Criterion and Sony

News on Criterion and Janus Films.
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hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#551 Post by hearthesilence » Thu Dec 04, 2014 7:15 pm

Details are still coming out regarding that Sony hack, but I thought this was amusing: a plain, unencrypted text file innocuously titled "Sony_2012_Comments." Inside is what looks like a raw dump of negative employee feedback.

One comment that shores up what's pretty much a given now:

Be more focused and ruthless in directing our resources to businesses that will sustain the long term health of SPE - networks, broadcast TV shows, new movie franchises, digital distribution By the same token, stop or reduce support for areas that have no more value (Sandler movies, DVD)

flyonthewall2983
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#552 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:32 am

This could be superfluous, but will this recent damage to the company in any way change their relationship with companies like Criterion?

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hearthesilence
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#553 Post by hearthesilence » Fri Dec 19, 2014 11:49 am

I guess it could. Not directly, but if the studio as a whole winds up being very hurt financially, some fall out could impact anything they do with Criterion. ("Hey, we're holding off licensing anything to anyone for the time being because yada yada, nothing personal.")

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Shrew
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#554 Post by Shrew » Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:56 pm

I would imagine the only real way it could hurt DVD outsourcing with Criterion and Twilight Time is if this leads to a bunch of resignations/lay-offs and the new company leadership take a different course regarding home video. But given the comment hearthesilence quoted above, I think Sony is probably fine with continuing to let outside vendors handle its home video for them.

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Valin Kenobi
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#555 Post by Valin Kenobi » Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:38 pm

I would think if anything they'd be more willing to license stuff out ... easy money with someone else doing the heavy lifting. Unless they go into a lockdown mode where they want to keep everything under tight control, which is also possible.

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brendanjc
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#556 Post by brendanjc » Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:32 pm

I'm surprised no one has yet tried trawling through the leaked documents to figure out what else Sony might have licensed to Criterion already.

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jindianajonz
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#557 Post by jindianajonz » Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:38 pm

brendanjc wrote:I'm surprised no one has yet tried trawling through the leaked documents to figure out what else Sony might have licensed to Criterion already.
I was thinking the same thing earlier today, but I believe the hackers are trickling out information in batches. Anything related to licensing may be a part of the large chunk of data that hasn't been released yet.

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dwk
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#558 Post by dwk » Thu Jul 16, 2015 3:38 am

Sony, Criterion Extend Distribution Deal
Prestige distributor The Criterion Collection and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have agreed to a multi-year extension of their distribution agreement.
...
Under the deal, Criterion will continue to distribute its properties in the home entertainment window through SPHE in the U.S. marketplace.
...
“Working together over the past year – both on the distribution of Criterion’s titles and on adding new Sony titles to the Collection — has been rewarding on every front. We look forward to a successful collaboration for many more years,” said Criterion Collection CEO Jonathan Turell.

“We are pleased to build upon the partnership with Criterion and view this extension as an affirmation of our efforts as a world-class distributor of content in the home entertainment industry,” said SPHE president Man Jit Singh.

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Luke M
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:21 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#559 Post by Luke M » Tue Jul 21, 2015 2:19 am

Fantastic news. Would it be so much to ask for a Cary Grant box set including Only Angels Have Wings, The Awful Truth, and His Girl Friday?

Noiradelic
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#560 Post by Noiradelic » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:11 pm

Luke M wrote:Would it be so much to ask for a Cary Grant box set including Only Angels Have Wings, The Awful Truth, and His Girl Friday?
That TCM recently released a Blu of Only Angels Have Wings may not quash the possibility of Criterion putting it out, but does make it less likely. I doubt CC would release OAHW and His Girl Friday in anything but standalone editions.

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eerik
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#561 Post by eerik » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:45 pm

Luke M wrote:Fantastic news. Would it be so much to ask for a Cary Grant box set including Only Angels Have Wings, The Awful Truth, and His Girl Friday?
Don't get too excited. This deal is only about the physical distribution of Criterion's releases to retailers and such administrative things. It does not involve licensing any films from Sony. The same job was done by Image Entertainment (and Cinedigm for a very short time) before Sony.

