MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

[jamie_summers]

I thought i'd start a thread where people could put up ideas/suggestions/queries as to future MOC titles.
Personally I'd like to see some more British stuff released.

First of all I wondered if there's any chance whether some of Mike Leigh's earlier films could be released. A lot of them are only out in America on sometimes rather expensive to import dvds and without extras:

Grown Ups
Hard Labour
Bleak Moments
Nuts In May
Who's Who
Home Sweet Home
Four Days In July
High Hopes
A Sense Of History
Knock For Knock
The Kiss Of Death

(although i think one of the last 2 was lost when it was deleted from the bbc archives?)

with extras: The Five Minute Films?

Next would be Derek Jarman. There are a LOT of short films unreleased, maybe one or two of his full length features? plus you could compile all the music videos he did for the smiths and others? Anything Jarman would be fantastic.

Other than that, I'm sure there's some early Ken Russell BBC films still unreleased that would be amazing to see.

I appreciate maybe some of the directors might be too recent/not relevant to the MOC charter, but regardless anything by these three would be snapped up by me in an instant. Especially Nuts In May.

[filmlover]

I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned any Lindsay Anderson films in this thread. As I see it, there needs to be more British cinema in the Masters of Cinema collection, and, given his under-representation on DVD, some of Lindsay Anderson's work would be perfect.

Whilst it would be difficult for them to wrestle the rights for If.... or O Lucky Man! away from their respective owners (Paramount and Warner Bros), I'm sure Eureka would be able to put out versions of Anderson's smaller films, such as The White Bus and The Singing Lesson. I, for one, would love to see these get a decent release.

[Tommaso]

Next would be Derek Jarman. There are a LOT of short films unreleased, maybe one or two of his full length features? plus you could compile all the music videos he did for the smiths and others? Anything Jarman would be fantastic.

There are two collections of Jarman shorts available from Raro Video in Italy. The BFI have announced to release "The Angelic Conversation", "Caravaggio" and "Wittgenstein" this autumn. One might assume that they will also carry some of his shorts as well. The only Jarman missing in the Western world now is "War requiem", and that indeed would be a great release for MoC (or anyone else).

Talking about British films: anything from Greenaway after "The Cook" would be much appreciated, especially of course "Prospero" and "Macon".

[Anthony]

I too wish Mike Leigh would make it into the MoC series. Specifically, a few of his older films like, Nuts in May, Grown-ups, and/or Home Sweet Home.

[Gropius]

Talking about British films: anything from Greenaway after "The Cook" would be much appreciated, especially of course "Prospero" and "Macon".

Now you're talking. I think The Baby of Macon is one of the great films of the 1990s: grotesque, intellectual, wilfully unfashionable and anti-commercial. Unfortunately I can't see it happening, though. Of course the Tulse Luper trilogy deserves a decent triple-DVD release as well.

As for other British directors, I don't think Mike Leigh is really a prime candidate, apart from the glaring absence of Naked on DVD. I have seen Nuts in May, and it is really a light made-for-TV comedy, entertaining but nothing major.

An area worth investigating for MoC might be British documentary. Peter Watkins's fictional Punishment Park is already in the catalogue, but there is much classic stuff from earlier in the 20th century (which ought to be the BFI's remit, but there are gaps). Humphrey Jennings already has a DVD to himself on Panamint (which could have been more comprehensive), but someone else who deserves one is Alberto Cavalcanti, including his early French stuff. Then there are Basil Wright, early Norman McLaren, etc. Some of it appeared on the fascinating BFI VHS collection 'Britain in the Thirties', but that shows no sign of being re-released.

EDIT: I just checked the Panamint site, and it seems they've recently released several discs of material by the GPO film unit, so maybe this area is now well-covered after all.

[Tommaso]

I think The Baby of Macon is one of the great films of the 1990s: grotesque, intellectual, wilfully unfashionable and anti-commercial. Unfortunately I can't see it happening, though. Of course the Tulse Luper trilogy deserves a decent triple-DVD release as well.

Much agreed, although I still have hopes that Tulse will see the light of day once PG has been convinced that he won't get any theatrical distribution for it anyway. As for "Macon": well there IS a dvd of it in Australia, but it is so terribly atrocious that even a die-hard Greenaway fan should avoid it at all costs. Anti-commercial goes for many of his films, of course. I wouldn't say that "A Zed and Two Noughts" is much more accessible than "Macon", but it still is released in several European countries on dvd now. Same goes for "8 1/2 women" (which apart from being uncommercial, is also an artistic failure of the first sort, unlike "Macon"). As for "Prospero": it might be uncommercial and demanding as well, but it's such sheer visual magnificence, and those that love P&P's "Tales of Hoffmann" might surely tune in to it, too. So I still have the vague hope that his new "Nightwatching" film is successful and will help to raise his profile again.

Talking of British directors: an obvious choice (probably not possible for production company reasons) would be Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet". Everyone seems to be craving for it, but nothing happens anywhere...

[blindside8zao]

Do I recall reading about a possible Murnau box set? Any info on this? Possibility? I want to buy some Murnau from MOC but would like to wait if there will be a box set.

Also, what about a Lang set?

[kinjitsu]

Any info on this? Possibility?

Here's the most recent catalog.

[peerpee]

It's just a rough idea at the moment, but any future Murnau or Lang set won't be released until Nov/Dec 2007 at the earliest, and they would simply be a collection of previously released MoC releases (ie. nothing exclusive in them that you had to buy just to get hold of the new stuff).

