Criterion and Fox / MGM / Universal

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oldsheperd
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 5:18 pm
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#201 Post by oldsheperd » Mon Jul 26, 2010 2:05 pm

Perhaps Criterion got a couple blu rays to license in trade for letting Universal release Traffic, Do the Right Thing and Spartacus. Let's see an excellent blu ray of Sorcerer finally!

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Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#202 Post by Finch » Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:08 pm

I originally posted the quotes in the Blu-Ray General thread but Universal's upcoming BD of The Game is dreadful if the early review is anything to go by: they've used an old master and applied DNR to it; better still, they haven't even ported the extras from the SE DVD over.

ianungstad
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2005 9:20 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#203 Post by ianungstad » Fri Dec 10, 2010 9:43 pm

If Criterion wants anything else from FOCUS they should work out a deal in the near future...

Universal is in early discussions about selling off Focus Features. According to the rumors, the asking price is $300 million.

I wonder if this potential streamlining is being forced by new owners Comcast?

It would be unfortunate if this ends up leaving Focus shuttered or even severely crippled. There's not many independent/specialty film companies out there left than can handle a wide, national theatrical release for art house fims.

flyonthewall2983
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#204 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:24 am

Along the same lines of my post on the Paramount thread, I'd also think it would be cool if Midnight Run got a number. It did well critically and at the box office, but hasn't been too well represented on home video. Martin Brest is probably still in director jail for Gigli, and I think he deserves his due for films like this.

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Gary Gnu
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:50 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#205 Post by Gary Gnu » Sun Jun 26, 2011 9:40 am

flyonthewall2983 wrote:Along the same lines of my post on the Paramount thread, I'd also think it would be cool if Midnight Run got a number. It did well critically and at the box office, but hasn't been too well represented on home video. Martin Brest is probably still in director jail for Gigli, and I think he deserves his due for films like this.
I agree. Not to mention, De Niro isn't represented in the Collection right now, excluding the Laserdiscs. I'd like to see Criterion release 1900, as well. I forget who had the rights to that DVD. (I think it's out of print now.)

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swo17
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#206 Post by swo17 » Sun Jun 26, 2011 10:28 am

DeNiro is in Brazil.

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Gary Gnu
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:50 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#207 Post by Gary Gnu » Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:10 pm

swo17 wrote:DeNiro is in Brazil.
Wow. That was a fail on my behalf. I wish I could go back and delete that! :oops:

It's a pretty minor role there, though. I still want one that he has a lead role in.

I was also mistaken about the DVD of 1900 being OOP. Paramount owns the rights to the relatively barebones release.

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ASeriousMan
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:31 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#208 Post by ASeriousMan » Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:34 pm

I wonder what Fox is doing with The Coens' Barton Fink. It was included in their previous box set, but is conspicuously absent on the new Blu set coming out. There's a German Blu release forthcoming, not sure of its region code.

Of all of the Coen titles fit for Criterion, Barton Fink would be my pick. Any scuttlebutt regarding this title?

Noiradelic
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#209 Post by Noiradelic » Sun Jun 26, 2011 4:06 pm

1900 is OOP.

bergelson
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 5:48 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#210 Post by bergelson » Mon Jun 27, 2011 3:10 am

Where did you see a forthcoming German release? I can't see any information on Amazon.de

Arthur House
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:20 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#211 Post by Arthur House » Mon Jun 27, 2011 1:08 pm

Gary Gnu wrote:
swo17 wrote:DeNiro is in Brazil.
It's a pretty minor role there, though. I still want one that he has a lead role in.
Unless you count the bonus "Love Conquers All" version, but then (quite rightly) nobody does.

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Gary Gnu
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:50 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#212 Post by Gary Gnu » Mon Jun 27, 2011 2:51 pm

Arthur House wrote:
Gary Gnu wrote:
swo17 wrote:DeNiro is in Brazil.
It's a pretty minor role there, though. I still want one that he has a lead role in.
Unless you count the bonus "Love Conquers All" version, but then (quite rightly) nobody does.
... What's wrong with that version? :cry:

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ASeriousMan
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#213 Post by ASeriousMan » Mon Jun 27, 2011 3:02 pm

bergelson wrote:Where did you see a forthcoming German release? I can't see any information on Amazon.de
My mistake, it's a Swedish release.

