Forthcoming Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol. 4

[Jeff]

I don't recall where the post was made, but Shooting/Hired Hand were confirmed by someone close to Hellman as being 'forthcoming from Criterion' a few months ago.

The only reference I can dig up on our forum to Criterion possibly releasing The Hired Hand is your guess here. Maybe someone on Facebook or another forum guessed it? While it's certainly possible that The Hired Hand has been licensed to Criterion (Fonda and Universal previously released a great special edition through Sundance Home Entertainment, which is presumably now part of IFC), I can't find mention of it anywhere. Google only returns this discussion.

At any rate, Monte Hellman had nothing to do with that film. He mentioned the upcoming Blu-rays of The Shooting and Ride the Whirlwind via Twitter, and has previously said that they had been licensed to Criterion.

[Jeff]

Criterion should consider releasing Asghar Farhadi’s About Elly. It has never been released in the U.S. It was eventually picked up for theatrical by Here Films, but I don't know that they ever screened it anywhere. They licensed it for disc release with a batch of other titles to eOne (aka Koch Lorber) back in 2009, but eOne never did anything with it, and that deal expires at the end of this month. Rights should be available.

I haven't seen the film, but based on A Separation and Fireworks Wednesday, it's at the very top of my list. David Bordwell has invoked the m-word, and Iranian film critics voted it the fourth-best Iranian film of all time. I'm curious to say the least, and it sounds right up Criterion's alley.

[repeat]

Criterion should consider releasing Asghar Farhadi’s About Elly. David Bordwell has invoked the m-word, and Iranian film critics voted it the fourth-best Iranian film of all time.

Seconded - considering the critical and box-office success of A Separation, you'd think this would've been a no-brainer for whoever owns or can acquire the rights. (In France it was immediately RE-released, both theatrically and on DVD, with "from the director of A Separation" on the cover)

[duck duck]

I'm super excited that they keep posting "hanging Rock" things but think it has more to do with Weir's Birthday than a Dec/Jan release.

[stroszeck]

Any chance we'll ever see ANYTHING by Bo Widerberg? I mean surely criterion could get their hands on Man on the Roof, Elvira Madigan, Adalen 31 or any of his brilliant TV movies. He was a very significant filmmaker for a great part of the late 60s/70s.

[knives]

Olive has about five Widerberg movies they are working on.

[Mr Sausage]

HVE released All Things Fair a few years ago. Bare bones, but decent audio and video.

[HistoryProf]

I don't recall where the post was made, but Shooting/Hired Hand were confirmed by someone close to Hellman as being 'forthcoming from Criterion' a few months ago.

The only reference I can dig up on our forum to Criterion possibly releasing The Hired Hand is your guess here. Maybe someone on Facebook or another forum guessed it? While it's certainly possible that The Hired Hand has been licensed to Criterion (Fonda and Universal previously released a great special edition through Sundance Home Entertainment, which is presumably now part of IFC), I can't find mention of it anywhere. Google only returns this discussion.

At any rate, Monte Hellman had nothing to do with that film. He mentioned the upcoming Blu-rays of The Shooting and Ride the Whirlwind via Twitter, and has previously said that they had been licensed to Criterion.

well there you go...my addled brain transformed "Ride The Whirlwind" into "The Hired Hand." For some reason I always think of tHH when I think of the Shooting. But that Hellman tweet is what I was thinking of. My apologies for the mix up.

[Jameson281]

Sorry if this has already been posted somewhere, but after his presentation on THE REEL THING on the restoration of HEAVEN'S GATE, Lee Kline was asked about upcoming projects. He mentioned some titles that have already been announced, then mentioned that they're working on BRAZIL (presumably for Blu-ray).

[ianungstad]

Great news! I'm sure most people expected a Brazil upgrade to be in the works but it's nice to know it's happening sooner rather than later.

[ryannichols7]

this forum's favorite designer Sam Smith, via Twitter:

Sam's Myth ‏@SamsMyth
Just had a totally transcendent viewing of a film I'm working on w @Criterion. Truly my #1 dream assignment.

Sam's Myth ‏@SamsMyth
I first saw this film on a 14" tv in NYU's media library. I've seen it a dozen times since. Tonight was like seeing it for the first time.

[matrixschmatrix]

Sweet, I feel a Border Radio upgrade coming up

[mfunk9786]

Oh no... I have a feeling Sam Smith is doing the cover for Eraserhead...

I don't dislike everything he's done for the collection, but he's had a few all-time worst cover efforts (Modern Times, Something Wild) that make me worried. Let's hope this is more The Phantom Carriage than those.

[swo17]

I wouldn't completely fault him for those. I know that for Modern Times at least he had a lot of other ideas but was directed to go with the "simple iconic" one.

