Solid Snake

Yeah, we need more Truffaut. With directors like him Criterion would totally give the films the respect they warrant. Still can't believe CC lost the rights to Ran though...wtf, CC?

jrsl76

What I really want is for them to release Two English Girls.

Doctorossi

I don't know what the Fox Lorber rights picture looks like, but what I wouldn't give for some Criterion Wertmuller and Itami discs!

GenPion

Agreed. I'm surprised they haven't already, to be honest.

PopcornTreeCt

I think after The 400 Blows I got all the Truffaut I need.

Adam Tyner

Well, it might not have been their call to make. I'd imagine they were licensed the title by StudioCanal for a certain period of time, Criterion assumed they'd be able to re-up, and...well, it turned out they were wrong.

StudioCanal also controls The Third Man and Contempt, and maybe it's not a coincidence that the former went out of print not too terribly long after we learned that Criterion no longer held the rights to release Ran and the latter never materialized. Maybe StudioCanal is getting better terms from Lionsgate, or some of these more prestigous titles were a condition of the deal with Lionsgate...?

Solid Snake

No Jules et Jim?

Also....uhm...considering how CC lost Ran, Third Man, and whatnot...I worry when Amazon no longer has a certain CC release. So....8 1/2 Blu-Ray is not available from Amazon atm. Are they just out or did something happen that we should know about?

WAIT: Amazon has this on that page...

So....what's THAT all about?

PopcornTreeCt

That is strange. I watched is this weekend and had no problems with it.

dx23

No one knows what the problem with 8 1/2 BD is?

Giles

the bluray.com review for 'Ran' is not very flattering - one wonders what the image and audio would have been if Criterion had releaed their version and not Studio Canals via Lionsgate.

slop101

Since the Criterion's Ran dvd (upscaled) looks better than Lionsgate's blu-ray, it's a safe bet Criterion's blu-ray would look world's better.

Solid Snake

GAHHHHH!!!!!!! I really wish Criterion had the Blu. Let's hope they don't lose anymore Kurosawa.

bluetoast

Yeah...since it's his centennial, we're sure to get a bunch of cool stuff this year. Yojimbo/Sanjuro and Seven Samurai are guaranteed...here's to more in 2010!

Solid Snake

actually...Yojimbo/Sanjuro comes out: Mar 23, 2010. It's already out for pre-order on Amazon.

bluetoast

That's why I said it was guaranteed. I pre-ordered that a month ago...looking forward to getting it on the actual 100th anniversary!

jrsl76

I'm definitely in on all the Kurosawa Blus this year. Hopefully Criterion will eventually get Ran back and get that onto a respectable Blu. Until then, I'll hold on to my dvd. Other than the ones we know, I really hope we see High And Low and The Hidden Fortress hit Blu this year.

manicsounds

Doubtful as Lionsgate is releasing it in the US very soon. Of course, the same disc as the Studiocanal imports....

Solid Snake

which films does Lionsgate have from Kurosawa, manicsounds?

ccfixx

Ran.

CC

Solid Snake

So that's just it? And CC still has whatever they now have and have had?

bluetoast

As long as their rights hold out, which means they have access to 25 of his thirty movies. Five of those are part of Eclipse and three will be joining them, so those are unlikely to be BD candidates anytime soon. Madadayo and The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail will be Criterion releases this year (separate from the AK 100 set), but who knows if they will get the BD treatment.

GenPion

Let's hope so. The more Kurosawa on Blu-ray the better.

NoirFan

My favorite Kurosawa is Ikiru - I'd love to see that one in Blu. A beautifully moving, darkly comic film.

Solid Snake

that's better....

cgray

I had 8 1/2 preordered from barnes and noble and just got a delay notice. Not sure what's up there.