Criterion and Paramount

[Antoine Doinel]

Uh, the film did over $100 million at the US box office alone, and the critical response was pretty good. That said, box office results and DVD releases usually have little bearing on each other since most DVD production work is done during pre-production and production of the film.

[ptatler]

I'd definitely welcome Road To Perdition, particularly in BluRay.

I would too. It would look nice next to my Curious Case Criterion....


... in my trash compactor.

[Andre Jurieu]

Uh, the film did over $100 million at the US box office alone, and the critical response was pretty good. That said, box office results and DVD releases usually have little bearing on each other since most DVD production work is done during pre-production and production of the film.

This would seem like a case where the perception of the film as a disappointment did change the DVD release. As noted by flyonthewall, the studio changed its initial plans for the DVD and scaled back the final product. I'm in agreement that over the last few years most DVD production is done during pre-production/production of the film, but this seems to be a case where materials were prepared for the DVD and then scrapped once the studio realized there wasn't that much of market for the DVD.

From what I remember about the initial reception of the film, the studio was actually quite frustrated with the film only scraping past the $100 million mark almost 8 weeks after its premiere. The picture was targeted as a prestige picture capable of bringing in considerable box-office and also garnering plenty of hype for awards season, mostly due to the involvement of Hanks and Mendes (as well as Newman and Law). After a considerable marketing push, the film opened at a mediocre $22 million and the studio's PR department quickly started spinning the discouraging weekend results by stating how the film's darker tone and grim subject matter didn't appeal to summer movie audiences.

I would also have to say the $100 million mark is no longer a great indicator of a film's success as many films reach that goal even though the reception and reaction hasn't been spectacular. In today's market, if a film is big enough and can create mild interest, it will quite often hit the $100 million level. As an example, Vanilla Sky (a film released around the same period with a big 90s star and a well-established director) also reached the $100 million mark simply by sticking around forever, but I think everyone can agree that - even though it was profitable on the publically announced balance sheet - the movie was a financial disappointment (and fairly awful in general) due to the high expectations the studio had for the project.

As far as the critical reaction goes, my own opinion is that a 72% on metacritic isn't exactly lighting the world on fire, especially for a film that was marketed as a stirring and artistic drama. While some mainstream critics did think highly of the film upon its initial release, I think the general reaction as the year went by - especially by some alt-critics - was that the film was over-hyped, at times severely pretentious, and far too pleased with itself. I'll admit that some of this vitriol was due to the backlash against Mendes (which appears to be going strong to this day), but I'm not sure time has made very many critics re-evaluate or suddenly embrace the movie by any significant or conceivable measure.

[Tom Hagen]

Road to Perdition has mainstream appeal, was beautifully filmed, and features the last great Paul Newman performance. Criterion would jump all over it.

By the way, I am buying the OOP copies of The Parallax View and The Tenant from Amazon marketplace, which means that I have now fulfilled the obligatory forum member purchase of an inferior OOP and/or non-region 1 DVD that is a prerequisite for Criterion's release of the titles.

[knives]

Thanks for The Tenent, but since Repulsion just got released, we probably won't get it for at least three years.

[oldsheperd]

Wouldn't mind seeing a decent release of 3 Days of the Condor even though there is a bare bones br release.

[ianungstad]

Paramount licensed a bunch of it's classic library to Lionsgate in addition to the Republic Pictures library. Lionsgate has released a few of these titles, such as Brain Candy (part of a bizarre double feature with Back to the Beach)

Anyways, Polanski's The Tenant is one of the titles handed over to Lionsgate. So definitly not coming.

I have heard good things about the films The Deep End and WUSA, both are pretty obscure titles that Paramount will never get around to...would be nice to see them as eventual Criterions.

Even though the movie isn't suppose to be good, I'm sure Criterion inquired into Jules Dassin's Up Tight!

[Cinephrenic]

How about Rosi's Lucky Luciano or Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Puzzle of a Downfall Child, The Landlord, Wake in Fright?

[brendanjc]

I read something recently about Wake In Fright being digitally remastered and re-released to theaters in Australia this summer, seems like a good excuse for it to finally show up on DVD.

[ianungstad]

The restoration screened at Cannes. Doubt there is any DVD release of Wake in Fright in the works. It's a United Artists title in region 1 and MGM has pretty much stopped releasing title's from their classic library. Who knows, maybe they'll start being agressive regarding their catalogue titles in the near future.....not optimistic about that though.

[AfterTheRain]

Doubt there is any DVD release of Wake in Fright in the works. It's a United Artists title in region 1 and MGM has pretty much stopped releasing title's from their classic library.

Um, did you forget about the release of North West Passage, The King and Four Queens, Young Billy Young, and Time Limit over the last couple of months? Also, I hear that Wake in Fright will probably be released to DVD in November.

I hate to be rude, but I guess these two points really kick the crap out of your "MGM no longer releases classic films on DVD" statement.

[Antoine Doinel]

Uh, the film did over $100 million at the US box office alone, and the critical response was pretty good. That said, box office results and DVD releases usually have little bearing on each other since most DVD production work is done during pre-production and production of the film.

This would seem like a case where the perception of the film as a disappointment did change the DVD release. As noted by flyonthewall, the studio changed its initial plans for the DVD and scaled back the final product. I'm in agreement that over the last few years most DVD production is done during pre-production/production of the film, but this seems to be a case where materials were prepared for the DVD and then scrapped once the studio realized there wasn't that much of market for the DVD.