[ryannichols7]

Oh no... I have a feeling Sam Smith is doing the cover for Eraserhead...

I don't dislike everything he's done for the collection, but he's had a few all-time worst cover efforts (Modern Times, Something Wild) that make me worried. Let's hope this is more The Phantom Carriage than those.

my mind definitely came to Eraserhead too. i do hope it's different than every other Eraserhead cover, but is something really good.

Smith is in the middle for me. i like a lot of his work, but some of it (coincidentally, most of his Criterion covers) are terrible. World on a Wire, Hausu, Kuroneko, and a lot of his gig poster/Nashville screening stuff is good to me.

i think we're getting off topic now and this should be in the cover art thread, but i still haven't gotten the hang of this place. regardless, he likely means Eraserhead, which should come in the next few months.

[bainbridgezu]

Sam's Myth ‏@SamsMyth
I first saw this film on a 14" tv in NYU's media library. I've seen it a dozen times since. Tonight was like seeing it for the first time.

It's probably not Eraserhead. A quick search of Smith's blog reveals that he graduated from NYU in 2004, but first watched Eraserhead in 2007.

[onedimension]

Andrei Rublev?

[swo17]

It could literally be any movie that's been readily available over the past ten years and that isn't terrible (or maybe is).

[onedimension]

totally transcendent, #1 dream assignment, seen a dozen times suggest it's something major- tonight was like the first time suggests a high quality restoration-

I'm calling Tokyo Story, Dreyer's Joan of Arc, or Andrei Rublev-

[ShellOilJunior]

this forum's favorite designer Sam Smith, via Twitter:

Sam's Myth ‏@SamsMyth
Just had a totally transcendent viewing of a film I'm working on w @Criterion. Truly my #1 dream assignment.

Sam's Myth ‏@SamsMyth
I first saw this film on a 14" tv in NYU's media library. I've seen it a dozen times since. Tonight was like seeing it for the first time.

I know my school's library has a similar setup for watching films onsite because they don't allow people to borrow anything. In college I had to do this a few times because the films weren't available anywhere else. I recall a viewing of The African Queen on laser disc where they had to wheel out a TV and video cart for me. They also had those small booth rooms with 15 inch televisions.

My guess is: Olympia

[Alan Smithee]

I'm crossing my fingers that they make a fresh cover for Eraserhead but I would be surprised. Lynch has been in control of what the cover was from the beginning and has shown no signs of wanting to change. The soundtrack was recently re-released on vinyl, same cover. Criterion might go against his wishes but I doubt it. It would all come down to whether he's open to it. I personally think his covers for his self released stuff have been awful. The cover for Eraserhead is iconic but stuff like the shorts and I.E. are amateur.

[duck duck]

I would expect the Eraserhead cover to be similar to Rosemary's Baby, nearly the same but a little wider or taller.
But then again people get off on making fun of me.... So, what do I know.

[JimmyTango]

I would expect the Eraserhead cover to be similar to Rosemary's Baby, nearly the same but a little wider or taller.
But then again I get off on making fun of Criterion forum.... So, what do I know.

Fixed.

[Daze]

Another possibility for the SamsMyth tease -- The Overcoat. This Criterion Cast post mentions a new print slated to play at NYFF:

http://criterioncast.com/news/restored- ... nyff-2012/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Has the FEKS group been mentioned as a Criterion possibility? I haven't been following closely lately.

Otherwise Passion of Joan of Arc fits. First time I saw a good 35mm print on a big screen was a revelation.

[ellipsis7]

See a new resto of Rosi's THE MATTEI AFFAIR among the NYFF lineup - a promising indication that it might end up on CC BR/DVD in the not too distant future...

THE MATTEI AFFAIR (Il caso Mattei) (1972) 116min
Director: Francesco Rosi
Country: Italy
Just as Italy was beginning its industrial boom in the 1950s, businessman Enrico Mattei was developing the methane gas reserves found in the Po Valley—not simply to enrich himself, but to make Italy energy-efficient and free of the control of the multinational energy companies, the “seven sisters.” Working through public companies, Mattei struck deals with Middle East oil producers, with Russia, and had even begun initial talks with China, when, in October 1962, his private plane crashed just outside Milan Airport. Unfortunate accident—or assassination? Thanks to a beautiful restoration by Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation, this masterpiece by the great Francesco Rosi can be seen once again. Co-winner of the Palme d’Or in Cannes, THE MATTEI AFFAIR is both a revealing investigation into Mattei’s death as well as a provocative assessment of his place in the postwar Italian economy. As Mattei, Gian Maria Volonté gives one of his greatest performances. Restored by Cineteca di Bologna at the lab L’Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with The Film Foundation, Paramount Pictures and Museo Nazionale del Cinema of Turin. Restoration financed by Gucci, Eni, and The Film Foundation.