Forthcoming Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol. 5

[Tommaso]

In this respect, I wonder when any international label will finally appreciate a once internationally famous filmmaker (whose works were re-made in Hollywood and who himself had offers from Hollywood, too) whose works of the 30s were only rivalled by Ophuls: Willi Forst, whose "Maskerade" contains the greatest early performance by Anton Walbrook (then Adolf Wohlbrück) and whose impressive style and depth of emotion (see "Mazurka") should immediately click with many of the early sound film connoisseurs here. I know I sound like a broken record, but I really don't understand why someone of such genius is so neglected. Ozu knew better when he quoted from one of his films in "The only son".

[onedimension]

Thrilled to see the R-B films.. Blu upgrades aside, Rivette seems like the only major gap left in the collection's European cinema offerings..

Well, this should be easy enough.

Criterion has covered a lot of European bases, but I can immediately think of another five gaps as gaping as that left by Rivette: Herzog, Kluge, Angelopoulos, Demy and Jansco. Thankfully, other companies have stepped up with the first four (and to a lesser degree with the fifth).

When you get outside Criterion's 50s to 70s comfort zone, the omissions proliferate: Stiller, Murnau, Gance from the silent era; Sokhurov, Almodovar and Haneke among contemporaries (though I personally wouldn't rank the last two with any of the aforementioned, they're probably the biggest European arthouse 'brands' of this century).

And once you get down to the essential filmmakers of the next tier, where do you stop?: Ruiz, Skolimowski, Eustache, Epstein. . .

And this is only Europe, mind you.

Right, my mistake- I was sort of conflating Criterion with region 1/A overall- as in, what general gaps in the market have Criterion not attempted to fill?

[Minkin]

Forthcoming:

Mulholland Drive

[domino harvey]

In case anyone was wondering who it was, I finally bought the RB Blu a few days ago

[RyanGallagher]

Forthcoming:

Mulholland Drive

I hope that Criterion releases this, but Blu-ray.com is jumping to a conclusion based on a Tumblr re-blog. As many of us have learned over the years, just because the folks handling the social media end of things at Criterion post something on Twitter or Tumblr or Facebook, it doesn't make it "forthcoming".

That being said, my fingers are crossed.

[Adam X]

In case anyone was wondering who it was, I finally bought the RB Blu a few days ago

many thanks, domino. Sometimes it just needs someone to take one for the team.

[onedimension]

Oh, and Janus apparently acquired the rights to most (all?) of Jacques Demy's films.. so a boxset could be forthcoming- I know one of us has advocated for that before, though I forget who..

[eerik]

Of course I would love to see them releasing Mulholland Drive but I don't think one tweet confirms anything. How ever, they have tweeted about it more than few times in the last couple of years, so who knows, maybe they are working on it.

[EddieLarkin]

Well it's not the first clue we've had. Remember that "Universal/Criterion Collection" were being credited on youtube as having requested uploads of the film be removed. This corroborates a release I thought most were expecting anyway.

[CSM126]

A pic on tumblr is a flimsy but of evidence, but it's kind of insane that Criterion hasn't released Mulholland Dr. by now and if Lynch is willing to work with them they may as well. I can't imagine Universal has been clinging to it bitterly all these years, refusing to license it.

SO now we have to wonder if Lost Highway is also on the table and if they'd release these and Eraserhead plus the shorts all at once or spread out.

[Ashirg]

Of cause they will release it since I bought a StudioCanal blu-ray last month!!!

[FakeBonanza]

I got the impression from the DVD release of Mulholland Drive that Lynch is intent on having the film stand on its own (the lack of additional material, the decision to not have scene breaks). I wonder to what extent Lynch would be willing to participate in a Criterion release of the film.

Of course, with its tremendous critical reputation, I'm sure Criterion could collect a wealth of material from academic or critical sources.

[domino harvey]

I know not everyone loves him but if Criterion does release some late period Lynch, I hope they do commission something by Zizek-- his section on Lynch in the Pervert's Guide to Cinema was quite an effective defense for several films I'd otherwise disregarded

[bamwc2]

I believe that Lynch has softened that stance over the years (I once read a philosophy of film anthology which contained an essay in which he railed against DVD extras). Wasn't he the one that gave MGM the deleted scenes for their Blue Velvet special edition or am imagining things?

