There was a live chat with Lee Kline of Criterion yesterday at the Home Theater Forum. Pretty interesting read. He announced that the following movies are in the works for release this summer:

Stray Dog
Tin Drum
Testament of Dr Mabuse
The Leopard
Mamma Roma
Smiles of a Summer Night
A Woman is a Woman

Sounds good!

Finally a glimmer of hope that I'll soon see Stray Dog get the CC treatment it deserves. I'll believe it when it's in my hands. Now if they would only get to Bad Sleep Well.

Thanks for the info, chente.

Did anyone else's eye bulge out of their head when they read the words "Smiles Of A Summer Night"?

There were also hints of Pandora's Box (Pabst, 1929), Shadows (John Cassavettes, looks like both versions), news on the Eisenstein silents, and a confirmation that Mizoguchi's Ugetsu (1953) is going into production. Also, alot of Robert Bresson's films are in the works...to me, that means more than two, and that means New Yorker has lost some of the rights. There was also mention of Carl Dreyer's Vampyr (1932), and of Seven Samurai. And of course, a mention of F For Fake. Best. Chat. Ever.

One more night...to my knowledge, Milestone Film owns the theatrical rights to Mamma Roma, and the fact that Criterion is releasing the film (and, judging from my own news slip that CC is doing Woman In The Dunes), indicates that Criterion is forming a relationship with Milestone. Three words: I Am Cuba.

Any mention of a re-release of Brazil with 16:9 transfer?

Shadows? Man, I was really hoping for The Killing of A Chinese Bookie...or A Woman Under the Influence maybe...even Faces....but not Shadows I guess it fits with their seeming quest to release Debuts these days (a la Knife in the Water).

Yeah, it's not happening.

Is it confirmed that Criterion will have 'Woman in the Dunes'???!?

About Woman In The Dunes, it isn't confirmed by Criterion, but Milestone has emailed me, and atleast one other, regarding the film; and this was from company to customer. They're a small, independant company.

They specifically stated to me that Criterion will release the film sooner or later, and the other person was given late 2004/early 2005.

On that note, I do think Milestone is a good company, but alot of their older releases need re-issues (Bodhi-Dharma, I Am Cuba), and alot of their newer releases (Norman McLaren, Winsor McCay, Evangi Bauer) need more coverage and availability. I only hope that their Nosferatu disc (which Barry Maxwell, I believe, announced on his Digital Bits column) is a relatively big success for them, so they can pull out more obscure foreign silents...hopefully getting around to some silents from Japan or China, of which there are so dreadful few (zero to date?).

Back to Criterion, the only one of the seven releases listed that surprised me was Smiles Of A Summer Night. I pay close attention to Criterion forums and chat logs, and the other six of the releases were hinted at in some way, or revealed by outside sources (or, with A Woman Is A Woman, a Rialto title). I was expecting The Magician, The Face or Virgin Spring before Summer Night, and I was under the impression that a three-disc Scenes From A Marriage filled the Bergman quota for the year. I'm very happy. Ugetsu, though, is the news that pleases me the most. FINALLY, we'll get some Mizoguchi.

Just read the transcript over at the Criterion forum and was pleasantly surprised to hear them say that Iron Horse will not be the Ford choice....unless of course he was hedging/lying. So I can hold out hope for Drums Along the Mohawk, or Young Mr. Lincoln, or The Informer....preferred in that order....

Great. I love The Tin Drum, and there are several others there I'd like to see.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by garolo
[B]Finally a glimmer of hope that I'll soon see Stray Dog get the CC treatment it deserves. I'll believe it when it's in my hands. Now if they would only get to Bad Sleep Well.

I agree, can't wait for this. Now if only Criterion would anouce The Bad Sleep Well.

Glad to see The Leopard is on tap to receive CC treatment.

Am I the only one looking forward to The Tin Drum?

I think it'd be cool if Criterion re-released the Samurai Trilogy with a few commentaries or other extras in a new boxed set.

Can't wait to get my hands on The Leopard, I've been waiting a loooong time for that one.

Pandora's Box would be so sweet!

I am as well. I am surprised that Criterion will be releasing it. Wasn't the film banned a while ago?

Do you guys think High and Low will get a re-release?

A WOMAN IS A WOMAN! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! I saw the re-release of this three times in the theater.


This is the Godard film, right?

Yes

Damn straight, these are by far Criterions worst transfers, they need to redo them s**ts!

Is that the same Milestone Films that restored 'Piccardilly' last year (and it's slowly making its way around the country)? If so, a Criterion Piccardilly would be an incredible release.

There's an informative post about this over at MHVF.