Forthcoming Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol. 4

[bamwc2]

So now that Ministry of Fear has been announced, are there any more Langs that we're expecting?

You and Me is a Universal-owned Paramount Lang that Criterion should do.

I'm not expecting it, but I would love it if Kino remastered Liliom and gave it a BD release. Their current edition, released back in 2004, leaves a lot to be desired according to the Beaver review.

[knives]

The Fox released version on their disc of Carousel is pretty great.

[bamwc2]

The Fox released version on their disc of Carousel is pretty great.

Thanks. I had no idea that it was a part of the set.

[ianungstad]

Fritz Lang's You Only Live Once is a Westchester/Caidin title.

[krnash]

So now that Ministry of Fear has been announced, are there any more Langs that we're expecting?

Woman In The Window

Is this just speculation or does this have some support behind it? I'd just die for a good copy of it.

[Brian C]

You and Me is a Universal-owned Paramount Lang that Criterion should do.

I wish. Got a chance to see a 35mm print of this earlier this year and enjoyed it a great deal.

[James43]

Man Hunt perhaps?

[captveg]

Mabuse box set

Would this be for all of the following?

Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960)

[Cinephrenic]

What's is with the lack of Eclipse?

[Drucker]

Mabuse box set

Would this be for all of the following?

Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960)

Kino's Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler DVD is still in print. So I don't know that this is possible.

[knives]

It would be nice to see some of the post-Lang Mabuse films released though.

[triodelover]

Mabuse box set

Would this be for all of the following?

Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960)

Kino's Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler DVD is still in print. So I don't know that this is possible.

Unless the Blu-ray rights aren't owned by Kino and are available.

[Brian C]

What I was really asking is if we knew of any concrete plans for Criterion to release more Lang. The answers here seem to indicate that we do not, but there are some possibilities if Criterion is so inclined. Do I have this correct?

[TMDaines]

I think it has just gone all a bit Criterion's Facebook wall.

[ianungstad]

Criterion licensed the Caidin titles from Westchester films.

[HistoryProf]

They had a pretty good one last month.

You're right...I forgot that Ballad of Narayama was also a $29.95 blu title. I'd be more than happy to have one a month like that in lieu of "loaded" editions rather than adding extras for the sake of extra content.

[mfunk9786]

That's so sad to hear someone say - Criterion releases are always better when they're able to locate/curate good bonus features. Sure, it's nice to have the pricebreak when they can't, but I'd take good features over a very slightly lower price any day.

[triodelover]

I think what HistoryProf is trying to say - and excuse me if I put words in your mouth, Prof - is that he would rather have a great transfer of a desirable film at the lowest price point than that same film with extras added (that don't add value for him) just to bump the MSRP up a level. I'm pretty sure all of us here could go through the Collection and identify discs we feel that way about. They will be different discs, of course. I think I could find several that have maybe 2-3 10-minute "interviews" that are little better than a talk show chat.

If Criterion were unable to find any supplemental material for Narayama that they felt added value for the customer, I'm glad to get the BD at this price point. It's a rather obscure film - the Imamura is far better known - by a director that likely is familiar by name to only aficionados of postwar Japanese cinema. Fill it with extras and bump it up $10 bucks and you're likely to reduce the number of blind buys. And the stylized, theatrical approach to the old tale is not likely to be everyone's cuppa.

[HistoryProf]

I think what HistoryProf is trying to say - and excuse me if I put words in your mouth, Prof - is that he would rather have a great transfer of a desirable film at the lowest price point than that same film with extras added (that don't add value for him) just to bump the MSRP up a level. I'm pretty sure all of us here could go through the Collection and identify discs we feel that way about. They will be different discs, of course. I think I could find several that have maybe 2-3 10-minute "interviews" that are little better than a talk show chat.

If Criterion were unable to find any supplemental material for Narayama that they felt added value for the customer, I'm glad to get the BD at this price point. It's a rather obscure film - the Imamura is far better known - by a director that likely is familiar by name to only aficionados of postwar Japanese cinema. Fill it with extras and bump it up $10 bucks and you're likely to reduce the number of blind buys. And the stylized, theatrical approach to the old tale is not likely to be everyone's cuppa.

yeah...I just mean the practice of "extras for the sake of extras"...or "fluff" may be a better way of putting it. Thankfully Criterion doesn't do that too often, but it does happen. Of course if there are valuable extras to be had, by all means load it up!

[swo17]

You not liking an extra doesn't mean Criterion only included it on the disc so that they could charge you more for it.

[cdnchris]

I'm sure many probably would have preferred a barebones Cul-de-sac release at a lower price.

[mfunk9786]

That should've been at the lower price tier anyway, as Something Wild should've been. I will concede that it'd be nice if Criterion had a "less than an hour worth of bonus features = lower tier" rule of some kind. But still, I'd rather see something than nothing, even if it bumps up the price.

[cdnchris]

They used to follow that rule on DVD for the most part, though have basically abandoned it since Blu-ray.

[colinr0380]

If Criterion were unable to find any supplemental material for Narayama that they felt added value for the customer, I'm glad to get the BD at this price point. It's a rather obscure film - the Imamura is far better known - by a director that likely is familiar by name to only aficionados of postwar Japanese cinema. Fill it with extras and bump it up $10 bucks and you're likely to reduce the number of blind buys. And the stylized, theatrical approach to the old tale is not likely to be everyone's cuppa.

I do agree with this but the opposite argument would be that releasing something relatively obscure should be the chance to contextualise and introduce a whole new film and director to an audience who would otherwise be unfamiliar with their work. An unparalleled opportunity to provide perhaps some of the longest pieces of writing or video discussions around the film. Which creates disappointment when an opportunity such as that is not taken, for whatever the reason.

[mfunk9786]

See also: Criterion's incredibly loving treatment of Lonesome