'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.1

[King Prendergast]

and maybe we'll get Takashi Miike's "Audition". I'm really excited if this will happen!

don't hold your breath

[Bloody Benten]

and maybe we'll get Takashi Miike's "Audition". I'm really excited if this will happen!

don't hold your breath

Don't hold his breath as in it wont happen for a while or wont happen at all?

[ianungstad]

Won't happen at all. Audition is being produced by Mark Walkow who used to be with Criterion. He's producing the Audition disc for an unknown company but he confirmed it wasn't Criterion. He recently went to Japan to work on the extras for Audition. He also did a few interviews with the Hausu director while in Japan which should appear on that disc. He was the one who convinced Criterion to license the film when he was at the company.

I've been asking him a little about the failure of the Eclipse line (as a cult cinema label) and have found some of the things he's mentioned to be quite interesting. A long time ago I had posted on the forum here that Criterion were working on El Topo, The Holy Moutain, Fando Y Lis and was a tad embarassed when the films were announced after awhile through the Anchor Bay boxset. Walkow had the following to say about why the Jodorowsky deal fell through "I think the main stumbling block was that Klein's people had already created most of the supplements, and Criterion felt like they just wanted a name company to release them. As you know, Criterion works completely differently, starting with a title from scratch. So they parted ways.", a comment which I found fairly amusing given the debacle over The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Releasing El Topo with supplements created by Klein's company was too much of a compromise for Criterion but for Fincher's film they don't give a shit.

[Fiery Angel]

As you know, Criterion works completely differently, starting with a title from scratch. So they parted ways."[/i], a comment which I found fairly amusing given the debacle over The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Releasing El Topo with supplements created by Klein's company was too much of a compromise for Criterion but for Fincher's film they don't give a shit.

$ $ $ $ $

[Tribe]

Won't happen at all. Audition is being produced by Mark Walkow who used to be with Criterion. He's producing the Audition disc for an unknown company but he confirmed it wasn't Criterion. He recently went to Japan to work on the extras for Audition. He also did a few interviews with the Hausu director while in Japan which should appear on that disc. He was the one who convinced Criteiron to license the film when he was at the company.

I'm confused...Criterion never did license Audition, right?

Releasing El Topo with supplements created by Klein's company was too much of a compromise for Criterion but for Fincher's film they don't give a shit.

Is Button really the only time Criterion has just served as the "label" for a release without putting anything into the extras and/or creating or working on the transfer?

[domino harvey]

Releasing El Topo with supplements created by Klein's company was too much of a compromise for Criterion but for Fincher's film they don't give a shit.

Is Button really the only time Criterion has just served as the "label" for a release without putting anything into the extras and/or creating or working on the transfer?

Apparently not

[Antoine Doinel]

I'm sure the story for the Jodorowsky titles had less to do with Criterion's concern about their lack of involvement and more to do with the fact that Allen Klein is known to be a total fucking maniac.

[Alain3000]

On the Housemaid (1960).

Forum member kyunghk, who served as one of the producers on the restoration project, says that Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation has a deal with Criterion, and that a shiny disc might be at our doorsteps within a year

[Stefan Andersson]

I hope Criterion has/wants a deal with Scorsese´s Film Foundation. Their site lists around 500 restored titles incl. rights holders and relevant archives. Example: THE BIG COMBO, restored a few years ago, copyright Ignite Films (Amsterdam, Holland), a company mainly dealing in PD titles. Their site http://www.ignite-films.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (click Sitemap to proceed) says several titles are now being restored from original materials. To me this sounds like an opportunity to upgrade the Image BIG COMBO. Ignite also handles six Otto Preminger titles, of which HUMAN FACTOR and SAINT JOAN are unreleased in R1.

[shirobamba]

Complete Cannes press conference of the World Cinema Foundation with Scorsese, Criterion's Peter Becker & al. on future prospects of their collaboration online.

