Criterion and Miramax

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Cinephrenic · #1 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:34 pm

Now that several Miramax titles have been confirmed, I think it is proper to have a thread for this new relationship, and discussions on possible titles for release.

Under the Olive Trees
Mediterraneo
Three Colors Trilogy
Atame
Scandal
Switchblade Sisters
Prospero's Books
Delicatessen
Dead Man
Purple Noon
Lovers on the Bridge
The Children of Heaven
The English Patient
Heavenly Creatures
Il Postino
Kolya
Life Is Beautiful
Sonatine
Farewell My Concubine

ianungstad · #2 Post by **ianungstad** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:49 pm

Belle de jour would seem a likely guess.

I'm sure they will try to revisit some of the Miramax titles they put out on lasedisc. Does anyone have a list of what these are?

Depends on how strong their relationship with Jane Campion is, I could maybe see The Piano as a Criterion.

As for an oddball choice that will probably never come to fruition...The Crow.

Cronenfly · #3 Post by **Cronenfly** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:52 pm

The Crying Game and The Piano are definitely Lionsgate, not Miramax.

ianungstad · #4 Post by **ianungstad** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:57 pm

Weird. IMDB lists The Piano as Miramax. I know they aren't always accurate though...

They released Switchblade Sisters on laserdisc...I wonder if they'll revist that.

#5 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:57 pm

the OOP Miramax non-anamorphic Woody Allen titles would make a great Eclipse set.

denti alligator · #6 Post by **denti alligator** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:11 pm

Cinephrenic wrote:Under the Olive Trees

Who has the rights to Where is My Friend's House? and Life and Nothing More... ? The Koker Trilogy would be a major release!

Cronenfly · #7 Post by **Cronenfly** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:25 pm

ianungstad wrote:Weird. IMDB lists The Piano as Miramax. I know they aren't always accurate though...

The Piano was, like The Crying Game and Reservoir Dogs, a Miramax theatrical release, but a Live Ent./Artisan/Lionsgate property on home video.

To recap: we're pretty certain that Zentropa, The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover, and Chungking Express are coming. From Cinephrenic's list (beyond removing Piano/Crying), I'd say that the Three Colors trilogy and Delicatessan will never happen, and I would add Atame, Scandal, and Heavenly Creatures as well as the aforementioned Belle de Jour to the speculation pot (I seriously doubt the Woody titles).

sidehacker · #8 Post by **sidehacker** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:37 pm

What about Lovers on the Bridge? I'm no legal person but IMDB says that Miramax owns that.

#9 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:42 pm

Cronenfly wrote:(I seriously doubt the Woody titles).

As do I, but it is strange that they'd let all their Woody Allen titles stay out of print (and only in the US, their UK Miramax counterparts are still in-print) for so long when he's one director with a fairly small but stable market, making me wonder...

Kirkinson · #10 Post by **Kirkinson** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:51 pm

Is this actually a "relationship," or is it simply a case of Criterion grabbing titles whose rights to Miramax had lapsed? I ask because we (the audience) were told before a screening of Chungking Express that it was being projected from the DVD because Miramax's rights had lapsed and they know longer had any prints.

Tribe · #11 Post by **Tribe** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:52 pm

Does Disney hold the rights now to the pre-split Miramax catalog, ya know, once the Weinsteins left Disney? Did they keep the catalog?

Cronenfly · #12 Post by **Cronenfly** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 8:20 pm

Good questions all, and unless someone is on the inside around Criterion/Miramax/The Weinstein Co., I fear we won't know until the titles start rolling in. This may have nothing to do with the matter at hand (so take it very lightly), but the CC Breathless did have a Genius Products logo on the back, so maybe it's the Weinstein Co (though I would think the Weinsteins would keep some of the titles like Chungking to themselves for a prestige sub-label release if they had the rights)...

The Woody titles going OOP is likely for similar reasons as to the recent waves of Sony/Paramount titles going OOP: most of them could make for CC licenses, but I think just as many of these titles went OOP because their respective distributors couldn't be bothered to reprint (and many are titles Criterion would never have have time/reason to get to, like the Woody titles, IMO).

justeleblanc · #13 Post by **justeleblanc** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 8:49 pm

Does anyone know if Breathless was part of the original Wellspring deal that saw BRD et al or if it came about later?

Also, the last time I spoke with a friend at Lionsgate, he assured me that Criterion had the rights to Belle de jour, which was why they didn't release it in their Studio Canal box. Though, to be clear, he also assured me that Criterion had La Chinoise.

#14 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:32 pm

Maybe Criterion did have La Chinoise and sold them or passed at the chance to keep them-- outside of Tout va Bien, Criterion's shown no interest in Godard's more challenging films, it would fit that pattern.

What A Disgrace · #15 Post by **What A Disgrace** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:47 pm

I'd have a cow if they would release a lovely special edition of Dead Man.

