34 Tropical Malady

[railroaded]

Tropical Malady



Garlanded with awards, Apichatpong’s visionary film exists in dual realms, exploring connected themes of love and desire in a radically different way. A fractured love story is interrupted by a feverish night-time odyssey into the heart of the jungle where shape-shifting spirits and tigers abound.

The conscious and the subconscious, the modern and the ancient, reality and myth; all become magically entwined in this hypnotic, mysterious drama.

A work of striking originality from one of the most singular filmmakers in the world.

Special Features
- Thirdworld - DVD premiere of Apichatpong’s 1997 short film.
- Newly filmed interview with the director.
- New digital transfer approved by the director.
- Anamorphic 16:9 enhanced for widescreen televisions.
- Original Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound option.
- New and improved English subtitle translation.
- Optimal quality dual-layer disc, including Stills Gallery and Storyboard sequence.
- Booklet featuring a new essay by film historian and author Tony Rayns.

[rs98762001]

Tropical Malady (Sud Pralad) is a masterpiece of contemporary world cinema and cement's Apichatpong Weerasethakul's reputation as one of the most original film directors of the 21st Century. Mysterious and beautiful it is a film of two halves: the first a romance story between two men, the second a tale of a soldier lost in the jungle beset by what might be spirits.

Any word as to whether that's the final cover art? Seems surprisingly bland considering how graphic and unique SR's recent designs have been.

[MichaelB]

Any word as to whether that's the final cover art? Seems surprisingly bland considering how graphic and unique SR's recent designs have been.

I'd say it's a racing certainty that that's not the final cover art.

If I remember rightly, virtually all Second Run's recent releases were initially advertised with a photo-based mock-up, presumably because the likes of Amazon and Play have long lead times.

[Rich Malloy]

One of my favorite films of the last few years, and I'm really looking forward to what will hopefully be the best DVD version available. Which isn't saying that much, sadly.

I do have one question/concern about the audio track.

If you recall, the second half of the film in the Thai jungle has a fairly remarkable sound design. I believe I read that Weerasethakul and his sound engineer went on long treks in the jungle to record it.

The Thai DVD features a 5.1 surround track that is both quite subtle at points and quite involving at others, and never less than thrillingly immersive. Unfortunately, the R1 release features only a rather mushy 2.0 track that loses all sense of the jungle around the, um, protagonist. This is particularly unfortunate given the lengths the filmmakers apparently undertook to achieve such am immersive, disorienting, thrilling surround mix.

I do leave open the possibility that the Thai disc was somehow goosed into 5.1, and that its effectiveness was sheer luck and not at all how Weerasethakul meant for it to be. But I would be surprised. Very surprised. And I wonder if any others find the the Thai disc's track to be as effective in 5.1 as I do, particularly in comparison to the 2.0 R1 track?

[Bikey]

We are delighted to confirm that the Second Run release will be 5.1

[cgray]

Fantastic news! I'll be buying...

[Rich Malloy]

I'm thrilled to hear about the audio track, and of course am thrilled generally about this release! =D>

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Disappointing that Malady Diary won't be included -- supposedly there were rights issues that kept it off the earlier DVDs, but I would've hoped those would be resolved after four years. I guess not.

How bizarre is it that Tropical Malady still doesn't have a DVD release in France?

[alfons416]

no plans on including the commentary?

my thai release have a commentary, sadly not subtitled. was hoping to get it subtitled on SRs release

[MichaelB]

no plans on including the commentary?

my thai release have a commentary, sadly not subtitled. was hoping to get it subtitled on SRs release

Given the costs of translation and subtitling, plus the BBFC's recent decision to start charging for commentary approval, plus the fact that Second Run operates on a shoestring in an ultra-niche market, I wouldn't get your hopes up. (Though I don't know for certain either way).

[What A Disgrace]

Amazon UK has updated cover art.

First post links directly to Amazon's image, so there it is.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

no plans on including the commentary?

my thai release have a commentary, sadly not subtitled. was hoping to get it subtitled on SRs release

The R1 release from Strand (which is pretty poor in every other respect) has an English-language commentary (with Apichatpong and Chuck Stephens) that's definitely worth a listen.

[Bikey]

DVD Special features confirmed as:
- Thirdworld: DVD premiere of Apichatpong’s 1997 short film.
- Newly filmed interview with the director.
- New digital transfer approved by the director.
- Anamorphic 16:9
- Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound option.
- Stills Gallery and Storyboard sequence.
- Booklet featuring a new essay by film historian and author Tony Rayns.

[Bikey]

Just wanted to let you all know that we've had to put the release back by one week to now be 11th August.

There was a Printer's error on the back of the Sleeve which meant that we needed to send the Sleeve back for a reprint. Hope you will bear with us for the extra week.

[MichaelB]

Beaver - and it seems like a fair reflection of what I saw.

[rs98762001]

Even though the Beaver review claims not to see too much difference between SR's disc and the Region 3, the accompanying caps suggest a different story. SR's seems cleaner and clearer, with better contrast and detail. I am reasonably happy with my R3 Tropical Malady, but I think I'll be upgrading. The cover art is beautiful as always, and the extras seem worthwhile. Anyone seen Thirdworld?

[Rich Malloy]

I'm glad you see an improvement - hopefully it's my monitor that makes these shots appear essentially the same.

And I notice that Second Run's transfer has a "flat line" bitrate encode. If the transfers are identical, wouldn't the graph of the bitrates also be?

But I must say that the "flat line" bitrate graph concerns me just a bit. Doesn't this graph indicate the work of the compressionist (or lack thereof), where shots that are essentially static are given a much lower bitrate so that memory is freed up to allow for highter bitrates for shots with more motion (for example, shots up into the jungle canopy with the leaves, branches, grasses waving in the wind)? This concerns me a bit, and I wonder whether the lack of "the compressionist's art" shows up as artifacts in scenes with a great deal of motion in the frame.

[Bikey]

Anthony Nield's review at DVD Times

[Bikey]

Screening at Birmingham's innovative Flatpack Festival on Thursday 12th March at 7.30pm

[Bikey]

Screening Tuesday 12th May as part of Close Up film's May programme : http://www.close-upvideos.com/film-prog ... -2009.html

[Bikey]

Apichatpong interviewed in the latest Electric Sheep: http://www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk/ ... asethakul/

[Bikey]

Time Out critics choose Tropical Malady at #73 in their '101 Films of the Decade': http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/9238/

[jbeall]

Tropical Malady also made a more exclusive (in quantitative terms, at least) list on this side of the pond:

Stephanie Zacharek's 25 Best Films of the Decade

[Oedipax]

#8 in Film Comment's decade poll (Syndromes and a Century came in at #4).

[Bikey]

All of us here at Second Run, and good friend Nick Wrigley too, are happy and delighted to learn that Apichatpong (and the 'spirits') have just walked off with the Palme d'Or at Cannes for his new film UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES. As you know, we love his work and are very proud to have been the first to release Apichatpong's exceptional films on DVD in the UK.