Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[Never Cursed]

Has there been any news on the supposed 2K Mishima restoration? I haven't heard anything about it for a year.

[Telstar]

Does Criterion still have the rights to Thief of Bagdad? Any news of an upgrade?

[McNulty]

Has there been any news on the supposed 2K Mishima restoration? I haven't heard anything about it for a year.

At a SFIFF screening of the film +Q&A w/ Paul Schrader, he said a blu from Criterion would be forthcoming. That was over 2 years ago. I wonder if and how Patriotism would figure into a Mishima blu.

[djproject]

I wonder if and how Patriotism would figure into a Mishima blu.

Considering this year is its 50th anniversary.

(I could see this being subsumed into the Mishima Blu given how Bergman Island is under The Seventh Seal and The Beales of Grey Gardens are under Grey Gardens. Then again, Night and Fog remained separate.)

[Self]

David Lynch: The Art Life being distributed by Amazon and Janus Films, with eventual release from Criterion

[dda1996a]

What are the chances of it being being released as an extra on a new Lynch release (Blue Velvet or Lost Highway hopefully)? Seems weird that such a 90 minute doc about a director will get an individual spine, as even Bergman In her own words was longer and more personal featuring personal shot home movies and a lot of extras. Plus Eraserhead has most of Lynch's early shorts, so unless we get a full booklet of his paintings I find this rather odd

[Noiradelic]

If this is playing theatrically as it appears to be, there's a good chance this'll get an individual release. A Lynch doc has at least as much commercial potential as an Ingrid Bergman doc. The length doesn't matter much as long as it's feature-length and we don't know what extras it would have. I would still find the Bergman doc the odder release, considering the Rossellini-Bergman set.

[FrauBlucher]

Maybe the shorts we expected on Mulholland Drive were saved for the doc.

[dwk]

The Exterminating Angel is getting a blu-ray upgrade in December as the disc features section now says:

Restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray

[Cinephrenic]

Just forgot that the announcements are for December. Don't expect much.

[tenia]

I'm really surprised at how they're advertising Roma as a "New high-definition digital restoration" (in opposition to stating a 2K or 4K restoration - I believe Roma is a 4K resto -). Same goes for The Exterminating Angel which is advertised as a Restored high-definition digital transfer as if they're going to recycle their older master à la Sword of Doom.

[Finch]

Exterminating Angel better not be a lacklustre upgrade like Sword of Doom. My joy at the Bunuel announcement is already tempered by it not even being a 2k resto. Still a great month with the Huston and the Anderson on top of the Bunuel.

[doh286]

Filmstruck's theme page for the upcoming Glenda Jackson section contains a still from The Music Lovers film poster.

[Minkin]

For your speculation roundup for this month:

The Exterminating Angel - Upgrade, hinted at in New Years Clue (Dr Strangelove bomb with angel) -which finally resolves that clue + I think this is a world's first: Criterion released all of their New Years Clues within the year the drawing came out! Of course Fallen Angels is still highly likely (give its OOP from Kino), but I'm calling the clue done.

Heart of a Dog - Janus did some weird distribution for this film (Amazon?), and promoted it quite a bit, so here it is.

Roma - One of those MGM films from that original "secret" list (or so I suspect - along with Europa Europa, Burn, etc - meaning these are still trickling out) + July's newsletter clue

The Asphalt Jungle - A surprise,! Well, actually it was a former Laserdisc title + Ian had that list of WB titles that have so far proven correct. So it was pretty well speculated.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Another interesting month. This leaves us with 280 Blu-ray upgrades remaining (where boxsets count as a single #). I'm really surprised that all of Polan's 2016 New Years drawings actually came out in 2016. We of course still have a backlog of newsletter clues (will again be four by next announcement).

Roma is the highlight for me, as I'm probably in the minority of people who rather love that film. I was kinda hoping for some last minute big boxset (Bulldog Drummond perhaps!), but I'm happy with the selection for the month and indeed 2016.

[Minkin]

As a buzz kill to my above excitement, I suppose people speculated that Criterion's method of breaking the image up into panels which were then enlarged - was meant to be a clue for Blow-Up. Given Ian's list (and that it would certainly rank extremely high on Criterion's WB radar) - I'm sure they have it. But its the kind of clue which can only be inferred later, so I'm not listing it as "confirmed" either way.

