Hashi wrote:Didn't the French box set also include a book? I wonder what's in it.
The first french DVD box set of Shoah did include a book: it is the Folio paperback of the transcript of the whole movie (300 pages) with a 5 pages by Simone de Beauvoir + 2 pages intro by Lanzmann.
You can now find the book independently from the DVDs at bookstores.
JLG's neighbor wrote:Well, why "of course"? Many companies use the same transfers.
MoC doesn't fall under the category of "Many companies". But then again, maybe I spoke too soon. New Yorker is notorious for releasing films with terrible transfers, and MoC wouldn't consider releasing the film if there wasn't excellent material available for distribution. I haven't seen the quality of the New Yorker Shoah discs, so I'll hold off and let Nick handle this one.
It's in Vulgar Modernism (which is OOP but still easy to find at a reasonable price). It may have started out as a Voice essay (I don't have my copy at hand), but in any event, it was published well before they started putting their content online.
peerpee wrote:Our most important concern at the moment is to get the subtitles more accurate than they've ever been.
Excellent! If I wasn't already considering upgrading from my old BBC2 recorded tape of the film for the better image quality, hearing about more accurate subtitles would have done it!
"Just to try and put some kind of seal on the cover art comments: our proposed artwork has not been approved by Lanzmann, he would like us to use the shot of the engine driver which has become emblematic of the film around the world. We are very happy to use this. "
peerpee wrote:The 184-page MoC book will not feature Hoberman or Taubin I'm afraid.
Alas, as Hoberman has written one of the finest essays on SHOAH I know of.
I've tried the google, and can't find Hoberman's... can you post it, or at least the headline? (I've also tried Village Voice by the way...)
Carsten tipped us off to the Voice's upcoming Film Guide book that - I can confirm after checking on the list of contents - includes the Hoberman piece on "Shoah."
Nick, we still on for Jan 22?
I'm really looking forward to the DVD, especially that 180-page book.
According to the sages at Amazon, the set has been delayed until February 19. They've also lowered the price, conforming to the retail price Nick mentioned.
Extras:
Nothing on the discs, but the 120-page book that slips neatly into the box set contains some exemplary interviews and essays on Shoah's content, technique and impact. In fairness, it would be inappropriate, even disrespectful, to have any sort of commentary running over the top of these testimonies. Nor should concentration camp footage intrude into featurette extras, given that Lanzmann avoided it in the film.
Ah well, chaps. When Empire published a review I was hopeful it was finished, but obviously not. Moviemail and a couple of other sites have it now listed as 19th February.
Hopefully MoC will get back with a reason for the delay. Maybe Empire weren't given the finished product and were just given the print and details of the extra before composing their review. Either way, it's a disappointing delay. I think if we have this in out hands before the beginning of March we'll be lucky - we must be realistic.
I'm sure the finished product will be worth it, even though the delays are dispiriting, though I'm sure it's even worse for the poor guys at MoC who must be busting a gut to get these things out on time and keep being left down badly by someone down the line and it always seems to happen with their big items. Let's hope it doesn't happen for a fourth time with the first Mizoguchi set.
