Criterion Random Speculation Vol.3

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In Heaven · #301 Post by **In Heaven** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 9:15 pm

Why do you think High School? I've wanted to see that for years..

miless · #302 Post by **miless** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:37 pm

In Heaven wrote:Why do you think High School? I've wanted to see that for years..

or Titicut Follies?...
I thought that Wiseman didn't want this film to be released....

justeleblanc · #303 Post by **justeleblanc** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:42 pm

Jeff wrote:I went back and forth with that one. Since the Rialto screenings are beginning early in 2007 it will probably make it this fall, but we've started seeing some longer windows between Rialto and Criterion.

Rialto already started, check film forum's November 06 schedule.

Also, the Gorin features probably wont be Eclipse since Gorin himself has worked on special featured for them.

#304 Post by **Matt** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:48 pm

Three Hou Hsiao-Hsien DVDs from Fox Lorber have just gone out of print: Flowers Of Shanghai; Good Men, Good Women; and Goodbye South, Goodbye.

denti alligator · #305 Post by **denti alligator** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 12:03 am

Matt wrote:Three Hou Hsiao-Hsien DVDs from Fox Lorber have just gone out of print: Flowers Of Shanghai; Good Men, Good Women; and Goodbye South, Goodbye.

Those and City of Sadness (available nowhere in the world, afaik) would make a nice box set.

Ashirg · #306 Post by **Ashirg** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 2:50 am

City of Sadness is available in Japan and Taiwan, but without English subs.

Derek Estes · #307 Post by **Derek Estes** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 2:55 am

Doesn't anyone think Varda might make an appearance (or even reappearance with a new Cleo from 5 to 7), in 2007?

godardslave · #308 Post by **godardslave** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 3:05 am

Derek Estes wrote:Doesn't anyone think Varda might make an appearance (or even reappearance with a new Cleo from 5 to 7), in 2007?

yes, i mentioned this in the blog thread.

Derek Estes · #309 Post by **Derek Estes** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 3:09 am

godardslave wrote:yes, i mentioned this in the blog thread.

I was referring more to the imaginary schedules in this thread, in which her films are absent from the speculation.

Steven H · #310 Post by **Steven H** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 10:06 am

Ashirg wrote:City of Sadness is available in Japan and Taiwan, but without English subs.

I think we can heap this fact into a little pile I call "the list of DVD unavailability crimes". Didn't Artificial Eye do this on VHS? I'll send an email.

#311 Post by **Jeff** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 8:56 pm

Derek Estes wrote:Doesn't anyone think Varda might make an appearance (or even reappearance with a new Cleo from 5 to 7), in 2007?

It's a possibility, but I think it is equally likely (if not more so) that they were working with her on Demy titles. That's why Lola and Bay of Angels appear on my list.

Derek Estes · #312 Post by **Derek Estes** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 11:27 pm

Jeff wrote:It's a possibility, but I think it is equally likely (if not more so) that they were working with her on Demy titles. That's why Lola and Bay of Angels appear on my list.

But do you think Criterion would bother with those titles when they are already available in R1? Wellspring released them both in 2003, after they had already began working with Criterion. I think Le Bonheur, or a rerelease of Cleo from 5 to 7 seem more likely to me. Wasn't a new print of Cleo circulating recently?

Though it would be nice if a definitive version of Umbrellas was released by Criterion. All of the available releases seem to be half-assed.

#313 Post by **Jeff** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:29 pm

Derek Estes wrote:But do you think Criterion would bother with those titles when they are already available in R1? Wellspring released them both in 2003, after they had already began working with Criterion. I think Le Bonheur, or a rerelease of Cleo from 5 to 7 seem more likely to me. Wasn't a new print of Cleo circulating recently?

The releases of those two Demy films could certainly stand improvement, and yeah I could see Criterion tackling them. You are right that Le Bonheur seems to have a good shot as well. I can't imagine that Cléo is a big enough seller that it's high on Criterion's makeover list (a list that already seems pretty long, and they said they would only do three or four a year). DVD transfers are not (generally) made from prints, so striking a new print doesn't necessarily have much to do with the possibility of a refurbished DVD. They simply strike new prints for arthouse circulation when the old one begins to wear out. Now if they start throwing around phrases like "restored," then we might have something. Varda did make a short doc about Cléo last year, so I'm not ready to rule it out completely.

Derek Estes wrote:Though it would be nice if a definitive version of Umbrellas was released by Criterion. All of the available releases seem to be half-assed.

You bet. A high-quality transfer of Umbrellas of Cherbourg from restored elements with the entire The World of Jacques Demy on disc two would be an instant candidate for release of the year, even though both films are already available in shitty releases from shitty companies.

#314 Post by **Matt** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 11:13 pm

Jeff wrote:I can't imagine that Cléo is a big enough seller that it's high on Criterion's makeover list (a list that already seems pretty long, and they said they would only do three or four a year).

