Criterion and Paramount

[Jobla]

Paramount titles I want from Criterion or Legend:

BLOOD AND ROSES
MEDIUM COOL (with "Merry Go Round" restored)
COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME, JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN
THE PSYCHOPATH
TOO LATE BLUES
and others I'm not recalling at present

[Stefan Andersson]

How about one or two Eclipse sets with Paramount noirs like:
FILE ON THELMA JORDON
I WALK ALONE
STREET OF CHANCE
NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES
+ a few others I can´t remember right now. I think there´s one more
Cornell Woolrich movie in the Paramount library.

[Cinephrenic]

My guess for the silent set coming from Criterion:

Five American Silent Classics:
The Docks of New York
The Last Command
Underworld
The Wedding March
Wings

What does everyone think of Ewald Andre Dupont's Varieté from the Paramount catalog. Think it has a shot for a Criterion?

[tojoed]

What does everyone think of Ewald Andre Dupont's Varieté from the Paramount catalog. Think it has a shot for a Criterion?

I hope so. I've heard there has been a restoration done in Germany. It would be a great Criterion, alone or in an Eclipse set.

[HerrSchreck]

What does everyone think of Ewald Andre Dupont's Varieté from the Paramount catalog. Think it has a shot for a Criterion?

Never. That'd more than likely be a Murnau foundation restoration, and the licensing would be extended directly from the restorers, and not from Paramount (not to mention the Paramount version of the film, when released, sliced the whole prologue with Jannings leaving his wife when he first meets Lya de Putti and cutting the film down by a very large amount.)

I'd expect it from someone like Milestone (who put out DuPonts other silent masterpiece Picadilly) or Kino, who usually handle silents from FWMS.

[HypnoHelioStaticStasis]

Some more completely unfounded speculation, but all this talk of silents has got me thinking: The Covered Wagon?

I'll bet Criterion is dying to release some more westerns, and I think James Cruze would be an interesting person to analyze in the extras. Not to mention it is considered a landmark western (I don't think its especially deserving of its 'classic' status, but it deserves a nice digital release). Also, there was apparently some kind of lawsuit attached to this film? Maybe Criterion could take a look at that.

If it was deemed important enough for Paramount to have released a VHS way back when, perhaps its worthy of deluxe treatment.

[colinr0380]

...If not then you both love crazy combinations of H words.

As is Mr Greenaway!

(warning, the video starts loud)

[AisleSeat]

My guess for the silent set coming from Criterion:

Five American Silent Classics:
The Docks of New York
The Last Command
Underworld
The Wedding March
Wings

That grouping makes for a wonderful set.

To continue with the American silent classics' theme, what about von Stroheim's Greed? This is a film that rightfully deserves the full Criterion treatment, even if it's only the 140 minute version, but acquiring the license may prove insurmountable. Has there been any further news about a possible Warner DVD release?

[kaujot]

My guess for the silent set coming from Criterion:

Five American Silent Classics:
The Docks of New York
The Last Command
Underworld
The Wedding March
Wings

That grouping makes for a wonderful set.

To continue with the American silent classics' theme, what about von Stroheim's Greed? This is a film that rightfully deserves the full Criterion treatment, even if it's only the 140 minute version, but acquiring the license may prove insurmountable. Has there been any further news about a possible Warner DVD release?

Warner's doesn't license its films.

[Dante Vescio]

A Criterion release of Don't Look Now would be beautiful.
Do you suppose there's any chance of it ever happening?

[kaujot]

I e-mailed them about it ages ago and they said that they had no plans for it.

I agree, though. I really wish they had the rights. Or at least plans.

[domino harvey]

There's a commentary on the R2, it's nice enough

[Oggilby]

My guess for the silent set coming from Criterion:

Five American Silent Classics:
The Docks of New York
The Last Command
Underworld
The Wedding March
Wings

What does everyone think of Ewald Andre Dupont's Varieté from the Paramount catalog. Think it has a shot for a Criterion?

