Canadian International Pictures

[A Tortured Duckling]

https://www.canadian-international.com/

NEW BOUTIQUE BLU-RAY LABEL

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL PICTURES (CIP)
LAUNCHES WITH CANADIAN CLASSICS

“THE ERNIE GAME” & “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR. LEONARD COHEN”
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VINEGAR SYNDROME

AND OCN DISTRIBUTION

[Show spoiler]TORONTO, ON – January 1, 2022 – With the arrival of the new year, new boutique Blu-ray label Canadian International Pictures (CIP) launches an exciting partnership with Vinegar Syndrome and sister company OCN Distribution with the announcement of its debut release, Don Owen’s THE ERNIE GAME. Scanned and restored in 2K from the 35mm interpositive, this underseen 1967 classic will be released alongside four other ’60s gems from Owen, including a remastered presentation of the landmark documentary, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR. LEONARD COHEN.

From arthouse to Canuxploitation, Canadian International Pictures (CIP) is devoted to resurrecting vital, distinctive, and overlooked triumphs of Canadian cinema. This label is focused on the country’s original cinematic boom years – spanning the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s – occasionally venturing past that period (and the country’s borders) to highlight the films of Canada’s most inspired actors and filmmakers. While CIP is currently focused on Blu-ray, plans are underway to expand into streaming and theatrical.

A collaboration of Canadian film writer/programmer Jonathan Doyle (Fantasia, TIFF, The Trash Palace) and Arbelos Films co-founders David Marriott – who was also born and raised in Canada – and Ei Toshinari, CIP has assembled a rich and varied slate for 2022, including a wide range of classic features and shorts from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

In addition to the films on THE ERNIE GAME disc, this includes Robert Fortier's racecar daredevil doc THE DEVIL AT YOUR HEELS and Gilles Groulx's landmark John Coltrane-scored THE CAT IN THE BAG (LE CHAT DANS LE SAC), both of which will be paired with several other treasures from the NFB archive. CIP will also collaborate with Winnipeg’s Zellco Entertainment on a long overdue Blu-ray release of 1973’s THE RAINBOW BOYS, directed by Gerald Potterton (HEAVY METAL) and starring the legendary Donald Pleasence (HALLOWEEN).

“We are grateful to the NFB, the adventurous film lovers at Vinegar Syndrome, and all our other partners for making this ambitious undertaking possible,” explains Doyle. “Their support is a testament to the track record David and Ei have established at Arbelos, and we hope our releases live up to that standard. Those who take the time to explore the history of Canadian cinema are rarely disappointed, and I can think of no better place to start than THE ERNIE GAME.”

At Arbelos Films, Marriott and Toshinari have overseen the restoration and re-release of Béla Tarr’s masterpiece SÁTÁNTANGÓ, Dennis Hopper’s radical EASY RIDER follow-up THE LAST MOVIE, and Wendell B. Harris Jr.’s Sundance-winner CHAMELEON STREET, among many others. “This is a truly exciting time for film restoration and boutique reissues, and the perfect moment to expand our efforts,” Marriott says. “These resurrected gems of Canadian cinema will be a revelation for fans of classic films – and we’re just getting started.”

The second feature from celebrated Canadian filmmaker Don Owen (NOBODY WAVED GOODBYE), THE ERNIE GAME is a penetrating, unsettling character study and an inexplicably overlooked triumph of the New Hollywood era. Predating like-minded studies of loner desperation from MIDNIGHT COWBOY to TAXI DRIVER in a ’60s milieu comparable to INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS – complete with a musical performance by budding folkie Leonard Cohen – this film has a distinctly Canadian vitality and desolation.

RELEASES
(Click catalog number to purchase @ Vinegar Syndrome)

CIP-001 - The Ernie Game
CIP-002 - The Other French New Wave, Vol. 1
CIP-003 - The Mob
CIP-004 - Buster Keaton Rides Again / Helicopter Canada (Slipcover Sold Out)
CIP-005 - Forbidden Love
CIP-006 - Don't Let the Angels Fall
CIP-007 - The Kid Brother
CIP-008 - Nobody Waved Goodbye
CIP-009 - The Amityville Curse
CIP-010 - Mindfield
CIP-011 - The Rainbow Boys
CIP-012 - Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
CIP-013 - Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows
CIP-014 - Gina
CIP-015 - Speaking Parts
CIP-016 - Dirty Money



LINKS
https://www.facebook.com/CIPreleasing
https://twitter.com/cipictures
https://www.instagram.com/accounts/l.../cipreleasing/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWa...tBj3j9MlqVa6XQ

[Sowhatwhocaresyo]

Beauty eh? Thanks ATB! Grabbed The Ernie Game and the Buster Keaton/Helicopter Canada releases in my VS sale order. Looking forward to checking these out.

[BunyipPouch]

My favorite new label. Anyone have any idea for the new 'Coming Soon' images they added recently?



The actor in the middle of the left picture looks a lot like famous French-Canadian actor Serge Theriault (who is now a famous recluse, they even made a very good documentary about him last year, he hasn't left his apartment in like a decade), but I can't figure out what movie.

