Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[criterion10]

BTW, are both The Road Trilogy and The Naked Island new to Region 1/A? Criterion has really managed to debut many titles (perhaps about 50%) for the first time in North America, unlike last year's catalogue, which was mostly R1 rescues. A great step in the right direction.

[domino harvey]

Wrong Move was in the Anchor Bay Wenders box

[Harmonov]

Was The Player on anybody's radar before today, or is it a complete surprise?

To all who were interested in this, you should thank me since I bought the out of print blu not terribly long ago and even mentioned it on this forum. I had a sneaky suspicion it would end up on Criterion with all of those other Altmans. I'm increibly happy about it, but damn I wish I hadn't bought the other...

[movielocke]

A very nice slate of releases, I'm bummed by the lack of eclipse releases and upgrades in 2016. It's nice because it'll save me a couple hundred bucks in july, but they've such a big backlog of material I hate seeing them fall off their already slow pace.

Dr strangelove before the July sale ends, or is that more of a big November title?

[Buttery Jeb]

Weirdly enough, Warner Brothers and New Line aren't listed as the rights owners [of The Player] on the Criterion press release. I couldn't enlarge the image, but it looked like Rehab something.

[flyonthewall2983]

Rehab Incorporated

Formed in 2007, Rehab Incorporated consists of Rehab Consulting, an entertainment and media consulting company, and Rehab Entertainment, an independent film, television, and digital production company.

Rehab Consulting's clients include entertainment and media companies as well as intellectual properties such as film libraries, music libraries, literary properties, and film and television distribution for selected titles.

The independent production division, Rehab Entertainment, is dedicated to collaborating with emerging filmmakers on director-driven material.

[knives]

Though WB is listed as a client of them. Maybe it is a sub-licencing deal?

[Jeff]

Weirdly enough, Warner Brothers and New Line aren't listed as the rights owners on the Criterion press release. I couldn't enlarge the image, but it looked like Rehab something.

Hmmm... It looks like only Spelling Entertainment is credited on that MPAA block too. Fine Line was the theatrical distributor, but perhaps their rights expired. If it had reverted to Spelling, it would be with Paramount now. The Rehab site mentions that they distribute "select titles" for their clients, but I'm guessing that The Player has reverted to one of the producers who is being repped by Rehab rather than Warner.

[flyonthewall2983]

Fine Line hasn't been in existence for over a decade now. New Line is still going, but just more as a front for WB's B action movies and comedies. They do seem to be in something with MGM now, having released the Hobbit movies with them and more recently Creed.

[Minkin]

I assume this should be moved to the forthcoming / speculation thread

Rehab Entertainment's company page mentions the founder used to be on the Board at RLJ (Image entertainment). Perhaps this is further disintegration of Image? It reminds me of the AudioBrandon stuff that we still don't really fully know about... I wonder what other films they represent and whether there's any other worthwhile titles. I guess some of you can now cease complaining that Criterion "wasted one of their WB titles" on this.

[Jeff]

Fine Line hasn't been in existence for over a decade now. New Line is still going, but just more as a front for WB's B action movies and comedies. They do seem to be in something with MGM now, having released the Hobbit movies with them and more recently Creed.

Yes, Fine Line was always just an imprint of New Line (it was Ira Deutchman's shingle there), and New Line is now just an imprint of Warner, having been fully integrated into the parent company a few years ago. MGM owns a lot of intellectual properties like The Hobbit, Rocky, and James Bond but doesn't have the resources to do much with them, so they partner with another studio like Warner or Sony.

[flyonthewall2983]

Was The Player on anybody's radar before today, or is it a complete surprise?

To all who were interested in this, you should thank me since I bought the out of print blu not terribly long ago and even mentioned it on this forum. I had a sneaky suspicion it would end up on Criterion with all of those other Altmans. I'm increibly happy about it, but damn I wish I hadn't bought the other...

I remember that, in the Warner thread. Thank you! I knew the WB Blu was out but I had a feeling Criterion might do something with it, especially after it did go OOP. Seemed very odd for one of their titles to go out of print so soon.

[FrauBlucher]

With Dr Strangelove coming and possibly His Girl Friday, what other titles may we guess is coming from Columbia Pictures/Sony deal?

[Buttery Jeb]

With Dr Strangelove coming and possibly His Girl Friday, what other titles may we guess is coming from Columbia Pictures/Sony deal?

Definitely have The Squid and the Whale and Here Comes Mr. Jordan coming. Shampoo is also a strong possibility.

[FrauBlucher]

How about some of these from Sony..... Suddenly, Last Summer, The Age of Innocence (has been restored to 4K several years ago), Lost Horizon, and The Dresser.

[captveg]

How some of these from Sony..... Suddenly, Last Summer, The Age of Innocence (has been restored to 4K several years ago), Lost Horizon, and The Dresser.

If not Lost Horizon, then Mr. Deeds Goes to Town seems to be the most logical Capra film to prioritize. But it's a coin flip whether Criterion will get it or Sony will release it themselves at the end of the year like they did with Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and You Can't Take It with You.

[beamish13]

With Dr Strangelove coming and possibly His Girl Friday, what other titles may we guess is coming from Columbia Pictures/Sony deal?

Charles Burnett's To Sleep With Anger and/or John Sayles' City of Hope

[Luke M]

With Dr Strangelove coming and possibly His Girl Friday, what other titles may we guess is coming from Columbia Pictures/Sony deal?

I'm hoping for The Awful Truth

[Drucker]

Is The Passenger still with Sony?

[beamish13]

Is The Passenger still with Sony?

As far as I know, it is. I thought Jack Nicholson owned the U.S. rights to it, and had licensed it to Sony for distribution.

[jazzo]

I still don't know what to make of Easy Rider standalone - as there's been rumors of the BBS going OOP, but Rhino has already announced their Monkees stupidly website-exclusive limited edition bluray, thus I don't know why that should affect Criterion, but we'll keep an eye out for it.

Considering BBS set is still in print, my guess is Criterion is just trying to break up some of the more notable releases in their box sets (case in point: the upcoming Brief Encounter). My guess is we'll see the same happen to The Last Picture Show at some point.

Perhaps this is where we'll get the director's cut of Texasville. I certainly hope so, and would re-buy the film in a second to get both.

[movielocke]

How some of these from Sony..... Suddenly, Last Summer, The Age of Innocence (has been restored to 4K several years ago), Lost Horizon, and The Dresser.

If not Lost Horizon, then Mr. Deeds Goes to Town seems to be the most logical Capra film to prioritize. But it's a coin flip whether Criterion will get it or Sony will release it themselves at the end of the year like they did with Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and You Can't Take It with You.

I think criterion will skip Mr deeds and lost horizon and opt for American madness and the bitter tea of general yen.

[sabbath]

Gloria Graham in IN A LONELY PLACE reminds me of another classic film noir gem, HUMAN DESIRE (directed by Fritz Lang), which is also with Sony.

[dwk]

In the opening minutes of the latest episode of The Canon podcast, they say that Criterion is going to be releasing Alexander Payne's Election.

[domino harvey]

A Paramount title previously distroed by Warners, right?