James Mason and Barbara Rush discuss a quite crucial theological point in Nicholas Ray's Bigger Than Life, available in good foreign-region editions, but no domestic yet...
The post below has turned into a back-and-forth about upcoming DVDs, wished-for DVDs, and seemingly un-findable DVDs. The (fabulous) Self-Styled Siren had a query on the harrowing 1956 Bigger Than Life, which as of now can only be enjoyed by those with a foreign-region disc player (lucky us). Bill wants to check out Michael Reeves much-sought-after The Sorcerers—and boy, so do I. But I missed the boat on that foreign-region disc, which is now out-of-print and commanding pretty unaffordable prices on Amazon.com.
The Siren's query on Life put in mind another fascinating mental-illness themed '50s film—Minnelli's 1955 The Cobweb, in which the choice of a pattern of drapes throws an exclusive psychiatric clinic (presided over by Richard Widmark) into disarray. I know that Warner Home Video head George Feltenstein is a Minnelli maven, so I can only hope it's in the works.
In any case, I wanted to designate this space to wish, inquire, and otherwise yack about discs we want...
Speaking of Minnelli melodrama, where in god's name is Some Came Running? Home From The Hill finally came out last year, but you'd think a film starring Sinatra, MacLaine, and Martin, from the author of The Thin Red Line and From Here To Eternity wouldn't be too hard to sell. Luckily I have my widescreen laserdisc. Also, Minnelli's butchered A Matter of Time with daughter Liza, and the mom-daughter team of Ingrid Bergman and Isabella Rosselini would be nice to see, even if it is awful (though I think On A Clear Day You Can See Forever is one of his best, so I'll probably love it).
I'm also wondering if Criterion is going to continue their Archers series with A Matter of Life and Death. I know I'm not the only one waiting for it.
And Glenn, since you posted that Saul Bass title art from Bonjour Tristesse a month or so ago, I've been on a huge Preminger kick. Just saw that and Bunny Lake, and now I'm upset that Saint Joan and The Human Factor aren't available in the U.S. Maybe Widmark's death will somehow remind someone of the former. They're both available on Region 2 but I'd rather not pay $30 for each on eBay...
Posted by: | April 22, 2008 at 09:11 PM
sorry, I forgot to include my name on that one!
Posted by: lazarus | April 22, 2008 at 09:12 PM
I'm gonna be a little mainstream and champion proper SEs for John Sayles' Baby It's You and City of Hope, two of my all-time favorites.
Also, I've always wanted to see the much-praised The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.
Both Minnie and Moskowitz and Love Streams would be appreciated. They could fill out that Casavettes box from Criterion.
Finally, I've always wanted a DVD copy of Johnny Got His Gun. I remember searching all of San Antonio's video stores until I found one copy at a Blockbuster on the other side of town. I managed to talk my mom into taking me and getting a blockbuster membership just so I could rent the movie. (This took a lot of swallowing seeing as I think Blockbuster is evil.)
Granted, it is not a movie I would see over and over again. However, I do feel it is an important piece of filmmaking. The Trumbo book was one of those changes-the-way-you-see-the-world reads for me at age 13. (I also read The Catcher in the Rye that summer. This explains a lot about me.)
P.S. I consider it a sad state of affairs that Nick Gomez's Laws of Gravity is not available on DVD. It is easily the best of the Mean Streets imitators. Peter Greene, Edie Falco, Paul Schulze, and Adam Tresse give really fine performances. Greene in particualr showed he had the makings of a star if he so desired. It seems he didn't.
Posted by: Aaron Aradillas | April 22, 2008 at 09:18 PM
Small consolation, but TCM plays THE COBWEB quite frequently (and in its ultra-wide aspect ratio), and SOME CAME RUNNING is out on DVD in like 3 weeks! (May 13th, part of Warner's Sinatra set.)
Posted by: Bill C | April 22, 2008 at 09:20 PM
Well, Lazarus, even if you find 30 bucks on the street, DO NOT spend it on the Spanish edition foreign region "Saint Joan" that's currently the most readily available. I explain why here:
http://glennkenny.premiere.com/blog/2008/03/monday-mornin-1.html
And indeed, I'd like to see ALL of Preminger, even the putatively bad stuff ("Rosebud," the infamous "Skidoo," "Hurry Sundown," "Such Good Friends") in decent disc editions. "Porgy and Bess," apparently, is being actively suppressed, in part by the Gershwin estate. That's a drag...
Posted by: Glenn Kenny | April 22, 2008 at 09:32 PM
I second "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith", if for no other reason than I've read about it and I want to see it. I'd also like to get an affordable edition of "Last Year at Marienbad", which I'm hoping is on the horizon now that a new 35mm print is making the rounds. I'm not paying $100 for a DVD pressed in 1999 from a substandard label, no matter how much I love the movie. I also want the much-discussed-in-horror-circles "Phase IV", which might actually be tantalizingly close to release since a movie by that title was licensed by Paramount to "Legend Films" (but that also might be the godawful Dean Cain movie). And, just for sheer humor value, I want the Flannelled One to give it up and let "Howard the Duck" out of the vault, and for "The Hugga Bunch Movie" to be put on disc. That last is a children's film from the '80s that proves people working in children's entertainment in said decade really WERE all acidheads.
