Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[domino harvey]

You’d think they’d release Les Miserables at least

[Walter Kurtz]

Dear JM,

1---Okay funny haha pretending this is April 1 and not September 15 and trolling us with that December slate.
2---I am sad about the Klein delay.
3---I’m sure you are aware of the Delon doc that has behind the scenes location footage of Mr. Klein... and I'm sure your VP in Charge of Finding Cool Shit Like This has not been sleeping on the job and has actually found cool stuff like this seeing as how it’s on youtube and a few minutes of footage can’t cost you that much.
4---I’m also sure that the delay in releasing Klein is Delon;s availability for a lengthy interview that will include cool stuff like the interviewer tossing a Samourai hat and then a Klein hat at AD and asking him which hat is more meaningful for him right now. If you are having a hard time pinning AD down just fly me the fuck over there and I'll get the interview.

Best, Kurtz

[dwk]

... Amazon had a deal with Lionsgate prior to this, right? I'm guessing Amazon didn't like the deal with them...

Well, what company that has signed an output deal with Lionsgate ultimately ends up happy they signed an output deal with Lionsgate?

[Amazing Goose]

That New York Times article a few months back about there being so few films by black directors must have really hit a nerve. We're getting one or two a month now--not that I'm complaining, I'm just surprised at how quickly the change happened. And, granted, there could be a number of factors involved as well--largely societal movements beyond that article, maybe they had a lot of these in the queue for a while decided to move them up, etc.

[Maltic]

They already released an Amazon title, Cold War

I thought that one had a fairly traditional release cycle for a Europudding somewhat-hit

[Walter Kurtz]

Maybe I'm just crazy but I can remember a day when a film like Klein would be considered terribly inclusive.

[petitdelon]

What happened to that December release of Klein we were promised

Yeah, where is it?! (grumble grumble)

Maybe they are beefing up the release by getting rights to Hideo Nakata's Losey documentary, The Man With Four Names, which it seems no one has seen but features a full lineup of close Losey collaborators. The Studio Canal release has only a couple of film-critic interiews/commentary. Been holding off on buying the SC release in anticipation of a CC release.

Does CC ever use SC extras and add subtitles to them? Only one I can think off top of my head is Chambre 12, Hotel de Suède which was on the StudioCanal release and only added to the Criterion release of Breathless with the 2016 reprint (perhaps earlier, not sure). I ask because there's a beefier StudioCanal release of Monsieur Klein in France, a collector's edition, which has way more extras than the meagre UK release. Unfortunately, only the feature is subtitled on the French collector's edition.

EDIT: Just noticed that Hotel de Suède had always been on the Breathless release – so scratch that :D

[bdsweeney]

I've not seen One Night in Miami, so I can't comment one way or the other about its qualities. But the inclusion of Kasi Lemmons in the extras makes me think ... release Eve's Bayou already goddamnit!

[cdnchris]

That one was rumoured to be coming right???

Also, on another note, I had somehow forgot she was in Silence of the Lambs.

[Matt]

Is anyone really excited about King’s film though?

On this forum? Of course not. But I don’t doubt that it will sell well for Criterion. It’s a fine, handsomely made play adaptation that was widely acclaimed across industry and critics awards groups, made by a Black woman first-time director at the top of her acting career. It’s certainly of greater general and artistic interest than some of the IFC stuff they’ve released this century.

[dwk]

That one was rumoured to be coming right???

I don't think so. It is a Lionsgate title, so, at the time of the article, it wasn't likely to happen, but Lionsgate does seem more open to licensing titles.

[omegadirective]

I'm excited for One Night in Miami.
I'm disappointed it won't be a 4K release, but the movie is fantastic.
Kemp Powers is a name to watch as well.
This and Soul were the best two films of last year.

[black&huge]

That one was rumoured to be coming right???

I don't think so. It is a Lionsgate title, so, at the time of the article, it wasn't likely to happen, but Lionsgate does seem more open to licensing titles.

