Studio Canal / Kinowelt / Optimum

Vinegar Syndrome, Deaf Crocodile, Imprint, Cinema Guild, and more.
Post Reply
Message
Author
kekid
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:55 pm

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1501 Post by kekid » Sun Mar 26, 2017 11:58 am

MichaelB wrote:
kekid wrote:Blu-ray version of "Diva" has been released by Studio Canal with German subtitles. Who has rights to release this in UK? Any chance Arrow or Eureka MoC might issue it? Could Criterion get in in Region A?
The thread title might give a teensy clue as to who owns the UK rights...
Fair enough. However, in Region A Studio Canal titles have been issued by several labels. I just was not sure if they occasionally license their titles to select labels in UK. I take it from your response that the answer is "no".

User avatar
MichaelB
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
Location: Worthing
Contact:

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1502 Post by MichaelB » Sun Mar 26, 2017 12:09 pm

StudioCanal operates in the UK as well, and they generally don't sublicense their stuff (as I know first-hand, both from trying to get The Masque of the Red Death included in Arrow's Corman/Poe box, and their extras for Three Days of the Condor when I put together the Eureka package).

User avatar
eerik
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:53 pm
Location: Estonia

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1503 Post by eerik » Tue Apr 25, 2017 5:30 am


Costa
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 5:10 pm

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1504 Post by Costa » Tue Apr 25, 2017 8:31 am

I've never seen any Fellini film.
Should I start with this?

User avatar
Drucker
Your Future our Drucker
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 9:37 am

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1505 Post by Drucker » Tue Apr 25, 2017 8:54 am

Yes! Great intro to the director.

User avatar
hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1506 Post by hearthesilence » Tue Apr 25, 2017 11:35 am

Oh man, I know it's usually the first one people see (it was certainly the first film I saw from Fellini) but honestly, I'm not a fan.

It put him on the map commercially, and because of its popularity it became one of the more visible films during the U.S. boom in world cinema in the 1950s and '60s, but Masina's performance is an acquired taste and the whole thing is pretty schematic. Masina is much, much better in Fellini's The Nights of Cabiria - that film and I Vitelloni are possibly my favorite early Fellini films. I would actually watch I Vitelloni as an introduction (maybe even The White Sheik) and after those three see 8 1/2.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1507 Post by domino harvey » Tue Apr 25, 2017 11:56 am

La strada and I Vitelloni are both okay but would not leave me wanting to see more by the director (and indeed La strada was one of the first I saw). Had I seen La dolce vita or Nights of Cabiria first instead of on the tail end, I would have surely been more eager to seek out additional Fellini films

User avatar
tenia
Ask Me About My Bassoon
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1508 Post by tenia » Tue Apr 25, 2017 12:10 pm

IIRC I started with 8 1/2, which I enjoyed a lot while it took me 3 trials to go through La dolce vita (which ended up being much later).

Werewolf by Night

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1509 Post by Werewolf by Night » Tue Apr 25, 2017 12:15 pm

My first Fellini was Satyricon :( . Don't start there.

User avatar
Dr Amicus
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:20 am
Location: Guernsey

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1510 Post by Dr Amicus » Tue Apr 25, 2017 12:36 pm

Orchestra Rehearsal for me - which, incidentally, I really liked...

... more than I did either I Vitelloni or 8 1/2.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1511 Post by swo17 » Tue Apr 25, 2017 12:40 pm

Perhaps Il bidone would be a good entry point? It's a riveting film, and doesn't come with all the canonical baggage of the more obvious options.

User avatar
Roger Ryan
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: A Midland town spread and darkened into a city

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1512 Post by Roger Ryan » Tue Apr 25, 2017 12:45 pm

La Strada has some good moments, but Masina's aping of the Chaplin persona is off-putting, especially given that she is suppose to be a talented clown despite being flatly unfunny. The unearned howls of laughter emanating from every audience she performs for is manipulative and a detriment to the film.

For me, La Dolce Vita is the all-out Fellini masterpiece, but it's more episodic than his earlier films and the three-hour length might be intimidating to newcomers to the director's canon. I would agree with others here that I Vitelloni or Nights of Cabiria might be the best place to start.

User avatar
Cremildo
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:19 pm
Location: Brazil
Contact:

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1513 Post by Cremildo » Tue Apr 25, 2017 12:49 pm

La Strada would be a better place to start than, say, 8 1/2, which was my first Fellini - I found it a bit overwhelming as a neophyte to his style.

Robin Davies
Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:00 am

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1514 Post by Robin Davies » Tue Apr 25, 2017 1:30 pm

Werewolf by Night wrote:My first Fellini was Satyricon :( . Don't start there.
That was not only my introduction to Fellini but my introduction to weird foreign movies.
I instantly became a fan of both.
Personally I prefer the visual extravagance of Fellini's Satyricon - Amarcord - Roma - Casanova period to the earlier, more realistic stuff.

