Criterion and IFC

[mfunk9786]

Well, there's still been no home video announcement for either Certified Copy or Cave of Forgotten Dreams, so they may still be in play. Cave of Forgotten Dreams has to be the front runner for the Oscar in the documentary category? I don't think any other documentary has had both the critical and commercial success that it has had this year. Criterion would be foolish to pass on it.

Which is a shame, because, with all due respect to Herzog, it was so boring

[kaujot]

Cave of Forgotten Dreams has to be the front runner for the Oscar in the documentary category? I don't think any other documentary has had both the critical and commercial success that it has had this year. Criterion would be foolish to pass on it.

The documentary Senna, about Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna, has had an enormous amount of critical success, but a much smaller release. Wouldn't shock me in the least if that was a strong competitor to Cave. And what about Tabloid?

[zedz]

Tabloid's subject matter may be too tawdry for the Academy to embrace.

I agree with mfunk that the Herzog was a big disappointment. There's about 15 minutes of sublime cave photography, but almost everything else he piles on to eke it out to feature length weakens the films (and - ouch! - what about that atrociously retrofitted 3D stuff!)

[dwk]

The IFC deal choices seem very arbitrary to me.

Maybe Criterion and MPI alternate picks of IFC titles (like selecting teams for a pick-up game).

IFC: All right, lets flip a coin to see who goes first. MPI call it in the air.

IFC FLIPS QUARTER IN AIR

MPI: Heads.

IFC CATCHES QUARTER

IFC: Heads it is.

MPI: With the first pick we'll take Enter the Void.

Criterion: CHE.

After many round of drafting titles...

IFC: Okay, guys two titles left.

MPI: We'll take Choose and you can have Tiny Furniture.

Criterion: Damn it!

[ianungstad]

Looks like Criterion weren't interested in Cave of Forgotten Dreams either. MPI is also releasing Caves in November.

On a related note, IFC announced they picked up Herzog's Into the Abyss today.

[ianungstad]

Herzog's Into the Abyss is getting fantastic reviews at Telluride. Anyone think Criterion will be interested? I know it's probably not as good as gems like The Game, Monsoon Wedding, Last Days of Disco, Ride with the Devil, Chasing Amy, Armageddon, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and some of the other contemporary classics in the collection....but who knows?

[knives]

At least three of the films you referred to in a derisive manner are legitimately great. You do realize that you don't need to put down others when complimenting someone else?

[tarpilot]

At least three of the films you referred to in a derisive manner are legitimately great. You do realize that you don't need to put down others when complimenting someone else?

I'd only classify The Last Days of Disco as such, but I'd agree his post's as bad as it gets

[CSM126]

I just find it distressing that BORDER FUCKING RADIO didn't cross his mind.

And maybe we should move that post to "Why won't they release only what I want?".

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

When did people here start disliking The Game? That's news to me!

[jbeall]

When did people here start disliking The Game? That's news to me!

It was just Fincher's turn, that's all.

[ianungstad]

I like The Game. It's a fun thriller but I don't think anyone can really say that it's any kind of classic. There are plot holes galore amongst other problems. I have shelves full of films that I like (even love) but certainly don't think they deserve any kind of special Criterion treatment. If the film wasn't directed by David Fincher, Criterion wouldn't show any interest in the film at all. Which is more the point I was attempting to make.

My post was kind of lame but it was meant more to imply that Criterion has a poor track record with contemporary cinema, more often than not; releasing films dictated not by quality but on the basis if the director is a "friend of Criterion".

[knives]

I think The Game is actually the most meaningful of his '90s films with a complex commentary on American culture and more specifically the post Reagan culture of the rich.

[Brian C]

I like The Game. It's a fun thriller but I don't think anyone can really say that it's any kind of classic. There are plot holes galore amongst other problems. I have shelves full of films that I like (even love) but certainly don't think they deserve any kind of special Criterion treatment. If the film wasn't directed by David Fincher, Criterion wouldn't show any interest in the film at all. Which is more the point I was attempting to make.

My post was kind of lame but it was meant more to imply that Criterion has a poor track record with contemporary cinema, more often than not; releasing films dictated not by quality but on the basis if the director is a "friend of Criterion".

Sorry dude, but this is kind of ridiculous in the context of your original comment, even aside from your highly contentious dismissal of some of those films. After all, why would you expect that the new Herzog will be "any kind of classic"? A couple of good festival reviews hardly makes it so.

I mean, you're criticizing them for passing over a potential classic when, a) you haven't seen it, and b) they haven't passed on it yet. That hardly seems like a reasonable position to take. Maybe wait until those two things happen before you get all bent out of shape?

[tarpilot]

If "plot holes" in and of themselves were a negative point of criticism, I think I would have stopped watching movies a long time ago

[Gary Gnu]

Umm, does IFC now own the rights to Dancer In The Dark? It played on their channel a couple of days ago, and I had to watch it since it's so close to being my favorite movie. Then, I realized that the New Line DVD is OOP...

Oh, the movie gets me every time. I have to listen to Bjork's albums for at least a day every time I re-watch it! (Post always cheers me up and gets me ready for more emotional punishment.) 8-[

EDIT: I'm aware that New Line is no longer in business. It's weird, though, that no other distributor has picked it up since it went OOP.

[Gary Gnu]

Actually, I can't believe that I didn't notice that Breaking the Waves and The Idiots are also OOP. I have the Breaking the Waves DVD, so I didn't know it went OOP (probably several years ago), but I was surprised to find out just yesterday that The Idiots is pretty hard to find. I really wanted to re-watch it, too, since I want to try my hand at Dogme 95 filmmaking.

Who has the rights to the "trilogy," then?! I haven't even seen IFC show either Breaking the Waves or The Idiots!

[ianungstad]

Dancer in the Dark - New Line/Warner Brothers
The Idiots/Breaking the Waves - Focus Features/Universal

Just because something airs on the IFC channel doesn't mean they have the rights. I don't know why you would think it does.

[Gary Gnu]

Just because something airs on the IFC channel doesn't mean they have the rights. I don't know why you would think it does.

I couldn't find any current information on the rights to any of those three. The DVDs have been OOP for years, so the fact that IFC started showing DITD about a year ago got me excited. I guess there's just no interest in re-distributing them. (Curse you, WB and Universal!!)

[Minkin]

Criterion passed on Cave of Forgotten Dreams. From Criterion Cast

[knives]

I thought that was known?

[Professor Wagstaff]

It was known. MPI will release it next month. Also mentioned a few posts back.

[Minkin]

Well, regardless - any thought as to the rationale? Criterion not wanting to go 3-D? Or do we have to bring up the whole major/minor thing again?

[knives]

I think it's as simple as Becker not caring about Herzog.

[Brian C]

Also Cave just wasn't all that good. Some excellent footage of the cave and a lot of filler.