Criterion and IFC

[rwiggum]

I once would have thought On the Road a given but that doesn't seem the case. Um, probably Something in the Air and the two by Cristian Mungiu, Beyond the Hills and 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.

4M3W2D seems like a no-brainer, (right? I mean, right? Please?) But is there anything suggesting Beyond The Hills as getting a Criterion release? I didn't even realize IFC was the one releasing it.

[Jeff]

4M3W2D seems like a no-brainer, (right? I mean, right? Please?) But is there anything suggesting Beyond The Hills as getting a Criterion release? I didn't even realize IFC was the one releasing it.

It's an IFC release, and Criterion has the right of first refusal on all of their titles. That means if Criterion wants it, it's theirs. It doesn't seem like something they would turn down since it was a generally well-received film from an up-and-coming auteur, and their catalog isn't exactly bursting with Romanian cinema. They have to wait for the previous licensing arrangement for 4 Months... to expire before they can release that one, and I expect they'll do them as a pair.

[ryannichols7]

surely Frances Ha and Something in the Air are good possibilities for this year, and Like Someone in Love for early next year.

[rwiggum]

They have to wait for the previous licensing arrangement for 4 Months... to expire before they can release that one, and I expect they'll do them as a pair.

Is there any way of knowing when that will happen?

[bainbridgezu]

Criterion has passed on Simon Killer and Something in the Air

[warren oates]

Good call on Simon Killer, not so much on Something In The Air, especially because of the wealth of potential extras, it being an autobiographical film and all. And a chance to finally try and get Cold Water out too, perhaps, by pairing them up.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Damn it all, I thought Something In The Air was a sure thing. That's too bad because MPI releases are so barebones. I have the Garrel ones and they don't even feature an interview.

[flyonthewall2983]

Just wishful thinking but I'd love to see a new release of Decade Under The Influence, with better picture quality and maybe new interviews, whether or not Criterion does it.

[FrauBlucher]

Paul Schrader is taking over the IFC twitter feed at 10PM est to answer questions.

[ianungstad]

I don't know about Criterion worthy but I actually thought The Canyons was pretty decent. Critics seem to be dumping on the picture. Anyone here have any thoughts on the film?

[johnnysnatchclub7]

Owen Gleiberman of EW gave it a good review and said Deen could actually act. It would be great if the video release had the accompanying outtakes of Lohan berating her costar. That was some priceless audio.

[Professor Wagstaff]

My attention drifted most of the time Deen wasn't on the screen. He's a compelling screen presence here with a lot of raw energy. His talents as an actor aren't quite there, but it's clear that he's pouring all of his willpower into the role. I understand Soderbergh's perspective on the film's editing being problematic, mostly due to the tight shooting schedule and a resulting lack of footage. The movie seems to be a real victim of its financial and production restraints. Lohan doesn't help; she sucks a lot of the tension out of her scenes. Didn't quite work for me, but it's a curiosity for Schrader fans, certainly better than his last few pictures.

[knives]

That must be pretty great then as Schrader's last few have been pretty good if not amongst his best.

[ianungstad]

I thought both Lindsay Lohan and James Deen were pretty good in the film. The rest of the actors you could tell were pretty green. As someone who has seen many microbudget indie movies; this is actually pretty solid. The director and cast has led people to hold the film to a higher standard. It's not a fantastic movie and even if one considers it a failure it's a least an interesting one. I've seen so many run of the mill Sundance pics that are instantly forgettable that I enjoy a movie that can fail spectacularly. Only God Forgives is another similar example. Even if you don't end up liking it; I think it's worth the rental.

On a totally different topic; I though Ben Wheatley's Sightseers was pretty fantastic. He's the rare genre director who has a distinct art house sensibility. I think Criterion wrongly passed on Kill List and would like this to make it's way to the collection. (Not hopeful though)

[Harmonov]

I thought both Lindsay Lohan and James Deen were pretty good in the film.

I just saw the film and would disagree with this notion. The only time Deen showed any kind of range was when he was yelling at and smacking around Lohan for looking for her phone near the end of the film. I thought he was as wooden as a cigar store Indian (or insert any porn joke you might have here) the rest of the film. Frankly, I've never understood why anyone thought Lohan was worthy of filming - she was in remakes of old 60s and 70s family fare (The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday and Herbie: Fully Loaded) and Mean Girls, which Lizzy Caplan outshined her in. Then she swirled down the drain of cocaine addiction and narcissism.

The big problem I have with the film as a whole is the script. I have been an unabashed fan of Bret Easton Ellis since I read Less Than Zero when I was in high school a long time ago and I must admit this script is horrible. It is derivative of everything else he has written and reeks of the published amalgam of shitty stories he put into The Informers when he had writer's block when writing Glamorama (also when he was last relevant). I thought the Lynchian/Badalamentian score was overwrought and brought a false sense of dread to them film that wasn't warranted. The only part I liked was the cinematography, especially the shots of the rundown old filmhouses and cineplexes at the beginning and jammed into the body of the film delineating one day from the next. I saw Schrader speak when he came to town to show the restored cut of Taxi Driver and he insisted that the old ways of filmmaking and exhibition are long gone and I thought that these shots echoed that sentiment.

But that's my take. To each their own.

[Moe Dickstein]

If they take The Canyons for a spine number I will be SO excited.

[criterion10]

If they take The Canyons for a spine number I will be SO excited.

...Seriously?

[Moe Dickstein]

Yes, for reasons I can't really go into publicly yet.

[Professor Wagstaff]

James Deen completist?

[Moe Dickstein]

[SpiderBaby]

I'd rather see Like Someone in Love get a release soon.

[knives]

I'd rather see Like Someone in Love get a release soon.

Or both. More Schrader (any Schrader) is good for me. Also this now means that Moe is obviously John DeFazio.

[Moe Dickstein]

Now I gotta go look up who I supposedly am.

For reals I should go link to some of my films in the correct forum.

[Moe Dickstein]

LOL I'm a director, I try not to be my own DP when possible, it's better for everyone that way.

[knives]

So you're not the great auteur of this?