Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

[ianungstad]

I was kind of hoping that there was some connection between the Dahl poem and the Capote novel but couldn't find anything on google. I've read neither.

[Jeff]

Even if it is a pretty lame pun, shouldn't we all be ecstatic that Badlands is finally coming?

Don't you know anything about the Criterion faithful? It doesn't matter that everyone has been clamoring for Badlands for years. A bad pun announcing the title completely eradicates any previous excitement. If the cover is bad we will all say, "No way I'm buying that fucking movie now." That's just the way it's done.

[knives]

To be fair to me I've never clamored for it. I'd much rather get the unlikely In Cold Blood though I'll probably wind up getting this too eventually assuming the extras are absurd in a good way.

[SpiderBaby]

To be fair to me I've never clamored for it.

Exactly. Everybody doesn't want/like the same films. I guess I can be glad it's out of the way I guess, one more down until we get to Limite.

[ShellOilJunior]

Excellent. This one is long over-due.

For a work-at-your-own-pace kinda guy Malick seems to be getting a lot of things done these days. He seems to work well with the folks at Criterion.

Very interested in what the extras will be for the release. They should be able to get Sheen, Spacek and Fisk to contribute.

[ryannichols7]

Excellent. This one is long over-due.

For a work-at-your-own-pace kinda guy Malick seems to be getting a lot of things done these days. He seems to work well with the folks at Criterion.

Very interested in what the extras will be for the release. They should be able to get Sheen, Spacek and Fisk to contribute.

really hope they get the actors as that's been the most rewarding part about the other two Malick releases. I really wish Richard Gere had actually done a full commentary on Days of Heaven, his interview was really good. Fisk is a great speaker anyway so i'm sure we'll get a commentary at the least from him

imagine if Malick decided to do a commentary or audio interview for once...the implosion would be insane. not that it'll happen. just a funny possibility.

[ianungstad]

I wonder if Badlands is just a one off or if they did finally manage to grab a batch of titles from Warner Brothers. If the phantom placeholders on the Criterion site hint at future releases; I was thinking Petulia for Richard Lester? He's still alive and (hopefully) well.

[BillWatkins]

Is there any chance this could be Los Olvidados?

I could also see this maybe being Rumble Fish or American Graffiti.

[duck duck]

We don't think it's Badlands because WB doesn't seem to give up anything, despite that they license stuff for their box sets.
I think nearly everyone wants it to be Badlands.

[What A Disgrace]

I wonder if Badlands is just a one off or if they did finally manage to grab a batch of titles from Warner Brothers. If the phantom placeholders on the Criterion site hint at future releases; I was thinking Petulia for Richard Lester? He's still alive and (hopefully) well.

Its just as likely that Criterion snagged one or so of Lester's from MGM, or even Robin and Marian from Sony. Not that I'm opposed to Petulia getting a big C on it, but it is as big a longshot as Butch and Sundance: The Early Years or a Beatles film until Badlands is confirmed.

[knives]

The Early Years is with Shout and I believe still in print.

[Jeff]

There have been several confirmations and hints from various sources (including Criterion and Warner themselves -- years ago) that there had been at least some titles licensed. Badlands was expected to be among them.

When I said people were clamoring for it, I didn't actually mean all people.

[captveg]

There have been several confirmations and hints from various sources (including Criterion and Warner themselves -- years ago) that there had been at least some titles licensed. Badlands was expected to be among them.

When I said people were clamoring for it, I didn't actually mean all people.

If they did license more than just Badlands from Warner, one has to think Akira Kurosawa's Dreams is highly probable.

[ryannichols7]

I wonder if Badlands is just a one off or if they did finally manage to grab a batch of titles from Warner Brothers. If the phantom placeholders on the Criterion site hint at future releases; I was thinking Petulia for Richard Lester? He's still alive and (hopefully) well.

I remember someone thinking Warners has struck a deal with Criterion to let living directors bring their films from Warners to Criterion. this goes alongside what Wim Wenders apparently said about Until the End of the World on Criterion, and CC themselves saying they weren't done with Jan Troell yet (this would be huge, if they really did get Emigrants/New Land which they love and have a poster of in their office)

I'd put good money on Linklater's Before Sunrise/Sunset of course. not sure what else. disappointing if this is the case as this makes Dreams, Blow-Up, Zabriskie Point, Brewster McCloud, and McCabe and Mrs. Miller out of reach for now, but maybe if the first wave of Warners sell well, they'd do more (ala MGM and Paramount)

[flyonthewall2983]

Scarecrow would be cool.

