Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[olmo]

Great to see a very spritely 97 year old Jerry Schatzberg in the closet, I'd love to see a Scarecrow UHD release.

Schatzberg & Zsigmond heaven.

[beamish14]

Great to see a very spritely 97 year old Jerry Schatzberg in the closet, I'd love to see a Scarecrow UHD release.

Schatzberg & Zsigmond heaven.

I’m a huge fan of Reunion, which was written by Harold Pinter, who he photographed with Donald Pleasence when the two staged The Man in the Glass Booth on Broadway in 1968

[crimlaw]

I wonder what, if any, Schatzberg film is under consideration? Scarecrow, which is with WB?

[beamish14]

I wonder what, if any, Schatzberg film is under consideration? Scarecrow, which is with WB?

Possibly. It got a 4K recently, I thought. Panic in Needle Park is Disney.

[yoloswegmaster]

Press note for the restoration of The Sweet Hereafter confirms that Criteiron was involved in the restoration:

4K Digital restoration produced by Sphinx Productions and The Criterion Collection with financial assistance from Telefilm Canada's digitization initiative Canadian Cinema - Reignited.Print source courtesy of Films We Like.

Looks like Atom Egoyan has confirmed that there are plans to release this on 4K.

Talked with Atom Egoyan earlier today during TIFF's award ceremony tonight, and he confirmed that The Sweet Hereafter's upcoming Criterion release will likely be a 4K UHD Blu-Ray

[dwk]

According to this more Johnnie To films are coming

[yoloswegmaster]

According to this more Johnnie To films are coming

Excellent news! I know most people would be expecting The Mission, but I love to see releases for Life Without Principle, Blind Detective, Fat Choi Spirit, Fulltime Killer, or A Hero Never Dies. I wouldn't even mind 4K releases for Breaking News, Exiled, or the Election films (that is if Tartan/KL ever decide to let their rights lapse).

[Finch]

I would really like to see A Hero Never Dies.

[Michael Kerpan]

I hope some day more people here get to see Wu Yen -- my favorite "eccentric" Johnnie To film.

[yoloswegmaster]

I hope some day more people here get to see Wu Yen -- my favorite "eccentric" Johnnie To film.

If you like his more eccentric work (though I would say that most of his films are "eccentric"), then I would recommend watching Fat Choi Spirit (if you haven't already seen it), as it's really wacky.

[dwk]

Probably wrong here, but I think that there are a couple of signs that Criterion might have started on working on those Ishiro Honda titles.

First, Criterion producer Curtis Tsui was on the official Night of the Living Dead podcast a couple weeks ago and at the end he said he'd be talking to Jim Cirronella (one of the podcast hosts) again about something else (Cirronella helped out on the Godzilla Showa set.)

Second, yesterday, Fabien Mauro, a french author who wrote a book called KAIJU, ENVAHISSEURS & APOCALYPSE : L’Âge d’or de la science-fiction japonaise (‘KAIJU, INVADERS & APOCALYPSE: The Golden Age of Japanese Science-Fiction’) & a book called ISHIRO HONDA, HUMANISME MONSTRE posted a picture of himself in the Criterion closet. Maybe he was there to shoot an interview about those films.

[senseabove]

Alice Wu posts on IG that Saving Face will be joining the collection in June 2025.

[yoloswegmaster]

Alice Wu posts on IG that Saving Face will be joining the collection in June 2025.

Think you meant to post this in the other thread since the rights are still with Sony. Nonetheless, still a very cool pickup. Especially since it doesn't appear to have a blu release anywhere in the world and perfectly tied in with pride month.

[yoloswegmaster]

Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Girl on the Broomstick are the latest additions to the Criterion Channel that open with the Criterion and Janus logos

[dwk]

Anyone in New York, tomorrow at 4PM Peter Becker is doing a live interview with Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio (Becker isn't mentioned on the page, but is in Indie Wire's tweet.)

From Ryan Swen's twitter, Zeinabu irene Davis confirmed that Compensation is coming in August.

[Michael Kerpan]

If you like his more eccentric work (though I would say that most of his films are "eccentric"), then I would recommend watching Fat Choi Spirit (if you haven't already seen it), as it's really wacky.

Seen it. (I think I counted 46 To-directed or produced films, last time I checked -- which seems impossible but I think it was accurate)

[dwk]

Anyone in New York, tomorrow at 4PM Peter Becker is doing a live interview with Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio (Becker isn't mentioned on the page, but is in Indie Wire's tweet.)

Here is Peter Becker's interview on the Screen Talk Podcast

Only release news is that Mati Diop's Atlantics is still in the works.

He also,in passing, mentioned something about having to hunt for the missing sound for Happiness.

[criterionsnob]

That is great news, and I guess I will sell my French Blu-ray now.

[ryannichols7]

He also,in passing, mentioned something about having to hunt for the missing sound for Happiness.

wonder if he asked Wong Kar-Wai how to go about that

[domino harvey]

That’s a different fluid that you never step twice into

[Mario G.]

Anyone in New York, tomorrow at 4PM Peter Becker is doing a live interview with Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio (Becker isn't mentioned on the page, but is in Indie Wire's tweet.)

Here is Peter Becker's interview on the Screen Talk Podcast

Only release news is that Mati Diop's Atlantics is still in the works.

He also,in passing, mentioned something about having to hunt for the missing sound for Happiness.

Why are they so tight lipped about upcoming releases now? Seems the only hints we get anymore are from filmmakers going rogue or unsubstantiated rumors from unreliable people *cough* Amadeus *cough*. Even the closet visits mean less for rumor mongering when every halfway notable celebrity swings by on a press tour.

I guess it makes some out of nowhere releases like Happiness more exciting, but it also has the side effect of making Criterion feel a little directionless. For example, it'd be great to know if they're purposefully moving away from the Chaplin/Lloyd releases or it's just a momentary pause while they wait for restorations or something. Are the filmmaker boxes done for or are they trying to finalize some rights? etc.

[criterionsnob]

Becker also confirmed the next flash sale to be in October, but didn't specify a date.

[aox]

Come to think of it, does Criterion still do those New Year's cartoons for us all to solve? I had forgotten about them, so it must be a few years?

[domino harvey]

Nope, not since the artist died

[Hogfather]

Anyone in New York, tomorrow at 4PM Peter Becker is doing a live interview with Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio (Becker isn't mentioned on the page, but is in Indie Wire's tweet.)

Here is Peter Becker's interview on the Screen Talk Podcast

Only release news is that Mati Diop's Atlantics is still in the works.

He also,in passing, mentioned something about having to hunt for the missing sound for Happiness.

Why are they so tight lipped about upcoming releases now? Seems the only hints we get anymore are from filmmakers going rogue or unsubstantiated rumors from unreliable people *cough* Amadeus *cough*. Even the closet visits mean less for rumor mongering when every halfway notable celebrity swings by on a press tour.

I guess it makes some out of nowhere releases like Happiness more exciting, but it also has the side effect of making Criterion feel a little directionless. For example, it'd be great to know if they're purposefully moving away from the Chaplin/Lloyd releases or it's just a momentary pause while they wait for restorations or something. Are the filmmaker boxes done for or are they trying to finalize some rights? etc.

Well, they finally got around to theatrically releasing their restoration of A Woman of Paris, and they're supposed to be working on Girl Shy. Both of these are from last year, so I don't have a clue when they'd come out, but I take it as a sign that they're still moving forward on this. Besides, they're almost done with Chaplin; A Woman of Paris is the last silent feature they haven't put out on disc.