There is a rationale, but, as you suggest, it's a lot more than a viable-master one. All the titles in your Technically-Subpar Upgrades list are American movies, except for Sword of Doom, a well-regarded samurai film and we know samurai films are tent-poles for Criterion. Sullivan's Travels is the first Sturges they've upgraded and you know getting one out there was a big priority for them. Most of the ones on your Not-Yet-Upgraded–Viable HD Masters list are older foreign films that were either released in lower-tier editions with less extras and/or are more obscure than most of the classic foreign films they have already upgraded:tenia wrote:Here's some titles where we know new (and at least decent) HD masters are available and for which I believe Criterion still have the rights :
Closely Watched Trains / The Firemen's Ball
Pickup on South Street / Thieves' Highway
Onibaba
Salvatore Giuliano / Hands Over The City
Youth of the Beast
Boudu
La bête humaine / Casque d'or
And The Ship Sails On
Lucien Lacombe / Elevator to the Gallows / The Fire Within / The Lovers / Young Törless / Le plaisir
Classe tous risques
Hobson's Choice
Empire of Passion
Obsolete masters or a brand-new... upscaled one:
Sword of Doom
Hoop Dreams,
Sullivan's Travels
Eddie Coyle
Make Way for Tomorrow
Downhill Racer
So there does not seem to be any rationale there that can be grasped looking either at what is left to upgrade or what is available to pick as a technically viable new master.
Most of the films that are exceptions to what I said about the first list:
Kurosawa & Bergman - They've already upgraded a disproportionate number of these 2 directors' work. They may be catching their breath, but you know that more from both is coming.
The Long Good Friday / Mona Lisa / Withnail & I / How to get Ahead in Advertising - Long OOP, so should considered differently.
Rohmer Moral Tales - It being a huge box set is clearly slowing its release, but likely somewhere (even if far back) in the pipeline.
War Trilogy - Wasn't Open City hinted at already?
Thieves Highway - They've done the most well-known studio Dassin and it may be a while before they circle back to him again.
Pickup on South Street - They've done 2 Fullers already, but I'd think this is a priority for them and production issues -- new extras etc. -- may be holding this up.
Knife in the Water - No explanation. Production issues or coming soon I'd guess.
I know I've overgeneralized, but if you compare tenia's 2 lists, I can't help but see a pattern, particularly in the second one. I think, as others have said, the main reason for the slowdown of upgrades is that they've done a majority of the better-selling films already, they're prioritizing new-to-the label titles over upgrades, and waiting for new masters. Maybe there's a bad production backlog as well. High levels of DVD stock may be a factor, but I don't believe it's the main one, other than its indication that some titles aren't selling well (initial pressings still languishing in their warehouse and so forth).
