Criterion News and Discussion

[modage]

i'm really excited that i've heard of a few of these.  

[rustinglass]

fine, criterion people, never make an outstanding edition of underground, see if I care.

:: walks away depressed::

[samsong]

fine, criterion people, never make an outstanding edition of underground, see if I care.

:: walks away depressed::

I'll join the club.

[Gold Trumpet]

I'd really like to get some of those.Sadly most of the ones I was excited about were in the "distinct possiblities", meaning chances are they wont get released, probably.

Actually, quite the opposite. The films I expect to be released anytime all come from the "distinct possibility" portion. But, each film title is hotter than the other in the rumor mill so it all depends. Which ones were you thinking of?

fine, criterion people, never make an outstanding edition of underground, see if I care.

:: walks away depressed::

It's one of the most requested titles for them. Its just in rights limbo and doesn't look like Criterion would even have a chance to release it if they wanted to.

[rustinglass]

My local newspaper released it and I'm not even joking.It would be just perfect if they got the rights, 10th aniversary next year.... sniff.

[tpfkabi]

i asked JM about Playtime and this is what he said Tuesday:

"Dear Thomas,

We look forward to re-releasing PLAYTIME in the future, but we have no
definite plans at this time.

Thanks for your mail and please feel free to contact me with any
future questions or concerns.

               Best,
                   JM"

what makes you think it's a 2 disc? i guess this means i need to unload my copy on eBay?
i'm also excited about the Godard's and Shoot the Piano Player. i hope they have some extras for that.

[Gold Trumpet]

i asked JM about Playtime and this is what he said Tuesday:

"Dear Thomas,

We look forward to re-releasing PLAYTIME in the future, but we have no
definite plans at this time.

Thanks for your mail and please feel free to contact me with any
future questions or concerns.

               Best,
                   JM"

what makes you think it's a 2 disc? i guess this means i need to unload my copy on eBay?
i'm also excited about the Godard's and Shoot the Piano Player. i hope they have some extras for that.

Playtime will probably be a 2 disc because for Criterion to feel the need to improve a title most people don't complain that much about on picture quality would mean they have a shit load of extras to contribute. I would have expected Playtime by now, but its been a year since they announced it and things may be on a halt right now.

[Just Withnail]

JANUARY RELEASES


#267: Kagemusha




#268: Youth of the Beast




#269: Fighting Elegy




#270: Casque d'or



#271: Touchez pas au grisbi

[analogzombie]

YAY! Suzuki Seijun Movies YAY!!!

[Ravi]

http://www.compare.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare2/playtiime.htm

Why is the Criterion DVD shorter ?



As quoted in the Guardian article located HERE



Playtime was finally released in 1967, but was seen throughout most of the world in a shortened 35mm cut. Jerome Deschamps (a distant cousin of Tati who is behind the restoration) says there were many versions of the film in circulation. "Tati had enormous financial difficulties. The financial partners who rescued the film insisted it be released in a version under two hours long that would be more commercial."

The restored cut lasts two hours and six minutes. "That was the last length he chose," Deschamps says. The new version - which cost 5.5 million francs - was paid for by everybody from designer Agnès B to various banks and cultural organisations.

Many critics see Playtime as Tati's masterpiece. Fremaux says there was something prophetic about it: "What is interesting about him is that in his early films, he looked at the France of holidays, of something very light; but in Playtime, he took a look at the future. He is or he was a victim of the future because the film was a failure.


So the 126 minute version fits well with the 01:59:06 Future film version (pal speed-up). So there are missing about 4-5 minutes from the Criterion version. I once more try to find if there are some minor cuts missing from the Criterion.

The new title-credits, missing 1:34 and the longer end music, makes that I suppose that there are left some 1,30 - 2,30 minutes missing

The Criterion is a shorter (international?) version.

At the time at 22:47 in the Criterion disc the following scenes is shortened  by approx. 1:34 min. It's not only that there are missing something:  the following moments in the two versions  are different. Before the re-matching scene, there are few seconds of a picture (Tati running) that the longer version don't have. It's a continuing shot were the man with the blue folder appear just after that Tati run out from the picture (see below).

Here's screen caps: Two caps that the Criterion disc misses, and  one cap that reunion the two versions (and misses from the Futurefilm). And the final frame (man runing with the blue folder are in the both.

I think there is three versions of the film. The French 155 minutes, that don't longer exist(?) and the shorter version and a version made for the North American market. But I can't confirm it!



*******

PLAYTIME   In speaking of sound, PLAYTIME was not only a 70mm-shot film, but I recent found out that Tati actually recorded an 8-track soundtrack for the film instead of the usual 6-track (with five speakers behind the screen, as is always the pre-Dolby case.  Being in Pittsburgh, I am fortunate to be in contact with Lucy Fisher, who is not only the head of the University Of Pittsburgh Film School, but an authority on Tati.  Your site was the ONLY one who has agreed with me on how AWFUL the Criterion DVD was.  It encountered my wrath when I used to write for e-tailer DVDEmpire, a review still posted for used copies.



Picture:

The first time I watched Playtime in a Cinema,  the copy was all red, like the first color photos in everyone's albums. From that stage these two prints are a big improvement, but none of these two DVD's are as good one could hope!

The Criterion has more sharpness, the black level is better, but the picture is so much cropped on every side, that it destroys many comically  framed scenes, and for certain it destroys almost every picture composition in the film. I can't really recommend it!

But then again, the Nordic disc  has less sharpness,  and some pictures are so dark that you don't even know what happens in them. The black level is very green / grey. The Nordic DVD has more colors than the faded Criterion and overall it  seems otherwise better. I wonder if the Nordic disc is the same print that the currently released in France! Hope not!
DRAW. My suggestion is to wait for the new Criterion release in 2004.

[tpfkabi]

thanks for that info on Playtime!
why do you think Criterion would chop up the picture like that?
the color in the Criterion looks a lot better to me.
i love that shot of the glass waiting room with the pictures.
i wonder if that inspired the picture of Barry framed through the glass door in PDL.
so i guess i should try and sell my OOP version now.

[Pas]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006A05RM/002-4209986-5598468

weep

[Pubrick]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006A05RM/002-4209986-5598468

weep

http://xixax.com/viewtopic.php?p=161079&highlight=#161079

[rustinglass]

If I win the lottery.... screw touring asia.

[Ravi]

If I win the lottery.... screw touring asia.

That's what a lot of American businessmen do.