Criterion and IFC

[Perkins Cobb]

Somebody over at DVDTalk claiming to be a video rental insider sez that the Blockbuster-IFC/Weinstein exclusive deal is toast. Predictable.

IFC and Blockbuster's Joe Sixpack customer base were a serious mismatch, and there are far less complicated things than marketing these films to a new audience that BB can't get right.

[justeleblanc]

Somebody over at DVDTalk claiming to be a video rental insider sez that the Blockbuster-IFC/Weinstein exclusive deal is toast. Predictable.

IFC and Blockbuster's Joe Sixpack customer base were a serious mismatch, and there are far less complicated things than marketing these films to a new audience that BB can't get right.

A few things wrong with this. One, IFC is no longer with Genius/Weinstein, they are with MPI. Two, when IFC announced their relationship with MPI, they said they ARE continuing their Blockbuster exclusive deal.

Blockbuster paying IFC for advanced copies of their titles in order to compete with Netflix does make sense, however, the fact that IFC, on their own volition, does not release titles well after the end of the exclusive period is solely IFC's fault. Many of their films are not available on DVD outside of Blockbuster and Blockbuster did not pay IFC in order to be the ONLY distributor of IFC titles for more than a year.

[Perkins Cobb]

Thanks for clarifying that. However, I do think you've failed to realize that in any deal involving Blockbuster, Blockbuster is automatically the bad guy.

[justeleblanc]

Thanks for clarifying that. However, I do think you've failed to realize that in any deal involving Blockbuster, Blockbuster is automatically the bad guy.

Of course.

Also, assuming that IFC is easier to get information from than IFC, has anyone directly asked their contacts at IFC which titles will become Criterions?

On IFC's website they announce these titles as 'coming soon' to DVD:

* Hunger
* Summer Hours
* The Escapist
* Pontypool
* Dead Snow
* Quiet Chaos
* Before the Fall
* How to Be
* I Hate Valentine’s Day
* In the Loop

[ianungstad]

Out of those listed as forthcoming on the IFC site, the only ones that I think would even interest criterion is Summer Hours, In the Loop and Hunger. The rest is mostly low budget indy horror fare. (That would Include I hate Valentine's Day, which I'm sure is as horrific as Dead Snow)

[AfterTheRain]

The rest is mostly low budget indy horror fare. (That would Include I hate Valentine's Day, which I'm sure is as horrific as Dead Snow)

I Hate Valentine's Day a horror film? That's a romantic comedy, silly; it would probably be about as scary as an episode of Friends. ( I woudn't know, but I think that's what it probably would be like.) There, I said it; get your story straight before you make a fool out of yourself.

Am I the only one who seems to know these things?

[domino harvey]

The rest is mostly low budget indy horror fare. (That would Include I hate Valentine's Day, which I'm sure is as horrific as Dead Snow)

I Hate Valentine's Day a horror film? That's a romantic comedy, silly; it would probably be about as scary as an episode of Friends. ( I woudn't know, but I think that's what it probably would be like.) There, I said it; get your story straight before you make a fool out of yourself.

Am I the only one who seems to know these things?

At the very least, you aren't the only one who doesn't recognize sarcasm on this board. He was saying that the quality of the romantic comedy film would make it as horrific as the horror film.

[CSM126]

I'm telling you right now: if Criterion releases I Hate Valentine's Day, we're calling the thread I Hate Peter Becker and renaming this place the MoCforum.org.

[knives]

I'm telling you right now: if Criterion releases I Hate Valentine's Day, we're calling the thread I Hate Peter Becker and renaming this place the MoCforum.org.

....or In Search of a Midnight Kiss. Can a film be any blander while being that hipster quirk?

[AfterTheRain]

The rest is mostly low budget indy horror fare. (That would Include I hate Valentine's Day, which I'm sure is as horrific as Dead Snow)

I Hate Valentine's Day a horror film? That's a romantic comedy, silly; it would probably be about as scary as an episode of Friends. ( I woudn't know, but I think that's what it probably would be like.) There, I said it; get your story straight before you make a fool out of yourself.

Am I the only one who seems to know these things?

At the very least, you aren't the only one who doesn't recognize sarcasm on this board. He was saying that the quality of the romantic comedy film would make it as horrific as the horror film.

Oh, a thousand pardons wise and exaulted one.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

I'm telling you right now: if Criterion releases I Hate Valentine's Day, we're calling the thread I Hate Peter Becker and renaming this place the MoCforum.org.

....or In Search of a Midnight Kiss. Can a film be any blander while being that hipster quirk?

I've met the cinematographer for this and by his meeting alone, I refuse to watch this film. He was a grand-master of all douches and kept trying to ask my friend out (who's almost half his age). He kept saying how the cinematography was influenced by Godard and when I mentioned Raoul Coutard, he looked clueless. Proof that any chump can make a movie and make money off it no less.

