Forthcoming Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.3

[Drucker]

Regarding Grand Illusion, I think that better elements were discovered right as they were putting it into production, so they decided to use those elements for the DVD rather than what they already had on hand.

[cdnchris]

I seem to remember The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou getting the 300 spine number when the rest of the Collection was still around the 270 mark, though I cannot recall too many other big jumps forward in number like that.

The big example of a gap being left and then filled is of course spine #1, where they had pencilled in Grand Illusion as being the primary release for a long time but eventually were waiting for better elements (I think) for so long that it ended up being released after the first fifty spine numbers, at around the time Criterion were changing their logo into the line one (which is why Grand Illusion never had one of the oldest looking "The Criterion Collection" logos).

Yeah, Aquatic came out before Hoop Dreams and such, and I always figured it was because Disney (or Anderson) wanted the film to have a "landmark" spine number of sorts.

And you're correct, as is Drucker, Illusion was long delayed because they had found far better elements. From what I recall from the original announcement it was to be a straight port of the laserdisc, which was rough to say the least. Its original cover was also an exact duplicate of the laserdisc's (I used to have a graphic of it on a Zip disk--remember those!--but unfortunately that disk fell victim to a common problem with bad Zip drives where all the data on it became corrupted.)

[TMDaines]

A large amount of restored Rossellinis are coming out on DVD (and selected titles on Blu too) in Italy over the next 12 months including many of the Bergman collaborations, so I guess there is a good chance we'll see this boxset this year.

[stroszeck]

Since his unusual suicide last year at the age of 95, I've been going back and watching some of Mario Monicelli's past works. Unbelievably underrated Italian master. Is there any chance in hell that Criterion would put together a box set? I know we have Big Deal on Madonna St. but little gems like My Friends and Caro Michele or even La Mortadella, stuff he did in the later half of his career really deserve to catch the light of day. Here's a filmmaker itching to be rediscovered.

[Peacock]

A large amount of restored Rossellinis are coming out on DVD (and selected titles on Blu too) in Italy over the next 12 months including many of the Bergman collaborations, so I guess there is a good chance we'll see this boxset this year.

I wouldn't count on it. I spoke to T Gallagher a few days ago and he didn't sound hopeful due to various difficulties with almost all the Ingrid Bergman films combined with the difficulties of working with the Italian rightsholders (I know BFI and Arrow have had their problems too). If these Italian dvds are decent maybe they'll pave the way, but from Gallagher's lack of enthusiasm my guess is 2013 at the earliest. (Unfortunately).

[Oedipax]

The bluray of Rome, Open City looks very nice. Gotta roll your own english subs, though.

[TMDaines]

The bluray of Rome, Open City looks very nice. Gotta roll your own english subs, though.

You say that just as I purchase the Criterion set and will receive a Blu-ray drive for my PC at Christmas...

But yeah, it makes the decision to just release those films on DVD, with heavily pictureboxed transfers no less and after doing all that work for the extras, look absurd.

[The Narrator Returns]

Badlands may come to Criterion, if you believe Billy Weber.

[felipe]

Is it a problem in terms of PQ that World on a Wire is 212 minutes on one BR disc? That's slightly longer than Seven Samurai, on which all of the extras are relegated to a second disc, and Seven Samurai, I'm guessing, is more forgiving of compression because it isn't in color.

The exact thing crossed my mind. A 3 and a half hour film plus 1 hours of extras seems too much for one single blu-ray disc. I hope that won't be a problem.

[mfunk9786]

It won't.

[The Narrator Returns]

Is it already time to speculate about what will come in March?

March Titles I Want:
Spartacus
The Game
Quadrophenia
Being John Malkovich
In the Mood for Love

March Titles We're Probably Going to Get:
Stray Dog/Drunken Angel
Walker (because Criterion loves giving Blu upgrades no one asked for)
Eyes Without a Face (because I just got it)
Naked Lunch (ditto)
Autumn Sonata

[ianungstad]

Taking Off (Milos Forman) and State of Siege (Costa Gavras) should both be coming out soon. Maybe they'll be March titles? Both directors indicated that these were being worked on at the start of this year. Not sure how much lag there is between production and solicitation.

[Saturnome]

The Gold Rush
City Lights
The Kid
Limelight
Monsieur Verdoux

[tavernier]

The Gold Rush
City Lights
The Kid
Limelight
Monsieur Verdoux

ditto

[The Narrator Returns]

The Gold Rush
City Lights
The Kid
Limelight
Monsieur Verdoux

All your picks
A collection of Chaplin shorts
The Circus
A Woman in Paris (with A King in New York as a supplement, because it doesn't deserve its own spine #)

[bamwc2]

A Woman in Paris (with A King in New York as a supplement, because it doesn't deserve its own spine #)

Funny, I would reverse that. A King in New York is far, far too good to be relegated to supplemental status. A Woman in Paris...not so much.

[Murdoch]

And to counter that, A Woman in Paris is my favorite Chaplin. *drops the mic and backs away*

[matrixschmatrix]

Does Criterion actually have the rights to A King in New York? I thought that was the one they didn't acquire.

[knives]

It's up on Hulu.

[Cold Bishop]

A King in New York is far, far too good to be relegated to supplemental status.

I understand those words, but not together.

[ianungstad]

Not sure it's worth mentioning but Universal are reissuing "Do the Right Thing" on blu ray. (slated for January 10, 2012). The new edition drops all the special features from the 20th Anniversary edition and is now barebones (but comes with a dvd and digital copy which the special edition didn't).

Maybe they just gave up and are going to let Criterion have it. (with corrected tinting of course?) We'll see.

[mfunk9786]

Judging from the other Universal titles released, I think they'll definitely let Criterion release it.

[Graham]

April marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking so perhaps A Night To Remember is coming in March or April.

[The Narrator Returns]

Not to mention the release would also coincide with the 3-D re-release of that other Titanic movie.

[Jeff]

April marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking so perhaps A Night To Remember is coming in March or April.

Not to mention the release would also coincide with the 3-D re-release of that other Titanic movie.

Plus Fox is releasing the 1954 Titanic on Blu in early April. Come on, Criterion; catch Titanic fever.