The Criterion Collection

[dwk]

Originally Posted by dwk

Anyone here a member of The Movie Crypt's Patreon? They have posted an early access interview with Criterion producer Curtis Tsui. I assume the shorter public version will post on Monday.

Thanks to another forum member, I can share some highlights of the Curtis Tsui interview:

No titles were leaked, but he said he is producing "a pretty big one" that might come at the end of the year.

• His job starts once the title has been chosen and scheduled and is typically assigned to a particular title
• Commentaries are now starting to come back after focusing on video pieces for years
• Some living filmmakers don’t want commentary tracks and just want essays
• If doing interviews with people involved with the film, then they want there to be a bit of distance of time between the interview and from when it was released. If interviewed close to the release date, then the interviewee is still in press mode and gives the same answers they did when they were on the press tour
• For GvB, Toho is very controlling of Godzilla and want to know what is being said on the commentary
• One of the criteria for the commentator is that they are inviting and that they can provide information that can be digested for people watching it for the first time
• They create a script for the film, then send it to Toho’s Godzilla expert, the expert goes over the script, and they cannot deviate from that script
• This is the same for the liner notes
• Says he’s a fan of labels like Third Window and Radiance. Specifically praises Adam from Third Window for renegotiating contracts so that the people involved with the film get more money, as well as releasing titles that haven’t been released since VHS
• Also praises the The Hitcher release from Second Sight and says he watched it with a colleague at the Criterion viewing room
• One challenging title to work on was the Equinox due to the internal workload (e.g. QC, editorial process), but he still had a lot of fun working on it
• Another challenging release to work on was Barry Lyndon due to the scale of the work and how much time he was allowed. He created a lot of video pieces that had to be cut down, as well as getting access Stanley Kubrick’s library but not getting full approval by the estate on what images to add to the release
• All the extras had to be approved by Jan Harlan
• He worked at Kubrick’s house and was mandatory lunch at 12:30 together
• Dining room table is The Shining table
• Most proud release to work on was Rumble Fish, and said biggest challenge was trying to create extras that wouldn’t duplicate from the extras that already existed
• They don’t add extensive galleries anymore since the images are already added to visual essays
• Joe Lynch was the biggest reason why Shout released The Blob, as he kept asking them to do it
• There is a limit now on how many titles guests can take when they are in the Closet
• Dream release for Curtis is for Devil’s Temple by Kenji Misumi and would be thrilled if he could have a hand in the restoration for it

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by dwk

Thanks to another forum member, I can share some highlights of the Curtis Tsui interview:

No titles were leaked, but he said he is producing "a pretty big one" that might come at the end of the year.

Well glad he's a fan of Devil's Temple. I predicted this would probably be part of the second Daiei horror set for Radiance, but maybe not. Short film, but really good. Hopefully the Misumi trilogy is slated for July.

[MifuneFan]

July predictions. I'm expecting a pretty big month.

Flow 4K
Night of the Hunter 4K
The English Patient 4K
Captain Blood 4K
Hud 4K
Throne of Blood 4K
Saving Face Blu-ray

[Brad1963]

I'm going with these for July.

High and Low (1963) - 4k upgrade
Flow (2024) - 4k, BD and DVD
Hud (1963) - 4k and BD
12 Angry Men (1957) - 4k (another former Kino MGM)
Saving Face (2004) - BD
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007) 4k and BD

[Scottie]

Guesses

The Adventures of Antoine Doinel
The French Connection 1+2
Paths of Glory
Saving Face
The Thin Red Line
The Time Masters

[HipsterTrash]

More Scorsese please.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore with Who's That Knocking at My Door would be great.

[Ned Brainard]

My usual suspects:
Captain Blood (1935)
The Wedding March (1928)
Trouble in Paradise (1932)
The Love Parade (1929)
One Hour with You (1932)
Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
A King in New York (1957)
The Chaplin First National shorts (1917-1923)
Something with Harold Lloyd

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by dwk

Thanks to another forum member, I can share some highlights of the Curtis Tsui interview:

No titles were leaked, but he said he is producing "a pretty big one" that might come at the end of the year.

