criterionforum.org

Just saw this thread ... and the head guy at Milestone checks it out from time to time! Great!

First my compliments on the terrific job done on THE BAT WHISPERS. Any chance you'll be tackling THE BAT at some point. I recently finished off a lengthy essay on it for a book I'm contributing to & the quality of the prints that are available is sad (and one had a music score that gave me a headache). I understand UCLA has a print that is supposed to be gorgeous & I see from this thread that you do cooperative ventures with them so ... any posssibility ... ?

... and ALIBI ... and CORSAIR ...

HarryLong wrote:Just saw this thread ... and the head guy at Milestone checks it out from time to time! Great!

First my compliments on the terrific job done on THE BAT WHISPERS. Any chance you'll be tackling THE BAT at some point. I recently finished off a lengthy essay on it for a book I'm contributing to & the quality of the prints that are available is sad (and one had a music score that gave me a headache). I understand UCLA has a print that is supposed to be gorgeous & I see from this thread that you do cooperative ventures with them so ... any posssibility ... ?

... and ALIBI ... and CORSAIR ...

Alibi and Corsair are with Kino through their deal with Douris Corporation. As for The Bat, there's just too many versions out there for 99 cents or through torrents for free. If we ever do The Bat Whispers again, we'd probably work out a deal with UCLA.

Dennis

drdoros wrote:If we ever do The Bat Whispers again, we'd probably work out a deal with UCLA.

Was The Bat Whispers 65mm version mastered in high-def? A Blu-ray of that would be stunning! [-o<

StevenJ0001 wrote:

drdoros wrote:If we ever do The Bat Whispers again, we'd probably work out a deal with UCLA.

Was The Bat Whispers 65mm version mastered in high-def? A Blu-ray of that would be stunning! [-o<

No, it was mastered before high-def was affordable (if it even existed then) and since there's only the original 65mm nitrate, I would be loathe to use it on a video mastering job. Yes, a blu-ray would be stunning and so would the sales figures. Sadly, in a much different way.

I'm hoping you do re-do BAT WHISPERS so the silent version can be included. I understand that a lot of versions are out there (though I personally haven't seen any for only 99 cents) ... but all the ones I've seen look pretty much like hell.
But I'm probably a one-man cheerleading squad for rediscovery & re-evaluation of Roland West.
Too bad Kino has the ALIBI and CORSAIR rights locked up as I understand sales of ALIBI on VHS were such that they have no plans to do anything with them on DVD.

HarryLong wrote:I understand sales of ALIBI on VHS were such that they have no plans to do anything with them on DVD.

Kino released West's ALIBI on DVD in 2007: http://www.kino.com/video/item.php?film_id=4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ah. Maybe I misunderstood & it was the DVD's sales that were underwhelming.

I'm a huge fan of ALIBI-- believe me nobody has tried harder to get folks to watch this film than me-- and most people simply don't freak for it like I do.

As far as I understand, the really cruddo, heavily cropped/edited edition of ALIBI from Douris is all that exists. I'd be surprised if the elements used weren't 16mm, or based on 16mm reductions.

Some of the absolute strangest mise en scene you will find anywhere.

West can be maddening at times. Such command of visual vocabulary, with moments of total feebleness in the narrative realm.

So Dennis-- any new silents on the horizon?

HerrSchreck wrote:I'm a huge fan of ALIBI-- believe me nobody has tried harder to get folks to watch this film than me-- and most people simply don't freak for it like I do.

I at least put it on my DVD Pacific wish list, following your recommendation. I'm always happy to add some American silents to my collection.

Ah, I've been proselytizing for West (ALIBI included) for some time. Maybe we need to start a non-profit or something, Herr Schreck.

West can be maddening at times. Such command of visual vocabulary, with moments of total feebleness in the narrative realm.

Don't you find this to often be true of some of the best visual stylists? I don't know if they get carried away & lose sight of the narrative or just don't care. Someone like Hitchcock, who I don't think ever lost sight of his story, is pretty rare.

HerrSchreck wrote:So Dennis-- any new silents on the horizon?

We're waiting on the Mary Pickford Foundation to deliver our new box set release of SPARROWS (LOC restoration), THE HOODLUM (AMPAS restoration) and POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL. All will have full orchestral scores. We hope to have it out by mid-next year.

After that, there might be one more planned but everytime I say there won't be anymore, five come through the door!

drdoros wrote:

HerrSchreck wrote:So Dennis-- any new silents on the horizon?

We're waiting on the Mary Pickford Foundation to deliver our new box set release of SPARROWS (LOC restoration), THE HOODLUM (AMPAS restoration) and POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL. All will have full orchestral scores. We hope to have it out by mid-next year.

After that, there might be one more planned but everytime I say there won't be anymore, five come through the door!

Finally, Poor little rich girl! =D>

DVD VERDICT review by Tom Becker
http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/exiles.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PALM BEACH POST review by Scott Eyman
http://www.pbpulse.com/movies/dvds-movi ... more-32803" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good to hear that in case of "Exiles" Milestone opted for a decent plastic package. I remember I had to buy the "Killer of Sheep/My Brother's Wedding" set twice because of the terrible cardbox packaging. The DVDs arrived in Europe after weeks of waiting battered and bruised ... Wasn't funny at all ...

