Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

Discuss releases in the Janus Contemporaries, Eclipse, and Essential Art House lines and the films on them.
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Hopscotch
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#51 Post by Hopscotch » Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:57 pm

If by "just" you mean three years ago, and the article says that Criterion initiated negotiations two years ago...

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bainbridgezu
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#52 Post by bainbridgezu » Tue Jan 31, 2012 9:00 pm

Hopscotch wrote:If by "just" you mean three years ago, and the article says that Criterion initiated negotiations two years ago...
Furthermore, Dark Sky has gotten out of the business of releasing older titles in order to focus on the theatrical / video distribution of new films (such as House of the Devil). Perhaps their rights to Cremator have lapsed and they weren't interested in renewing them. The film is still available through online retailers (including their own website), but I doubt it is a title that would become immediately scare after production stopped.

The Film Office

Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#53 Post by The Film Office » Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:16 am

Since my company, The Film Office, was instrumental in selling the top 16 Czech New Wave films to Criterion (a three year long process) I know that there will be many more treasures still coming in the future months. The plan is for a release of three box sets total.

For those of you complaining of overlap with other companies, just one note: CRITERION COLLECTION/JANUS is the only US company legally assigned distribution rights to all these films. Yes, that is exactly where the other companies stand. Sad and shocking.

I have known or know most of the filmmakers involved in these films personally, some were my teachers at the Prague Film Academy, I worked with others as an assistant director. Please do not miss these films, they are among the treasures of the World Cinema, and the only reason they are not know in the US is that most of them were shut for 20+ years in communist safes.

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MichaelB
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#54 Post by MichaelB » Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:57 am

The Film Office wrote:Since my company, The Film Office, was instrumental in selling the top 16 Czech New Wave films to Criterion (a three year long process) I know that there will be many more treasures still coming in the future months. The plan is for a release of three box sets total.
That's fabulous news, and I'll publicise it as much as I can. I think Criterion automatically sends Eclipse box sets to Sight & Sound, and while I have no editorial say in the length of the final piece it's a pretty safe bet that they'll be running a review - and hopefully it'll be by someone like myself or Peter Hames who has a solid grounding in Czech film history.
For those of you complaining of overlap with other companies, just one note: CRITERION COLLECTION/JANUS is the only US company legally assigned distribution rights to all these films. Yes, that is exactly where the other companies stand. Sad and shocking.
I should probably make it clear that Second Run isn't one of those "other companies", since it's UK-based and licenses all its titles entirely legitimately. But they've run into similar situations: in fact, Valerie and her Week of Wonders nearly didn't happen because it was out on another label - handily, the other label tacitly admitted that they didn't have any rights (I don't know if they ever did, but they'd certainly have expired by the late 2000s) and quietly withdrew their DVD as soon as Second Run announced their plans.

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bainbridgezu
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#55 Post by bainbridgezu » Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:16 pm

The Film Office wrote:Since my company, The Film Office, was instrumental in selling the top 16 Czech New Wave films to Criterion (a three year long process) I know that there will be many more treasures still coming in the future months. The plan is for a release of three box sets total.
I understand if you can't say anything before Criterion makes their own announcement, but could you confirm if Marketa Lazarová is one of the films they will be releasing?

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Lemmy Caution
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#56 Post by Lemmy Caution » Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:24 pm

Why wait?

Support Second Run!

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jbeall
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#57 Post by jbeall » Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:06 pm

Indeed, these films are worth the double-dip, and Second Run's titles are affordable enough that it's not a huge hit to the wallet. Plus, since relegating these titles to the Eclipse line (assuming that's what Criterion intends to do) means no extras, SR provides those booklet essays that are often invaluable.

That said, The Film Office's post has me salivating and speculating as to what all those titles are!

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knives
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#58 Post by knives » Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:08 pm

They're posted on the previous page.

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jwd5275
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#59 Post by jwd5275 » Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:49 pm

knives wrote:They're posted on the previous page.
Those equal only 15. Passer's Intimate Lighting as the 16th?

