Bruno....

... sodomized by an NC-17 rating.

My Dinner with André DVD Cover

Cute.

If my memory is correct, Criterion only has a few more Louis Malle films sitting in the Janus library: Zazie dans le métro, Black Moon and Milou en mai. There were rumors at one point that Le Voleur, Damage and Vanya on 42nd Street were going to see DVD releases through Criterion, but they were probably only just rumors.

If Only...

Some quick news from the Warner HTF chat....

The Vidor and Stroheim silents like Greed and The Crowd are being worked on, but given budget limitations they are taking a long time. The same can also be said for Ambersons.

Fire Walk With Me is going to be revisited at some point soon.

Brewster McCloud and The Devils are "under consideration."

Warner is discussing the prospect of licensing a limited number of films to Criterion at the behest of their respective filmmakers. (Could bode well for Badlands, SubUrbia, The Fountain, and possibly even Before Sunrise / Before Sunset. It seems to squash the Zabriskie Point rumors as well.)

I asked about Alex in Wonderland and it will be coming to the Warner Archive Collection. At that point I will pull the rapidshare links off of my site, so if you guys are curious about this film I suggest downloading it now. It's pretty terrific. I might also post its Jules et Jim musical number on youtube for you all at some point.

I'll add a link to the complete transcript once someone posts a legible version of it.

UPDATE: transcript

NoShame is Deaddead

Mirek's indispensable MYA DVD blog has the full list of DVDs MYA Communication will release over the next few years.

Unlike their cousin, NoShame, I don't think there is ONE art house film mentioned. Please prove me wrong and peruse Mirek's website for the full list of titles. F me for getting excited about what I thought was the rebirth of NoShame. Phooey.

Your life burns faster, obey your master... MASTER

Lars von Trier's Antichrist is coming....

Click here for more details.

More on the Warner Bros Made-To-Order Business Model

20 new films each month! But at $19.95 a title, one only hopes they plan to offer a bulk rate.

Download Oshima's Death by Hanging

After a routine hanging fails to kill a prisoner, the convicted rapist loses his memory, aggression and -- oddly -- culpability. The prison guards, executioners, and various other witnesses debate whether or not they should kill Mr. R, all while re-enacting his crimes and life story in order to convince the purported criminal of his guilt. Death by Hanging begins as a simple execution-gone-awry story but soon becomes a satire of state politics, the morality of the death penalty and male carnage, as well as a possible ghost story that I'm sure tickled the bejesus out of Jacques Rivette.

My trek into the films of Nagisa Oshima is one of unbridled titillation, but I'm not surprised that such a terrific black comedy remains unavailable on DVD in the states or in Europe, at least not one with English subtitles. Enjoy!

http://rapidshare.com/files/34521241/deathbyhanging.part01.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34521217/deathbyhanging.part02.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34521946/deathbyhanging.part03.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34521282/deathbyhanging.part04.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34521287/deathbyhanging.part05.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34521879/deathbyhanging.part06.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34521885/deathbyhanging.part07.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34524177/deathbyhanging.part08.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34524228/deathbyhanging.part09.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34524706/deathbyhanging.part10.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34524235/deathbyhanging.part11.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34524531/deathbyhanging.part12.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34524527/deathbyhanging.part13.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/34523515/deathbyhanging.part14.rar

Warner and Paul Simon

I must have missed this scrolling through their other titles, but my long sought after DVD of One Trick Pony will also be released alongside Robert Altman's Countdown in a couple of days. The film, one I haven't seen since junior high, features Paul Simon as Jonah, an alter-ego folk rock singer, who attempts to score one more hit record before retiring. Paul Simon is one of my heros, and this musical features the singer songwriter at his most bluesy.

Warner and Altman

Warner Brothers is apparently releasing a whole slew of titles available via their website only, but it's worth noting that among these titles is Robert Altman's Countdown.

The picture quality looks to be decent enough, and according to the website the DVD will be anamorphic and packaged in a standard amaray case.

A total of 150 titles will part part of this first wave from Warner. I think a full press release will be posted either the day of or the day after their HTF chat. Personally, I'm quite happy with such a business model, and I'd love to see other companies follow suit.

Oops, I Crapped My Buttons

Via Joe:

So, this is real. My guess is after Zodiac, David Fincher worked it out in the contract so his friends at Criterion would release the special edition DVD of his next film.

Or, all my requests for Criterion to release "Jacques Rivette" were accidentally misinterpreted to mean "Benjamin Button" ... (slaps forehead).

Region Coding Bullshit Foils Diplomacy

Click to read a mildly funny story about Obama's unplayable gifts to PM Brown. Of course, once Brown did begin playing the films, he become quickly unnerved by the exorbitant amount of combing and ghosting on the Region 1 DVDs.

HTF and WHV "Chit Chat"

As the headline states, on Monday, March 23rd Home Theater Forum will be hosting Warner Home video in another Q & A online chat. For me, these chats became exciting around 2005, after Warner Bros re-invented themselves as formidable opponents to Criterion in the home video market. Their once unfortunate rule to not license their titles to third party distributors was no longer a thorn to cinephiles, as the DVD market looked as if it would soon become saturated with all of Warner's art house titles (Brewster McCloud, The Devils, The Merry Widow, etc) in special edition sets and at a lower retail price than what Criterion would charge.

