Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[domino harvey]

So much for his claims just days prior that they could outbid Criterion...

[ianungstad]

His claim that Kino was offered Donnie Darko and decided they didn't want it also seems pretty fishy.

[captveg]

MisterLime always talks big, but if you filter out the hyperbole by distilling it down to the root basics of his message he provides some valuable insight. Just gotta read through the machismo.

[FrauBlucher]

I can take Lime any day over that "film historian." Machismo and all.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

I picked up the MGM Straw Dogs at an HEB last week, so I think I deserve some of the credit here. Thankfully it was only four bucks.

[mfunk9786]

I've kept my Straw Dogs DVD for a long time on the strength of its all time great commentary, but I still own the Blu-ray for when I just want to watch the film. Will be great if Criterion is able to finally upgrade that DVD someday.

[Drucker]

Hopefully (and presumably) Straw Dogs will carry a proper restoration and not just be the same old Criterion Master that was likely on the first blu-ray.

[colinr0380]

Straw Dogs coming back with an upgrade is brilliant news. I hope it retains all the extras (and then some). The Commentary by Stephen Prince is one of my favorites.

Another thing to wonder about here is whether the BBC Man of Iron documentary that appeared on Criterion's DVD edition of Straw Dogs and was recently hugely expanded on in the Arrow UK edition of Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia set gets ported across.

[captveg]

I've kept my Straw Dogs DVD for a long time on the strength of its all time great commentary, but I still own the Blu-ray for when I just want to watch the film. Will be great if Criterion is able to finally upgrade that DVD someday.

I never got around to getting the MGM Blu-ray of Straw Dogs (I have the DVD), but I do have both the Criterion DVDs and MGM BDs of the Hitchcock films because of the unique bonus content. It will be nice "consolidating" them with new Criterion BD upgrades.

[Minkin]

Interesting comment from MisterLime when asked about Criterion having Straw Dogs:

Straw Dogs was part of a much smaller package we bid on and lost. I cannot mention of the other titles in that small package without announcing another label's upcoming releases.

I'm sure this "small package of titles" was Criterion's pick of the litter before passing everything else to Kino. Straw Dogs shouldn't be part of any different a deal /package than the rest of Kino's selections &Straw Dogs is clearly one of the most sought-after titles of said collection. I'm sure everything Criterion previously released is a given, but what other interesting films might be part of this "much smaller package?"

Oddly enough, I can thank Olive for my copy of Straw Dogs - back before they started releasing stuff of their own, they were actually an online retailer and somehow had new copies of Criterion's Straw Dogs available for like $25! Around the same time, they had some deal where you got every one of their releases for a year for like $80 (before they rapid-fired titles everyday).

We got caught up in the cover art, but never thought to wonder why Aude Hesbert and #BertrandBonello were there. One of Bonello's films? Or just giving some appreciation interview for the Marseilles Trilogy?

Sorry to disappoint Zedz, I'm not quite that talented. My sister on the other hand..

[dwk]

We got caught up in the cover art, but never thought to wonder why Aude Hesbert and #BertrandBonello were there. One of Bonello's films? Or just giving some appreciation interview for the Marseilles Trilogy?

They were in New York for Film Society's Rendez-Vous with French Cinema and, I think, they were just visiting Criterion's office.

[Ribs]

I'm glad that this means my slight overreaction to people insisting the Woody Allen page couldn't be for Take the Money and Run is a little more warranted in retrospect, as surely if anything that's the one title Criterion would add on from this package

(TBH I'm a little surprised they'd have passed on Prizzi's Honor, but I'm happy to get it from Kino too)

[Malickite]

I think they're ditching the white border on the old design. Too bad, I always liked that choice

I think they're keeping the border. The printed Straw Dogs covers are notably shorter than the others. I bet the new cover will have the same layout as the old one: "Dustin Hoffman" on top, Title and "A Film by Sam Peckinpah" on the bottom.

[Stefan Andersson]

A restoration/upgrade of Straw Dogs would be excellent.

A good opportunity for producing a featurette about the U S and European cuts of the rape scene. Stephen Prince discusses it in Savage Cinema. Don´t remember if he discusses it on his audio commentary.

