Criterion and MGM

[beamish13]

I'd love to see Criterion pick up "Gregory's Girl" from MGM.

I was wondering about "Sammy and Rosie" as well. Perhaps "Prick Up Your Ears" is a possiblity?

[Cinephrenic]

More kitchen sink.

[Tom Hagen]

Is Richard Lester actually underappreciated? Even apart from the Beatles films, I think he's well recognized for both the aforementioned Knack and for Petulia. This particular film may be underappreciated (and apparently unseen, even around here), but I'd hardly claim that Lester has been marginalized by the cineaste class.

[beamish13]

I'm sure it'll never happen, but how cool would a Criterion of George Armitage's MIAMI BLUES be?

[Murdoch]

That would make my year, but yeah, never gonna happen.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

With an essay by Johnathan Rosenbaum.

[kaujot]

Oh what I would give for Criterion to snatch up Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia to put out on blu-ray.

[kneelzod]

Any further word on Demme's SOMETHING WILD?

[oldsheperd]

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning is non-anamoprhic so hopefully it gets the Criterion treatment.
I know this is non-MGM but it would be cool if Criterion could wrest control away with A Hard Day's Night. That 2 discer that was released through Miramax sucks. It's two discs of interviews. Bagh!

[Tom Hagen]

Oh what I would give for Criterion to snatch up Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia to put out on blu-ray.

Speaking of that, does anyone know what the status of Straw Dogs is at this point. I know that the post-Criterion MGM is oop. But where are the rights? It would be outstanding to have Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (with more Prince commentary) and a re-released Straw Dogs out at the same month.

[oldsheperd]

That Alfredo Garcia disc was a pretty strong release for what it cost, like 10 bucks I think

[matrixschmatrix]

That Alfredo Garcia disc was a pretty strong release for what it cost, like 10 bucks I think

I actually just watched that disc this weekend- it's not bad, but the image is sort of murky and a supplementary, more analytical commentary would certainly be nice. I'd love to hear Prince's thoughts, given how transformative listening to his Straw Dogs commentary was for my experience of the movie.

In any case, Criterion's taken in discs that already had solid releases before- this one would probably be a bigger upgrade than Criterion's release of Crumb.

[captveg]

I know this is non-MGM but it would be cool if Criterion could wrest control away with A Hard Day's Night. That 2 discer that was released through Miramax sucks. It's two discs of interviews. Bagh!

Well, Disney did just sell the Miramax catalog to an investment group. Not sure what the US rights are now, so it could be up in the air...

[geoffcowgill]

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

Yeah, I'll have to agree the film is pretty flawed. The Pinter script is theoretically a brilliant way of adapting John Fowles' novel that unfortunately just didn't translate in a dramatically intriguing way. The novel is both a Thomas Hardyesque Victorian tragedy and an analysis/historical investigation of Hardy's milieu, and it's a brilliant work, surely one of the great postmodernist English-language books. But, a loaded, interactive disc of the film could be a more complete representation of the 'meta', 'hyperlinked' nature of Fowles' work, and fascinating in its own right far beyond the vaule of the Reisz movie itself.

[FerdinandGriffon]

But, a loaded, interactive disc of the film could be a more complete representation of the 'meta', 'hyperlinked' nature of Fowles' work, and fascinating in its own right far beyond the vaule of the Reisz movie itself.

Not going to happen with CC's standardized Blu-Ray menus, unfortunately.

[Feego]

Speaking of that, does anyone know what the status of Straw Dogs is at this point. I know that the post-Criterion MGM is oop. But where are the rights? It would be outstanding to have Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (with more Prince commentary) and a re-released Straw Dogs out at the same month.

Isn't there a remake of Straw Dogs (with James Marsden #-o ) in the works right now? I wouldn't be surprised if whoever owns the rights to the original released a special edition when the remake comes out, though how it will measure up to Criterion's old release is questionable.

[Gobear]

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.

King of Hearts still holds its charms for me as a quirky anti-war fable, but as a gay man I don't need to see La Cage Aux Folles again.

Does MGM still hold rights to Marat Sade? I would be so down for that on Criterion.

[AfterTheRain]

Does MGM still hold rights to Marat Sade? I would be so down for that on Criterion.

As far as I'm concerned, yes; Their DVD, I believe, is out of print, though.
I too would like to see a Criterion edition as well.

[Mr. Ned]

The MGM Marat/Sade has been OOP for about four years now, just after I purchased it. It's barebones and the sound quality is dismal but I remember the picture being relatively decent for the DVD's original release date. So, yes, it's in dire need of a beautifully remastered CC edition--complete with the play in an accompanying book!

[gonzoisking]

Do you think Criterion will release Odds Against Tomorrow?

[HistoryProf]

That Alfredo Garcia disc was a pretty strong release for what it cost, like 10 bucks I think

I actually picked it up a few years ago along with Dillinger at the Walmarts for $5 each....quite the Warren Oates double bill for that price. I was pretty happy with the disc, but have always felt it would make for a great addition to the collection. Warren Oates is criminally under-appreciated and deserves more recognition - this would be the perfect choice to do so.

[zedz]

Warren Oates is criminally under-appreciated and deserves more recognition - this would be the perfect choice to do so.

Well, not quite perfect. Criterion is supposed to be sitting on The Shooting, which would be a much more pressing release (wouldn't a Criterion edition be the first proper US release of that masterpiece in any format, including 35mm?) And isn't Cockfighter long OOP? I think Oates might be even better in that than he is in Alfredo Garcia.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Well, not quite perfect. Criterion is supposed to be sitting on The Shooting, which would be a much more pressing release (wouldn't a Criterion edition be the first proper US release of that masterpiece in any format, including 35mm?)

I'm not sure if VCI actually cooperated with the rightsholder, but they did do a good director-approved transfer with a Hellman/Millie Perkins commentary. But it's been OOP for awhile and Criterion could top it pretty easily.

[zedz]

Was the VCI uncropped? Almost every other version I've come across has been the TV print (i.e. P&S PoS).

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

It was a full anamorphic widescreen transfer with what I assume is proper framing -- I doubt Hellman would approve it otherwise. They're certainly not cropped. VCI did a similarly good simultaneous release of Ride in the Whirlwind.