Criterion Random Speculation Vol.4

[mfunk9786]

if it came to point when new films would ONLY see a Blu-ray title then we could see a big landslide.

Well, since the distributors of said new film(s) would be out of their fucking minds, it's a good thing we don't have to worry about that, at all.

And by the way, an upconverted DVD, even in a Blu-Ray player, doesn't compare to the picture quality and lack of compression of a Blu-Ray whatsoever.

[What A Disgrace]

I had a thought last night.

With White Dog and the remasters very much confirmed, might Criterion try to work in a Sam Fuller box?

Maybe they can even snatch up Underworld, U.S.A. to make it even more Varda like (two new titles, two remasters).

[Awesome Welles]

Maybe they can even snatch up Underworld, U.S.A. to make it even more Varda like (two new titles, two remasters).

That would be amazing, though a little cost prohibitive for some.

[0ptim0reel]

Anyone else as excited as I am about the Ophuls releases? But I am a little dissapointed that yet another Ozu is at the tail end.

[Via_Chicago]

I had a thought last night.

With White Dog and the remasters very much confirmed, might Criterion try to work in a Sam Fuller box?

Maybe they can even snatch up Underworld, U.S.A. to make it even more Varda like (two new titles, two remasters).

Has Criterion ever been able to just "snatch up" Sony titles (which UNDERWORLD is)?

[What A Disgrace]

Hasn't Sony recently licensed titles to third parties?

Perhaps I'm incorrect, and there isn't a chance of Underworld U.S.A. coming, but for some reason I was under the impression that Sony had licensed some unnamed titles to Criterion.

Unrelated note: it was recently mentioned that MGM had licensed out a few related colour films. Could they be The Landlord, Bound for Glory, and Coming Home? I'd kill to have a 16x9 Bound for Glory...and I'd love to be able to see The Landlord.

[Jeff]

Hasn't Sony recently licensed titles to third parties?

Perhaps I'm incorrect, and there isn't a chance of Underworld U.S.A. coming, but for some reason I was under the impression that Sony had licensed some unnamed titles to Criterion.

Bottle Rocket is the only title that we know of. Criterion has said that they hope to be able to work with Sony again in the future, but right now there's no reason to assume they've acquired a full slate of titles.

The box you proposed wouldn't be likely anyway, as it would include a Sony title, a Paramount title, and two PD titles. That makes for a tricky licensing situation that Criterion has thus far avoided.

it was recently mentioned that MGM had licensed out a few related colour films. Could they be The Landlord, Bound for Glory, and Coming Home?

That's the likeliest MGM suggestion I've heard yet, and I'd snap it up in a heartbeat.

While it has the Janus logo on the back (and opens with it), Mishima states it was licensed from American Zoetrope, but I doubt that's a surprise (but figured I'd share.)

I know that Narshty realized this and brought it up a year ago, but I'd just like to bet a bazillion dollars right now that Criterion has also picked up Barfly for their pal Barbet Schroeder.

[kaujot]

but I'd just like to bet a bazillion dollars right now that Criterion has also picked up Barfly for their pal Barbet Schroeder.

I'm down for that.

[Cinephrenic]

Well you might be right on that because frankly, Criterion has a hard-on for Schroeder. I must say, I'd always thought Schroeder could have been a great anthropologist.

[Props55]

Re: UNDERWORLD USA. As Matt suggested Sony would probably not wish any licensed titles to be mixed in with those from other majors but since CC has a huge boner for Fuller a pairing with CRIMSON KIMONO and VERBOTEN! would be most welcome. Probably too good to be true though.

Of course Sony could throw in Gerd Oswald's SCREAMING MIMI, call it ICONS OF SLEAZE, give it an MSRP of $29.99 and I'd grab it in a heartbeat!

[aox]

Stalker is one of my favorite films. I suppose RUSSICO owns this film, but I find their treatment of it appalling.

I was wondering if there was any news or even any chance of Criterion acquiring the rights to this film to give it the proper treatment it deserves? They already have other Tarkovsky films, so I don't see this as being much of a stretch.

any news?

[Cronenfly]

Now that the Zoetrope connection is firmly in place (it's not new news, as Chris suggested, though: theCC June press release showed it many months back), I concur that Barfly (given its current OOP status) is pretty much a shoe-in.

