Criterion Random Speculation Vol.4

[mfunk9786]

Everything about the new e-mail bulletin is suggesting that Vivre Sa Vie will be getting a release soon, probably September, I'm guessing?

They're just promoting the upcoming theatrical tour of their Vivre Sa Vie print, which continues through December. I wouldn't count on the DVD release until Spring 2009.

But didn't Pierrot le Fou come out on DVD before the theatrical run was complete? I picked it up because I had just seen it on the big screen, and it had been out on DVD for a couple months.

[justeleblanc]

Pierrot was re-released in June and the DVD came out the following February.

[ellipsis7]

It's a pity about AMOLAD, but e-mail explains why Sony/Columbia are sitting on it - they're not really interested in releasing it, having it only for the remake rights... Maybe they'll let the CC have a go sometime, but I wouldn't count on it... Trouble is probably the film is not with any distribution department, it's with the development department, and likely in turnaround even there....

P&P's films, because they were mainly made in their heyday for Alexander Korda's London Films and J. Arthur Rank's Rank Organisation, via sale of these catalogues to Carlton TV in the 1990's, and thence merger with Granada TV to form Granada Media, most significant P&P titles are safely berthed with Granada Media, including AMOLAD for underlying rights and UK/Ireland distribution & release... But obviously Granada have licensed remake rights along with US distribution rights to Sony/Columbia, probably for a fee much greater than could be got from a standard distrbution deal....

[Tommaso]

Well, how does all this fit with this news that ptmd gave us recently on the "More P&P" thread?:

Thelma Schoonmaker introduced a screening of the gorgeous, restored print of Gone to Earth at Lincoln Center last night and afterwards she announced that, in addition to Small Back Room, A Matter of Life and Death (restored) and Age of Consent (the complete, original cut, also restored) will be coming out later this year via Sony/Columbia in a double-disc set with commentaries and an introduction by Martin Scorsese. She also told me afterwards that she's working hard on getting the complicated rights situation surrounding Bluebeard's Castle cleared up but that will probably take a while.

If that is correct, Sony will indeed release AMOLAD. And if Scorsese is on board, they even seem to have put some effort into it (not to speak of "Age of Consent" finally coming).

[ellipsis7]

It's possible that Scorsese has but the squeezers on Sony/Columbia to release AMOLAD, and they, on the basis of their ongoing relationship with him, and wanting to keep him onside, have essentially done a favour... That way AMOLAD could be sprung out of limbo, and the development hell of the remake...

What has Scorsese made for Columbia/Sony? - TAXI DRIVER & AGE OF INNOCENCE... And he did say at the time all the red in AGE was Powell influenced...

Hmmm?... I wonder!

[HerrSchreck]

I for one would be hugely (but delightfully) surprised to see A Matter of../Stairway come out as a CC. I'd pretty much accepted this as a Columbia release. In fact the copy I have now left over from the VHS days is the complete (w nude beach boy) cut of the film from Columbia.

I think if they could have had this film, it would have been one of the first PP out of the gate on the dvd line, like Red Shoes & Narcissus (and Blimp).

Tamara sure did show a bit of their (CC's) hand w the "surpression" comment. Obviously frustrated about the title.

[psufootball07]

I saw a film today on IFC and I thought it might have already received Criterion treatment, but it was actually Kwaidan which was already released by Crterion. The title was pretty similar so I wasnt too sure when I started watching it, Yotsuya kaidan 1949. Anyways the film had a Janus logo at the beginning and was a pretty good Japanese samurai thriller. So I wouldnt be surprised to see Criterion release it sometime.[/b]

[Le Samouraï]

More classic Japanese horror would sure be welcome, especially more Nakagawa.

[tryavna]

More classic Japanese horror would sure be welcome, especially more Nakagawa.

According to IFC's website, this version was Kinoshita's.

Damn! I would have liked to have seen it, too. I usually keep up with IFC's schedule, but somehow this one slipped under my radar. Currently, it doesn't seem to be scheduled again, but IFC tends to repeat films fairly frequently.

BTW, IFC also showed both parts of Kurosawa's Sanshiro Sugata series over the past two Saturdays. Both had Janus logos, of course.

[psufootball07]

Yeah it was split into two parts and I think thats how its actually supposed to be, the first leading up to the samurai planning/deciding whether to kill his wife in order to marry into a rich and more beautiful woman. I would suggest seeing it if its on IFC again.

[denti alligator]

I forgot that new titles would be announced soon until just now. Too bad we have to wait another month for more Blu-ray info, but let's hope this month reveals that contents of that Ophuls box.

[psufootball07]

I got excited that they were releasing something new today when I saw they moved Salo to the bottom of the new releases instead of 24 eyes. Oh well, tomorrow is always another day.

[domino harvey]

Updates come late in the afternoon, hope is not lost.

[Cinephrenic]

Maybe another Pasolini release is coming and they wanted to pair the spine?

[Narshty]

Maybe another Pasolini release is coming and they wanted to pair the spine?

Well, spines 16 and 18 have been taken for quite a while.

[Jeff]

Maybe another Pasolini release is coming and they wanted to pair the spine?

Salò is spine 17, so while they could want to put two Pasolini films next to each other on the "Coming Soon" page for some reason, they wouldn't have sequential spines.

More likely, Salò has been pushed back a couple of weeks and will come out after the other August releases.

EDIT: Narshty beat me to it.

[Cinephrenic]

I didn't look at the spines, I just assumed it was the last spine.

[mfunk9786]

I didn't look at the spines, I just assumed it was the last spine.

Re-releases are always given the same spine number as the original release, FYI.

P.S. <verucasalt>I want an announcement on September titles nowwwwww!</verucasalt>

[Cinephrenic]

Yeah, I know that... just wasn't thinking. I'm on heavy medication.

[psufootball07]

It will be crazy when they announce the fall schedule of Standard Criterions and Blu-Rays, bet they dont release as many with two different projects to work on, although they can work hand in hand to a certain extent I guess.

[mfunk9786]

It will be crazy when they announce the fall schedule of Standard Criterions and Blu-Rays, bet they dont release as many with two different projects to work on, although they can work hand in hand to a certain extent I guess.

The Blu-Rays are all going to come out in conjunction with or after the standard releases. These aren't going to limit the amount of new standard releases on a month to month basis.

[psufootball07]

I just have a feeling that sometime within the next 1-2 years that Standard DVDs will get phased out after everyone "going along" with blu-ray technology.

[domino harvey]

Your feeling is wrong

[mfunk9786]

Your feeling is wrong

I agree [as I usually do] with domino on this one. Especially with the economy the way it is, people aren't going to snatch up 400+ dollar Blu-Ray players and a multitude of titles they already own on standard DVD en masse anytime soon, perhaps ever. People have gas to buy.

[psufootball07]

Yeah, I guess that its tough to say, but if it came to point when new films would ONLY see a Blu-ray title then we could see a big landslide. I hope it never happens, as far as I know Blu-rays will upconvert my standard DVDs, so I wouldnt even think about buying most of the films I already own.