Criterion and Paramount

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#101 Post by **Jeff** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:05 pm

Licensing titles from major studios is an expensive proposition for Criterion, so they are necessarily selective. They won't license every title that they could possibly get their hands on. I think that the only films Criterion would be interested in are ones that either Paramount has no interest in issuing themselves, or ones where they feel they have something significant to add.

Until Days of Heaven, all of the other previously-mentioned Paramount titles were ones that had never been available in Region 1. I suspect that will continue to be the case for the vast majority of Paramount-licensed titles. I can't see Criterion bothering with something like Sunset Boulevard or The Conversation, because they already have very good special editions available. I may be in the minority here, but I would imagine that even the director commentaries on Nashville and Seconds would be enough of a deterrent to keep Criterion from bothering with them. I also can't see Criterion cranking out loads of Paramount's 70s conspiracy thrillers (as much fun as they are).

To Recap:

Definitely Licensed from Paramount
If...
Ace in the Hole
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Days of Heaven

Likely
Face to Face
White Dog

Reasonable (to me) Possibilities
Don't Look Now
One-Eyed Jacks
Hearts of Darkness
The Mattei Affair

The only films I'm including that are already available on DVD are ones where I think that there are pre-existing supplements that Criterion would be willing to include. I think that they must have acquired either Rosy-Fingered Dawn or Lanton Mills for Days of Heaven, the Optimum supplements are theoretically available for Don't Look Now, and Meet Marlon Brando is available for One-Eyed Jacks.

#102 Post by **cdnchris** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 6:59 pm

I always figured Don't Look Now would be an obvious choice since they have a good thing going with Roeg and now have something with Paramount. I'd actually be shocked if they didn't release their own version of it.

dx23 · #103 Post by **dx23** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:09 pm

There still the African Queen, which Paramount hasn't released yet in the 10th year of the DVD existence. I know is a long shot that Criterion gets this puppy, but if Paramount doesn't plan to release it, it wouldn't hurt them to licence it to a third party for a special edition treatment.

jbeall · #104 Post by **jbeall** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:24 pm

If criterion could scrounge up enough supplements to justify a release of Harold and Maude, I'd totally go for it. I saw it for the first time when I was twelve, and definitely changed the way I saw (see, I guess) the world.

patrick · #105 Post by **patrick** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:57 pm

I'm sure something could be done with Harold & Maude - Ashby's films haven't been treated kindly on DVD. I'd kill for a decent documentary/featurette about him, and a featurette about the Cat Stevens songs would be great too.

The absolutely wonderful Optimum R2 Don't Look Now is available from Xploited Cinema for $17, so I highly recommend picking it up (I honestly can't imagine Criterion improving on this too much, it's already got a fresh Roeg commentary and tons of features).

The thought of Malick finally joining the Criterion Collection has got my mouth watering.

patrick · #106 Post by **patrick** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:22 pm

Also, while this has nothing to do with Criterion, I wonder if this new willingness to license out select titles means that we might finally see Argento's Four Flies on Grey Velvet from Anchor Bay or Blue Underground? I know Bill Lustig has been trying to wrangle the rights for years, but always said that Paramount simply refused to discuss it.

miless · #107 Post by **miless** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:50 am

I will repost my longing for a Criterion version of Polanski's The Tenant because my previous post was lost due to a page cut-off...
I seriously think that this would be a great addition (not to mention a Polanski film from Paramount that's not Chinatown or Rosemary's Baby)

justeleblanc · #108 Post by **justeleblanc** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:20 pm

If Criterion were to license an Altman film from Paramount, my guess is it would be the unreleased and generally forgotten Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. I consider it to be maybe his best screen adaptation of a play, easily his best film from the 80s, and my guess is Paramount has zero to no interest in releasing it onto DVD.

Close The Door, Raymond · #109 Post by **Close The Door, Raymond** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:04 pm

I know that Lions Gate regained the rights to the Republic Pictures catalog (which Viacom/Paramount owns) after it expired a few years ago. Does that mean Criterion may get a shot at Letter from an Unknown Woman, Johnny Guitar, The Sun Shines Bright , Sam Fuller's China Gate and others?