Also, for the skeptic who posted earlier, I'd say that this is as close to confirmation of an impending release that we'll get. Consider this inductively. First we get a tweet of a Godzilla film canister and then it gets released. Next we get a tweet apropos of nothing that we're aware of with David Cronenberg and several of his film canisters. Now we know that that was probably around the time that Criterion procured the rights to Scanners and The Brood. It seems very likely that this means that Mulholland Drive is forthcoming.

[Adam X]

I believe that Lynch has softened that stance over the years (I once read a philosophy of film anthology which contained an essay in which he railed against DVD extras). Wasn't he the one that gave MGM the deleted scenes for their Blue Velvet special edition or am imagining things?

He may well've been against extras at one stage, though more from wanting to let the film stand on its own merits, rather than having its minutia explained away.
His thing about deleted scenes was that he insisted on them being of much the same AV quality as the feature, and that they be able to stand alone as individual moments.
Clearly, based on the Lime Green set's Wild at Heart deleted scenes & R1 Inland Empire release, Lynch has softened his stance somewhat.

And if this release does turn out to be real, I really do hope Lost Highway follows shortly thereafter. It'd be great to finally see a release of the film that comes close to matching the way it looked in cinemas.

[ryannichols7]

I thought we all knew Mulholland was sure to come alongside Eraserhead? seemed obvious, being a Universal title and a much bigger title than Lost Highway.

also both films should come with plenty of extras. the European Mulholland Bluray has plenty and I'm sure they'll cobble a bunch for Eraserhead, be it early shorts or interviews with Fisk, etc.

[flyonthewall2983]

Well it's not the first clue we've had. Remember that "Universal/Criterion Collection" were being credited on youtube as having requested uploads of the film be removed. This corroborates a release I thought most were expecting anyway.

Wasn't that because the clip was lumped in with something the CC already released?

[RyanGallagher]

I am thoroughly convinced, and am now eagerly awaiting a Lynch box set this November with Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire, the Straight Story, and the Elephant Man.

[The Narrator Returns]

I think Criterion would definitely go for Lost Highway, partially because I just bought it, of course they're gonna release it, and also because it's not like Universal is going to do anything with it (they couldn't be bothered to do anything with it when they released on DVD, after all).

[zedz]

I am thoroughly convinced, and am now eagerly awaiting a Lynch box set this November with Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire, the Straight Story, and the Elephant Man.

Which would mean Criterion finally releases a box set more inexplicably random than that Louis Malle one! All of those films have major individual profiles, strong followings and distinct audiences (e.g. folks who would love The Straight Story but run a mile from Inland Empire), so I don't know why Criterion would want to minimise their potential profits by bunging them all into one big unwieldy box.

[dwk]

I'm not falling for your sarcasm, Ryan. Besides, Elephant Man is supposedly coming as part of a Brooksfilms box set.

[ryannichols7]

I am thoroughly convinced, and am now eagerly awaiting a Lynch box set this November with Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire, the Straight Story, and the Elephant Man.

Which would mean Criterion finally releases a box set more inexplicably random than that Louis Malle one! All of those films have major individual profiles, strong followings and distinct audiences (e.g. folks who would love The Straight Story but run a mile from Inland Empire), so I don't know why Criterion would want to minimise their potential profits by bunging them all into one big unwieldy box.

this. that'd be annoying and pointless. it'd be better to see them rolled out a few at a time.

Wenders/Antonioni will be November and December and Apu will be...March?

[richast2]

Forthcoming:

Mulholland Drive

I hope that Criterion releases this, but Blu-ray.com is jumping to a conclusion based on a Tumblr re-blog. As many of us have learned over the years, just because the folks handling the social media end of things at Criterion post something on Twitter or Tumblr or Facebook, it doesn't make it "forthcoming".

That being said, my fingers are crossed.

So you're saying we're not getting a CC edition of Revenge of the Nerds?

[bamwc2]

So you're saying we're not getting a CC edition of Revenge of the Nerds?

Huh? When did they post anything on this? As much as I enjoy large parts of it, it's regressive sexual politics (I don't care what anyone says, Lewis raped Betty in the fun house) keeps me from ever wanting to see it again.

[duck duck]

Fine I'll be the one who sounds like a perve. Would a Criterion Blu of Mulholland have the digital blur that was on the DVD? I understand the reason for it and it's not a problem on DVD but with bigger screens with higher definition it may be distracting.