[John Doe]

Potential CC alert. Via Kino's FB:

"The Magnificent Seven was acquired by another label. Cannot say who, but you won't be disappointed".

Since Shout! isn't too big on older flicks, and since Mr. Lime would've never said 'you won't be disappointed' for Twilight Time, I'd say there's a good chance it's with CC.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Potential CC alert. Via Kino's FB:

"The Magnificent Seven was acquired by another label. Cannot say who, but you won't be disappointed".

Since Shout! isn't too big on older flicks, and since Mr. Lime would've never said 'you won't be disappointed' for Twilight Time, I'd say there's a good chance it's with CC.

Sturges also has a phantom page. It's a pretty good assumption this is what it was for, especially since Bad Day at Black Rock is evidently off the table (due to the Warner Archive release).

[chatterjees]

Potential CC alert. Via Kino's FB:

"The Magnificent Seven was acquired by another label. Cannot say who, but you won't be disappointed".

Since Shout! isn't too big on older flicks, and since Mr. Lime would've never said 'you won't be disappointed' for Twilight Time, I'd say there's a good chance it's with CC.

Sturges also has a phantom page. It's a pretty good assumption this is what it was for, especially since Bad Day at Black Rock is evidently off the table (due to the Warner Archive release).

Being a big Western fan, it is already disappointing (in my opinion) that Kino (not Criterion) will be releasing The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 50th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition, and Criterion will probably end up releasing The Magnificent Seven. So, what's the point of having that Leone ghost page?

[Ribs]

As probably happened with Barton Fink, Criterion probably just kept sitting on the rights for too long that the studio sold them to Kino instead.

[dwk]

As probably happened with Barton Fink, Criterion probably just kept sitting on the rights for too long that the studio sold them to Kino instead.

I'm pretty sure the phantom pages for The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly pre-date MGM's 4K sourced Blu-ray. So, if Criterion had licensed it, I think MGM asked for it back to release it themselves using the new 4K master.

[FrauBlucher]

This came from bluray.com when suggested that Criterion is getting the 4k of Silence of the Lambs.

No, we got outbid on Silence and another title, but got The Good, the Bad and Ugly, so we can't expect to win em all. What we lost was not a bigger film than Silence, but probably the top 1 to 3 most requested horror film and it was from another studio.

It looks like MGM is licensing their biggest titles.

[Drucker]

I seriously hope this means we get a Criterion release of the Manhattan restoration.

[cdnchris]

So that last large entry of directors to Criterion's site, who all had MGM titles to their name, probably does mean something (Thelma & Louise, The Magnificent Seven and/or The Great Escape, West Side Story, The Usual Suspects, Bull Durham, and so on). I still find it interesting that Criterion would go after The Magnificent Seven over Good, Bad, Ugly, though maybe Kino wanted it more? At least it looks like Kino is putting out a pretty decent edition.

[Drucker]

If Kino is releasing the exact same transfer that is still in print and only came out a year ago, presumably they figured that would hurt sales figures (as opposed to something like Strangelove, which at least was OOP for a decent share of time?)

[dwk]

So that last large entry of directors to Criterion's site, who all had MGM titles to their name, probably does mean something (Thelma & Louise, The Magnificent Seven and/or The Great Escape, West Side Story, The Usual Suspects, Bull Durham, and so on). I still find it interesting that Criterion would go after The Magnificent Seven over Good, Bad, Ugly, though maybe Kino wanted it more? At least it looks like Kino is putting out a pretty decent edition.

I imagine that everything in MGM's catalog (except, maybe, the Bond films) is up for licensing. Hopefully most of it ends up with companies other than Twilight Time.

I think it is disappointing that they got The Magnificent Seven instead of the Leone (or any Leone, as I assume that Kino got all four of MGM's Leone films,) but Drucker may be on to something with the current MGM 4K sourced special edition Blu of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly being in-print and available for $8, Criterion may have felt it wasn't worth overspending on it.

[RSTooley]

SpoilerShow

Look for a potential upgrade of Ugetsu to be announced later today. Ugetsu has been added to the 'coming soon' page on Criterion, but without any additional details.