What's new

What would you like to see next from criterion? (1 Viewer)

bujaki

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2012
Messages
7,099
Location
Richardson, TX
Real Name
Jose Ortiz-Marrero
Danny Burk said:
Yes indeed, definitely the 1940 THIEF OF BAGDAD - one of my top ten.

My main want would be the set of 6 von Sternberg/Dietrich films, transferred from the UCLA restorations. The earlier DVD release of SCARLET EMPRESS left much to be desired; very grainy, the same as all prints deriving from Universal's material. I used to have a 16mm "original" (= TV print) of that title and it was also very grainy.

Reissues of the von Sternberg silents would also be nice, especially DOCKS OF NEW YORK.

While we're on the subject of von Sternberg, how about his last film, ANATAHAN? I don't believe it's ever had a US release in any format (there is a French DVD); it's as gorgeous to look at as his Paramount films.
While I lived in Manhattan, I was able to see The Thief of Bagdad (1940) in 35mm Tech. Superb.
MoMA also showed Docks of New York in a 35mm nitrate print, a little worn, but luminous. The Last Command was in better shape.
Radio City Music Hall showed Blonde Venus, uncut and in its OAR, in a then newly struck 35mm print.
I caught Anatahan somewhere in NY, but my memory fails me. I agree with your assessment of it.
I saw a magnificent 35mm safety print of Scarlet Empress in Dallas.
As a matter of fact, I've seen all the surviving Sternberg movies, some in excellent prints; some in somewhat battered condition. His movies need to be seen in the best possible condition because he was a superb visual artist.
 

Dave MJ

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 26, 2001
Messages
329
Mullholland Drive (with the unreleased TV pilot version as bonus)

Early John Waters - Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Desperate Living, Polyester
Early shorts and Mondo Trasho would be nice bonuses

Susperia (though I read that it is being prepped for blu by another company)

Hitchcock - pretty much anything.

Maya Deren films


And while we are talking dream titles:

Star Wars (restored 1977 version with mono, dolby and 6 track mixes)

The Abyss (restored extended version)

Cleopatra (restored extended version. Apparently a lot of footage is in the hands of collectors)

Vertigo (properly restored by Robert Harris)

Death Becomes Her (a personal favorite, never even given a proper anamorophic DVD release and with lots of cut footage that could be included as a supplement)
 

Paul Rossen

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 9, 2004
Messages
1,126
Dave MJ said:
Mullholland Drive (with the unreleased TV pilot version as bonus)

Early John Waters - Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Desperate Living, Polyester
Early shorts and Mondo Trasho would be nice bonuses

Susperia (though I read that it is being prepped for blu by another company)

Hitchcock - pretty much anything.

Maya Deren films


And while we are talking dream titles:

Star Wars (restored 1977 version with mono, dolby and 6 track mixes)

The Abyss (restored extended version)

Cleopatra (restored extended version. Apparently a lot of footage is in the hands of collectors)

Vertigo (properly restored by Robert Harris)

Death Becomes Her (a personal favorite, never even given a proper anamorophic DVD release and with lots of cut footage that could be included as a supplement)
Where have you heard and/or seen the deleted CLEOPATRA footage?
 

cinerama10

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
603
Real Name
peter
Paul Rossen said:
Where have you heard and/or seen the deleted CLEOPATRA footage?
I once read that the original first cut of the film ran for 6 hours and it was to have been released in two parts. All films have longer first cuts when they are completed. In most cases they are re-edited to their final release version. It was common for 70mm roadshow releases to be shortened for their general release in the sixties. This was an abomination that I deplored. Often they also made it to dvd in the shortened version.
 

Dave MJ

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 26, 2001
Messages
329
Paul Rossen said:
Where have you heard and/or seen the deleted CLEOPATRA footage?
The documentary on the existing DVD mentions that a lot of the cut footage is in the hands of private collectors who are reluctant to make it available to the public. It seems like some kind of arrangement could be made to preserve it and present an extended version (in the style of mad, mad world). If it really does exist.
 

