Criterion and MGM

[Cold Bishop]

You know, I think a great way to release Killer's Kiss would be to package it alongside Matthew Chapman's wonderful little film, Strangers Kiss, which is a film à clef about the making of Kubrick's film. Neither film's a masterpiece, but it would at least create an enticing package.

Sadly, it looks like the Chapman might be owned by Studio Canal at this point.

[jerome]

About Europa Europa, I directed last May a featurette with an interview of Margaret Ménégoz, who produced the film. It was for the french dvd release by TF1 Video. Maybe it will be interesting for Criterion to license it, if only the rumor is true, of course
And there an audio commentary of Agnieszka Holland on the dvd from Arrow Films in the UK.

[Camster]

I was really hoping for Criterion to make my dreams come true and bring Exodus (1960) to Blu-ray. The current DVD is nothing short of a disgrace. A stunning film with an incredible soundtrack.

[Harmonov]

Looks like the deal with Spyglass is done. Eat it. Lionsgate.

So now, perhaps, Criterion will be able to pilfer the MGM archives...

(if I missed this posted somewhere else, I apologize. I always seem to be Johnny-come-lately on these things...)

[kaujot]

Does MGM still hold the rights to Blue Velvet?

[Thomas Dukenfield]

In terms of the merits of Killer's Kiss, it's hardly a bad film noir, especially taking into consideration the bare bones budget (a factor that at least 3/4 of all noirs created during the classic period suffer from), and it does do a nice job of depicting a seedy New York City. It's far from perfect, but I'd hesitate in calling it mediocre.

I think it is best viewed through the prism of no budget noirs at the time (like the films VCI put out in that Forgotten Noir series). I think it's one of the best along those lines, along with Detour and Blast of Silence. It certainly isn't as "adventurous" as his later films, but it feels like a (very) low budget genre flick spun fresh with unique and excellent photography (a mixture of NY grit and wide angle expressionism that is unmistakably Kubrickian) and some interesting ideas (especially the finale in the factory). My main problem is with the looped dialogue, especially with the main actress. Obviously, if you try to forcibly compare Killer's Kiss to, say, A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, it's gonna look inferior, but I think it mostly achieves the modest goals it sets for itself, so to speak.

[Jameson281]

Does MGM still hold the rights to Blue Velvet?

Yes.

[Harmonov]

Re: Thin Blue Line from Mulvaney...

Thanks for your email!

I'm not aware of any plans to release THE THIN BLUE LINE, but if I hear any differently, I'll be sure to let you know.

Damn it.

[onedimension]

CriterionCast predicts 5 titles I know nothing about and have little interest in..

[cdnchris]

I wouldn't be surprised by La cage... since they released it on laser. I'm pretty sure French Lieutenant's Woman was confirmed by Mulvaney last year.

[mfunk9786]

John Lennon in the collection? Yes please.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

I've actually e-mailed Criterion about Richard Lester's "The Knack... and How to Get It" when they first started licensing from MGM. One of the great comedies of the sixties and I always felt because of The Beatles dominance all over the screen of his first two features, that he was always an underrated director. "How I Won the War" really does need a DVD release as it never got out of Region 2. To those who haven't seen it, the BFI did a perfect release of "The Bed-Sitting Room" that's essential comedy for anyone with a region free Blu-Ray player.

Also, no surprise about "La Cage Aux Folles" and "King of Hearts" as both were done in the laserdisc days.

[Tom Hagen]

Really? Someone gave Criterion the keys to the MGM vault and they come out with this stuff and De Palma?

Although I should just shut up and enjoy Night of the Hunter next week. That alone -- to say nothing of the Kubricks and other titles that were previously speculated -- excuses releasing this schlock and awards bait.

[FerdinandGriffon]

Although I should just shut up and enjoy Night of the Hunter next week. That alone -- to say nothing of the Kubricks and other titles that were previously speculated -- excuses releasing this schlock and awards bait.

Though I haven't seen War, if it's at all in keeping with the rest of Lester's early work than it deserves it's place in the CC several times over. (And don't forget that they released Help! back in the laserdisc days) He's a consistently neglected director who's wit and verve is really extraordinary and whose influence has been enormous. The real schlock is the contemporary junk that's slipping into the sewers of the release schedule in order to fulfill the IFC contract. (Gamorrah, Hunger, Fish Tank)

[Jameson281]

Really? Someone gave Criterion the keys to the MGM vault and they come out with this stuff and De Palma?