However, maybe due to the recession, maybe due to a change in management, Warner's aggressive business model looks to have slowed to a crawl, though not without some good news. Rumors on IMDb and .org are claiming that Warner has agreed to begin licensing titles to Criterion. The mind revels at the possibility, but then will these titles be those Warner has no interest in ever releasing or will they be titles already available on DVD for which Criterion wishes to waste their time creating special editions (The Ice Storm, I'm looking in your direction).

For those who will be participating in the HTF Chat (I unfortunately will be unavailable next week), these are all terrific questions to ask. In addition, it might be worth asking about the state of The Devils, Lubitsch's The Merry Widow, Greed, Brewster McCloud, The Magnificent Ambersons, One Trick Pony, Until the End of the World, Alex in Wonderland, and Ray's Party Girl.

Let's hope for some good news!

The Believer Releases DVD of Rare Godard Documentaries

The March/April 2009 issue of The Believer features interviews with Julie Delpy (where she discusses her love of Larry David), Mike Leigh (and the secret of his success), John Sayles (specifically his relation to E.T.), and Sam Mendes (on his process of adapting).

BUT, BUT, BUT (!).... Jacob Perlin of The Film Desk collected together a DVD of rare documentaries and interviews featuring Jean-Luc Godard in America.

The contents of JLG in USA are below:

1. Two American Audiences (Mark Woodcock, 1968, 40 min., 16mm): Announcing itself as “a typical Pennebaker production of a typical Godard visit,” JLG speaks with grad students and Serge Losique at NYU in April 1968. Pennebaker: “When Jean-Luc Godard came to New York to make a film [1 A.M./1 P.M.] with me and Ricky Leacock, he was anxious to see America before the revolution broke out, torn up as it was with the Vietnam furor. Godard’s most recent film, La Chinoise, was playing, and Columbia University students, who had initiated their student uprising on the day the film opened, were pouring into the theater. This to our unexpected delight, for when Godard had arranged for us to distribute the film, we had done so with misgiving since his films were not normally known to fill theaters. So as we laughed at his sly remarks, it occurred to us that there were two audiences involved here, and maybe that our film should be about that. It might also be noted that the date of the filming, April 4, 1968, was the day Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. Of course, none of us in the room knew about that then.”

2. Godard in America (Ralph Tranhauser, 1970, 50 min., 16mm): Spring 1970: Godard and Gorin, on the road, visiting colleges, speaking with Andrew Sarris, and explaining, through illustrated notebooks, their newest Dziga Vertov Group project, a film on Palestine.

3. A Weekend at the Beach with Jean-Luc Godard (Ira Schneider, 1979, 8 min., video): Casual video footage from Del Mar Beach, San Diego, of Godard, Jean-Pierre Gorin, Tom Luddy, Alice Waters, Wim Wenders, and Heiner Müller, swimming, eating, and smoking, with Schneider’s wonderfully droll narration. With a newly recorded audio introduction by Schneider.

4. The Dick Cavett Show. On the occasion of the release of Godard’s newest film, Sauve qui peut (la vie), two thirty-minute episodes of The Dick Cavett Show were filmed. Funny and introspective, the names—Lewis, Coppola, Schroeder, Scorsese, Hawks, Preminger, Bukowski—and profundities hurtle past at an astonishing clip.

5. Godard in Oakland. A slideshow of Jeffrey Blankfort’s photographs of Godard’s visit to the Bay Area at the time of Huey Newton’s trial in Oakland. (All photos copyright Jeffrey Blankfort.)

You can purchase the issue and DVD here (different cover, but don't fret) or at your local magazine shop. This is highly recommended.

How Not to Name an Energy Drink

I can't believe this is real:

From the "pussy" website:

In 1998, MTV successfully launched an international campaign to encourage HIV/AIDS prevention, promote safer lifestyle choices and fight the stigma and discrimination that fuels the epidemic. Prevention and knowledge were two important issues, but a vehicle was needed in order to empower and mobilize young people on a grass roots level.

They have a point. Prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS by substituting a vagina with a tin can.

This guy has the right idea:

I already see a marketing campaign:

Criterion's Last Year at Marienbad Cover

If you can read the cover, that means your laptop is better than mine is.

Also, feel free to delete your avi's of Toute la mémoire du monde and Le chant du styrène for both will be included in Criterion's two-disc set.

Koch Lorber Officially Releases More Godard

In keeping with their surprise release last year of Le Gai Savoir (alongside the rare La Chinoise), Koch Lorber will release Jean-Luc Godard's highly underrated gem, Une Femme Mariée (aka A Married Woman) on June 2nd. Pre-order this puppy here:

Also, Criterion just announced that they will be releasing Louis Malle's My Dinner with Andre and Alain Resnais's Last Year at Marienbad, both scheduled for June.

