MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

[tojoed]

Any chance that MoC might get their hands on the restored print of G.W.Pabst's "Joyless Street"? That would be something to look forward to.

[Tommaso]

You sure know that the Pabst is coming from filmmuseum in May, with English subs, massive extras et al? As filmmuseum's transfers and editions are first-class, I can't see much reason for MoC to release another version.

[tojoed]

Tommaso, I read your post about the Filmmuseum, but I assumed it wasn't English friendly. Thanks for putting me right, and yes, no need for MoC to release it as well.

[Tommaso]

Tommaso, I read your post about the Filmmuseum, but I assumed it wasn't English friendly. Thanks for putting me right, and yes, no need for MoC to release it as well.

On second thought, at least an MoC disc would be much cheaper. To think I just paid them more than 34 Euros for the Ruttmann set (including shipping), even though I'm in Germany....
But at least I'm sure the filmmuseum will be English friendly. To my knowledge, all their discs are (some have even Japanese subs).

[HerrSchreck]

Filmmuseum is a great label. I can't believe it's possible, but they put Transit Films dvd to shame. And to think of all the films Transitfilms holds the distrib rights to thru the Stiftung.

I'm surprised that MoC hasn't gotten around to any Grem or some more Renoir, like Carrefor, Lange, etc.

[patgarrett]

The full 5 and a half hour version of Best Intentions (Den Goda Viljan) is released in Scandinavia as a 2 disc set in December. As the full version was shown on Channel 4 once, english subtitles must be readily available.
Could I beg Moc to consider this. I am even willing to donate various vital organs if it lubricates a course of action.

I just contacted Discshop in Sweden about this release, and they confirmed that unfortunately there are no English subtitles. I also can't tell from the information whether any remastering has taken place; perhaps a Swedish reader can take a look at this and confirm either way?

[ellipsis7]

Antonioni's IL GRIDO is 'Coming soon to UK!', says Peerpee here - MoC surely...

[Tommaso]

And while they're at it: "La signora senza camelie" would be nice, too, or "Le Amiche" (though I hear that the Image disc is quite good). I guess there's no chance for an anamorphic "Zabriskie Point" from MoC, though? I simply can't bring myself to buy that French disc.

[ellipsis7]

IL GRIDO is really the one with the most need of a new English subbed reissue, so this MoC new version is most welcome... The extant Kino Disc is quite a ropey print with large burnt in subtitles high in the frame and I think also in a single layer transfer... BTW there's quite a lot of interesting material in Capelli edition IL GRIDO script etc. from 1957... CAMELIE would be great on MoC, but the French Carlotta is already rather nice, Image's LE AMICHE is as you say pretty good already, while Warner France's ZABRISKIE is actually not quite the travesty it appears - rather being on a par maybe with Sony Classic's THE PASSENGER - the print and transfer being so good for a letterboxed version it is apparent that as a French review of it says it could form the basis of a really wonderful edition if they took the final step to an anamorphic transfer (and it will be Warner somewhere probably who'd do that)... Presently for the first time you can enjoy the quite splendid widescreen composition of the film, something that could not be appreciated on cropped TCM showings or the pan and scan German disc... And DVDBeaver sayeth roughly the same... I know I'm an Antonioni fan, but is there any other director that you have to work through so many versions to find the perfect or even correct DVD version of many of his films, or is it just that MA was such a perfectionist that he presents a challenge overall?...

[Tommaso]

Thanks, ellipsis, for this pretty comprehensive overview. The bitrate for the French "Zabriskie" as given by the Beaver looks extremely healthy, so I assume zooming in will be less desastrous than with other non-anamophic discs. You mention a "Camelie" disc from Carlotta: I assume this has only French subs?

I know I'm an Antonioni fan, but is there any other director that you have to work through so many versions to find the perfect or even correct DVD version of many of his films, or is it just that MA was such a perfectionist that he presents a challenge overall?...

I don't know, really. Many of the existing discs, like "The Passenger" or Kino's "Grido" are pretty old already, so I wouldn't really blame these for their imperfections. However, how somebody as renowned as Warner could release a non-anamorphic 2.35 disc in 2008 is rather beyond me. And especially considering how much of a perfectionist Antonioni indeed was, I find it somewhat shameful that so many companies obviously do not seem to care too much about the quality of their discs being on a similar level. Mr. Bongo's recent "Identificazione" is only average, too, with some rather irritating and clearly unintentional buzzing noise in one of the reels. Thank God Criterion, MoC and BFI collectively got the Vitti films right, and Minerva's "I vinti" is very fine, too.

