Illya you would make a big mistake if you do not pick up Bellocchio!!

Ciao,
Pro-B

Oh, I will. I've just wanted to see Lacombe, Lucien for years.

i thought it was Armageddon...

Nice specs and coverart for Mr. Arkadin. I'll be picking that up in March.

ronald epstein at HTF posted the full press release with street dates

March 2006

Traffic - Steven Soderbergh examines the effect of drugs as politics, business, and lifestyle, interweaving the stories of a newly appointed drug czar and his family, a West Coast kingpinıs wife, a key informant, and cops on both sides of the U.S./Mexican border. Instantly recognized as a classic, Traffic appeared on more than 200 criticsı ten-best lists, and earned five Academy Award nominations.

Cat: CC1622D
Title: Traffic
UPC: 7-15515-01722-0
SRP: $39.95
Prebook date: 1/31/06
Street date: 3/7/06

3 Films by Louis Malle (4 disc box set) - A four-disc box set showcasing director Louis Malle's loose trilogy of acclaimed films about the loss of innocence and modern France. Murmur of the Heart is about a 15-year-old boy growing up in Dijon in the 1950s and his scandalous behavior. Lacombe Lucien takes place in the summer of 1944, and tells the story of an 18-year-old working for the occupying Nazis. Au revoir les enfants is Malle's award-winning, autobiographical story about two boys at a provincial Catholic boarding school during the war, and the secret they share. Also includes a fourth disc of supplements, exclusive to this box set.

Cat: MAL030
Title: 3 Films by Louis Malle
UPC: 0-37429-21292-9
SRP: $79.95
Prebook date: 2/7/06
Street date: 3/14/06

MURMUR OF THE HEART - Louis Malleıs critically acclaimed Murmur of the Heart
gracefully combines elements of comedy, drama, and autobiography in a candid portrait
of one boyıs journey from childhood to adulthood. Malleıs depiction of a precocious
fifteen-year old boyıs sexual maturation and unorthodox relationship with his free-
spirited mother is both shocking and deeply poignant, amounting to one of the finest
coming-of-age films ever committed to film.

Cat: MUR040
Title: Murmur of the Heart
UPC: 0-37429-21252-3
SRP: $29.95
Prebook date: 2/7/06
Street date: 3/14/06

LACOMBE, LUCIEN - One of the first French films to address the issue of collaboration
during the German Occupation, Louis Malleıs brave and controversial Lacombe, Lucien
traces a young peasantıs journey from potential Resistance member to Gestapo recruit.
At once the story of a nation and one troubled boyıs horrific coming of age, the film is a
disquieting portrait of lost innocence and guilt.

Cat: LUC070
Title: Lacombe, Lucien
UPC: 0-37429-21242-4
SRP: $29.95
Prebook date: 2/7/06
Street date: 3/14/06

AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS - Based on events from writer-director Louis Malleıs own
childhood, Au revoir les enfants is the tragic story of friendship and devastating loss
between two boys at a Catholic board-school in Nazi-occupied France. Julien befriends
Jean, and the two precocious youths enjoy true camaraderie until Jeanıs secret‹
that he is a Jew being hid by sympathetic priests‹is revealed. Subtly and precisely
observed, the film is a tale of cowardice and courage and ultimately heartbreaking
awakening into adulthood.

Cat: AUR020
Title: Au Revoir Les Enfants
UPC: 0-37429-20712-3
SRP: $29.95
Prebook date: 2/7/06
Street date: 3/14/06

FISTS IN THE POCKET - A dark, perverse portrait of family dysfunction, Fists in the Pocket stunned moviegoers and critics alike with its unflinching social critique and brazenly assured style. This award-winning feature debut by writer/director Marco Bellocchio heralds the arrival of a powerful filmmaking voice, and ranks as a truly unique classic of Italian cinema.

Cat: CC1626D
Title: Fists in the Pocket
UPC: 7-15515-01762-6
SRP: $29.95
Prebook date: 2/21/06
Street date: 3/26/06

Mr. Arkadin - American smuggler Guy van Stratten decides to investigate the mysterious Mr. Arkadin (Orson Welles) after hearing about the wealthy man from a prison cellmate. Van Stratten befriends Arkadin's daughter, Raina, but Arkadin himself claims amnesia about his own life, sending van Stratten off to investigate his past. The search spans many countries and characters, but the real purpose of the mission is not what it seems. Orson Welles's elusive film presented in three different versions.

Cat: ARK010
Title: Mr. Arkadin
UPC: 0-37429-20772-7
SRP: $49.95
Prebook date: 2/21/06
Street date: 3/26/06

ATTN CANADA: Traffic and Mr. Arkadin are not available in Canada. 3 Films by Louis Malle and Fists in the Pocket are available in English Canada only.

Cool, been waiting for Traffic for a while now.

Cameron, do you know why we are not getting Mr. Arkadin in Canada?

Why Cameron, why!?

The simple answer is that Criterion's license for Traffic and Mr. Arkadin restricts them from selling outside of the US. While Criterion always tries to obtain rights for all of North America, sometimes they are not able to.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe Criterion generally markets its titles to Quebec to avoid the extra expense of mandatory bilingual coverart. However, some Criterion titles distributed by Alliance Atlantis do have the bilingual covers and can be sold in French Canada.

^ pretty much nailed it. Back when Traffic was first released Canada even got a diffrent cover. Criterion did make the covers available through mail order though.

Each title has to be liscenced for a certain country. Many french language films cost more to liscence in French Canada, as they (are believed to be able) to sell to a more mass market, as it is not a foreign language film. Every title has its own specific price tags, and it seems that these were not a good investment for the Criterion Collection to release in Canada.

Good news is, that e-tailers make it easy to import.

Thanks FilmFanSea and Cameron.

It sucks but at least as Cameron said, we will be able to get through e-tailers hopefully.