Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[therewillbeblus]

That puts Confidentially Yours, Two English Girls, and The Woman Next Door in the front of the pack, if it really is Truffaut we're talking about here.

Those are the main unreleased Truffauts though, so sadly I doubt it- though I've been waiting on Two English Girls for nearly a decade and would love to be wrong!

[fiendishthingy]

Those three Truffauts were released on English-friendly Blu-rays by Artificial Eye several years ago, so I suppose they could fit the clue - but, of course, so might countless other French classics.

[MV88]

I personally would not get too excited for August announcements. Feels like we are heading for a rather low-key month after July. Couple of late-00s indies, 70s western, French classic that you might have already bought elsewhere, recent documentary, no rereleases or 4Ks type of month.

Using these descriptions, some guesses that would fit the bill:

Wendy and Lucy
I’m Not There
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
The Woman Next Door
American Factory

[yoloswegmaster]

Titles are up: Frownland, Daddy Longlegs, Buck and the Preacher, Faya Dayi, and Hotel du Nord

Definitely not the films I was thinking about and it definitely is a low-key month.

[ryannichols7]

certainly one of their weakest months in a long time. no marquee title at all, I don't think any of these have super devoted fans? and still no boxset announcement, how many months into this year? so bizarre

[FrauBlucher]

Welp, I can take my nap now

[Furstemberg]

I have Arrow's Hotel but I'll swap it out for this (the less Arrow in my collection the better). But this is 2020s Criterion in a nutshell: they take two and a half years longer than Arrow to produce an edition with one new bonus feature.

[Computer Raheem]

I personally would not get too excited for August announcements. Feels like we are heading for a rather low-key month after July. Couple of late-00s indies, 70s western, French classic that you might have already bought elsewhere, recent documentary, no rereleases or 4Ks type of month.

* looks at releases *
I think we finally have our Criterion insider...

[ryannichols7]

I personally would not get too excited for August announcements. Feels like we are heading for a rather low-key month after July. Couple of late-00s indies, 70s western, French classic that you might have already bought elsewhere, recent documentary, no rereleases or 4Ks type of month.

* looks at releases *
I think we finally have our Criterion insider...

he "didn't want to make a name for himself" but has now done so

[John Cope]

certainly one of their weakest months in a long time. no marquee title at all, I don't think any of these have super devoted fans? and still no boxset announcement, how many months into this year? so bizarre

I would consider myself a super devoted fan of Faya Dayi (and predicted it hopefully for this month). A superb film and a day one pre-order for me.

[Bressonaire]

* looks at releases *
I think we finally have our Criterion insider...

I'm glad to have been replaced. IMO there's a big difference here between my deductions back in February, which were pretty nebulous (although based on fact, e.g., the December and January releases all being in the second half of Criterion's century-long timeline, so that it wasn't hard to deduce a swing back to a 1930s film in February--and I even fudged by suggesting the possibility it could be a silent, because it could have been), and Eerik's cut-and-dried list that fits the announcements like a glove. At present my only observation on forthcoming titles is that I expect that Kasi Lemons, who interviewed Regina King for One Night in Miami, will get a release of something eventually. It's inconceivable that they would have hired her as an interviewer without some plan to release a film she'd directed.

[Calvin]

Jean-Pierre Jeunet makes his first appearance in the collection in the new extra for Hôtel Du Nord. I wouldn't be surprised if Criterion are working on a release of Amelie - it has been OOP for a while.

[Mr. Deltoid]

certainly one of their weakest months in a long time. no marquee title at all, I don't think any of these have super devoted fans? and still no boxset announcement, how many months into this year? so bizarre

Definitely. Each to their own and all that but that slate is pretty dire. Had my hopes up for the Peckinpah and then I scrolled down to reveal . . . Buck & the Preacher.
That's some mighty hyperbole on Criterion's write-up for that one!

[dwk]

Jean-Pierre Jeunet makes his first appearance in the collection in the new extra for Hôtel Du Nord. I wouldn't be surprised if Criterion are working on a release of Amelie - it has been OOP for a while.

If Lionsgate let it go back to StudioCanal, I think Delicatessen, which has been on the channel twice, or City of Lost Children, a Sony title, are much more likely than Amelie. (I suspect Paramount will reprint the old Miramax Blu of Amelie and release it themselves.)

[therewillbeblus]

* looks at releases *
I think we finally have our Criterion insider...

