Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[FrauBlucher]

Wow. I didn’t realize the bluray was released 11 years ago. Time flies!!!!

[ryannichols7]

To me, Dazed and Confused getting a UHD release smells like a director pushed release. I can’t imagine this was at the top of CC’s list of films to be upgraded for the format.

I personally hate the film in every way....but even I can recognize it was a good candidate for them to upgrade. this definitely has to be one of their top sellers - it was a quick BR upgrade when that format started, and now same for 4K. it definitely is a big seller - it's nothing more than an empty shell of nostalgia, an American Graffiti for another generation up, which absolutely gets a large number of sales. basically any title that both Universal and Criterion hit (including the far superior Fast Times) is a good candidate for an upgrade and I wouldn't be surprised to see any of these titles going forward - I'm sure Gilliam will be back for Brazil and Fear and Loathing in due time

as promised, I never give my opinions on the releases in the roundup post so I will here. Romeo and Juliet is exciting on the "we're still working with Paramount and releasing movies from problematic directors" front, but what a dire choice to indicate both. all the extras across the board are pretty light which is a huge disappointment. I appreciate that this is now the fourth month in a row they've released a boxset - and luckily it is the one release I want (Three Colors, a prized boxset for me), but I do wonder when we will see the Eric Rohmer and Kinuyo Tanaka boxsets. people may guess Atlantics, Mudbound, and Medicine for Melancholy every month but those two are the far more enticing releases for me I'd say - I am far more likely to give a boxset a chance, especially if they do a good job on the extras. after this month, I worry about it a little bit - especially for a director like Tanaka who's films have received so little attention stateside

[fiendishthingy]

I do wonder if, whenever they get around to Tanaka, it’s going to turn out to be another Márta Mészáros situation — where Janus has a bunch of her films but Criterion has only (at least so far) released one title as a standalone release instead of going the box set route. In Tanaka’s case, I would guess that would be Forever a Woman.

[Computer Raheem]

people may guess Atlantics, Mudbound, and Medicine for Melancholy every month

I feel targeted by this 8-[

[ryannichols7]

I do wonder if, whenever they get around to Tanaka, it’s going to turn out to be another Márta Mészáros situation — where Janus has a bunch of her films but Criterion has only (at least so far) released one title as a standalone release instead of going the box set route. In Tanaka’s case, I would guess that would be Forever a Woman.

I am hoping Criterion is moving past their "incredibly slow roll of titles over the course of a decade (or longer)" method they've done with Chaplin, Juzo Itami, etc. the UK labels are trouncing them on the boxset model, and even Kino did it with the Jancso set. the new Zetterling and Duras sets seem to point that they are seeing the advantages of this model (the Von Trier and Haneke boxes are actual trilogies so I won't count those) and I think the consumer is way more willing to take a blind buy risk on a boxset where you get a lot of films and good treatment at a solid price. compare this to a single title with limited extras and a flimsy foldout insert, I think people are less likely to go for that. boxsets have that "gotta have it" aspect in a way

Adoption is a different circumstance I'll say - since Second Run already had their own region free disc out, seemed like a given that Criterion would match it. plus, it was the first Hungarian film period in the collection (1100+ spines in) and is by and large Mészáros' biggest film. Tanaka's filmography I think is a little more balanced. I do think (and hope) Mészáros will eventually get a boxset of the remaining films...if they elect to go the "slow rollout" option I suspect much of the films will never see discs, which...is an endless source of frustration

people may guess Atlantics, Mudbound, and Medicine for Melancholy every month

I feel targeted by this 8-[

hey, there's nothing wrong with it! all three have been confirmed at various stages. I'm just not interested in any of them, so that's why I singled them out

[JSC]

I emailed Criterion a few months back to ask about the possibility of doing some kind
of blu-ray version of the Eclipse line and they said there were no plans for this, at least
in the immediate future.

Personally, I think they should seriously consider this as a means of getting more films
out by certain filmmakers rather than do the occasional piecemeal set. I'd sooner have
the films than a few cursory extras.

[DeprongMori]

I got the impression that’s essentially what the recent Zetterling, Haneke, Duras releases were — Blu-rays in the Eclipse model.

[swo17]

But better because they're not beholden to the remit of "no extras"

[FrauBlucher]

To me, Dazed and Confused getting a UHD release smells like a director pushed release. I can’t imagine this was at the top of CC’s list of films to be upgraded for the format.

I personally hate the film in every way....but even I can recognize it was a good candidate for them to upgrade. this definitely has to be one of their top sellers - it was a quick BR upgrade when that format started, and now same for 4K.

