Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[therewillbeblus]

Well great, now I have to question all my beliefs

[Finch]

Someone on the last or second-to-last page was questioning why not more people were assuming Blue Velvet for Kyle's visit. If it was Blue Velvet, Kyle might have made a pun involving ears as he often does with BV-related posts on social media, but instead he and Criterion chose a Coop/Twin Peaks reference. Why get Peaksies excited if it's not a FWWM 4k (although I grant Kyle's role in the film is so small that a 15 minute interview might be a stretch)? I'm actually more worried that if they did interview him for FWWM, that he'll talk about Cooper's overall arc for the most part and FWWM itself only gets mentioned in passing.

It could also be both films though I doubt they'd do two Lynch upgrades in one month. Maybe FWWM in December, Blue Velvet in Jan or Feb, followed by Inland Empire in April or May. But I can't imagine them and Kyle doing tweets and posts invoking Lynch only for CC to release a non-Lynch film.

[domino harvey]

Why would they film new extras for a UHD upgrade?

[ryannichols7]

that one I'm just gonna say he was probably there for Adventures in Moviegoing, seems very much like a fit.

I would have thought Akerman's Les Rendez-vous d'Anna would have been upgraded from the Eclipse line by now given it was restored and a blu-ray has been listed on the Janus page for years. Still hoping an Akerman boxset happens perhaps

When she passed away, it was announced that all of her films were being restored, and a good deal of those restorations have screened since (including a few at MoMA soon after she died - I was there and it was especially sad because Dave Kehr introduced one screening saying she had been expected to appear herself). I'm surprised there hasn't been a box set by now.

they constantly promote Akerman on social media. considering they did this for Daisies and it eventually got a release, I'm sure we'll get some sort of release from her soon. i would be shocked if they continued to promote her and use stills from News From Home and get thousands of likes in order to not translate that to something.

I think I speak for literally every single person on this board when I say that I really hope Daisies isn't the last Eclipse -> Bluray rescue. obviously we got The Ascent and the Bergman titles, but those are also upgrades we should factor in. Equinox Flower and The Home and the World are way too good to just be on DVD editions, buried in a boxset.

so truly, let's hope the DVD to Bluray upgrades don't fully get sidelined in favor of 4K. Le Corbeau was a really nice surprise and I hope there's more like it. Blast of Silence absolutely being spot on for December

Equinox flower seems like it should be a slam dunk, along with Les Miserables.

After that, I’d love God’s Country, Mr Thank You, I was Born But, sisters of the gion, one wonderful Sunday, the inheritance, & Walk Cheerfully

I'd give a lot to see individual spines for One Wonderful Sunday and an Osaka Elegy/Sisters of the Gion twofer but I worry of course about material limitations. for the latter films I think you could certainly see a restoration from Shochiku (they did it for Last Chrysanthemum) and then maybe an individual release - those two are so important to Mizoguchi's trajectory and need tons of context. unfortunately, as much as I love One Wonderful Sunday, it's a Toho holding and there's no way they're going to restore it any time soon, they have such bigger Kurosawa fish to fry, and they really need to get on it...

Early Spring, Tokyo Twilight, Equinox Flower, and Late Autumn all have 4K restorations and are on disc in Japan (I own two of them, they look amazing and I plan to get the other two), and for my money are some of Ozu's best films and all "major" works. I'm sure it shouldn't be too hard to reel in some extras, honestly

and then there's Mizoguchi's Street of Shame, a totally major title casually dumped on Eclipse, which has a 4K restoration as well and is on disc, but without English subtitles unfortunately. I'm hoping Criterion can release it and port over Tony Rayns' commentary from the long OOP MOC edition, which in fairness, does sit on my shelf but I know the transfer can look way better.

[Soothsayer]

"Janus tweets a picture about one film -> Criterion is going to release a career retrospective box in December" is a big stretch

It’s just a theorem.

[Rupert Pupkin]

The Criterion Channel stream of Celine Sciamma's Water Lilies opens with the Criterion and Janus logos

do you think that it implies that Criterion has currently the rights for "Water Lilies aka La Naissance des Pieuvres" and could release it on blu-ray (or even UHD ?)
This is IMHO Céline Sciamma's best movie with "Portrait Of A Lady In Fire" and Adèle Haenel is amazing in this movie. I tend to forget "Les diables" (I was never at ease with this movie even before "what came out" later, this was not like a Jacques Doillon movie like "Ponette" or "Le Jeune Werther"- very uncomfortable)
A WEB 1080 is around, the quality is great; there are even some extracts in HD in the bonus of the Criterion "Portrait Of A Lady In Fire" which makes me think that this movie should be released on Blu-Ray by Criterion. [-o< Plain Archive (Korea) release a very limited box set "Coming Of Age Trilogy" (with Tom Boy and Girlhood) which features the premiere on blu-ray of "Water Lilies" (with video audition and scene outtakes) - the box set is unfortunately out of print. I totally missed it. I don't know about the quality of this blu-ray. The German BR are BR25.
In the meantime, in Germany, there is a much more complete box set of Céline Sciamma's movies including her last movie "Petite Maman" (I was not that fond of this movie, which is moving though; perhaps a bit cold because too stylized (I can feel a little Tarkovsky influence there (I'm a huge fan of Tarkovsky, but you can't do Tarkovsky that easy); . Perhaps because the same year, at the same time, I saw in theaters "Louloute" which is very close to "Petite Maman" (and great acting); without the "fantastic" approach.I can see someone like Pascale Ferran who did "Bird People" which use a fantastic approach and it really worked (by the way, Criterion should release Lady Chatterley + Bird People - it's time to add Pascale Ferrant to the Criterion collection)

