Film Movement

[tenia]

The new restoration is far from being perfect, but it looks like the DCP had issues on top of it, as the French BD and UHD don't have picture "desitegrating" here and there.

[Maltic]

Paul Fonoroff gave a nice introduction to the film, noting that HK films dominated the HK market in the 80s & 90s (100-200 HK produced films per year which has since dropped to only about 40) & that only 3 Western films cracked the top 25 in the HK market the year it was released (& in which it was 3rd biggest box office hit).

People have noted it was with Jurassic Park that Hollywood began to challenge the local industry. The CGI combined with Spielberg's marketing strategy.

[Stefan Andersson]

Bye Bye Brazil, 4K, digital release from Film Movement:
https://thefilmstage.com/a-landmark-of- ... ye-brazil/

[dwk]

Looks like Film Movement has Shunji Iwai's Love Letter

[Michael Kerpan]

dwk -- I wonder if the trailer comes from an old HK DVD?

[nicolas]

Film Movement licensed new 4K restorations of A City of Sadness, To Live , Raise the Red Lantern, Samba Traore, The Taste of Tea, My Sassy Girl (director’s cut), Nirvana, Violette Noziere, La Femme Publique, The River (Tsai Ming-liang) and Visconti’s L’innocente. They’ll release them theatrically and on streaming.

Fingers more than crossed for 4K releases via Criterion.

[afilmcionado]

Film Movement licensed new 4K restorations of A City of Sadness, To Live , Raise the Red Lantern,

Finally! Huge. So happy!

[beamish14]

The River is massive news

I really hope they can rescue Zulawski’s more elusive French films, Fidelity and My Days Are More Beautiful Than Your Nights

[dwk]

Film Movement licensed new 4K restorations of A City of Sadness, To Live , Raise the Red Lantern, Samba Traore, The Taste of Tea, My Sassy Girl (director’s cut), Nirvana, Violette Noziere, La Femme Publique, The River (Tsai Ming-liang) and Visconti’s L’innocente. They’ll release them theatrically and on streaming.

Fingers more than crossed for 4K releases via Criterion.

Wasn't Criterion credited for the restoration of Raise the Red Lantern when it had some festival screenings a few years ago?

[TVC15]

Great news about the Zhang Yimou titles — I just wish Red Sorghum had been included.

[ianthemovie]

Could they do Tsai's What Time Is It There? while they're at it? It's essentially a sequel to The River.

Tsai's films really need some love. So disappointing that The Hole couldn't even get a Blu-ray release when it was restored a couple of years ago.

[nicolas]

Film Movement licensed new 4K restorations of A City of Sadness, To Live , Raise the Red Lantern, Samba Traore, The Taste of Tea, My Sassy Girl (director’s cut), Nirvana, Violette Noziere, La Femme Publique, The River (Tsai Ming-liang) and Visconti’s L’innocente. They’ll release them theatrically and on streaming.

Fingers more than crossed for 4K releases via Criterion.

Wasn't Criterion credited for the restoration of Raise the Red Lantern when it had some festival screenings a few years ago?

Honestly I’ve no idea. I only remember reading that the producer of the film wanted to keep the restorations exclusive to a particular market (Asia maybe?) for a few years and then sell the rights to Lantern, A City of Sadness and To Live in a package deal.

Maybe Film Movement secured the rights to Sadness, To Live and Raise the Red Lantern early with Criterion’s backing in exchange for the physical rights. The Indiewire article I’ve read didn’t mention physical at all, so it’s lots of speculation at the moment.

It’d be more than puzzling if they invested in the restoration and a direct boutique competitor got the theatrical and digital rights.

[senseabove]

Could they do Tsai's What Time Is It There? while they're at it? It's essentially a sequel to The River.

Tsai's films really need some love. So disappointing that The Hole couldn't even get a Blu-ray release when it was restored a couple of years ago.

Which, if they could, should also include the short The Skywalk is Gone, an actual sequel to WTiiT?

[mteller]

And The Wayward Cloud too please!

[goblinfootballs]

Any and all films by Hou or Tsai would be welcome on blu or 4K.

[andyli]

Film Movement licensed new 4K restorations of A City of Sadness, To Live , Raise the Red Lantern, Samba Traore, The Taste of Tea, My Sassy Girl (director’s cut), Nirvana, Violette Noziere, La Femme Publique, The River (Tsai Ming-liang) and Visconti’s L’innocente. They’ll release them theatrically and on streaming.

Fingers more than crossed for 4K releases via Criterion.

I think you misread this part in bold (emphasis added by me) from the news article.

In addition to these acquisitions, Film Movement Classics has also recently acquired the new 4K restoration of Idrissa Ouedraogo’s “Samba Traore,” slated for re-release later this year; Katsuhito Ishii’s cult favorite “The Taste of Tea,” opening May 8th at New York’s Metrograph; “My Sassy Girl,” the landmark Korean rom-com, in a 25th anniversary 4K restoration director’s cut coming to theaters later this year; a new 4K restoration of Gabriele Salvatores’ “Nirvana”; as well as Claude Chabrol’s “Violette Noziere”; Andrzej Zulawski’s “La Femme Publique”; Tsai Ming-Liang’s “The River”; and a 4K restoration of Cate Shortland’s “Somersault,” starring Sam Worthington and Abbie Cornish, in theaters now.

There's no indication these films are coming from 4K restoration going by the text. La Femme Publique could still be 4K restored as there are indications elsewhere. But I've not heard anything like that for Tsai's The River. It might very well be the same 2K transfer out in Taiwan more than 10 years ago.

Regarding the Red Lantern situation, I'm beginning to doubt if people really saw Criterion's credit in those screenings. If Criterion indeed had taken part in the restoration, why in the world would they let another party handle the theatrical release?

[Lowry_Sam]

If Criterion indeed had taken part in the restoration, why in the world would they let another party handle the theatrical release?

Maybe Film Movement is shifting to distribution and dropping its disc production & letting Criterion do that, in which case it would be like Janus & Rialto, which would be fine with me, particularly if Criterion continues with 9 releases per month. Criterion has featured Fim Movement titles on the Channel, so presumably that would continue.

[andyli]

Farewell, My Concubine is a famous collaboration between the two companies, but that was before Film Movement began releasing 4K titles on their own. Plus their output makes up almost half of VS' partner label slate each month. I doubt they'd give anything to CC now.

[Lowry_Sam]

But they've released only one UHD. Maybe Film Movement releases those titles set for DVD and Criterion for those on UHD.

[andyli]

The Dam Busters is their first. After that there are The Great Silence and Shanghai Blues.

[brundlefly]

Looks like Film Movement has Shunji Iwai's Love Letter

Restoration trailer.