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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.

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:

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).

beamish13 wrote:

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 :

And The Ship Sails On

Perhaps the single worst offender. May very well be the most awful DVD in terms of visual presentation and total lack
of extras that Criterion has ever released.

Worst Criterion release I've seen is "Good Morning"

movielocke wrote:Worst Criterion release I've seen is "Good Morning"

Agreed.

There's definitely a backlog of licensed studio / estate titles that may be requiring their attention which may be on a more demanding timeframe.

Hmm, I really want Criterion to do an edition of one of my favorite films, John Boorman's Hope and Glory. It's a very popular film that has never had a decent R1 release either in terms of picture quality or extra content. You'd think they would make money off of it, but as far as I know the film has not been restored. Also, why on earth hasn't Criterion tried to do a redux of their edition of Withnail & I? It's a huge cult film, even in the US. Is there something I'm missing here?

See Minkin's posts on the last page re Withnail.

In a Lonely Place(holder)

No longer there.

I would have assumed since it's Presidents' Day there'd be no announcement.

FrauBlucher wrote:No longer there.

Well, it wasn't there to begin with, but it's linked (as spine #810) from the Phoenix page

Oddly enough, the numbers preceding the film titles seem to be organized by licensor, likely batched when acquired. Holes must be for films in production then.

Was The Player on anybody's radar before today, or is it a complete surprise?

road trilogy!! been waiting forever for these..

I feel like we've had it mentioned at a Wexner chat as something they're interested in but I don't believe we knew for sure it was coming.

jedgeco wrote:Was The Player on anybody's radar before today, or is it a complete surprise?

Criterion posted a picture of the laserdisc version a year ago with the caption "Cleaning up the library this morning"

jedgeco wrote:Was The Player on anybody's radar before today, or is it a complete surprise?

I've been expecting it since the Warner Blu-Ray went out of print.

So Boyhood/The New World/Clouds of Sils Maria is turning into Mulholland Dr.

Second month in a row with no catalog upgrades

domino harvey wrote:Second month in a row with no catalog upgrades

Only one so far in all of 2016 (Bicycle Thieves)

domino harvey wrote:Second month in a row with no catalog upgrades

Some may say that being able to get Easy Rider without have to get A Safe Place too is a kind of upgrade.

Glad the Road Trilogy is coming so soon after The American Friend--was worried its recent release meant we'd have to wait much longer for these films. And The Player, what a pleasant surprise!

Upgrades have consistently been the least exciting use of Criterion's resources as far as I've been concerned. I'm thrilled with their 2016 output so far-- each month has produced 2-3 must-have releases for me.

domino harvey wrote:Second month in a row with no catalog upgrades

Laserdisc upgrades don't count?

Regardless of some nitpicks here and there, I think we can all agree Criterion's 2016 slate is pretty damn impressive so far (and I'd argue an improvement over 2015).

And here's Minkin with the monthly forthcoming roundup:

Easy Rider standalone - Hinted in the 2016 New Years drawing
In a Lonely Place - Jan 2016 newsletter (thus only Midnight Cowboy/"that marsupial joke" as remaining newsletter clues)
Naked Island - 2016 New Years drawing + Hulu
Road Trilogy - Janus Tour, Hulu, probably New Years drawing (possible a double clue like King of Kings, but who knows).
The Player - Complete surprise! Only inference from facebook pictures or knowing that Criterion will want Laserdisc upgrades

I'm most excited for In a Lonely Place, which seems to have been rumored for years and years (seems like ever since I've been a member here). Naked Island is a wonderful film, glad it will be exposed to more people. Interesting that they went for The Player - as I assume bringing back their all of their Laserdisc titles is now a possibility. Someone ought to make a list of the MGM + WB licensed laserdisc titles (don't look at me) so that we can get an idea of what they probably licensed.

I still don't know what to make of Easy Rider standalone - as there's been rumors of the BBS going OOP, but Rhino has already announced their Monkees stupidly website-exclusive limited edition bluray, thus I don't know why that should affect Criterion, but we'll keep an eye out for it.

Also: Humphrey Bogart finally enters the Criterion Collection! (DVD era)

Minkin wrote:I still don't know what to make of Easy Rider standalone - as there's been rumors of the BBS going OOP, but Rhino has already announced their Monkees stupidly website-exclusive limited edition bluray, thus I don't know why that should affect Criterion, but we'll keep an eye out for it.

Considering BBS set is still in print, my guess is Criterion is just trying to break up some of the more notable releases in their box sets (case in point: the upcoming Brief Encounter). My guess is we'll see the same happen to The Last Picture Show at some point.