Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[Hogfather]

Do we know what the deal with Netflix is? Because they just let Criterion put out Okja but, according to Joseph McBride, they're holding out on The Other Side of the Wind. They've also dragged their feet for years now on Atlantics and American Factory. What's up with that? American Factory I can understand not being Criterion's top priority, but what's the deal with them keeping Welles and Diop away?

[ryannichols7]

Don't Look Now is definitely the lowest priority since it has the canal disc already, but I hope Criterion is able to follow through on the other two. I'd love if Malick stopped whatever it is he's doing to work on Days of Heaven (it's most in need, as Badlands is already from a 4K master at least), but I have a feeling it'll be a bit

It would probably cost 30-35 USD to import the standard Canal edition of Don't Look Now from the UK, so nothing scandalous in comparison to a domestically purchased Criterion UHD outside of sale time. I'm sure Criterion takes this sort of thing into consideration when deciding what to release on the format. None of the "WTF?! They released that on UHD while Criterion (still) only has a blu-ray" titles have been upgraded by Criterion (yet). I'm excluding Le Cercle Rouge, since it was OOP at the time, and the competing editions of both CK and MD were released simultaneously. And Criterion probably prioritized Le Cercle Rouge, due to Canal's atrocious encode.

P.S. I do wonder if Nashville, Rosemary's Baby, and Chinatown have a chance of getting UHD releases from Paramount themselves. Chinatown is one of the flagship "New Hollywood"/1970s titles along with Taxi Driver, A Clockwork Orange, The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, etc, so I'd think it's "big" enough to warrant a catalog UHD, unless the Polanski factor is holding it up. Raging Bull wasn't getting a catalog release, due to it being owned by MGM.

Le Cercle Rouge (and I predict The Trial and Grand Illusion to follow) I definitely see being the bigger priorities to go right to UHD whenever they "come back" (or for the Welles, come for the first time) to Criterion due to the former OOP nature. I can't see them wanting to prioritize Breathless over something like those. Don't Look Now is an interesting scenario since it is OOP but from a different US rightsholder. I believe as we've stated so far, Le Cercle Rouge is the only non-simultaneous release that they've done on the format, so it'll be interesting once they start moving into that territory more (which is inevitable, I highly doubt they wouldn't do their own Seventh Seal disc, even though you can get the BFI one dirt cheap). the Kieslowski's and Doniel (at the least, The 400 Blows) will likely be the first forays I think...

I can agree on the Paramount titles but they've been so slow with them. I hesitate to agree that they'll do anything, but they are surprising us with War of the Worlds. I don't expect MGM to do any catalog UHD releases aside from Bond and Rocky. they've always been the most liberal with licensing and it'll stay that way

Do we know what the deal with Netflix is? Because they just let Criterion put out Okja but, according to Joseph McBride, they're holding out on The Other Side of the Wind. They've also dragged their feet for years now on Atlantics and American Factory. What's up with that? American Factory I can understand not being Criterion's top priority, but what's the deal with them keeping Welles and Diop away?

there is a lot of inner turmoil at Netflix and ridiculously high turnover, both voluntary and involuntary. I'm sure Other Side and Atlantics will both happen at some point, but when you keep having a revolving door of employees...

as for Okja you just have to wonder how that happened. how that was the first 4K release to be licensed from Netflix, first asian 4K title from Criterion...I mean they obviously have a very close relationship with Bong (and WKW, who would've been an obvious pick, but.., yet there still just don't seem to be many fans of that film. nor do I understand how there could be

[Glowingwabbit]

Do we know what the deal with Netflix is? Because they just let Criterion put out Okja but, according to Joseph McBride, they're holding out on The Other Side of the Wind. They've also dragged their feet for years now on Atlantics and American Factory. What's up with that? American Factory I can understand not being Criterion's top priority, but what's the deal with them keeping Welles and Diop away?

The Welles has been discussed, but as for the Atlantics wasn't that acquisition announced right before the pandemic. I assume that changed some plans/schedules, but also it was only 2 1/2 years ago. That's really not that long of a wait when you consider some other titles Criterion are known to have and they don't have the quick turn around that Kino has. I also assume Netflix isn't easy to deal with.