We're going to aim to get as much Murnau and Lang out in 2007 as we can.

I hope you can get hold of some MoC Murnau/Lang in the meantime and enjoy them instead of having to wait 16 months!

[addz]

We're going to aim to get as much Murnau and Lang out in 2007 as we can.

Does this bode well for an MOC release of M, Mabuse et al then?

[jamie_summers]

would be if, when existing Eureka titles were put in the MoC series with no updates in extras/transfer, copies of the artwork could be available online for those who already own the eureka discs to print and replace their old art with.

[moebius]

Are there any hopes for some more TESHIGAHARA ?

[Subbuteo]

Are there any hopes for some more TESHIGAHARA

Hopefully they will try again for 'The Ruined Map' having being thrawted the last attempt

[addz]

would be if, when existing Eureka titles were put in the MoC series with no updates in extras/transfer, copies of the artwork could be available online for those who already own the eureka discs to print and replace their old art with.

But you'd still be missing out on the booklet. Surely it's worth selling your old copy and upgrading just for that.

[peerpee]

would be if, when existing Eureka titles were put in the MoC series with no updates in extras/transfer, copies of the artwork could be available online for those who already own the eureka discs to print and replace their old art with.

Not one single old Eureka title has been upgraded to the MoC Series without being reauthored, with different transfer, menus, or extras.

We don't intend to release any existing Eureka titles in the MoC Series without continuing to improve them in some way. Hence, we have no plans to make artwork available for download for the circumstances you describe. Sorry!

[Matango]

Hi Nick. I wonder if you've considered the 1926 Japanese silent A Page of Madness (Kurutta Ippeji). It doesn't seem to be available anywhere on DVD, and looks like great MoC material.

[rwaits]

I second that!! Asked Criterion about this several times but never received an answer.

[What A Disgrace]

Something is telling me to hold off on purchasing Kino's Thief of Baghdad special edition.

On an unrelated note, I would like to see Raoul Walsh in the MoC.

Also on an unrelated note, its an incredible pity that no curent DVD of Walsh's films contains Richard Schickel's documentary interview with the man.

[Andreas]

one year ago I heard that bfi had started to restaurate (or how ever you spell it) Chaplin's Keystone-shorts. Does anyone know how their work is going? Would they have all the rights for those copies when their done or would it be possible to se them in the MoC-series?

I also wounder if anyone have heard anything about MoC release some early works of Victor Sjöström and Mauritz Stiller?
"Körkarlen" (1921) still don't have a dvd-release...

[Steven H]

Since this is just a pure and simple wishlist area, I'm just going to toss out a few: Gremillon's Guele d'amour, Rivette's Duelle, Okamoto's Nikudan (or Age of Assassins, which is a Toho title, I believe), and a collection of Kawamoto Kihachiro's animated films (there's an english subtitled release in Japan, and it's fine, but prohibitively priced with no contextual material.) Any L'Herbier silent would be great as well (don't know about the logistics of this.)

[rwaits]

With the exception of Page of Madness, mentioned above, my top overall pick for MOC would be Peixoto's Limite. Has this film ever received a decent dvd release?

[seferad]

On Brazilian Cinema: From Mário Peixoto's Limite to Walter Salles

The film has been available on VHS over the past few years, and a DVD version based on another restoration process on the 35mm film is to be released.

I can't seem to find any other information about a DVD release of Limite, but I really hope some will come to light soon.

[Felix]

Jean Gabriel Albicocco's Le Grand Meaulnes (The Wanderer) from 1967, and looks it too, in the most wonderfully beautiful way.

The Time Out review...
A film made with vaseline and railway tracks, which takes some adjusting to; but you soon forget to read the subtitles, because you can understand all you need without them. It's based on the book Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier, and explores a strange adolescence in provincial France at the end of the last century. In the film, Roger Corman meets Proust, Elvira Madigan rides again, and Renoir takes acid.
JC at Time Out

For those who know the book it is filmed in the same village and landscape in which it is set. The Lost Domain shimmers and more than matches anything I had conceived for it. They are not quite right about the lack of a need for subtitles which is why I'd love to see MoC release it and not have to read the book as I watch it (do-able as the book is short).

There is a wonderful two disc French set which just needs subs added ("just needs subs added") but Le Grand Meaulnes reputation does not exend much beyond France unless you are a fan of Fowles' The Magus (would that it had been so well treated on film) so I guess it would not make best financial sense.

[addz]

Are there any hopes for some more TESHIGAHARA ?

This is something I've been wondering. I've really been taken by Teshigahara's work (so much so that he is the focus of my dissertation) and would be over the moon if more of his work were made available. The Ruined Map (Man Without a Map) is definitely high on my list of must sees and would be a first day purchase were MoC able to release it.

[Scharphedin2]

Peerpee, is there any chance that you will make a January 2007 update on this thread. The Keaton and Naruse sets went beyond expectations, and I am sure the Shoah set will be fantastic. However, I am of course extremely curious, which titles we can expect in the months following the completion of Shoah. Hopefully, you will be able to have a short break from box sets, and be able to focus on some of the many single disc releases that were mentioned as forthcoming last summer.

As always, deep admiration and appreciation extended to you and everyone else at MoC for the great films you bring us, and the exteme effort you put into the details.