Criterion and Sony

News on Criterion and Janus Films.
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kingofthejungle
Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:25 am

Re: Criterion and Sony

#501 Post by kingofthejungle » Wed Nov 06, 2013 12:50 am

It would be nice to see Criterion become the go-to label for Sony's more important catalog pictures. It's not hard to imagine a place for the Capra films, the Ranown cycle, and the stuff from Columbia's Cary Grant box set in the collection. I'll be anxiously waiting to see what, if anything, comes of this relationship.

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ryannichols7
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#502 Post by ryannichols7 » Wed Nov 06, 2013 1:59 pm

if this means 2046 and Almodovar can finally join the collection alongside the Capras and the Last Detail...all will be right in the world.

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Jean-Luc Garbo
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#503 Post by Jean-Luc Garbo » Wed Nov 06, 2013 2:00 pm

Will Sony have any influence over future flash sales or B&N sales?

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#504 Post by knives » Wed Nov 06, 2013 2:34 pm

No, they're only distribution which just means that the Crit stuff will be housed in different warehouses and might be in more brick and motor stores. Beyond that it means nothing for us.

ianungstad
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2005 9:20 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#505 Post by ianungstad » Wed Nov 06, 2013 3:04 pm

In theory it doesn't mean anything for Sony licensing out titles but when Sony inked similar deals with Image and Mill Creek there were significant amount of titles that were licensed out as part of the distribution deal.

I do think it's interesting that many foreign language titles and titles released by Criterion on laserdisc should happen to go out of print a couple of months before this press release.

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jindianajonz
Jindiana Jonz Abrams
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#506 Post by jindianajonz » Wed Nov 06, 2013 4:46 pm

knives wrote: and might be in more brick and motor stores.
I apparently misunderstood what a distributor does; can you elaborate further? I had assumed that they simply pressed and stored all the discs. What other roles do they have?

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swo17
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#507 Post by swo17 » Wed Nov 06, 2013 4:55 pm

They also put motors on the discs, which is what keeps them spinning around inside your player.

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#508 Post by knives » Wed Nov 06, 2013 5:00 pm

swo17 wrote:They also put motors on the discs, which is what keeps them spinning around inside your player.
Yes.

As to serious reply, as far as I understand, a distributor houses stock but also, as the title suggests, distributes.

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jindianajonz
Jindiana Jonz Abrams
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#509 Post by jindianajonz » Wed Nov 06, 2013 5:02 pm

Well, yes, but I had figured they just distributed to the places Criterion told them to distribute to; I didn't think they would have any effect on what those places are.

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#510 Post by FrauBlucher » Wed Nov 06, 2013 5:05 pm

swo17 wrote:They also put motors on the discs, which is what keeps them spinning around inside your player.
I'm shocked! I Thought there was a tiny man with really big arms in there cranking that baby around and around.

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jindianajonz
Jindiana Jonz Abrams
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#511 Post by jindianajonz » Wed Nov 06, 2013 5:12 pm

FrauBlucher wrote:
swo17 wrote:They also put motors on the discs, which is what keeps them spinning around inside your player.
I'm shocked! I Thought there was a tiny man with really big arms in there cranking that baby around and around.
I'm just pissed that I spent money getting my Playstation fixed when really the problem was with my Southpark disc.

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zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#512 Post by zedz » Wed Nov 06, 2013 5:24 pm

jindianajonz wrote:Well, yes, but I had figured they just distributed to the places Criterion told them to distribute to; I didn't think they would have any effect on what those places are.
Retailers will generally be dealing direct with the distributor for their Criterion titles, not with Criterion itself. The bigger and more efficient the distributor is, and the more extensive its distribution network, the more likely it is that retailers will be able to carry the product (if they want it). That said, I doubt that there's any significant difference in performance between the various distributors with which Criterion has been aligned. They've all been pretty big players.

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Sandman
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 8:33 am

Re: Criterion and Sony

#513 Post by Sandman » Wed Nov 06, 2013 6:25 pm

ianungstad wrote:...
I do think it's interesting that many foreign language titles and titles released by Criterion on laserdisc should happen to go out of print a couple of months before this press release.
Such as?

peerpee
not perpee
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:41 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#514 Post by peerpee » Wed Nov 06, 2013 7:15 pm

What about Criterion now becoming the home for all Sony Pictures Classics titles?

giovannii84
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#515 Post by giovannii84 » Wed Nov 06, 2013 8:43 pm

peerpee wrote:What about Criterion now becoming the home for all Sony Pictures Classics titles?
Awesome idea!

