Directors CRITERION wishlist for 2004 (1 Viewer)

[Jim_K]

Top 20 wishlist for Criterion

I’m sticking to what’s actually possible and avoiding the fantasy picks that’ll never happen such as Warner owned films, Blockbusters that the studios would never license out (Schindlers List, etc.) & super-deluxe reissues.

In no particular order

Gojira - Now that Rialto has acquired the rights of the Original version for a 2004 theatrical release this is a firm possibility despite Toho's asinine foreign release policies of their Godzilla films. I'll be more than glad to retire my current copy to pick up a Criterion version.

Palm Beach Story - Would be an excellent companion piece for my Sullivan's Travels & Lady Eve discs.

A Matter of Life & Death - P&P's masterpiece deserves the Criterion treatment rather then rotting in Columbia's vaults.


Criterion really needs to add some Westerns to their catalog. Preferably something by Ford, Leone, Peckinpah or Mann. The best of Ford will all be released on DVD by Jan.

The only Leone film yet to be released would be...............

Duck You Sucker - Not his most highly regarded film as he stepped into the project after it started but this would be a fine showcase of his superb style.

Most of Peckinpah's films to be released are owned by Warner except for the maligned & butchered..........

Major Dundee - A fully restored cut would showcase what a masterpiece this film was.

Mann's greatest film (Naked Spur) is owned by Warner so that's out of the question. But what about his second best Western...........

Man of the West and dare I say this blasphemy but Gary Cooper’s greatest Western IMO.

I remain unimpressed with most of Criterions Horror Film selection. Can anyone say Flesh For Frankenstein & Blood For Dracula? [shudder] Universal seems uninterested in delving further into their vault so I’d like to see Criterion versions of……………..

Edgar Ulmer’s Subversive Pre-code classic The Black Cat

Or how about the best version of Island of Dr Moreau ever put on film……….

The Island of Lost Souls

Not sure who owns the rights but……………..

Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General – uncut version of course

Getting back on the subject of Universal how about picking out the Adventure gem………..

Beau Geste (1939)

Hong Kong Cinema

More John Woo…………..
Bullet in the Head

How about the other giant of Hong Kong Action Cinema Ringo Lam
Full Contact – I have the region 3 disc but the subtitle translations have a lot to be desired. I avoided the recent Columbia release as it’s missing music.

And showing my softer side………………….
Raise the Red Lantern

Back to Crime films with more Melville, in particular his top 2 films IMO………….

Le Doulos: The Finger Man
Le Samourai

Samurai Cinema

Criterion has to know there are other great Samurai-period films outside of Kurosawa right? I mean they did put out the fantastic Samurai Trilogy so how about……………………..

Sword of Doom - Janus owns the rights

How about some Kenji Mizoguchi, such as………….

Sansho the Bailiff for starters

How about some companions to Kwaidan from Masaki Kobayashi, such as………………..

Harakiri
Samurai Rebellion

Yikes! I could easily list 50 more so I’d better stop here.

 

[george kaplan]

Bringing Up Baby

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (fully restored)

Captain Blood

Ninotchka

The Blue Dahlia

This Gun For Hire

Christmas in Connecticut

Random Harvest

Top Hat

Easter Parade

Out of the Past

Dial M for Murder 3-D

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford

Berlin Express

Night Train To Munich

Ice Station Zebra

A Stranger in Town

Up in Arms

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Holiday

It's A Gift

Hail the Conquering Hero

The Palm Beach Story

We're No Angels (55)

Safety Last

Once Upon a Honeymoon

I can dream, can't I?

 

[Dome Vongvises]

I once remarked that there are no Westerns in the Criterion Collection. But how about animation?

Toby and the Koala Bear
Dot and Santa Clause
Dot and the Kangaroo
Dot and Joey

 

[Brook K]

They've already announced a pretty impressive slate plus additional rumors like Cassavetes. But here's a few that would be great for '04:

Ugetsu Monogatari
Forty Guns
The Stationmaster's Wife
Stromboli
Senso
The Children Are Watching Us
Record Of A Living Being/I Live In Fear (Ikiru is already a definite with probable releases of Lower Depths and Stray Dog, so unless they do another Kurosawa box I don't know how likely this will be for '04)
Moral Tales box set
Phantom of Liberty
Two Or Three Things I Know About Her

 

[Rain]

Ideally, I'd like to see every film that I want released by Criterion.

But keeping it realistic, I'd love to see them get their hands on The Bicycle Thief, Scrooge, The Small Back Room and ....One of Our Aircraft is Missing.