[oldsheperd]

Black Sheep with Chris Farley

[jwd5275]

My guess is that it is only a very few titles licensed, mainly the results of the combination of Warner's lack of interest in the title and pressure from a living director. So, it could be just this and Barcelona.

[zedz]

Can you imagine having a shot at Warners' holdings and opting for Barcelona? How could you live with yourself afterwards?

[ianungstad]

I wonder if Badlands is just a one off or if they did finally manage to grab a batch of titles from Warner Brothers. If the phantom placeholders on the Criterion site hint at future releases; I was thinking Petulia for Richard Lester? He's still alive and (hopefully) well.

I remember someone thinking Warners has struck a deal with Criterion to let living directors bring their films from Warners to Criterion. this goes alongside what Wim Wenders apparently said about Until the End of the World on Criterion, and CC themselves saying they weren't done with Jan Troell yet (this would be huge, if they really did get Emigrants/New Land which they love and have a poster of in their office)

I'd put good money on Linklater's Before Sunrise/Sunset of course. not sure what else. disappointing if this is the case as this makes Dreams, Blow-Up, Zabriskie Point, Brewster McCloud, and McCabe and Mrs. Miller out of reach for now, but maybe if the first wave of Warners sell well, they'd do more (ala MGM and Paramount)

Warner Brothers were the ones who said that they were in talks with Criterion to license films from "living directors" in a HTF chat many years ago. It's been so long that I wouldn't be surprised if the original deal fell through as a result of Kim Hendrickson spilling the beans. At the very least, it may have evolved to include more titles and not be limited to living directors.

[knives]

Can you imagine having a shot at Warners' holdings and opting for Barcelona? How could you live with yourself afterwards?

I wouldn't be able to do it without The Merry Widow if I were them. Criterion really could go for some von Stroheim. Even as a Stillman fan I would hope they'd wait for a good dozen other titles first at least even with the living directors rule.

[Harmonov]

Can you imagine having a shot at Warners' holdings and opting for Barcelona? How could you live with yourself afterwards?

I think you can rest easy on Barcelona. I spoke with Whit Stillman when he screened his films at the IU Cinema and he said that the window of it going to Criterion had closed. Perhaps he was bluffing, but I don't think so because he was very bummed they hadn't picked it up.

[HistoryProf]

Even if it is a pretty lame pun, shouldn't we all be ecstatic that Badlands is finally coming?

i don't buy it...if it is Badlands it's the absolutely worst clue they've ever given. they're clearly both male greaser sheep. I don't get how that equates to Badlands....so i'm not ecstatic because I think it's something else.

[criterion10]

Barcelona was recently released by Warner Archive, so there's no chance Big C will get a hold of it. Something tells me that if Criterion did manage to license Badlands, they didn't get many other WB titles, if any. See, the problem is that WB is so invested in the Archive collection, that there really is no reason for them to license out any of their titles. They see it just fit to release anything obscure, that would probably even sell really well with Criterion, through that ridculous service. On a side note, if Criterion did manage to make a substantial deal with WB, I really hope they got The Devils (not that I don't already have the magnificent BFI release, but I really would like to see others without a region free DVD player witness the film).

[neeb]

There have been several confirmations and hints from various sources (including Criterion and Warner themselves -- years ago) that there had been at least some titles licensed. Badlands was expected to be among them.

When I said people were clamoring for it, I didn't actually mean all people.

If they did license more than just Badlands from Warner, one has to think Akira Kurosawa's Dreams is highly probable.

If we're dreaming (no pun intended) of what they could get out of Warner's, then THE DEVILS and many of the unreleased silent films would have to rank a little higher, wouldn't they?
(And Warner Archive put DREAMS in its selection several months ago)

[Calvin]

Criterion may have wanted Scorsese's Who's That Knocking at My Door? to include in their long-gestating release of his shorts. Claudia Weill's Girlfriends is another film that would 'fit'.