[yoloswegmaster]

do you think that it implies that Criterion has currently the rights for "Water Lilies aka La Naissance des Pieuvres" and could release it on blu-ray (or even UHD ?)
This is IMHO Céline Sciamma's best movie with "Portrait Of A Lady In Fire" and Adèle Haenel is amazing in this movie. I tend to forget "Les diables" (I was never at ease with this movie even before "what came out" later, this was not like a Jacques Doillon movie like "Ponette" or "Le Jeune Werther"- very uncomfortable)
A WEB 1080 is around, the quality is great; there are even some extracts in HD in the bonus of the Criterion "Portrait Of A Lady In Fire" which makes me think that this movie should be released on Blu-Ray by Criterion. [-o< Plain Archive (Korea) release a very limited box set "Coming Of Age Trilogy" (with Tom Boy and Girlhood) which features the premiere on blu-ray of "Water Lilies" (with video audition and scene outtakes) - the box set is unfortunately out of print. I totally missed it. I don't know about the quality of this blu-ray. The German BR are BR25.
In the meantime, in Germany, there is a much more complete box set of Céline Sciamma's movies including her last movie "Petite Maman" (I was not that fond of this movie, which is moving though; perhaps a bit cold because too stylized (I can feel a little Tarkovsky influence there (I'm a huge fan of Tarkovsky, but you can't do Tarkovsky that easy); . Perhaps because the same year, at the same time, I saw in theaters "Louloute" which is very close to "Petite Maman" (and great acting); without the "fantastic" approach.I can see someone like Pascale Ferran who did "Bird People" which use a fantastic approach and it really worked (by the way, Criterion should release Lady Chatterley + Bird People - it's time to add Pascale Ferrant to the Criterion collection)

I think that it explicitly means that Criterion has the rights to it, and will eventually release it on blu. I wouldn't even be surprised if they add it as a bonus feature to a hypothetical release of Petite Maman, as Neon strangely hasn't put it on Blu stateside yet.

Speaking of Neon, they have gotten the U.S. rights to Oldboy and will be releasing it theatrically next year for the film's 20th anniversary. I wonder if that means they will license it to Criterion for a future release, though I'm personally hoping we will see a 4K boxset release for the entire Vengeance Trilogy (something that Arrow should have done but for whatever reason chose to release Oldboy on 4K by itself).

[Ribs]

In December Criterion will release Michael Schultz’ Cooley High

[yoloswegmaster]

All of the newly added Carlos Saura films and Bo Widerberg's Elvira Madigan open with the Criterion and Janus logos.

[domino harvey]

Elvira Madigan is a masterpiece, I hope it comes out sooner than later

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

In December Criterion will release Michael Schultz’ Cooley High

I can't be the only one to be surprised by this, right? I love the film but thought it was closer in style to something Shout Factory or Arrow would release. Is this Criterion's first AIP film since Sisters?

[domino harvey]

Olive also already released it. I’m not surprised though, given their recent focuses

[yoloswegmaster]

I think this is the second title that they are releasing that was already released by Olive (after Smooth Talk). I hope they go for Eat Drink Man Woman if they are going after more previously released titles, especially since the current blu is OOP.

[beamish14]

In December Criterion will release Michael Schultz’ Cooley High

I can't be the only one to be surprised by this, right? I love the film but thought it was closer in style to something Shout Factory or Arrow would release. Is this Criterion's first AIP film since Sisters?

There are some really nice, comic strip-style storyboards by Schultz that are currently on display at the Academy Museum. I’d love to see a screen/illustration comparison feature on their disc

[FrauBlucher]

The Long Voyage Home was on TCM earlier today. It opened with the Criterion and Janus logos. Is this not the proverbial "Criterion sits on titles" title. It seems like it's been at least 10 years since it became known that Janus had the film

[beamish14]

The Long Voyage Home was on TCM earlier today. It opened with the Criterion and Janus logos. Is this not the proverbial "Criterion sits on titles" title. It seems like it's been at least 10 years since it became known that Janus had the film

It was restored seven years ago

[DimitriL]

I can't be the only one to be surprised by this, right? I love the film but thought it was closer in style to something Shout Factory or Arrow would release.?

I mean, a little bit, but the overall feel of this fits in really well alongside something like Claudine.

[dustybooks]

The Long Voyage Home was on TCM earlier today. It opened with the Criterion and Janus logos. Is this not the proverbial "Criterion sits on titles" title. It seems like it's been at least 10 years since it became known that Janus had the film

The Wedding March might have it beat, it’s been discussed as a forthcoming Criterion title about as long as I’ve been collecting movies on disc.

[ryannichols7]

Shanghai Express and the Scorcese Shorts of course are good signs that dreams do come true, both long, long rumored. I would love to see the Ford, or really any Ford come to CC. truly one director I don't think they could release enough of

..and the Von Stroheim has a new restoration. maybe if we all keep mentioning it..

[therewillbeblus]

All I need is Mogambo

[Maltic]

7 Women (though WAC might get to that one), Pilgrimage, The Iron Horse (though the restoration was botched or whatever)...

[Calvin]

Are there rights or materials reasons behind why Warner have yet to release 7 Women, even on DVD?

[ChunkyLover]

The Iron Horse[/b] (though the restoration was botched or whatever)...

Twilight Time originally had it but cancelled it when Disney put a halt to Fox's restoration schedule.

[Roscoe]

Sorry, I missed something -- the restoration of THE IRON HORSE was botched? Can someone share details, or point me in their direction?

[ChunkyLover]

Sorry, I missed something -- the restoration of THE IRON HORSE was botched? Can someone share details, or point me in their direction?

The restoration never happened, or, at the very least, wasn't publicly made available.