[John Doe]

The Exterminating Angel I think this is a world's first: Criterion released all of their New Years Clues within the year the drawing came out!

Not really. What about that clock clue?

[sabbath]

The Exterminating Angel I think this is a world's first: Criterion released all of their New Years Clues within the year the drawing came out!

Not really. What about that clock clue?

Minkin's right. The clock was CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT.

[RSTooley]

Minkin's right. The clock was CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT.

Doubtful. I hate sounding like a broken record, but an instrument of time (a clock) with it's hands pointing to the 2 and 4 is almost certainly Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days. Considering a cover has already leaked via 'The Apu Trilogy' special features, I'm kinda perplexed as to why people are still questioning the clue.

Geez, these are the first world things I write about at 7 AM on a Friday morning.

[Minkin]

Minkin's right. The clock was CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT.

Doubtful. I hate sounding like a broken record, but an instrument of time (a clock) with it's hands pointing to the 2 and 4 is almost certainly Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days. Considering a cover has already leaked via 'The Apu Trilogy' special features, I'm kinda perplexed as to why people are still questioning the clue.

Geez, these are the first world things I write about at 7 AM on a Friday morning.

I think you're referencing the 2015 New Years Clue - of which we still have Mungiu's film + Spinal Tap (probably) left. The 2016 New Years Clue has been wrapped up (that clock has both hands pointing at midnight).

Except of course Blow Up, which could be hinted, as the framing device has been used as a clue before.

[John Doe]

Oh yeah, that clock was a 2015 clue. Lol. My bad.

[Omensetter]

I was one of the probably several who speculated Blowup, but I also assumed the central road that runs through the drawing was referring to La strada, in line with the previous year's literal clues of The Bridge and The River. I'm happy to call the clue good, though, so long as we don't lose the Antonioni in the process.

His Girl Friday, The Before Trilogy, and this month's clue aside, I personally prefer the surprise and relative surprise announcements at the beginning of the year like Every Man for Himself, Death by Hanging, The New Land/The Emigrants, I Knew Her Well, A Brighter Summer Day, The Long Day Closes, et al.

[Billy Beta]

Any idea how likely it could be for Criterion to do an Eclipse set of his TV work? Although it would be disappointing if that is the only way we get a decent stateside release for Abigail's Party.

Since Leigh has been involved, I'd say Eclipse isn't likely. Meantime is either getting its own release, it's part of a mainline box of "Mike Leigh's Television Plays," or it's a supplement to something thematically similar like All or Nothing.

Despite Criterion's history of not generally releasing TV-movies on their own unless they're Bergman or Fassbinder epic miniseries, I guess the first option is still most likely. That was apparently the only title mentioned to Billy Beta, they've bothered to get the director and cinematographer to do the color grading, and the film is owned by Film4, whom Criterion have an established relationship with. I think all of Leigh's other TV stuff is owned by the BBC. It'd be a somewhat surprising standalone release, but the cast might make it more marketable -- especially if they can get Roth and Oldman to sit for new interviews. All nine of the other feature-length TV films appear to be in print in the U.S. via a series of three boxed sets from Water Bearer. They don't have any supplements, and I can't vouch for their quality, but the Amazon reviews seem fine.

Hi all, I was in London working yesterday and I spoke to someone working on Mike Leigh's new stuff with Criterion. He is doing two films with Criterion,
I don't know if they will be released together or not. But they are definitely Meantime and High Hopes as Roger Pratt has supervised both of them. Interestingly enough one of the things mentioned is that Meantime has been reframed (by Mike Leigh and Pratt) for 16.9. Apparently Leigh wanted to shoot widescreen back then but because of TV constraints wasn't allowed to. Personally I'm really excited. I love Meantime!

[Self]

Criterion plug for Documentary Now. Could this combined with Hader in the closet mean something is in the works?

[Ribs]

They did this last time too.

I wonder if it might not be a straightforward thing, but more like if they did an upgrade of Nanook they'd throw on that episode?

[sinemadelisikiz]

They're probably just giving them props because a lot of their episodes are inspired by Criterion documentaries (aka free advertising). I would be shocked if they were releasing the series or something.