I appreciate the insight, but more than anything, I appreciate the shout-outs to other labels in fairly specific terms. Some labels are more combative that others and there's sometimes the impression that they're all wanting to put their foot on a competitor's throat, but this was a fine reminder that so many of these folks are movie lovers first and they're delighted to see a film properly handled.

[MifuneFan]

• There is a limit now on how many titles guests can take when they are in the Closet

Also known as the Barry Jenkins Rule

[DukeTogo84]

I'm hoping for the Kenji Misumi Sword trilogy, but keeping my expectations low. Still, we'll see what happens. If they release it for July, I'll give them a three month reprieve from my complaints. Still, realistically we'll probably get a 4K upgrade of High and Low. Going to try really hard to bite my tongue this month, but we'll see if I get baited out again. Haha.

[zackisthewalrus]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Also known as the Barry Jenkins Rule

And the Safdies Rule too

[Bradsdadg]

Can't believe it's almost time for July reveals. Year is going by quick, release wise.

I'd love to get Brother from Another Planet. Not sure what else though. Maybe some more Wes Anderson~or even 4Ks of those titles...

[Sifox211]

No predictions, only wishes:

• High and Low
• The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
• Zabriskie Point
• Catch-22
• I Know Where I'm Going!
• A Canterbury Tale

[dwk]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Well glad he's a fan of Devil's Temple. I predicted this would probably be part of the second Daiei horror set for Radiance, but maybe not. Short film, but really good. Hopefully the Misumi trilogy is slated for July.

It doesn't sound like Devil's Temple has been restored yet.

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

I'm hoping for the Kenji Misumi Sword trilogy, but keeping my expectations low. Still, we'll see what happens. If they release it for July, I'll give them a three month reprieve from my complaints. Still, realistically we'll probably get a 4K upgrade of High and Low. Going to try really hard to bite my tongue this month, but we'll see if I get baited out again. Haha.

I don't know if it'll be July, but I think it is in some stage of production (not sharing my reasons, but I have them.)

[concolt]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Also known as the Barry Jenkins Rule

Yikes Criterion must be struggling to put a limit. Seems so cheap. You have a celebrity there advertising your brand and then you have to get an assistant to say sorry Mr. DeNiro you can only take 7 movies with you.

[apricissimus]

Originally Posted by concolt

Yikes Criterion must be struggling to put a limit. Seems so cheap. You have a celebrity there advertising your brand and then you have to get an assistant to say sorry Mr. DeNiro you can only take 7 movies with you.

It seems really tacky to be given a gift like that and just take as many as your arms can carry.

[HipsterTrash]

I find that the filmmakers are the ones who are already collecting these and really want some free ones so I don't blame 'em. I'd do the same thing. I'd Safdie'd it.
I find that it's just an excuse for the actor's to be present to particular crowd and talk about some films they love. So of the actors ones are fun (Dafoe) while others are insufferable (Julia Fox comes to mind).

Carrie Coon I think was to on her husband's orders. Letts is a through and through collector.

[Jobla]

My wishes for tomorrow:

Ishiro Honda (non-Godzilla) Box Set
Eyes Wide Shut
The King of Comedy
Return of the Seacaucus Seven or Eight Men Out
A View from the Bridge (Sidney Lumet)
Nashville 4K
Wise Blood (4K or Blu-ray)
M (1951)
The Glass Menagerie (1987)
Petulia
High and Low (upgrade with readable subtitles)

[concolt]

Originally Posted by apricissimus

It seems really tacky to be given a gift like that and just take as many as your arms can carry.

That’s the gimmick though. If they didn’t want them to take that many then years ago when they started they should have said pick 10 of your favs and talk about them.

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by concolt

That’s the gimmick though. If they didn’t want them to take that many then years ago when they started they should have said pick 10 of your favs and talk about them.

That seems unfair. It never started with them saying, “Clean us the hell out.” It was - at first, fairly improvised - way to have artists express what they loved in film. And they had no way of knowing that it would become this thing that would become a de rigeur publicity stop for everyone in Hollywood, an actual publicity machine. It’s okay to adapt as the nature of it changes. And honestly, I think it protects certain people from themselves. No one wants to see pure, unfettered greed.