User avatar
hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1515 Post by hearthesilence » Tue Apr 25, 2017 3:11 pm

Quick question - has Studio Canal been sitting on La Strada all this time (since they took back the rights from Criterion)? Except for 8 1/2, I would guess that it used to get more rentals/viewers than any of his other titles - they really dropped the ball by waiting this long. EDIT: never mind, I noticed a bare bones DVD is available in the States.

Anyway, regardless of your taste, La Strada should be seen if you want to know Fellini's work, as well as The White Sheik, The Nights of Cabiria (only available as a burn-on-demand title - pretty ridiculous considering the quality of Criterion's release, now OOP thanks to Studio Canal), I Vitelloni, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Roma and Amarcord.

User avatar
FrauBlucher
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
Location: Greenwich Village

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1516 Post by FrauBlucher » Tue Apr 25, 2017 3:48 pm

It wouldn't surprise me if Criterion announces La Strada in next few months.

User avatar
dwk
Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 6:10 pm

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1517 Post by dwk » Tue Apr 25, 2017 4:22 pm

hearthesilence wrote:Quick question - has Studio Canal been sitting on La Strada all this time (since they took back the rights from Criterion)? Except for 8 1/2, I would guess that it used to get more rentals/viewers than any of his other titles - they really dropped the ball by waiting this long. EDIT: never mind, I noticed a bare bones DVD is available in the States.
Criterion's 2-disc special edition of La Strada is still in print. The film is still with Janus Films in the US.

User avatar
tojoed
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:47 am
Location: Cambridge, England

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1518 Post by tojoed » Tue Apr 25, 2017 4:27 pm

hearthesilence wrote:Quick question - has Studio Canal been sitting on La Strada all this time (since they took back the rights from Criterion)? Except for 8 1/2, I would guess that it used to get more rentals/viewers than any of his other titles - they really dropped the ball by waiting this long. EDIT: never mind, I noticed a bare bones DVD is available in the States.

Anyway, regardless of your taste, La Strada should be seen if you want to know Fellini's work, as well as The White Sheik, The Nights of Cabiria (only available as a burn-on-demand title - pretty ridiculous considering the quality of Criterion's release, now OOP thanks to Studio Canal), I Vitelloni, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Roma and Amarcord.
"Nights of Cabiria" is still available on a DVD every bit as good as the Criterion from Studio Canal themselves. Although it is region 2.

User avatar
hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1519 Post by hearthesilence » Tue Apr 25, 2017 5:36 pm

dwk wrote:Criterion's 2-disc special edition of La Strada is still in print. The film is still with Janus Films in the US.
Ah, was way off - never mind then!
tojoed wrote:"Nights of Cabiria" is still available on a DVD every bit as good as the Criterion from Studio Canal themselves. Although it is region 2.
I noticed it was in-print elsewhere around the world, but it's still OOP here in the States. Good that a DVD with a good transfer can be had and region-free players are common, but really it should be put back into print in the U.S.

User avatar
rockysds
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 11:25 am
Location: Denmark

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1520 Post by rockysds » Fri May 26, 2017 4:52 am

Blu-rays of Lola (Fassbinder), Loot, Diary of a Chambermaid (Buñuel), Tristana and Entertaining Mr. Sloane have been announced as forthcoming.

User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1521 Post by L.A. » Sat Jun 10, 2017 12:45 pm


User avatar
Drucker
Your Future our Drucker
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 9:37 am

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1522 Post by Drucker » Sat Jun 10, 2017 2:58 pm

Le Trou is playing in a 4k restoration at Film Forum next month, so hopefully this release looks great.

User avatar
hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1523 Post by hearthesilence » Sat Jun 10, 2017 3:56 pm

Nice! I was wondering if these would ever get the HD treatment.

User avatar
Drucker
Your Future our Drucker
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 9:37 am

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1524 Post by Drucker » Wed Jun 14, 2017 12:19 pm

Saw the trailer for Le Trou last night and it looked strong. Grain seemed natural, not clumpy looking like in the Japanese blu-ray screen caps. Hopefully the blu-ray delivers.

User avatar
JSC
Joined: Thu May 16, 2013 9:17 am

Re: Studio Canal/Kinowelt/Optimum

#1525 Post by JSC » Thu Jul 06, 2017 10:57 am

Just watched the Studio Canal blu-ray release of La Strada. I haven't seen any
reviews so far so I thought I'd post a few thoughts.

I saw this projected and while the film was certainly watchable, the image appeared a
bit soft in places (with night scenes looking a bit muddy). There are also scenes shot
in bright sunshine where faces almost appear blasted out. On the other hand there
didn't to seem to be much evidence of DNR. I don't know what the state of the film's
source material is, but in comparing it to Criterion's DVD release it was somewhat
underwhelming, especially as the cover art proclaims it as a brand new restoration.

But overall, it's watchable with some interesting extras not on the Criterion disc
including an interview with Giulietta Masina at the Cannes Film Festival.

Post Reply