Wow. I didn’t realize the bluray was released 11 years ago. Time flies!!!!

These are not mutually exclusive. For whatever reason, maybe just senility setting in, I was of the thinking that Dazed and Confused was much more recent than over a decade (like within the last few years). Therefore I retract my first thought.


I think we are going to see many more sets of multiple films. Its cost effective for Criterion at this current time of economic stress.

[rrenault]

I got the impression that’s essentially what the recent Zetterling, Haneke, Duras releases were — Blu-rays in the Eclipse model.

I suspect a decent number of films ripe for Eclipse treatment don't even have masters strong enough to justify a blu-ray release, so they're just thrown on the Channel.

[FrauBlucher]

This is purely speculation that I’ve seen start on another forum but find it plausible. Apparently the Goodfellas UHD has gone out of print. Which leads to a possible new UHD release from Criterion. Maybe we’ll get a month where we’ll see a Goodfellas Mean Streets announcement. Criterion likes to do those twofers every once in a while.

[yoloswegmaster]

I hope that they plan on doing a "Scorsese at Warner Brothers" UHD boxset that includes GoodFellas, Mean Streets, After Hours, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and Who’s That Knocking at my Door.

[FrauBlucher]

That certainly seems possible with the way Criterion has has been releasing boxsets recently. But I suspect that something like Goodfellas would be released in UHD and I don’t know if they would include a UHD in the box.

[ryannichols7]

The Departed is also UHD-less so far

[omegadirective]

Any chance we could get a UHD upgrade of Last Temptation of Christ?

[beamish14]

Any chance we could get a UHD upgrade of Last Temptation of Christ?

I haven’t heard anything about Universal prepping a 4K master. With its 35th anniversary next year, I’d love to see a reissue of the film and finally get Peter Gabriel’s (who has a new studio album coming out as well) complete score

[ryannichols7]

all this Scorcese chatter here means it'll also never end on social media too even though there's countless directors/films getting no attention. I personally would rather see Petulia if we're talking Warner licenses from living directors

so it seems The Trial and The Man Who Fell to Earth will be the next two UHDs licensed from Studiocanal. pure speculation on the latter of course but I'd be surprised if Lionsgate did the US release (and I do know they did a bad rushed out BD in the past). I'm going to suspect that Canal will debut a new restoration of Contempt at Cannes next year for its anniversary year and timely release after Godard's passing and it'll see a UHD in the fall from both Canal and Criterion. curious to see if we get any Bluray-only upgrades/returning titles in the meantime (The Crimes of Monsieur Lange, Diary of a Chambermaid, et al)

[Calvin]

Criterion still haven't upgraded Breathless to UHD so I don't think we can take it for granted that they're doing them in any sort of order

[ryannichols7]

while fair, Breathless has its own range of issues I believe so I can see them not rushing to put that out, or waiting for a better master

[Calvin]

while fair, Breathless has its own range of issues I believe so I can see them not rushing to put that out, or waiting for a better master

I've seen plenty of criticism of StudioCanal's encoding but nothing about the underlying master?

[yoloswegmaster]

Three Wishes for Cinderella is the latest film to have the CC and Janus logos displayed at the start of the film.

[rrenault]

Can we take it for granted SC will be open to giving Criterion UHD rights for everyone of these titles though rather than just some and not others? After all, Lionsgate released Ran in the US.

[dwk]

Not everything, but there are StudioCanal titles are known or heavily rumor to he back with Criterion. I believe that Lionsgate has the first option on StudioCanal titles, if they do not want a title it is up for grabs by the boutiques.

[beamish14]

Since mid-October, the Hammer Museum/UCLA Film & Television Archive has been hosting a complete retrospective of Theo Angelopoulos’ features, and last night, his widow and artistic collaborator Phoebe Economopoulou came. She is in charge of overseeing his catalog, and while they’ve created DCPs of some films and intend to strike new prints, home video distribution doesn’t appear to be their priority or is simply beyond their capabilities at the present time, and she was careful to emphasize that Angelopoulos always cared more about theatrical presentations.

She did note that his family is in control of his entire oeuvre, so at least there don’t appear to be many legal barriers to his films eventually getting Blu-Ray/4K releases in North America. It really is a shame that there has been no new releases of his works in the decade since he passed away.

[Calvin]

Fran said on the Radiance Discord that he contacted the Angelopoulos estate and they didn't respond. Hopefully they become more interested in home video distribution in the future - they seem happy to do so in Japan!