Vinegar Syndrome and Their Partner Labels

[dwk]

Any one have any opinions on the films contained in the Ténèbres Françaises set?

[therewillbeblus]

I love Boarding Gate, and think it's right up there with demonlover as Assayas' best work. My writeup:

I was absolutely blown away by this- which may be Assayas' best use of his signature guerrilla camerawork to date. The chaotic 'action' scenes in the labyrinthine grey space of the underground prison in Hong Kong destroyed all sense of grounding markers in time, place, person via film grammar, eroding the action in a thriller down to the murky, isolating sensationalism of a beating heart in darkness. While there's a lot being said here about conduits, per usual with Assayas, these moments read loudest as surrenders of existential disintegration-meets-urgent acute declarations of empowered agency in fight/flight mode, as found in his greatest work, demonlover, of which this film is of a piece. There's also a lot being expressed about globalization and how, on a micro-level, we often find sublimation in submissive behavior, here doubling reflexively as sexual games. But there's also that switch-play occurring, that uses variable mechanisms to engage in predatory survivalism within transactional interfaces, be they drug-running, sexual dynamics, spying, business ventures, violence, etc. Everything's occurring on the surface, because that's where the currency lies, but Assayas understands that this is where we've constructed meaning and depressingly the only avenues where we can truly actualize, locate, share, or steal back our identities.

The film seems to cop out in its last act by design, but the more I reflect on the ending, the more it feels like an ascension of these rules toward a higher revelation of 'self': One that refuses to play the game anymore and maybe, just maybe, can find happiness outside of transactional relationships that are unpredictable in delivering expected outcomes, but in a broad sense are predictably untrustworthy, dangerous, and irreparably self-destructive.

(this is also selfishly great because the one DVD my library has skips through the whole last act, so I had to stop renting it)

[diamonds]

The screens for Boarding Gate look like they're from the same dated master that has been around, no? (I'm a bit weary of long-awaited titles finally arriving on Blu-ray this late in the cycle that end up looking slightly better than DVDs. See also: the stills for the copy of The Marquise of O… also available through Vinegar Syndrome, the recent Eureka Charisma release)

[ianthemovie]

Other noteworthy releases from today's announcements:

Faces of Death (1979)
Jan Svankmajer's Faust from KimStim
Radu Jude's Dracula from 1-2 Special, another new label
Volume 1 of a projected 3-volume collection of Wakefield Poole's films, containing Take One and Moving, from Muscle Distribution
a rediscovered regional indie-horror film from 1963 called House of Dreams, from Bleeding Skull
the aforementioned Boarding Gate, directed by Olivier Assayas and Liebestraum (Mike Figgis)

Honestly these releases are more exciting to me for what they indicate will be/might be coming later, namely Boys in the Sand, Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World, and perhaps more Svankmajer on Blu-ray (Conspirators of Pleasure, please?)

Nothing new this month from AGFA, which is disappointing.

[swo17]

Say what you want about Dracula, this is 3 months in a row of a new Radu Jude film on Blu-ray!

Any thoughts on Mabel Cheung's Illegal Immigrant?

[beamish14]

KimStim is doing great work with Svankmajer and the Brothers Quay

[denti alligator]

KimStim is doing great work with Svankmajer and the Brothers Quay

What Quays are they doing/have they done?

[beamish14]

KimStim is doing great work with Svankmajer and the Brothers Quay

What Quays are they doing/have they done?

Their newest feature, Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass

[criterionsnob]

I thought the new Quays might come via OCN this month with a slipcover, but seems like KimStim are just releasing it on their own on April 7.

[PfR73]

The screens for Boarding Gate look like they're from the same dated master that has been around, no? (I'm a bit weary of long-awaited titles finally arriving on Blu-ray this late in the cycle that end up looking slightly better than DVDs. See also: the stills for the copy of The Marquise of O… also available through Vinegar Syndrome, the recent Eureka Charisma release)

It doesn't advertise a new transfer, so probably yes.

[beamish14]

I thought the new Quays might come via OCN this month with a slipcover, but seems like KimStim are just releasing it on their own on April 7.

Same here. Very odd. On Amazon, it’s advertised as Christopher Nolan Presents Under the Sign of the Hourglass Sanatorium

[denti alligator]

Im confused. Are there two releases of the film?

[criterionsnob]

No, just one release that was announced for April 7.

[beamish14]

Paying for It is an exciting blind buy. I LOVE the graphic novel it’s based on, and I’m always inclined to support indie Canadian films

[PfR73]

It'd be nice to be able to find an actual review of the existing Canadian Blu-ray to compare.

[Matt]

Honestly these releases are more exciting to me for what they indicate will be/might be coming later, namely… Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World

I wouldn’t count on this one coming from VS or a partner label. MUBI has US distribution rights.

[PfR73]

Can't vouch for accuracy, but there's a Reddit thread where someone says they contacted Mubi and were told they don't have physical rights.

[John Cope]

Overjoyed to see Liebestraum at long last finally receive a Blu release. One of my favorite films, no hyperbole. One of the most beautiful movies ever made, no hyperbole. I have been waiting for literally years, almost even decades for a Blu release of this (also no hyperbole) as the benefit it will receive from that is almost immeasurable as is the boost it will assuredly and deservedly receive to its existing reputation. I kind of hate the art they are using if that is what they are going with but the release itself is unmissable.

[domino harvey]

Any one have any opinions on the films contained in the Ténèbres Françaises set?

I’ve seen Le secret (mediocre) and Qui? (awful)

[rwiggum]

Any indication what "The Pittsburgh Project" is?

[senseabove]

If I want to pick up the Poole set, will Melusine orders and VS orders stack/ship together?

[MichaelB]

Yes.

[swo17]

I don't know how to combine from the two sites to meet the initial free shipping threshold. But once you've placed an order from one site you can add to that order from the other site at no additional charge

[spectre]

I already paid way too much for the Athanor Blu-ray box set that includes Faust, but this release looks very tempting (not least due to the Adrian Martin commentary track!). Also curious about Paying for It (I liked the graphic novel but have no idea how it would translate to screen) and Dracula. As great as Jude is at his best, his work is variable enough that I’ll do my best to catch that at the cinema rather than blind-buying. Otherwise, I vehemently second all hopes and prayers being offered for the eventual appearance of Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World!

[bdsweeney]

Say what you want about Dracula, this is 3 months in a row of a new Radu Jude film on Blu-ray!

Any thoughts on Mabel Cheung's Illegal Immigrant?

Sorry, I must be behind on announcements. What other Jude films have been recently announced?