[ryannichols7]

remember the wait for Y Tu Mama Tambien or Following? there were quite a few where it was "working director takes forever" and it could be that going on too for Atlantics. hell, even Wes Anderson has become this, I pointed it out before but we usually for pretty quick turnarounds on his releases. now they take ages

[FrauBlucher]

New development…on the Janus site Lost Highway has been changed to US.

[Bressonaire]

Looks like they're up:

La Llorona
Arsenic and Old Lace
Cure
Lost Highway UHD
Eve's Bayou
Night of the Living Dead UHD

[ryannichols7]

New development…on the Janus site Lost Highway has been changed to US.

they're now purposely trolling estonia. now if only they would troll hard enough to release Dead Mountaineer's Hotel!!

disappointed but not surprised Cure is BD only

[MongooseCmr]

I haven’t seen anyone mention Atlantics outside this thread since the year it was released. Maybe Criterion quietly shelved it

[FrauBlucher]

This is the most Halloweenish October ever!

[Furstemberg]

Not Arsenic getting a new commentary

[Finch]

Part of me wants to go oh fuck off for giving LH and NOTD a UHD but not Cure, but at the same time I want to be grateful that the film is going to be on a 4k sourced disc at all. Eve's Bayou sounds intriguing actually and I did like La Llorona a lot. Cure is going to be a purchase at the next Criterion website sale, and I might quite possibly get EB and LL too. Surprised they really went all out horror or horror adjacent for this October.

[ryannichols7]

especially when NOTLD is a potential SDR disc. I won't fault Criterion too much for Cure though, maybe Japanese movies really do have issues coming out on the format...

[Calvin]

I'll be getting most of those. I'm not surprised Cure isn't a UHD but I am surprised that Eve's Bayou isn't considering it sounds like a brand new 4K restoration.

[domino harvey]

I hate that the guesses I wanted least were correct

[FrauBlucher]

I haven’t seen anyone mention Atlantics outside this thread since the year it was released. Maybe Criterion quietly shelved it

God, I hope not. It’s one of my favorites of 2019. And always seemed like a perfect October announcement.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Wow, this is one of the best months they've had in awhile.

[black&huge]

I really don't wanna be this person but I just have to get it out of my system...

out of all the time waiting and releasing it in the new 4k restoration Cure is not offered in 4k. That actually disappoints me and I know a possibility is Kurosawa opting to not present the film in the format for this release but still... whatever.

[Finch]

The Japanese might have stipulated BD only. This was also one of the suspected reasons for Tales of Hoffman not getting a UHD.

[Saturnome]

I haven’t seen anyone mention Atlantics outside this thread since the year it was released. Maybe Criterion quietly shelved it

I'd hate this, Diop's Atlantics was maybe my favorite film of 2019, along with Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

[Finch]

I've emailed [email protected] to ask them to consider/re-consider a UHD for Cure. If there is enough interest and if it's not prohibited by the licensing agreement with Daiei, we might be lucky and a 4k gets announced later.

[ryannichols7]

I've emailed [email protected] to ask them to consider/re-consider a UHD for Cure. If there is enough interest and if it's not prohibited by the licensing agreement with Daiei, we might be lucky and a 4k gets announced later.

I'll do it too, why the hell not. sending in a request for the documentary to be included as well.

[FrauBlucher]

Let the speculation begin on a Wild at Heart UHD Criterion release. I have to imagine Lynch wants everything under the Criterion umbrella

[Finch]

A Wild at Heart UHD might not happen until 2024 if they only do one Lynch per year and the film probably (?) needs to be restored, but particularly if he has a new project to promote in the next six to eight months. We'll know if a new film shows up in the Venice lineup which should be live in the last week of July.

[ryannichols7]

you also have to factor in that now, he (and of course, his legion of fans) will probably want all the other previously released films to get upgrades too. can't wait for the calls for The Elephant Man despite a disc already existing!

[Finch]

I'd love a FWWM UHD. While they are at it, they can revise the cover and apply the title font as used on the theatrical poster instead of the weird sizes on the current BD artwork. They could put out FWWM, BV and TEM easily thanks to the existing 4k sources. I don't think the importers are big enough of a group to be a real consideration for Criterion re a localised version of Elephant Man.