'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

[Perkins Cobb]

Wow, Criterion has been on the ball with contemporary releases. I hope they release Revanche and Che soon.

Anyway, here is a list of upcoming contemporary CC releases, I'm very excited:

Che - Part 1 and 2 - Steven Soderbergh (2008)
Cronos – Guillermo Del Toro (1993)
Everlasting Moments - Jan Troell (2008)
Following – Christophe Nolan (1998)
Gomorrah - Matteo Garrone (2008)
Revanche - Götz Spielmann (2008)
Secret of the Grain – Abdellatif Kechiche (2007)
Still Walking - Hirokazu Koreeda (2008)
Summer Hours - Olivier Assayas (2008)
Y Tu Mama Tambien – Alfonso Cuaron (2001)

Yeah, and the rest of us are positively thrilled as well.

[hidaniel]

... Fellini Blu-ray should be announced in a month or so. Please make that 8 1/2, not Amarcord, please.

Ridiculous if it isn't 8 1/2. Can't imagine there being a better market for Amarcord than 8 1/2.

[Perkins Cobb]

Criterion will release a Rivette film the day Rivette makes a film under two and a half hours long. Hey, wait a minute...

So you mean we get "36 vues du Pic Saint-Loup" (83 min.)? Utterly brilliant!

No, fortunately Swo worded his condition so that if Rivette made a film under two and a half hours long, Criterion could release any Rivette film on DVD, not just the under-two-and-a-half-hours one. Whew.

Seriously ... the latest I heard about the Pedro Costa set is that it was delayed because of a rights problem with one of the films. CC had been planning to release Costa concurrently with the Gorin set because there is some "cross-pollination" between the extras on the two. So CC was going to release the Gorin ahead of the Costa. But that gossip is a few months old, and things could've changed since.

[swo17]

Ridiculous if it isn't 8 1/2. Can't imagine there being a better market for Amarcord than 8 1/2.

8 1/2 : Seven Samurai :: Amarcord : Kagemusha

[Tommaso]

No, fortunately Swo worded his condition so that if Rivette made a film under two and a half hours long, Criterion could release any Rivette film on DVD, not just the under-two-and-a-half-hours one. Whew.

Actually, if Swo's criterion (sorry for the pun) were true, CC could have started releasing Rivette already in their laserdisc days. "La Religieuse", "Duelle", "Noroit", "Pont du Nord", all pretty short Rivette films (for a Rivette film, of course). Actually I was shocked when I read about the runtime of "Saint-Loup". Is the man getting old or what?

[swo17]

You guys do know I pull all this stuff out of my ass, right?

[aox]

8 1/2 : Seven Samurai :: Amarcord : Kagemusha

accurate

[Tommaso]

You guys do know I pull all this stuff out of my ass, right?

Sure we know. But I'm not sure whether Criterion knows.

[oldsheperd]

Amarcord>8 1/2=Amarcord Blu-Ray IMO

[criterionaficionado]

so...what is on tap for today...9/15/09 and we still have no announcements, maybe by late afternoon hopefully. i'm guessing/hoping for Stagecoach (SD/BLU), Cronos, eclipse boxset (long shot in december, i know), something out of left field and The Cook, the thief his wife.... (both SD/BLU versions, i wish!).

[hidaniel]

Ridiculous if it isn't 8 1/2. Can't imagine there being a better market for Amarcord than 8 1/2.

8 1/2 : Seven Samurai :: Amarcord : Kagemusha

Yes, but Seven Samurai has been released multiple times and fairly recently to boot. Which reminds me, weren't Amarcord and Seven Samurai rereleased around the same time a few years back? Would make sense that it would be a few more years until a Blu-ray release for either of those comes up.

[souvenir]

Which reminds me, weren't Amarcord and Seven Samurai rereleased around the same time a few years back? Would make sense that it would be a few more years until a Blu-ray release for either of those comes up.

Yeah, about the same time as Playtime.

[Stop Making Sense]

If anyone cares, Amazon just moved the release date for the Howards End Blu-Ray back two weeks to November 3rd.