IFC's Blockbuster Titles Available on Region 1 DVD in Canada

IFC and Blockbuster Video's "Screw the Customer" deal may not be relevant anymore, and why didn't I think of this before? Buy Jacques Rivette's The Duchess of Langeais and Catherine Breillat's The Last Mistress on Region 1 / NTSC DVD Today.

Thank you, Canada.

Koch Lorber and Godard

Via .org, Amazon says that Koch Lorber will be releasing Jean-Luc Godard's Une femme mariée on June 2nd.

Elmo Wants this Tape!

Is In the City of Sylvia a Daydream?

For nearly the first thirty minutes, José Luis Guerín's In the City of Sylvia (note the director's initials) uses editing and staging in order to create two divergent readings: either the events that follow actually occur within the realm of the narrative, or the events occur somewhere else, namely within in the head of our protagonist.

First, consider the action at the cafe as the protagonist sits and sketches the various characters that sit near him. As this occurs, we too observe these characters and scan the images for something to grasp. For example, who is this girl and why are we looking at her?

We wonder if any of these characters are significant to film's story, which has yet to be revealed. And we enjoy watching them. Guerín must as well, since he gives us humorous mise en scene. There's this...

And then there's this riff: a group of three people sitting together.

But why did Guerín draw the frame there? Are these three people connected? Guerín tries again.

Now these two strangers are in a fight, and she's giving him the silent treatment. I bet if we draw the frame differently we might infer an entirely different narrative.

Several minutes into our voyeur parade, we finally see our protagonist in the background observing and sketching away.

This next shot is something out of a Dario Argento / Brian De Palma thriller. The street peddler leaves and reveals he was hiding from us yet another cute girl at the cafe.

Note the parallels between both tables. And yep, our protagonist is on the case, he's already sketching her.

Now, through stricter eye-line matches, we align ourselves more with his point of view.

We get a close-up of his sketching.

Another girl....

... and another sketch.

He even names this sketch "Dans la ville de Sylvie" as if with a title comes a story behind the picture that helps him, as an artist, create.

We continue like this for a while. My thought is that there is a bit of eroticism at play here, that his drawing of the cute girls is a way to fantasize about them. As he draws this last girl, does he imagine talking to her, or kissing her or sleeping next to her? Maybe.

While you ponder that, Guerín keeps re-framing the characters so that now another girl is giving this poor guy the silent treatment.

And we meet that Justine Bateman look-alike that will re-appear later. (Filmbrain has that moment here.)

After he moves to another table, in order to get a better view of a particular hot blonde who caught his eye, he sees this woman:

Blocked by semi-transparent glass, she resembles a ghost. Is our protagonist imagining this? Is she really behind the glass? Later in the film we learn more about this girl, but, akin to his enjoyment of drawing other women for pleasure, are those events even real or are they merely more imagination? If you've ever sat outside on a nice day and began daydreaming about the hot girls that pass you or that sit near you, you might be willing to think that for the remainder of the film, our protagonist is in a reverie. Or maybe not.

There's a lot to write about José Luis Guerín's In the City of Sylvia, so forgive me for merely scratching the surface in an attempt to offer my take on it. Despite ernest attempts by certain North American distributors, the film remains lost at sea, with no means to screen in America outside of festivals. Until then, do yourself a favor. Find yourself a bootleg and watch this movie.

The Whipped Cream February 2009

Top 5 of the Month

Robert Rossellini's Cartesius

Peter Watkins's Evening Land

Jacques Rivette's Le Pont du Nord

Hou Hsiao-hsien's Millennium Mambo

David Wain's Role Models

ALL FIRST-TIME SCREENINGS
An American Carol (2008, David Zucker)
...And God Created Woman (1956, Roger Vadim)
The Blood of Others (1984, Claude Chabrol)
Cartesius (1974, Roberto Rossellini)
La Chambre (1972, Chantal Akerman)
Che (2008, Steven Soderbergh)
City Girl (1930, F.W. Murnau)
Evening Land (1977, Peter Watkins)
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994, Mike Newell)
Ghost Town (2008, David Koepp)
La Grande Bouffe (1973, Marco Ferreri)
Inside Daisy Clover (1965, Robert Mulligan)
Intimate Affairs (2001, Alan Rudolph)
JCVD (2008, Mabrouk El Mechri)
Kissing on the Mouth (2005, Joe Swanberg)
Let's Make Love (1960, George Cukor)
Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1959, Roger Vadim)
Man on Wire (2008, James Marsh)
Millennium Mambo (2001, Hou Hsiao-hsien)
Momma Mia! (2008, Phyllida Lloyd)
More (1969, Barbet Schroeder)
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008, Peter Sollett)
The Night Heaven Fell (1958, Roger Vadim)
Le Pont du Nord (1981, Jacques Rivette)
Quarantine (2008, John Erick Dowdle)
Redbelt (2008, David Mamet)
Role Models (2008, David Wain)
Saute ma ville (1968, Chantal Akerman)
Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981, Marco Ferreri)
Teeth (2006, Mitchell Lichtenstein)
Towelhead (2007, Alan Ball)
La Vallée (1972, Barbet Schroeder)
The Wackness (2008, Jonathan Levine)