'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

[Matt]

You think people are going to wait until 2010? We've still got two months' worth of 2010 announcements left in 2009.

[GringoTex]

Suggestion for a forum poll: January 2010 is one of the most impressive scheduled release slates in recent memory. How long will it take before people forget this and start calling 2010 Criterion's worst year ever?

Guilty! When Criterion kicked off 2009 with the 4 Rossellinis and Magnificent Obsession, I thought it was going to be the greatest year ever.

[perkizitore]

Suggestion for a forum poll: January 2010 is one of the most impressive scheduled release slates in recent memory. How long will it take before people forget this and start calling 2010 Criterion's worst year ever?

A) June
B) March
C) As soon as they announce Ride with the Devil

When they announce Michael Bay: 12-discer cling-a-long ultra-destruction blu-ray set

[Flike]

I'm certain 2010 will be Criterion's best year yet.

Watch.

[swo17]

Guilty! When Criterion kicked off 2009 with the 4 Rossellinis and Magnificent Obsession, I thought it was going to be the greatest year ever.

Hmmm...and then they go and start off 2010 with 4 spine numbers devoted to Rossellini, and another film (Che) with which aox is magnificently obsessed.

I wonder what will be next year's Danton. :-k

[domino harvey]

I wonder what will be next year's Danton. :-k

Danton on Blu-ray

[What A Disgrace]

I wonder what will be next year's Danton. :-k

Loulou?

[Brian C]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is generally considered Criterion's best year? Is 2009 considered the worst? Looking back over this forum's awards from the past few years, it looks like 2005 and 2007 were very strong, the even years less so, but maybe that's just me.

[GringoTex]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is generally considered Criterion's best year? Is 2009 considered the worst? Looking back over this forum's awards from the past few years, it looks like 2005 and 2007 were very strong, the even years less so, but maybe that's just me.

2004:

The Rules of the Game
Ikiru
Diary of a Country Priest
Maîtresse
Pickup on South Street
Tunes of Glory
Onibaba
Le Corbeau
Salvatore Giuliano
Scenes from a Marriage
3 Women
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds
Stray Dog
The Tin Drum
The Leopard
Mamma Roma
Smiles of a Summer Night
A Woman Is a Woman
The Lower Depths
Early Summer
Stage and Spectacle: Jean Renoir
Port of Shadows
I vitelloni
Slacker
Videodrome
The Battle of Algiers
John Cassavetes: Five Films
Secret Honor
Tanner ’88
Fat Girl
Eyes Without a Face
Fanny and Alexander Box Set
Short Cuts
The King of Kings

[domino harvey]

2006

[perkizitore]

Why isn't the front page updated with the January releases? They are already up on Beaver.

[oldsheperd]

They made January announcements? When? I was to busy watching the Balloon Boy story.

[ptatler]

This is a dickish observation but... how exactly does a three-disc set = four spine numbers? Will the cardboard slipcover (release #500, apparently) be available for purchase separately?

[zedz]

The box itself always carries its own number, even if there are only two films inside (viz. I Am Curious)

[perkizitore]

The box itself always carries its own number, even if there are only two films inside (viz. I Am Curious)

I think the main reason behind this decision was to highlight the importance of the films included and celebrate the release of (almost) 500 titles.

[Perkins Cobb]

So now Criterion years are like Star Trek movies -- even numbers rule, odd numbers suck?

[Flike]

Criterion posted a small Q&A with Guy Maddin on their site, in which he mentions Bigger Than Life. Really hope My Winnipeg is on the way.

[ptatler]

The box itself always carries its own number, even if there are only two films inside (viz. I Am Curious)

All these years and I never noticed.

Seems a bit of a cheat. Especially when a "film trilogy" by Bergman occupies five spine numbers. But then four by Varda = three spine numbers and the Human Condition trilogy = one spine.

:-k

So - according to my calculations - their actual 500th release won't be until #515.

[Saturnome]

Unless you include films they release as special features.

[Minkin]

Criterion posted a small Q&A with Guy Maddin on their site, in which he mentions Bigger Than Life. Really hope My Winnipeg is on the way.

There is a big Maddin hurrah at the Pompidou and they are showing My Winnipeg as the highlight.

Think Criterion might make any tie-in following it?

---edit
That's hilarious.

I thought I was being very clever, since I was just over at the Pompidou today and checked things out and was quite excited by it all.... Little did I know after actually checking the link did the current ruin everything for me.

Perfect.

BTW

Looking through the French Guy Maddin DVDs- they were all rather expensive, had little or no special features and came in awful non-locking cases. Looks like the French could use some help here.. Brand upon the Brain only came with the Rosselini release as well. I might have to go back tommorow and check it out better.. any suggestions?

[Perkins Cobb]

So - according to my calculations - their actual 500th release won't be until #515.

Well, that must be where they're going to put Out 1, then!

[alice_the_goon]

Didn't they say that Revanche would be out by the end of 2009? I have been waiting for over a year to see it and I'm getting really anxious! ](*,)

[knives]

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[Brian C]

Didn't they say that Revanche would be out by the end of 2009? I have been waiting for over a year to see it and I'm getting really anxious! ](*,)

Try moving to a big city that actually has cinemas that show it. Worked for me...

[Jeff]

Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire are under license from producer Jeremy Thomas' company HanWay Films. They are kind of a British equivalent of Castle Hill. They handle the libraries of films personally owned by Thomas, Wim Wenders, Peter Becker, producer Jean Doumanian, Merchant/Ivory, as well as several BFI films.

Besides the two Wenders films, Criterion has distributed all of HanWay's Peter Weir films, The Last Emperor, The Hit, Jane Campion's shorts, and the Merchant Ivory Collection. Most of HanWay's other exciting properties are already have (presumably long-term) contracts with other American studios and distributors, but there are some interesting things there. Criterion recently indicated that they were on a "Wenders bender" that was "not done yet." We know that Alice in the Cities is coming up next, but HanWay's site indicates some of the many other great Wenders films that Criterion may have access to down the road.

There are several things that I can see Criterion going after when their other distributorship expires. For example, HanWay controls the rights to Mamet's The Spanish Prisoner. It was picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics upon release, but I assume those rights will eventually expire (just like MGM and Fox eventually lost Wings and Paris). They distribute Peter Greenaway's shorts, A Zed and Two Noughts, and The Draughtman's Contract.

Again, one can't assume too much since many of these titles already have American distributors, but Criterion is obviously licensing a lot of stuff from them and will likely continue to do so as the rights to more titles free up. The site is Flash based, so I can't really give direct links, but from the main page you should go to "Our Films," then "Library Films."