Elijah Sullivan

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jun 18, 2004
Messages
665
I second:

The Saragossa Manuscript
Fellini Satyricon
The Tenant
Mulholland Drive
Lost Highway
Eraserhead
The Devils

Also, Until the End of the World - European cut needs a stateside release badly.
 

Jari K

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
3,288
"Suspiria" is indeed coming from Synapse, 2K restoration probably next year (?).Let's hope that we'll see those early films from Cronenberg (Shivers, Rabid, The Brood). I guess Blue Underground owns Fast Company?
 

Paul Rossen

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 9, 2004
Messages
1,126
Dave MJ said:
The documentary on the existing DVD mentions that a lot of the cut footage is in the hands of private collectors who are reluctant to make it available to the public. It seems like some kind of arrangement could be made to preserve it and present an extended version (in the style of mad, mad world). If it really does exist.
I believe that documentary is getting now quite old. Old news. If the footage existed FOX would be all over it.
 

Paul Rossen

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 9, 2004
Messages
1,126
cinerama10 said:
I once read that the original first cut of the film ran for 6 hours and it was to have been released in two parts. All films have longer first cuts when they are completed. In most cases they are re-edited to their final release version. It was common for 70mm roadshow releases to be shortened for their general release in the sixties. This was an abomination that I deplored. Often they also made it to dvd in the shortened version.
The making of Cleopatra is well known. The director Joseph Mankiewicz wanted a 5-6hr 2 part presentation. The head of FOX Darryl Zanuck (which was on the verge of closing down) balked and ultimately it was cut to the 4hr one film version we now have. About a month or so after it's June 1963 premiere it was cut to 3hr 40 minutes and then after that to 3hr 20 min and ultimately to 3 hrs. Now that was a mess.

You are correct in stating many of the Roadshows were cut after their original premiere. Sometimes within days, sometimes months. Sometimes years later!

Some of the more well known shortened Roadshows...

The Greatest Story Ever Told
Lawrence of Arabia...restored
It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World
The Alamo
Hawaii
Diary Of Anne Frank..restored


The list goes on and on...some other well known Roadshows were shortened only to be quickly brought back to full length such as Ben-Hur.
 

Konstantinos

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
2,751
Real Name
Konstantinos
My most wanted Criterion would be these:

- Maurice, Remains of the Day, Room with a view (although I think it's impossible because Janus film was sued, so I don't think they'll release another Ivory film)
- Gandahar (Rene Laloux animation - again impossible)
- Farewell to my Concubine and Raise the Red Lantern
- The Age of Innocence (my favourite period film ever)
- Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
- Indochine
- Camile Claudel
- La Reine Margot (there is a French release coming, although I don't know if subtitles will be included)
- The Tree of Life (I know there is already a Bluray, but I'm hoping for Criterion with a classy designed menu and a better cover, and also to match the other Mallick Criterion films)
-Some upgrades like Written on the Wind and Magnificent Obsession
-any other Rock Hudson, Cary Grant or Marlon Brando film that hasn't been released and they could release
 

Dave MJ

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 26, 2001
Messages
329
Paul Rossen said:
I believe that documentary is getting now quite old. Old news. If the footage existed FOX would be all over it.
Is it really necessary to be condescending? I did say it was a dream project and you don't have any more information than I do apparently so why be rude and dismissive? If it was in the hands of collectors then it might still be. In the doc they expressed frustration in not being able to get it. Dunno if it has been pursued since but neither do you.
 

Paul Rossen

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 9, 2004
Messages
1,126
Dave MJ said:
Is it really necessary to be condescending? I did say it was a dream project and you don't have any more information than I do apparently so why be rude and dismissive? If it was in the hands of collectors then it might still be. In the doc they expressed frustration in not being able to get it. Dunno if it has been pursued since but neither do you.
Didn't mean to come off that way. If I did...an apology is in order. FYI one of the biggest collectors of film classics happened to have been Cleopatra's own Roddy McDowell-whose role was severely slashed in the final 4 hr product. Too bad he didn't have the trims as we would now have the original Director's vision.

I believe that documentary which was done for the dvd release is now 13 years old and nothing has surfaced since. There is a great Elizabeth Taylor website(don't recall which one) that has a complete run through of parts of the script with photos of the deleted scenes. If you are interested in Cleopatra it would be worth your time to investigate further.
 

