Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[hearthesilence]

IIRC Becker and Turrell more or less took over the company from their fathers (who have since passed away), did they not? In a way, it was fortunate the company's founders had children who were equally passionate and knowledgeable about their interests - albeit not surprising as I think they worked with their parents in the early days as well - but they're both getting up there in years and if there's no one they'd pass it down to in similar fashion, it's probably best they sell the company to a trusted party rather than have no say in it when it's too late. Even if they have next of kin, they may not have any interest or ability in running a company like Criterion.

[Black Hat]

Is it just me not paying attention, this is the first I've learned of this, or has this not broken news at all?

[FrauBlucher]

Black Hat, the news broke a couple of days ago but as usual of Criterion it was low key... Hearthesilence, Steven Rales is not exactly a spring chicken either. So, what this means long term about who or what eventually ends up with these companies are uncertain. But in the immediate future this looks like nothing but a win. Becker and Turrell getting an inflow of cash will keep these companies viable for some time. I do wonder if it will allow them to actually grow on the procurement and distribution side.

[Black Hat]

Yeah, their transition into focusing on that was with the potential of something like this in mind. I actually don't think this bodes well for the company's future, certainly not for the home video side.

[yoloswegmaster]

Looks like James Duval has confirmed that Nowhere is being released by Criterion in the fall. Maybe we will see a Teenage Apocalypse boxset release.

[Peacock]

Can we expect The Living End as a bonus?

[ryannichols7]

it's on Strand's website. granted they have licensed to Criterion before, and we've seen Milestone and (potentially, still unconfirmed) Film Movement do so recently, so it's possible Criterion will put it out. but Strand released The Doom Generation themselves after all

[mrb404]

Tony Stella just posted a Criterion cover of Eiichi Kudo's Castle of Owls (1963) featuring his art on Twitter/X.
Might mean absolutely nothing, but there it is.

[dwk]

It's a Toei title, so I assume it is nothing, but it could be a tease for tomorrow's Radiance announcement, which will include a Japaneae film

[Hogfather]

https://x.com/studiotstella/status/1798614718976061699

[beamish14]

Lynne Ramsay was present at a screening of Morvern Callar in Santa Monica last night. She expressed her frustration over not being able to get Criterion to release or make a 4K restoration due to the OCN being tied in a legal issue and having to remain in Rank’s film lab.

[Hogfather]

Sean Baker has confirmed that Four Letter Words is coming out in early 2025 in a director's cut with new color and sound. He already hinted that Criterion was planning to release it back in 2021.

[Hogfather]

Prince of Broadway is also confirmed

[onedimension]

So a Killers of the Flower Moon UHD must be coming this year, right?

[ryannichols7]

So a Killers of the Flower Moon UHD must be coming this year, right?

there's no indication of it at all so far to my knowledge

[therewillbeblus]

I'd rather they upgrade The Irishman first. Should be a piece of cake

[andyli]

People are reporting seeing Criterion Collection acknowledged in the opening text cards for the 4k restoration of Raise the Red Lantern (being shown in Shanghai IFF).

[Walter Kurtz]

The Year of the Gong.

[yoloswegmaster]

People are reporting seeing Criterion Collection acknowledged in the opening text cards for the 4k restoration of Raise the Red Lantern (being shown in Shanghai IFF).

I wonder what capacity they were involved in with the restoration for them to be credited in the opening text cards. If they do have the rights to Raise the Red Lantern, then I wouldn't be surprised if they had the rights to the other Chiu Fu-sheng owned films (which also includes Yimou's To Live, Johnnie To's The Mission, and Hou-Hsiao Hsien's The Puppetmaster and A City of Sadness). I also hope that Chiu changes his mind about the restorations being theatrically-exclusive until 2026.

[ryannichols7]

if they do have the rights to it (and any other Yimou films), it'll make not paying out for that Imprint set really worth it. but then again, that set had Tony Rayns talking about every movie, something I'm not sure Criterion would keep. better transfer wins out every time, but as always, Rayns remains essential

[Walter Kurtz]

You guys do know that Zhang Yimou's family name is ZHANG don't you? If you call a Martin Scorsese film a Scorsese film than you have to call a Zhang Yimou film a Zhang film. Or a Gong Li film a Gong film.

[Buttery Jeb]

Out of curiosity, are we expecting another horror film-heavy slate of October releases this year? The last two years have been almost entirely genre films; or films that are genre-adjacent (like Lost Highway).

[black&huge]

Out of curiosity, are we expecting another horror film-heavy slate of October releases this year? The last two years have been almost entirely genre films; or films that are genre-adjacent (like Lost Highway).

I hope so just so we can get a much needed 4k upgrade of Equinox

[therewillbeblus]

This month kinda has a theme.. characters living outside of the 'normative' culture and behavior. This is more pronounced in Repo Man, Happiness, and the Akaris, but the criminal world of The Long Good Friday counts without being a significant stretch. I haven't seen All of Us Strangers yet. I dunno if it's Misfit Month or anything, but there seems to be a running theme that grazes the horror theme month of October in out-of-place feeling, without quite entering it

[Boosmahn]

What a month! Interested in all of them, Happiness and the Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy especially.