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rs98762001 wrote:Fantastic trailer. Did SR themselves make it, or is it pre-existing?

The onscreen text is a bit of a giveaway!

They made it themselves, and sourced it from the restored master, so that's a very accurate impression of the kind of picture quality you can expect.

MichaelB wrote:On a more practical note, retaining dialogue would mean that the trailer would need its own set of subtitles, and I think we'd much rather Second Run spent its limited funds on things like this Chytilova documentary!

A concept one can only support.

But for one moment I wondered if the movie consisted mainly of silent sketches. Now I know and look forward to the DVD.

MichaelB wrote:

rs98762001 wrote:Fantastic trailer. Did SR themselves make it, or is it pre-existing?

The onscreen text is a bit of a giveaway!

Hmm. Must have been half asleep when I watched it!

jbeall wrote:New cover art up at amazon.



Sgt. Pepper's, anyone?

The final cover's slightly different from this - instead of the water, it's a very pale plain greeny-yellow background, so it's less fussy. Also, at full size the effect of the black and white stills embedded into the rainbow colours is much more effective.



I really like this cover - one of Second Run's best (as is the transfer).

Much better. Any reviews/screencaps out there yet?

Now I like it! That's a big improvement!

luridedith wrote:Much better. Any reviews/screencaps out there yet?

The final production versions were delivered yesterday (I got mine hot off the press because I just happened to attend the same party as the Second Run guys last night), so I'm guessing review copies are being posted today.

But if you want a good idea of what the transfer looks like, have a look at the trailer - bottom right of this page.

Skritek wrote:

Bikey wrote:We are delighted to announce that the Second Run DVD will now also feature Jasmina Blaževič’s acclaimed documentary film portrait of director Věra Chytilová, Journey (Cesta).

I wonder what people will think of Chytilová, she's not exactly sympathetic.

She comes across very well indeed. The documentary blends original interview material (shot informally in Chytilová's flat) with lots of film clips and home movies dating back to the 1960s - she's very funny about how Jaroslav Kučera (her husband/cinematographer) wouldn't let her touch his personal 16mm camera at first.

Blaževič takes a calculatedly fractured, (very Chytilovan!) approach to her subject, with unexpected fades to black (or red) and shock-cuts to other material mid-interview, but it all adds up to a very rounded portrait. Often, the most revealing parts are the seemingly caught-on-the-wing moments, such as when Chytilová is commenting on the aesthetic merit of her various awards, or giving us a guided tour of her self-planted garden.

Because of the lack of context or biographical material, it's not a film for complete Chytilová beginners - or rather, reading Peter Hames' extensive booklet essay beforehand is all but essential. But this provides pretty much all the background you'd need, including an in-depth analysis of Daisies plus sufficient detail on her other films to make it reasonably easy to guess where the documentary's clips came from (many of Chytilová's other films are available on DVD in the Czech Republic with English subtitles).

And given the stellar qualities of the transfer of the main feature, I think I can now go out on a limb and say that this doesn't just wipe the floor with the Facets (which, as noted above, is actually one of their better efforts!) but might well be the best all-round DVD package Second Run has put out to date.

I wonder at the chances of her other films getting a release, particularly Faunovo velmi pozdní odpoledne, which I love very much. Most probably know that Vlčí bouda (haven't seen it yet), Panelstory aneb Jak se rodí sídliště, Ovoce stromů rajských jíme, Šašek a královna, Kalamita and Kopytem sem, kopytem tam, as well as her 90s films have been released. The quality of the prints seems not all that great though, especially the latter ones.

MichaelB wrote:...this doesn't just wipe the floor with the Facets (which, as noted above, is actually one of their better efforts!) but might well be the best all-round DVD package Second Run has put out to date.

It's wonderful to hear this, although it's not at all unexpected. I've already got rid of the Facets edition. Has anyone else ever felt guilty after selling a Facets DVD to someone on ebay?

Now I'm desperately hoping Second Run can come to the rescue of Chytilová's Fruit of Paradise. It's probably my favourite of her films and in many ways it's her most radical and experimental. I don't think I've ever heard a better film score either. I think it might be the greatest work by the always fantastic Zdeněk Liška, and that's high praise for a man who I consider to be one of the three best film composers of all time.

Delighted to see that DAISIES was the main DVD review, by Phelim O'Neill, in Saturday's Guardian Guide (but spot the error!)

Bikey wrote:Delighted to see that DAISIES was the main DVD review, by Phelim O'Neill, in Saturday's Guardian Guide (but spot the error!)

That's a pretty glaring error! I hope you contacted them about a correction! (At least they only called you Second Sight instead of something far more slanderous, like say "Facets".)

I've just uploaded full-size frame grabs.

Thanks, MichaelB. It looks gorgeous, very film-like. I can't wait to receive mine, along with MoC's new transfers of IL GRIDO and MURIEL. Next week I'll be in auteurist arthouse heaven!

