MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

[GaryC]

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

Maybe Under Satan's Sun, as that has just been passed by the BBFC - as has Muriel.

[Stefan Andersson]

Hi Gary! The fourth film I referred to was LA GUEULE OUVERTE. But yes, UNDER SATAN´S SUN is coming too. Personally I´d also like to see LE GARCU and LA MAISON DANS LE BOIS added to the MoC catalogue.

Another vote for Naruse vol. 2. Or maybe single releases, if that makes it easier for consumers to decide to buy.

Anybody want MoC to release some Jacques Doillon? The French Mk2 DVDs look great. Now that Sandrine Bonnaire is fairly well-known, through A NOS AMOURS and other Pialat films, plus LA CEREMONIE, why not release LA PURITAINE?

[Awesome Welles]

- The Eel

Yes please!

The last time I was wishing I wrote this:

I don't know why but I am in the wishing mood. Here are my picks for 2008, if 25% of these are released I'll be a happy camper.

1. Antonio das Mortes
2. The Bandit (Lattuada)
3. The Black River
4. Chronique d'un ete
5. Eros + Massacre
6. The Hour of the Furnaces
7. The Letter that was Never Sent
8. The Lusty Men
9. The Mattei Affair
10. Out 1
11. Slap the Monster on Page One
12. The Spider's Stratagem

Rather depressingly none released in R2 land, except an announcement from Mr. Bongo for Antonio das Mortes, so I'll replace that with Limite I also managed to see The Black River so I'll replace that with Fantozzi as my list for 2009. Here's hoping.

[justeleblanc]

I'd love to see MoC release some Hou Hsiao-hsien. His historical trilogy has yet to receive decent DVD releases, and given his surge in popularity after Red Balloon, it might be a big seller.

[foggy eyes]

I'd love to see MoC release some Hou Hsiao-hsien. His historical trilogy has yet to receive decent DVD releases, and given his surge in popularity after Red Balloon, it might be a big seller.

I'll second that. City of Sadness was released by AE on VHS, so they might still have the rights. The rest (up to Cafe Lumiere) should be ripe for the picking, but I imagine that finding decent source materials might be a problem.

[justeleblanc]

It shouldnt be too much of a problem. The images I've seen of the Sino box of HHH's first trilogy looked pretty good. MoC does a decent job of tracking down good source material even when others say it doesn't exist, and let's not forget that Fox Lorber quality shouldn't be a test of whether or not good materials exist.

Hells, I'm guessing there's a decent version of CUTE GIRLS somewhere. Maybe Bordwell owns a quality print.

[Michael Kerpan]

The wonderful Girl of the Nile doesn't seem to have ever gotten a subbed DVD release (though there was once a VCD version).

[Cinetwist]

Well, after wishing for Franju, and having it come true, I'd like to wish for some more. I think the praise for Judex was unanimous and that Nuits rouges pleasantly surprised nearly everyone. I hope the sales reflect the gushing reviews that I've seen everywhere. I still find it remarkable that he only has three feature films available (one of which isn't even considered notable) and one short.

I also want to wish for some Gremillon, particularly Le Ciel est a Vous. More L'Herbier. 1930s Ophuls.

But who am I kidding. You can release none of this and I'll still be as happy as the proverbial pig in erm, poo.

Keep up the good work.

[SoyCuba]

Any chance we could see Kalatozov's The Letter That Was Never Sent in the series? Supposedly a DVD has been released somewhere but without English subs. Would be absolutely amazing if it were possible.

[Stefan Andersson]

Another vote for HHH´s DAUGHTER OF THE NILE and CITY OF SADNESS added to MoC catalogue. Perhaps even the alleged long TV version of CITY OF SADNESS? Does it even exist?

DAUGHTER OF THE NILE was released on French VHS by Panda Films, Paris, in the early Nineties, so there is/was some sort of OK situation re: rights for home video in the European territory.

[Awesome Welles]

Any chance we could see Kalatozov's The Letter That Was Never Sent in the series? Supposedly a DVD has been released somewhere but without English subs. Would be absolutely amazing if it were possible.

It was screened as part of the Envisioning Russia series in a restored print, unfortunately it never seemed to tour anywhere. I would be interested to see the film also, it sounds great and the idea of that team again!

A geological party of three men and one woman is dropped deep into the Siberian wilderness to search for diamonds. This stirring adventure tale is raised to a nearly mystical, Malickesque level by the team of director Mikhail Kalatozov and cinematographer Sergei Urushevsky (THE CRANES ARE FLYING, I AM CUBA), whose high-powered camerawork climaxes in a spectacular forest fire.

[Michael Kerpan]

The Letter That Was Never Sent is a gorgeous looking film. I didn't really buy it dramatically -- but I didn't mind this much, all things considered.

[HerrSchreck]

Any new blanks filled in viz the Kalatozov/Urusevsky powerhouse (right up there with Murnau/Freund, Mann/Alton, Lang/Wagner, w great Diector/DP partnerships. I always reserve a hope Kino might do something, like bring their (very good) VHS of of the extremely difficult to see Salt For Svanetia out on DVD with a new HD transfers plus extras. Such a unique environment and tribal narrative-- and film! About as neglected as neglected gets as far as silents go. With shots of cows rushing up to a wall to catch a man's urine to lap it up owing to salt deficiency... and of a grieving mother of a dead child, on all fours weeping hysterically squirting her breastmilk into the fresh dirt of her baby's grave.