[Narshty]

Just noting a quick prayer for Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments - a wonderful late-career classic.

[Antoine Doinel]

Criterion and IFC made a twelve picture deal.

[Cinephrenic]

I haven't seen The Aura, but any chance on Criterion? Is it a great film?

[dadaistnun]

Others have already speculated this, and I know it's already got a bare-bones release, but I bet Flight of the Red Balloon is one of the titles. That might explain the delay of the full blown Criterion edition of the Lamorisse that's been promised.

[Tribe]

Utter speculation...but what are the odds the deal might include a first foray by Criterion into animation? I'm referring to Peur(s) du noir...an anthology of animated works by some of today's most fantastically minded comix artists, like Charles Burns, Blutch, Mattotti and others? It is an IFC property...

[ianungstad]

I wish. The Charles Burn piece looks especially good. MPI is releasing it as a barebones disc in October, so we can scratch that off the list of possibilities. Criterion doesn't seem interested in animation anyways. They could have easily released a few at this point. There's lots of high quality animation still waiting on a home video release. They also chose to release the Janus owned Animal Farm through HVe rather than the Criterion collection. (I think that's a pretty well known animated film too.)

[flyonthewall2983]

Long shot, but maybe they can release the remaining seasons of Dinner For Five, or more likely it frees up time for IFC to work on it.

[zedz]

Utter speculation...but what are the odds the deal might include a first foray by Criterion into animation? I'm referring to Peur(s) du noir...an anthology of animated works by some of today's most fantastically minded comix artists, like Charles Burns, Blutch, Mattotti and others? It is an IFC property...

It's really not that good, in my opinion. Plenty of beautiful design, but it doesn't often translate into exciting filmmaking, and the stories are predictable. The Burns, for example, ploughs very old turf - you feel like you've already seen it.

[Ashirg]

MPI already announced Peur(s) du noir... for October 27

[Antoine Doinel]

Variety confirms Che (in December), Summer Hours, Hunger, Still Walking, The Secret of the Grain and Everlasting Moments coming from Criterion.

[Cosmo Vitelli]

Variety confirms Che (in December), Summer Hours, Hunger, Still Walking, The Secret of the Grain and Everlasting Moments coming from Criterion.

Thanks. I guess these will be going the Blu-ray route too, right? If so, Pierrot Le Fou (Sept.), Che (Dec.), and Hunger (2010?) are my 3 confirmed Blu-rays I am looking forward to.

[ianungstad]

Are you sure you understood Mulvaney correctly that it's a 12 picture deal or did he just say that there were already 12 IFC titles slated for release? That press release makes this seem like it's going to be an ongoing deal. Especially the quotes by IFC about using the Criterion brand to potentially sweeten future distribution deals.

I wonder why Mulv. said that Antichrist may not be coming considering the info in this press release would almost make you think it's a given.

[jurples]

Criterion Signs IFC Deal; 10 Titles on Tap, So Far

A trio of recent IFC Films releases, including Arnaud Desplechin’s “A Christmas Tale,” Matteo Garrone’s “Gomorrah,” and Steven Soderbergh’s “Che,” are the first titles coming to DVD via a company deal with Criterion.

The first three films are due later this year with seven more already on tap for the partnership.

Special editions of Alfonso Cuaron’s “Y Tu Mama Tambien” and Christopher Nolan’s first feature, “Following,” are in the works, while a number of films will hit Criterion next year.

Titles on tap for 2010 will include a handful of recent IFC releases: Jan Troell’s “Everlasting Moments,” Olivier Assayas’ “Summer Hours,” Steve McQueen’s “Hunger,” Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s “Still Walking,” and Abdellatif Kechiche’s “The Secret of the Grain.”

Criterion will release select IFC films on an ongoing basis, in special edition formats, on both DVD and Blu-ray, the companies said tonight. “A Christmas Tale” is coming November 10th and “Gomorrah” on November 24th, while “Che” will also be released this year.

“IFC Films has been on an incredible roll, hunting down daring international films and spotting filmmakers whose work will stand the test of time,” said Criterion’s Peter Becker, in a statement, “Criterion has always presented a mix of international classics and director-approved editions of important contemporary films, so this new slate of releases fits our mission perfectly. These films are future classics, and we’re very excited about the opportunity to work with the filmmakers to present them in great editions right from the start.”

IFC and Criterion last worked together on a DVD release of Alfonso Cuaron’s early feature, “Solo Con Tu Pareja.”

[Antoine Doinel]

Mulvaney didn't get into the details of the IFC deal but what it does mean is that Criterion already has twelve titles agreed upon with IFC to release, Antichrist currently not being one of them. As the article makes clear, IFC is the deciding factor in what goes to Criterion and what goes to MPI, so (for whatever bizarro reason) they may have already determined MPI is the best route for that film.