Le Doulos (1963) coming from Kino

[Akijama]

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...ostcount=25666

Coming Soon on DVD and Blu-ray!
A 4K Restoration!

Le Doulos (1963) Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Serge Reggiani, Jean Desaily, René Lefèvre, Marcel Cuvelier and Fabienne Dali – Shot by Nicolas Hayer (Le Corbeau) – Music by Paul Misraki (Alphaville) – Edited by Monique Bonnot (Le Samouraï) – Produced by Carlo Ponti (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow) and Georges de Beauregard (Breathless) – Written and Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville (Le Cercle Rouge, Bob le Flambeur).

[captveg]

Interesting. So if Criterion did end up getting their own smaller deal with SC then they didn't pick up all of their previous releases.

Great to have this in the US on Blu-ray. Man, did Lionsgate really suck in releasing titles from SC.

[atlantajoseph]

Yay for more Melville on Blu.

Too bad it's from Kino. Take my advice and do not pre-order from them direct... you may be waiting a very, very long time.

[Trace17]

Was hoping Criterion had picked up their old releases, so it appears that is not the case (or not all, anyway).

That said, at least someone is releasing it. I'll pick it up.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by Trace17

Was hoping Criterion had picked up their old releases, so it appears that is not the case (or not all, anyway).

That said, at least someone is releasing it. I'll pick it up.

Criterion's slate is chock full, so they may have been more selective in what they reacquired (if they are one of the other studios to make a new deal with SC, that is).

[DaveyJoe]

I wish Criterion had got it instead.

[PowellPressburger]

Let's face it years ago when Studio Canal pulled licensing thru Criterion that was probably the worst business move they ever made.

[Ray Jackson]

Ditto the Criterion preference.

That being said...SOLD.

[dwk]

I was kinda hoping for a big Melville Box from Criterion, but I'll still eagerly pick this up.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

Let's face it years ago when Studio Canal pulled licensing thru Criterion that was probably the worst business move they ever made.

I mean, they got the licensing money from Lionsgate all the same, but why would they expect Lionsgate to release their titles when they have historically sat on licensed libraries is something I'll never understand.

[DaveyJoe]

Originally Posted by captveg

I mean, they got the licensing money from Lionsgate all the same, but why would they expect Lionsgate to release their titles when they have historically sat on licensed libraries is something I'll never understand.

Doesn't the licensor get paid either way?

[dwk]

Yes but I think they also get a bit of the money from the licensee's sales.

[PowellPressburger]

I would assume it is on a title by title basis therefore they would license specific titles or maybe a group of titles.... I doubt Lionsgate had carte blanche on the whole Studio Canal library

The issue is Lionsgate wasn't dying to issue blu's for so many classic foreign films.

Criterion is just much better suited to sell a title like a BLU upgrade of Leon Morin Priest than say Lionsgate. It would just be dead in the water.

again, Studio Canal pulling licensing from Criterion was the worst business decision they could have ever made.

[captveg]

At the time one of the reasons SC gave for pulling the titles from Criterion was that they wanted to have a solidified brand, which was the "StudioCanal Collection" label. But then Lionsgate released a mere 7 titles* with that label in 2010-2013, and then dropped that branding for their 2017 release of The Man Who Fell to Earth.

*Those titles being:

2010 - Contempt, Delicatessen, The Ladykillers, Ran, The Third Man
2012 - Grand Illusion
2013 - That Obscure Object of Desire

[KrugerIndustrial]

Not that they're the worst of the business, but the main problem with Kino has always been the fact that they focus more on quantity than quality. Really disappointed to see one of my favourite films going to Kino.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by KrugerIndustrial

Not that they're the worst of the business, but the main problem with Kino has always been the fact that they focus more on quantity than quality. Really disappointed to see one of my favourite films going to Kino.

Their encoding leaves a lot to be desired. Though the most recent Kino titles I own, The Big County and The Reincarnation of Peter Proud, both looked pretty solid to my eyes.

[mediocre]

Originally Posted by KrugerIndustrial

Not that they're the worst of the business, but the main problem with Kino has always been the fact that they focus more on quantity than quality. Really disappointed to see one of my favourite films going to Kino.

Of the handful of Kino discs I've bought I've been okay with the picture quality. Not blown away, but better than a lot of other labels. Unless you're talking about the quality of the actual films they release, which I tend to agree with you on.

That being said, if Army of Shadows and/or Le Cercle Rouge ever come back into print I'm definitely hoping that Criterion gets them back instead of Kino.

[seagal]

Great news that Kino Lorber picked up some Belmondo Films.

I can recommend "Le Professionel" from 1981. The best Belmondo action film. Saw it yesterday and it was great. Studio Canal already released it on blu-ray in Europe.

[KrugerIndustrial]

Originally Posted by mediocre

Of the handful of Kino discs I've bought I've been okay with the picture quality. Not blown away, but better than a lot of other labels. Unless you're talking about the quality of the actual films they release, which I tend to agree with you on.

That being said, if Army of Shadows and/or Le Cercle Rouge ever come back into print I'm definitely hoping that Criterion gets them back instead of Kino.

I actually own quite a few Kino releases and have been happy with them. But like you said, they're okay at best. When it comes to classic French cinema, such as Melville, and especially since this is a new 4K resto, Kino's poor compression and usual lack of meaningful extras makes it very difficult to feel great about this announcement.

[gregmtl92]

I thought they did a good job with Je t'aime je t'aime. If Le Doulos is similar to that release + the 4K restoration I'll be happy.