Someone at Criterion expressed an attempt to get more female directors. How about Paramount's A New Leaf (Elaine May)?

Also, I think Paramount's catalog also includes these films, which I hope there's a chance for:
Jonathan Demme's Handle with Care (aka Citizen's Band)
Leo McCarey's forgotten Cold War-paranoia drama My Son John
John Cassavetes' Too Late Blues
Otto Preminger's Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon and Such Good Friends

Paramount also possibly owns the rights to a handful of Miramax films which they released on home video before Miramax had its own home video distribution company. These titles include:
Pedro Almodovar's High Heels
Steven Soderbergh's Kafka
Mike Newell's Enchanted April
These could have been reverted back to Miramax, but they have never been released on Region 1 DVD so far.

I know there's not a chance for them, but it would be interesting to see Criterion versions of Richard Fleischer's Mandingo and Otto Preminger's Hurry, Sundown and Skidoo - all of which are possibly owned by Paramount and have never been released on Region 1 DVD yet.

Tribe · #110 Post by **Tribe** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:08 pm

justeleblanc wrote:If Criterion were to license an Altman film from Paramount, my guess is it would be the unreleased and generally forgotten Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. I consider it to be maybe his best screen adaptation of a play, easily his best film from the 80s, and my guess is Paramount has zero to no interest in releasing it onto DVD.

Wow, that would be something! Since we are endlessly speculating here...there's enough from Paramount for an Altman 80s box isn't there?

Tribe

jaredsap · #111 Post by **jaredsap** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:07 pm

Close The Door, Raymond wrote:Someone at Criterion expressed an attempt to get more female directors. How about Paramount's A New Leaf (Elaine May)?

This has long been a Criterion dream of mine. I asked Turell a few months ago if there was any hope and he replied, "It's not on the list at this point, but never say never."

Tribe · #112 Post by **Tribe** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:57 pm

jaredsap wrote:
Close The Door, Raymond wrote:Someone at Criterion expressed an attempt to get more female directors. How about Paramount's A New Leaf (Elaine May)?
This has long been a Criterion dream of mine. I asked Turell a few months ago if there was any hope and he replied, "It's not on the list at this point, but never say never."

Interesting. I have to think that Criterion passed on May's Mikey and Nicky, which went to Home Vision (in a nice edition, I might add).

Tribe

#113 Post by **Jeff** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:26 pm

I still think that the Paramount deal most closely resembles the Fox deal. This is supported by the fact that they are releasing a flurry of titles all at once (at least four Paramounts by the end of the year). This would mean that they probably licensed a specific block of titles that would be considered high-profile to cineastes, but would not be considered particularly profitable by their home studio. With Fox, that meant about a dozen titles, and I would assume that it's the same situation here. Again, I'm only speculating, and could be completely wrong. I just can't see them ponying up major licensing fees for some of the more obscure stuff that's been mentioned here or things that already have decent editions from Paramount.

Tribe wrote:Since we are endlessly speculating here...there's enough from Paramount for an Altman 80s box isn't there?

Just 80s stuff? No. In fact I think any Paramount-licensed Altman box is unlikely. I've already expressed my skepticism about Nashville (but boy would I love to be wrong). Paramount does have Jimmy Dean via the Viacom library, and they own Republic's That Cold Day in the Park, but have presumably licensed it to Lionsgate. The only other Paramount Altman title is Popeye, which I like a lot, but its "bomb" status might discourage Criterion. I think Jimmy Dean might have an outside shot at a Criterion release, but I'm betting that producing special editions of semi-obscure Altman films became a much less attractive prospect after he died.

flyonthewall2983 · #114 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:11 pm

Cinephrenic wrote:Some choices:

The Day of the Locust
The Conversation
Escape from Alcatraz
Harold and Maude
Marathon Man
Nashville
The Parallax View
Seconds
Sorcerer
Sunset Blvd.
The War of the Worlds
When Worlds Collide

I would not be surprised if Paramount themselves release a SE of Escape From Alcatraz. It's not a totally obscure title, and it did well at the box office. Plus I remember every so often (including recently) seeing it ping-pong between most of the cable networks.

justeleblanc · #115 Post by **justeleblanc** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:35 pm

A late Preminger box set would actually be pretty decent, though this is far fetched. Skidoo is one of my all time favorite bootleg DVDs and I would love to see a version that didn't fade in and out of color so much.

