'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.1

[Cinephrenic]

I think Criterion just got their hands full with access to more mainstreem films and many great out-of-print titles in the market since they now have relationships with almost all the major studios. It is most likely classic Criterion auteur releases will be gradually slower (i.e. Bresson, Renoir, Bergman, etc...), as they want to keep the release schedule more versatile.

[knives]

Well, they're definitely due for more Bresson. It's been a while since Mouchette.

[psufootball07]

I definitely want to see A Man Escaped as many people have posted on, but also L'Argent.

[domino harvey]

They've been sitting on the Trial of Jeanne d'Arc for a while, I'd expect that one to come up first

[Cinephrenic]

There is a shitload of Bresson films not on the R1 market (at least in print). They could give us a Eclipse set and some Criterions for sure.

A Man Escaped (1956)
L'argent (1983)
Lancelot du Lac (1974)
Le diable probablement (1977)
Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971)
Une femme douce (1969)
Procès de Jeanne d'Arc (1962)
Angels of the Streets (1943)

[Tribe]

I think Criterion just got their hands full with access to more mainstreem films and many great out-of-print titles in the market since they now have relationships with almost all the major studios. It is most likely classic Criterion auteur releases will be gradually slower (i.e. Bresson, Renoir, Bergman, etc...), as they want to keep the release schedule more versatile.

A question for those of you who are savvy regarding business practices in the DVD market...when a DVD label purchases the rights to release a particular movie on DVD, is it common for the entity selling those rights to demand that the DVD edition be released within any particular period of time?

[Dadapass]

A Man Escaped is under Certainties and Procès de Jeanne d'Arc is under distinct possibilities. It would be great if Criterion acquired the rest. Epecially those that haven't been released by AE.

[What A Disgrace]

I would hope that, since none of these have been released yet, Criterion will aim for a five film Bresson in Colour box; and not an Eclipse one.

A Man Escaped, The Trial of Joan of Arc and Les anges du péché will probably have individual releases.

[knives]

I would hope that, since none of these have been released yet, Criterion will aim for a five film Bresson in Colour box; and not an Eclipse one.

A Man Escaped, The Trial of Joan of Arc and Les anges du péché will probably have individual releases.

I hope criterion's reading. Hopefully we get one of these by December though. The Trial of Joan of Arc would be a marvelous B-day present.

[HerrSchreck]

The Trial of Joan of Arc would be a marvelous B-day present.

Why would you want to be put to sleep by a movie on your birthday?

[knives]

Admittedly this is without having seen the movie, but I doubt I would be put to sleep by it. The Hitcher is the only film to accomplish that feat so far. Even if it does I could always use that extra sleep.

[tojoed]

I spent money on an inferior version of A Brighter Summer Day, but it was a bootleg and only cost £3. Does that count?

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Any non-MOC'd Pialat would be welcome, I'm sure. That said, they'd probably only go after Under the Sun of Satan anyways

A few months ago, I e-mailed Criterion the suggestion about doing an Eclipse Pialat-Depardieu set but I heard nothing back from them. That said, I'd love Sun as a solo release. It'd certainly make the best Criterion for soccer mom Depardieu fans and be more fun than Danton!

[psufootball07]

Well today is the day huh. Hopefully we all get something that we are interested in. Seeing as I found out about the Last Days of Disco trailer, I was surprised to see it isnt up anymore. I would guess that will be announced. Not that I would purchase it anyways.

[Antoine Doinel]

I think Criterion just got their hands full with access to more mainstreem films and many great out-of-print titles in the market since they now have relationships with almost all the major studios. It is most likely classic Criterion auteur releases will be gradually slower (i.e. Bresson, Renoir, Bergman, etc...), as they want to keep the release schedule more versatile.

A question for those of you who are savvy regarding business practices in the DVD market...when a DVD label purchases the rights to release a particular movie on DVD, is it common for the entity selling those rights to demand that the DVD edition be released within any particular period of time?

Generally speaking, no. But titles are usually licensed for a specific length of time so the sooner it is brought to market the more sense it makes financially. That said, while Criterion may be in negotiation with various parties for titles, they may not sign any contracts until the title starts looming in their production schedule (which I believe is sketched out up to two years in advance).

