Criterion Random Speculation Vol.3

[LightBulbFilm]

Ouch, what is with the hatred of Malle?

I'm surprised Criterion has completely ignored Chabrol, a contemporary of Malle's who I think is a far better filmmaker.

Then again who is anyone to say one film maker is better than another. They both do their own thing and make different films. Eh.

[Jeff]

How about a MALLE'S LITTLE GIRLS box set with Zazie, Pretty Baby, and Black Moon?

I can't imagine that Criterion would include a Paramount title (Pretty Baby) in a box with two Janus owned titles. The rights to studio owned titles are fleeting, and they pay the studio a percentage of each unit sold. That might get tricky when only 1/3 of a box is owned by a studio.

If they were going to take Pretty Baby from Paramount, why not take Atlantic City too? Since they've already got more Malle then they know what to do with, I can't really see them bothering with either.

[flyonthewall2983]

Any chance they would take Crackers? Sorry, that's all I can bring to this (only movie of his I've seen).

[keeproductions]

Any chance they would take Crackers? Sorry, that's all I can bring to this (only movie of his I've seen).

Well, it is a remake of Big Deal on Madonna Street which of course is already in the collection. The quality of that print is pretty horrendous. Perhaps if they redid that one and had Crackers as supplement... But from many accounts (I haven't seen the Malle version), it wasn't a very successful attempt.

I have seen the re- re- make (Welcome to Collinwood) and I remember thinking that was more of a scene-by-scene remake of the original than Psycho '98 ever was of its predecessor.

At any rate, get watchin' yerself some Malle. I always enjoy his movies. The worst that I can say is he's "accessible," nothing really wrong with that.

[GringoTex]

Then again who is anyone to say one film maker is better than another. They both do their own thing and make different films. Eh.

The death of film criticism?

Malle can make excellent films when the material is right. He's an expert craftsman. But he's not an auteur and I don't think it's a coincidence that his two worst films are also his two most personal: Murmur of the Heart and Au revoir, les enfants.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with "merely" servicing the material rather than putting your personal stamp all over it, but as an unrepentant auteurist, I'm going to value the latter more.

[CSM126]

his two worst films are... Murmur of the Heart and Au revoir, les enfants.

[colinr0380]

After all the fuss over Louis Malle, I'd hate to see what will happen if Criterion ever announce they are releasing any of Claude Lelouch's films!

[125100]

After all the fuss over Louis Malle, I'd hate to see what will happen if Criterion ever announce they are releasing any of Claude Lelouch's films!

Why do we have to speculate over Louis Malle all the time? If they'd just release Jour se lève outside that Janus box, re-release some Tati, or even as a total wild-card, put out An Autumn Afternoon, I wouldn't care if they burnt every existing Malle negative, they could even use Lelouch's back catalogue as fire-lighters if it'd speed it up

[tryavna]

I have to say that I like most of the Malles that I've seen, but I honestly could not care less if nobody ever released Black Moon. Does anybody here actually like that movie?

I can definitely see someone not liking Au revoir, but I quite like Murmur of the Heart. It seems like a movie that would be very hard to dislike....

[flyonthewall2983]

Any chance they would take Crackers?

Well, it is a remake of Big Deal on Madonna Street which of course is already in the collection. The quality of that print is pretty horrendous. Perhaps if they redid that one and had Crackers as supplement... But from many accounts (I haven't seen the Malle version), it wasn't a very successful attempt.

Never saw the original, but the remake is lukewarm at best. Great song by Michael McDonald though.

[justeleblanc]

Any chance they would take Crackers?

Well, it is a remake of Big Deal on Madonna Street which of course is already in the collection.

Never saw the original, but the remake is lukewarm at best. Great song by Michael McDonald though.

Hells yeah. How does it go again... "We've got everything we need..." something like that.

And for what it's worth, I think the hack who did Pan's Labyrinth was a big fan of Black Moon.

[Tommaso]

I have to say that I like most of the Malles that I've seen, but I honestly could not care less if nobody ever released Black Moon. Does anybody here actually like that movie?

I do, and it's one of the few Malles I actually like, except the very early films ("Les Amants" is truly great). I wouldn't say "Black Moon" is a masterpiece, but I like the eerie, surreal atmosphere, that curious bringing to life of a dark fairy tale before the background of a supposedly even bleaker 'reality'. For me, "Black Moon" looks somewhat like a mixture of late 60s Bergman ("Shame", "Hour of the Wolf") and Neil Jordan's "Company of Wolves". Though I'm not sure whether it's as good as any of these films.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

I'd actually reverse Tryavna's note and say that I can understand one not liking Murmur but greatly liking Au Revoir. But how could one not like Au Revoir? I love it, personally. Gringo, please, could you give us your take on Au Revoir Les Enfants? (Or at least post it at the Malle thread now that I realize this is the Eclipse Speculation thread.)