Wings and The Wedding March are more likely to be their own releases. I'd expect the three von Sternbergs to be an Eclipse. Wings is going to be a Paramount release since they've already confirmed they're working on it for DVD and BluRay next year.

As for the other silents Paramount released on VHS, there's also The Covered Wagon and Old Ironsides. Neither I would expect to be released since James Cruze unfortunately does not hold the same buying power as Stroheim and Sternberg. It's worth noting that the '23 Ten Commandments is on the 3-disc set for the 1956 film. A+ transfer, speed corrected, progressive, and it has a commentary. Since the '56 is coming to BluRay next year, I'd hope they'll include it - maybe in HD. The transfer does look like it was HD originated. Paramount is certainly capable of star treatment for their silents.

[jaredsap]

Christmas dreams do come true: Turell just told me Paramount's DOWNHILL RACER is probably coming in 2009. Now I can only pray they got James Salter, my favorite living novelist, to participate.

[Jeff]

Christmas dreams do come true: Turell just told me Paramount's DOWNHILL RACER is probably coming in 2009. Now I can only pray they got James Salter, my favorite living novelist, to participate.

Good news. Michael Ritchie is underappreciated. I remember hearing at one point that Criterion would be licensing a "second round" of titles from Paramount because the first batch had been so successful. Perhaps this is the beginning of round two? This is one that I was always surprised Paramount hadn't released themselves.

[Tom Hagen]

I was going through my collection the other night, and a great Paramount possiblity jumped out at me: Coppola's The Conversation. I believe that the existing circa-2000 DVD is anamoprhic, and I know that it has great commentaries by Coppola and Walter Murch, but it would still be a great title for getting Coppola into the Collection.

[AfterTheRain]

Another possibility just came to me when I browsed through my collection: John Schlesinger's The Day of the Locust. It's a rousing film and it nearly perfectly captures the ture fickle nature of Hollywood back in the 1930s (one could argue that it's still relevant today).

[ianungstad]

Great news! Downhill Racer looks like an interesting film. I would definitly give it a blind buy.

If there is a second "wave" of Paramount titles coming as Jeff hints, I hope that it re-opens the possibilty for several titles that have been previously nixed like Harold and Maude, Don't Look Now, One-Eyed Jacks.

I wouldn't mind seeing Samson and Deliah. It has never been on DVD before and it sounds like it could be a blast, one of those old school sword and sandals epics.

[jaredsap]

If there is a second "wave" of Paramount titles coming as Jeff hints, I hope that it re-opens the possibilty for several titles that have been previously nixed like Harold and Maude

Variety noted last year that the HAROLD AND MAUDE negative is in "grave condition." Seems like this picture desperately needs a major restoration, and if Paramount ever ponies up the cash, I'm sure they'd then be compelled to release it themselves.

[ianungstad]

Are the unreleased Wilder titles 5 Graves to Cairo and A Foreign Affair still at Paramount? Or are they part of the Paramount titles purchased by Universal? Either way, I'm surprised Criterion hasn't tried to nab them.

[domino harvey]

A Foreign Affair is Universal, I believe

[Jeff]

Are the unreleased Wilder titles 5 Graves to Cairo and A Foreign Affair still at Paramount? Or are they part of the Paramount titles purchased by Universal? Either way, I'm surprised Criterion hasn't tried to nab them.

Both are Uni. Five Graves is especially worthy of a Criterion disc. I've pestered them about both titles several times.

[tojoed]

Are the unreleased Wilder titles 5 Graves to Cairo and A Foreign Affair still at Paramount?

A Foreign Affair isn't unreleased. It's in the Marlene Dietrich box-set.

[fiddlesticks]

Christmas dreams do come true: Turell just told me Paramount's DOWNHILL RACER is probably coming in 2009. Now I can only pray they got James Salter, my favorite living novelist, to participate.

Maybe they could pair this up with The Candidate?

[kaujot]

The Candidate was announced as having a new release scheduled for 2008, but apparently that didn't happen. Good work on the timing, Paramount.