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Luke M
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:21 pm

Criterion and Sony

#562 Post by Luke M » Wed Jul 22, 2015 12:53 am

eerik wrote:
Luke M wrote:Fantastic news. Would it be so much to ask for a Cary Grant box set including Only Angels Have Wings, The Awful Truth, and His Girl Friday?
Don't get too excited. This deal is only about the physical distribution of Criterion's releases to retailers and such administrative things. It does not involve licensing any films from Sony. The same job was done by Image Entertainment (and Cinedigm for a very short time) before Sony.
Yeah, though the quote from Turell seems promising.
Noiradelic wrote:
Luke M wrote:Would it be so much to ask for a Cary Grant box set including Only Angels Have Wings, The Awful Truth, and His Girl Friday?
That TCM recently released a Blu of Only Angels Have Wings may not quash the possibility of Criterion putting it out, but does make it less likely. I doubt CC would release OAHW and His Girl Friday in anything but standalone editions.
I had no idea that Only Angels Have Wings existed on Blu-ray, nor did I know TCM was in the business of releasing exclusive titles!

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Re: Criterion and Sony

#563 Post by jtarvainen » Tue Sep 29, 2015 5:18 am

Since California Split is discussed in this thread, I though I'd mention that the film was shown on TV here in Finland a few days ago in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and with the Phyllis Shotwell songs intact. The running time was exactly 104 minutes (PAL), corresponding to a little over 108 minutes at 24 fps.

I've never come across reports of the uncut version with the original AR appearing anywhere on video before, so I take this to be quite a scoop, and an indication that a new BD/DVD release may be possible in the future.

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#564 Post by FrauBlucher » Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:06 pm

With His Girl Friday getting a newsletter clue, that begs to ask could this be the last of the Columbia Pictures era Sony releases for CC. Maybe the Awful Truth but I can't think of anything else at this time.

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Ashirg
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#565 Post by Ashirg » Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:31 pm

Twentieth Century (1934) comes immediately to mind.

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#566 Post by FrauBlucher » Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:38 pm

All The Kings Men (1949) which won an Oscar for best picture and Rossen has a phantom page.

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swo17
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#567 Post by swo17 » Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:39 pm

That's with Twilight Time.

In addition to those mentioned above I'd like to see:

Fail-Safe
The More the Merrier
All those great Quines (My Sister Eileen, Solid Gold Cadillac, Strangers When We Meet)
Suddenly Last Summer
We Were Strangers
Welcome to the Dollhouse

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domino harvey
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#568 Post by domino harvey » Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:39 pm

FrauBlucher wrote:All The Kings Men (1949) which won an Oscar for best picture and Rossen has a phantom page.
Already out on TT. The phantom page was for Alexander the Great, which though a puzzling choice for Criterion, ended up also coming from TT

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#569 Post by FrauBlucher » Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:48 pm

Oh shucks, grrrr TT. Oh well, sounds like there are still some good titles to be had.

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Ribs
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#570 Post by Ribs » Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:49 pm

Shampoo was confirmed a while back too. It's such a huge library I have a hard time imagining Criterion will ever really wash their hands of it and stop.

vidussoni
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#571 Post by vidussoni » Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:49 pm

I suppose they are saving Mr. Deeds Goes to Town for their Capra Collection series.

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Minkin
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#572 Post by Minkin » Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:54 pm

Ribs wrote: It's such a huge library I have a hard time imagining Criterion will ever really wash their hands of it and stop.
This.

At this point, Sony and Criterion seem to be about as in bed with each other as Janus and Criterion. I'm sure Criterion will probably eventually release some of those TT films after the 3 years are up, but regardless, there's such a huge amount of Sony titles that are either unreleased yet or that Criterion put out on laserdisc, etc. Given that Dr Strangelove made its way to Criterion, after all those countless other releases from Sony, I can't imagine anything being out of Criterion's grasps.

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domino harvey
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#573 Post by domino harvey » Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:56 pm

I think we can all agree that Sony would never close the iron door on Criterion

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captveg
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:28 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#574 Post by captveg » Thu Jun 30, 2016 7:13 pm

The Age of Innocence is probably the top Sony owned title on my wish list.

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The Narrator Returns
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2011 6:35 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#575 Post by The Narrator Returns » Thu Jun 30, 2016 7:28 pm

captveg wrote:The Age of Innocence is probably the top Sony owned title on my wish list.
That and To Die For are my most-hoped-for-from-Criterion Sony titles.

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