The Criterion Collection

[gbm82]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Sorry you're also so triggere. SWhen you can show me where $1.50 per minute is "a ton of money" for adding subs, then maybe you have an argument. Until then, attack the guy posting misinformation. Channel your faux rage elsewhere. Bye!

I love that you just proved my point for me.... I didn't even mention money or subtitles...

[MifuneFan]

Even Criterion's output of Japanese flms since that Godzilla set has in itself perhaps shown a strained relationship between Criterion and Toho

Kurosawa's Dreams 4K - Warner
Branded to Kill 4K - Nikkatsu
Cure - Kadokawa
The Human Condition -Shochiku

Only Onibaba in recent years has come from Toho, but Criterion have had that licensed for a while. Can it simply be a coincidence that the majority of their Japanese films are from every other studio but Toho? Nearly all of Kurosawa's films are held by Toho. It's time we put two and two together here..

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Even Criterion's output of Japanese flms since that Godzilla set has in itself perhaps shown a strained relationship between Criterion and Toho

Kurosawa's Dreams 4K - Warner
Branded to Kill 4K - Nikkatsu
Cure - Kadokawa
The Human Condition -Shochiku

Only Onibaba in recent years has come from Toho, but Criterion have had that licensed for a while. Can it simply be a coincdence that the majority of their Japanese films are from every other studio but Toho? This could very well explain the descxrased output over the last few years as well.

I'd be happy for some Shochiku titles as well, but have heard they have also recently become a huge problem as well.

[fred25_Ca]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Even Criterion's output of Japanese flms since that Godzilla set has in itself perhaps shown a strained relationship between Criterion and Toho

Kurosawa's Dreams 4K - Warner
Branded to Kill 4K - Nikkatsu
Cure - Kadokawa
The Human Condition -Shochiku

Only Onibaba in recent years has come from Toho, but Criterion have had that licensed for a while. Can it simply be a coincidence that the majority of their Japanese films are from every other studio but Toho? Nearly all of Kurosawa's films are held by Toho. It's time we put two and two together here..

Geez, if that is indeed the case, that would be greatly disappointing and would also explains why we never saw Rodan or War of the garguantuas since. Toho are their own worst enemy. I just don't get them.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

I'd be happy for some Shochiku titles as well, but have heard they have also recently become a huge problem as well.

If Kurosawa's films were held by Toei, we'd have seen all of them by now. They are one of the few JP studios fully open to licensing out their library to Western labels.

[kmhofmann]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Only Onibaba in recent years has come from Toho, but Criterion have had that licensed for a while.

And the master that Criterion was provided from whoever they obtained it from was noticeably inferior to what Eureka had released many years prior in 2013...

[Purplenoon]

The Widerberg set is a welcome surprise. I remember how hard it was to get tickets to see EM in NYC when it came out in '67 (Paris theater?), and how stunning it looked on the big screen. I searched for years for a decent dvd and when I finally watched it a couple of years ago it seemed flat and dated. A good bluray treatment should really help. Widerberg deserves to be seen. Nice going Criterion.

[Gacivory]

Excited for the Bo Widerberg set, Wayne Wang’s Dim Sum & Drylongso!

[jshaide]

Def. gonna get that Swedish set.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

If Kurosawa's films were held by Toei, we'd have seen all of them by now. They are one of the few JP studios fully open to licensing out their library to Western labels.

Nikkatsu as well. Up until recently from what I heard Nikkatsu was one of the the only Japanese studio was actively pushing for others to license their films, but for whatever reason labels haven't been going after their titles. Toei has recently become like Nikkatsu where they are promoting their films to license.

Kadokawa is kind of in the middle. Toho is the worst which is a shame, as they have a lot of great titles outside of Kursoawa ones as well. Third Window Films was willing to pay for the cost of restoration for The Man Who Stole the Sun (exceptional film), but only if Toho would budge on the licensing costs. Toho said, nope. "You want to restore the film and pay for the costs? Fine, but you're still paying full price on the license. "

[dkelly26666]

I already have their great blu ray of "Dreams" (I'm still not 4K).

I'm definitely interested in the Bo Widerberg set and I've never seen "Dim Sum", but love Wayne Wang, so I'll likely try it.

Between "Targets", "Thelma and Louise", "The Servant", "Pasolini 101" box set, "After Hours", "One False Move", the Bo Widerberg set, and "Dim Sum", all between now and August, I'm pretty happy with Criterion right now.

[Mushi Minion]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Again, Toho is almost certainly the reason. We don't really know what's happening behind the scenes with them, or what they're asking for in order for these films to be put on 4K. We don't even know if they would allow that at all. Toho are releasing many of Kurosawa's films on 4K this year, it's extremely unlikely they would simply license them out to Criterion, which would directly hurt their own direct sales.