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Roger Ryan
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#214 Post by Roger Ryan » Mon Jun 27, 2011 3:15 pm

Gary Gnu wrote:
Arthur House wrote:
Gary Gnu wrote:It's a pretty minor role there, though. I still want one that he has a lead role in.
Unless you count the bonus "Love Conquers All" version, but then (quite rightly) nobody does.
... What's wrong with that version? :cry:
Everything?

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matrixschmatrix
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#215 Post by matrixschmatrix » Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:02 pm

It's actually maybe my favorite part of the package, although I've never managed to watch it through without the commentary- it's an amazing mini-course on the profound impact relatively small changes of cutting, take, and shot order can have, as it really is an entirely different film built of broadly the same materials.

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zedz
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#216 Post by zedz » Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:22 pm

Seconded. The commentary on this is one of the most revealing pieces on the nuts and bolts of filmmaking in the entire Criterion Collection. It shows just how little needs to be done to completely reverse the meaning of a film

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Roger Ryan
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#217 Post by Roger Ryan » Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:30 pm

matrixschmatrix wrote:It's actually maybe my favorite part of the package, although I've never managed to watch it through without the commentary- it's an amazing mini-course on the profound impact relatively small changes of cutting, take, and shot order can have, as it really is an entirely different film built of broadly the same materials.
I don't know that the term "small changes" is really accurate. Perhaps the most inexplicable aspect of this version is the realization about two-thirds through that all the comedy has been cut out!

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matrixschmatrix
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#218 Post by matrixschmatrix » Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:37 pm

Roger Ryan wrote:
matrixschmatrix wrote:It's actually maybe my favorite part of the package, although I've never managed to watch it through without the commentary- it's an amazing mini-course on the profound impact relatively small changes of cutting, take, and shot order can have, as it really is an entirely different film built of broadly the same materials.
I don't know that the term "small changes" is really accurate. Perhaps the most inexplicable aspect of this version is the realization about two-thirds through that all the comedy has been cut out!
Well, right- it's technically small changes, all working with material Gilliam shot etc, but in spite of Gilliam's incredibly distinctive art design the result is almost unrecognizable.

I was in a situation once where I was arguing with someone over the merits of the movie, and we were totally at loggerheads- he insisted the movie didn't make any sense, that it was Hollywood-ish, that it felt like the characterization was all over the place. Eventually it came out he'd only seen it on TV, and at the time the Love Conquers All version was the only one that played on TV- when he watched Gilliam's cut, it immediately became one of his favorite movies. I sometimes wonder how many movies would be similarly transformed if the studios didn't get involved on the back end.

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knives
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#219 Post by knives » Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:47 pm

Or if they did. Ford's original cut of My Darling Clementine is not that good. I'm not saying the present version is a masterpiece, but it's good.

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Matt
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#220 Post by Matt » Mon Jun 27, 2011 5:07 pm

Ford's original cut of Clementine no longer exists. I think (hope?) what you are referring to is Zanuck's theatrical cut. The "pre-release" version reinstates some of the excised footage from the original cut and removes the kiss Zanuck insisted on including.

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knives
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#221 Post by knives » Mon Jun 27, 2011 5:11 pm

That's the stuff I'm referring to yes. It's not as significant as the Brazil stuff, but it does show a two way street situation.

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Gary Gnu
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:50 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#222 Post by Gary Gnu » Mon Jun 27, 2011 5:28 pm

Sorry, guys. I was just joking. With the commentary, that version is very watchable and revealing; but without, it's a grueling experience. (It feels longer than the original 2 1/2 long cut!)

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Matt
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#223 Post by Matt » Mon Jun 27, 2011 5:54 pm

Next time use this:

Image

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Gary Gnu
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Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#224 Post by Gary Gnu » Mon Jun 27, 2011 8:06 pm

I heard about this punctuation mark called the "sarc mark" that's used to indicate sarcasm. It's hard to communicate in writing, I guess.

Here's what it looks like:
Image

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captveg
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:28 pm

Re: Fox and Universal Licenses

#225 Post by captveg » Sun Aug 28, 2011 5:21 pm

So Fox has licensed The Ox-Bow Incident and Yellow Sky to Koch Lorber for European release, and they both just came out on Blu-ray in Germany. What are the chances that Criterion might have picked up either of these from Fox? Their relationship seems to be pretty solid.

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