The Film Foundation and The Collector's Choice

I had been thinking for some time of a way to bring attention to some of the important films, and filmmakers, in our library by releasing high quality DVD sets, all of restored films and from new HD transfers.  After some initial discussions a couple of years ago with Martin Scorsese and Margaret Bodde, who is the Executive Director of The Film Foundation, we decided we could jointly work together to help bring some focus to key films in the Columbia library, make a contribution in support of The Film Foundation's important film preservation projects, and finally get many of these great films out on DVD for fans.  We thought, wouldn't it be interesting to take some of the great Columbia genre titles, or films highlighting a specific director, and pair these films with major contemporary directors with a passion for these films, mix in special introductions or commentaries, add in some documentaries and release deluxe boxed sets?  Scorsese and the directors who are part of The Film Foundation's Board supported the idea and the Collector's Choice series was born.  The first of the Collector's Choice series (so-named because this series is aimed at fans and collectors) was The Films of Budd Boetticher, featuring the five great westerns he made for Columbia with Randolph Scott.  That was followed by a first-ever release for SPHE of A Matter of Life and Death (aka, Stairway to Heaven) paired with Age of Consent, both under the umbrella of The Films of Michael Powell. 

So, how does it work? First, all the work on the films, from initial laboratory work, restoration of sound and picture, the mastering of the films in HD, etc., is all overseen by the restoration and mastering department at the studio as part of our normal work.  We have a unique combination of expertise in the department when it comes to handling this kind of work, with the same individual overseeing restoration and mastering for a seamless workflow.  When we are thinking of a concept for a Collector's Choice release, Film Noir for example, we put together a list of titles and then discuss it with The Film Foundation.   After we have selected the titles, we then brainstorm over which directors, historians, critics, or others, might be interested in discussing the films or filmmakers.  Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Memento), for instance, has done a great introduction to film noir that appears on the first volume, Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics I, along with introductions from Michael Mann and, of course, Martin Scorsese.  The first volume includes The Big Heat, 5 Against the House, Murder by Contract, The Lineup and The Sniper.   The only one of the five that had been released on DVD prior to this was The Big Heat, and we thought about that fact.  But, with what we felt was a better, newer transfer, how could the inaugural release of Columbia Film Noir not have Fritz Lang's The Big Heat in it, one of the greatest of all noir's?  The next volume, Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics ll which will be released in 2010, will have five films all new to DVD - Human Desire, The Brothers Rico, City of Fear, Nightfall and Pushover. 

Other selections already released or upcoming in the Collector's Choice series include: The Samuel Fuller Collection, featuring the two films he directed for Columbia (The Crimson Kimono, Underworld U.S.A.) and the five feature films for which he contributed stories or scripts.  Martin Scorsese, Curtis Hanson, Tim Robbins and Wim Wenders contributed excellent introductions to this set.   There will also be The Films of Rita Hayworth collection in 2010 with three films never before released on DVD (Tonight and Every Night, Miss Sadie Thompson, Salome) along with two newly-remastered restorations (Cover Girl, Gilda).  Stayed tuned for more information on this boxed set, and other titles under consideration, in the near future.

Grover Crisp

Senior Vice President

Asset Management, Film Restoration & Digital Mastering