MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

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Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4151 Post by Calvin » Wed Jan 26, 2022 1:44 pm

I think it's pretty evident that Eureka's focus has shifted in recent years, but I'm not sure there's any staff remaining from the original team. Nick Wrigley and Craig Keller departed some time ago and Ron Benson sadly died in 2015. The ship might have the same name but the wood is different.

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Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4152 Post by Finch » Wed Jan 26, 2022 8:13 pm

I'm very excited about Dreadnaught and Knockabout!

Running Out Of Time 1 & 2 are almost certain to be MoC branded as it'd be odd to break with precedent (Mad Detective, PTU) (why haven't they done Exiled yet? I'd happily replace my HK BD which is a few years old now). Personally, I'm thrilled with the HK releases. The only recent MoC releases I bought were the Keaton Vols 2 & 3 and The Man Who Laughed (their Johnny Guitar release was lovely but about two years too late). Admittedly, I'm waiting on PTU and the Lugosi/Poe trio to go down in price. I think ultimately the pendulum will swing back in favor of MoC when they run out of HK titles to release and that may be as soon as 2023/24, given 88 Films are covering the Cat III stuff and have gotten hold of the Tiger Cages and On The Run (and possibly In The Line Of Duty?). Though, conversely, there are only so many German silents (or US ones for that matter).

Arrow continues to release Japanese films which I think shows that only some Japanese stuff doesn't sell (though sadly that does seem to include Naruse and Mizoguchi and it doesn't bode well for a release of A Page of Madness when Flicker Alley didn't think there was a market for a pressed disc). MoC could do worse than getting yakuza classics like Violent Streets (which Film Movement have for the US) if Arrow haven't gotten there first and titles like The Mad Fox would have been equally at home at MoC. In terms of Hollywood films, they could release, for example, some of James Whale's other 1930s films like By Candlelight. I wonder how the Universal silents have sold...

Edit: I'd actually really welcome MoC doing a W.C. Fields set (on BR.com there's been some ongoing speculation that Indicator might do one). There are also so many screwball comedies not released in the UK yet. Hands Across The Table, Midnight, a Blu-Ray of Trouble in Paradise...
Last edited by Finch on Wed Jan 26, 2022 8:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Glowingwabbit
Joined: Wed May 01, 2013 1:27 pm

Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4153 Post by Glowingwabbit » Wed Jan 26, 2022 8:42 pm

Speaking of German silents, I'd still love for them to do a Sirk set like they did for Lubitsch and wouldn't mind double dipping on the ones Kino already released.

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ryannichols7
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2012 2:26 pm

Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4154 Post by ryannichols7 » Fri Jan 28, 2022 10:48 am

since I don't like to be a sensationalist, two comments from eureka on Facebook regarding the future of MOC:
Please rest assured that our interest in and commitment to the Masters of Cinema Series is still very much live and kicking!
Michael, Graeme & James please rest assured that our commitment to the Masters of Cinema Series is still as strong as ever, even though the number of titles we have released in the series recently has reduced. Eureka still remains a family run business with the same ethos, despite gradual changes in staff over the years. Some of us are still here (and have been for more than 15 years). All our recent deletions are due to our licences expiring. Its nothing unusual, its been happening all the time, but on this occasion we have responded to customer requests on social media to bring more attention to titles that are going out of print, so we have made a bit more of a song and dance about it. Sorry if it has given cause fo concern. Thanks for your continued support!
some words of assurance as I've been pretty concerned with the status of the label

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FrauBlucher
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4155 Post by FrauBlucher » Fri Jan 28, 2022 2:20 pm

Clearly, Arrow's growth, Indicator and Criterion UKs arrival have taken a big chunk out of the Masters of Cinema series the last few years. Definitely doesn't feel the same as it did 5 to 10 years ago with them. But they still rule the silents.

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rapta
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:04 pm
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4156 Post by rapta » Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:25 pm

New announcements on Thursday, and the teaser image is for Sergio Sollima's Revolver which is great news.

Also, not sure if it had been mentioned before but Eureka mentioned it's the 90th Anniversary of Dreyer's Vampyr on their socials recently, and they're theatrically touring it in a few months...so I'd be surprised if a Blu-ray upgrade wasn't on the cards! :)

EDIT: Yup, looks like we're finally getting that Vampyr upgrade according to Amazon listings! Looks like another Limited Edition set so I expect it to be the slipbox + book affair we've had over the past few years. Wonder if they can get the 4K restoration that Criterion somehow didn't manage to acquire?