[fdm]

Well today is the day huh. Hopefully we all get something that we are interested in. Seeing as I found out about the Last Days of Disco trailer, I was surprised to see it isnt up anymore. I would guess that will be announced. Not that I would purchase it anyways.

They probably saw how much stink they got for releasing Button, which is an okay film, then realized how awful Disco really is and decided not to release it after all. Just a guess.

[ptatler]

There is a shitload of Bresson films not on the R1 market (at least in print). They could give us a Eclipse set and some Criterions for sure.

A Man Escaped (1956)
L'argent (1983)
Lancelot du Lac (1974)
Le diable probablement (1977)
Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971)
Une femme douce (1969)
Procès de Jeanne d'Arc (1962)
Angels of the Streets (1943)

I hope none of these are "wasted" on an Eclipse (plus LANCELOT and L'ARGENT both already had halfway decent releases from New Yorker, negating an Eclipse treatment of 2/5 color Bressons).

The only copy of FOUR NIGHTS I've ever been able to get my hands on was an apparent transfer of a VHS dub from All Day that was AWFUL. I usually have tolerance/patience for that type of thing but had to switch it off 20 minutes in. So I hope they resurrect it (maybe as a double disk with James Gray's TWO LOVERS!) and DEVIL. As much as I love the others mentioned, I'd rather see these two get the CC treatment. Maybe with some weigh-ins from noted Bressonites like Schrader, Jarmusch, and Nathan Lee.

Amen to Pialat's VAN GOGH and Yang's BRIGHTER SUMMER!

[Matt]

LANCELOT and L'ARGENT both already had halfway decent releases from New Yorker, negating an Eclipse treatment of 2/5 color Bressons

Your definition of "decent" is very generous. Those DVDs are long out of print, by the way.

[justeleblanc]

Last Days of Disco has become such a cult classic (along with Metropolitan) and it's hard to find status would make it a no brainer to release. I'm sure Button will make a shit-load of money... so they win in the end.

Pialat's Van Gogh is still a Sony property, so while it is a possibility, Criterion would have to justify it economically. We'll see Out 1 before Van Gogh.

[fdm]

Last Days of Disco has become such a cult classic (along with Metropolitan) and it's hard to find status would make it a no brainer to release. I'm sure Button will make a shit-load of money... so they win in the end.

Not really that hard to find... overseas.

[ptatler]

LANCELOT and L'ARGENT both already had halfway decent releases from New Yorker, negating an Eclipse treatment of 2/5 color Bressons

Your definition of "decent" is very generous. Those DVDs are long out of print, by the way.

It's my definition of "halfway decent" that's generous. I reserve "decent" for CC's minimal treatment of COUNTRY PRIEST (at least it looks good).

The NYer discs had zero extras, basic transfers, and (if I recall correctly) interesting commentaries. All of the titles mentioned above would benefit from -- at the very least -- new transfers and commentaries.

[Lemmy Caution]

From the NYTimes:

CANNES, France (AP) -- Martin Scorsese has plans to get restored films in front of a larger audience.

The director of ''Raging Bull,'' ''Goodfellas'' and ''The Departed'' announced an initiative Friday at the Cannes Film Festival for wider distribution of movies restored by Scorsese's World Cinema Foundation.

The foundation plans to make films from developing countries available online through its Web site and via Netflix and iTunes. Films eventually will make their way into boxed sets from the Criterion Collection DVD label.

The foundation has four restored films playing this year at Cannes, including the 1969 Egyptian tale ''The Night of Counting the Years'' and the 1936 Mexican picture ''The Wave.''

Sounds like some future eclipse sets, if this info holds up.
Maybe some would get the full CC treatment.
Any more details on this arrangement?

[Cinephrenic]

Talk about obscure cinema. I really hope this news will hold up. I never seen the films but want to know what else has Scorsese came with.

[swo17]

This seems to relate directly to this news here, except it only mentions three restored films playing at Cannes, the two they mention plus, say it with me folks, A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY.

Fingers crossed though that this doesn't just wind up in an Eclipse box.

[kaujot]

I don't think Brighter Summer Day will be thrown onto Eclipse. Criterion's generally pretty good about putting relatively obscure films that many see as significant onto the main label. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, to name one.

Plus, since it's Scorsese's foundation, I'm sure he'll be more than willing to help with extras. I'm fairly certain he doesn't need much convincing to talk about movies he enjoys.