[swo17]

Which reminds me, weren't Amarcord and Seven Samurai rereleased around the same time a few years back? Would make sense that it would be a few more years until a Blu-ray release for either of those comes up.

Yeah, about the same time as Playtime.

Not to mention Third Man, Wages of Fear, and 400 Blows, which were all released more than once before coming to Blu-ray. If anything, I would say that a recent reissue makes a title more likely to come out soon on Blu-ray. These are, after all, the big moneymakers.

[aox]

I wouldn't have thought Amarcord was a bigger seller than 8 1/2.

and with that thinking, I suppose M could go blu sometime next year.

[hidaniel]

Which reminds me, weren't Amarcord and Seven Samurai rereleased around the same time a few years back? Would make sense that it would be a few more years until a Blu-ray release for either of those comes up.

Yeah, about the same time as Playtime.

Not to mention Third Man, Wages of Fear, and 400 Blows, which were all released more than once before coming to Blu-ray. If anything, I would say that a recent reissue makes a title more likely to come out soon on Blu-ray. These are, after all, the big moneymakers.

Both good points.

I'm going to follow aox's and just follow where the money is when speculating. Not that it matters, I imagine anything that makes a good return and that they have rights to will eventually be released on Blu-ray sooner or later.

/bored at work -- flailing arms wildly

[swo17]

Well, they rereleased Amarcord for a reason. I'm sure part of that had to do with how much they knew they could improve upon the early release (not as much of a factor for 8 1/2) but they had to also think it would sell well. There's a reason some early releases have been updated and others haven't. Not that that alone makes it more likely of a candidate than 8 1/2, which very well could be a better seller, but I certainly wouldn't rule out Amarcord just because it was updated a few years ago. Look at Last Emperor or Pierrot le fou. Especially this early on in Criterion's adoption of Blu-ray, I don't see "time since last release" as carrying much weight in the decision making process at all.

Also, I know that B+W can look marvelous on Blu, but it seems like the gorgeous color in Amarcord could be an easier sell on the format. Whichever film it is though, I'll buy it.

[bradass]

If anyone cares, Amazon just moved the release date for the Howards End Blu-Ray back two weeks to November 3rd.

Wings of Desire has been delayed on both formats as well. What's happening behind the scenes? That will make three months in a row with only two new titles. If all the acquisitions are to be considered, they should never dip below four titles a month.

[Stop Making Sense]

Both formats of Monsoon Wedding have moved back a week too. Weird.

The Makavejev Eclipse and Z are still listed at the original dates.

[HelenLawson]

Releasing 8 1/2 on BR around January would allow Criterion to capitalize on the publicity for Nine--assuming the latter gets some award season traction and the audience cares enough to seek out the film which inspired it.

[aox]

Releasing 8 1/2 on BR around January would allow Criterion to capitalize on the publicity for Nine--assuming the latter gets some award season traction and the audience cares enough to seek out the film which inspired it.

That's a great point.

[souvenir]

Has there been any definitive word on why Nights of Cabiria is out of print? I wonder if a re-release (also on Blu-ray) could be a possibility.

[Narshty]

Both formats of Monsoon Wedding have moved back a week too. Weird.

They probably just got mild depression at the QC stage.

[zedz]

Am I the only person who hasn't actually seen any of Rivette's films but shares the opinion that Criterion needs to release them as soon as possible? Or is that the rest of you, too?

Cue region-free evangelism.

The non-release of Rivette by Criterion might be a running joke - or running sore - but he's actually reasonably well represented on English subtitled DVD, so there's no good reason not to be acquainted with major works from every decade of his career (Paris nous appartient; Celine et Julie vont en bateau; La bande des quatre; La Belle Noiseuse; Va savoir). What better way to celebrate the first glimmer of official interest in an Out 1 box set?

[sidehacker]

Maybe they'll launch a Hunger themed hunger strike contest for those who want to see an Out 1 release. I probably shouldn't give them any ideas, though...