Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[Caligula]

Broken Embraces, Bad Education, Talk to Her, Volver, High Heels, Kika, Flower of My Secret, Live Flesh, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Kika, Talk to Her, Volver

I see nine titles in the list (three repeated)

[tenia]

I don't believe all Almodovar restorations are finished yet. They won't be released by TF1 on BD before 2016 anyway, but I know they have had some issues with the material which made them delaying their output on this project.

[brianstorm33]

With Don't Look Back coming up I wonder what rock films/documentaries they're looking at doing next. Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii would be an ideal candidate. Has some cult status, the band doesn't have 100% ownership of it and there has been restoration work towards a Blu-ray release going on for awhile now.

In addition to what you suggested, I would love to have Criterion release of No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005) coupled with I'm Not There (2007).

I think Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars film would be great. I'm almost certain the DVD went OOP a while back. Plus its by D.A. Pennebaker and he's already got a few in the collection.

[justeleblanc]

Has anyone asked Criterion about Elaine May's HEARTBREAK KID and did they ever give a response?

[Lowry_Sam]

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii would be an ideal candidate. Has some cult status, the band doesn't have 100% ownership of it and there has been restoration work towards a Blu-ray release going on for awhile now.

Pink Floyd The Wall is a more likely candidate. It's the one film of a rock concept album more iconic than Quadrophenia & it's the one Pink Floyd album whose anniversary (Immersion Set) re-release was noticeably absent a blu-ray. I think the film is one of Warner's MGM titles.

[artfilmfan]

Here's another vote for a Criterion release of Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii . I watched the DVD of it (the original version) only recently and liked it very much. It would be great if Criterion can release the original version of it.

[flyonthewall2983]

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii would be an ideal candidate. Has some cult status, the band doesn't have 100% ownership of it and there has been restoration work towards a Blu-ray release going on for awhile now.

Pink Floyd The Wall is a more likely candidate. It's the one film of a rock concept album more iconic than Quadrophenia & it's the one Pink Floyd album whose anniversary (Immersion Set) re-release was noticeably absent a blu-ray. I think the film is one of Warner's MGM titles.

Sony, Pink Floyd's American label, owns the video rights (Warner Bros. owns it theatrically). EMI released the Immersion box sets.

Universal owns Pompeii. As it happens they are also releasing the DVD/Blu-ray of the recent Wall film so they might have interest in a Pompeii film themselves. Then again I figured Apple/EMI would want to have released A Hard Days' Night too.

[CSM126]

Considering that Hard Day's Night was licensed from a private collector, I don't think Apple/EMI had any say in the matter.

[flyonthewall2983]

But I would think they would have had more leverage in licensing it themselves than Criterion would.

[rspaight]

Pink Floyd's audio recordings have all reverted to Parlophone (now part of Warner Bros.) -- nothing's on Sony any more in the US (except maybe the Endless River thing from last year). I don't think the Wall movie being on Sony is necessarily connected with the former deal for the albums in the US being on Columbia. That said, it does seem that a BD is overdue for that one.

[flyonthewall2983]

Sony released Gilmour's recent solo album, and will put out the soundtrack to the Wall movie in a few weeks.

I think Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars film would be great. I'm almost certain the DVD went OOP a while back. Plus its by D.A. Pennebaker and he's already got a few in the collection.

I haven't seen it but have heard there was some major quality issues with the DVD, which is probably why it went out of print. Bowie's in a few films in the CC as an actor, so it would be fitting if they did have a document like that too.

[R0lf]

Oh good. I was re watching LAW OF DESIRE and LABYRINTH OF PASSION a few days ago and thinking how great they'd both look on blu ray.

[Roscoe]

Just saw this in a TCM e-mail about the 2016 Festival -- just wondering if it bodes well for that long-rumored Criterion release:

SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932) World Premiere Restoration
The pairing of director Josef von Sternberg and actress Marlene Dietrich turns this melodramatic tale of bandits and ladies of easy virtue into one of the most exotic experiences in film history, shown in a new restoration presented in collaboration with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

[jwd5275]

The burning question is whether it is the uncut version...

[George Drooly]

Whatever happened to the possibility of The World's Greatest Sinner?

[dwk]

According to Ryan Gallagher, Criterion is going to release The Manchurian Candidate

[criterion10]

According to Ryan Gallagher, Criterion is going to release The Manchurian Candidate

The MGM release is already pretty good, the Arrow one even better. Another title that Criterion doesn't really need to be spending their time on, but if it sells well enough to fund more less-commercial releases, then so be it.

[EddieLarkin]

If they're bothering, I'd be shocked if they weren't undertaking a new 2 or 4K transfer à la Dressed to Kill. As good as the current Blu-rays are, they use a transfer that is over a decade old.

[Finch]

I've bought Manchurian Candidate three times already on DVD, the MGM BD and Arrow's (the latter only for £7) so the Criterion would have to look absolutely sensational for me to pay for this particular film again, not to mention better the Arrow's extras.

[swo17]

And Arrow's encoding capabilities.

[RSTooley]

The MGM release is already pretty good, the Arrow one even better.

I actually think the MGM blu-ray can be improved upon, picture wise, but that's just me.

[Drucker]

MGM release doesn't have original mono though, I thought?

[ianungstad]

Seven Days in May is one of those Warner titles that seems very Criterion-y that suddenly went out of print. It seems like maybe they are going for the Frankenheimer "paranoia" trilogy.

[ianthemovie]

On the subject of MGM (and De Palma), do we know whether Carrie is a possibility?

[Randall Maysin]

and The Fury! Not MGM, but I'm pretty sure I got the idea from some post somewhere on this forum that this would be coming to Criterion eventually.