Janus Contemporaries

[tenia]

I haven’t seen it mentioned yet (or missed it), but I think a key reason for this lime is to get these films out on physical media quickly and not have them languish in the main Criterion pipeline for months to years as so many other contemporary films have (hi, Atlantiques).

I hadn't thought of that, but it'd indeed be quite an improvement.

[domino harvey]

I don’t understand anyone greeting this as anything but good news. More Blu-ray releases of contemporary films that free up Criterion to release other stuff concurrently. Everyone wins

[yoloswegmaster]

I don't understand why people, here and elsewhere, are surprised that there aren't going to be 4K releases for these titles, as it seems obvious that they won't sell well on the format.

[colinr0380]

Plus also those of us outside the US or Canada would not have been able to access the Criterion Channel streaming service, so disc releases are welcome for us too! (Although I only just last month picked up the Picture House UK Blu-ray of No Bears, so... you're welcome! ), and they already have produced extra features for the Channel that they can use, so they will already have an extra feature to put on there, so it would be a good way of maximising resources, although I would expect that because that aspect was played up in the press release (and the price point for the discs) that will be it otherwise aside from a trailer.

(I also agree with Finch that I would love to see some more releases of the older films at a faster pace as well. Maybe upgrade the Eclipse line from DVD only to Blu-ray only releases?)

[Finch]

If it's just the films and one interview with the filmmakers, then $29.99 for the Blu-Ray is a bit much, frankly (especially when BFI's EO BD is on orbitdvd and other retailers for $19.99 to $21.99, and stacked by comparison to the JC release). They've been guilty of that for some of their mainline titles too, of course.

[FrauBlucher]

But if you wait for any of the 50% off sales that’s pretty damn good

[tenia]

I don’t understand anyone greeting this as anything but good news. More Blu-ray releases of contemporary films that free up Criterion to release other stuff concurrently. Everyone wins.

As a whole : yes. It's launching a sub-branch that seems superfluous to me.

Supposing there isn't boing to be extra hiring dedicated to handle those (which would be surprising considering Criterion had to let go employees not long ago), it means it'll just be contemporary movies that Criterion would have released in their main line, but then not released in their main line.
I doubt they've been sitting on Atlantique for 2 years just because they didn't have a dedicated sub-branch, especially at a time when they released more contemporary stuff than ever before. And if they're going to have a faster pace of releases without new hirings, what prevented them going faster until now ?

So while I'm all for more movies overall and Criterion not sitting for years on them (the rest of the Buster Keaton movies says hi too), I just wonder why they bothering splitting those and now having to handle a sub-label. It seems to me like avoidable extra headache (not taking into account comparisons that will obviously happen like "why is this here and not there / at this price with these extras").

[swo17]

It just gives them an avenue to release a glut of films more quickly, with less effort, and at a lower price point, without opening themselves up to criticism for the main line focusing too much on newer films, skimping on extras, or being overpriced. Presumably if they think a newer film merits more extras or a UHD, they'll put those in the main line. At least, I'm hopeful they would've still given Triangle of Sadness a UHD release if this subline had been an option at the time

[colinr0380]

From a more UK perspective I wonder how much this is a response to Mubi, in the sense that they have moved from streaming into releasing certain contemporary films onto disc now, and there is something quite powerful about having a line of really current films being released on physical media for the audience to tackle whilst the critical consensus is still being tussled over (especially because Mubi and Criterion have been duelling it out on a few recent titles: The Worst Person In The World, Drive My Car and most recently Petite Maman). It was the same kind of thing that Artificial Eye in the UK used to mainly do in the 90s and 2000s, which just got films out there on a mostly barebones disc that left room for a more elaborate edition in the future by a boutique label, but which maybe increased the profile of a film by getting home video reviewers to write a piece about the disc. I do not really know whether there have been any sites that particularly focus on reviewing streaming titles (although admittedly I have not really bothered to look), perhaps because of the ephemerality of how long a title can stay on a streaming platform that would make any such review quickly outdated.

(I also wonder if this announcement coming so close to this year's Cannes competition means that we should look out for what Janus may pick up)

[FrauBlucher]

With announcement release dates well into the fall and nothing announced for this line, got to wonder if these will be announced separately

[fiendishthingy]

That could be. It seems a bit odd that they would announce this line in May and then remain silent on it until at least August, especially if they already have six titles lined up and some of them have been streaming on the Criterion Channel for months. Maybe they hoped that the early announcement would double as publicity for their theatrical releases. Of course, they could have intended to start in November all along, though I still wonder how quickly and frequently they intend to get these out on disc.

[yoloswegmaster]

3 titles are available for preorder.

[fiendishthingy]

Unless the cover art is going to be updated at some point, I’m surprised that there’s not a more uniform design scheme for these, like the Eclipse and Essential Art House lines.

[Adam X]

This is more like the old Home Vision Entertainment label.

[Matt]

I think the idea is that these are not a Criterion sub-label but a way to get these contemporary films Janus co-owns out on physical media for libraries and other people who need or desire physical media. It’s NOT a series and will probably only have intermittent releases.

Think of it more like the way Vinegar Syndrome distributes various partner labels. Someone else runs the label itself, making all acquisition, production, and design decisions, and the distributor handles the manufacturing and distribution. Criterion is doing that here for Sideshow/Janus.

It’s actually quite a relief they’re not going down the spine number and series-level art route once more. And not commissioning box art separate from the poster art they’ve already commissioned is a smart money-saver.

[fiendishthingy]

That makes sense — thanks!

[aox]

I think this is great news. I might as well ask this here, but has the Eclipse line been completely abandoned at this point? Did Criterion ever say anything officially?

[soundchaser]

Criterion haven't said anything officially, but it certainly seems Eclipse has been shifted into the bonus-lite box sets we've seen recently for Zetterling and others.

[Matt]

Indeed. The last Eclipse set was more than 5 years ago.

I said years ago that the Criterion Channel was the new Eclipse line—640x480 or 1280x720 unrestored transfers of catalog films with no extras—and my opinion has not changed. And as far as physical media goes, it seems very, very, very unlikely that Criterion would release either a DVD-only edition of anything or a Blu-ray edition of something without at least a new 2k transfer and some kind of basic extras.

[swo17]

New announcements for November:

Godland
Tori & Lokita
The Eight Mountains

[joshua]

There is a Sideshow/Janus add in the new Cinema Scope that has Ceylan's About Dry Grasses, Hamaguchi's Evil Does Not Exist, Lila Aviles' Totem, and Breillat's Last Summer as coming soon. I'm guessing theatrical runs will start in early '24?

[hearthesilence]

Maybe sooner - they're all screening at NYFF this week or next, and I can see them getting at least a limited release by years end to qualify for awards, similar to the Sideshow/Janus acquisitions that screened at the past two NYFF's.