Hey, everybody! The Third Man is out of print.

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magicmarker
Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:21 pm

Hey, everybody! The Third Man is out of print.

#1 Post by magicmarker » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:11 am

Both the SD and BR are listed as out of print on Criterion's website. Anyone have an idea why or how? Is this a rights issue a la Contempt?

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Napier
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#2 Post by Napier » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:21 am

magicmarker wrote:Both the SD and BR are listed as out of print on Criterion's website. Anyone have an idea why or how? Is this a rights issue a la Contempt?
Wow, I hope this is a mistake. :shock: I was going to pick the BD up at the next B & N 50% sale. It's got to be a glitch or something, why would they put it out on a new format if the rights were even 5% in contention? :-k

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perkizitore
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#3 Post by perkizitore » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:28 am

The weird thing is that they were unavailable for almost 2 months in order to change their slipcases, only to go OOP! :-k

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

Re: 64 The Third Man

#4 Post by Matt » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:36 am

Something's wrong here. I thought Janus owned the London Films catalog outright. I've posted something on their Facebook wall, as that seems to generate the quickest response these days.

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swo17
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#5 Post by swo17 » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:40 am

Napier wrote:why would they put it out on a new format if the rights were even 5% in contention? :-k
If this is true, I'm sure it took them completely by surprise, much like how they lost the rights to Ran after they had done all the work of prepping it for a Blu release.

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aox
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#6 Post by aox » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:48 am

I just sent them money via paypal for the hard case... Hope I get it.
At least I have the film.

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Re: 64 The Third Man

#7 Post by Flike » Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:47 pm

The silence on the Facebook page is worrying. How horrible if they've lost the rights...

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Brian C
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#8 Post by Brian C » Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:00 pm

Flike wrote:The silence on the Facebook page is worrying. How horrible if they've lost the rights...
They haven't made any comments on anything in a couple days. I don't think it's a big deal that they haven't answered yet.

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Re: 64 The Third Man

#9 Post by jaredsap » Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:30 pm

Matt wrote:Something's wrong here. I thought Janus owned the London Films catalog outright. I've posted something on their Facebook wall, as that seems to generate the quickest response these days.
Janus does not own THE THIRD MAN. Criterion's releases were the result of Rialto's license.

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Matt
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#10 Post by Matt » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:16 pm

jaredsap wrote:Janus does not own THE THIRD MAN. Criterion's releases were the result of Rialto's license.
Do you know who Rialto licensed the film from? I think Criterion licensed the film from Rialto before Janus bought the London Films catalog.

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Brian C
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#11 Post by Brian C » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:38 pm

Matt wrote:
jaredsap wrote:Janus does not own THE THIRD MAN. Criterion's releases were the result of Rialto's license.
Do you know who Rialto licensed the film from? I think Criterion licensed the film from Rialto before Janus bought the London Films catalog.
Besides Janus and Rialto, the Blu-ray packaging also has a StudioCanal logo, so maybe there are problems there? Thought I remembered reading about issues with StudioCanal recently but I might just be making that up.

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Re: 64 The Third Man

#12 Post by jaredsap » Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:21 pm

Brian C wrote:Besides Janus and Rialto, the Blu-ray packaging also has a StudioCanal logo, so maybe there are problems there? Thought I remembered reading about issues with StudioCanal recently but I might just be making that up.
You're not making it up. Much of Canal's content has recently been licensed to Lionsgate for US Home Video. That's why, for instance, Criterion doesn't currently have the rights to release CONTEMPT on Blu-ray in the US. That's also why it's incorrect nowadays to assume that just because Rialto gives a title a theatrical release it will automatically receive a Criterion release.

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Highway 61
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#13 Post by Highway 61 » Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:46 pm

Also today emerges the rumor that Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire are planning a remake of The Third Man. Coincidence? :-k

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Napier
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#14 Post by Napier » Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:51 pm

Highway 61 wrote:Also today emerges the rumor that Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire are planning a remake of The Third Man. Coincidence? :-k
Good God man, is the world ending. [-o<

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aox
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#15 Post by aox » Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:53 pm

Highway 61 wrote:Also today emerges the rumor that Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire are planning a remake of The Third Man. Coincidence? :-k
Image

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Brian C
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#16 Post by Brian C » Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:46 pm

jaredsap wrote:You're not making it up. Much of Canal's content has recently been licensed to Lionsgate for US Home Video. That's why, for instance, Criterion doesn't currently have the rights to release CONTEMPT on Blu-ray in the US. That's also why it's incorrect nowadays to assume that just because Rialto gives a title a theatrical release it will automatically receive a Criterion release.
Thanks for refreshing my memory. Glad I have my Third Man Blu-ray already.

