Stereo
and Crimes of the Future in May [10 April
2006 - updated 8 May 2006]
Amongst
the hierachy of great outsider directors, the figure
of David Cronenberg looms very high indeed. For
our money he has yet to make an even remotely duff
movie, and the announcement of every new Cronenberg
project fills us with gleeful anticipation. But
even before the glorious sexual body horror of Shivers
(aka They Came From Within 1975)
there was the micro-budgeted 16mm Stereo
and Crimes of the Future, the former
a tale of telepathy and 'polymorphous perversity'
at the wonderfully named Canadian Academy for Erotic
Enquiry, the latter a tale of plague, organ growth
and the even more wonderfully named Institute for
Neo-Veneric Diseases. Cronenberg himself in later
years suggested that they'd make a pretty heavy
double bill, but don't let that put you off - they
are both essential early Cronenberg and lay the
thematic groundwork for many of his subsequent films.
They've
never been available on DVD in the UK, but they
will be on May 1st 2006, when they are released
as that heavy double bill from Filmfreak Distribution
under their new European label, REEL 23. Both films
are restored versions with 16:9 picture and Dolby
2.0 sound with optional Dutch, French, German, Spanish
and Finnish subtitles, and a 16-page booklet including
a director's statement and some original artwork.
Retail price is confirmed at £16.99.
I
did suggest that multiregion Cronenberg fans may
like to check out Blue Underground's limited edition
release of Fast Company, which
includes the two films as supplements on disc 2,
but it looks as though you'll be searching eBay,
as the title has apparently been deleted.
Mommie
Dearest Hollywood Royalty Edition in June
[8 April 2006]
"No...wire...hangers!"
And
if that means nothing to you then you have yet to
be touched by this infamous biography of actress
Joan Crawford, one of the most revered cult movies
of all time but one that on its release was lambasted
throughout the movie watching world (Roger Ebert
described opened his review with: "I can't
imagine who would want to subject themselves to
this movie") and the first film to sweep the
Golden Raspberry (RAZZIE) Awards for worst film
of the year. And yet it quickly attracted a passionate
following and soon gained a reputation as a camp
classic, starting first with the New York midnight
movie scene, where audiences would attend screenings
in their droves waving wire coathangers in emulation
of the film's most notorious scene. The film's enduring
cult success can be measured by the number of quotes
submitted to its IMDB
page - I'd estimate there's a sizeable part
of the script there.
No
doubt to the horrified disbelief of Ebert et al,
the film is set for region 1 'Hollywood Royalty
Edition' release on June 6th, complete with an anamorphic
1.85:1 transfer and 5.1 sound, so we can REALLY
hear Faye Dunaway scream, three featurettes (The
Revival of Joan, Life of Joan and
Joan Lives On), a photo gallery, trailer,
and, best of all, a commentary by film-maker and
devoted fan John Waters, an extra that should be
worth $14.99 asking price alone. It's still a shame
that the disc does not include the much talked about
deleted scenes, some of which were illustrated on
the film's original lobby cards. Ah well, I'm still
happy enough.
Masters
of Cinema do Kwaidan uncut in May [5 April
2006]
 |
One
of the very greatest works of Japanese supernatural
cinema, Masaki Koboyashi's Kwaidan
is a benchmark by which other genre works are often
judged (including by me) and a major influence on
modern Japanese horror directors. The three-tale
adaptation from the ghost stories of Lafcadio Hearn
is one of the most visually and aurally stunning
works in horror film history, with the most celebrated
of the three stories, 'Hoichi the Earless', ranking
as one of the most atmospherically creepy experiences
I have ever had in a cinema. Oh it's just wonderful.
Now fans of the film will already have the Criterion
release, complete with its fine transfer and minute-long
sync problem, but even that mighty distributor is
about to be trumped by Eureka's Masters of Cinema
label, when they release the film for the first
time in the West in its full 183 minute cut, incorporating
21 minutes of footage never seen on these shores.
A new, progressive scan transfer is joined by the
following special features:
- A
selection of original trailers;
-
Promotional material gallery;
- New
and improved optional English subtitles;
- Special
72-page illustrated book with reprints of Lafcadio
Hearn's original ghost stories; a survey of the
life and career of Masaki Kobayashi by Linda Hoaglund;
and a wide-ranging interview with the filmmaker
— the last he ever gave.
Exact
street date and price to be confirmed.
Criterion
get Dazed and Confused in June [4 April
2006]
One
of the finest examples of the twenty year plus 'look
back in nostalgia' wave kicked off back in 1973
by American Graffiti and one of
the best 'teen' movies of all time, Richard Linklater's
Dazed and Confused focuses on on
the rites of passage initiations faced by incoming
freshmen in a 1976 Texas high school and the seniors
dishing out the abuse. Linklater draws on his own
experiences of high school to paint a refreshingly
honest and down to earth portrait of American teen
life in the 1970s with a film that confirmed the
promise of the director's virtually narrative-free
but engaging micro-budget debut Slacker.
The film has seen DVD releases before both here
and in the States, but if you're a fan of the film
then this is the version you've been waiting or,
as Criterion prep their version for a June release
on region 1. On the disc you'll find:
- An
all new high-definition digital transfer, supervised
by Richard Linklater and cinematographer Lee Daniel;
- Audio
commentary by director Richard Linklater;
- "Making
Dazed," a 50-minute documentary by filmmaker
Kahane Corn;
- Booklet
featuring new essays by Kent Jones, Jim DeRogatis,
and Chuck Klosterman, plus character profiles,
and memories of the film from cast and crew;
- Tons
(Criterion's measurement) of rare on-set interviews
and behind-the-scenes footage;
- Footage
from the 10-year anniversary celebration;
- Audition
footage;
- Deleted
Scenes;
- Original
trailer;
- Collectible
film poster.
