Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

[revchu]

I believe the last DVD upgrade was the Element of Crime upgrade in the Europe Trilogy Boxset for Jan 2023.

Before that, I think it was Le Corbeau (Sept 22), and then Summertime (July 22), so they still happen periodically.

Also remember we had Citizen Kane, Raging Bull, and Menace II Society laserdisc upgrades in the last two years as well.

[fiendishthingy]

Kind of an unusual case, but they also upgraded Daisies to Blu-ray from the Eclipse DVD in November 2022.

[FrauBlucher]

The Devil and Daniel Webster and Blast of Silence seem like the next logical upgrades due to their restorations. But with Criterion's caginess it could very well be something out of left field. I also wouldn't be surprised if they upgrade these two I mentioned all the way to UHD

[therewillbeblus]

Yeah I expect most upgrades will be filtered into box sets (i.e. The Europe Trilogy) or from eclipse sets if the standalones are big favorites. I don't count laserdisc titles since there are so many of them that are huge hits and rights have often lapsed and gone to other distributors over the last decade-plus since they were in the collection (sometimes it seems like every cult favorite made before the late-90s has been a laserdisc title at some point in time). But I forgot about Le Corbeau and Summertime within the last year, so that's heartening

[rrenault]

Kind of an unusual case, but they also upgraded Daisies to Blu-ray from the Eclipse DVD in November 2022.

I reckon Akerman’s Les Rendez-vous d’Anna will also get a spine-numbered Blu at some point.

[rrenault]

Le Samouraï UHD upgrade.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest UHD
I Know Where I'm Going! Blu Ray upgrade
Zabriskie Point / The Mystery of Oberwald

Le Samourai is getting released on UHD in France in November, although it’s unfortunately only a bloated deluxe edition retailing for €70. Maybe Eagle Pictures in Italy will give us a standard edition at some point.

[Computer Raheem]

Freaks (UHD + Blu-ray)
Spellbound (Blu-ray upgrade)
The Devil and Daniel Webster (Blu-ray upgrade)
Werckmeister Harmonies (UHD + Blu-ray)
Atlantics (UHD + Blu-ray + DVD)

EO (Janus Contemporaries) (Blu-ray + DVD)

Can anyone guess a theme with the mainline title guesses?

[ryannichols7]

For those guessing blu-ray upgrades (I've been inconsistently doing this too), when was the last time Criterion upgraded one of their DVDs to blu-ray? I feel like it's been such a long stretch of UHD upgrades that I'm starting to doubt this'll happen again, except for the rare occasion where a DVD-release gets a 4K resto and double-format jump, or if we get a box set (i.e. P&P box might upgrade I Know Where I'm Going, A Canterbury Tale)

Mamma Roma was boxset only but it definitely counts!

I definitely hope we see more. Written on the Wind happened too, so I don't think they've entirely given up on them, even if they've definitely slowed down thanks to the UHD upgrades. Criterion have still yet to do a DVD -> UHD bump

[ryannichols7]

Tod Browning Set (The Unknown, Freaks, West of Zanzibar, etc.)

Freaks/Tod Browning set

how did you know this days ago?

Werckmeister Harmonies UHD
Dog Day Afternoon UHD
Saint Omer
The Devil and Daniel Webster BD
Contempt UHD*
Three Films by Tod Browning

*-the Lionsgate release listings have been pulled everywhere that I can see. there's no way that wasn't intentional, but maybe they're late to it? as I know most of us were shocked LGF were gonna retain that one, as it doesn't have nearly the marketability as Ran or The Man Who Fell to Earth. I think we may see it soon, but considering The Trial was September and Peeping Tom is likely for November or December, I'll be interested to see if we see this much Canal.

[therewillbeblus]

I swear I'm not speaking as a Godard fan here, but I think Contempt might be more marketable than a long Japanese Shakespeare adaptation or the Bowie alien movie. Not only is it more famous in cinephile circles, but it's usually the Godard film even people who don't like him seem to find widely accessible and universally love

[knives]

That’s definitely not the case as even people who aren’t into film are likely to know Ran or Man Who Fell to Earth. I think you’re underrating the fame and audience desire for Samurai movies and Bowie.

[therewillbeblus]

I'll never underestimate the Bowie love, which was why I chose my words carefully (not using the word "definitely" and speaking only to cinephile circles on that point), but I've never heard Ran mentioned outside of these spaces and I've never heard it called a "samurai movie" - and this includes all the people I know and have known who self-reportedly "only watch anime and old samurai movies." Anyway, I was just throwing an alternative guess out there. This is all anecdotal and subjective evidence, and the only "definite" information -whatever that looks like- is in the logs of the decision-makers

[Pavel]

Not that it matters, but in my experience most non-cinephiles think of Kurosawa as a master filmmaker in the classically entertaining way (like Hitchcock or perhaps Kubrick) and of Godard as a symbol of unapproachable “art” cinema that stretches the boundaries of conventional art too much for them to meaningfully engage with, similar to contemporary avant-garde pieces. Of course, that idea is formed with them having seen, at best, one Godard film

