MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

[Cinephrenic]

There is The Phantom Chariot coming some day from Criterion. It was restored and screened, just a matter of time before we see it in the collection.

[HerrSchreck]

it would be even better if they didn't release exactly the same movies that is available in sweden on VHS.

Note to R1 disc-producers and for that matter the Rest Of The World:

stop wasting your and everybody else's time and money releasing material that is already out in Sweden on VHS for chrissakes! Once it's out on VHS in Sweden-- even if the obscure oop vhs is an anlog transfer, is unsubbed, is pre-restoration & pre-insertion of newly discovered nitrate & formerly missing material-- dvd's are a reduntant wasting of everbody's time.

[tavernier]

it would be even better if they didn't release exactly the same movies that is available in sweden on VHS.

Note to R1 disc-producers and for that matter the Rest Of The World:

stop wasting your and everybody else's time and money releasing material that is already out in Sweden on VHS for chrissakes! Once it's out on VHS in Sweden-- even if the obscure oop vhs is an anlog transfer, is unsubbed, is pre-restoration & pre-insertion of newly discovered nitrate & formerly missing material-- dvd's are a reduntant wasting of everbody's time.

Amen, brother!

[Artois]

Would there be any chance of a DVD release of Konchalovsky's version of Uncle Vanya?

Or of negotiating the rights for Terence Davies' The Long Day Closes from BFI?

[artfilmfan]

I would love to see "Angele" (Marcel Pagnol, 1934) released by MoC. Is that possible ?

[addz]

With regards to adding more recent films to the MoC catalogue, how about Luc Besson's Le Grand bleu?

As far as I know it's currently unavilable on both Region 1 & 2 and surely with the various different regional versions it is and ideal candidate for and MoC 2-disc edition.

[peerpee]

I'd rather give up now, than release a Besson film before a Bresson film in the Masters of Cinema Series. Sorry, but Besson isn't likely.

[tavernier]

I'd rather give up now, than release a Besson fim before a Bresson film in the Masters of Cinema Series. Sorry, but Besson isn't likely.

Thank you! =D>

[zedz]

I'd rather give up now, than release a Besson fim before a Bresson film in the Masters of Cinema Series. Sorry, but Besson isn't likely.

Thank you! =D>

I second that emoticon.

(Has Mr Slim actually looked at the MoC catalogue?)

[What A Disgrace]

Nobody likes Besson...but what are the chances of seeing a Kaurismaki film in the collection?

I've only seen Man Without a Past...but I absolutely loved the film, and I've been itching to see some of the director's other works. There don't seem to be any other English-friendly discs of his films, either.

[tavernier]

Nobody likes Besson...but what are the chances of seeing a Kaurismaki film in the collection?

I've only seen Man Without a Past...but I absolutely loved the film, and I've been itching to see some of the director's other works. There don't seem to be any other English-friendly discs of his films, either.

A lot of his films in R2 have English subs.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Kaurismaki box sets with english subs available from dvdsverige.se

[addz]

I second that emoticon.

(Has Mr Slim actually looked at the MoC catalogue?)

Firstly, I find this post a tad rude and condescending. Is this how you welcome new members? If so, great job. =D> How's the air up there?

Secondly, I have not only looked at the MoC catalogue, I currently own a good proportion of the available titles. And, in all fairness, I find Le Grand bleu to be a far more interesting film and Luc Besson to be a far more interesting filmmaker than some of the entries already in the series (of which there are probably only two or three that I find completely dire).

If you don't like him - fine. You clearly don't. My suggestion was only an idea I was putting out there with regards to getting more recent films in the series.

Nick, has already said it definitely won't happen - end of. The rest of you don't need to come in and rip me to shreds. Unless that sort of thing makes you feel better about yourselves.

Oh, and What a Disgrace - don't presume to speak for everybody when you say "Nobody likes Besson". There's at least one person here who does.

[Artois]

I don't really think the comments were meant personally Jack Rabbit, or genuinely condescending.

I think the point though is not solely about interesting filmmakers or films, but rather about master filmmakers and classic (at least in the temporal sense) films.