[HerrSchreck]

Thank God Criterion, MoC and BFI collectively got the Vitti films right,...

Indeed, their transfer of L'Eclisse is probably (to my eyes anyway) among the two or three best b&w in the whole CC line. Just dazzling, and exceedingly filmic (while maintaining that Very Scrubbed & Polished Criterion Look). A virtuoso performance at the telecine unit, with-- interestingly-- both Kline and his mentor Palazzola watching over operator Jean Marc Moreau's work. The fact that there were two supervisors assisting the colorist speaks volumes about their intentions for the film (which is sublime, perhaps Antonioni's best). I'm sure Palazzola kept the transfer from going overboard into Klineville, who sometimes gets carried away with degraining tools and contrast manipulation. A spectacular edition!

[ellipsis7]

You mention a "Camelie" disc from Carlotta: I assume this has only French subs?

Only French subs and in a 3 disc set (€40 or so cost) containing also RED DESERT and CHRONICLE OF A LOVE AFFAIR, with extras including early MA shorts NETTEZZA URBANA (1948) and SETTE CANNE UN VESTITO (1949), and 6 minutes of outtakes from RED DESERT... So a standalone MoC CAMELIE with English subs would indeed be welcome, and would actually also sit nicely alongside their Visconti BELLISSIMA as a portrayal of the Italian film industry at the time...

I think this may be a possibility also because LA NOTTE apparently has had exceptionally good sales for MoC...

[Zazou dans le Metro]

Sorry if this has been broached elsewhere but is there any way MoC might mop up the early Kiarostamis?
Sis 7 might know the situation re. UK rights here. I got the 3 french titles that came out last year but any follow ups seem to have dried

[ellipsis7]

Les Films du Paradoxe told me last month the that the double bill DVD of Kiarostami's THE WEDDING DRESS and EXPERIENCE is scheduled for July 2009 release... No mention of HOMEWORK yet which they also indicated they would release previously... Rights to earlier work appear to mostly rest with Kanun (The Iranian Centre for the Intellectual Development of Young Adults) and Kiarostami, so UK subsidiary rights would be generally free, but I believe materials can be elusive... English subtitles were applied live to many of these pieces for the 2005 Kiarostami retro @ NFT...

[Tommaso]

According to dvd times, the third Ichikawa film will be "The Burmese Harp". Sigh....

[Cronenfly]

According to dvd times, the third Ichikawa film will be "The Burmese Harp". Sigh....

Well, if MoC could somehow wrangle the rights to Ichikawa's 1985 remake as a supplement to the 1956 original, I'd be sold, however unlikely it may be.

[Tommaso]

Oh yes, that would be great and would certainly justify the double-dip. One could speculate that this is the reason why "Burmese Harp" doesn't come out the same time as the other two films. But I'm with you in thinking it's unlikely to happen.

[Stefan Andersson]

According to the International DVD Forum at DVD Talk, MoC will release MURIEL, IL GRIDO, UNE FEMME MARIEE and another title soon. Hopefully UNE FEMME is from the great-looking German DVD master, with JLG/JLG ported as an extra.

Here´s another vote for a MoC standalone release of Antonioni´s CAMELIE. Or maybe it could make up a double feature with IL GRIDO?

[reno dakota]

According to the International DVD Forum at DVD Talk, MoC will release MURIEL, IL GRIDO, UNE FEMME MARIEE and another title soon.

FYI: Cover art and release information directly from the source.

[bearcuborg]

The covers for the above mentioned.

[arsonfilms]

The artwork (as well as the title announcements) were already covered in the MoC Artwork thread. You guys keep making me excited to read all about newly announced special features, or even the NEXT round of title announcements by bumping the thread. It's very frustrating.

[Finch]

Since Nick mentioned in the MoC website thread that one of their priorities for the years ahead was to cover world cinema that's not had a decent release yet, what are the chances MoC might pick up Johnnie To's The Mission, Nick? (Sparrow would be nice too).

[artfilmfan]

For "more world cinema that's not had a decent release yet" (which peerpee mentioned in the other (MoC site) thread), how about the following titles?

- Les Bonnes Femmes
- Two Women
- Lola
- The Eel
- Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring
- Camila

[Michael Kerpan]

Let me join in the chorus pleading for Johnnie To's Mission.

I won't ask for more Naruse -- as much as I want it -- because if people haven't bought enough copies of vol. 1, then we don't deserve a vol. 2. (exit, weeping)

[mattkc]

Another voice for To’s The Mission.
I’m still hoping that a vol. 2 for my favorite Japanese filmmaker will appear.