Well, not quite perfect. Criterion is supposed to be sitting on The Shooting, which would be a much more pressing release (wouldn't a Criterion edition be the first proper US release of that masterpiece in any format, including 35mm?) And isn't Cockfighter long OOP? I think Oates might be even better in that than he is in Alfredo Garcia.

I'm not sure if VCI actually cooperated with the rightsholder, but they did do a good director-approved transfer with a Hellman/Millie Perkins commentary. But it's been OOP for awhile and Criterion could top it pretty easily.

Was the VCI uncropped? Almost every other version I've come across has been the TV print (i.e. P&S PoS).

It was a full anamorphic widescreen transfer with what I assume is proper framing -- I doubt Hellman would approve it otherwise. They're certainly not cropped. VCI did a similarly good simultaneous release of Ride in the Whirlwind.

Yes, the VCI SHOOTING/WHIRLWIND discs looked pretty damn good even blown up to 8x13 feet on "the great wall". Commentary by Hellman and Perkins is informative and fun (though the latter tends to gush a bit excessively at times) but I seem to recall that the menus were a bit clumsy/glitchy. For the price they were a fabulous deal and I'd say they came closest to the technical high water mark of CITY OF THE DEAD among VCI releases. This said, I'd welcome them and COCKFIGHTER with open arms into CC. I'm still in shock over the fantastic treatment they afforded TWO-LANE BLACKTOP!

People who commentate with Hellman seem to have a propensity to gush, as so did Allison Anders on her track with him for Two-Lane Blacktop. (Though perhaps in her case it was jealousy?)

Has anything changed regarding the now OOP Scanners?

Has anyone in this thread mentioned 'Some Like It Hot'? It's never had the treatment it deserves..

Not going to happen. Too popular a title for MGM to sublicense to an outside company.

I might have thought the same thing of Paths of Glory and Night of the Hunter.

From what I've heard, those two have never been very big sellers. There were people in MGM who loved the movies and wanted to do special edition DVDs, but the feeling was that sales figures didn't justify it. I think that SOME LIKE IT HOT being a comedy, plus the presence of Marilyn, gives it broader appeal.

I can see how Night of the Hunter, as great as it is, would be a low seller, but I'm surprised to hear that about Paths of Glory.

It seems to me that on top of that, Some Like It Hot is always near the top of the list of greatest comedies of all time. I don't think those other two films get quite that distinction for their respective genres.

Don't know the sales numbers, but MGM has put out two tepid editions with poor transfers -

The original barebones DVD of SLIH was poor, and the first MGM Special Edition (which was still not 16 x 9) was disappointing, but I thought the 2-disc Collector's Edition (which was 16 x 9 and included a lengthy docu) was pretty good.

Thanks, that one had somehow escaped my notice completely. Sounds pretty good.

Does anyone think Criterion might or should have a crack at John Huston's MOBY DICK? The MGM disc is a cropped dull transfer, not doing justice at all.

I think it's actually open-matte

For anyone hoping for a Criterion edition of Richard Lester's How I Won the War, forget it. It's being released exclusively through MGM's VOD service this month.

Time to get the R2 then.

And this is a DVD-R? Madness.

I sent an email to Mulvaney asking about Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men.
Hi Ian,

Thanks for your email!

We do hope to release this film in the future, but don't have an exact date set! So please stay tuned!

Thanks for supporting Criterion!

Best,

JM

Sounds like something I'd buy for my dad.

What's wrong with the current MGM edition (aside from not being on Blu-ray or having a wacky C)?