[ryannichols7]

they slapped an anime cover on Ran and it was even a steelbook, it sold through its limited print run. it was basically marketed for nerds!

absolutely no one is gonna walk into Best Buy and say "oh let me pick up this Jean Luc Godard movie" compared to the other two titles, hate to say it. there isn't an angle they can take there otherwise, short of having actual Bardot nude on the cover

[therewillbeblus]

Fair points, but being surprised a company retained Contempt because it "doesn't have nearly the marketability" of the other two is still a puzzling statement. It's a beloved and well-known film, it will sell very well, and it makes sense that a company interested in preserving culturally significant films would secure it. Contempt also far-surpassed Ran on the S&S poll, and we've already seen the way that list has affected release strategies

I guess when I read "marketability," I don't assume you're just referring to the community of people browsing Best Buy looking at cool covers. The bulk of the film community invested in physical media isn't going to be appalled at this move

[Computer Raheem]

Not to derail the Contempt speculation train, but Videodrome's got a trailer and new caps; upgrade imminent

[ryannichols7]

Fair points, but being surprised a company retained Contempt because it "doesn't have nearly the marketability" of the other two is still a puzzling statement. It's a beloved and well-known film, it will sell very well, and it makes sense that a company interested in preserving culturally significant films would secure it. Contempt also far-surpassed Ran on the S&S poll, and we've already seen the way that list has affected release strategies

I guess when I read "marketability," I don't assume you're just referring to the community of people browsing Best Buy looking at cool covers. The bulk of the film community invested in physical media isn't going to be appalled at this move

Criterion and Lionsgate releasing it are two very different things! it's also the only Godard movie I really like so maybe there's bias there, certainly. but it doesn't have David Bowie, and it can't be marketed to weebs, so I have zero clue what Lionsgate would see in it. Criterion marketing it is an entirely different story, and I'm sure they would kill to keep it, considering it's on the channel even still and they tweet stills from it constantly

[therewillbeblus]

it's also the only Godard movie I really like

-said so many people, including perhaps the staff at Lionsgate!

[DRW.mov]

Not to derail the Contempt speculation train, but Videodrome's got a trailer and new caps; upgrade imminent

Same with DON’T LOOK NOW
https://www.criterion.com/films/27928-dont-look-now

[ryannichols7]

Not to derail the Contempt speculation train, but Videodrome's got a trailer and new caps; upgrade imminent

Same with DON’T LOOK NOW
https://www.criterion.com/films/27928-dont-look-now

well that certainly isn't the one of the Paramount Six I expected to come back first. but it does make sense...it already has a 4K restoration and has been released in other territories. bodes well for the other five though!

[Computer Raheem]

Same with DON’T LOOK NOW
https://www.criterion.com/films/27928-dont-look-now

Time to perform a ritual so we can get a Days of Heaven 4K; who's in?

[ryannichols7]

Same with DON’T LOOK NOW
https://www.criterion.com/films/27928-dont-look-now

Time to perform a ritual so we can get a Days of Heaven 4K; who's in?

all in, but it definitely needs a new restoration, something it lacks. it'll sadly probably be the last of them - Nashville, Harold and Maude, and La Dolce Vita have 4K scans and more recent restorations, and I believe it was confirmed Paramount were keeping Rosemary's Baby? I'm surprised we haven't seen Badlands or Days of Heaven get the UHD bump yet. what is Malick up to?

[Red Screamer]

Kind of an unusual case, but they also upgraded Daisies to Blu-ray from the Eclipse DVD in November 2022.

I reckon Akerman’s Les Rendez-vous d’Anna will also get a spine-numbered Blu at some point.

The Belgian Cinematek is finishing restorations of Akerman's complete filmography. I bet they will all come out on HD, and sooner rather than later.

[Computer Raheem]

all in, but it definitely needs a new restoration, something it lacks. it'll sadly probably be the last of them - Nashville, Harold and Maude, and La Dolce Vita have 4K scans and more recent restorations, and I believe it was confirmed Paramount were keeping Rosemary's Baby? I'm surprised we haven't seen Badlands or Days of Heaven get the UHD bump yet. what is Malick up to?

I'm not surprised Paramount's keeping Rosemary's Baby (even without the Polanski of it all, that title was a get for Criterion in the first place), but I could easily see Nashville and Harold and Maude returning, given that those Paramount Presents releases are not (to my knowledge) 4K releases; if Criterion can get them back, that would be a convenient reason to do so

As for what Malick is up to, he's (allegedly) still finishing up his Jesus movie; he needs at least an extra five years to cut out half the cast

[rrenault]

Is it possible StudioCanal rather than Paramount is involved in Don’t Look Now returning to Criterion, or is it confirmed SC has nothing to do with Don’t Look Now in North America?