Criterion Random Speculation Vol.4

[Cronenfly]

the firm, official confirmation of Bottle Rocket will (I hope) commence the flood of Sony-controlled properties.

I hope you're right, but I'm now leaning toward the possibility that Sony's license has expired and this has been licensed directly from either Anderson or James L. Brooks.

I remain guardedly optimistic about other Sony titles. I guess I just want to believe that Sony didn't let such a big chunk of its catalogue go OOP (especially barebones titles ripe for CC treatment like The Spanish Prisoner that now go for big-ish money online) for no good reason...although it wouldn't surprise me too terribly if they never really had any intention of licensing out any of their titles to third parties (as they hinted at in a press release a number of years back, I believe) in the first place.

[Cronenfly]

the firm, official confirmation of Bottle Rocket will (I hope) commence the flood of Sony-controlled properties.

I hope you're right, but I'm now leaning toward the possibility that Sony's license has expired and this has been licensed directly from either Anderson or James L. Brooks.

It was licensed directly from Sony. No rights expiration involved.

Do you know if it was a one-off?

[jaredsap]

It was licensed directly from Sony. No rights expiration involved.

Do you know if it was a one-off?

I'm going to stop here before I get myself into trouble.

[Cronenfly]

It was licensed directly from Sony. No rights expiration involved.

Do you know if it was a one-off?

I'm going to stop here before I get myself into trouble.

Fair enough; if it is indeed a direct Sony license, then (unless it's the Python commentary one-off scenario, which I think you've just discounted) I'll take that to mean that the door's open at least a crack for more titles...maybe CC's Blu-Ray adoption had something to do with the deal taking so long to bear fruit.

[Cronenfly]

Hmm...Kino's doing Fallen Angels on BR, so I guess that likely makes Chungking a one-off. Miramax has always seemed pretty lax about Chungking (see their allowing for the inclusion of their edition of the movie in the Kino WKW box and the LD being a quasi-CC release), so I guess this makes sense.

[Cronenfly]

In thinking about it some more, CC's also releasing Zentropa must mean there's a multi-film licensing deal of some sort with Miramax...The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, Scandal, Heavenly Creatures, Dead Man, Under the Olive Trees
(to name but a few possibilities), anyone?

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Miramax announced and then canceled their own DVD release of Zentropa because of unspecified rights issues, so I think it's more probable the rights lapsed and Criterion picked them up.

[miless]

damn... I was getting all excited for Greenaway's premiere on Criterion.

[Cronenfly]

Miramax announced and then canceled their own DVD release of Zentropa because of unspecified rights issues, so I think it's more probable the rights lapsed and Criterion picked them up.

But how do you explain Chungking Express? Miramax's edition is still in print.

[denti alligator]

Miramax announced and then canceled their own DVD release of Zentropa because of unspecified rights issues, so I think it's more probable the rights lapsed and Criterion picked them up.

But how do you explain Chungking Express? Miramax's edition is still in print.

Blu-ray only?

[Cronenfly]

Miramax announced and then canceled their own DVD release of Zentropa because of unspecified rights issues, so I think it's more probable the rights lapsed and Criterion picked them up.

But how do you explain Chungking Express? Miramax's edition is still in print.

Blu-ray only?

Entirely possible, but I still think, right or wrong, that the Chungking/Zentropa combo allows for the possibility of further Miramax titles. It'll take the confirmation of a title more indisputably under Miramax's control on SD and BR to confirm this, so I guess there's no reason to get so excited yet, but there are a lot of OOP/unreleased on DVD/barebones Miramax titles, and things could be different now, post-Weinstein, vis-a-vis title licensing.

[kaujot]

In thinking about it some more, CC's also releasing Zentropa must mean there's a multi-film licensing deal of some sort with Miramax...The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover, Scandal, Heavenly Creatures, Dead Man, Under the Olive Trees
(to name but a few possibilities), anyone?

Wasn't The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover an Anchor Bay property?

[Cronenfly]

In thinking about it some more, CC's also releasing Zentropa must mean there's a multi-film licensing deal of some sort with Miramax...The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover, Scandal, Heavenly Creatures, Dead Man, Under the Olive Trees
(to name but a few possibilities), anyone?

Wasn't The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover an Anchor Bay property?

No, a license from Miramax same as Atame, Working Girls, and Scandal.

Beyond straight licenses from Miramax, there's also the wildcard of rights expiration to see these titles end up at CC (which very well may be the case with Zentropa and certainly was the case with Working Girls, which ended up with First Run Features).

[justeleblanc]

Dont forget Belle de jour!

It's also possible that Criterion is merely licensing the titles like with Universal (Dazed and Confused) and the only thing preventing Miramax from releasing Zentropa on their own is that they dont care to.

A lot of these art house titles came about through Weinstein anyway, and since the divorce (where he left many titles behind), Miramax probably was open to the idea of a third party company releasing many of the titles.

[Cinephrenic]

The Piano?

[What A Disgrace]

Don't they own a Kiarostami or two?

After being blown away by Close Up...I'm itching.

[Buttery Jeb]

All this speculation on possible Miramax licensing is nice; but, if Disney couldn't work out an arrangement for the re-release of "Chasing Amy," then I doubt they would allow a deluge of profitable arthouse fare to slip out to a third-party.

Hope I'm wrong.

-BJ

[Cronenfly]

It is strange that Chasing Amy's "re-release" will just be a new supplementary disc (and one Criterion seems to have no involvement in). So it's entirely possible that there's some bad blood there, but I still wouldn't be surprised at a Miramax deal. Most of the titles are indeed "profitable arthouse fare," but none are anything that Disney seems to know how to or wants to handle itself. Here's hoping we have another Universal/Paramount on our hands.

Miramax does indeed own a Kiarostami: Under the Olive Trees, which they've been sitting on forever. But I'm not sure whether The Piano rests with Lionsgate or Miramax.

[Buttery Jeb]

"The Piano" is with Lionsgate, as far as I remember.

-BJ

[Cronenfly]

"The Piano" is with Lionsgate, as far as I remember.

Same as (to name at least two titles) The Crying Game and Reservoir Dogs, I guess: Miramax is credited on Lionsgate's DVDs of those films, but I guess that the rights changed hands between theatrical and home video distribution. Live/Artisan put all three of the aforementioned titles out early on in the DVD format, with newer editions of Crying and Reservoir to follow, so I guess LG doesn't care/hasn't gotten aroung to putting out a new, decent edition of The Piano.

[MuzikJunky]

the firm, official confirmation of Bottle Rocket will (I hope) commence the flood of Sony-controlled properties.

Hopefully CC will rerelease Lagaan as well, since Sony’s DVD, severely lacking in special features despite a 15-minute deleted scene, is, I believe, OOP as well. Peace.

[psufootball07]

Chasing Amy getting a re-release? Anyone have a link? Anyways I was wondering when Criterion would be announcing their releases for August? They just released Fire Within, The Lovers and Thief of Bagdad is releasing soon, so I would assume after that got released they would announce some more upcoming titles.

[domino harvey]

Anyways I was wondering when Criterion would be announcing their releases for August?

Sometime between now and the end of the week. They usually announce at or around the 15th.

[psufootball07]

Thanks, I didn't there was a specific time they released, just that they hadn't for a while now. Hopefully they are all new releases and not re-releases.

[Person]

For once, I am hoping that the August titles are dull, dull, dull, now that Criterion are teasing us with Blu Ray possibilities. I am such a cunt.