criterionforum.org

Bruce Weber's fascinating portrait of legendary jazz trumpeter Chet Baker, Let's Get Lost is going to be enjoying a rare run at the Film Forum in New York City from June 8-28th with a newly restored 35mm print. Best of all, in a recent Austin Chronicle interview with Weber, he revealed that it his doc will finally be released on DVD in December of this year. Now, I can finally throw away my old beat-up VHS copy that I taped off TV with commercials.

Anyone else seen this doc? It's shot in gorgeous b&w and is an unabashed love letter to the man but it doesn't shy away from his many faults and the several wives and busted up marriages he left in his wake. What always struck me about Baker is how this guy who had gobs of natural talent and James Dean looks, pissed it all away with drugs. Talk about your self-destructive streaks. At any rate, it's great to see this doc finally enjoying a revival.

It's really something. Far and away Weber's best work to date. The interview with one of Baker's old girlfriends is fascinating, but the real jaw-dropper is Baker describing his favorite high -- a "speedball."

The DVD release was held up due to the fact that Weber hadn't coughed up payment for the music rights.

If anyone is interested I have an original poster for the film approved by Bruce Weber himself, with an original photo of Chet taken by William Claxton. They are appx 33 x 26.5"

I saw this during its initial theatrical run. A wonderful film.

Director Bruce Weber and Director of Photography Jeff Preiss were interviewed at The Speakeasy yesterday about this documentary.

Whatever happened to the DVD release of this?

I saw this a few months ago and after hearing about it for years found it a little disappointing.

The film came off as a curio for Baker fans only. I had barely heard anything by him going into the theatre, and while his music sounded good in the film, I didn't find him a particularly compelling character. Flea and Chris Isaak and Baker's many wives told us, the audience, why he was so important, but the interviews with him were not particularly engaging or illuminating. I wasn't given much reason to care about this very talented man who fucked up his own and others' lives. Weber seemed to use the same techniques/shots over and over again -- the camera panning lovingly over contact sheets or record covers, or shots of Baker cruising through Los Angeles in a convertible with two women.

Maybe this would have resonated more with me if I'd seen it on its initial release (then again, I was in elementary school when it came out), or if I was a big Chet Baker fan, or (paradoxically) if I'd known nothing about it going in.

I sure that review will send everyone rushing but it might be of interest to some that Metrodome have picked up Bruce Weber's 'entire catalogue' for distribution and will supposedly be issuing them for theatrical rerelease.

Gregory wrote:Whatever happened to the DVD release of this?

Not sure, but it is still playing in theaters. In fact, Gregory, it's showing here in San Diego this week (ending tomorrow night at The Ken), so perhaps the dvd release will still be forthcoming once the limited run is over. Weber's website notes that a few other additional cities have also scored prints for showings this month.

ogygia avenue wrote:I saw this a few months ago and after hearing about it for years found it a little disappointing.

The film came off as a curio for Baker fans only. I had barely heard anything by him going into the theatre, and while his music sounded good in the film, I didn't find him a particularly compelling character. Flea and Chris Isaak and Baker's many wives told us, the audience, why he was so important, but the interviews with him were not particularly engaging or illuminating. I wasn't given much reason to care about this very talented man who fucked up his own and others' lives. Weber seemed to use the same techniques/shots over and over again -- the camera panning lovingly over contact sheets or record covers, or shots of Baker cruising through Los Angeles in a convertible with two women.

For me, this repetition creates an almost hypnotic effect, coupled with Baker's dreamy vocal stylings. This doc was actually my intro into Baker's music. What I found so compelling about the Weber's film is the contrast between his obvious nostalgic love letter to this man (withe gorgeous B&W cinematography, shots of records, etc.) and Baker's refusal to come across as sympathetic or look back at his life with any kind of fondness. Weber gives him every opportunity and Baker denies him which I always found fascinating about the film. Weber has said in interviews that they tried to their best to look after him and try to keep him out of trouble but Baker wasn't interested.

I also think that the interviews with his friends and family paint a fascinating portrait of this guy who screwed over his loved ones and was pretty unreliable and yet still loved by people who dug his music.

A nice little interview with Weber about the film in the last ish of Sight and Sound.

I'd be interested to see how good Let's Get Lost is because I recently got hold of Weber's Chop Suey after year's of searching and frankly it's dreadful...

Well that's a totally different deal. The Chop Suey Club is about a fetish object of no real talent. Let's Get Lost is about a fetish object of enormous talent. Plus it's a serious film about a junkie and his world.

And its one of the most beautifuly filmed B&W movies I can think of.

mark102 wrote:I thought you guys might like to know that the film 'LET'S GET LOST' (directed by Bruce Weber) is finally coming out on DVD on July 28th! It looks amazing! You can pre-order it at Amazon.uk or Play.com

Hopefully this means a Region 1 version is not far behind.

On DVD Let's Get Lost will be followed by Chop Suey Club (August 8th), A Letter to True (September 12) and a Weber boxset featuring all three plus Broken Noses and all his short films. Weber is working closely with Metrodome, having designed all the artwork and made a new 25 minute feature about the experience of making Let's Get Lost called Looking for Chet Baker in all the Familiar Places, other features include a kodachrome reel of footage shot by DP Jess Preiss, two unseen music videos of Baker songs shot and edited by Weber, a short film by Weber called The Teddy Boys of the Edwardian Draoe Society; booklet of photos, postcards and trailers. Packed to say the least!

I wasn't that impressed by Chop Suey (Weber cultists seemed to be the target audience), but Let's Get Lost is great and Broken Noses was pretty good too, as are some of the shorts I've seen, so I guess I'll be holding out for the box set.

Review of the R2 disc at DVD Times

Bruce Weber: The Film Collection - 1987-2008 (US R1 DVD)

Matt wrote:Bruce Weber: The Film Collection - 1987-2008 (US R1 DVD)

Looks like this is just the same as the UK box.....anything new on it?

Edit: I take that back, looks like it's missing the bonus 5th disc of extras.