2010 MoC Release Summary

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swo17
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2010 MoC Release Summary

#1 Post by swo17 » Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:20 pm

I think MoC deserves a thread like this as much as Criterion does, especially considering how difficult it can be to keep track of the years' releases what with how spine numbers are assigned (hopefully I haven't missed anything). Pretty spectacular year if you ask me.

DVD releases
8 Metropolis
68 Le grand jeu
76 A nos amours
78 Sous le soleil de Satan
86 There's Always Tomorrow
92 M
93 House
94-99 Lubitsch in Berlin
100 La signora di tutti

BD releases
4 Une femme mariée
6 La planète sauvage
8 City Girl
9 M
10 Profound Desires of the Gods
11 Vengeance Is Mine
12 The World
13 The Burmese Harp
14 Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
15 Make Way for Tomorrow
16? Metropolis

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Tribe
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#2 Post by Tribe » Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:58 pm

Is La signora di tutti gonna be released by the end of the year?

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swo17
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#3 Post by swo17 » Thu Oct 14, 2010 4:05 pm

Per the last Eureka newsletter, it will be released in November.

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Minkin
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#4 Post by Minkin » Fri Dec 24, 2010 6:33 pm

Let's start one trend and diffuse a fight at the same time!

My MoC best of 2010

Best Releases
1. Metropolis
2. Lubitsch in Berlin
3. City Girl
4. M
5. Profound Desires of the Gods

Best Eureka
The Black Shield of Falworth (the Eureka line of Blurays of great titles with minimal extras at a great price is an excellent trend and one that I certainly hope will continue)

Best Bluray upgrade to catalog title
Vengeance is Mine

Best Reissue
Metropolis

Best Commentary
M- both

Best Supplement
The booklets!

Best Cover
Metropolis

Best Packaging
House

Best Discovery
Lubitsch in Berlin

Most disappointing release
House (glad to get it like 9 months earlier but it is rather tragic MoC didn't wait for the Criterion restored print)

Member of the year
Kevin for handling all of my many orders!

Best Rescue
That Metropolis footage from Argentina

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aox
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#5 Post by aox » Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:10 pm

Amazing. After all of the confusion of what a "Best of Criterion" thread means, even with the years old concession of adding a top 5 "non-Criterion" category, MOC finally gets its own thread and it is a company that releases over the course of a whole year the same number of releases Criterion does in two-three months.

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ambrose
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#6 Post by ambrose » Fri Dec 24, 2010 10:43 pm

aox wrote:Amazing. After all of the confusion of what a "Best of Criterion" thread means, even with the years old concession of adding a top 5 "non-Criterion" category, MOC finally gets its own thread and it is a company that releases over the course of a whole year the same number of releases Criterion does in two-three months.
True but Masters of Cinema did take the fairly radical step of releasing some of their films only on Blu-ray!.(Even if they have now decided to re-release those self same films on dvd in the new year.)

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skuhn8
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#7 Post by skuhn8 » Sat Dec 25, 2010 6:02 pm

My MoC best of 2010

Best Releases
1. Metropolis
2. City Girl (blu)
3. Lubitsch in Berlin
4. la signora di tutti

Best Bluray upgrade to catalog title
Metropolis--sorry, not sure how anything could compare

Best Reissue
Metropolis

Best Commentary
still not a big fan of MOC commentaries...but will go with City Girl

Best Supplement
book(let)s

Best Cover
Metropolis

Best Packaging
Metropolis Steelbook

Best Discovery
Lubitsch in Berlin

Member of the year
Kevin. Seriously, the guy is a customer service champ
Last edited by skuhn8 on Wed Dec 29, 2010 7:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

AALFW
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#8 Post by AALFW » Sun Dec 26, 2010 12:04 am

Best Releases
1. Profound Desires of the Gods
2. Metropolis
3. Une Femme Mariee
4. Make Way For Tomorrow
5. The World

Best Eureka
Wizards

Best Bluray upgrade to catalog title
La Planete Sauvage

Best Reissue
Metropolis

Best Supplement
Booklet of Une Femme Mariee

Best Cover
House

Best Packaging
Metropolis steelbook

Best Discovery
The World

Most disappointing release
None

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zedz
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#9 Post by zedz » Sun Dec 26, 2010 3:24 pm

Nice initiative. Seeing the squabbling in the Criterion thread made me think I should have started a non-Criterion release of the year thread like there was last year, but this is a start.

Best Releases

1. Profound Desire of the Gods - One of the most embarrassing gaps in the English language DVD catalogue gets filled by a BluRay, which made this sort of a historic moment. An absolutely essential release. All hail MoC!

2. There's Always Tomorrow - I'm not your typical Sirk fan, and I respect rather than adore his canonical films, but even though I was advised by a discerning forum member that this film blew him away, I was unprepared for its huge emotional wallop. Far and away the best experience I've had with Sirk and a film that seems to do everything people claim for his cinema - for me at least.

