Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[Big Ben]

Could an Oshima Nagisa box be on the horizon? God knows they're sitting on an enormous cache of his films. Janus toured that incredible retrospective a number of years ago.

I imagine Boy would go over pretty well here. It's a far warmer film than most in his catalog even if it's still an Oshima film. I would also wager his Youth Trilogy might be interesting, particularly Night and Fog and Japan given Japan's current political climate. His other films like Diary of a Shinjuku Thief, The Man Who Left His Will on Film, Dear Summer Sister and The Ceremony could easily be an Eclipse Set.

I would hope no living soul on this forum ever sees Max, Mon Amour though. Imagine an attempt Bunuel-esque comedy film about a woman falling in love with a chimpanzee but forgetting to put in the comedy or the Bunuel-inspired parts.

[beamish14]

Could an Oshima Nagisa box be on the horizon? God knows they're sitting on an enormous cache of his films. Janus toured that incredible retrospective a number of years ago.

I imagine Boy would go over pretty well here. It's a far warmer film than most in his catalog even if it's still an Oshima film. I would also wager his Youth Trilogy might be interesting, particularly Night and Fog and Japan given Japan's current political climate. His other films like Diary of a Shinjuku Thief, The Man Who Left His Will on Film, Dear Summer Sister and The Ceremony could easily be an Eclipse Set.

I would hope no living soul on this forum ever sees Max, Mon Amour though. Imagine an attempt Bunuel-esque comedy inspired film about a woman falling in love with a chimpanzee but forgetting to put in the comedy or the Bunuel-inspired parts.

I really like Max, Mon Amour, in spite of it featuring maybe the worst rear screen projection in cinematic history. It's screening at that huge Jean-Claude Carriere retrospective at MOMA, and I hope it plays on the west coast.

[Big Ben]

I really like Max, Mon Amour, in spite of it featuring maybe the worst rear screen projection in cinematic history. It's screening at that huge Jean-Claude Carriere retrospective at MOMA, and I hope it plays on the west coast.

C'est la vie Benjamin!

I would also like to see Oshima's film Taboo get a better release. The old DVD I have markets the film like it's gay porn (I would argue it's more of a murder mystery with a gay themes.) with a tagline on the back that would certainly raise more than a few eyebrows from anyone picking up the DVD. The subtitles are also filled with errors and as I recall it's not even possible to read the inter titles.

I would think someone like Tony Rayns could provide context for the film and it's place in Japanese film history (Some older Japanese folks didn't like Oshima acknowledging that male samurai had relationships with one another.). Rayns also insinuated once that Oshima was gay in at least one interview but never really expanded on that. I've always wondered why that was.

[movielocke]

I might be opening a Pandora box here, but other than the Bergman box and War & Peace, what other new release has been something special or really exciting? I love Blue Velvet and Do the Right Thing for example, but they weren't films that were dying for a Blu Ray release, no.matter how unsatisfactory previous releases were. (Checking, the Von Sternberg and Burnett do count. But I still feel a significant lack of major non American release, meaning something really out there like Parajanov or Brighter Summer Day)

So in spite of criterion releasing (thus far) 18 United States films to 28 non-USA films in 2019, you possess this very particular feeling that there's a "Lack" of non american? This freudian Lack is particularly noticeable to you if you allow yourself to exclude the releases that best exemplify what you want to believe is lacking.

"Hey, if criterion were not releasing what they are releasing, don't you think that it proves they have something up their sleeves that they're not releasing in spite of releasing things I pretend they're not releasing?"

[Never Cursed]

I still feel a significant lack of major non American release, meaning something really out there like Parajanov or Brighter Summer Day

To add to what movielocke said, both of those titles had high-profile restorations done by the WCP, for which Criterion is the exclusive (?) Region A distributor. I would at least think it's way more cost-effective for Criterion to just get the rights to the restoration rather than restore the film themselves. If they had to do that, I dunno if it would be reasonable financially for them to put the movies out.

And hey, even within the unspecial populist realm of American releases, Do The Right Thing and especially To Sleep With Anger are huge huge deals.

[ng4996]

I might be opening a Pandora box here, but other than the Bergman box and War & Peace, what other new release has been something special or really exciting? I love Blue Velvet and Do the Right Thing for example, but they weren't films that were dying for a Blu Ray release, no.matter how unsatisfactory previous releases were. (Checking, the Von Sternberg and Burnett do count. But I still feel a significant lack of major non American release, meaning something really out there like Parajanov or Brighter Summer Day)

Maybe it doesn't meet your criteria but I seem to remember quite a few people anticipating 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days. I know that I myself was really excited to see it finally get a blu-ray release.

[Graphist]

I’d hypothesize: Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Cinema is probably now the most likely candidate for a sequel set.

It’s possible but I feel it could be Chaplin considering how long it’s been since they released The Kid.

