MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

[Michael Kerpan]

Distant Cry From Spring -- great film but wildly mis-translated English title -- really more like "the call of far away mountains". Japanese title: Haruka naru yama no yobigoe. Somehow the translator double-translated "haruka" which means "distant, far-away" as both itself and as "haru" spring -- and completely forgot about "yama" (mountain or mountains). Of special (and sad) note this week -- this film features one of Ken Takakura's most wonderful performances.

[FrauBlucher]

I sense that MoC has established some kind of relationship with Cohen. I expect to see more of their films get an MoC release, I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing the Keatons, starting with the 4k resto of The General.

[tomN245]

Distant Cry From Spring -- great film but wildly mis-translated English title -- really more like "the call of far away mountains". Japanese title: Haruka naru yama no yobigoe. Somehow the translator double-translated "haruka" which means "distant, far-away" as both itself and as "haru" spring -- and completely forgot about "yama" (mountain or mountains). Of special (and sad) note this week -- this film features one of Ken Takakura's most wonderful performances.

I had no idea he recently died
His acting in "A Fugitive from the Past" is the best I've seen in a Japanese film (I'm struggling to think of anything that comes close). His performance in A Distant Cry From Spring (or should I say The Call of Far Away Mountains) raises the film beyond perfection with unparalleled and iconic acting. I might watch it again tomorrow.

[Michael Kerpan]

Takakura (who just died this week) was also wonderful in Yamada's Yellow Handkerchief and Zhang Yimou's Riding alone for Thousands of Miles -- but these aren't quite as perfect as films (overall) as Call of Far-Away Mountains. A Yamada box set with this film, plus Kazoku (1970) and Kokyo (1972) would be utterly awesome.

[ellipsis7]

Maybe IL GRIDO for an upgrade to BR... It's now the only Antonioni film in a straight run of 9 films from I VINTI to RED DESERT, that's not received a bump up anywhere to HD....

[SpiderBaby]

As for speculation for the whole of 2015, I'd guess at

Pastoral

What is everyone else hoping for?

I wouldn't be more excited for any other release than I would seeing a Terayama ATG boxset announced with English subs.

[What A Disgrace]

I have my fingers crossed that we'll finally get Murnau's The Burning Soil.

[Tommaso]

And I hope that they license Aleksey German's "Hard to be a God" from the Russians and give it the extras and contextualisation it badly needs. Although it's a complete knockout even if you aren't able to understand the plot fully...

[Yakushima]

Tommaso: I'd second this hope! "Hard to be a god" cries out for loaded special edition complete with deleted scenes (there are many!), documentaries (there are at least five that I know of, including still unreleased "Playback") and many hours of mesmerizing interviews with Alexey German.

[Werdegast]

I would appreciate if "Zur Chronik von grieshuus" would be released by MoC.
It seems like FWMS has a proper restoration of the film: http://www.murnau-stiftung.de/node/2472

[Tommaso]

Yes, I'm sure this will come, I suppose they'll use the recording of that concert as basis for a definitive version which at the very least will air on arte TV. Not sure whether the name of the director is well known enough for MoC to pick it up, though.

[swo17]

On the trailers for The Thief of Bagdad and Intolerance, the logo for the Cohen Film Collection pops up after the Masters of Cinema logo.

Cohen features prominently on the packaging as well. The credits box begins with "Cohen Media Group presents a 2K restoration...from Cohen Film Collection." There are also two Cohen logos on the back cover, and even one on the spine! And then when you open the case and peer into the back of it, you can just faintly make out the words "Jimmy Crack Cohen."

[Jonathan S]

^ Sounds like Cohen are following in the footsteps of Raymond Rohauer in more ways than one!

[Finch]

Given MoC's relationship with Cohen and Chabrol already being in the collection, I wouldn't be surprised if Merci Pour Le Chocolat was one of their announcements for the new year. Personally, I'm hoping for the 4k resto of The General in February or March, and I keep dreaming that they'll release more Kiyoshi Kurosawa, especially Cure in HD (the Spanish BD is interlaced and not English-friendly).

[FrauBlucher]

Just tweeted....

We'll be making our Q1 2015 Announcements from midday today. 11 releases to rattle thro' plus 2 theatricals! Join us in approx. an hour!