3. Sous le soleil de Satan - Day-for-day-for-night transfer glitch and all, this is another long overdue DVD, released by MoC in their typical embarrassment-of-riches fashion. Certainly the most impressive package of extras of the year (though I suspect it will be a long time before the label manages to trump La Gueule ouverte in that respect).

4. City Girl - One problem I have with MoC's releases when it comes to this kind of vote is that so many of their releases replicate (though upgrade) existing releases, but the upgrade on this title to HD was so mind-blowing, so what? Also, it helps that I'd waited until MoC's disc to watch this wonderful film. But that's the only reason why a sublime release like The World doesn't make the list.

5. Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? - I've only just been properly discovering Tashlin this year, with mixed results, but not mixed when it comes to this glorious film.

Consolation Prize to La Signora di Tutti because I haven't got around to watching it yet but have been anticipating it for quite some time.

Best Blu-Ray Upgrade

Vengeance Is Mine - Not really a fair fight since I'm not particularly interested in the other eligible titles.

Best Supplement

Off the top of my head, that extensive discussion of the deleted scenes from Sous le soleil de Satan

Best Commentary

Metropolis, hands down. But 2010 was also the year that I listened to Kalat's Mabuse trifecta, which is a strong contender for the greatest commentating feat in the history of the medium.

Best Cover and Best Packaging

Metropolis - Well, duh. Even though I'd already admired that poster art for months, I still gasped when I saw it for real. And I must say that I'm a dissenter when it comes to MoC's original poster art bias. It's a good, safe fallback position, but it's rare that any of their designs evoke a wow from me. Not the case here.

Most Disappointing Release

Lubitsch in Berlin - Nothing wrong with the films, but the bare-bones presentation made me realize for the umpteenth time just what a boon "The MoC Booklet" is, and without one, this felt like some cunning bootleg.

MoC Waiting to Happen Award

Those fine, unsubbed French transfers of all the Yoshida films are still just sitting there, guys. And couldn't you fit both versions of Eros Plus Massacre onto a single BluRay? Wouldn't it be fun to try?

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swo17
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#10 Post by swo17 » Sun Dec 26, 2010 3:54 pm

Well, since everyone else is doing it...

Best Release
1. Profound Desires of the Gods - Imamura finally completely clicked for me with this, in the hi-def transfer of the year
2. City Girl
3. Make Way for Tomorrow
4. The World
5. La signora di tutti

Best Blu-ray Upgrade
Vengeance Is Mine - not just for the higher definition, but also for the improvement over the color scheme of both the original MoC and the Criterion

Best Cover
Metropolis

Best Packaging
Metropolis steelbook

Best (Re)Discovery
Profound Desires of the Gods

Most Disappointing Release
I'm going to be an impossiblist and say The World not being at 25fps.

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matrixschmatrix
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#11 Post by matrixschmatrix » Sun Dec 26, 2010 4:32 pm

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to do a full list, since most of the MoC I've bought was released before this year- but I can rate what I have seen.

Best Releases

1. City Girl I'd always heard this was lesser Murnau, and I think the MoC is more than enough evidence to say that's nonsense. Hands down a masterpiece, with an excellent Kalat commentary.
2. Metropolis - Beautiful movie, astonishing release, original German intertitles, and great commentary. I'm a huge Kalat fan, and I was glad to see MoC giving him a lot of work this year.
3. Lubitsch in Berlin - I actually only own the Kinos of these, but I got to borrow the MoCs from a friend, and it was a marked improvement on a set I was already impressed with (the booklet and the extra film being noteworthy.) I don't know that I've seen a head-to-head between the two that didn't go in MoC's favor yet.

Best Supplement

If it counts, the T-shirt I got with my Metropolis steelbook.

Best Commentary

City Girl This was really Kalat's year all over the place- Sherlock Jr., Metropolis, Fantomas, the improved second edition of his Godzilla book- and as much as I enjoyed the Metropolis commentary, I like the more scholarly, prepared method he employed on City Girl to the looser, more conversational feeling he got with Rosenbaum.

Best Cover and Best Packaging

Metropolis - When I bought this, I didn't think I was going to be able to watch the blu-ray (I've only recently gone region free.) I figured it was worth it anyway just for the steelbook packaging. I wasn't wrong.