Although it never was safe to assume Rialto -> Criterion, or Gojira would have a beautiful Criterion disc now.

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cdnchris
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#17 Post by cdnchris » Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:08 pm

Highway 61 wrote:Also today emerges the rumor that Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire are planning a remake of The Third Man. Coincidence? :-k
Nothing will top the Pinky and the Brain take on The Third Man.
aox wrote:Image
I'm seriously thinking of adding this emoticon and making the tag [fuckit]

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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

Re: 64 The Third Man

#18 Post by HerrSchreck » Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:20 pm

That is a truly great emoticon.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Studio Canal issue was what tanked the Le Corbeau/Quai des orfevres/Quai des brumes thingy, at least for awhile, right?

Third Man has been a CC for so long, christ, it's tough to even think of it in R1 in another label's grubby hands.

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Re: 64 The Third Man

#19 Post by Flike » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:22 pm

Yes. Along with Ran and I think Contempt. This is getting kind of old... hopefully they get it back and it doesn't go to the Studio Canal Collection, or whatever, where they'll undoubtedly release a sub-par transfer to a fraction of the market just like they did with the aforementioned titles.

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tajmahal
Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 11:10 pm

Re: 64 The Third Man

#20 Post by tajmahal » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:41 pm

Flike wrote:Yes. Along with Ran and I think Contempt. This is getting kind of old... hopefully they get it back and it doesn't go to the Studio Canal Collection, or whatever, where they'll undoubtedly release a sub-par transfer to a fraction of the market just like they did with the aforementioned titles.
If you like Contempt, or Belle de Jour, or Marienbad, the studio canal Blu's are very nice editions, each with plenty of extras, and nice booklets to boot. Studio Canal releases can be hit and miss, and I would want to see screencaps before buying, but if they are releasing good Blu-ray editions with extras as comprehensive as a Criterion at their best (and with these titles they have) why not grab them?

The alternative is to stick with your now 'sub-par' dvd editions. :wink:

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domino harvey
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LOL at like four things in that post

#21 Post by domino harvey » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:48 pm

Image

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perkizitore
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#22 Post by perkizitore » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:49 pm

Maybe Marienbad is the next title to go OOP with all these Studio Canal madness...

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Re: 64 The Third Man

#23 Post by Flike » Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:16 pm

tajmahal wrote:
Flike wrote:Yes. Along with Ran and I think Contempt. This is getting kind of old... hopefully they get it back and it doesn't go to the Studio Canal Collection, or whatever, where they'll undoubtedly release a sub-par transfer to a fraction of the market just like they did with the aforementioned titles.
If you like Contempt, or Belle de Jour, or Marienbad, the studio canal Blu's are very nice editions, each with plenty of extras, and nice booklets to boot. Studio Canal releases can be hit and miss, and I would want to see screencaps before buying, but if they are releasing good Blu-ray editions with extras as comprehensive as a Criterion at their best (and with these titles they have) why not grab them?

The alternative is to stick with your now 'sub-par' dvd editions. :wink:
I've seen caps and read reviews of both of the releases I mentioned on Studio Canal's vanity line, Ran and Contempt. The image of Ran has been described as an 'up-scaled DVD' and Contempt as 'lazy'. I have a beautiful Criterion edition of Last Year at Marienbad, the release of which didn't force DVDs in other territories out of print.

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

Re: 64 The Third Man

#24 Post by knives » Sat Oct 24, 2009 12:20 am

Considering the Rialto and Essential Arthouse boxsets don't seem to be out of print, or at least some sort of change announced, I would think that it is just a case of them having run out and getting new discs pressed. Just in case though I'm going to start picking up exclusively the Canal titles for awhile.

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John Hodson
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Re: 64 The Third Man

#25 Post by John Hodson » Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:29 am

If their intention was to stampede me into buying the BD even though I have no means of playing it right now...then it worked.

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