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At long last some Jiri Menzel! Up for pre-order at MovieMail.

Larks on a String

\:D/ Awwwwwwwe-some!!!! Can't wait! (I've been pestering "Jon Mulvaney" for years about the possibility of more Menzel on dvd. Turns out I shoulda been nagging Bikey instead!)

Hallelujah! I've only seen this once, way back when it was first disinterred in the late 80s, but it's always been my favourite Menzel film.

It must have been an amazing viewing seeing as how the film came out in 1990.

1990 then. [/shrug] My diaries from that period are all with the biographer at the moment.

EDIT: Actually, looking at the imdb listing, which doesn't spell it out: you are aware the film was made in 1969, aren't you?

Yes I had heard of that, but I thought (and the entry suggests this) it had no public screenings until 1990.

Apparently some people have still not received the memo:

zedz > IMDb

zedz IS an imdb

It effectively had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February 1990, where it won the Golden Bear.

But I suspect Zedz is technically correct about it being disinterred in the late 1980s, unless it was submitted at the absolute last minute.

Okay, okay (sob), I confess! In my unforgivably reckless casual post above I was out by eight months about when I saw a film from 1969 more than twenty years ago! Having done the requisite research, I can now confirm that I actually saw Larks on a String on Wednesday the 18th of July, 1990. At 11.15 am. Mea maxima culpa!

We're certainly overdue for some decent Criterion announcements, aren't we? I couldn't believe this discussion about when I did or didn't see this film had been running overnight!

Quite honestly, what SR has been releasing/announcing this year has been far more intriguing than most of the Criterion titles.

Too true. Can't wait until they settle the Skolimowski's. Though crit did do great boxset wise this year.

rs98762001 wrote:Quite honestly, what SR has been releasing/announcing this year has been far more intriguing than most of the Criterion titles.

I dunno: independent docs and long-neglected East-Central European masterpieces, or relatively mainstream and unremarkable fare like Downhill Racer; tough call. (I kid. However, in terms of the percentage of intriguing releases, SR is batting 1.000, while Criterion isn't. CC ain't having too bad a year, though...)

zedz wrote:Okay, okay (sob), I confess! In my unforgivably reckless casual post above I was out by eight months about when I saw a film from 1969 more than twenty years ago! Having done the requisite research, I can now confirm that I actually saw Larks on a String on Wednesday the 18th of July, 1990. At 11.15 am. Mea maxima culpa!

San Francisco HAS no Shubert Theatre!

New cover art appearing on Amazon...

...and new street date: March 14, 2011.

The delay is because a last-minute extra unexpectedly came to light.

I liked the first cover much better, but that new extra sounds exciting.

MichaelB wrote:The delay is because a last-minute extra unexpectedly came to light.

Very happy to confirm that the last-minute extra which MichaelB mentions is a very idiosyncratic reflection on the film and its history, which has been especially shot for us by Jiří Menzel himself! We couldn't quite believe that he would be so kind and positive enough to do this for our release.

That right there is worth more than a minor delay. You guys really know how to make my expectations of my excitement seem smaller than thought possible. I can't imagine this being anything less than release of the year now.

The contents of that extra just took this film from a must-buy to a must-buy for myself and several friends and a written request that my university's library pick up a copy.

Please, you are wonderful supporters of Second Run and I fear that you may expect too much from this one extra. It is quite idiosyncratic, and very succinct... much like the man himself.

Relax, bikey! As much as I love SR, we're talking something like three extra copies; four if the library picks it up. 8-[
This kind of extra is really nice because it's succinct. Commentary tracks by film scholars can be wonderful indeed, but short reminiscences are often something folks are more likely to actually watch. Besides, this fulfills my desire for more Menzel! (Say, are y'all thinking about My Sweet Little Village anytime soon?)