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colinr0380
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#12 Post by colinr0380 » Sun Dec 26, 2010 5:58 pm

Best Release

1. Profound Desire of the Gods
2. The World
3. La Signora di Tutti
4. There's Always Tomorrow
5. Metropolis

imhotep
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#13 Post by imhotep » Sun Dec 26, 2010 8:10 pm

Best Releases
1. Metropolis
2. La planète sauvage
3. City Girl
4. M
5. Make Way for Tomorrow

Best Eureka
Paranoiac

Best Cover
City Girl

Best Packaging
Metropolis

Most disappointing release
Vengeance Is Mine [the thick white grain layer made for an annoying picture quality]

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Finch
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#14 Post by Finch » Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:25 am

The only excuse I can make for Profound Desires not being on my list is that I haven't bought it as yet but it's on my shopping list. With that out of the way..

1) There's Always Tomorrow (like zedz I go hot and cold on Sirk but this film ties with Louie Bluie for the most wonderful surprise of the year for me)

2) City Girl
3) Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
4) Burmese Harp (the Blu-Ray enveloped me in the film more so than the Crit DVD and heightened my appreciation for it)
5) Le Grand Jeu

Best Supplements: as usual, the booklets

Best Cover: MoC's weakest year yet, for me a tie between Metropolis & Profound Desires

Best Blu-Ray upgrade: Burmese Harp

Most Disappointing Release: no candidates as I only bought the five listed above plus Make Way For Tomorrow and was pretty happy with all of them
Last edited by Finch on Mon Dec 27, 2010 2:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Landjorden
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#15 Post by Landjorden » Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:52 am

My MoC best of 2010: I have bought about eigthy MoC releases this year but I havn´t had time to see them all so these five are the only ones released this year that I have seen so far.

Best Releases
1. Le grand jeu
2. City Girl
3. Metropolis
4. M
5. Lubitsch in Berlin

Best Bluray upgrade to catalog title
Metropolis, since it´s the only one I´ve seen

Best Reissue
Metropolis

Best Commentary
City Girl

Best Supplement
I will have to say the booklets! They are a joy to read

Best Cover
Metropolis

Best Discovery
Le grand Jeu, bougth it with absolutely no expectations and it blew me away!

Most disappointing release
Lubitsch in Berlin, I have to agree with zedz on this, no extras made me really long for that fat booklet :), but I honestly wouldn´t call the release disappointing, just below the expected standard.

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Tommaso
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#16 Post by Tommaso » Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:07 am

zedz wrote: One problem I have with MoC's releases when it comes to this kind of vote is that so many of their releases replicate (though upgrade) existing releases
My thoughts too, and this is why I think that 2010 was not a particularly strong year for MoC (quite unlike CC, who had their best year for ages). Sure, the blu releases were great for those who prefer to upgrade rather than buy films they haven't seen yet, but I hope that MoC will be slightly more adventurous in 2011. The two Antonionis seem a very fine start.

So, my list of the three MoCs I bought:

Best releases

1. La signora di tutti (one of Ophuls' most beautiful films, and strikingly modern in places, mindblowing is putting it mildly)
2. Metropolis (I never thought I would rank anything higher than this, but the Ophuls really made my day, probably because I had seen the "Metropolis" resto before on arte)
3. Le grand jeu (not a truly great film perhaps, but a nice one, and more Feyder is always welcome).

On the basis of the films alone, of course "City Girl", "M", and all the Lubitsch films are great releases, too.

Best supplement
:
Tag Gallagher's video essay on "La signora di tutti"

Best cover:
The Burmese Harp

Best booklet:
Metropolis (these essays are all very insightful and informative, great pictures, too)

Most Disappointing releases:
Profound Desires of the Gods (for not being available on DVD yet. So this has to wait for the 2011 list.)
Die Puppe (for not being available on its own. So this has to wait indefinitely probably, which is a shame, as it's SUCH a great film).


Moc Waiting to Happen Award
(thanks for this category, zedz):
The long-promised Epstein
And there's also a new restoration of Delannoy/Cocteau's "L'eternel retour" out in France, which I hope might be picked-up and given subs.
And if I may dream: there are so many great silents out there which need a decent release. If it must be Lang again, please look for the new restos of "Harakiri" and "Vier um die Frau", but actually I would much prefer some Grune or Pick.... ;)

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RossyG
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#17 Post by RossyG » Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:11 am

Best Releases

M
La Planete Sauvage
Metropolis

Best Eureka

A tie between Wizards and Paranoiac

Best Supplement

The shorts of La Planete Sauvage

Best Blu Ray upgrade

I've already mentioned La Planete Savage a couple of times, so I'll go with the excellent Une Femme Mariee

MoC Waiting To Happen

UPGRADE: There's an HD version of La Silence de la Mer. If it's any good, I'd be more than happy to upgrade.

NEW TITLE: More Sixties Godard would be nice.

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Tribe
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Re: 2010 MoC Release Summary

#18 Post by Tribe » Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:59 pm

Best Release (DVD):
01-Metropolis
02-Le Grand jeu
03-Sous le soleil de Satan
04-La signora di tutti
05-Lubitsch in Berlin

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