Ed Lachmann

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 17, 2011
Messages
1,733
Real Name
Edmund Lachmann
Elijah Sullivan said:
I second:

The Saragossa Manuscript
Fellini Satyricon
The Tenant
Mulholland Drive
Lost Highway
Eraserhead
The Devils

Also, Until the End of the World - European cut needs a stateside release badly.
If you really love THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT (REKOPIS ZNALEZIONY SARGOSSIE), you should consider the Polish BD that can be purchased through Paypal from Bluedvd.pl (look under filmy Blu-ray-Filmy Polskie), it has English subs and the image is dazzling. Also available and as nice is Wojciech Has' THE HOURGLASS SANITORIUM (SANATORIUM POD KLEPSYDRA). They are Region B, however, if that is an issue. Coming soon is a restored FARAON which was directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz. The company Rekonstrukcja Cyfrowa has done a wonderful job with these and Bluedvd.pl is easy to deal with and the price is right.
 

Will Krupp

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2003
Messages
4,014
Location
PA
Real Name
Will
Konstantinos Zacharopoulos said:
My most wanted Criterion would be these:

- Maurice, Remains of the Day, Room with a view (although I think it's impossible because Janus film was sued, so I don't think they'll release another Ivory film)
Those would be wonderful. I'm especially feeling the loss of MAURICE as the DVD was fantastic and it would have made a stunning blu-ray if it hadn't gotten caught up in the Merchant-Ivory/Criterion mess.

ROOM WITH A VIEW looks very nice indeed on the BBC blu-ray from a few years ago (much much better than the really old DVD and without the PAL speedup of the newer Warner/BBC DVD) and I would highly recommend grabbing it if you can.
 

Dave MJ

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 26, 2001
Messages
329
Paul Rossen said:
There is a great Elizabeth Taylor website(don't recall which one) that has a complete run through of parts of the script with photos of the deleted scenes. If you are interested in Cleopatra it would be worth your time to investigate further.
I have seen that, it is tantalizing. I did find this more recent article, which indicates Fox did continue to search to no avail:

http://arts.nationalpost.com/2013/05/21/queen-of-the-nile-inside-20th-century-foxs-restoration-of-cleopatra/

Sad that they had stored all of the trims then destroyed them to make space.
 

cinerama10

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
603
Real Name
peter
Paul Rossen said:
The making of Cleopatra is well known. The director Joseph Mankiewicz wanted a 5-6hr 2 part presentation. The head of FOX Darryl Zanuck (which was on the verge of closing down) balked and ultimately it was cut to the 4hr one film version we now have. About a month or so after it's June 1963 premiere it was cut to 3hr 40 minutes and then after that to 3hr 20 min and ultimately to 3 hrs. Now that was a mess.

You are correct in stating many of the Roadshows were cut after their original premiere. Sometimes within days, sometimes months. Sometimes years later!

Some of the more well known shortened Roadshows...

The Greatest Story Ever Told
Lawrence of Arabia...restored
It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World
The Alamo
Hawaii
Diary Of Anne Frank..restored


The list goes on and on...some other well known Roadshows were shortened only to be quickly brought back to full length such as Ben-Hur.
More roadshow films that were later cut. LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT ; and in 70mm: HAMLET ; THE BOY FRIEND ; STAR ; 2001:A SPACE ODYSSEY ; THE AGONY AND THE ECSTACY ; HEAVEN'S GATE; SOUTH PACIFIC ;THE SAND PEBBLES etc.
 

Ray H

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
Messages
3,570
Location
NJ
Real Name
Ray
Would also like to see Criterion release some more of Pedro Almodovar's catalog on BD especially All About My Mother, Talk to Her, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
 

AnthonyClarke

Senior HTF Member
Deceased Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
2,767
Location
Woodend Victoria Australia
Real Name
Anthony
A real classic for either Criterion or Twilight Time to grab ...
The 1972 'Sleuth' starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
I've also made this recommendation in the 'what would you like to see in Twilight Time' thread .. I don't care who brings it out .. I just want it!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,818
Messages
5,123,876
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top