'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

[willoneill]

Not for the people who are still expecting a Criterion Night of The Lepus blu-ray.

[zitherstrings]

The aspect ratio indicates it's not likely an actual movie. The FCP info indicates they're producing it themselves. So? Darjeeling Limited special feature with footage that was shot in 4:3.

[Matt]

I can't tell if everyone who still thinks it's anything other than The Darjeeling Limited are joking or not.

If they are joking, it stopped being amusing days ago.

[stagefright50]

Guess we should count this one out?

[James]

Guess we should count this one out?

You can tell they're going to try to get the most out of a Blu-ray release, what with Jessica Alba in a bra on the cover.

[ShowsOn]

Another film I'd love Criterion to release is James Gray's first film Little Odessa (1994). It is one of the most underrated American films of the 1990s, and it was made when Gray was just 24.

This film is now hard to get in its original aspect ratio. I have the Pioneer DVD, released in 2002, which is 2.35:1 widescreen, but non-anamorphic, interlaced, and with a ridiculous amount of edge enhancement. It is possible that the Pioneer DVD simply used the video master created for the LaserDisc.

The DVD has a good commentary mainly featuring James Gray and a bit of Tim Roth that could be reused, but it doesn't have the 5.1 audio track that was created for the LaserDisc. It also has some good still photographs and water colour paintings. In the commentary, James Gray says he regrets some of the music that he used in the film. If Criterion released it they could include the 5.1 version of the original audio mix, as well as a new mix with different music.

The film was shot in Super 35 so, unfortunately, most currently available DVD editions of the film were transferred in 4:3, most likely in open matte, thus wrecking all the compositions. A new scan of the negative or the existing inter-positive would create a great looking transfer.

Gray, whose last film Two Lovers was released on a great looking Blu-ray, currently has three projects in various stages of development, Alphabet City, Rivals (a remake of a French film apparently) and The Lost City of Z, starring Brad Pitt. So a Criterion Blu-ray/DVD reissue of Little Odessa in conjunction with the DVD/Blu-ray release of one of his up and coming films would make a lot of sense.

[dadaistnun]

I haven't seen Little Odessa since it was released, but I liked it very much at the time (saw it twice, even). Interesting that Gray is unhappy with some of the music, as I thought that was one of the film's strongest elements (that and the fact that it was shot in that miserable NY winter of '93/'94). The soundtrack album is lovely.

[aox]

Any chance Criterion could release Godard's underrated, La Chinoise? Or is there a company holding on tight to the rights?

[Matt]

It's already out from Koch Lorber.

[aox]

It's already out from Koch Lorber.

This is the copy I saw when I viewed the film a few weeks back. I was just curious if CC would ever release it or pursue it since they seem particularly attracted to his 60s output.

EDIT: I also thought for some reason the KL release was out of print. :-k

[Cinephrenic]

Yep, released by Kock Lovers.

[aox]

Just a quick question, but aren't there, or weren't there, troubles with that company?

[Matt]

"Troubles" may be overstating it, but Richard Lorber (apparently) left the company that he started with Michael Koch in 2003 (and he has since joined forces with Kino to create Kino Lorber) and the line was folded into the home video division of parent company E1 Entertainment (but I don't know the specifics on which came first or if one was the cause of the other). A few of their titles have gone out of print over the years, but I don't think that's related to any business troubles, and there's little likelihood that Criterion is going to license anything from them.

[justeleblanc]

There's a BD of La Dolce Vita coming for Koch Lorber at some point...

[Peacock]

From E1 Entertainment you mean...

[ianungstad]

More Japanese horror coming! From the Janus Film twitter page:

http://twitpic.com/23svsz" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Black Cat from director Kaneto Shindo. I've never even heard of it but the plot sounds interesting:

A woman and her daughter are raped and murdered by soldiers during a time of civil war. Afterwards, a series of samurai returning from the war through that area are found mysteriously dead with their throats torn out. The governor calls in a wild and fierce young hero, to quell what is evidently a ghost. He encounters the two beautiful women, in an eery, beautiful scene. After spiritual purification, he meets the demon in a thrilling fight.

[Ovader]

The Black Cat from director Kaneto Shindo. I've never even heard of it but the plot sounds interesting

You can read what other forum members have said about it from the Masters of Cinema DVD edition.

[dad1153]

More Japanese horror coming! From the Janus Film twitter page:

http://twitpic.com/23svsz" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Black Cat from director Kaneto Shindo.

More B&W scope Japanese horror on the collection, hooray! \:D/

[ShowsOn]

I haven't seen Little Odessa since it was released, but I liked it very much at the time (saw it twice, even). Interesting that Gray is unhappy with some of the music, as I thought that was one of the film's strongest elements (that and the fact that it was shot in that miserable NY winter of '93/'94). The soundtrack album is lovely.

From memory he says on the Pioneer commentary track that his use of the Russian choral music now strikes him as too over bearing. I find it to be very powerful, especially at the end of the film. I especially like the track "Love is Sacred" that is on the soundtrack CD, and is I think used twice in the film.

In the commentary Gray says that it got so cold during parts of the shoot that some shots had to be redone because the camera wasn't focused properly cos the film wasn't running through the camera perfectly vertically. He also says that when filming the scene at the end of the film at the abandoned factory, a gust of wind was so strong it picked the cinematographer Tom Richmond off the ground and threw him against a fence. He also says the shot of Edward Furlong cycling across the road to meet Tim Roth was insanely risky, because the road was completely covered in ice.

[Cinephrenic]

I saw this yesterday on Film forum coming soon page, but not details were posted yet.

[Perkins Cobb]

"Troubles" may be overstating it, but Richard Lorber (apparently) left the company that he started with Michael Koch in 2003 (and he has since joined forces with Kino to create Kino Lorber) and the line was folded into the home video division of parent company E1 Entertainment (but I don't know the specifics on which came first or if one was the cause of the other). A few of their titles have gone out of print over the years, but I don't think that's related to any business troubles, and there's little likelihood that Criterion is going to license anything from them.

I don't know why E1 and Lorber parted ways, but I did hear from someone on the inside that E1 was generally appalled at Lorber's previous standards of video quality, and that they twisted his arm to improve the transfers of the Lorber stuff they distributed. Which sort of happened, although the "improvement" was usually a case of going from abysmal to so-so.

[Lowry_Sam]

Has anyone heard whether Criterion will release more titles by Rosi? There's a retrospective going around & I'm just curious to if any are going to make it to dvd/blu-ray.

[Cinephrenic]

Yes, The Moment of Truth. Had Janus logo.

[oldsheperd]

Killer Inside Me is hardly a Criterion film IMO. It's no big loss that CC didn't pick it up. It would have been a CC worthy film if Jessica Alba showed some T#$$ies and B&sh.

[What A Disgrace]

Killer Inside Me is hardly a Criterion film IMO. It's no big loss that CC didn't pick it up. It would have been a CC worthy film if Jessica Alba showed some T#$$ies and B&sh.

...oh! I panicked because I read "Kiss Me Deadly". Whew.