MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

[HerrSchreck]

I think in this particular case you're punishing the Foundation for a whim of history. The US release version is simply the one which survived complete and in excellent condition. The situation with Metropolis was strictly because of the fact that the film at that point didn't survive en toto-- it was neccessary to present the film's original narrative. FWMS-- and most other producers of silents-- simply can't produce 'study' versions that provide 1) the best quality surviving complete print from whatever market that print hails (or composite, ie The Golem or Spione) and 2) the longest possible fragment from it's home country, regardless of its condition or length. Oftentimes establishing what that domestic release consisted of is very tricky in the first place.

since the US version was as usual a more prudish one.

This is a problemmatic statement I'd say, in that, during the German silent era in particular, directors wanted the US release print to be as blazingly excellent as possible (there are exceptions of course) to impress the Hollywood moguls and up their international market value and possibly even get a contract.

It's been a long time since I had a gander at the awful domestic elements of Tartuffe (Kims used to have a boot VHS of the incomplete frag, and it was terrible, very much resembling the old Grapevines of Warning Shadows and Secrets of a Soul) but I don't recall anything particularly racy. Could you refresh my memory?

[mattkc]

Can we still make a call on Naruse? Five I'd most love to see in a future release:

A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
Traveling Actors
Anzukko
The Approach of Autumn
Yearning

The prospect of any more Naruse is thrilling.

[James]

I was doing some investigative research and it would appear that the only spine numbers that we aren't sure about listed on the Masters of Cinema website are #93, #92 and #86. Does anyone have any ideas as to which DVDs belong to these spine numbers?

[peerpee]

#86 and #93 will be revealed in the print catalogue, which is currently on track to be inside LA TETE CONTRE LES MURS and SUNRISE (DVD only) on September 21st.

#92 will be announced on Xmas Eve.

[zedz]

Since this is the random speculation thread, I'm hoping that the Pialat titles have done so well for MoC that they've taken a leap of faith and licensed La maison des bois. I'm sure there are several potential suitors for Le Garcu, what with Depardieu and Bjork and all, but surely nobody but MoC would have the guts to tackle Pialat's magnum opus.

[mattkc]

^Amen. I was half-hoping for La maison when they were first announced though I knew it was a long shot.

[OliverB]

Now that the major US studios are no longer interested, is there any possibility of ever seeing some golden age Hollywood cartoon theatricals released through MOC or would the licensing cost be far too excessive? I'm thinking primarily of a popular b&w Fleischer series owned by Republic which has been neglected for far too long on this current dvd format. Are these films within range for the MOC line?

[OliverB]

Paramount no longer has control over these films as they were part of the Republic Entertainment catalog (along with hundreds of B-Westerns and serials) that Lionsgate licensed in it's entirety because the package included John Ford's The Quiet Man, Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life (now protected by copyright which Republic owns) and a dozen classic "A" titles which the company does exploit via DVD. The profits garnered from these "classics" justifies the license fee. I don't even know if the execs at Lionsgate today are aware they own this material. This would, in my opinion, make for the penultimate MOC set and draw a lot of significant attention to the series. Perhaps they could aquire the rights flat out to both of the Fleischer theatrical features as well. While the films now exist in the public domain, I believe that Paramount retains the master soundtrack recording rights.


On a completely separate note: any word on whether the supplemets from the Criterion disc of A Nos Amours (archival interviews and The Human Eye docu) will be ported over for the forthcoming MOC release?

[perkizitore]

Many Fleischer shorts in the public domain, but i am sure if there are any remastered prints of these it would be a tough act to persuade the owner to license them [-o<

[OliverB]

As stated above, the Betty Boop films (to clarify what is being specifically discussed here) are owned by Republic Pictures flat out. This company has zero interest in marketing or exploiting the franchise in any way and simply took these films on as a package deal while securing the Republic catalog library to the more "prominent" Ford and Capra titles that they've since put out. There are no plans for any sort of home video distribution so I don't see logically why licensing these films for the UK and European market would be such a daunting legal or financial nightmare. If anything, Eureka stands a better chance of inking a deal for R2 distro than a studio/company like Criterion or any other stateside independent. None of the Republic shorts have been remastered as far as I'm aware, but the elements exist in very good shape. While the laserdisc release from years back showed bad signs of DVNR, the quality of the official VHS box set release was actually quite good. I just can't figure out with the apparent unending popularity of Boop as a merchandising character - why these maroons haven't yet put out anything here in the US. The fact is that they are simply uninterested and possibly even unaware that they hold the rights to these films. It will take an independent company like Eureka/MOC to free them from exile!

[Michael Kerpan]

Bach films has just (I think) released a bunch of French-subbed Fleischer stuff. I doubt these releases are up to MOC standards. The complete set (with links to each individual part):

http://www.bachfilms.com/dvd.php5?type=1&dvd=1323" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[James]

On a completely separate note: any word on whether the supplemets from the Criterion disc of A Nos Amours (archival interviews and The Human Eye docu) will be ported over for the forthcoming MOC release?

domino harvey informed me a few pages back that the French DVD extras will likely be ported over to this release.

[tojoed]

I don't know if MoC have good relations with Gaumont-France, but the Sacha Guitry box with all the extras subtitled would be a wonderful addition.

Perhaps there's not much love for Guitry outside of France - I don't think there has been a DVD of any of his films released in the UK or US- but there should be. He was a one-of-a-kind Master of Cinema.