[stepps]

well i think there is a bit of snobbery about Besson, i am a real lover of avant-garde and classic cinema, but i would rather see MoC release the Big Blue (btw have any of the detractors seen it?) than a Murnau stinker for the completist nerds ie. Schloß Vogeloed (5.5/10 on imdb), not that im saying that MoC have done this yet, but 2 of their spines are earmarked for unannounced Murnau's, and arent all of his great films released? Besson is well known recently for producing potboilers, but the big blue is a great film, and Nikita shows off some real directorial flair.
i wouldnt be surprised if a boutique label picks up on the big blue in thirty years times, you'll probably all be buying it as well.
my brother is a freediver, and this is his favourite film, its the kind of athletic adrenalinising movie that wont appeal to a lot of the pinot grigio sipping 40-somethings that lurk on this forum.
As well as movies like Meshes in the Afternoon and Last Year in Marienbad my top 100 contains Kiss of the Dragon and The Chronicles of Riddick, oh there's another two movies the poster's havent watched, dont want to slum it down the local odeon eh?
im not so sure bresson is a better director btw, his Lancelot du Lac was a bit too reactionary for my tastes.
perhaps some more Bergman or Kurosawa, im sure these two must have made some films that the boutique labels have overlooked, 40 + Bergman uk releases? (only 10 deserving of release?).
Sorry for the rant guys.

[daniel p]

well i think there is a bit of snobbery about Besson, i am a real lover of avant-garde and classic cinema, but i would rather see MoC release the Big Blue (btw have any of the detractors seen it?) than a Murnau stinker for the completist nerds ie. Schloß Vogeloed (5.5/10 on imdb), not that im saying that MoC have done this yet, but 2 of their spines are earmarked for unannounced Murnau's, and arent all of his great films released? Besson is well known recently for producing potboilers, but the big blue is a great film, and Nikita shows off some real directorial flair.
i wouldnt be surprised if a boutique label picks up on the big blue in thirty years times, you'll probably all be buying it as well.
my brother is a freediver, and this is his favourite film, its the kind of athletic adrenalinising movie that wont appeal to a lot of the pinot grigio sipping 40-somethings that lurk on this forum.
As well as movies like Meshes in the Afternoon and Last Year in Marienbad my top 100 contains Kiss of the Dragon and The Chronicles of Riddick, oh there's another two movies the poster's havent watched, dont want to slum it down the local odeon eh?
im not so sure bresson is a better director btw, his Lancelot du Lac was a bit too reactionary for my tastes.
perhaps some more Bergman or Kurosawa, im sure these two must have made some films that the boutique labels have overlooked, 40 + Bergman uk releases? (only 10 deserving of release?).
Sorry for the rant guys.

Dude, you're seriously adding fuel to the fire you've sparked in this thread...
Contrary to one point you made, I (a poster on here) have seen Kiss of the Dragon, and I'm curious as to where it sits on your "top 100" list.

The fact that Besson is mentioned so freely in the same sentence as Bresson stilll amuses me...

[kinjitsu]

Enough already! MoC's founders would hardly classify Besson as their particular type of filmmaker, and neither would I.

[Cold Bishop]

Not sure what the rights issues are in the UK, but if MOC releases The Burmese Harp and Fires on a Plain before Criterion gets around to it, it'll make me one happy customer.

[BrightEyes23]

im not so sure bresson is a better director

c'mon guys, by this quote alone you should know that his post was OBVIOUS sarcasm

on that quote...to me, its a little like hearing someone say "I think Kid Rock might just be a better song writer than John Lennon" Its amusing because its just so absurd

[BrightEyes23]

Not sure what the rights issues are in the UK, but if MOC releases The Burmese Harp and Fires on a Plain before Criterion gets around to it, it'll make me one happy customer.

OHhh I second this! I just got around to watching a wretched VHS copy of this (Fires on a Plain) that I transfered to DVD before I junked my VCR...wow, it was just amazing. Angry Ichikawa!

I'd love to see MoC do another round of Japanese releases, springboarding from the Naruses...definetly some more Imamura, Shinoda, and Shindo! Heck, bring on a boxset of masterpiece new wave films!