But the current disc of Cléo is non-anamorphic and contains absolutely no extras. That right there is reason enough for a reissue, but when you also have a living director who is willing to work with you to provide supplements (and Varda's own French disc is packed with them), there's little reason for there not to be a reissue.

I can't speak to the sales question, but I do know that more libraries own copies of Cléo than, for instance, I Know Where I'm Going!, Knife in the Water, and Le Samourai.

sherlockjr · #315 Post by **sherlockjr** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 11:31 pm

Matt,

You bring up an interesting question: On average, how many copies of Criterion films are purchased by libraries? Until you brought it up, I hadn't thought of libraries when determing potential DVD sales. Thanks.

HerrSchreck · #316 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:13 am

Oh jeez, when you're talking in terms of co's like CC, Milestone, HVe/Image and Kino (especially low recognition releases like CC's ROBESON, silents, Brakhage, and Kino's releases like the EDISON set, the Movies Begin set, the Griffith box, the AMERICAN FILM THEATER sets), you can bet they are calculating as baseline profit recoups the ongoing subscription sales in libraries, particularly those in universities with an emphasis, outside of film courses (of course), on urban history, art history, history in general, etc .

#317 Post by **Matt** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 12:01 pm

sherlockjr wrote:On average, how many copies of Criterion films are purchased by libraries?

Well, I can only gauge the relative saturation of a given title, not total holdings. I'm using WorldCat, which allows you to see which libraries hold any given title. Now, not every library in the country has their holdings in WorldCat, but enough do (over 10,000) that it's a good indicator of how popular a given title is. The ten most popular titles (because someone will surely ask) are:

Seven Samurai
The Third Man
Rashomon
The Seventh Seal
Hamlet
The Battle of Algiers
Grand Illusion
8 1/2
Do the Right Thing
The Passion of Joan of Arc

There are many libraries (ours is not one of them) that have standing orders for Criterion titles, meaning they buy every one that's released. I'm too picky to have standing orders for anything, but we still buy a fair amount. Right now we've got about 100 of their titles and I usually pick up more when there's a good sale. I bought all of their German titles during the last Deep Discount sale and the Cassavetes and Wajda boxes on sale at Amazon.

Kino I buy less of, but I get the essential items: Edison, Keaton, Griffith, German silents, some of the AFT titles.

#318 Post by **domino harvey** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 10:11 pm

the R1 Lola is out of print

headacheboy · #319 Post by **headacheboy** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 1:45 pm

In which headacheboy prognosticates poorly. I forgot I already knew the March titles.

edited, heavily.

stroszeck · #320 Post by **stroszeck** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:17 am

Is it worth buying any of the OOP Hsien's? Are the qualities any good because the only DVDs i've seen are Cafe Lumiere and The Puppetmaster, the later of which was absolutely abysmal quality both visually and audio wise.

The Fanciful Norwegian · #321 Post by **The Fanciful Norwegian** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:23 am

If you've seen Cafe Lumiere and The Puppetmaster, then you've seen both ends of quality spectrum so far as the Wellspring/Winstar/Fox Lorber Hous are concerned. The others are far from adequate -- nonanamorphic, less-than-ideal print quality, questionable color, low bitrates, yellow subtitles, etc. etc. -- but they're at least watchable, which is at least more than can be said for the FL Puppetmaster. Whether they're worth picking up depends on how keen you are to see them and whether you think superior re-releases are imminent -- I have a nagging fear their recent OOP status is just neglect on the Weinsteins' part and not a sign the rights have shifted elsewhere.

#322 Post by **Jeff** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:35 am

stroszeck wrote:Is it worth buying any of the OOP Hsien's?

Not to be pedantic, but his surname is Hou. "Hsien" is the latter part of his given name.

marty · #323 Post by **marty** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:53 am

The R4 DVD of Hou Hsiao-Hsien's Millennium Mambo is out here on 17 January. I have seen the DVD as its out in rental stores and the transfer is stunning not to mention the slick artwork

SHOCKMASTER · #324 Post by **SHOCKMASTER** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:37 pm

Is there another source which indicates that those R1 Hsien titles are now O.O.P.?

JFarina · #325 Post by **JFarina** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:07 am

The Fanciful Norwegian wrote:If you've seen Cafe Lumiere and The Puppetmaster, then you've seen both ends of quality spectrum so far as the Wellspring/Winstar/Fox Lorber Hous are concerned. The others are far from adequate -- nonanamorphic, less-than-ideal print quality, questionable color, low bitrates, yellow subtitles, etc. etc. -- but they're at least watchable, which is at least more than can be said for the FL Puppetmaster. Whether they're worth picking up depends on how keen you are to see them and whether you think superior re-releases are imminent -- I have a nagging fear their recent OOP status is just neglect on the Weinsteins' part and not a sign the rights have shifted elsewhere.

I tend to agree, given that we haven't seen any sign of a new R1 edition of Godard's Vivre sa vie since (I believe) it went OOP some time ago. The three Hou films are still readily available online at decent enough cost to take some of the sting out of a double dip if superior editions eventually do emerge.