Not something that's begging to happen; the current Miramax DVD has a great transfer and is dirt cheap. But its one of my favorite films, and I know that I'm in no minority when I say I think its Jarmusch's elephantine masterpiece.

#16 Post by **Jeff** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:51 pm

Kirkinson wrote:Is this actually a "relationship," or is it simply a case of Criterion grabbing titles whose rights to Miramax had lapsed? I ask because we (the audience) were told before a screening of Chungking Express that it was being projected from the DVD because Miramax's rights had lapsed and they know longer had any prints.

Exact same thing happened at the last minute at a Chungking screening in Denver.

I'll wait until I see "Under Exclusive License from Miramax" (or BVHE) on the back of a package again before I get to excited.

#17 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:00 pm

I see the English Patient is now listed above. Criterion's not that far removed from the label's target audience.

starmanof51 · #18 Post by **starmanof51** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:00 pm

ianungstad wrote:They released Switchblade Sisters on laserdisc...I wonder if they'll revist that.

And English Patient.

Edit: posted simultaneously with Domino. They did it on laser, I bet they'd do it DVD if they could.

#19 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:01 pm

Ha, well maybe they are!

Cronenfly · #20 Post by **Cronenfly** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:48 pm

Jeff wrote:
Kirkinson wrote:Is this actually a "relationship," or is it simply a case of Criterion grabbing titles whose rights to Miramax had lapsed? I ask because we (the audience) were told before a screening of Chungking Express that it was being projected from the DVD because Miramax's rights had lapsed and they know longer had any prints.
Exact same thing happened at the last minute at a Chungking screening in Denver.

I'll wait until I see "Under Exclusive License from Miramax" (or BVHE) on the back of a package again before I get to excited.

That is weird, although whether it's a matter of rights expiring or a Miramax licensing agreement, it is indisputable at this point, I think, that Criterion has some kind of pipeline into enough of their titles to make this more than a one-off.

Breathless was not a Wellspring license, and I probably shouldn't have even mentioned the Genius Products logo on the back of its case, as that's no conclusive proof of anything. I'm thinking now it's either rights expiry on a few titles or licenses from BVHE/Miramax, not the Weinstein Co. (unless some persuasive evidence to the contrary emerges).

As well, it would be nice to keep speculation down to OOP/neglected/unreleased Miramax titles; Three Colors, The English Patient, Delicatessan, Il Postino, and Life is Beautiful all have either well-appointed editions or are not going to be titles Miramax is going to let go of. Switchblade Sisters, too, seems very unlikely to me, laser be damned; same with Kolya and The Children of Heaven. Pelle the Conqueror seems to have ended up with Fox.

Tom Hagen · #21 Post by **Tom Hagen** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:58 pm

Cronenfly wrote: As well, it would be nice to keep speculation down to OOP/neglected/unreleased Miramax titles

I was reading this thread waiting for the first speculation regarding Pulp Fiction or Kevin Smith, but am once again finding myself pleased with the general level of competence on the forum.

Cronenfly · #22 Post by **Cronenfly** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:09 pm

Tom Hagen wrote:
Cronenfly wrote: As well, it would be nice to keep speculation down to OOP/neglected/unreleased Miramax titles
I was reading this thread waiting for the first speculation regarding Pulp Fiction or Kevin Smith, but am once again finding myself pleased with the general level of competence on the forum.

Everything has been fairly reasonable so far; I just think that the possible titles can be narrowed down to a small nucleus, pretty much as follows:

Confirmed

Zentropa
The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover
Chungking Express
Belle de Jour (not 100%, but given what we now know certainly not out of the question)

Definite Possibilities:

Atame
Dead Man
Scandal
Under the Olive Trees
Prospero's Books
Heavenly Creatures
Exotica
Purple Noon
Sonatine
Farewell My Concubine
Mediterraneo (maybe)

Most of the others mentioned I really just can't see happening (especially so when I can't even see Criterion releasing all of the titles I just listed), but that's just my opinion.

souvenir · #23 Post by **souvenir** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:19 pm

Exotica is in play, right? It's out of print, as is Ready to Wear, but I could see Criterion more likely taking on the former.

#24 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:23 pm

Ready to Wear could be in a boxed set with the Gingerbread Man and Dr. T-- Eclipse Series 35: Altman Movies No One Wants To See-- Criterion wouldn't even have to press the discs, no one would ever find out the case was empty.

#25 Post by **Jeff** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 12:08 am

Disney didn't buy Miramax until 1993. Most Miramax films released prior to 1994 were only produced by Miramax, and licensed to other independent distributors. There are a couple of titles like The Grifters whose rights eventually reverted to Miramax, but most of their early stuff is owned by other companies. If Criterion has the rights to the Greenaways or Atame!, I'd be surprised if they got them from Miramax.

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