Oddly enough, one Japanese filmmaker whom they've yet to include, which I think is odd and a shame, is Nagisa Oshima! I've just started to really watch his films, and WOW! Death by Hanging (amazing release by the JapaneseNewWave group) was unbelievable...we need more Oshima available!

[kekid]

Not so obvious. I heard George Bush prefers Besson over Bresson.

[zedz]

(Has Mr Slim actually looked at the MoC catalogue?)

Firstly, I find this post a tad rude and condescending. Is this how you welcome new members? If so, great job. =D> How's the air up there?

Secondly, I have not only looked at the MoC catalogue, I currently own a good proportion of the available titles. And, in all fairness, I find Le Grand bleu to be a far more interesting film and Luc Besson to be a far more interesting filmmaker than some of the entries already in the series (of which there are probably only two or three that I find completely dire).

Well, what you think about Besson isn't really the issue here, is it? It's what the MoC producers think about him that will determine whether or not they're going to issue The Big Blue, and they've got one of the clearest philosophies of any DVD company out there: there's a whole website about it. I still have no idea how you can look at that site and think that they're going to release a Besson title. I can't see any name on that massive list that's even in the same ballpark. And the scope of their actual releases to date has been even more tightly focussed (no post 70s titles, for example).

By the way, welcome. I'm sure you're not the only Besson admirer around here, but it's probably more useful to start a discussion about his merits in one of the less specialized fora.

[addz]

Well, what you think about Besson isn't really the issue here, is it? It's what the MoC producers think about him that will determine whether or not they're going to issue The Big Blue, and they've got one of the clearest philosophies of any DVD company out there: there's a whole website about it. I still have no idea how you can look at that site and think that they're going to release a Besson title. I can't see any name on that massive list that's even in the same ballpark. And the scope of their actual releases to date has been even more tightly focussed (no post 70s titles, for example).

By the way, welcome. I'm sure you're not the only Besson admirer around here, but it's probably more useful to start a discussion about his merits in one of the less specialized fora.

Ok, I'll come clean - I was teasing. I never seriously thought he stood a chance in hell of entering the MoC series. It was simply a film that was fresh in my mind the day I posted so I thought I'd have a little fun and see what response I got if I suggested it here.
Incited quite an interesting debate though wouldn't you say?

I mean, Luc Besson - come on! Aside from Leon, La femme Nikita and the Big Blue - which, interesting films though they are; could hardly be considered masterpieces - what else has he done worth noting?
Messenger: Joan of Arc? Taxi (which he produced)? the Transporter (which he wrote)? Let's not forget his bastardisation of Ong-bak!

Nope. No master of cinema here. Merely a caterer to the varied in taste masses, who occasionally makes a decent film.


But let's forget about that and talk about some real possibilities.

I noticed that on the MoC site list (presumably a sample of the directors to feature in the series ) you include one of my favourite recent filmmakers Jim Jarmusch. If he is indeed to enter the MoC series at some point in the future, which film (or perhaps films?) of his will be entered?

My first guess is that it will probably be Stranger Than Paradise his Palme d'Or winning feature debut but as this is due to be released later this year, it seems unlikely that MoC would release it any time soon.

More likely would probably be Night on Earth or Down By Law which currently exist (both as single releases and in a double pack) as vanilla discs.

Or maybe it'll be another film that I'm missing completely. Either way, I look forward to the day when Jarmusch enters the MoC Series.

Of course, I could be reading far too much into this and that list merely consists of filmmakers MoC admire rather than filmmakers who will be entering the series. Although, for a series that has a potentially limitless number of releases, I suspect a good number on that list will be featured in the many years to come.

[Lino]

Nick, do MoC plan to revisit the Eureka release of Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler in the future?

And who owns the distribution rights for The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse in the UK?

[BrightEyes23]

so, speaking of BRESSON, any chance that you would release any of his films? Four Nights of a Dreamer? A Gentle Woman? The Devil Probably? Those 3 would be ones that I'd LOVE to get, not only because they aren't available on DVD yet, but because I've worn out my VHS and they're all beautiful films. Maybe a "Bresson Does Dostoevsky" package with 4 Nights and a A Gentle Woman?