The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

[tqmilymi]

Does anyone know or have thoughts on why The Unbearable Lightness of Being is not on Blu-ray yet? Is it a rights issue?

[snipemonkey]

No clue, but it's definitely in my Top 5 Most Wanted.

[Bates_Motel]

Wishlist section, bro.

[Cremildo]

Thought this was an announcement.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Thought this was an announcement.

Right there with you! Got my hopes high and then crashed after clicking the thread.

[dkelly26666]

Me, too!

But I did this myself a while back. My dumb self started a thread to yearn for "Fingers" (1978), starring Harvey Keitel, and I got b****ed out by several people for making them think it was an announcement, LOL.

[MifuneFan]

One of Nicolas Cage's best movies.

[houseca]

Yikes! I literally did a fist pump and Yeah! when I saw this thread in the forum.

[trobrianders]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

One of Nicolas Cage's best movies.

Lightness of head maybe.

[Aunt Peg]

Odd that it hasn't surfaced anywhere, particularly as it was restored a couple of years ago so I've been expecting it but no show so far.

[danny24]

Both Romeo Is Bleeding and this must have Lena Olin movies. My guess is Criterion has this and is just sitting on it. Warner last released the DVD so it's anyone's guess why we don't have a Blu-ray yet.

[dkelly26666]

Originally Posted by Aunt Peg

Odd that it hasn't surfaced anywhere, particularly as it was restored a couple of years ago so I've been expecting it but no show so far.

No info, but it could be because Criterion has it. If Criterion has it, we can expect it around 2029.

[danny24]

Originally Posted by dkelly26666

No info, but it could be because Criterion has it. If Criterion has it, we can expect it around 2029.

Criterion likely has it. That is why Warner hasn't released it yet on BD.

[Shane Rollins]

Orion released this theatrically, which means it most likely went to MGM. How WB could’ve gotten this for their DVD is unknown, since I thought WB just owned the stuff that the two studios co-produced or Orion produced it and WB distributed it (like Caddyshack).

MGM has two different methods of handling their catalog: treat it like it’s their child, or royally F up the film beyond all repair. If MGM has this film, the next question becomes which of those two camps does TULOB fall into.

If WB owns it, then it’s a real toss-up. Does WHV do it and bungle it? Does WAC do it and ace it? Does it get passed to a boutique?

Honestly, ask GF about it. Bug him until he answers. If he says that it’s not WB’s movie, then we know it’s MGM’s movie. If it’s MGM’s, we just have to hope they license it out.

[ParamountChris]

Originally Posted by Shane Rollins

Orion released this theatrically, which means it most likely went to MGM. How WB could’ve gotten this for their DVD is unknown, since I thought WB just owned the stuff that the two studios co-produced or Orion produced it and WB distributed it (like Caddyshack).

Honestly, ask GF about it. Bug him until he answers. If he says that it’s not WB’s movie, then we know it’s MGM’s movie. If it’s MGM’s, we just have to hope they license it out.

I believe the Saul Zaentz Company has the rights, and works with WB in terms of distribution. Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are also apart of this library.

[Shane Rollins]

Originally Posted by ParamountChris

I believe the Saul Zaentz Company has the rights, and works with WB in terms of distribution. Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are also apart of this library.

It says that right on the box too.

[Show spoiler]

This one went right over my head.

So SZC was allegedly sold to another member of the Zaentz family. Does whatever deal the previous owners had still exist, or will the new owners have to sign new deals? This may be the real reason why the film is not out. As far as I know, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, and Makshi's LOTR are all long out of print.

There might be messy distribution rights in addition to messy ownership. While I'm sure there's more, this is the only Zaentz film I know that Orion ever had, and the only Zaentz film I know that MGM ever had. The WB dropped the DVD 20 years ago and it's since gone out of print.

[John The Elder]

Originally Posted by tqmilymi

Does anyone know or have thoughts on why The Unbearable Lightness of Being is not on Blu-ray yet? Is it a rights issue?

I met director Philip Kaufman and asked him. He says "the suits" believe it would not make any money if ported to bluray and they'd rather spend their diminishing budgets on superhero franchises that are into their seventeenth sequel. If they do this, even if the film flops on home video, no one will lose their job, whereas if someone pushes for ULoB and *it* flops it will mean someone's job. That's what passes for "thinking" in Hollywood, which is one reason Kaufman's out of it and retired.

[danny24]

Originally Posted by John The Elder

I met director Philip Kaufman and asked him. He says "the suits" believe it would not make any money if ported to bluray and they'd rather spend their diminishing budgets on superhero franchises that are into their seventeenth sequel. If they do this, even if the film flops on home video, no one will lose their job, whereas if someone pushes for ULoB and *it* flops it will mean someone's job. That's what passes for "thinking" in Hollywood, which is one reason Kaufman's out of it and retired.

That has not stopped Criterion or any of the boutique labels from releasing films on Blu-ray and 4K UHD that many would consider not to make a lot of money if ported over to BD or UHD. This is an amazing film and it should be released on Blu-ray or UHD. We know there is a 1080p master available and it's available to stream. Good to hear from the director and thanks for sharing that with us.

[Shane Rollins]

Originally Posted by John The Elder

I met director Philip Kaufman and asked him. He says "the suits" believe it would not make any money if ported to bluray and they'd rather spend their diminishing budgets on superhero franchises that are into their seventeenth sequel. If they do this, even if the film flops on home video, no one will lose their job, whereas if someone pushes for ULoB and *it* flops it will mean someone's job. That's what passes for "thinking" in Hollywood, which is one reason Kaufman's out of it and retired.

Originally Posted by danny24

That has not stopped Criterion or any of the boutique labels from releasing films on Blu-ray and 4K UHD that many would consider not to make a lot of money if ported over to BD or UHD. This is an amazing film and it should be released on Blu-ray or UHD. We know there is a 1080p master available and it's available to stream. Good to hear from the director and thanks for sharing that with us.

Oy.

I wish it would go back to the old way, when they spent $20-30 million tops, and they'd actually try to tell a story with their films that made said films emotionally endearing in a way most franchises are not. Part of me wishes that someway, somehow, Marvel and Disney, and DC and WB, will have such an epic falling out that they'll have no choice but to just not make superhero films anymore, because then they'll actually have to make new ideas, or put actual effort into preserving and releasing their older classics.

The fact that WB can lose $300 million on The Flash (An Ezra Miller Joint) and give David "pain in the" Zaslav a $52 million paycheck, and that's money well spent, but low tens of thousands max to restore and release TULOB is a waste is such utter madness that it makes my head want to pop. I don't know how there are people this utterly stupid in charge of WB or any other studio for that matter. When I, a sixth-grade dropout, can do the job better than the guys being paid tens of millions per year to do the job, that says more about them than it does about me.