Criterion has rights to 'The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover'

[yoloswegmaster420]

Screening kindly sponsored by The Criterion Collection

[Christian Muth]

Oh nice, I wonder if this means we'll get more Miramax titles from them, as well?

Chris

[dkelly26666]

Originally Posted by Christian Muth

Oh nice, I wonder if this means we'll get more Miramax titles from them, as well?

Chris

Miramax was only the US theatrical distributor in 1990. They've never owned the home market rights.

I believe the worldwide home video rights to it are with StudioCanal.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Miramax's US rights expired and have likely reverted back to the producers. Otherwise if Lionsgate budged and allowed a large Miramax deal, we would be seeing Criterion announcements of Chasing Amy and others now.

[Vilya]

I just bought this for about $6 on Amazon.uk; movies sure seem to get a domestic release pretty quick after I import them.

[The Sovereign]

Wow, I’d love to see them roll that out sometime soon. This will be a new fixture in the monthly predictions.

[themp3000]

I bought the UK blu a while ago, you can thank me whenever.

Absolute masterpiece.

[dkelly26666]

I have a blu of it from Mexico, and it looks pretty good. I would definitely buy it again on Criterion, though.

Great film.

[Gacivory]

I feel like a release of this has been rumored(hoped for) for a decade, but I’m excited! I been wanting to watch this again!

[MTRodaba2468]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

I feel like a release of this has been rumored(hoped for) for a decade, but I’m excited! I been wanting to watch this again!

This. I've been hearing rumors about Criterion releasing this (and potentially other Greenaway titles) for years now. It's great news if it's finally got some traction...

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by MTRodaba2468

This. I've been hearing rumors about Criterion releasing this (and potentially other Greenaway titles) for years now. It's great news if it's finally got some traction...

A screening presented by Criterion sounds like a pretty good confirmation! I have learned never to get my hopes up too much.

[octagon]

This is the kind of title I'll buy right away and never feel like watching.

I'll grab it several times but it'll be a while before it gets past the 'do I really feel like subjecting myself to this' test

[Hatfield Peverel]

I'm not so sure - I think this is misinterpreting financial assistance to a festival rather than the granting of permission to have the film screened. Neil McGlone, who is hosting the screening, is a longtime researcher for Criterion. It seems likely that Criterion did this as a friendly gesture to a long time employee. Even if Criterion has home video rights to certain titles in the UK, there's no evidence they have theatrical rights to anything.

In the UK, the film is still owned by Universal, and is out on Blu-ray via Fabulous Films, who sublicenced it.

[BluCollector13]

Despite how uncomfortable this film has always made me, it's always been surprising that Criterion has never released this. If now is the time, then it's a good time. Hopefully, this also means we'll FINALLY get a "Crying Game" release.

* also, even though this is a "snowball's chance in hell" title, I'd love if Criterion got to do "Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair".

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I just bought this for about $6 on Amazon.uk; movies sure seem to get a domestic release pretty quick after I import them.

... looking for PTA's Hard Eight sometime in the near future ...

*hint hint*

[Tin Drum]

I thought I had read that Criterion, at some point, passed on releasing this because of the nature of the print. Which I thought odd because they've released some trash prints on disc before.

I can't seem to find the information so maybe it was just faux news at the time.

Greenaway and his films are an acquired taste for sure, but they never fail to be interesting.

[Nafoty]

I can’t wait to see this restored on BD. This is an important film. It had a huge influence on me growing up in the 90s and discovering what film can be.

[Egbert Souse]

Originally Posted by Tin Drum

I thought I had read that Criterion, at some point, passed on releasing this because of the nature of the print. Which I thought odd because they've released some trash prints on disc before.

Some films they didn't have a choice either because of surviving material or other factors. Unless something turns up miraculously for films like Vampyr, Lonesome, Law of the Border, or pretty much any 20s-40s Japanese film... it's as good as it's going to get.

The Cook... on the other hand, is exactly the sort of film worth waiting on so it can get a full 4K remaster. It would be ridiculous for them to use the likely decades-old HD master at this point.

I really would love to see a box set of Greenaway's 80s films, though. Have his short films, The Falls, The Draughtsman's Contract, A Zed and Two Noughts, Belly of an Architect, Drowning by Numbers, and of course, The Cook...

Sort of almost expect BFI to come out with something like that a la their Jarman sets.

[rip63]

I've actually held off buying this until it got some sort of restoration/remastering. The UK blu-ray is allegedly dreadful.

[Dubstar]

I'd LOVE a Criterion edition of 'Prospero's Books'