Release
date is set for June 6 2006 at the retail price
of $39.95.
Cross
of Iron Special Edition in two weeks [3
April 2006]
 |
It
stands as a testament to how great a filmmaker Sam
Peckinpah was that even when he was coked up to
the eyeballs he could still direct the crap out
of just about everyone else around. Cross
of Iron, adapted from Willi Heinrich's
book The Willing Flesh (a favourite of
director Sam Fuller), was the director's only war
film and, being Peckinpah, tells a WW2 tale from
the viewpoint of the ordinary German soldier, a
ragged platoon led by cynical Sgt. Steiner (a brilliant
James Coburn) and his conflicts with ambitious but
cowardly Prussian officer Captain Stranszky (Maximilian
Schell, also superb). Bringing up the rear are equally
wonderful, world-weary turns from James Mason as
Colonel Brandt and David Warner as his loyal adjutant
Captain Kiesel. Owners of the bare bones UK release
will already be aware of this disc's variable picture
quality and the fact that it has been cut from its
original theatrical release, but this should be
corrected on April 18th when Hen's Tooth Video re-release
the film as a region 1 special edition DVD. The
disc includes a new anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer,
a commentary track by Peckinpah scholar Stephen
Prince, the original theatrical trailer and a lobby
card gallery. Actually, that's a bit thin for a
special edition. But an uncut print is promised,
and I, for one, will be greatful just for that.
Fausto
5.0 in May [30 March 2006]
High
up on the list of recent cult films that not enough
have heard of and fewer have seen must be Spanish
experimental theatre group La Fura del Baus's surrealistic
modern reworking of the Faust legend, a semi-cyberpunk
version of the tale set in near-future Barcelona.
Well here's your chance, as the multi-award winning
film is set to be released on UK region 2 DVD in
May by Nucleus Films, complete with an anamorphic
1.85:1 picture, and the following soundtracks: Spanish
5.1 and DTS, Catalan 5.1 and English stereo 2.0,
with optional English subtitles. Special features
include a 'making-of' featurette and a theatrical
trailer.
Release
date is set for 22nd May at the retail price of
£14.99.
Seven
Swords in May [25 March 2006]
Tsui
Hark and Donnie Yen are two names that will attract
the instant attention of any martial arts action
fan worth their salt - put them together and you've
got a film that demands attention. Such is the case
for their latest collaboration, Seven Swords
(Chat gim), the Ching Dynasty story
of seven warriors who defy the goverment edict banning
the practice of martial arts and unite to help protect
a group of villagers from extinction by leading
them to safer ground. Strong shades of Seven
Samurai in the plot do not detract from
Hark's spectacular handling of the action sequences
and location work, combining wuxia acrobatics with
gritty violence, with a cast that also features
Hong Kong star Leon Lai of Infernal Affairs
III and City Hunter.
Hong
Kong Legends will release the film on UK region
2 DVD on 29th May 2006 as a 2-disc set with the
cfollowing special features:
- UK
version deleted scenes (including the original
ending);
- Original
version deleted scenes;
-
'Forging The Sword: The Making Of Seven Swords'
featurette including shooting diaries and production
sketches;
- Interview
Gallery 1: 'nterviews with director Tsui Hark
and stars Donnie Yen, Lau Kar-Leung and Leon Lai;
-
Interview Gallery 2: interviews with stars Duncan
Chow, Charlie Yeung, Tai Liwu and Lu Yi;
- Interview
Gallery 3: interviews with stars Kim So-yeon,
Zhang Jingchu and Sun Honglei;
- UK
Trailers and TV spots;
- Hong
Kong trailers;
- International
press.
The
retail price is set at £19.99.
Feed
in May [23 March 2006]
Every
now and then a film comes along that pisses so many
people off tht it just has to be worth a look. Feed
appears to be this year's prime candidate. Directed
by Brett Leonard, he of The Lawnmower Man
fame (or noteriety, depending on your viewpoint),
it follows the investigative misfortunes of cyber-crime
investigator Phillip Jackson who, fresh from his
success on a case involving voluntary cannibalism
(itself based on a true story) has turned his attention
to the darker side of the internet community. His
investigations lead him to the bizarre world of
Feeders and Gainers, a sunculture based around men
who derive pleasure from feeding morbidly obese
women. Not a date movie, as you can see. A combination
of the subject matter, Leonard's sometimes deleiberately
jarring technique and the film's cheerful disregard
of the taste barrier have certainly provoked pleny
of reaction, much of it hostile. A potential cult
film in the making? You can decide for yourself
when it is released on region 2 DVD in May by Showbox
Entertainment with the following special features:
- Audio
commentary by director Brett Leonard;
- Original
theatrical trailer;
- Alternative
ending;
- Deleted
scenes;
- Behind-the
scenes footage, including the fitting of the 'fat
suit';
- Interview
with star Jack Thompson;
- Final
Day interbiew with Brett Leonard.
The
DVD is released on May 29th 2006 at the retail price
of £15.99.
previous
stories >>