Edit: Holy crap. Found it. It's Gina (1975) from Denys Arcand. Arguable the best French-Canadian director of all time (or tied with Villeneuve). Yes! This might mean more Arcand is on the way.

A beautiful stripper hires renowned criminals to exact revenge on those who raped her in her motel room.

[chase3001]

The last pic is definitely The Rainbow Boys starring Donald Pleasence.

youtube.com/watch?v=CfLNdJpKsXo

[BunyipPouch]

2/3 figured out, nice

[Sowhatwhocaresyo]

The image in the middle is from The Devil at Your Heels (1981).
a.jpg

[BunyipPouch]

Well done, team.

[chase3001]

Looks like the screenshot is from a short "The Mad Canadian" about Ken Carter

https://www.nfb.ca/film/mad_canadian/

But will probably included with the film as a bonus feature

[Sowhatwhocaresyo]

The trailer uses "Rambling Gambling Man" from Bob Seger. I'm sold!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgIhGTpKTwM

[sprocket]

Not sure the films mentioned inspire consumer confidence, but I'll have to see ...

Well, maybe Rainbow Boys.

[GeoffOliver]

If they're releasing "Canuxploitation," maybe this will finally be the label that releases Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II. It's been my most wanted title on Blu-ray for years. Even better if they clear the (apparent) legal issues for Prom Night III: The Last Kiss.

[wicky_J]

I love that new thread smell.

[analmonger]

Love the mission statement for this label but kind of annoyed at how fast it sells out. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up Forbidden Love on Friday after I get my coupon

[Bradsdadg]

I've only seen Keaton/Helicopter so far. Really enjoyed it overall. Enough so that since the label is so fresh, I'd like to collect them all. Keep it up, CIP!

[Rayjg]

Hopefully they can dig up some rare 70s Cronenberg television work.

[A Tortured Duckling]

So far I've only purchased Forbidden Love, and that was 90% FOMO. Does anyone know why there's so much DNR on their releases? I'd like to get the others but I feel like I'll have a hard time with the picture quality.

[Animatic33]

Originally Posted by A Tortured Duckling

So far I've only purchased Forbidden Love, and that was 90% FOMO. Does anyone know why there's so much DNR on their releases? I'd like to get the others but I feel like I'll have a hard time with the picture quality.

My best guess is since physical media is such an unknown in terms of sales, it probably was cheaper to get ahold of the master used originally for streaming (on the NFB website), which was probably already DNR'd for a lower bitrate. This would've been cheaper than getting ahold of the original master and paying someone to re-compress and DNR tailoring it for the physical format. I could be 100% wrong and anyone who knows better, please correct me.

[Mushi Minion]

Originally Posted by chase3001

The last pic is definitely The Rainbow Boys starring Donald Pleasence.

youtube.com/watch?v=CfLNdJpKsXo

That trailer is pulling double duty trying to turn moments of comedy into dramatic tension.

[gudemameshiba]

Originally Posted by Animatic33

My best guess is since physical media is such an unknown in terms of sales, it probably was cheaper to get ahold of the master used originally for streaming (on the NFB website), which was probably already DNR'd for a lower bitrate. This would've been cheaper than getting ahold of the original master and paying someone to re-compress and DNR tailoring it for the physical format. I could be also be 100% wrong and anyone who knows better, please correct me.

This was my assumption but I also have no idea. It is disappointing.

[The Screaming Feces]

I'm so excited that this label now exists--one of the most frustrating things as a Canadian cinephile is not being able to watch and support classic Canadian cinema on physical media, especially Blu-ray. I know our small population and proximity/ready access to American films are burdens for a thriving national film industry (Anglo-Canadians don't support homegrown films like the Québecois do with their French-language films, sigh), but not being able to access films that have contributed to Canadian culture is upsetting! A lot of our classic horror films from the Tax Shelter years have been released by other labels, but a lot of English-language and Québecois non-genre films languish in obscurity and one is lucky if one can find a decent widescreen copy on YouTube.

Canadian literature and music are embraced by Canadians and sell well on a national level, but film and TV still lag far behind. It's only when America pays attention to a Canadian film, usually a genre one (i.e. Psycho Goreman or Ginger Snaps), or a TV show like Schitt's Creek, that we tend to perk up and seek out of curiosity/validation. (I could go on about the inferiority/superiority complexes we have with the USA--if I hear another fellow Canadian tell me the CFL is a joke compared to the NFL, I will throttle them--but I digress.)

It's also why I envy Australia's relative physical "isolation", having successful boutique Blu-ray/DVD labels that actually release Aussie films, despite having a similarly small population as Canada. We should be taking notes from our fellow Commonwealth friends!


I really like CIP's mix of documentary, Québec New Wave, and an English Canadian classic like The Ernie Game. They mentioned they will be doing all kinds of films, including genre flicks unavailable (hoping one of them is William Fruet's Death Weekend)--I'd love to see work by Patricia Roczema, Clement Virgo, Don McKellar, Thom Fitzgerald, and others whose works have barely survived on crappy old Alliance DVDs (or no home video release since VHS).

Sorry for the lecture, but I'm very passionate about our national cinema!