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ryannichols7
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4157 Post by ryannichols7 » Wed Feb 23, 2022 1:32 pm

we may well have another Passion of Joan of Arc scenario with Vampyr where both copies of the movie are essential to own, but in reverse this time. JoA got a more lavish special edition, book, and inclusion of the Lo Duca version from MOC, but a top shelf transfer and of course the excellent commentary from Criterion. MOC may top criterion on the transfer here but I'd be really impressed if they carried over everything from the Criterion (including a great track from Tony Rayns, as per usual). very curious to see what we get but very, very thrilled by this. Dreyer hasn't had a lot of love lately so this is a step in the right direction, day one purchase for sure

good job Rapta, you saw the signs of this release from the very beginning!

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Finch
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4158 Post by Finch » Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:26 pm

What's this about a 4k restoration of Vampyr? Sources?

Edit: found the answer myself.

Well, I'm glad I did not buy the Crit Blu (I held on to the DVD for the Le Fanu novella).

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FrauBlucher
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4159 Post by FrauBlucher » Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:43 pm

Finch wrote:
Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:26 pm
What's this about a 4k restoration of Vampyr? Sources?

Edit: found the answer myself.

Well, I'm glad I did not buy the Crit Blu (I held on to the DVD for the Le Fanu novella).
Hmmm, this is promising
4K scan of the preservation elements struck from the 1998 restoration by Deutsche Kinemathek and Cineteca di Bologna in association with ZDF/ARTE and Det Danske Filminstitut. The soundtrack was post-produced to separate dialogue and music and allow live orchestral accompaniment. Wolfgang Zeller’s original manuscript were restored for live performance by Timothy Brock. The work was carried out at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in 2021

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Finch
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4160 Post by Finch » Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:48 pm

I'm intrigued as to why Amazon call it a box set. Something along the lines of their original Joan of Arc release probably (possibly including their own printing of the LeFanu novella...?).

Is the footage the censors demanded be trimmed from the film completely lost? Blucher's quote says 4k scan of the preservation elements from the 98 restoration.

edit: I actually really liked Criterion's English language title cards in the original font. The English subs against the original German titles are hard to read in the original version.
Last edited by Finch on Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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dwk
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4161 Post by dwk » Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:38 pm

rapta wrote:
Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:25 pm
Also. Wonder if they can get the 4K restoration that Criterion somehow didn't manage to acquire?
The Criterion disc came out a year or two before the 4K restoration., so that would explain why they did not have access to it.

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yoloswegmaster
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 3:57 pm

Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4162 Post by yoloswegmaster » Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:43 pm

dwk wrote:
Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:38 pm
rapta wrote:
Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:25 pm
Also. Wonder if they can get the 4K restoration that Criterion somehow didn't manage to acquire?
The Criterion disc came out a year or two before the 4K restoration., so that would explain why they did not have access to it.
If we're going by the restoration notes on the Ritrovata site, the Criterion disc was released 4 years prior to the 2021 restoration.

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ryannichols7
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4163 Post by ryannichols7 » Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:16 pm

clearly criterion should've waited on the upgrade, but it was par for the course as they upgrade stuff all the time using older masters (as do other labels). I'm glad nowadays people are more aware of labels using old masters instead of waiting for newer 2K/4K restorations, as there definitely seems to be more pointing this out than ever. Vampyr can be really knocked out of the park by MOC if they can manage the extras - I agree with Finch above that the CC English intertitles (a recreation) are a pretty great option to have in such a text heavy movie. definitely one of the best jobs in that regard along with the FWMS intertitles for Nosferatu

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dwk
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4164 Post by dwk » Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:32 pm

The release was so far back (4 years is ages) that Criterion may not have known that a 4K restoration was going to happen.

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DeprongMori
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4165 Post by DeprongMori » Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:47 pm

Finch wrote:
Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:26 pm
What's this about a 4k restoration of Vampyr? Sources?

Edit: found the answer myself.

Well, I'm glad I did not buy the Crit Blu (I held on to the DVD for the Le Fanu novella).
The Criterion Blu-ray release does include the book from the DVD release. I would have held on to my DVD had it been dropped.

I believe the only releases that lost their books on Blu-ray upgrade were Short Cuts dropping the volume of Raymond Carver stories and Two Lane Blacktop dropping the screenplay volume. (Other releases have certainly had their printed material trimmed though over the years.)

black&huge
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2017 5:35 am

Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4166 Post by black&huge » Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:51 pm

rapta wrote:
Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:25 pm
New announcements on Thursday, and the teaser image is for Sergio Sollima's Revolver which is great news.
WOW. I have been waiting so long for an HD release and from MoC? good lord never would have guessed. This is big!

