Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[HinkyDinkyTruesmith]

If they aren't gonna do an Ozu boxset, literally a no-brainer and one that lends itself to not only their catalogue but a unified aesthetic, I can't imagine they're gonna do Fassbinder. But perhaps that's my bias showing.

[yoloswegmaster]

August Release:

Toni

Comfort of Strangers

Town Bloody Hall

The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum

[bad future]

Sorry if this is the wrong place for a question like this (if there IS an appropriate place) but now that the lineup is out, I wanted to ask why so many in the guessing thread had Written on the Wind this month. I was unsuccessful at googling, but really curious if there was some clue I missed!

[domino harvey]

Criterion posted film cans and resto news several years ago

[bad future]

Ah, thanks! It seemed like a particularly sharp uptick all of a sudden, but maybe I’m mostly just disappointed the guesses didn’t will it into being.

[SpiderBaby]

If they aren't gonna do an Ozu boxset, literally a no-brainer and one that lends itself to not only their catalogue but a unified aesthetic, I can't imagine they're gonna do Fassbinder. But perhaps that's my bias showing.

They just did a complete Varda. I think a Fassbinder box would be safe to do.

[domino harvey]

I think I had to guess the Gorin box for like three or four years before it finally materialized. Sometimes Criterion’s projects just get back-burnered

[HinkyDinkyTruesmith]

If they aren't gonna do an Ozu boxset, literally a no-brainer and one that lends itself to not only their catalogue but a unified aesthetic, I can't imagine they're gonna do Fassbinder. But perhaps that's my bias showing.

They just did a complete Varda. I think a Fassbinder box would be safe to do.

I definitely spoke a bit too soon––but I don't think Varda and Fassbinder are quite so comparable. Varda has a much broader name recognition seeing as she's become sort of the de-facto feminist filmmaker even for people who don't tend to watch international film, plus she had a working relationship with Criterion. But, again, as today's announcements show, Criterion does have a few things up their sleeves.

[whaleallright]

Also, Fassbinder made, like, 45,000 films! A complete F. box would be more than a doorstop and more like a whole door.

[Bressonaire]

I just recently discovered that Fassbinder did a TV version of The Women. If there isn't a Fassbinder box to come, maybe the two can be released together. Wasn't The Women in the Warners box set that they've already raided? Maybe they could be paired like The Lower Depths...

[swo17]

Also, Fassbinder made, like, 45,000 films! A complete F. box would be more than a doorstop and more like a whole door.

Or better yet, an entire house

I would like to build a house with my films. Some are the cellars, others the walls, still others the windows. But I hope in the end it will be a house.

[Minkin]

Gather around (at a safe distance) for the Speculation Rodeo! (August 2020 edition)

Toni - Criterion Channel + made the rounds with Janus

The Comfort of Strangers - Confirmed via Schrader

Town Bloody Hall - Confirmed at a screening of the film + had a Janus logo

The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum - Random upgrade that only Bressonaire could predict

Complete Varda - New Years clue + confirmed by Rosalie Varda in November +
Varda by Agnes - Janus tour
Jacquot de Nantes - Criterion Channel
Gleaners and I - had a Janus page
====================================================
228 upgrades remain
2 New Years Clues remain (Fellini and Wong Kar Wai)

Varda's films weren't quite as represented on the forthcoming list as the Bergman set was. So not as much gets removed with this announcement, but still a fair achievement.
================================
Once again we find the parade of All-Around Cowpoke to be:

Bressonaire!

Keep this up and you'll be inducted into the Speculation Rodeo hall of fame.
==========
And with that, another rodeo has come and gone, but fear not we'll return next month - if we're not too busy stealing oats and barley.

[yoloswegmaster]

I doubt we're getting that Pandora's Box upgrade from Criterion as the Janus page has been deleted and now appears on the Kino Lorber website.

[justeleblanc]

Does anyone know why there is a phantom page for Ozu's AN INN IN TOKYO?

[fdm]

Criterion Channel

[Michael Kerpan]

Never could figure out why this is called "Inn AT Tokyo" -- when "Tokyo Inn" would be a more accurate and idiomatic translation.

[zedz]

Also, Fassbinder made, like, 45,000 films! A complete F. box would be more than a doorstop and more like a whole door.

About forty features, which is around the same size as the Bergman set. And Criterion won’t be able to include all the films anyway (Wildweschel, for instance.) It’s doable.

[dwk]

I doubt we're getting that Pandora's Box upgrade from Criterion as the Janus page has been deleted and now appears on the Kino Lorber website.

Kino also has pages for The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, The Threepenny Opera, Westfront 1918, and Kameradschaft, but all those are still on Janus' site (and their respective discs are still in print.) Those four titles and Pandora's Box are still available on the Criterion Channel.

[Finch]

Would be nice if they upgraded Coup de Torchon but it's Studio Canal and as far as I can tell, it's only been released on Blu-Ray by Studio Canal Spain for some reason.

[dwk]

A couple months back the Kino Insider confirmed that Coup de Torchon is with another label. So it is likely either Criterion or Film Movement.

[jwd5275]

I doubt we're getting that Pandora's Box upgrade from Criterion as the Janus page has been deleted and now appears on the Kino Lorber website.

Kino also has pages for The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, The Threepenny Opera, Westfront 1918, and Kameradschaft, but all those are still on Janus' site (and their respective discs are still in print.) Those four titles and Pandora's Box are still available on the Criterion Channel.

These listings on the Kino Lorber site are for theatrical prints only. A few years ago Kino was touring a restoration of Lang's M and it had nothing to do with Criterion/Janus losing rights. I suspect this is a similar situation.

[dwk]

I do remember that situation with M and thought this could be something similar. Hopefully Criterion or Kino will say what's up.

[Malickite]

That Obscure Object of Desire (OOP) has six high-res images on the site. Is this indication of a possible upgrade?

[swo17]

When other pages have portended an upgrade they've also included a video clip in HD

[jwd5275]

Did any of the oop StudioCanal titles have multiple hi-res images on the Criterion site before? Most oop titles have a single frame from the film. However, four StudioCanal titles that never had blu-ray release now feature 5 or more high-res images. Besides That Obsure Object of Desire, both Peeping Tomand Woman is a Woman have 5 hi-res images. Mafioso has a whopping 12 hi-res images on it's page...