it's an old one (and I own it). They did also mention though that this would be the only film in the retrospective for which this was the case though.

I also got to the Christ Stopped At Eboli 2 weeks ago & it did look great. I wasn't much of a fan of Salvatore Giuliani or Hands Over The City, but I loved this one, it was a much more subtle presentation of its subject, & would be a day one purchase if it makes it to disc.

That's kinda shocking... I've never heard of the PFA screening a DVD when that wasn't at parity with the original quality (i.e. a doc shot on early-90s SD video or something like that) or an obscurity otherwise unscreenable and unlikely to ever be otherwise (i.e. experimental shorts).

I wonder if they were told it would be ready in time... I know there's another one in the Fellini series they originally scheduled earlier, as shown in the print calendar, and then pushed back to a later date, as indicated on the website. And in the recent Visconti series, they scheduled Senso at the end of the otherwise chronological program just so they could show a new restoration of it that they'd been told would be finished between the start of the series and the scheduled date. Odd that Variety Lights was only the third program in their Fellini series, but the schedule came out in November, I believe, so maybe that was the window this time...

[Ribs]

[quote=Ribs post_id=684317 time=<a href="tel:1579547744">1579547744</a> user_id=24943]
The Janus Fellini retro isn’t kicking off proper until December per MoMA’s notes for Roma. Doesn’t mean the box won’t come beforehand or simultaneously with that but indicates several of the titles are probably still having work done.

Would you happen to have a link to the MoMA notes?
[/quote]Here’s the page, which admittedly doesn’t say Janus is doing it but is undoubtedly the same one

[yoloswegmaster]

Thanks! Also interesting to note that BAMPFA is starting their own Fellini retro next Wednesday and the only title that is not playing in DCP is 'Variety Lights'.

[Lowry_Sam]

Perhaps MOMA delayed the retrospective until all the restorations are available, but it seems that it is well under way in the rest of the world. A friend came back from Rio de Janeiro & it is already playing there too.