Vinegar Syndrome and Their Partner Labels

[What A Disgrace]

Kani now has Park Syeyoung's The Fin.

[domino harvey]

The Rouch segment in the film is the greatest short film ever made. If anyone needs needling to add it up their order (it’s the only thing I ordered - $39 with shipping, Jesus)

Icarus means we could get some Marker and more Rouch on Blu soon

Watched this again and the Rouch segment is like the meme about being the only one in the group assignment to put in any effort. My god I forgot how bad some of these segments are (there’s a reason Douchet and Pollet were also rans bordering on never wases in this movement). I enjoyed the period interview extras but you’d think Icarus would include something explaining the intentional constraints of filming to illuminate why the movie looks the way it does. Was amazed to learn that Rouch wrote, rehearsed, and shot his short with a week’s notice. Glad Schroeder didn’t go to debtors prison for this after it (justifiably) tanked

[PfR73]

Although I can't see any reason to replace my Polish BD, I can thoroughly recommend Corpus Christi, the best film by one of the most consistently intriguing of the younger generation of Polish filmmakers.

I vividly remember it being such a hot ticket at the relevant Gdynia Film Festival that I couldn't get into any of the screenings, which was the first time that had ever happened to me—and when I finally caught up with it courtesy of that Polish BD I could see why.

Does the Polish BD have any advantages compared to this US BD?

I've done some research and it looks like the Polish BD has a couple minutes of deleted scenes, which aren't on the US BD. Specs say the Polish BD has English subtiitles for the film, but does it have English subtitles for the bonus features?

[domino harvey]

A few highlights from today's announcements:

- Alain Resnais' La Guerre Est Finie from The Film Desk

Revisited this today via this release and while I remain as unmoved as ever beyond it being borderline “okay,” this release has one of the best-curated and substantial booklets I can remember, presumably courtesy of one-time forum member Craig Keller’s guiding hand. There’s a (much needed) modern essay contextualizing the political content and then everything else is period reactions and reflections reprinted in full plus an amusingly hostile interview of Resnais courtesy of the always ridiculous Robert Benayoun. Every piece added value to considering the film, and I wish all boutique labels would follow suit by imitating it directly

[therewillbeblus]

Coincidentally I also watched this earlier today and it was a frustrating experience. Overall it's an incredibly mediocre movie that's a step better than the major le Carré adaptations, but features some breathtaking sequences up there with Resnais' best -particularly the early fantasy love sequence with Bujold. There's also the recurring shots of many different women entering or exiting spaces from the backs of their heads that could've been used to greater effect than confounding nothingness. The visual ideas are loose and ill-fitting around its austere plot. I wanted to love this at times, but came away shrugging, especially with the tacked-on narrative pivot in the end that just adds to all the reasons rendering much of its formal wit tertiary

[domino harvey]

I chuckled when one of the pieces in the booklet admitted that much of the film was boring - it really is! But there’s like 20% of it that has great ideas and images (before I revisited it a few years ago, literally the only thing I could remember was the oscillating edits of the girls you describe, which preconfigured Tik Tok editing by more than half a century) that help you forget about the ennuyant rest of it

[Beloved Aunt]

courtesy of the always ridiculous Robert Benayoun.

Lol

Please, tell us more!

[therewillbeblus]

I chuckled when one of the pieces in the booklet admitted that much of the film was boring - it really is!

And it's partially boring by design, since the film stresses the "patience" of a revolutionary spy, the details fitting within the more realistic vision of le Carré's spy experience. That just doesn't make for an entertaining movie if you hone in on plot over style, as Resnais does here. He has every opportunity to make those stylistic flourishes gel with the themes of emotion Yves Montand is experiencing but Resnais repeatedly loses all interest in Montand's emotional state just as he builds up a sublime aesthetic to communicate it. It's a movie that's constantly deflating its own strengths; favoring plot over an intimate narrative

[domino harvey]

courtesy of the always ridiculous Robert Benayoun.

Lol

Please, tell us more!

He’s just an extremely obnoxious left wing critic who values political import over typical filmic values and while there is more overlap between the tastes of the Cahiers and Positif crews than either side would probably admit, he had a vendetta against many of the sacred cows of the Cahiers set, especially Godard (so much so that he was constantly invited to participate in the Conseil by them in part because they can entertain an iconoclast but also more likely because they knew many of his absurd ratings just make him look dumb and he took the bait every single time). He liked Resnais’ film (enough to vote for it in his year end Cahiers ballot) but he also needles him in the interview in a way that felt very on brand

[Beloved Aunt]

I see he directed a couple of films, but I assume those aren't really worth seeking out. Would you advise checking out Benayoun's writings, for whackiness (or for any other reason)?

[mfunk9786]

I’m playing six degrees of separation here somewhat, as the title hasn’t even been confirmed yet, but I’m pretty sure Cinematographe is teasing The Stepford Wives for CIN-036, which would mean they got the rights from Bristol Myers Squibb, who also own the rights to The Heartbreak Kid… that would be one hell of an announcement.

[Blutarsky]

I’m playing six degrees of separation here somewhat, as the title hasn’t even been confirmed yet, but I’m pretty sure Cinematographe is teasing The Stepford Wives for CIN-036, which would mean they got the rights from Bristol Myers Squibb, who also own the rights to The Heartbreak Kid… that would be one hell of an announcement.

This would be news of the year. Two fantastic films in DESPERATE need of a restoration and release.

[mfunk9786]

I can’t think of another film that fits the clue (shot in CT, world blu-ray debut, clue image is of a rose) other than The Ballad of Jack and Rose which seems way outside of what they’re usually interested in releasing - and you know if you’re talking to a big pharma company about home video licensing they’re not just going to hand over one of their movies at a time, they probably got a chunk or the whole lot

[crimlaw]

Don’t forget ‘Sleuth’.

This desperately needs to be rescued from Bristol Myer purgatory.

[luxta]

Wasn't the previous clue military themed or was it a watermelon?

Spoiler

[luxta]

I can’t think of another film that fits the clue (shot in CT, world blu-ray debut, clue image is of a rose) other than The Ballad of Jack and Rose which seems way outside of what they’re usually interested in releasing - and you know if you’re talking to a big pharma company about home video licensing they’re not just going to hand over one of their movies at a time, they probably got a chunk or the whole lot

Loving (1970)? Some scene shot in CT. But there is no military theme.

Spoiler

[domino harvey]

WB so it’s possible but not sure how plausible (sure there are better George Segal movies one could license?)

[luxta]

WB so it’s possible but not sure how plausible (sure there are better George Segal movies one could license?)

I think it's Sony. Justin said it would be a title from a new licensor.

[domino harvey]

Wow you are right, I could picture the DVD in my mind too with the great cover image but got the studio wrong! Maybe I confused its studio with Blume in Love, which IS WB (I… think)

[HardNight'sDay]

I think it's Sony. Justin said it would be a title from a new licensor.

So we might expect Ishtar at some point?

[mfunk9786]

I can’t think of another film that fits the clue (shot in CT, world blu-ray debut, clue image is of a rose) other than The Ballad of Jack and Rose which seems way outside of what they’re usually interested in releasing - and you know if you’re talking to a big pharma company about home video licensing they’re not just going to hand over one of their movies at a time, they probably got a chunk or the whole lot

Loving (1970)? Some scene shot in CT. But there is no military theme.

Spoiler

Ha, what a bummer. Really thought I had this one guessed.

[CSM126]

I think it's Sony. Justin said it would be a title from a new licensor.

So we might expect Ishtar at some point?

Not if Warren Beatty has anything to say about it. Allegedly.