I'm glad to have been replaced. IMO there's a big difference here between my deductions back in February, which were pretty nebulous (although based on fact, e.g., the December and January releases all being in the second half of Criterion's century-long timeline, so that it wasn't hard to deduce a swing back to a 1930s film in February--and I even fudged by suggesting the possibility it could be a silent, because it could have been), and Eerik's cut-and-dried list that fits the announcements like a glove. At present my only observation on forthcoming titles is that I expect that Kasi Lemons, who interviewed Regina King for One Night in Miami, will get a release of something eventually. It's inconceivable that they would have hired her as an interviewer without some plan to release a film she'd directed.

I'm still waiting on your promise (er, prediction) of Hail the Conquering Hero! from a year and change ago, due around now

[Never Cursed]

...I expect that Kasi Lemons, who interviewed Regina King for One Night in Miami, will get a release of something eventually. It's inconceivable that they would have hired her as an interviewer without some plan to release a film she'd directed.

Specifically Eve's Bayou then, right?

[Bressonaire]

That I don't know. If it's her best-known movie, probably. As several people here have noticed, I'm much more into classic Hollywood, although some more modern films have made an impression, e.g., One Night in Miami. Whoever mentioned Jeunet above is on the right track--that kind of cross-fertilization is what I mean. When Olivier Assayas praised some Hong Kong movie on an extra, I thought maybe it could be a clue for a Criterion release, too, but I don't know enough about Asian films and I've forgotten the name of it. My point, though, is that we need new ways to guess at what could be coming since we no longer have monthly drawings.

[Computer Raheem]

certainly one of their weakest months in a long time. no marquee title at all, I don't think any of these have super devoted fans? and still no boxset announcement, how many months into this year? so bizarre

Definitely. Each to their own and all that but that slate is pretty dire. Had my hopes up for the Peckinpah and then I scrolled down to reveal . . . Buck & the Preacher.
That's some mighty hyperbole on Criterion's write-up for that one!

To be fair, I don't think anyone should have expected Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid this early in the year. That release screams "big sale title!" to me (especially if they are releasing all of the various cuts of the film).

[Elizabeth Corday]

I am curious, how big are the chances for La Ceremonie and The Housemaid?

The former you can easily get Isabelle, Emmanuelle, and Jacqueline for interviews and I'm sure there are archives. Its been out of print forever!

I know the latter is on that Martin Scorcese set but I personally would like a separate blu ray release.

Wishful thinking? Or is there a chance....

[andyli]

Pretty big. But if you're ok with imports you can skip the wait as both have good individual releases elsewhere. La ceremonie is available in a 4K transfer on the French Carlotta blu-ray and The Housemaid with a better (than Criterion) transfer on the Korean KFA blu-ray.

[Jgh8xxx]

Pretty big. But if you're ok with imports you can skip the wait as both have good individual releases elsewhere. La ceremonie is available in a 4K transfer on the French Carlotta blu-ray

Unfortunately, the Carlotta release is not English friendly which is a major bummer as it has fantastic artwork, new extras and as you mentioned a 4K transfer- it majorly trumps the OOP and overpriced Artificial Eye Bluray. LA CÉRÉMONIE is the rare title that has been released in other regions that could actually benefit from a Criterion release!

[Finch]

Eclectic month but outside of the very intriguing sounding documentary and possibly the 2k upgrade of Hotel Du Nord (I already own the Arrow so there has to be an appreciable uptick for me to consider a double dip), there is nothing in the August line-up that appeals to me, not enough anyway to risk blind buys (certainly not Frownland with its swimminghorses-style cover). Mind you, if Cure is still a no-show by year's end, I'll be ready to bring out the pitchforks.

Seconding the wishes for a CC release (or Kino Lorber if Criterion can't be arsed) of La Ceremonie (wasn't that an HVE release in the DVD era?) if Arrow don't get to it for a Chabrol Vol 3 or 4.

[justeleblanc]

I personally would not get too excited for August announcements. Feels like we are heading for a rather low-key month after July. Couple of late-00s indies, 70s western, French classic that you might have already bought elsewhere, recent documentary, no rereleases or 4Ks type of month.

A missed opportunity for a 4K of Faya Dayi (that movie is exquisite!), but otherwise I would agree.

Perhaps Criterion operates much like Star Trek did, where they blow their budgets on select set designs and have to rely on "ship in a bottle episodes" to fill out the season. August might just be a "bottle episode" for them. And if so, it might mean they are saving up (or making room at disk manufacturers) for a larger quantity of 4Ks--perhaps even a 4K boxset--in the Fall. My money's on Doinel.

[Hogfather]

Doinel 4k is probably right, but there are a couple other contenders. We could get Tales of the Four Seasons or a Kiarostami set.

[Calvin]

I wouldn't put money on it but I would have thought that a Pasolini set to mark his centenery is likely. Don't they have the rights to his entire oeuvre?