Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

[Tom Hagen]

A Face In The Crowd: the Glenn Beck story. That film was prescient beyond all belief.

[knives]

Was there anybody like that back then though. It seems really prescient now, but perhaps there was an equivalent at the time.

[Jeff]

Was there anybody like that back then though. It seems really prescient now, but perhaps there was an equivalent at the time.

Likely modeled on Arthur Godfrey.

[Professor Wagstaff]

Was there anybody like that back then though. It seems really prescient now, but perhaps there was an equivalent at the time.

Likely modeled on Arthur Godfrey.

And Will Rogers.

[domino harvey]

And the apocryphal "That ought to hold the little bastards" story, of course

[JimmyTango]

Anyone else think of Animaniacs?

that was clever.

[hearthesilence]

I've been pestering Criterion about Wild River for years, to no avail. I saw a gorgeous 35mm print a couple of years ago, and it would make a great Blu-ray. There is plenty of supplemental turf to explore about the Tennessee Valley Authority too. It's my second favorite Kazan after A Face in the Crowd.

Wild River would be great, it was definitely a surprise for me too. That and Panic in the Streets have been overshadowed by his more famous works, but they're arguably his two best films. They may not have titanic performances like Brando's Terry Malloy or Stanley Kowalski or Vivien Leigh's Blanche DuBois, but I think the mise-en-scene is even better - subtler and more organic than what Kazan's done elsewhere.

[beamish13]

I'd love to see Criterion acquire Kazan's independently made THE VISITORS. His wife Barbara Loden's film WANDA was recently restored, and that would make a great addition to the collection, too.

[hearthesilence]

Ooh, good call on Wanda. I saw the restoration at MoMA in 2010, and I don't think that's been used for any Blu-Ray release yet. (FWIW, I think they found the original 16mm camera negative and was able to restore that - my memory is hazy, but the UCLA archivist that worked on it was there to discuss the restoration.)

It was actually released on DVD in 2006, but now that edition has fallen out-of-print, so it would be nice if Criterion got it, 1) to use the new restoration, which is excellent and 2) to keep this title in constant circulation.

[SheriffAmbrose]

Not to stray too far off topic here but when Wanda was screened at MOMA I was hopeful that criterion would pick it up but now a few years have gone by and nothing. What bums me out more is that I missed that screening and the region one DVD, though not bad, leaves a little to be desired. Some nice extras are available too. The French DVD edition of Wanda included an appearance that Loden made on the Mike Douglas Show during the week that John and Yoko served as guest hosts.

Heartthesilence, am I correct in recalling that Sofia Coppola introduced that MOMA screening? If so it's encouraging that such a small film has such a high profile champion.

[domino harvey]

Hey, Ray Carney loves it

[hearthesilence]

Yes, she was there. Sofia Coppola and Tamara Jenkins both gave introductions. Jenkins gave a nice one - I think she mentioned that the film was impossible to find on DVD and that when Loden died, she was angry that she was never able to direct another movie. (Loden definitely had other films she wanted to make.)

Coppola seemed nice and gracious, but she really isn't good at public speaking. I think she's aware of this - she brought some notes on the film, but even when she was reading them, it was really awkward.

Nicholas Proferes, the DP and editor, was also there and gave a Q&A afterwards. Apparently, he invited his mentor D A Pennebaker to the screening, because when someone asked him about his cinematography, he pointed Pennebaker out in the audience. (He was there with his wife and co-director Chris Hegedus.) FYI, Proferes was a cameraman on many of Pennebaker's films, including Monterey Pop, and he credited Pennebaker with shaping his aesthetic, of being 'aware' of his surroundings when setting up a shot and getting ready to shoot.

The last thing I remember was Proferes saying he was sad Loden couldn't be there - later on, someone told me they were also in a relationship as well as collaborators.

[SheriffAmbrose]

Thanks for the info on this. Like I said, I'm sorry I missed it.

Proferes saying he was sad Loden couldn't be there - later on, someone told me they were also in a relationship as well as collaborators.

About five years ago I spoke to the woman who wrote this article---at the time I believe she was hoping to write a biography of Loden----and she indicted at the time that Proferes was reluctant to talk about his life and work with Loden. I'm happy to hear he's more forthcoming now.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

I wonder if they're going to add any extras beyond what was on the previous release? I would double dip for The People of the Cumberland.

Seems like a good opportunity to finally put out Meet Marlon Brando.

[antnield]

Sunday Bloody Sunday

[mfunk9786]

Wow, I wonder if a Schlesinger boxset of some kind could be on the way (perhaps this, Marathon Man, and Midnight Cowboy?). Or am I being naiive?

[Peacock]

You're being naive.

This is another on the MGM list Criterion Cast posted a while back and the two you mention weren't there.

[willoneill]

Marathon Man would be really cool, but Midnight Cowboy already has a blu-ray with extras, which MGM/Fox hasn't done with other films they've licensed over to Criterion.

[swo17]

domino made this happen with his blog.

[kneelzod]

Wow, I wonder if a Schlesinger boxset of some kind could be on the way (perhaps this, Marathon Man, and Midnight Cowboy?). Or am I being naiive?

MARATHON MAN belongs to Paramount; the other 2 to MGM, making the proposed box set that much more difficult to put together.

[knives]

For those curious the two already mentioned are the only films Schlesinger made at MGM. Most of his classic American films seem to be with Paramount.

[Jeff]

For those curious the two already mentioned are the only films Schlesinger made at MGM. Most of his classic American films seem to be with Paramount.

Not American, but Darling is with MGM in the U.S. MGM also has The Falcon and the Snowman through their acquisition of Orion. It is indeed, however, just Sunday Bloody Sunday that's coming via Criterion right now.

[atcolomb]

Still have the Criterion laserdisc of the movie which was released many years ago and then coppied the broadcast version when it played on the MGM-HD channel a few months ago and it looked very nice and a good movie too.

[HistoryProf]

i got a clue without looking here first! woo hoo!

[BSarge]

My first thought was There Will Be Blood... 'I drink your milkshake'.