Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[ryannichols7]

presumably anything released by sideshow would be a criterion, even if the streaming is exclusive to HBO max? I can't see a way they don't do the discs themselves.

this is honestly a need - Fox Searchlight being wrecked by Disney and Focus shifting a bit more to the 'elder' arthouse crowd leaves us with A24 and Neon in terms of 'indie' distributors that get their movies into wider release. and there are many issues with both of those distributors (especially Neon), so I welcome this. I lament the days IFC actually got their stuff into Blockbuster and regularly on Netflix, it felt way easier to see those movies. Drive My Car has had a pretty solid screening schedule, so I'm curious to see what comes next from them. I know there have been a lot of issues with criterion as of late (sitting on titles is basically my biggest complaint personally), but stuff like the Channel and this make me glad to see they're still pushing and doing important things

[Hogfather]

Even though HBO Max has the streaming rights to Drive My Car, it'll probably still be released by Criterion soon. They're probably just waiting for the Oscars at the end of March so that they can advertise the physical media release according to how many Oscars it wins. Who knows, we might get the announcement as soon as April.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

I lament the days IFC actually got their stuff into Blockbuster and regularly on Netflix, it felt way easier to see those movies.

A lot of IFC titles go to Hulu, including some fairly high-profile ones like Non-Fiction, Bergman Island, Possessor, The House That Jack Built, and I, Daniel Blake. Granted I don't expect this to continue indefinitely now that AMC has its own streaming service with much of IFC's back catalog.

[dwk]

Recently added to the Criterion Channel, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Il bell'Antonio and Porcile open with the Criterion and Janus logos.

[yoloswegmaster]

This might mean nothing and could just be a mistake but in this article from The Digital Bits about the 60th Anniversary of 'West Side Story', Criterion is listed as one of the copyrights holders for the images used in the article. The images used throughout are mainly stills from the film, with a few images from Behind The Scene and memorabilia being show, so I wonder what images were licensed from Criterion.

[knives]

It’s a Fox title right? They have a Criterion films thing making this probably nothing.

[PfR73]

It's an MGM film through United Artists and now that Fox is no longer distributing MGM's home video releases, they shouldn't have anything to do with it, I believe. The article specifically credits "The Criterion Collection" rather than "Criterion Films," which is the Fox division.

[guyetgenevieve]

I feel like I remember it being rumored years ago. Seems like a perfect title for 4K release. Feel like they would've done it by now if they were going to though? Then again, Criterion release strategies regularly mystify me.

[sabbath]

I feel like I remember it being rumored years ago. Seems like a perfect title for 4K release. Feel like they would've done it by now if they were going to though? Then again, Criterion release strategies regularly mystify me.

Yep. The rumor started with the 2017 New Year's Drawing with the supposed Puerto Rican flag (not to be confused with the Cuban flag in the same drawing, which was for Buena Vista Social Club), followed by the Jerome Robbins phantom page.

[ellipsis7]

Recently added to the Criterion Channel, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Il bell'Antonio and Porcile open with the Criterion and Janus logos.

PASOLINI 100, the centenary of the birth of PPP, has just kicked off in Italy with an exhibition, new publications, a conference and the re-release of 13 of his films in Italian cinemas, so it wouldn't be surprising if Criterion were to release more PPP on BluRay... MAMMA ROMA is also a leading contender for an upgrade with a new 2022 restoration...

[Hogfather]

Janus posted a frame from Lost Highway on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaiT4bCvB7i ... =copy_link

[Maltic]

Recently added to the Criterion Channel, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Il bell'Antonio and Porcile open with the Criterion and Janus logos.

Legendary Azzurri/Juventus leftback Antonio Cabrini a.k.a Bell'Antonio was the first thing that popped into my head.

[Hogfather]

Janus posted a frame from Lost Highway on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaiT4bCvB7i ... =copy_link

And if that wasn't enough, they literally just posted on Twitter that they are restoring Lost Highway and showing it at Lincoln Center in June.
https://twitter.com/janusfilms/status/1 ... zZhs8pAAAA

[FrauBlucher]

Someone just asked the KLSC insider on bluray.com if their Lost Highway is going OOP. I'm actually looking forward to his answer.

[yoloswegmaster]

According to Bill Hunt, Amadeus is slated for 4K down the pike from Criterion.

You can put this on the "not coming anytime soon" column as it was confirmed to me that the 4K restoration process for either version hasn't even started yet due to Covid. Also, we shouldn't be taking this at face value since Bill Hunt just extracted the info from this podcast episode with George Feltenstein:

George Feltenstein was on this podcast where he was asked about home video releases for the following titles:

Petulia(1968)
The Devils
Pennies from Heaven(1981)
Twice Upon a Time
Amadeus 4K
After Hours
The Mosquito Coast
Funny Farm (already released by WB)
Men Don't Leave
M. Butterfly (already released by Shout)
The Butcher Boy(1997)

He revealed that some of the titles on this list have been licensed to Criterion and Shout Factory. With Feltenstein saying that he is very interested in doing Pennies from Heaven and that Twice Upon a Time could be a possible future release, I could see After Hours and The Devils being the titles that have been licensed to Criterion.

Note how Bill Hunt's "scoop" comes a day after this podcast episode was released.

[Bressonaire]

The Criterion newsletter from yesterday is highlighting an article by Will Noah, the Channel editor at Criterion, who wrote recently about Juan Bustillo Oro films shown at a festival in Mexico. I wonder if he might have been scouting for another Bustillo Oro title to join Dos Monjes, and what it would be.

[criterionsnob]

Mathieu Amalric visiting Criterion offices today. Hopefully for interviews for My Sex Life... Blu-ray.

[domino harvey]

Mathieu Amalric visiting Criterion offices today. Hopefully for interviews for My Sex Life... Blu-ray.

He was in town for a Q&A about his new film at the Lincoln Center French Film Festival last night, so probably just a social call

[therewillbeblus]

Or two birds, one stone

[Black Hat]

"Hold Me Tight" really wowed me, can not recommend it enough. Overall this year's lineup is the best collection of films they've had.

[britcom68]

Or he was visiting for the forthcoming release of Sound of Metal. :-"

[AfterTheRain]

Or two birds, one stone

The key to that, of course, is small birds, large stone.

[ellipsis7]

2022 IS the centenary of Pier Paolo Pasolini...

I don’t know about a Pasolini box but I can’t believe they - or any Region 1/A label - still haven’t done his Gospel of Matthew

Pretty much none of his early films (pre-Teorema) have yet received Region A releases. The Gospel According to St. Matthew is undoubtedly the biggest one of the bunch, but an Early Pasolini box featuring that, Accattone, Mamma Roma, Hawks and Sparrows, and Oedipus Rex would be most welcome.

This is the collection of 12 films the Criterion Channel has commemorating PPP's centenary under the banner Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini...

[Peter McM]

Spent this morning revisiting Paolo Sorrentino's Youth; while not quite like The Great Beauty, still some wonderful images. Anyway--got me to wondering, any word on whether Hand of God (which I missed in theater) will have a Criterion spine?

[ianthemovie]

I see that the Criterion Channel is showcasing pre-Code films from Paramount, including Trouble In Paradise; is this a new restoration? I would love it for Criterion to finally upgrade it. My DVD copy must be almost 20 years old now...

EDIT: Also curious to know whether Tea and Sympathy, which is also currently being showcased on the Criterion Channel alongside some other LGBT films, has been restored. That's one that I've long been waiting for the Warner Archive to rescue.