The important releases get a spine number, and the less important but exciting stuff can be put into eclipse sets

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Cinephrenic
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#516 Post by Cinephrenic » Thu Nov 07, 2013 1:00 pm

Criterion would have to clear their slate to commit themselves to Sony catalog. I don't see this happening. They probably release several films a year that they find important, such as Capra, Hawks, Cukor, etc... and more contemporary films.

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ShellOilJunior
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:17 am

Re: Criterion and Sony

#517 Post by ShellOilJunior » Thu Nov 07, 2013 3:47 pm

I'd like to see Criterion at least release Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I've heard the HD master has been a round for a few years now.

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FrauBlucher
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#518 Post by FrauBlucher » Thu Nov 07, 2013 3:59 pm

Cinephrenic wrote:Criterion would have to clear their slate to commit themselves to Sony catalog. I don't see this happening. They probably release several films a year that they find important, such as Capra, Hawks, Cukor, etc... and more contemporary films.
...unless this business deal was at least a couple of years in the making which I find highly probable. A company like Sony always has and operates under long term strategies. I don't see this as a last minute get together between the two companies. If that's the case then it's possible CC included some of the SPC titles into their schedule knowing this was going to happen. I also think this explains fewer IFC titles then what CC has released in the past.
I guess we'll learn more at the Wexner talks.

Perkins Cobb
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:49 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#519 Post by Perkins Cobb » Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:12 pm

I still think some of you are misreading this as "Criterion is Sony's new distributor" rather than "Sony is Criterion's new distributor."

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matrixschmatrix
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#520 Post by matrixschmatrix » Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:19 pm

It certainly seems reasonable to assume that Criterion will have greater and cheaper access to whatever they want out of Sony's holdings, though, right?

Perkins Cobb
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#521 Post by Perkins Cobb » Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:30 pm

I mean, they've already had pretty good access to Sony catalog titles since the BBS set, right? I would think that if Criterion wanted to compete with Twilight Time for, say, Major Dundee or As Good As It Gets, they could have been doing so already. I would only think this was a big deal if it represented a relationship with an entity that Criterion wasn't already licensing from.

(And even if this did somehow mean opening the Sony floodgates, I wouldn't be enthusiastic about it; it'd just be still more slots on the Criterion slate that would go to films that a big studio should be releasing itself, as opposed to stuff like Pierre Etaix or WCF.)

giovannii84
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#522 Post by giovannii84 » Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:35 pm

In recent times we've had 2 very good releases of Columbia classics: ok the waterfront & anatomy of a murder, and I'm sure more will follow.

ianungstad
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2005 9:20 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#523 Post by ianungstad » Fri Nov 08, 2013 12:54 am

peerpee wrote:What about Criterion now becoming the home for all Sony Pictures Classics titles?
I could see a similar arrangement with SPC that Criterion has with IFC. Perhaps it's telling that Sony Classics president Michael Barker did a top 10 list for Criterion recently.

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Moe Dickstein
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:19 pm

Re: Criterion and Sony

#524 Post by Moe Dickstein » Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:35 am

Perkins Cobb wrote:(And even if this did somehow mean opening the Sony floodgates, I wouldn't be enthusiastic about it; it'd just be still more slots on the Criterion slate that would go to films that a big studio should be releasing itself, as opposed to stuff like Pierre Etaix or WCF.)
I'd be thrilled to see that happen. With the lack of extras and features on catalog releases these days, it's no good to have the studios release their own films. I welcome more mainstream Hollywood product from Criterion with open arms and wallet.

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CSM126
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Re: Criterion and Sony

#525 Post by CSM126 » Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:40 am

All this chatter and no one's mentioning Housekeeping, a lovely masterpiece in desperate need of a blu-ray edition? I'm stunned it hasn't materialized by now. Sony/Columbia put it up on iTunes and, if I recall correctly, a MOD archive DVD-r. But for crying out loud it deserves better.

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