Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

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Cinephrenic
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#51 Post by Cinephrenic » Tue Mar 26, 2019 7:12 am

Fandom insanity.

John Shade
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#52 Post by John Shade » Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:58 am

Is there a speculation thread on the end of home media in general? That seems to be connected with this spine 1000 speculation.

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Dansu Dansu Dansu
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#53 Post by Dansu Dansu Dansu » Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:44 am

Criterion does seem to care about such things, though, regardless of one’s personal opinion on the matter. Fandom in packaging and presentation, for better or worse, is part of the company’s appeal. Spine numbers have been meaningful in the past (666 for certain, presumably 500 and 900, and possibly the Anderson releases), which suggests spine 1,000, as both a milestone and a reset, would be meaningful. If Citizen Kane is actually coming to the Collection, then I imagine it would take the honor. They passed on Blue Velvet, so I imagine it will be something extraordinary.

Does it have to be a single release, though? Could it be an Olympic/Bergman-sized boxset, possibly a blu-ray retrospective? Or Naruse? Something wildly popular and universally anticipated like that? (...)

Just to feed the fires of irresponsible and groundless speculation which is such a beloved hallmark of the forum: playing on 1001 and The Mirror as mentioned previously, could that spine go to The Shining instead? This was actually rumored to be coming to Criterion after Lee Unkrich visited the closet. Also, 1001 will be released roughly around October, I believe?

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soundchaser
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#54 Post by soundchaser » Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:47 am

Warner is supposed to be releasing The Shining in UHD themselves, so I really doubt it's coming from Criterion.

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Dansu Dansu Dansu
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#55 Post by Dansu Dansu Dansu » Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:53 pm

soundchaser wrote:
Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:47 am
Warner is supposed to be releasing The Shining in UHD themselves, so I really doubt it's coming from Criterion.
Not that I was being too serious about this, but I’m sure Warner will also release Citizen Kane in UHD as well. Criterion Blu-ray is a profitable niche market, a final profit squeeze for major studios at the end of the format’s life cycle.

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Yaanu
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#56 Post by Yaanu » Tue Mar 26, 2019 9:06 pm

Watch Criterion court controversy and congratulations with a packed release of "The Birth of a Nation" (1915).

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domino harvey
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#57 Post by domino harvey » Tue Mar 26, 2019 9:20 pm

About as likely as Criterion releasing their David Hamilton holdings

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furbicide
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#58 Post by furbicide » Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:22 am

Lol, is that legit? There was actually a time when there was a prospect of a special Criterion Collection edition of Bilitis? :shock:

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dwk
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#59 Post by dwk » Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:28 am

They have Premiers Désirs (which, to the shock of no one, was often on the list of the most watched titles on Hulu.)

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domino harvey
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#60 Post by domino harvey » Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:42 am

And Arrow not only has it too, but they released it and Tendres cousines on DVD in the UK years ago, so somehow the two biggest arthouse labels own these controversy magnets that will likely never again receive home video treatment

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MichaelB
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#61 Post by MichaelB » Wed Mar 27, 2019 4:08 am

kcota17 wrote:
Wed Mar 20, 2019 10:05 pm
An Orson Welles set ala the Bergman Set would make more sense for the 1000th spine. Would make Citizen Kane more justified and gives them the chance to do Other Side of the Wind and other rumored films as well.
I can't even begin to imagine what a licensing nightmare that would be. Career-spanning box sets are only really feasible if the filmmaker worked primarily with one rightsholder - hence Bergman, Rohmer, Truffaut, Alan Clarke. But emphatically not Welles!
Dansu Dansu Dansu wrote:
Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:53 pm
Not that I was being too serious about this, but I’m sure Warner will also release Citizen Kane in UHD as well.
I doubt that the surviving elements are good enough for UHD. Although they did an excellent job with the Blu-ray, it's easy to tell by eye that it's not from the original neg. Granted, that doesn't preclude them from doing a UHD, but I'd certainly wait for reviews before taking the plunge.

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DRW.mov
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#62 Post by DRW.mov » Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:22 pm

The real question, for both Warner and Criterion, is what would sell better, a UHD upgrade of the prior WB disc solely for the ultra niche UHD market (which seems to have very little interest in older titles, let alone black and white), or a lavish Criterion blu-ray release that they can sell at a higher price than a UHD blu ray and move more units. There’s simply a bigger audience of a Criterion Kane than there is for a UHD Kane.

I think their Ambersons release shows that perfectly. And, as mentioned, it would be the best home for Mark Cousins’ new doc. We also know they’re in talks with Netflix for at least Roma and possibly Wind, so I would not be surprised if we got 1,000 - Citizen Kane, 1,001 - The Other Side of the Wind.

And again, as mentioned, the prior WB blu of Kane wasn’t that spectacular. Yes, the Ultimate edition had the two additional movies from the 90s and a bunch of (pointless) swag, but when it was paired down to the standard release, it’s just an ok 1080 transfer, a commentary, less than 20min of interviews, and some newsreel footage. We all know what CC did for Ambersons, Lyndon, and Being There. On top of a new transfer they could absolutely stack it like nobody’s business. Again, Janus is sitting on an entire doc that they made in the 90s for one of their laserdisc releases interviewing huge directors discussing Kane. This isn’t going to be the scenario of Strangelove of a nearly identical disc, but even if it is Criterion would still fight to do it and it would sell like hot cakes.