Beaver wrote:Madcap, amusing romp with political undertones. Kind of a controlled acid trip with psychedelic Czech new-wave scenarios. This is very cool and reminded me a bit of Godard's more playful work. Amusingly Daisies was immediately banned (?!?!?!), but then was released in 1967... and won the Grand Prix at the Bergamo Film Festival.

Maybe my opinion of this film is unusually inflated, but this seems kind of dismissive. Is it really that hard to see why this film was banned? This is such a one-of-a-kind, unique film, and the best he could do was compare it to Godard's more playful work (which is where my own parenthetical "?!?!?!?!" would come in).

But I'm just being a defensive asshole. This looks worlds above the Facets release (which, by and large, I was satisfied with before). Can't wait to get my hands on it.

DVD Times - which doesn't mention Godard.

(Neither will my Sight & Sound review, though it does namecheck Richard Lester).

This is a great release by SR. The print looks terrific--the colors damn near pop off the screen--and the subs are well-timed and accurate. I'm one of those who defended the Facets print (as being good by their standards, anyway), but SR's print blows the Facets out of the water.

Hames' essay is very good, and really useful for anybody who's viewing such a challenging film for the first time. "Cesta" is a great extra, too (although you can tell it was added late, as the subs could've used another round of copy-editing; the translation is good, but there were a few missed typos). I hate to say it, but the first thing I noticed from all the old home-video footage is what a strikingly beautiful woman Chytilová was--it's no surprise she used to be a model!

Re: Gary Tooze's calling Daisies Godardian. I think it's too facile and does a disservice to Daisies. This is not meant as an attack on Godard; rather, I think Chytilová is just a bit more aesthetically radical in her vision even as she's less overtly political). I suspect Tooze made the association both because of the chromatic filters in the film and b/c Chytilová is wearing sunglasses for most of the Cesta footage. Whatever the anarchy and destruction rampant in Daisies, it never feels as heavy-handed as similar content in Godard. Moreover, I think Daisies is so much more resistant to any narrative development. It's a difficult film, and while I'm not sure how much more accessible it will become with multiple viewings (this was only my second), I suspect it takes several just to start making all the associations in the film. Again, Hames' essay is very useful for getting through it the first time.

jbeall wrote:Re: Gary Tooze's calling Daisies Godardian. I think it's too facile and does a disservice to Daisies. This is not meant as an attack on Godard; rather, I think Chytilová is just a bit more aesthetically radical in her vision even as she's less overtly political). I suspect Tooze made the association both because of the chromatic filters in the film and b/c Chytilová is wearing sunglasses for most of the Cesta footage. Whatever the anarchy and destruction rampant in Daisies, it never feels as heavy-handed as similar content in Godard. Moreover, I think Daisies is so much more resistant to any narrative development. It's a difficult film, and while I'm not sure how much more accessible it will become with multiple viewings (this was only my second), I suspect it takes several just to start making all the associations in the film. Again, Hames' essay is very useful for getting through it the first time.

This is my opinion as well. Aesthetically and narratively (if such a word can even be brought up regarding this film), Daisies is pure joyful anarchy. It thumbs its nose at the kind of formalist experimentation that Godard engages in. The film doesn't concern itself with genre, it detests politics, and it doesn't want to parse cinematic language in the least -- its a big fuck you to dialectics in general. Its gluttony and abandon of the highest order, and Chytilova has a lot of fun with the idea of eating as being the Original Sin (as she would also in Fruit of Paradise). I think the film was banned for wasting food.

I find few films as authentically and irreverantly nasty as Daisies. Watching it is one of the most liberating experiences in cinema. Godard can be clever, incisive and radical in the most mean-spirited way, as in Weekend, but he's miles away from Chytilova. I would liken her more to Rivette, if such a comparison were necessary.

Really happy to let you know that this week's TIME OUT magazine has made Daisies their DVD OF THE WEEK!
The review is by David Jenkins - http://www.secondrundvd.com/release_mor ... es_2.php#3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bikey wrote:Really happy to let you know that this week's TIME OUT magazine has made Daisies their DVD OF THE WEEK!
The review is by David Jenkins - http://www.secondrundvd.com/release_mor ... es_2.php#3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... and a rave by critic/author Sukhdev Sandhu in today's Telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film ... eview.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bikey, I just want to let you know how much I've been enjoying the new DVD of DAISIES. This is one of the true originals in world cinema, and it's gratifying to see it in such good form. I can't wait to introduce more people to it.

jsteffe wrote:Bikey, I just want to let you know how much I've been enjoying the new DVD of DAISIES. This is one of the true originals in world cinema, and it's gratifying to see it in such good form. I can't wait to introduce more people to it.

Thanks, jsteffe, it's really nice and encouraging to receive comments such as yours. These wonderful films should be seen and talked about, so your help in spreading the word is much appreciated.

A lengthy, complimentary and beautifully judged review of DAISIES by Michael Brooke, in the newest issue of Sight & Sound magazine.
http://www.secondrundvd.com/release_mor ... es_2.php#4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A little sad that they can't even spell names right.