[kcota17]

Ditto for Kurosawa

[What A Disgrace]

Charlie Chaplin's 130th birthday was...this Tuesday, so, it'd be an auspicious time indeed for a big boxed set. And I dare say I'd find that a much more exciting prospect than a Fassbinder box, because I can not take that much of the guy.

[Graphist]

Chaplin is a household name, and a boxset of his complete filmography (I believe Criterion owns distribution rights to pretty much all his films) will sell really well too.

[Morbii]

I think Chaplin makes the most sense for a big box, even if just due to timing directly related to the state of the format (slowly dying, but still breathing fine).

In addition, I’m also hoping to not get screwed like with the Bergman reissues, so I’m rooting against Fassbinder...

[dda1996a]

I might be opening a Pandora box here, but other than the Bergman box and War & Peace, what other new release has been something special or really exciting? I love Blue Velvet and Do the Right Thing for example, but they weren't films that were dying for a Blu Ray release, no.matter how unsatisfactory previous releases were. (Checking, the Von Sternberg and Burnett do count. But I still feel a significant lack of major non American release, meaning something really out there like Parajanov or Brighter Summer Day)

So in spite of criterion releasing (thus far) 18 United States films to 28 non-USA films in 2019, you possess this very particular feeling that there's a "Lack" of non american? This freudian Lack is particularly noticeable to you if you allow yourself to exclude the releases that best exemplify what you want to believe is lacking.

"Hey, if criterion were not releasing what they are releasing, don't you think that it proves they have something up their sleeves that they're not releasing in spite of releasing things I pretend they're not releasing?"

I warned you all! I meant major not-american, which can mean different things to different people. Hell, even Eight Hours Dont... seemed like a special release. Maybe it's because I don't like them, but Dumont and Reygadas didn't really make me any excited about their release.
I meant more Asian cinema (Tsai, Yang, HHH, Jia, Oshima, Mizogucui, Imamura, Suzuki etc), a lot of Iranian, Russian and South American cinema which would be a huge deal. Or maybe it's just me.
As I said, I love DtRT and Hedwig, but I didn't really feel they were releases I was clamoring and wishing for. Maybe it's just me (but as I said, Burnett is a major release, and as much as I dislike it I can even see Wanda as a major release for some people. Just seems there are fewer titles to be extremely excited about. Again could be just my taste...)

[Glowingwabbit]

One thing to remember is that the Koker Trilogy was supposed to have come out early 2019 but for whatever reason has been delayed.

[FrauBlucher]

I didn’t know there was a time line for a Koker Trilogy release. Where did you see that?

[domino harvey]

Rosenbaum said it was coming out in March. It’s no show status makes a compelling argument for it being held off for a complete set in the wake of the Bergman box success

[FrauBlucher]

I wonder if they’ll push it to an autumn release now. Maybe we’ll see the Bengal Partition Trilogy show up first (announced next month or the following).

[Glowingwabbit]

Rosenbaum said it was coming out in March. It’s no show status makes a compelling argument for it being held off for a complete set in the wake of the Bergman box success

This is the only acceptable excuse.

[FrauBlucher]

I still see them releasing Koker separate as well. It’s such a prestigious world cinema collection.

[domino harvey]

I’m sure they will, assuming the theory holds, but they may not want to release a smaller box set drawn from and released so soon in advance of a larger one

[Glowingwabbit]

I hope they are able to license The Wind Will Carry Us if they are indeed doing a larger set. That one wasn't listed on the Janus site. I'm fine with my Cohen blu, but that's a big title to leave off a retrospective set.

[Omensetter]

If it makes a difference, the Janus retrospective doesn't begin until August 2nd. I'm sure the box has been scheduled for autumn for a while. I also do not seen the point of extending box mania to Kiarostami, of which would have to exclude The Wind Will Carry Us, an obviously key work.

What's curious is how they would distribute his children's shorts and short documentaries throughout the The Koker Trilogy, Taste of Cherry, and hopefully another stand-alone feature like Homework, which might be able to house First Graders and A Tribute to Teachers. If they were willing to add The Traveller to Close-Up, then these future Kiarostami releases seem even more essential. I haven't the foggiest as to where they'd put Shirin, though.

[Blutarsky]

Forgive me if this has been posted but Withnail and I was a Criterion post on Instagram this morning and now is on the channel with branding. Bring on the Richard E. Grant extras we all need!!!

[DRW.mov]

Janus has also been posting ablut Long Good Friday. Hopefully this is a good sign the rest of thr Handmade titles are on their way back.

[Glowingwabbit]

I also do not seen the point of extending box mania to Kiarostami

While I'm skeptical too, films like Close-Up and The Traveler will also have new restorations so I don't see how else they would re-release them.

[Blutarsky]

Janus has also been posting ablut Long Good Friday. Hopefully this is a good sign the rest of thr Handmade titles are on their way back.

That one as well is on the channel with Updated branding, a nicer transfer, and HandMade logo