Criterion Random Speculation Vol.3

[Gregory]

It's also the title of a very funny Harold Lloyd film, directed by the great Leo McCarey.

[Buttery Jeb]

If this post from DVDTalk is accurate, looks like we can kiss any chance of a Eisenstein Silents box goodbye.

That said, I wonder if Criterion would still consider going forward with the other titles, as seperate releases.

-BJ

[ellipsis7]

I suppose with PARIS NOUS APPARTIENT , the challenge is to better the already respectable bfi release in terms of materials and prints...

I don't think there's any undue delay with LA NOTTE - if it's still not released by CC this time next year, then there may be a problem...

[Cinephrenic]

If this post from DVDTalk is accurate, looks like we can kiss any chance of a Eisenstein Silents box goodbye.

That said, I wonder if Criterion would still consider going forward with the other titles, as seperate releases.

Fucking Kino...

[Tommaso]

Fucking Kino...

Man, if they DARE to replace the intertitles again on THIS one....

Otherwise, fabulous news of course! How I would love to ditch that Shepard version... I only hope Transit will do it on their own as well in Germany. Normally they are quite faultless. What lets me hope for this is of course that they bring out the Lubitsch box at the same time as Kino does for the US market.

[denti alligator]

Fucking Kino...

Man, if they DARE to replace the intertitles again on THIS one....

Oh, they will. Just wait.
Why would this stop Criterion from finally releasing that box set?

[blindside8zao]

I hope that Pandora's Box is some sort of good omen.

[zedz]

I hope that Pandora's Box is some sort of good omen.

My piece of random speculation is that we'll see more silent films than ever before in 2007.

Of course, two silent films in 2007 will be more than ever before, but I hope it's more than that. Just a feelin in me waters.

[kekid]

If this post from DVDTalk is accurate, looks like we can kiss any chance of a Eisenstein Silents box goodbye.

That said, I wonder if Criterion would still consider going forward with the other titles, as seperate releases.

Fucking Kino...

I am not privy to all the mechinations underlying who gets to release what, but it seems to me that Criterion felt no sense of urgency to get to these titles. They were too busy working on what they have been issuing in 2006. If they wanted Eisenstein, they could have gotten it. I respect Kino for having their priorities in the right place, even if their execution is not as spectacular as Criterion. If we waited for Criterion to get to everything people hope they would get to, we would have an encyclopedia of unfulfilled expectations.

[Tribe]

Why would this stop Criterion from finally releasing that box set?

I was thinking the same thing. Battleship Potemkin is public domain in the West, isn't it?

Tribe

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

It's public domain in the U.S., but if Criterion can't access the newly restored elements I don't see why they should bother.

[Tommaso]

Just remembered that in the German Filmmuseum thread someone mentioned that on their schedule for next year was some yet unspecified Eisenstein release. I wonder if that couldn't be the new "Potemkin". In that case all worries could stop. They've been doing nothing but pure excellency so far, with great booklets and extras in many cases, and removable English subs on all their releases. Fingers crossed!

[Andre Jurieu]

... but it seems to me that Criterion felt no sense of urgency to get to these titles. They were too busy working on what they have been issuing in 2006. If they wanted Eisenstein, they could have gotten it.

They've been negotiating with Russian officials about this release for years. A few years back Dave Phillips was in town discussing Criterion's business practices. He was specifically asked about the Eisenstein box-set and he said Criterion just couldn't make much progress with the Russian officials and thus their plans were being constantly delayed. For what he said it didn't sound like a situation where Criterion had just tossed their plans for Eisenstein aside so that they could concentrate on Border Radio.

[mikeohhh]

We've got a lot of WWII-themed movies that appear to be coming in early 2007. In the spirit of random speculation I'm predicting The 49th Parallel, Overlord, Fires on the Plain and Army of Shadows all in the same month (fingers crossed for February), but Criterion has never done "theme" months before, have they?

[justeleblanc]

Samurai films and Le Samourai

[bjeggert82]

We've got a lot of WWII-themed movies that appear to be coming in early 2007. In the spirit of random speculation I'm predicting The 49th Parallel, Overlord, Fires on the Plain and Army of Shadows all in the same month (fingers crossed for February), but Criterion has never done "theme" months before, have they?

Samurai films and Le Samurai

Only partly true: The "Wages of Fear" reissue came out that month too, so it wasn't wholly a samurai month.

[Dr. Mabuse]

Linklater says "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" plus "Suburbia" might be coming soon.

[quote]C: I've have really enjoyed your two Criterion disks, SLACKER and DAZED AND CONFUSED. Are you planning on doing any more of those?

RL: I hope so. I think they're trying to get the BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET together, because we've done nothing special for either of those, so I'd love to do that. I'm trying to get them to…you know, SUBURBIA's not even on DVD? It's kind of getting lost.

C: I love that film. I'm a big Eric Bogosian fan from way back.

RL: Yeah, “subUrbia,â€

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

I don't see how that would happen unless the rights have reverted to Linklater a la Slacker. All three were (and AFAIK still are) Warner titles.

[Jeff]

I don't see how that would happen unless the rights have reverted to Linklater a la Slacker. All three were (and AFAIK still are) Warner titles.

This has been discussed before.

[zedz]

My piece of random speculation is that we'll see more silent films than ever before in 2007.

Of course, two silent films in 2007 will be more than ever before, but I hope it's more than that. Just a feelin in me waters.

Wow! I never expected my prediction to come true so soon. So I'll go out on a limb and predict even more silents for 2007.

[mikeohhh]

I'm thinking we are going to see a lot of boxed sets this year. Two already in two months, with Berlin Alexanderplatz probably coming in the fall, a Teshigahara/Abe box if Richie is otm, a Naruse box, and I'm predicting a Mizoguchi box but that seems like too much of a good thing (if they release all these Japanese films what will we have to complain about??).

Cue domino harvey: "GODARD BOX GODARD BOX GODARD BOX"

[Cinephrenic]

They release on average two a year. I hope your right. Don't forget the Phantom India, or possible Rossellini or Icikawa war trilogies.

[Steven H]

...a Teshigahara/Abe box if Richie is otm...

This big question about this isn't whether it will come out, it's whether it will include Man Without a Map. This could be a problem.

I wouldn't bet money on a Naruse set. There isn't much in the way of "set" to be had, except for the Fumiko Hayashi stuff altogether, and I just can't imagine them releasing a $130??? Japanese box set, let alone an unknown quantity like Naruse. Maybe if When A Woman blows the roof off and sells 50 thousand copies. Everybody get your credit cards ready!

[mikeohhh]

oh yeah, and the Gorin box too (Eclipse?)

[Cinéslob]

The upcoming slew of (at least partially) British features is quite cheering: 49th Parallel, Green for Danger, the Robeson and Gordon pictures - perhaps adumbrated British films are Criterion's 'off the beaten track' focus for 2007?