Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

[bella darvi]

Viridiana upgrade?

[RyanGallagher]

Viridiana upgrade?

Yeah, I haven't seen Viridiana yet, but it was the top "bull" film result when searching IMDB keywords.

[Tom Hagen]

Almadovar's Matador?

Easily my favorite early Almodovar. Though a bull fighting clue may portend just as well for Talk to Her's prospects.

[knives]

I don't remember a bull in it, but it makes sense that they would try to get out what little they have left of Bunuel.

[Forrest Taft]

Bullfighter and the Lady? ( [-o< )

[Tom Hagen]

Talk to Her:

[matrixschmatrix]

Well, that seems fairly compelling. There's a bull in Viridiana, but I don't recall any matadors.

[knives]

I hope if that's true it means we can get Bad Education also. This actually makes sense given their new working relationship with Del Toro.

[kaujot]

Moment of Truth? It's been forthcoming for years now.

[Matt]

I hope if that's true it means we can get Bad Education also. This actually makes sense given their new working relationship with Del Toro.

Que? Did you mean to say The Devil's Backbone? That was produced by Almodovar and written/directed by Del Toro, but Del Toro had nothing to do with Bad Education.

[Tom Hagen]

Moment of Truth? It's been forthcoming for years now.

I'd say that's in the running too:

[Minkin]

It might as well be Abbott and Costello's Mexican Hayride, if we're just going to name every film with a matador or bull.

I'll hold out hopes that this is the Boetticher and a Republic Pictures deal has been made- although the facebook's claim of a "recent restoration" seems to be from 2001.

[knives]

I hope if that's true it means we can get Bad Education also. This actually makes sense given their new working relationship with Del Toro.

Que? Did you mean to say The Devil's Backbone? That was produced by Almodovar and written/directed by Del Toro, but Del Toro had nothing to do with Bad Education.

What I was saying was that since they are on such good terms with Del Toro he may have been the in for setting up a relationship with Almodovar. Those were two separate ideas.

[tajmahal]

Talk to Her

If it is Almodovar, it will be great timing with release of 'The Pedro Almodóvar Archives'

[ianungstad]

I agree with the guess of Moment of Truth. It' s a Janus Films title and it seems unlikely that Sony Pictures Classics would farm out their Almodovar films.

[FilmFanSea]

As an enormous fan of Almodóvar's work, I would take a Blu-ray version of either Matador or Talk to Her (I especially adore the latter film, maybe his finest, IMO). But with Sony controlling the rights, I'm not hopeful of either.

[Kwyjibo]

It is obviously a special edition of The Breakfast Club.

"You mess with the bull, you get the horns!"

And that bull has clearly raided Barry Manilow's wardrobe.

[matrixschmatrix]

It might as well be Abbott and Costello's Mexican Hayride, if we're just going to name every film with a matador or bull.

I'll hold out hopes that this is the Boetticher and a Republic Pictures deal has been made- although the facebook's claim of a "recent restoration" seems to be from 2001.

Well, part of why Matador came to mind is that a.) the matador is right there in the title and b.) there's a metaphorical connection between killing bulls and killing people and self destruction and so forth in that one that works with the image of the bull as the bullfighter.

The rights situation doesn't seem too favorable, though if Criterion got access to the Sony Pictures Classics catalog that would be a hell of a thing.

edit: according to Wikipedia, Crumb is a Sony Pictures Classics title

[Tom Hagen]

It might as well be Abbott and Costello's Mexican Hayride, if we're just going to name every film with a matador or bull.

Obviously this means that Criterion is now distributing classic Disney shorts.

[felipe]

Matador and Talk to Her are the first things that come to mind.

[Jgh8xxx]

If this clue is indeed for Talk to Her/Matador, I'd expect a slew of Almodovar criterions licensed from SPC...these are all in print still though! This could be the source of the City of Lost Children (rumoured to be released due to Darius Khondji's approving a transfer,) and potentially [Safe.} Safe is one of my number one most desired criterion releases!!!

[htshell]

I was also going to point out that the SPC Matador is still in print.

[Jeff]

What ever it is, they need to include the documentary film, Bullfight. It was the first film that Janus ever acquired, and was narrated by Bryant Haliday himself. Here is Time's review from 1956.

[Peacock]

Great idea Jeff!

So, anyone who has seen the Rosi care to comment on it? Great/good/average/bad?

[Tribe]

Years ago, there was something in one of the speculation threads about Criterion having acquired rights to Almodovar's Matador. It was so long ago it may have even been on the predecessor of this Forum.