A Discotek insider revealed they probably have uncensored material for the animated Fist of the North Star movie they refuse to release or license out for… reasons.

[dbhl3000]

In your dreams am I getting Dreams. Not one of Kurosawa's best plus the blu-ray is good enough for me.

[dvining]

Oh, my...the delays that the last few hours have caused...

[NeilZ]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Reverse importing has been a huge concern in Japan, at least as far as Japanese studio's are concerned. Toho specifically are pretty terrible, and still are living in the past. Just look at how badly they screwed Criterion over with the Godzilla Showa set, only allowing them to have inferior versions of some films, likely because of their own plans to do 4K releases fo those films. It was already a nightmare to apparently get the original Gojira from them, so I can't imagine the hurdles they must have faced with a 15 film set. It wouldn't surprise me if Criterion working on that s Godzilla set completely affected their relationship with Toho.

I didn't know Toho had concerns of reverse import. I mean they let Criterion release Kurosawa blu ray upgrades pretty fast after the local Japanese releases after all and those were both region A.

I do know that anime studios however are concerned with reverse import, but usually Japanese anime sets can cost an arm and a leg where as the US counterparts are a small fraction (the difference can sometimes be $200 vs $50). I don't think the price difference with films is quite as big (perhaps more like $55 vs $30).

Besides if what I'd read in the past was correct then Criterion owns the Kurosawa licenses in the US regions in perpetuity, and therefor Toho cannot make licensing deals with anyone else. I see no reason why Toho wouldn't want a big package deal to push up their bottom line. Maybe they simply want Criterion to wait a bit (eg a year or perhaps more) after their local releases before doing them here, but I can't imagine they would want to prevent it from happening period.

[Cremildo]

Posted on Twitter:

Originally Posted by CriterionCollection

A moment behind the scenes with director-producer Ridley Scott during the DolbyVision color grading for our new edition of THELMA & LOUISE (1991)!

[GG88]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

It perhaps is telling that Dreams is being licensed from Warner as well. The issues with licensing from Toho have apparently become even worse in recent years from everything I've read.

My first thought too when I saw this was that it kind of eliminates the notion that they're doing some big comprehensive AK box set. I mean, this wouild likely be saved for such a set, no? I've personally always ruled out such a set because there are just too many major films left for them to simply be put in a set.

No I don’t think it would necessarily be saved, there were Bergman releases in the lead up to the big box. The Virgin Spring, Scenes of a Marriage, Sawdust & Tinsel, Shame, the Magic Flute & the Bergman trilogy were all released individually in the lead up and aftermath of the Bergman box. Those are the titles with individual spine numbers. For Kurosawa there’s Red Beard, Stray Dog, The Lower Depths, The Bad Sleep Well, Drunken Angel & Dodes'ka-den with spines and no Blu. Seems comparable to me so I don’t think the amount of major titles would stop a box set.

However since Criterion went UHD the logistics of a box set are more complicated. So far the biggest UHD boxes by any boutique label are Criterion’s 5 film 3 UHD western box and Arrows 5 UHD Bruce Lee set and there’s at least 10 Kurosawa films people would want on UHD. If they included UHDs of everything then it’d be a 50-60 disc set and probably damned expensive. They would possibly have to do a UHD and blu-only box set to appease the fanbase that is not 4k capable and two SKU’s on such a big box seems a bit much to ask for. If they only have some films on UHD then people will complain their favourite didn’t make the cut on UHD. If they only did a blu-ray box people would complain. I just don’t see how they could configure it to make everyone happy.

I agree Toho should get most the blame for Criterion’s lack of Kurosawa (and a box is practically impossible without them) however even accounting for that Dreams 4k is the least exciting new Kurosawa release possible. A 4k of Rashamon or Kagemusha would generate far more enthusiasm since the current transfers are over a decade old. Dersu Uzala recently got a blu-ray in Australia and was rumoured to be with Criterion. Rhapsody in August, Madadayo, The Idiot, Scandal & The Silent Duel aren’t with Toho and would probably get a better reception.

[asmodeux21]

I really wished that "Elvira Madigan" was a 4k UHD release as I think it is the most beautiful color film from the 1960s, but I am still excited about the blu ray set.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by asmodeux21

I really wished that "Elvira Madigan" was a 4k UHD release as I think it is the most beautiful color film from the 1960s, but I am still excited about the blu ray set.

Oh wow, I know nothing of the film, but I just took a look at some screenshots from Criterion's page, and they're beautiful.

[Jaymole]

Dreams is my least favorite Kurosawa film so I will stick with the Blu-ray. Will pick up the Bo Widerberg set and that is it.