Criterion Chat? (1 Viewer)

[Matthew_S]

Did this take place last night? If so, anything interesting come of it?

 

[Rich Malloy]

It did go down, and I missed it as usual. Haven't seen the transcript yet, but my email and the criterion forums have been blazing with the news of....
DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST!!!
That's right, the greatest director without a single DVD release to his name will be getting the Criterion treatment. Next to the Bresson news, everything else is just icing. (But looking forward to getting a taste of that icing - where's the transcript?)
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"Only one is a wanderer; two together are always going somewhere."

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Al's Criterion Collection
[Edited last by Al Brown on October 24, 2001 at 10:57 AM]

 

[Brian Lawrence]

Next to the Bresson news, everything else is just icing.

Bresson News!!! What, what Bresson news!!!???

 

[Scott Shanks]

Yes it did take place last night. I wish I had a nickel for every time Criterion responded that they couldn't get the rights to a particular title.
As I've stated on a couple of other threads, this is going to continue to be a major problem for Criterion in the long run. Studios seemed to be much more willing to sell Criterion the rights to films to issue on laserdisc. They are not willing to release those rights to Criterion on DVD because DVD is a mainstream product (unlike LD's) and they are not going to be willing to give up that revenue. Instead of selling the rights to Criterion and letting Criterion market the release, they are going to do it themselves in almost all cases.
I didn't get a chance to read the entire chat transcript so I don't know if anyone asked them if they were concerned about this and their future viability.
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[Matthew_S]

what about "THE GAME"? Just saw the transcript...Awesome news if it happens...
[Edited last by Matthew_S on October 24, 2001 at 11:02 AM]

 

[Pascal A]

Actually, when I read the Criterion response to Robert Bresson, the answer was possibly working on either Diary of a Country Priest or Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne in the future - big difference!
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Strictly Film School

 

[Rich Malloy]

Oh well... that does put sort of a damper on things. I happen to like Les Dames du Bois de Bolougne very much, but it ain't exactly Bressonian in that it's quite unlike his later work. Still, I'd love to have this film in the collection, as well - just not quite so much as Diary or Mouchette or Pickpocket...
So, does anyone have an exact quote? Or the whole transcript?

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Al,
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/files/criterion2.txt
AIM: VinceMaskeeper
Anyone wanna trade DVDs with me?? Click here
[Edited last by Vince Maskeeper on October 24, 2001 at 12:15 PM]

 

[Jim Bivins]

Or does that mean they had a previous agreement from the original LD?
Jim

 

[Scott Shanks]

Vince,
That line also stuck out to me for a different reason. I think it could be a sign that they were strapped for cash/revenue and had to do something to generate some quick resources. Either that or in exchange for the rights to release a mainstream Columbia title in the future which will generate some good revenue for them.
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[Rich Malloy]

Thanks, Vince!
Some highlights:
Solaris - "hopefully 2002"
Bresson films - "The Bresson is likely to be Diary of a Country Priest for starters, or Dames du Bois du Boulogne. I'd love to do more."
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - Colonel Blimp is in the works. We are hoping to have a new high def master done before the end of the year. I don't know how much digital restoration the film will require, but I am certain that we're going to give it the best we have. Michael Powell was, after all, the first director whose commentary we ever recorded on a film....although no one here really remembers which was recorded first, Blimp, or Black Narcissus.
Mizoguchi films - "We will bring Mitzoguchi to DVD, and we hope, in better shape. None are actually in the release schedule, but we are hoping to have new masters made in the coming year or so on at least one Mizoguchi film."
The Devil and Daniel Webster - "There's no question [that] The Devil and Daniel Webster will be a Citerion DVD. When is a question. It will take a lot of time and effort."
Kurosawa films - "The new Rashomon master has taken more time than we'd hoped. The rest of the release is more or less complete. As for more Kurosawa, there is a great deal of chatter about Red Beard and Ikiru, in addition to Dodeskaden which has been announced and pushed for too long..."
Monterey Pop - this will be a BOXSET!!! "MONTEREY POP will be one of our biggest and most loaded releases of 2002. Monterey is the only music-based title that's currently in production. The current plan is to make a three disc set incorporating as much of the festival as possible. The Pennebaker crew shot everything, and our hope is to be able to present the complete Monterey experience. There will be some extras, but the core of the project is the first-ever complete presentation with amazing sound."
Paradjanov films - "Shadows [of Forgotten Ancestors] is a very interesting suggestion, and a good possibility for us."
Pandora's Box - "Oh, my... We were just talking about Pandora today. I was asking Gillian Anderson, who worked with us on the Haxan score, if there was any info that would allow us to do Pandora with a historical score... She's going to poke around for us. I have a very soft spot for Pandora because we never released it on laser, always hoping for better materials or the grand restoration to materialize. I am determined to see Pandora out in a strong DVD edition, but it is another title that won't be ready until it's ready. I know it can be hard to understand why sometimes we take so long to come out with certain films, but the answer is almost always that the effort to find, and in certain cases, when we are fortunate enough to participate in actual film restoration work (as oppoed to digital) there's no predicting what tiny thing is going to trip up your carefully laid plans. It takes time to do things right, and though we do make mistakes, we always try our best to get it right. So don't hold your breath on Pandora, but rest assured that we will give it the attention it deserves."
La Dolce Vita - "we've been in discussons with Artisan... hope for the best."
The Game - "[A] distinct possibility. But I can't comment further than that."
Stale "coming soon" announcements (Tales of Hoffman, Knife in the Water, Olympia, Eisenstein: Silent Years boxset, etc.) - "Well, we were probably being overly optimistic when we announced these. We've learned our lesson. We're still working on them all. Hoffmann the issue is the film elements. A new IP may need to be made, so we are far from a master. Knife has been delayed for Polanski's schedule. Olympia, actually, I misspoke, is not on the slate, but the Eisenstein Silent box is we hope due before the end of [2002]."
Contemporary US films (in addition to George Washington) - "There are one or two exciting, recent American films on the schedule for next year, but nothing that we can talk about yet."
Von Trier films (Breaking the Waves, The Kingdom miniseries, The Idiots, Europa, Epidemic) - "Many people here share your appreciation for von Trier. We are looking into more releases, including most of the ones you've mentioned, but we haven't got the deals in place."
Russian Films (other than Tarkovsky/Eisenstein) - "We are working on Ballad of a Soldier and Cranes Are Flying right now."
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"Only one is a wanderer; two together are always going somewhere."

