Criterion Collection????
This would be a good project for the Criterion Collection to undertake. They have done great with F For Fake and Mr Arkadin.
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MovieChat Forums > The Other Side of the Wind (2018) Discussion > Criterion Collection????
I just received a response to a question I submitted to Criterion about the possibility of their releasing other Orson Welles films. The message said they do not own the rights to any other Welles films at this time or have any intentions of acquiring any in the near future. Bummer, because in addition to this one I'd like to see quality releases of Othello, The Trial and Chimes at Midnight.
shareThats Strange, because arn't Othello, The Trial, and Chimes at Midnight all in the public domain?
shareI thought so, but apparently not. I was very disappointed.
shareWhile the source material for Othello and Chimes are in the public domain (Shakespeare's plays and, in the case of Chimes, Holinshed's chronicles), the films themselves are not. However (at least here in the states), The Stranger, Mr. Arkadin and The Trial are all in the public domain.
shareit's odd that Criterion isn't interested in releasing "The Trial" or "The Stranger" at this time, as those ultra cheap DVD's on the market now need to be eradicated.
Remember that Welles box set that Anchor Bay announced that was going to include "Other Side of the Wind" and "The Deep" that sounded way too good to be true? They supposedly even remastered "Trial". Wonder what will happen to that new transfer now...
I think part of it has to do with their status (at least in the US, I'm not sure about the rest of the world) as public domain films. After all, there's nothing stopping you (or myself) from issuing POS DVDs of those films in order to make a few quick bucks off of a person who doesn't know what he is buying (except, perhaps, a conscience).
I doubt that the Arkadin box will eradicate the public domain versions of Arkadin. I mean, after all, you can pick up one of those crappy DVDs for $5, while the box costs far more than that (though, admittedly, it wasn't as expensive as I expected it to be). And still, as much as I'd like to kick the crappy PD DVD's of Arkadin, they are useful, if for no other reason, becase they contain the US version of the film (which is not presented in the Criterion box).
Personally, I had never heard of the Anchor Bay box set until you mentioned it...though I'm not surprised that it was never released.
(as a side note, apparently the R2 version of "The Trial" from France is excellent, and even includes a deleted scene [though, unfortunately, without audio]. There's supposed to be a really good R2 version of "The Stranger" as well from MGM)
I think Criterion is just not promising anything before it comes to fruition. I think they'd LOVE to get their hands on some more Welles films to restore and I hope they do get them.
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