According to Wikipedia:

Road to Perdition was released on DVD in February 25, 2003 in both full screen and anamorphic widescreen versions. The DVD's features included an audio commentary, deleted scenes, a HBO "Making of" documentary and a photo gallery. Work on the DVD began on the same day that the film's production began, and a collaborative effort among the director, the studio, and the DVD production crew shaped the DVD's content. Due to a limit of space on the DVD, the film's deleted scenes were chosen over a DTS soundtrack. Instead, the DVD included a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. A special edition DVD containing both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks was also released, excluding the "Making of" documentary to fit both soundtracks.

I guess at one point they were considering a double-disc edition that I presume would've had the the film with a DTS soundtrack on one disc, and all the supplements and deleted scenes on a second disc. Maybe they figured the extras weren't substantive enough to stand on their own disc. Instead they opted for a couple different single disc iterations. Do you if there was anything produced that was scrapped entirely?

[flyonthewall2983]

I said earlier, rather erroneously, that I read that the studio had planned a 2-disc edition originally. This was from a review I read right around the time the DVD released. As it turns out, the reviewer ended up with his hands on the Academy Screener DVD, which was a two-disc set. Here's how he described the features on this edition:

The menus on it are infinitely better than the ones on the final retail release. There's also a few bonus items on it that I would have really appreciated on the final release, including a touching Conrad Hall retrospective. Whoever produced that disc should have been hired to do the final DVD, in my opinion.

If a special edition comes out in the future, I would hope it includes the trailer. For some reasons, quite a few DreamWorks DVD's don't include the trailer (this one however includes a trailer for the soundtrack, as opposed to the movie. Go figure). But I imagine the best I can hope for is a ramped-up special edition if the sequel ever comes out, which I hope doesn't.

[Adam]

Just as an update, I spoke with someone yesterday who did a bit of work recently on recording interviews as an extra for Downhill Racer.

[Jeff]

Criterion has confirmed that they do not have the rights to Frankenheimer's Seconds. The IMDb post was inaccurate.

[Cinephrenic]

Criterion has confirmed that they do not have the rights to Frankenheimer's Seconds. The IMDb post was inaccurate.

IMDB is good for many things, but it is no source for accurate info.

[ianungstad]

I asked about High Noon and Invasion of the Bodysnatchers since they seem to be working out a deal with Paramount/Republic. They replied asking for recommendations.

I'm sure Paramount couldn't give a crap about this library of films and Criterion will pretty much wind up with all the majors. (Quiet Man, Rio Grande, High Noon, Macbeth, Letter From an Unknown Woman, Johnny Guitar, China Gate, Invasion of the Bodysnatchers)

What else is good from Republic? I could see Paramount keeping the contemporary stuff like Bound and Freeway.

Some of the Fleischer stuff like Gulliver's Travels would be nice, a good way for Criterion to dip their toes into animation too!

EDIT: The Lions Gate deal should expire sometime in the first half of 2010.

[Jeff]

EDIT: The Lions Gate deal should expire sometime in the first half of 2010.

That's great news, Ian. Where did you hear that date? That certainly explains Criterion's coyness regarding Johnny Guitar, Welles' Macbeth, and Letter from An Unknown Woman. Besides what you've mentioned, others that I'd say are likely are Powell and Pressburger's One of Our Aircraft is Missing, Robert Siodmak's The Dark Mirror, Robert Rossen's Body and Soul, Budd Boetticher's Bullfighter and the Lady, John Ford's The Sun Shines Bright, and Don Siegel's Riot in Cell Block 11.

I wouldn't be surprised if Paramount hangs on to High Noon, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and the other Fords to release on their own like It's a Wonderful Life. They've already invested a ton of money in restoring and preserving the Republic catalog.

[cdnchris]

EDIT: The Lions Gate deal should expire sometime in the first half of 2010.

I may have to start spamming Criterion to release Brain Candy.

[domino harvey]

I'll join you. There's so much extra material just sitting around, waiting to be included

[cdnchris]

It could potentially be the greatest DVD/Blu-ray special edition ever but no one seems to give a shit.

[willoneill]

I give a shit, but I'm Canadian. Brain Candy is the last VHS that I haven't upgraded to some kind of digital disc. I don't even have a working VCR anymore, but I hold onto it anyway.

[Buttery Jeb]

I'd buy a Criterion "Brain Candy" in a heartbeat; but would the Kids in the Hall get involved with producing a Special Edition? From a recent interview with Dave Foley on the A.V. Club, it sounded like production on that film was one of the worst experiences they had as a group.

[domino harvey]

Considering there's an entire third of the movie that was filmed, scored, edited, and everything and then replaced at the studio's behest, they could set things right

[ianungstad]

Brain Candy isn't a Repulic Pictures title. I think it was one of the titles Paramount licensed to Lions Gate at around the same time they started licensing to Criterion and Legend. There are still films they licensed Lions Gate that have still failed to materialize. Roman Polanski's The Tenant is one of them.

I asked Brenda Ciccone in their public relations dept. and she wouldn't comment about what might happen in 2010 but she did tell me that they licensed out the Republic Pictures library in 2005 and it was a 5 year extension. I'm just making the assumption that one of the parties is no longer interested and the deal will be dissolved due to Criterion's sudden coyness with replies like "maybe" and requests for suggestions. Might be a bit of a leap.

Republic Pictures also released Robert Altman's That Cold Day in the Park on VHS. Maybe they still have the rights?