'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.1

[Dr. Snaut]

Elephant has been released in pretty much every region with a good transfer, so in my opinion it would be kind of pointless for criterion to release this film, again.

My hopes for criterion to release Wong's Happy Together were shattered when I recently discovered that Kino is re-re-releasing this film in another special addition package. Talk about beating a dead horse...

[Matt]

At one time there was a very insistent rumor that Gus Van Sant's 'Elephant' was coming out from Criterion. Anyone care to speculate why it didn't happen?

Are you sure you're not thinking of Gerry? There was a weird time a few years back when the website for Gerry redirected to the Criterion website and everyone thought that meant that Criterion would be releasing the DVD. But I don't remember any rumor--insistent, persistent, or otherwise--about Elephant, which is owned by HBO and was released through Fine Line/New Line (which no longer exists).

[aox]

What are the chances of 8 1/2 getting blu-ray treatment? How does Criterion even determine which old films to move to blu-ray. For example, what made The Third Man so special?

[Antoine Doinel]

The short answer is license agreements. I would guess with much of their back catalog, clearances and agreements were only made for DVD releases for the term of the license. I would imagine for BD releases, amendments or new contracts must be made first. I would guess when they put the licensing in place for The Third Man, it included both DVD and HD releases.

[Tom Hagen]

My guess is that the factors that go into making that decision are 1) do we have the rights to release the title on blu? and 2) how likely is the title to be a hit on blu? The Third Man was an affirmative on both counts.

[ByMarkClark.com]

>>I wonder when we are going to get a "The Long Film Titles of Yasujiro Ozu" Eclipse set:<<

VERBOSE OZU. I love it.

For that matter, where the hell is THE ONLY SON?

[ianungstad]

When you search for Criterion and [Blu-ray] (with the [ ]) on the amazon.com web site, you get four extra films :
- Picnic at Hanging Rock
- Kwaidan
- Au Revoir les Enfants
- Down by Law

Does this mean these titles are going to be released as Blu-ray soon ?

If it does, it's fairly safe to assume that the first two will entail upgrades / rereleases of the DVDs as well.

I hope that Picnic at Hanging Rock will include the original theatrical version in addition to Weir's redux this time around. I assume a rerelease of Kwaidan will likely use the longer cut of the film as well.

[kaujot]

The only remotely comparable example (that I can think of off the top of my head) where Criterion has released a version of a film that ISN'T the director's preferred is The Leopard.

Though I'm 90% certain there are others. But I imagine since Weir is still alive that they'll give us what he wants us to see.

[domino harvey]

VERBOSE OZU. I love it.

You got halfway to VERBOZU and stopped?!

[Antoine Doinel]

At one time there was a very insistent rumor that Gus Van Sant's 'Elephant' was coming out from Criterion. Anyone care to speculate why it didn't happen?

Are you sure you're not thinking of Gerry? There was a weird time a few years back when the website for Gerry redirected to the Criterion website and everyone thought that meant that Criterion would be releasing the DVD. But I don't remember any rumor--insistent, persistent, or otherwise--about Elephant, which is owned by HBO and was released through Fine Line/New Line (which no longer exists).

....and Fine Line/New Line is now owned by Warner so any likelihood just went out the window anyway.

[ellipsis7]

Tantalising glimpses of several Rossellini clips on CC's new 'Taking Power' supplement with Tag Gallagher on LOUIS XIV...

Suggests Criterion may have rights currently to Rossellini's ROME OPEN CITY. PAISA, GERMANY YEAR ZERO, THE MIRACLE, STROMBOLI, EUROPA 51, VOYAGE TO ITALY, JOAN OF ARC, SOCRATES to name those I noticed first time through... (Some we knew, some we didn't...) Quality of prints is variable (but very acceptable), so it is by no means certain which label (if any) they might be released on... Obviously WAR TRILOGY is coming sooner or later, and hopefully an INGRID SET sometime after...

[stereo]

Far more enticing to me are the Joan of Arc at the Stake, Age of Iron, Garibaldi, Acts of the Apostles, and Columbus clips from the same DVD extra. Still, all those clips (and there are a lot) probably don't mean much do they? I remember all the withheld promise the original Red Shoes DVD held with all its Powell and Pressburger trailers.

[ellipsis7]

Actually trailers are easier to access, and territory specific, while clip rights can be expensive, remember Criterion often has had to edit clips out of documentary supplements because such rights are prohibitive... In which case they replace them by stills - there are stills in 'Taking Power', but mostly a profusion of pleasing clips, suggesting?...

[Magic Hate Ball]

Probably explains why Play Time isn't on the list for BD.

[Murdoch]

April is looking very good, two Oshimas and Science is Fiction might cause me to get all of the April releases. First time for everything I suppose.

[luridedith]

I LOVE the Realm Of The Senses cover (props for its giant artistic cumshot) but why is Last Year At Marienbad taking so long?

[King Prendergast]

Any chance that He Got Game could get a release? It's desperately in need of a special edition.

[domino harvey]

It's a Buena Vista title, not that it has a chance of showing up on Criterion either way

[Matt]

All of you people who are happy for the Painlevé and Oshima announcements have me to thank. I just bought the existing DVDs for the library.

[Adam]

Cool. Thanks, Matt!
Could you please pick up some more Imamura and Naruse titles as well?

[Matt]

Cool. Thanks, Matt!
Could you please pick up some more Imamura and Naruse titles as well?

I have bought all the English-subbed Naruse there is to buy, but I guess it just didn't take effect.

[canti10]

what happend to all the Bergman threads that were on this page before, were they erased?

[Matt]

what happend to all the Bergman threads that were on this page before, were they erased?

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/vie ... f=2&t=9252" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[criterionsnob]

In addition to those mentioned earlier this week, Revanche [Blu-ray] now appears when searching for Criterion [Blu-ray] on Amazon.

[arsonfilms]

In addition to those mentioned earlier this week, Revanche [Blu-ray] now appears when searching for Criterion [Blu-ray] on Amazon.

That's not surprising, as major films always get listed well before any announcement is made. It had already been announced as Criterion's first first-run effort and was just shortlisted for the foreign language Oscar a few days ago. It certainly won't come out in April, though.