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knives
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#60 Post by knives » Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:55 pm

I'd assume that Marketa, which is already confirmed, is lucky number 16.

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bainbridgezu
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#61 Post by bainbridgezu » Thu Feb 23, 2012 10:17 pm

I'm hoping the film's absence from those set break-downs means that it will be getting a stand-alone release in the main line, if only for the possibility of some contextual supplements. A first viewing of Marketa is like watching Andrei Rublev backwards--while standing on your head.

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jwd5275
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#62 Post by jwd5275 » Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:12 pm

But Marketa is hardly Czech New Wave.

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knives
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#63 Post by knives » Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:14 pm

Does that matter in terms of licensing though?

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jwd5275
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#64 Post by jwd5275 » Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:22 pm

But who says they didn't license more than 16 films? The 16 New Wave ones plus some Vlacil including Marketa

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jbeall
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#65 Post by jbeall » Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:54 am

knives wrote:They're posted on the previous page.
Ah. Missed that post for some reason. If those are indeed the titles, that's phenomenal news. All My Good Countrymen is an absolutely gorgeous film, so good that even Facets couldn't @#$%#$ it up. It deserves a mainline release, imho.

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tartarlamb
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#66 Post by tartarlamb » Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:13 pm

Not to nitpick, but if they're going to include Juraj Herz in a future set, shouldn't they change the title to Czechoslovak New Wave?

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MichaelB
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#67 Post by MichaelB » Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:18 pm

tartarlamb wrote:Not to nitpick, but if they're going to include Juraj Herz in a future set, shouldn't they change the title to Czechoslovak New Wave?
Not really - I know Herz is a Slovak by birth, but The Cremator is definitely a Czech film.

Štefan Uher and Juraj Jakubisko are another matter, though: their films definitely are Slovak, and they both made important New Wave titles. In fact, Uher's The Sun in a Net is often identified as the first true 'New Wave' film.

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tartarlamb
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#68 Post by tartarlamb » Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:24 pm

Ah, gotcha. I guess I lump them all in the same movement. It'd be great to have Jakubisko and Uher releases, not to mention Celebration in the Botanical Garden.

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MichaelB
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#69 Post by MichaelB » Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:27 pm

You can get loads of Uher, Havetta, Jakubisko and lots of other films by key Slovak directors on some insanely cheap and English-friendly Slovak DVDs - I order mine from DVD Best, but I've also heard good things about Gorila.sk.

I'm pretty sure they're region-free, but they will of course be PAL.

Stefan Andersson
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#70 Post by Stefan Andersson » Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:23 am

Any chance of Josef Kilian being included in a future Eclipse box?

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What A Disgrace
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#71 Post by What A Disgrace » Mon Apr 02, 2012 12:14 pm

Couldn't it be that the list petoluk found earlier missed or overlooked a film? The "Echoes" box seems a little smaller than the others, and there is a film or two from Schorm, Cytilova or Menzel that would fit in nicely.

rrenault
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#72 Post by rrenault » Mon Apr 02, 2012 12:57 pm

Is a Criterion release of Marketa Lazarova actually confirmed or is it just a rumor floating around like Paris Nous Appartient?

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SamLowry
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#73 Post by SamLowry » Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:24 pm

just a rumor floating around like Paris Nous Appartient
Well since Paris Nous Appertient is on Hulu...

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jwd5275
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#74 Post by jwd5275 » Mon Apr 09, 2012 1:08 pm

It actually is quite likely that Passer's Intimate Lighting will show up in one of the future boxes, as it looks like Janus already has (or at least had as recently as 2000) the home video rights.

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MichaelB
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Re: Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave

#75 Post by MichaelB » Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:59 am

Mondo Digital:
The entire set is highly recommended, and while anyone owning the two titles available from Second Run should keep those for the more extensive extras and liner notes, this is a perfect introduction to this remarkable period in film history as well as a solid eye opener for more seasoned film buffs.

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