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

Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4167 Post by dwk » Wed Feb 23, 2022 6:09 pm

DeprongMori wrote:
Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:47 pm
The Criterion Blu-ray release does include the book from the DVD release. I would have held on to my DVD had it been dropped.

I believe the only releases that lost their books on Blu-ray upgrade were Short Cuts dropping the volume of Raymond Carver stories and Two Lane Blacktop dropping the screenplay volume. (Other releases have certainly had their printed material trimmed though over the years.)
It is worth pointing out that the DVD versions of those lost the books long before the Blu-rays happened. Short Cuts because the rights expired. Not sure if that is why Two Lane Blacktop lost its book or not.

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rapta
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4168 Post by rapta » Wed Feb 23, 2022 7:12 pm

ryannichols7 wrote:
Wed Feb 23, 2022 1:32 pm
we may well have another Passion of Joan of Arc scenario with Vampyr where both copies of the movie are essential to own, but in reverse this time. JoA got a more lavish special edition, book, and inclusion of the Lo Duca version from MOC, but a top shelf transfer and of course the excellent commentary from Criterion. MOC may top criterion on the transfer here but I'd be really impressed if they carried over everything from the Criterion (including a great track from Tony Rayns, as per usual). very curious to see what we get but very, very thrilled by this. Dreyer hasn't had a lot of love lately so this is a step in the right direction, day one purchase for sure

good job Rapta, you saw the signs of this release from the very beginning!
Ahah yes, was about to point out that it would be funny to see MoC better Criterion on Vampyr when the reverse happened with The Passion of Joan of Arc (though I wonder if this does well, MoC might well re-release the latter with the Gaumont/CNC restoration, and perhaps some early Dreyer attached to justify a double-dip). Of course, it could just be a similar master to Criterion in which case this is less exciting (but I will still buy it nevertheless, as the more Dreyer upgrades the better).

To be fair someone on BR.com pointed out the theatrical re-release (listed on the FDA site) but I did notice Eureka heavily hinting the 90th anniversary so I knew something was finally coming! That and the constant requests from me and everyone else.
black&huge wrote:
Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:51 pm
rapta wrote:
Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:25 pm
New announcements on Thursday, and the teaser image is for Sergio Sollima's Revolver which is great news.
WOW. I have been waiting so long for an HD release and from MoC? good lord never would have guessed. This is big!
Definitely one of the longest waits for an upgrade, but I'm hoping it'll be worth the wait. They definitely didn't disappoint with MoC upgrades like House, Kwaidan, Michael, The Holy Mountain and The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, so it's looking good for this one.

Makes me hopeful for other DVD upgrades in the future. Feasibly they could do Silence, There's Always Tomorrow, Muriel, perhaps L'Argent or even Pitfall/The Face of Another. Resurrect the hey-day of MoC, but in HD! Naruse is waiting......

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Finch
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4169 Post by Finch » Wed Feb 23, 2022 8:00 pm

More Japanese auteurs seems to be a pipe dream sadly. The only Japanese titles MoC have released recently were genre titles like Kwaidan and the Sci-fi double bill. I have no idea how Pitfall and The Face Of Another sold on DVD but hopefully better than Mizo and Naruse did! If the UK gets any Teshigahara in HD, I frankly expect it to be more likely from Arrow or the BFI.

Given the condition of the surviving materials for Vampyr, I'm curious just how much of an improvement the 4k scan is going to yield. We'll know in three months. I'm not a huge fan of the film (I think it'd have played better as a silent all the way through, the dialogue always takes me out of the dreamlike atmosphere of the film) but want to support the release anyway to make a MoC release of the remaining Dreyer silents more financially palatable to Eureka.

Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4170 Post by Calvin » Wed Feb 23, 2022 8:09 pm

Same here, Finch. I'm really not sure why MoC (or any other label, but they seem best placed) have never released any of Dreyer's early silents seeing as they've had HD masters by the Danish Film Institute for at least a decade now in some cases. Dreyer has clearly sold well enough for them to justify Blu-Ray upgrades for both Michael and now Vampyr and I can't imagine that there are any rights issues. They'd make a nice box set, but I'd be very surprised if we find out that's why Vampyr has been labelled as such!

A nice release of Two People is also long overdue.