[repeat]

I keep dreaming that they'll release more Kiyoshi Kurosawa, especially Cure in HD (the Spanish BD is interlaced and not English-friendly)

I keep dreaming anyone would, but somehow I don't think it's going to be Eureka. And I wonder if the Spider/Serpent double sold nearly well enough to encourage any more releases from Third Window. It's a shame, because License to Live and Barren Illusion - as well as Loft - would be absolutely crucial correctives to the received ideas about KK in the English-speaking world (the effects of which are becoming sadly apparent in the critical reception of his recent stuff like Penance and Real)

The Spanish blu of Cure is indeed only passable, and given the film's reputation it should be an absolute no-brainer for Criterion (or Arrow for that matter), who knows what gives?

[eerik]

First up, Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn star in Stanley Donen’s Two for the Road. Dual Format edition on 19 Jan 2015

[FrauBlucher]

First up, Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn star in Stanley Donen’s Two for the Road. Dual Format edition on 19 Jan 2015

Trailer

[eerik]

Fritz Lang’s masterpiece, METROPOLIS will be re-released in Jan in new SteelBook packaging and incl. a 2nd Blu-ray with addiotional features
The set will now feature the Giorgio Moroder version and a 45-min documentary exploring the film’s rediscovery alongside the previous BD

Then later in the month (January 2015) to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz...
SHOAH, Claude Lanzmann’s landmark documentary meditation on the Holocaust will be release in the UK on Blu-ray for the first time on 26 Jan
The “4 FILMS AFTER SHOAH” also released on 26 Jan in a standalone DVD set to complement the existing Shoah DVD set
Both sets feature Claude Lanzmann’s new film THE LAST OF THE UNJUST released theatrically on 9 Jan

Coming later in the year we can reveal we’ll be releasing WILD RIVER on Blu-ray, Director Elia Kazan at his best!

Sean Connery stars as a burned out British Police Detective Sergeant in Sidney Lumet's THE OFFENCE on Blu-ray

Raymond Bernard’s WOODEN CROSSES, a pacifist work of enormous empathy and chilling despair, Dual Format edition

MAN OF THE WEST, Anthony Mann’s extraordinary western starring Gary Cooper, to be released in a Dual Format edition

And finally Fellini's adaptation of Petronious' myth of SATYRICON will join the series in a Dual Format edition

One last thing to confirm i.e. the theatrical release date for Alain Resnais' LIFE OF RILEY will be 6 March

[Drucker]

Wow what a great slate. Looking forward to all of the American classics which they do so well, and glad I can pick up this version of Man of the West rather than the Carlotta.

[Finch]

Strong lineup but nothing for me except perhaps Wild River, and The Other on Eureka's Classics line. I already got Pathe's BD of Wooden Crosses and can't afford doubledips anymore, with storage issues and not wanting to spend money on the same films over and over again. Speaking of which, I hope companies are done with reissuing Metropolis now until the next format comes out. I'd have rather seen MoC get You Live Only Once.

Here's hoping though Man of the West sells so that MoC will be encouraged to release more Anthony Mann titles.

PS.: In the combo package of Shoah and the other films, is it just Shoah on BD and DVDs of the rest or are they all BD?

[Finch]

Anyone else thinking that one of the MoC titles for late spring might be Syncopation? It's William Dieterle who already is represented in the series with The Devil and Daniel Webster; and it'd be another licence from Cohen after Thief of Baghdad and Intolerance.

[Drucker]

Perhaps! But I have my money on the next Cohen title being Hangmen Also Die. When they floated the possibility of the "book" with films already released, Lang seemed the most likely choice.

[rapta]

Well I'm hoping Dragon Inn is ready...they were quoting Q2 last time I asked them so fingers crossed!

As for Cohen acquisitions, I would kill for Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us to join MoC. As long as Artificial Eye don't have the rights to it...

[rapta]

I was just thinking, seeing as Eureka recently released Robert Mulligan's THE OTHER as part of Eureka Classics...perhaps they might consider his 1991 film THE MAN IN THE MOON, considering it's an MGM title (so therefore available to license out to them)? It might be a bit contemporary for them though...but might expand their lack of more contemporary titles!