We'll finally know that Lionsgate is fully comfortable licensing out when they let Criterion release Dogville.

[yoloswegmaster]

George Feltenstein was on this podcast where he was asked about home video releases for the following titles:

Petulia(1968)
The Devils
Pennies from Heaven(1981)
Twice Upon a Time
Amadeus 4K
After Hours
The Mosquito Coast
Funny Farm (already released by WB)
Men Don't Leave
M. Butterfly (already released by Shout)
The Butcher Boy(1997)

He revealed that some of the titles on this list have been licensed to Criterion and Shout Factory. With Feltenstein saying that he is very interested in doing Pennies from Heaven and that Twice Upon a Time could be a possible future release, I could see After Hours and The Devils being the titles that have been licensed to Criterion.

[therewillbeblus]

Petulia would be amazing coming from either label

[Big Ben]

I'm under the impression that After Hours has been rumored to be coming from Criterion for a long time now. But The Devils? That would be an absolute victory for anyone to finally snatch from Warner Brothers' absurdly restrictive clutches. The only thing that I really want to know is which version will be getting released.

[beamish14]

George Feltenstein was on this podcast where he was asked about home video releases for the following titles:



He revealed that some of the titles on this list have been licensed to Criterion and Shout Factory. With Feltenstein saying that he is very interested in doing Pennies from Heaven and that Twice Upon a Time could be a possible future release

Men Don't Leave and Twice Upon a Time would be wonderful. The latter was released with a surprising degree of effort from the WB Archive, but the two versions of it differ in more than just their audio tracks; there are some minor scene additions here and there. i'm not holding my breath, though, given that Criterion turned down The Plague Dogs, a decision that still stuns me.

Along with Amadeus, I hope the Zaentz Company licenses At Play in the Field of the Lord, which has reverted to them from Universal

[dwk]

Last week, on the same show, they called him and asked about The Devils and, if I remember correctly, at best, he said that with changes in management, it might, possibly, happen. So I'm not holding my breath on that one.

I do remember the time before that, when he was on the entire episode, he mentioned that Criterion wants, and Philip Kaufman wants them to, release The Unbearable Lightness of Being. So now that the Zaentz Company has renewed with WB, I'd expect that.

[Pavel]

he mentioned that Criterion wants, and Philip Kaufman wants them to, release The Unbearable Lightness of Being. So now that the Zaentz Company has renewed with WB, I'd expect that.

You mean an upgrade?

[CSM126]

he mentioned that Criterion wants, and Philip Kaufman wants them to, release The Unbearable Lightness of Being. So now that the Zaentz Company has renewed with WB, I'd expect that.

You mean an upgrade?

I would hope so, because the alternative is a VHS downgrade and that just seems silly.

[Walter Kurtz]

I'm excited for One Night in Miami.
I'm disappointed it won't be a 4K release, but the movie is fantastic.
Kemp Powers is a name to watch as well.
This and Soul were the best two films of last year.

Poetry month! I thought I'd respond to yours with haiku.

‘Night in Miami’
the movie is fantastic.
but no Monsieur Klein

[dwk]

You mean an upgrade?

Yes. I believe the film got a 4K restoration a couple of years back and that has yet to be released on Blu-ray.

[Calvin]

One of these days, someone will ask Feltenstein about when we're finally going to get a restoration for Ford's 7 Women.

[chrisandy007]

According to Bill Hunt, Amadeus is slated for 4K down the pike from Criterion.

[swo17]

Are you referring to this from The Digital Bits website?

We’re also hearing that a new 4K restoration of Miloš Forman’s Amadeus (1984) might be coming in the months ahead from Criterion, licensed to them by Warner Bros. This would include at least the theatrical version, which Forman now considers to be his official director’s cut. (What’s been commonly known as the director’s cut is apparently considered by Forman to be a “DVD Cut” only.)

Why does he only say "might"?