As for the three remaining MGMs, as nice as the Ashby titles would be, I still wouldn't count out The Trilogy of Life.

[miless]

maybe somewhere hidden in the special features, or the booklet, the story of Bokowski meeting David Lynch could be slipped in. The story is that Lynch came to the set to visit Jack Nance and Bukowski was so excited to meet him that he acted like an adolescent fanboy (he said that he could count the number of movies he liked on one hand, and that Eraserhead was his favorite by far)... perhaps Lynch could even contribute an essay (somewhere along the lines of Kurosawa's account of visiting the set for Solaris).

[cdnchris]

Stalker is one of my favorite films. I suppose RUSSICO owns this film, but I find their treatment of it appalling.

I was wondering if there was any news or even any chance of Criterion acquiring the rights to this film to give it the proper treatment it deserves? They already have other Tarkovsky films, so I don't see this as being much of a stretch.

any news?

It's been discussed elsewhere (and I agree completely on the Ruscico edition) but simply no, unfortunately.

[aox]

Stalker is one of my favorite films. I suppose RUSSICO owns this film, but I find their treatment of it appalling.

any news?

It's been discussed elsewhere (and I agree completely on the Ruscico edition) but simply no, unfortunately.

Thanks for the response. I appreciate it. Not trying to be a pest, but do you know why it is a definitive 'no'? Perhaps a link to where this was discussed?

Thanks

[kaujot]

Thanks for the response. I appreciate it. Not trying to be a pest, but do you know why it is a definitive 'no'? Perhaps a link to where this was discussed?

Kino put out a release about two years ago (I think it was that long) that's still in print, so they have the rights.

[Harmonov]

I caught a showing of Alain Corneau's Serie Noire at the Siskel Film Center in Chicago a few years and LOVED it. The book it's based on, A Hell of a Woman by Jim Thompson, is one of my favorites. It'd be nice to see this make it into the Collection. I have a copy I bought on 5 Minutes to Live, but it's a cheap (likely) bootleg.

They could do a whole Thompson boxed-set with Coup de Torchon (Pop. 1280 is my 2nd fave novel of Thompson's), Serie Noire, The Getaway, and The Grifters, although the Miramax Special Edition of The Grifters is worthy. I know the rights to The Getaway and The Grifters are likely never going to be had.

Oh to dream...

[kaujot]

I caught a showing of Alain Corneau's Serie Noire at the Siskel Film Center in Chicago a few years and LOVED it. The book it's based on, A Hell of a Woman by Jim Thompson, is one of my favorites. It'd be nice to see this make it into the Collection. I have a copy I bought on 5 Minutes to Live, but it's a cheap (likely) bootleg.

They could do a whole Thompson boxed-set with Coup de Torchon (Pop. 1280 is my 2nd fave novel of Thompson's), Serie Noire, The Getaway, and The Grifters, although the Miramax Special Edition of The Grifters is worthy. I know the rights to The Getaway and The Grifters are likely never going to be had.

Oh to dream...

The Getaway is in a great edition anyway.

[Cinephrenic]

As far as I know we don't have plans for "Black Rain" at this time

[tavernier]

Damn, no Michael Douglas!

[cdnchris]

Damn, no Michael Douglas!

Well, you do have Traffic.

[Cinephrenic]

New great news from a member. See here.

[Jeff]

David Lean box - According to strong private academic source, Criterion is working on a David Lean set, no details on the contents, but the former four non-anamorphic Criterion are likely to get re-issued (Summertime, A Brief Encounter, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist), the Janus controlled Hobson's Choice, and perhaps other unknown possibilities from from the previous MGM set that didn't make it. No official news on the contents though.

Great news. I was just thinking that those previously released Lean titles were due for an upgrade -- especially Great Expectations and Oliver Twist which are $40 and featureless.

[ianungstad]

While Summertime is one of the titles high on my list for an upgrade, the box could easily consist of films new to the collection. A quick scan of IMDB shows 7 early David Lean films that have not been released on region one dvd.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a box consiting of the other titles from the aborted MGM box. Which would be most welcome!

[domino harvey]

So I guess three David Lean titles are the MGM titles alluded to earlier? Dag.