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Yes, FSimeoni, certainly extras/booklet would make a nice CC set... Stuff for instance on the Pancinor zoom lens, which RR invented for this late work (and which he remotely operated himself) would be one thing to include...

Tag Gallagher labels these 3 TV films as the 'Trilogy of Desiccation'!...

Whether Eclipse or not, this set and the Vampyr spine will make for the best discs Criterion has produced in years. Even better would be if The Messiah and Augustine of Hippo were included, or The Age of the Medici, one of my favorite films, but perhaps good elements remain elusive for these latter three. At MoMA, Augustine was shown on the BFI's 16mm print, which was faded to pink. Medici was shown on DVD, courtesy of Tag Gallagher. Messiah, I think, was 35mm but I wasn't able to go see it. I remember hearing that both Pascal and Cartesius are in good shape, but at MoMA Socrates was also shown on DVD. Does anyone have any information about the situation of these films on film?

Please, oh please let them also release Rossellini's other tv work, especially The Taking of Power of Louis XIV.

(Actually, come to think of it, when Criterion was soliciting ideas for Eclipse sets, I suggested an Eclipse box of Rossellini's television work. If they actually release it, Mulvaney's gonna receive a deluge of new suggestions, so for his sake, maybe they should release something else.)

I would think Augustine of Hippo would be a certainty - the animal is a hippo, and it says 'other guest speakers' - I would suppose Messiah and Medici. Probably as an Eclipse set, with General Della Rovere in support on the main CC.

MadJack wrote:I would think Augustine of Hippo would be a certainty - the animal is a hippo, and it says 'other guest speakers' - I would suppose Messiah and Medici. Probably as an Eclipse set, with General Della Rovere in support on the main CC.

That'd be the greatest use of the animal ever.

Fabulous news, especially about Augustine and Pascal which I have been waiting to see for a while. I wonder if Acts of the Apostles will ever have a chance to make it as well--perhaps on a 60s set with Louis XIV and Age of Iron?

'Il Messia' / 'The Messiah' has been released on an Italian disc with an excellent transfer.

It's one of the most sublime works in all of cinema.

Messiah, I think, was 35mm but I wasn't able to go see it. I remember hearing that both Pascal and Cartesius are in good shape, but at MoMA Socrates was also shown on DVD. Does anyone have any information about the situation of these films on film?

I saw the Messiah in 35mm at MoMA and the print was in terrific condition. As the poster above just mentioned, it's also available on a first-rate, unsubbed Italian DVD, so a good transfer exists, and it is indeed one of the most sublime works in all of cinema. All of the TV films were made in 16mm, by the way, so the fact that MoMA showed Augustine of Hippo in a 16mm is entirely appropriate (although the pink, of course, is not). I've seen good prints of Socrates, Blaise Pascal, and Cartesio in the past, and the Italian DVDs of those are also excellent, so releasing this set shouldn't be a problem. I'm not entirely sure what the status of prints of The Age of the Medici is and Rise to Power of Louis XIV would be more appropriate for a single-disc Criterion release (since good documentary materials on the film exist), but this news is unbelievably exciting in any event. I kept hoping that Eclipse would be used for something like this but I didn't want to get my hopes up too high.

Could you provide a link to that Messiah disc? I only know of Xploited when it comes to buying Italian DVDs, and if it isn't forthcoming from Criterion then this would be most welcome (if it has English subs).

The disc is available here, but it doesn't have any subs

Phooey. At least most of Rossellini's oeuvre is available - they just need subtitling. Apart from Criterion and MOC who's most likely to do this, if anyone?

This might be the best set yet. No The Rise of Louis XIV?

There's been lots of rumblings and random speculation about Rossellini for years, but it's generally been around the more obvious titles (Neorealism, Ingrid). I never expected they'd go right into the deep end like this, so: bravo, Criterion!

zedz wrote:There's been lots of rumblings and random speculation about Rossellini for years, but it's generally been around the more obvious titles (Neorealism, Ingrid). I never expected they'd go right into the deep end like this, so: bravo, Criterion!

Releasing these titles takes some balls; I had kind of given up on Eclipse releasing stuff like this (especially television), so it's nice to have some reassurance that more obscure titles (and other formats) have a chance between the more conventional releases (not that I don't appreciate some of those too, but this is what Eclipse would always be in an ideal world, where sales figures didn't matter).

I'm just glad that they see a niche in the market for releases like these, even though it is very limited. I never thought Criterion would dip into obscure works like these. His masterpieces are not too far behind then.

A box of Rossellini's philosophy films? Holy tap-dancing Christ! Put me down for one of those.

Via_Chicago wrote:That'd be the greatest use of the animal ever.

But don't forget the seals hinting the Bergman set, and the monkeys in the Marker clue.

now we really need a Frankenheimer TV eclipse release as well. These Rossellini films sound absolutely fascinating, can't wait to check them out.

Patton Oswalt? WTF? I guess it's not as bad as the Rodarte sisters but come on!

lacritfan wrote:Patton Oswalt? WTF? I guess it's not as bad as the Rodarte sisters but come on!

YEAH!!!! What's next, just some fan like me that jots down a few words about their top ten favorites? OK, I'll do it.

I actually found it quite refreshing, and obviously he is a fan. Although a bit much on the menu design.

Jeff wrote:I think Brand Upon the Brain! is by far the most likely.

It is indeed Brand, as this has been confirmed in a Tribeca 2008 announcement appearing on Criterion's main page:

"...Guy Maddin (My Winnipeg), whose Brand Upon the Brain! is slated for release this summer..."

Ophüls set?

EDIT: Hah, ellipsis, you beat me to the punch as I was editing my message. But yeah, having no prior knowledge of his films to justify the rest of the clue, that's my best guess.

Ophuls boxset?...

Well, duh. I hope Leibelei is in it.

Mos Def.