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rapta
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4171 Post by rapta » Thu Feb 24, 2022 12:46 pm

Finch wrote:
Wed Feb 23, 2022 8:00 pm
More Japanese auteurs seems to be a pipe dream sadly. The only Japanese titles MoC have released recently were genre titles like Kwaidan and the Sci-fi double bill. I have no idea how Pitfall and The Face Of Another sold on DVD but hopefully better than Mizo and Naruse did! If the UK gets any Teshigahara in HD, I frankly expect it to be more likely from Arrow or the BFI.

Given the condition of the surviving materials for Vampyr, I'm curious just how much of an improvement the 4k scan is going to yield. We'll know in three months. I'm not a huge fan of the film (I think it'd have played better as a silent all the way through, the dialogue always takes me out of the dreamlike atmosphere of the film) but want to support the release anyway to make a MoC release of the remaining Dreyer silents more financially palatable to Eureka.
I did ask the BFI about their plans re: Japanese titles a few years ago and they sounded more interested in Naruse than Teshigahara...but obviously nothing has come from that. Perhaps Arrow will upgrade those eventually, as it does seem within their wheelhouse (they may need to do some restoration work themselves, which might have put Eureka off).

There'll be a trailer for Vampyr uploaded to Eureka's YouTube page in about half an hour, will be curious to see how it looks.
Calvin wrote:
Wed Feb 23, 2022 8:09 pm
Same here, Finch. I'm really not sure why MoC (or any other label, but they seem best placed) have never released any of Dreyer's early silents seeing as they've had HD masters by the Danish Film Institute for at least a decade now in some cases. Dreyer has clearly sold well enough for them to justify Blu-Ray upgrades for both Michael and now Vampyr and I can't imagine that there are any rights issues. They'd make a nice box set, but I'd be very surprised if we find out that's why Vampyr has been labelled as such!

A nice release of Two People is also long overdue.
Perhaps Eureka are laying the groundwork for some more Dreyer releases, since they've certainly released far riskier and more obscure silent films before, especially recently with things like Joe May's The Indian Tomb (rather than the later and more notorious Fritz Lang version), The Son of the Sheik (rather than getting The Sheik first from Paramount, or releasing both in a box set) and the Early Universal collections, though admittedly they very wisely spaced those out with some with bigger names like Keaton, Leni, Ford, Wiene and Pabst to keep the interest up.

It certainly would be a good time for them to take a look into such a proposition now that they've done Vampyr (and before that, Michael, and way before Criterion or Kino have upgraded which was impressive and somewhat unexpected). I think I said it elsewhere but perhaps they'd be wise to try and do the Gaumont/CNC restoration of The Passion of Joan of Arc for the 95th anniversary and include a bonus disc or two of other Dreyer works. I didn't bother with their 90th Anniversary edition of Metropolis (since I already had the excellent steelbook edition they did a couple of years before) but I'd very much be up for double-dipping on one of their best titles if they could achieve such a thing. Would be a wise way to renew the license too if that was incoming...

Calvin
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4172 Post by Calvin » Thu Feb 24, 2022 5:47 pm

I think the 'groundwork' was done when they first released Vampyr 14 years ago!

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Finch
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4173 Post by Finch » Tue Mar 22, 2022 7:12 pm

Lon Chaney's Outside The Law is the teaser image for Thursday's announcement.

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ryannichols7
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4174 Post by ryannichols7 » Tue Mar 22, 2022 7:24 pm

Finch wrote:
Tue Mar 22, 2022 7:12 pm
Lon Chaney's Outside The Law is the teaser image for Thursday's announcement.
more 1920s universal silents, excellent. wonder if this will be a standalone or part of Early Universal vol. 3? I assume this is the 1920 Tod Browning version

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rapta
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

#4175 Post by rapta » Wed Mar 23, 2022 2:12 pm

Quite a nice surprise for Eureka's June slate in the form of Lee Hsing's Execution in Autumn for Masters of Cinema!

Exciting stuff, not heard of this but immediately has my attention as it sounds closer to King Hu than the stuff they've been putting out under Eureka Classics. Happy to support any new Asian titles from MoC so will be blind-buying for sure.

EDIT: Also being released that month are Tod Browning's Outside the Law (MoC) and Huang Feng's The Shaolin Plot (Eureka Classics).

Guessing the other two upcoming Huang Feng titles (Hapkido, Lady Whirlwind) might come in a double-set/small box set since they both have the same star in Angela Mao.

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