Janus Films

News on Criterion and Janus Films.
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MarcM
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#51 Post by MarcM » Sat Aug 30, 2008 3:27 pm

Thanks - what was the title of the tape - and are there any plans for a DVD release?

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Matt
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm

#52 Post by Matt » Sat Aug 30, 2008 3:31 pm

MarcM wrote:Thanks - what was the title of the tape - and are there any plans for a DVD release?
A set of 3 tapes, just called "The Janus Shorts Collection." I doubt the shorts will all be released in an anthology like that again. Criterion is much more likely just to include them as supplements to feature films.

Narshty
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:27 pm
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#53 Post by Narshty » Tue Sep 09, 2008 1:47 pm

souvenir wrote:John Ford's The Plough and the Stars is a Janus property? I overheard Bruce Eder (who probably should know) tell someone that Janus owned two RKO films, with The Devil and Daniel Webster being the other. Not mentioned in the context of a DVD though.
What about The Most Dangerous Game?

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souvenir
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:20 pm

#54 Post by souvenir » Tue Sep 09, 2008 3:45 pm

Narshty wrote:
souvenir wrote:John Ford's The Plough and the Stars is a Janus property?
What about The Most Dangerous Game?
I believe The Most Dangerous Game is in the public domain and isn't a Janus property. Is that right?

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Napier
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:48 am
Location: The Shire

#55 Post by Napier » Tue Sep 09, 2008 3:58 pm

souvenir wrote:
Narshty wrote:
souvenir wrote:John Ford's The Plough and the Stars is a Janus property?
What about The Most Dangerous Game?
I believe The Most Dangerous Game is in the public domain and isn't a Janus property. Is that right?
You are correct sir! =D>

Narshty
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#56 Post by Narshty » Tue Sep 09, 2008 5:55 pm

I thought it was Criterion's policy not to release stuff they didn't have an official license for - witness Charade, Carnival of Souls, etc, all being licensed from the original owners who have the best elements.

Their disc of The Most Dangerous Game definitely opens with a Janus logo (and there's one on the back cover too).

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souvenir
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:20 pm

#57 Post by souvenir » Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:04 pm

Narshty wrote:I thought it was Criterion's policy not to release stuff they didn't have an official license for - witness Charade, Carnival of Souls, etc, all being licensed from the original owners who have the best elements.

Their disc of The Most Dangerous Game definitely opens with a Janus logo (and there's one on the back cover too).
I don't think Janus owns The Most Dangerous Game though. There's no information listing it was licensed on the back of that case either. Look at the next spine number, Insomnia, and you'll see the Janus logo in the same spot, but also information that the film has been licensed from Castle Hill Productions and First Run Features. Or the previous spine, Taste of Cherry, which also has the Janus logo and specifically lists a license from Zeigeist.

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Napier
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#58 Post by Napier » Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:04 am

If you go to Gary over at the Beaver, he states in the first sentence that TMDG is a public domain title.

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Jeff
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:49 pm
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#59 Post by Jeff » Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:13 am

Napier wrote:If you go to Gary over at the Beaver, he states in the first sentence that TMDG is a public domain title.
There's no disputing that. Criterion just generally has a policy of only releasing public domain films when they have access to first-gen elements and the blessing of the original copyright holder.

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Minkin
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Janus Films

#61 Post by Minkin » Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:28 pm

Site redesign and Le Havre playing this Fall.

It's fun to resurrect dead threads.

In better news, here's a chance to win a 35 mm print of the Red Balloon's trailer: Like their post on Facebook.

JMULL222
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 8:58 pm

Re: Janus Films

#62 Post by JMULL222 » Thu Aug 25, 2011 7:31 pm

Sorry if it's old news but Bostons Brattle Theater just confirmed a restored print of Godard's "Weekend" will spend a week screening at some point in Nov-Dec, so that one is indeed making the rounds.

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hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson, 1956)

#63 Post by hearthesilence » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:02 pm

A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson, 1956) at Film Forum for just one week.

Saw this last year at BAM, but this one's a new print and even though it's on Hulu Plus, you really ought to see it on the big screen!

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

Re: A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson, 1956)

#64 Post by Perkins Cobb » Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:10 pm

hearthesilence wrote:A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson, 1956) at Film Forum for just one week.

Saw this last year at BAM, but this one's a new print and even though it's on Hulu Plus, you really ought to see it on the big screen!
Too bad Film Forum doesn't have one.

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jwd5275
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:26 pm
Location: SF, CA

Re: Janus Films

#65 Post by jwd5275 » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:55 pm


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krnash
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:50 pm

Re: Janus Films

#66 Post by krnash » Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:50 pm

I like how the article refers to the "so-called Criterion Collection".

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

Re: Janus Films

#67 Post by zedz » Tue Aug 21, 2012 12:49 am

krnash wrote:I like how the article refers to the "so-called Criterion Collection".
I know! Can we get that text at the bottom of every page changed to read "This site is not affiliated with the so-called Criterion Collection"?

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Matt
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm

Re: Janus Films

#68 Post by Matt » Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:35 am

So I guess if you want any of those Merchant Ivory DVDs they put out, you'd better hop to.

This is a shame, because I can't imagine any other distributor putting these films out with as much care as Janus/Criterion.

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

Re: Janus Films

#69 Post by knives » Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:39 pm

Yeah, all of their discs were done with a lot of love and dedication. Each disc, even for weaker titles, seemed to go all out.

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

Re: Janus Films

#70 Post by ShellOilJunior » Tue Aug 21, 2012 3:14 pm

krnash wrote:I like how the article refers to the "so-called Criterion Collection".
Image

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swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
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Re: Janus Films

#71 Post by swo17 » Tue Aug 21, 2012 3:32 pm

I heard that Janus' lawyers were actually on top of renewing the rights a few years ago when they put one of the films on and then accidentally went into hibernation.

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hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: Janus Films

#72 Post by hearthesilence » Tue Aug 21, 2012 3:38 pm

Zing!

I'm actually not a fan of the Merchant-Ivory films, either. I don't think their terrible, there are things to like about them (Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson were good), but as some people have already said, they can feel a bit like the cinematic equivalent of Classics Illustrated.

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jwd5275
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:26 pm
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Re: Janus Films

#73 Post by jwd5275 » Tue Aug 21, 2012 5:31 pm


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eerik
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:53 pm
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Re: Janus Films

#74 Post by eerik » Tue Aug 21, 2012 5:43 pm

Wait, Janus Films is also known as Criterion Films?

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dwk
Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 6:10 pm

Re: Janus Films

#75 Post by dwk » Thu May 30, 2013 4:33 pm

Merchant Ivory & Janus Films Settle Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
While no details of the settlement were made public, a federal judge in New York signed off Wednesday on the dismissal (read it here) of the case jointly requested by all parties. Because the dismissal is with prejudice, each party is paying their own legal costs

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