[MichaelB]

For me, "Black Moon" looks somewhat like a mixture of late 60s Bergman ("Shame", "Hour of the Wolf") and Neil Jordan's "Company of Wolves".

Hardly surprising with Sven Nykvist behind the camera - he shot two out of three of those.

[jbeall]

I'd actually reverse Tryavna's note and say that I can understand one not liking Murmur but greatly liking Au Revoir. But how could one not like Au Revoir? I love it, personally. Gringo, please, could you give us your take on Au Revoir Les Enfants? (Or at least post it at the Malle thread now that I realize this is the Eclipse Speculation thread.)

I like Au Revoir, but I think it's just good, not great. Most of my friends who've seen it feel the same way.

And that's the thing with Malle. I think his films are certainly good, occasionally great (My Dinner with Andre and yes, Murmur of the Heart), but his representation in the Criterion Collection is somewhat out of proportion, IMO, to the actual quality of his films.

The folks at Criterion have their favorite directors, and that's fine, but I just think they could release better films than some of the minor films by their 'name' directors. (Of course, when you're an upscale dvd label, Berman and Malle have name-value, and I'm sure their marketability as name directors is a factor, but if your mission is to release important films, then admittedly minor films by 'important' directors seems a bit off-track to me.)

[LightBulbFilm]

... if your mission is to release important films, then admittedly minor films by 'important' directors seems a bit off-track to me.)

But they ARE important. They show evolution of an artist...

[jbeall]

But they ARE important. They show evolution of an artist...

Fair enough, but I haven't bought a Criterion in several months (not since Ace in the Hole, W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism and the Raymond Bernard Eclipse set). It's long-lost discoveries like those that keep me buying Criterions.

I agree that it's important to see the evolution of an artist, but the glaring lack of African cinema supersedes the need to release more Bergman. And Malick's Days of Heaven was already available in R1; how about using that spine # for an equally deserving, but less known director?

[Luke M]

But they ARE important. They show evolution of an artist...

Fair enough, but I haven't bought a Criterion in several months (not since Ace in the Hole, W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism and the Raymond Bernard Eclipse set). It's long-lost discoveries like those that keep me buying Criterions.

I agree that it's important to see the evolution of an artist, but the glaring lack of African cinema supersedes the need to release more Bergman. And Malick's Days of Heaven was already available in R1; how about using that spine # for an equally deserving, but less known director?

I agree. How about Jacques Rivette or Hsia-Hsien Hou or Satyajit Ray or the dozens of directors I've never even heard of?

[domino harvey]

tomorrow or Monday I think we're gonna be hit with some real powerhouse January releases, I'm pretty pumped. Let this also be I think my fourth or fifth prediction of the Gorin set being announced.

[zedz]

Since my 2007 prediction came true almost immediately (more silent films than any previous year - wow, two!), I'll recklessly make the same prediction for 2008.

[Danny Burk]

Since my 2007 prediction came true almost immediately (more silent films than any previous year - wow, two!), I'll recklessly make the same prediction for 2008.

Let's hope so. Obviously there are endless worthy titles, but the ones that come to mind first, now that Criterion has their foot in Paramount's door, are the von Sternbergs, WEDDING MARCH, and WINGS.

[jbeall]

Since my 2007 prediction came true almost immediately (more silent films than any previous year - wow, two!), I'll recklessly make the same prediction for 2008.

Let's hope so. Obviously there are endless worthy titles, but the ones that come to mind first, now that Criterion has their foot in Paramount's door, are the von Sternbergs, WEDDING MARCH, and WINGS.

Those would be great, and on the heels of the Raymond Bernard Eclipse set, I want to see Le Miracle des Loups. Since there was a restoration done a few years back, maybe it could get bumped up to the Criterion line.

[HerrSchreck]

Yowza. Paramount don't own their pre-40's material. That would be the domain of Uni.

[Derek Estes]

Yowza. Paramount don't own their pre-40's material. That would be the domain of Uni.

Actually, they still own their silent catalog. MCA purchased all of Paramount's sound era library, with exceptions (Morgan's Creek), for television in the late 40's or early 50's.

[HerrSchreck]

Thanks for the heads up.. that little detail which escaped me actually gives me more hope for their release on disc. Paramount has really been getting their act together lately w their treatment of vintage catalog. Siilents another story of course.

Still crying over glorious LAST WARNING by Leni though, sitting there in Uni's oblivious mitts. Hopefully Kino can wrench it out (Bret Wood mentioned his desire to get it out.)