 

[Jan H]

The Virgin Spring
Los Olvidados
L'Age D'Or
Miracle at Morgan's Creek
La Dolce Vita
Tales of Hoffman
Jules et Jim
A Matter of Life and Death
Olivier's Othello and Richard III

 

[Matt Pelham]

Out of the ones mentioned so far I'd buy Mad World and Bullet in the Head.

I'd really like to see more mainstream Criterion special editions.

 

[Angelo.M]

A Yimou Zhang box set:

Red Sorghum
Codename Cougar
The Story of Qiu Ju
Ju Dou
Raise the Red Lantern
To Live
Shanghai Triad
Not One Less
Hero
The Road Home

Of course, I'll settle for Raise the Red Lantern on DVD, period.

And these:

Being There
Zelig

 

[Lew Crippen]

Great lists everyone. Criterion did have Powell and Pressberger’s Tales of Hoffmann on their list at one point. I have never seen this movie and considering what P&P did for ballet, I’d like to see their treatment of operetta.

 

[Rob Tomlin]

Anything [rant]Kurosawa![/rant]

 

[Patrick McCart]

Universal apparently still has R1 video rights to Abel Gance's Napoleon, so I'd love to see Criterion release the DVD (especially since they'd probably listen to Robert Harris and Kevin Brownlow carefully) However, I'm hoping that it would be the 20fps 5 1/2 hour version with both the Carmine Coppola and Carl Davis scores. A commentary with Kevin Brownlow and Robert Harris would be the icing on the cake.

I have no idea where Disney is at on the restoration, but I'd love to see Criterion do a 2-disc edition of The Thief and the Cobbler with the reconstructed version of Richard Williams' original cut, the 1980's workprint, and the BASTARDIZED 1995 "Arabian Knight" cut. Throw in a commentary by Richard Williams and the BBC documentary on the film....

 

[Scott Weinberg]

How cool are these fakies? I came across a thread devoted to "Fake Criterion Cases" over at the Rotten Tomatoes forum, and just had to share some of the cooler ones with you. There are several more to check out, since the thread is about 60 pages long! (IMO, the best ones come from "Grizzly".)







But I'll answer the topic question seriously too: I'd love Criterion to do Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Keith Gordon's The Chocolate War, or Mike Hodges' Flash Gordon. Hey, it could happen.

 

[Cees Alons]

Scott,

WOW! Some people go through great lengths to achieve.... absolutely nothing, but praise from true addicts like ourselves. There's talent out there!

Cees

 

[Rob Tomlin]

That cover for 2001: A Space Odyssey is particularly impressive!

 

[SteveGon]

Love those faux Criterion covers!

I agree with most of the previously-mentioned titles and add:

Nothing Sacred (1937)

A great screwball comedy starring Fredric March and Carole Lombard. There are multiple (cheapie) DVD releases, so it would appear that this movie is in the public domain. It'd be great to see Criterion restore this one...

 

[Jack Briggs]

Yeah, Scott, if all else fails you should become art director over at Criterion. Your 2001 "cover" is elegant and tasteful. Very good.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Thanks guys, but don't pat ME on the back for 'em! Alls I did was save 'em and post 'em. It's the folks over at that Rotten Tomatoes thread who have their Photoshop vibe workin'.

 

[Matt Pelham]

How many of those fake ones would you guys actually buy?

I'd probably pick up the first six.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Eliminating titles from Warner Bros., Paramount, and Columbia, here are a few that I'd like to see released by Criterion. Not necessarily a *top* twenty, but twenty that come readily to mind.

The Makioka Sisters
The Burmese Harp
La Silence de la mer
Le Samourai
Criss Cross (1949)

Night and the City (1950)
House of Bamboo
Force of Evil
Heaven Can Wait (1943)
Kiss of Death (1947)

Life of Oharu
Napolean (1927)
Man of the West
The Quiet Earth
The Bad Sleep Well

Rolling Thunder (1977)
Charley Varrick
Je Vous Salue, Mafia
Call Northside 777
Stormy Weather

- Walter.

 

[Rand]

I'd like to see them issue on dvd a Criterion I already have on laser disc, Cat People(Lewton). I'd also like to see them issue more of Lewton's "horror" films.

I can never seem to remember who owns the RKO library, but if it's available to them there are a number of things I'd like to see from there. Starting with another Criterion laser disc I own, Swing Time, as well as other Astaire and Rogers titles. I'd also love to replace my Out of the Past laser disc with a Criterion dvd.