[kowski]

Won't happen at all. Audition is being produced by Mark Walkow who used to be with Criterion. He's producing the Audition disc for an unknown company but he confirmed it wasn't Criterion. He recently went to Japan to work on the extras for Audition. He also did a few interviews with the Hausu director while in Japan which should appear on that disc. He was the one who convinced Criterion to license the film when he was at the company.

Thanks a lot for the information. I've just heard that Criterion is preparing the title and that Mark Walkow was sent to Japan for Interviews regarding Auition and Hausu. Of course I didn't knew that he was no longer involved in Criterion.

Just wondering if the rumours about the Criterion release of Hausu are actually true then.

[Cinephrenic]

Just wondering if the rumours about the Criterion release of Hausu are actually true then.

The source is Variety:

HAUSU - According to this source, Criterion has the rights - Last update: 11/08 - Confirmed by ex-Criterion employee that Criterion has the rights, “Coming in 2010” (Has supplements, such as director interview which would likely be released under the Criterion main label - Last Update: 05/09

[knives]

Speaking of Jodorowsky, is there a chance for his three films, and short, that aren't on DVD either getting picked up by criterion or some other company?

[Bloody Benten]

Speaking of Jodorowsky, is there a chance for his three films, and short, that aren't on DVD either getting picked up by criterion or some other company?

If there was only one Jodorowsky movie that could be on Criterion it should be Santa Sangre, his best IMO.

[luridedith]

While I think I'm the only one here, I can't wait for Hausu, one of the most insane and entertaining films of all time.

[ianungstad]

Santa Sangre is with MGM now, so I doubt there's much of a chance of a Criterion unless they strike up another MGM deal. As for Rainbow Thief and Tusk, Jodorowsky has pretty much disowned both. I don't think he would participate in their releases and they are such minor films I doubt they would even be on Criterion's radar.

[knives]

Well, at least there is some hope for Santa Sangre getting some sort of release. Why would he ddisown the other two though?

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

While I think I'm the only one here, I can't wait for Hausu, one of the most insane and entertaining films of all time.

Actually, aside from the Nikkatsu action set, this is the Criterion I want the most. It's amazing and hilarious. Why it's taking so long to release it is beyond me.

[kaujot]

I know really nothing about it, but I think a while back someone posted a trailer that was just GOD-AWFUL. Maybe it wasn't Hausu, but it was about some sort of house eating people. I think.

[ianungstad]

Yeah, that trailer looked awful. I've heard from several people that the film is actually pretty decent and scary...but I have strong reservations. I thought it looked kind of dumb and that it might cause me to have seizures.

[knives]

It's that film? I will be very cautious on that one.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

Here's a clip from one of the best moments in the film.

Trust me. The trailer for this is awful. It can't do justice to this genre classic.

And much like the best of classic American horror and cult classics from the 50's and 60's, it was ignored by critics and adults but embraced by it's youth for it's excess of humor, shock, and goofy effects.

[knives]

Here's a clip from one of the best moments in the film.

Trust me. The trailer for this is awful. It can't do justice to this genre classic.

And much like the best of classic American horror and cult classics from the 50's and 60's, it was ignored by critics and adults but embraced by it's youth for it's excess of humor, shock, and goofy effects.

So I should expect a Japanese Vincent Price sort of deal then? (Not bothering to watch clip for fear of best part being ruined by tiny screen)

[stereo]

that clip just made this a must buy for me; wow!

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

Here's a clip from one of the best moments in the film.
Trust me. The trailer for this is awful. It can't do justice to this genre classic.

And much like the best of classic American horror and cult classics from the 50's and 60's, it was ignored by critics and adults but embraced by it's youth for it's excess of humor, shock, and goofy effects.

So I should expect a Japanese Vincent Price sort of deal then? (Not bothering to watch clip for fear of best part being ruined by tiny screen)

It goes far beyond a Vincent Price horror film. It combines odd elements of puppetry, stop motion, green screen, etc. It pushed it to a level that I've never seen in American horror. Plus, it has a very dark sense of humor that wouldn't fly in fifties cinema. It's also a bit more violent and carries more elements of the metaphysical and spiritual that Japanese horror seems so good at touching upon.