Charlie Chaplin and Criterion

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Brianruns10
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#151 Post by Brianruns10 » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:34 pm

At least she's not smoking a cigarette while she's doing it! :)

If you wanna see horrors, see the "making of" video for the History Channels' recent series "World War II in HD." It shows how those filmmakers handled archival films donated to them from private owners. They were absolutely incompetent, running one of a kind reversal film through projectors, and being very careless in handling. They even admitted damaging one of the films in the process of making the transfer!

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manicsounds
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#152 Post by manicsounds » Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:40 am

No, worse is on Monty Python's Meaning Of Life restoration documentary, where Terry Jones puts the negative through a wash and rinse cycle...

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Jeff
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#153 Post by Jeff » Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:08 am

Criterion has got their full Chaplin site up now. There are screening dates, publicity photos, and more. They've got Monsieur Verdoux listed as a 1927 film instead of 1947, but overall it's pretty useful and each page of the site features a few of those cool Kate Beaton illustrations in a little more detail.

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Finch
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#154 Post by Finch » Sun Jul 18, 2010 5:35 am

Anyone know where that screenshot on the first page is from?

broadwayrock
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#155 Post by broadwayrock » Sun Jul 18, 2010 6:00 am

If you right click the image its labeled 'Pilgrim'. There's a massive version of the image if you click the link of the film at the top.

They probably got the photo from here:

http://photo.charliechaplin.com/assets?tag=prison" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Finch
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#156 Post by Finch » Sun Jul 18, 2010 6:05 am

Thanks

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aox
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#157 Post by aox » Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:42 pm

This might be better for this thread, but Criterion just posted this on Facebook under "Coming Soon"

Image

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AtlantaFella
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#158 Post by AtlantaFella » Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:50 pm

... although as a few people have noted, it appears to only be a poster for the theatrical tour.

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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#159 Post by Flike » Mon Jul 26, 2010 4:09 pm

I always ask, if Criterion struck new prints for all these films, what are we to expect this year? Wouldn't they want to tour pretty much all the features for much longer before they unveil DVDs?

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Tribe
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#160 Post by Tribe » Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:14 pm

It might appear from The Gold Rush page that the 1942 re-release (with the dreaded voice over) might be the default version. I hope it isn't so.

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Tom Hagen
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#161 Post by Tom Hagen » Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:57 pm

Now that we know the films in play, the next great question will be single releases or one ridiculously-priced, huge set?

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Svevan
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#162 Post by Svevan » Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:39 pm

Divided into silents and talkies would make sense. The total running time of all the silents is 596 mins, and for the talking films is 567 mins. Two five-disc sets? With perhaps Gold Rush, City Lights, and Modern Times released individually? That's my bet.

Edit: Ugh, my math is off because The Gold Rush is listed under 1942. So make that silents: 668 and talkies: 495. So six discs on one, four on the other? I dunno. It'll be interesting whatever they do.

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Minkin
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#163 Post by Minkin » Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:49 pm

I would imagine that they would draw the process out as long as they could. Perhaps a small set of the shorts followed by individual titles of everything else- or copy however else Park Circus and the others do it. I couldn't imagine a boxset of everything would be the most profit advantageous decision.

Also, I might suggest moving the poster image to the Criterion store topic- since we will be able to buy that thing soon :wink:

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swo17
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#164 Post by swo17 » Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:50 pm

Svevan wrote:Divided into silents and talkies would make sense. The total running time of all the silents is 596 mins, and for the talking films is 567 mins. Two five-disc sets? With perhaps Gold Rush, City Lights, and Modern Times released individually? That's my bet.
But aren't they all talkies now? And if some of them still aren't, can't we just get a Chaplin impersonator to talk over them? Silent movies hurt my ears.

My guess: a box (not Eclipse) of the First National films, and then individual releases for each of the features.

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HistoryProf
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#165 Post by HistoryProf » Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:52 pm

my guess are spine #s individually for City Lights, The Kid, Gold Rush, The Great Dictator, and Modern Times with the rest split among two boxes chronologically, maybe one box in eclipse. the big ones get loaded blu rays, a box with more extras, and then the shorts and other stuff on eclipse. spread the wealth, so to speak.

They could also do the first multi-film blu ray box a la War Trilogy in one package.

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domino harvey
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#166 Post by domino harvey » Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:54 pm

Every feature will be released separately, maybe two a month for a while

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Cinephrenic
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#167 Post by Cinephrenic » Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:31 pm

Boxsets:

Chaplin: Silent Years
Chaplin: A little more silence with some horrible voiceover
Chaplin: No silence, but in exile
Last edited by Cinephrenic on Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Matt
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#168 Post by Matt » Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:34 pm

But I'm sure there will also be an AK100-type complete set as well.

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perkizitore
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#169 Post by perkizitore » Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:18 pm

I hope so, because there is no way i am spending $400 on individual releases (the box won't be that much cheaper, but i hope that until B&N's November 2011 sale at the latest it will be mine)

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Finch
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#170 Post by Finch » Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:29 pm

Releasing the terrible 1942 version of Gold Rush only would be a major cock up that I just can't see them making (not only does the 42 version have the inferior score and needless voiceover, it's also more chaste than the silent, omitting the passionate kiss between Chaplin and his costar from the original in the concluding moments!).

Individual spines for the most famous titles (wonder if that would include Monsieur Verdoux too?), boxsets for the lesser known films and a huge AK100-style set would certainly please everyone (myself included as I'd want City Lights and Gold Rush 21, and a silent box including The Kid and A Woman of Paris).

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Tribe
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#171 Post by Tribe » Tue Jul 27, 2010 2:36 pm

Finch wrote:Releasing the terrible 1942 version of Gold Rush only would be a major cock up that I just can't see them making (not only does the 42 version have the inferior score and needless voiceover, it's also more chaste than the silent, omitting the passionate kiss between Chaplin and his costar from the original in the concluding moments!).
I think Criterion is well aware of the problems inherent in the 1942 release. My sense is that the estate is the force behind requiring any licensees to bestow an "authoritative" title on that re-release. There must be someone here who has more definitive insight into the influence of the estate.

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scotty2
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#172 Post by scotty2 » Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:47 pm

Since Janus is showing only the 1942 version, I suspect the best we can expect is that the 1925 will be included as an extra as the Warner/MK2 release did--though the entire idea of one of the greatest of silent films as an extra is mindblowing. I remember my naive disappointment when I bought the Image DVD back in the day--nothing but the 1942 version on that one.

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zedz
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#173 Post by zedz » Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:47 pm

I'm optimistic that the Chaplin family will facilitate the release of the original versions with their original scores, since Timothy Brock has been working with them to reconstruct those scores over the past several years. I'm not sure how far he's got, but including these with the eventual Criterion releases is too good an opportunity to pass up and will be a huge point of difference with all previous (and current) releases of the films.

Here's a list of Timothy's Chaplin restorations - seems to be quite up to date.

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Anthony
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#174 Post by Anthony » Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:30 pm

I just wish they'd release them all on Blu. I don't care how they do it... one at a time, several box sets, or one big expensive set.

felipe
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Re: The Charlie Chaplin Speculation Thread

#175 Post by felipe » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:32 pm

Finch wrote:Releasing the terrible 1942 version of Gold Rush only would be a major cock up that I just can't see them making (not only does the 42 version have the inferior score and needless voiceover, it's also more chaste than the silent, omitting the passionate kiss between Chaplin and his costar from the original in the concluding moments!).
I actually find the score for the 1942 version much better.

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