Although I should just shut up and enjoy Night of the Hunter next week. That alone -- to say nothing of the Kubricks and other titles that were previously speculated -- excuses releasing this schlock and awards bait.

You're assuming that Criterion was allowed to choose anything they wanted. I have absolutely zero knowledge of how the list of titles came to be, but it's certainly possible that MGM kept certain titles off the table, and/or wanted more for some titles than Criterion was able/willing to pay.

[zedz]

King of Hearts and La Cage aux folles are pretty edgy choices . . . if this were 1979. Does anybody care about these films nowadays?

[Tom Hagen]

To a certain extent, I think my criticism is that Criterion should maybe just say, "thanks, but no thanks" to some of this stuff (same story with some of the IFC titles, as Ferdinand argues above). I can understand Criterion not getting the rights to Last Tango in Paris, or the Wilders, or the classic musicals, or any number of other wish list items. But what I don't understand is the need to release, say, Meryl Streep/Jeremy Irons costume dramas from the early eighties (and yes, I know, Pinter, yada yada). Is there a compelling audience for it? At least the IFC stuff is presumably selling.

I don't mean to be that guy. I get. Its a business etc. etc. Moreover, I think we're being spoiled tremendously by Night of the Hunter and some of the other potential fruits of this deal. But I'm honestly at a loss as to the justification for turning over the release schedule to 15+ films taken off of the MGM scrap heap, especially when we're talking about some questionable (at best) titles.

[oldsheperd]

Gommorah schlock?!?! For shame, Sir! For shame!

[jsteffe]

King of Hearts and La Cage aux folles are pretty edgy choices . . . if this were 1979. Does anybody care about these films nowadays?

The truth is painful.

[colinr0380]

Well, I quite liked King of Hearts and found it quite moving by the end. The lunatic asylum being saner than the world at war outside is perhaps an obvious theme, although one which I don't really remember seeing done too often outside of this film except perhaps for the Marat/Sade film.

I slightly prefer the Hanif Kureishi written Buddha of Suburbia and the underrated My Son, The Fanatic but My Beautiful Laundrette is one of the more famous British films of the 80s so it would make sense for Criterion to think of releasing this one if they could (I remember when it was first shown on television watching it when I must have been eight or nine with a very kindly elderly neighbour who used to babysit me but didn't really bother to exercise much control over what I was allowed to see! She particularly liked L.A. Law, The Equalizer and The New Statesman which I would dutifully watch with her, but in film terms I particularly remember that this, The World According To Garp, that Charles Dance starring First Born series and the 'late night, uncensored version' of Private Benjamin all making quite the impression! Though my attention was usually drifting from the films to my mathematics textbooks - I was a nerd even then - and of course many 'nuances' of those films went over my head at that young age!)

And isn't French Lieutenant's Woman not just period drama but a film which also features material following the actors making the adaptation getting involved in a love affair as well? In a way it sort of prefigures A Cock and Bull Story in its jumping outside of the text in order to comment on it and accommodate the alternate ending. I could see this release in particular being a great opportunity for some in depth features.

[domino harvey]

French Lieutenant's Woman is pretty much a proto-Charlie Kaufman metafilm, so I think there's a market but it's still not worth putting out

[captveg]

Regardless of the other titles that are drawing less interest, we've got or are getting:

The Killing
The Night of the Hunter
Paths of Glory
Red River
Sweet Smell of Success

I'll gladly welcome 20+ more MGM titles I have little interest in for those five films...

[MoonlitKnight]

Woo-hoo! Finally (fingers crossed) "How I Won the War"! I suppose hoping for "The Bed-Sitting Room" as well would be asking too much, though. 8-[

I already have the MGM editions of both "The French Lieutenant's Woman" and "My Beautiful Laundrette" and both of those are sufficient enough for me. If they really want to add another Stephen Frears title to the Collection, may I suggest "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid"? And for Karel Reisz, how about "Isadora"?

[jsteffe]

Sammy and Rosie Get Laid was distributed in the US by Cinecom. When they went belly up many of their titles wound up with MGM/UA but many didn't. I get the impression this particular title is in limbo--it's not even available on DVD in England. But I wouldn't complain if Criterion or someone else picked it up! I've only seen it on VHS.

[knives]

How I Won the War really is worth the money saved by those other titles. Lester really is unfairly forgotten and anyone of his '60s films in the collection might finally get him the respect he deserves, though I really would have preferred The Knack.