All I’m saying is that 1,000 or not, we should expect it.

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domino harvey
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#63 Post by domino harvey » Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:30 pm

I can’t believe some of you still think UHD is ever happening for Criterion

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tenia
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#64 Post by tenia » Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:30 pm

Wait, are we now saying the Citizen Kane BD spots a "ok" transfer ? As much as I always found the extras features lacking, and while it's from 3 nitrate fine grain master positives and not the (missing) O-Neg, it still is a very competent and capable 4K restoration.
Sure, it's not the best PQ ever for a catalog movie and restorations can age fast, but still. Even if Criterion was to commission a new 4K restoration, it's doubtful PQ would be noticeably improved.

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MichaelB
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#65 Post by MichaelB » Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:34 pm

tenia wrote:
Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:30 pm
Wait, are we now saying the Citizen Kane BD spots a "ok" transfer ?
The word I used was "excellent".

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movielocke
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#66 Post by movielocke » Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:56 pm

Circling back to the idea of Citizen Kane at 1000 and Mirror at 1001, this seems unlikely because Issa Clubb has done every Welles release as well as all the recent Tarkovsky, so those two titles back to back would be beyond normal release pattern expectations.

He’s also likely to have Come and See, the Koker trilogy and a Taste of Cherry upgrade all on deck.

And if criterion is looking at upgrading Arkadin or releasing Other Side of the Wind they are likely to be him as well. One person can only do so much!

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tenia
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#67 Post by tenia » Wed Mar 27, 2019 2:16 pm

MichaelB wrote:
Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:34 pm
tenia wrote:
Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:30 pm
Wait, are we now saying the Citizen Kane BD spots a "ok" transfer ?
The word I used was "excellent".
I know, I was quoting DRV.mov. :wink:

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movielocke
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#68 Post by movielocke » Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:15 pm

For another possible irresponsible and irritating baseless speculation.

1000 Sunrise: A song of two humans

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Gregory
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#69 Post by Gregory » Tue Apr 02, 2019 5:40 pm

Already out in a region-free MoC Blu-ray and also a R1 Fox release boasting most of the special features from the MoC, so why would Criterion bother?

Glowingwabbit
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#70 Post by Glowingwabbit » Tue Apr 02, 2019 5:45 pm

Gregory wrote:
Tue Apr 02, 2019 5:40 pm
Already out in a region-free MoC Blu-ray and also a R1 Fox release boasting most of the special features from the MoC, so why would Criterion bother?
I don't think they were serious. But I'd take this over yet another release of Citizen Kane.

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criterionsnob
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#71 Post by criterionsnob » Tue Apr 02, 2019 6:39 pm

I'm hoping for:

#1000: Fellini and Masina
- 81: Variety Lights
- 189: The White Shiek
- 219: La Strada
- 1001: Il Bidone
- 49: Nights of Cabiria
- 149: Juliet of the Spirits
- 1002: Ginger & Fred

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captveg
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#72 Post by captveg » Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:33 pm

Dansu Dansu Dansu wrote:
Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:53 pm
soundchaser wrote:
Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:47 am
Warner is supposed to be releasing The Shining in UHD themselves, so I really doubt it's coming from Criterion.
Not that I was being too serious about this, but I’m sure Warner will also release Citizen Kane in UHD as well.
I can't see that happening anytime soon. Not only has WB been extremely skimpy on any UHD release that isn't color or post-1990, Kane isn't nearly the evergreen seller that Casablanca has been for them, which would easily be the title to crack the B&W classic UHD barrier for them. One also has to consider that as a RKO title WB only has the North American rights to Citizen Kane, which I'm sure only hurts the justification for a UHD release in the eyes of the accountants.

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The Fanciful Norwegian
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#73 Post by The Fanciful Norwegian » Thu Apr 04, 2019 11:28 am

WB does have some non-North American rights to Kane and has released it on Blu in the UK (where it was formerly with Universal), Germany (formerly with Arthaus), and France (formerly with Éditions Montparnasse). I recall reading that WB has been gradually obtaining international rights to the RKO catalog with the expiration of old deals negotiated by various local distributors, but that process is clearly not complete, given that Kane is still available from other distributors in Japan, Italy, and Spain. (The lack of Japanese rights in particular must weigh on WB's decision-making process, given the size of that market.)

John Shade
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#74 Post by John Shade » Thu Apr 04, 2019 1:43 pm

I'm now hoping it's Grand Budapest. As I said probably in the Isle of Dogs thread, Wes Anderson and his movies serve as promotion and reference points for Criterion and GBH might end up being his best...

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movielocke
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Re: Quarantined Speculation on the 1000th Spine

#75 Post by movielocke » Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:36 pm

Heh, if it is auteur fetish numerology it could also be Pulp Fiction or Boogie Nights.

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