FilmFanSea · #116 Post by **FilmFanSea** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:22 am

Lest we forget, there are some prime silent pictures that should still be under Paramount's control:

The Covered Wagon (James Cruze/1923)
A Kiss for Cinderella (Herbert Brenon/1925)
Running Wild (Gregory La Cava/1927)
Underworld (Josef von Sternberg/1927)
The Docks of New York (Sternberg/1928)
The Last Command (Sternberg/1928)
The Wedding March (Erich von Stroheim/1928)
The Four Feathers (Schoedsack & Cooper/1929)

Steven H · #117 Post by **Steven H** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:48 am

FilmFanSea wrote: Underworld (Josef von Sternberg/1927)
The Docks of New York (Sternberg/1928)
The Last Command (Sternberg/1928)

Together, those could probably constitute an amazing silent film DVD box set (if done right). Let's hope the silent age isn't left out of any possible licensing.

Derek Estes · #118 Post by **Derek Estes** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:25 pm

The Wedding March could be Fucking amazing.

#119 Post by **Jeff** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:32 pm

Has Criterion ever put a film licensed from a major studio (Universal, Disney, Fox, New Line, Paramount) in a boxed set? I can't think of a single one.

justeleblanc · #120 Post by **justeleblanc** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:42 pm

Jeff wrote:Has Criterion ever put a film licensed from a major studio (Universal, Disney, Fox, New Line, Paramount) in a boxed set? I can't think of a single one.

Hitchcock?

Tribe · #121 Post by **Tribe** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:45 pm

justeleblanc wrote:
Jeff wrote:Has Criterion ever put a film licensed from a major studio (Universal, Disney, Fox, New Line, Paramount) in a boxed set? I can't think of a single one.
Hitchcock?

The Hitchcock box was an after the fact collection...it didn't make its initial appearance under the Criterion label as part of a box.

Tribe

Cinephrenic · #122 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:34 pm

Hitchcock was a gift set. I don't think they secured any major studio titles for a set, then again, why would that be important?

#123 Post by **Jeff** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:43 pm

Cinephrenic wrote:I don't think they secured any major studio titles for a set, then again, why would that be important?

I'm just noting that a number of people are speculating about boxed sets of Paramount titles. So far that hasn't been Criterion's modus operandi, and I suspect that there is some licensing or financial reason for it.

dadaistnun · #124 Post by **dadaistnun** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:58 pm

Jeff wrote:
Cinephrenic wrote:I don't think they secured any major studio titles for a set, then again, why would that be important?
I'm just noting that a number of people are speculating about boxed sets of Paramount titles. So far that hasn't been Criterion's modus operandi, and I suspect that there is some licensing or financial reason for it.

Also, wouldn't there be a problem if (for instance) Criterion had licensed Love On the Run from Paramount and then said license expired. They would be left a box set they would no longer be able to sell and the other individual titles (400 Blows aside) are not packaged as to be available separately.

Harold Gervais · #125 Post by **Harold Gervais** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:42 pm

Jeff wrote:The only other Paramount Altman title is Popeye, which I like a lot, but its "bomb" status might discourage Criterion. I think Jimmy Dean might have an outside shot at a Criterion release, but I'm betting that producing special editions of semi-obscure Altman films became a much less attractive prospect after he died.

I know you aren't saying it was a bomb but Altman's Popeye was a profitable film for Paramount. Maybe not mega-box office but it did make money and it is one of Altman's most enjoyable films. I know it isn't really Criterion's style but a Robin Williams/Shelley Duvall commentary could be a lot of fun. Love to get this and Nashville from Criterion.