[tojoed]

Im still hanging out for the mythical Gremillon box, including Gardiens de Phare. In BluRay.

"In ya dreams, flixy!"

I'd settle for "Remorque" and "Geule d'Amour", which seems dreamy enough, David.

[Zazou dans le Metro]

Im still hanging out for the mythical Gremillon box, including Gardiens de Phare. In BluRay.

"In ya dreams, flixy!"

I'd settle for "Remorque" and "Geule d'Amour", which seems dreamy enough, David.

Add Lumiere d'Ete to make a nice little trio. Unfortunately the last print I saw a few months back looked like it had been swept up from a butcher's floor.
Then of course what about Le ciel est a vous???...The TV showing last year wasn't too shabby. (Has it always had the german title Sprung in die Wolken up front anyone know?..David?) and then a silent set with Maldone and as David mentioned Gardiens and then there's Petite Lise. The docos. Oh shit how about anything??

[Knappen]

Philippe Morisson, the man behind the http://www.marcel-carne.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; site, spoke to me about an upcoming DVD of Lumière d'été in France. No trace on fnac yet, it seems to be more of a 2010/2011 project.

[Bloody Benten]

is MoC releasing Tarkovsky's Stalker?

[doc mccoy]

It would be great if they were, as Artificial Eye's release could be improved upon - I really do not like the idea of splitting a film onto two discs. Sometimes, it's impossible given the length of some films (e.g. Satantango) but Stalker is around 2 1/2 hrs - they could have easily put it onto one disc.

Plus, it could use another spruce up in picture and sound and another well-detailed booklet by Moc.

But the Tarkovsky film I would most like to see released by MOC is Nostalgia. I was put off buying the AE release because apparently there were sound problems on the dvd. It's out of print now - perhaps the licence is up for grabs?

[Finch]

Nick, if the rights haven't been sold already to another UK distributor, any chances that Eureka could pick up Kore-eda's Still Walking for MoC? It's getting terrific reviews in the US, including this one (http://www.thehousenextdooronline.com/2 ... lking.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

Also, any prospects at all of MoC reissuing Der Blaue Engel in 2010 or 2011? If not, I'll have to get the old Eureka since the Kino has only the English dub if I remember correctly.

[Cinetwist]

Nick, if the rights haven't been sold already to another UK distributor, any chances that Eureka could pick up Kore-eda's Still Walking for MoC? It's getting terrific reviews in the US, including this one (http://www.thehousenextdooronline.com/2 ... lking.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

Also, any prospects at all of MoC reissuing Der Blaue Engel in 2010 or 2011? If not, I'll have to get the old Eureka since the Kino has only the English dub if I remember correctly.

I don't know about the Kino, but that doesn't sound like them. And there isn't a dub, there's a German version and an English language version. Two separate films. I'd just pick up the Eureka for now, which is a perfectly serviceable disc of a great film.


As for Stalker. I seriously doubt it. It would be the first time that MoC would ever release a film that has already had a UK release (other than Sunrise, which was a Eureka title).

[tojoed]

The Kino is almost identical to the Eureka. It has both the German and English versions (not a dub).

[Finch]

D'oh, should have remembered that there was no such thing as an English dub. #-o Thanks for confirming that the Kino is more or less identical to the Eureka. I've seen an English-friendly French disc of the German version on Marketplace UK as well though it appears to be the most expensive of the three.

[stephan73]

I would love to see some Hirokazu Koreeda in the collection. Any changes that might happen?

[hamsterburger]

The main effort and expense of our edition has been the completely newly translated intertitles (as optional English subtitles). If Craig's reading, I'm sure he'll explain why this needed doing, and why it's so important that we focus our efforts there.

Our boxset will be 6 x discs (the first two films will be on DISC 1).

Hi Peerpee
I just wanted to say thanks for making these films available on DVD, and with original german inter titles and optional subs! I saw Die Puppe projected at the film festival in Bologna a few years ago, and this is still to this day one of the best cinema experiences I have ever had. It is a beautifully crafted film, packed with humor and also has some of the funniest pantomime horses in movie history. Everyone on the planet should see it.

Anyway, I really hope that you can release this Lubitsch box in individual amarays in an outer cardboard case like you did with the Eureka/MoC Classics of German Cinema, and the BFI did with their Naruse box and not in some kind of digipack or similar.

This will not only make alphabetizing the films easier, but more importantly it will allow people to keep individual films and exchange ones that are available in different versions elsewhere. Like for example the BFI Naruse box where a Woman descends the stairs was a significantly better DVD from Criterion, so I just kept that and gave away the BFI disk of that title.
Individual amarays in a box set is also a nice compromise for those who instead would have preferred single disc releases because they only want one or two of the films, as they can then sell on titles they do not wish to keep.

Just thought I would add my 5 cents now, in case you were still debating how to package and release these films over at MoC headquarters.

PS: I am a pretty big DVD collector who own most of the MoC DVDs and I regularly recommend your releases to friends and acquaintances. Keep up the good work!

[peerpee]

Thanks for your support, James!

re: the packaging. All locked down now. The MABUSE box, LUBITSCH box, (and the LONE WOLF AND CUB box for Eureka) will be in hard boxes (like SHOAH, NARUSE, KEATON, HANZO). The MABUSE films will be in Amarays, the Lubitsch films will be in Thinpaks.