Link Removed
Al's Criterion Collection

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Criterion licensed a supplement to another company! This is a good sign- god we can only hope they'll consider doing this for titles they can't get the rights to in the future!

It's equally encouraging that Columbia was willing to pay a fee that Criterion found to be acceptable. I hope that this "wave of reasonableness" carries across to other manufacturers/studios.
Regards,
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Ken McAlinden
Livonia, MI USA

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I have to laugh at the idea that Criterion is scrambling for titles to release, as there is no shortage of films that would be grabbed by collectors even if the avenues to others are limited. They have titles slated into 2003 that people are clamoring for already, and haven't even begun to reach into the wealth of titles out there.
The Columbia situation is interesting, as I would hope this will open the door to some Columbia catalogue finding its way onto the Criterion label (The Swimmer, ahem).
The question I did want to see answered is how they will be dividing Janus titles between the Collection and HVE, since HVE hold the only two Barbet Schroeder films with Pink Floyd soundtracks (More and La Vallée), though the films themselves may not be Criterion worthy. I also liked the suggestion of Pink Floyd's At Pompeii, which could loosly tie into the Schroeder films for a Pink Floyd box set.
Even if they only continued on the catalogues of directors they have already released, there are several hundred films yet to be put out on DVD.
I also wanted to ask why there are no Canadian titles in the Collection, specifically Silvio Narizzano's Why Shoot The Teacher, which would be perfect for Criterion as Canada's highest grossing film of the time. Image released Mon Oncle Antoine (a Janus title) earlier this year.
As expected there is a lot more coming, I just wish I had the finances to cover it all.
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[Rich Malloy]

I also wanted to ask why there are no Canadian titles in the Collection...

Dead Ringers?
I'd also hoped Glenn Gould would have been Criterion, and I think Jesus of Montreal might be an interesting choice. Of course, what I'd really, really like to see in terms of Canadian Criterions is some Guy Maddin, preferably ARCHANGEL and a collection of Maddin short films.

 

[Marc Colella]

Dead Ringers?
I'd also hoped Glenn Gould would have been Criterion, and I think Jesus of Montreal might be an interesting choice. Of course, what I'd really, really like to see in terms of Canadian Criterions is some Guy Maddin, preferably ARCHANGEL and a collection of Maddin short films.

With only Dead Ringers, there definetely is a lack of Canadian films in the Criterion Collection.
32 Short Films About Glenn Gould already has a nice DVD, with a great transfer. Jesus of Montreal would be interesting.
I'd love to see Criterion get the rights to Last Night, which is currently only available in P&S (yuck).
Exotica would be great, but I doubt this would happen.
Hey how about the Canadian classic Goin' Down the Road?

 

[SteveGon]

Al, I see we're on the same wavelength - Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould would have made a great Criterion title. JoM would fit in nicely as well - maybe there's hope for that one?
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My top ten movies that need to be on dvd:
1. Akira Kurosawa's Dreams 2. Freaks 3. Men With Guns 4. The Ninth Configuration 5. The Reflecting Skin 6. Santa Sangre 7. Treasure of the Sierra Madre 8. Voyager 9. White Heat 10. Wings of Desire

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Oops, missed Dead Ringers, but it isn't really a cultural film...
I'd still like to see Taureau again. haven't seen that since the 1970s.
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[Scott Shanks]

Dead Ringers is now out of print.
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[GregoryP]

I'm glad to see that Man Bites Dog will eventually be released by Criterion. I've been very tempted to buy the laserdisc, but now I'll hold off.
Gregory

 

[Jim Tudor]

I wanted to attend and ask about the new Pennebaker "O Brother" concert film, "Down From the Mountain". Anyone know who has the rights to that?
Also, any hope for "Koyaanisqatsi", or the restored "Metropolis" that has been talked about lately would be nice to know about. I haven't read the transcript yet, but if these titles aren't covered, anyone know anything?
Thanks
JiM T