Wu.Qinghua wrote:Good to hear that in case of "Exiles" Milestone opted for a decent plastic package. I remember I had to buy the "Killer of Sheep/My Brother's Wedding" set twice because of the terrible cardbox packaging. The DVDs arrived in Europe after weeks of waiting battered and bruised ... Wasn't funny at all ...

The Killer of Sheep packaging was an attempt to be "green" (a concern for us and Charles) and do it with some style. The design was gorgeous but the printer just couldn't come up with a sturdy enough cardboard that would fold properly. AND unfortunately, it turns out that libraries when they get "different" boxes throw the cardboard away and put them in standard plastic cases so it was a failure all around. Every now and then, companies make mistakes (New Coke anyone) and hopefully we learn from them. I definitely won't apologize for the DVDs themselves which is one of our best releases.

My saying is "If you don't make at least two mistakes by lunchtime, you're not working hard enough."

-Dennis

@ Dennis:
The DVDs were surely great. That's why I bought another set (and risked getting another pair of scratched and broken discs). Although, I have to add, I wish you had added (standard?) hoh subtitles (besides the cc) for people not using American players. I consider this to be the second major problem of the discs, as it's not that easy to understand the dialogues.

Btw, I also bought Amaray cases for storing the discs as I am watching movies like these not only once or twice but more often (in parts at least).

drdoros wrote:it turns out that libraries when they get "different" boxes throw the cardboard away and put them in standard plastic cases so it was a failure all around

Thanks for acknowledging this, Dennis, even if it was a lesson learned the hard way. At the library, it breaks my heart every time I have to toss a nicely-designed paper package into the recycling bin, but we have to go for protection and consistency for shelving over aesthetics and environmental responsibility.

You can pre-order The Exiles for 17$ here.

What's the "safest" way to order this to avoid breakage? It obviously isn't on the shelves of stores.

scotty2 wrote:What's the "safest" way to order this to avoid breakage? It obviously isn't on the shelves of stores.

Well, with Milestone titles. Amy and I will pack it up nicely and safely -- and for a request backed by a good reason or past problem, doubly. And of course, if you buy a Milestone title, it's just the two of us and we really like our customers so if anything happens, we rectify it quickly. I'd guess it would be the same for Kino and the others that mail directly.

- Dennis

perkizitore wrote:You can pre-order The Exiles for $17 here.

Not a bad price, but I may wait for it to show up at DeepDiscount. This was supposed to be part of the new distribution deal with Oscilloscope, but I don't see it listed at DD yet. Can you confirm that this is still going to happen, Dennis?

Hello drdoros,

I was wondering if there are any plans in the future to release a version of 'I Am Cuba' without the "cigar", in other words, just a disc set with the booklet and none of the 'collectible' extras? Are there any future plans to re-release "The Trial" from a better transfer and possibly include the deleted scene? I realize that last question is contingent on whether or not you can get a hold of better quality film elements including the cut scene. Thank you for any info you can give.

telamonides wrote:Hello drdoros,
I was wondering if there are any plans in the future to release a version of 'I Am Cuba' without the "cigar", in other words, just a disc set with the booklet and none of the 'collectible' extras? Are there any future plans to re-release "The Trial" from a better transfer and possibly include the deleted scene? I realize that last question is contingent on whether or not you can get a hold of better quality film elements including the cut scene. Thank you for any info you can give.

Sorry, but there's no plans to release I AM CUBA in another version. It took four years to produce and we like it the way it is. And frankly, there's just too much work involved to go back and produce another release when we can be doing another film that's been "lost" and needs attention. We're a good deal smaller than most other companies around and I do a lot of non-profit volunteering in the archival world as well (see http://www.amianet.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

We might do THE TRIAL again if we get better material. But that deleted scene was cut by Orson himself and I don't think it exists outside of the couple seconds in the trailer. The disheartening thing of course and I've just mentioned it recently on this forum, is that with PD titles, one can spend a great deal of money on them and then bootlegs come out at Walmart and shown on Youtube.

drdoros wrote:

telamonides wrote:Hello drdoros,
I was wondering if there are any plans in the future to release a version of 'I Am Cuba' without the "cigar", in other words, just a disc set with the booklet and none of the 'collectible' extras? Are there any future plans to re-release "The Trial" from a better transfer and possibly include the deleted scene? I realize that last question is contingent on whether or not you can get a hold of better quality film elements including the cut scene. Thank you for any info you can give.

Sorry, but there's no plans to release I AM CUBA in another version. It took four years to produce and we like it the way it is. And frankly, there's just too much work involved to go back and produce another release when we can be doing another film that's been "lost" and needs attention. We're a good deal smaller than most other companies around and I do a lot of non-profit volunteering in the archival world as well (see http://www.amianet.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

We might do THE TRIAL again if we get better material. But that deleted scene was cut by Orson himself and I don't think it exists outside of the couple seconds in the trailer. The disheartening thing of course and I've just mentioned it recently on this forum, is that with PD titles, one can spend a great deal of money on them and then bootlegs come out at Walmart and shown on Youtube.

Is it possible in 2-3 years time to release I am Cuba, Killer of Sheep and The Exiles in blu-ray single disc editions? The production costs for such a set by then would be minimal i assume, if an HD master exists.

drdoros wrote:The disheartening thing of course and I've just mentioned it recently on this forum, is that with PD titles, one can spend a great deal of money on them and then bootlegs come out at Walmart and shown on Youtube.

If you do a restoration of a PD film, do you get any copyright protection at all for the restored form (even if not the underlying film)?