Any of the three heavy hitters might bring Kalatozov out.. CC (Cranes, one of the most beautiful melodramas of all time). Kino (Salt For...) or Milestone (Soy Cuba).

[call_me_ishmael]

Cranes are Flying is available on R2 from Nouveaux.

My MoC Wishlist would be:

Shohei Imamura -

The Insect Woman
A Man Vanishes
Pigs and Battleships
Zegen
History of Postwar Japan as Told by a Bar Hostess
Profound Desire of the Gods
...and a great version of Ballad of Narayama with lots of nice extras

Glauber Rocha -

Terra em Tanse
Rio das Mortes

Fernando Solanas - The Hour of the Furnaces

more Naruse!

[Cinetwist]

God I'm greedy. But now that the R1 disc of Epstein's The Fall of the House of Usher is OOP (hell, even if it wasn't!) this would be an amazing title to release.

Whack on some of his shorts and some nice extras and it'd probably be my favourite dvd ever created. I take back all my other wishes and evryone elses (if you haven't seen the film, trust me, you'll thank me) and ask for this one film, and some of his others why not.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

God I'm greedy. But now that the R1 disc of Epstein's The Fall of the House of Usher is OOP (hell, even if it wasn't!) this would be an amazing title to release.

Whack on some of his shorts and some nice extras and it'd probably be my favourite dvd ever created. I take back all my other wishes and evryone elses (if you haven't seen the film, trust me, you'll thank me) and ask for this one film, and some of his others why not.

Does anyone have any rational explanation why the world is so depleted of Epstein? Even in France. Is there some sort of Beatrice the Bag lady character gumming up the works?

[Cinetwist]

The strange thing is, I don't think there are any obvious rights issues. And thanks to Langlois' love of the guy, a great deal of his work survives (unlike his peers) and the Cinematheque has a bunch of prints which they regularly programme.

The fact that the few people who've seen what little is available on dvd are so in awe of him, makes it all the more horrible that nothing else has been released. Not to mention the adulation and reverence afforded him in film history books written before the 80s.

[Awesome Welles]

Cranes are Flying is available on R2 from Nouveaux.

My MoC Wishlist would be:

Shohei Imamura -

The Insect Woman
A Man Vanishes
Pigs and Battleships
Zegen
History of Postwar Japan as Told by a Bar Hostess
Profound Desire of the Gods
...and a great version of Ballad of Narayama with lots of nice extras

Glauber Rocha -

Terra em Tanse
Rio das Mortes

Fernando Solanas - The Hour of the Furnaces

more Naruse!

Ishmael, I certainly share your sentiments re the Imamura's and would vote for his entire filmography as yet unreleased. Though with the Rocha, Terra em Transe is scheduled for release by Mr. Bongo and I think you mean Antonio das Mortes which is also scheduled by Mr. Bongo, though the Fassbinder Rio Das Mortes, was released by Arrow, though if we're talking about Fassbinder I have always been intrigued by Welt am Draht.

[PimpPanda]

The two films that'd top my wishlist for MoC are A Brighter Summer Day and Out 1. One can hope!

[Peacock]

definitely agreed about Brighter Summer Day.
I know wishlists aren't that helpful or fun to read but mine would consist of:

Mizo's 47 Ronin and Late Chrysanthemums

Farewell My Concubine

More Ichikawa even though we haven't got the first lot yet!

Ghatak's Subarnarekha

Still shocked that Passion of Joan of Arc isn't out in the UK, think MoC could come up with something tasty

......and in my dreams they'd release a lavish multiple disk Greed [-o<

[Tommaso]

Still shocked that Passion of Joan of Arc isn't out in the UK, think MoC could come up with something tasty

If so, they should definitely include the new soundtrack by In the Nursery. But I'd much rather see them doing Rivette's "Jeanne La Pucelle" instead, which isn't out anywhere (and DON'T mention that Facets release, please).

[tojoed]

Still no Phantom? Perhaps they're doing a box set of Murnau - Phantom, City Girl and Der Brennende Acker.

Then I woke up.

[Tommaso]

Still no Phantom? Perhaps they're doing a box set of Murnau - Phantom, City Girl and Der Brennende Acker.

That's actually what I'm worried about, now that Spine #65 is gone elsewhere. Some Murnau box which has exactly one film everyone is dying to see and thus forcing us all to double-dip on the others. Please, MoC, please don't do it THAT way.

[tojoed]

I see what you mean, Tommaso, though I haven't plunged on the Fox set. Also my "Acker" is only a bootleg, so I wouldn't mind replacing that.

If I remember correctly, Nick said more Murnau was coming early 2009. Looks like later, if at all.

[GringoTex]

Still no Phantom? Perhaps they're doing a box set of Murnau - Phantom, City Girl and Der Brennende Acker.

That's actually what I'm worried about, now that Spine #65 is gone elsewhere. Some Murnau box which has exactly one film everyone is dying to see and thus forcing us all to double-dip on the others. Please, MoC, please don't do it THAT way.

To date, MoC has done only one boxset of features (Naruse) and apparently it didn't sell well at all. I doubt it's part of their business model any longer but maybe Nick can shed light.