Posted by: Dan | April 22, 2008 at 09:34 PM
Lazarus, a little while ago I attended a Los Angeles screening of "Bluebeard's Castle" and "The Tales of Hoffman" -- Thelma Schoonmaker, Michael Powell's widow, was in attendance.
During the Q&A, she did say that "A Matter of Life and Death" was forthcoming on Criterion. I think I recall her saying that it's being held up until Martin Scorsese can schedule time to record a commentary track.
Posted by: Mike Doc | April 22, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Hey Dan—the new "Marienbad" print, which is gorgeous, is courtesy of Rialto films, and when Rialto's involved, it's practically guaranteed that a Criterion DVD will follow, within a year in most cases. Hang on!
Posted by: Glenn Kenny | April 22, 2008 at 09:43 PM
Glenn: I remember reading that write-up before, but Saint Joan is on Amazon UK, so I imagine it's not the Spanish version. It's 18 pounds used, so with our shitty exchange rate that's like $80 or something? Seriously, though, the one on eBay only has French and English, though it says it's full screen. Is this supposed to be in 'scope?
With shipping it's just under $30 which doesn't seem like a bad deal. For a few dollars less the same seller has The Human Factor. I'm a huge Graham Greene fan so I'd love to see both of these.
Posted by: | April 22, 2008 at 10:05 PM
No, Laz (I assume you're still Laz), Preminger's "Saint Joan" is, as they say, flat. I'm still suspicious. Any Preminger experts out there who know the provenance of these discs?
I like your joke about the exchange rate. I reminds me that I'll be living on nuts and berries when I go to Cannes...
Posted by: Glenn Kenny | April 22, 2008 at 10:27 PM
One of the now defunct DVD sites (DVD Journal maybe?) had a pretty exhaustive MIA DVD lists that listed hundreds of titles. My vote would go towards some of the early Lumet I've been unable to see ("Bye Bye Braverman", "The Deadly Affair" "Stage Struck", "Child's Play" and the his GREAT heist flick called "The Anderson Tapes" would be mind-blowing if more people could see it). I'd also love some 70's Francesco Rosi who greatly admire, films such as "The Mattai Affair" and "Illustrious Corpses" and "Lucky Luciano". And Aaron... spot on about "Laws of Gravity". I've about worn out my VHS copy. Gomez is a 90's director who got no cred. "Laws of Gravity" is very close to the one of the best films of that decade.
Posted by: Joseph B. | April 22, 2008 at 10:37 PM
Joseph B., you are correct, it is the DVD Journal, but you are incorrect, the site is not defunct, just no longer updated. Hence: http://dvdjournal.com/extra/mia.html
Oh, and Glenn, I have my fingers crossed you are correct, and I know that's usually the case, but it doesn't always work out that way. After all, Rialto took "Gojira" around the country, and Toho and Criterion have a strong relationship. Yet that print? Nowhere to be found on American disc. Toho's increasingly threadbare excuse is that they don't want Japanese consumers to import the American disc to Japan; the truth, of course, is that they want Americans to keep importing THEIR products.
Posted by: Dan | April 22, 2008 at 10:45 PM
The company name on the front of the DVDs (at least in the picture they're using as a display) is Artedis, which appears to be a French distributor. It's the same cover than Amazon UK shows.
If anyone wants to take a look, just search for Saint Joan on eBay in Movies & TV. There only one DVD that looks like the right one, and you'll know from the Saul Bass cover.
The only thing that worries me is that they this seller has The Human Factor listed as full screen as well, and since that's from the mid-70's I highly doubt it's not supposed to be 'scope.
Posted by: lazarus | April 22, 2008 at 11:01 PM
A few I'd love to have on the shelf:
At Long Last Love (Bogdanovich)
Alice in the Cities (Wenders - The German DVD looks great - but no subtitles.)
The Profound Desire of the Gods (Imamura - I tried VERY hard to get the rights to this one, but Criterion's got it.)
Puzzle of a Downfall Child (Schatzberg)
Move (Stuart Rosenberg)
Posted by: Filmbrain | April 23, 2008 at 12:59 AM
Filmbrain, I believe the Bogdonavich is available. I seem to recall Tarantino having it on his Sight & Sound list of the Best Films of All Time.
Posted by: Aaron Aradillas | April 23, 2008 at 01:10 AM
A few wished for discs, minus a few that I know are in fact 100% due to hit soon'ish either in the US or the UK (with English subs):
-'Out 1' by Jacques Rivette
(that would be the long version, known in its work-print heyday as "Out 1: Noli me tangère" but not, incidentally, the actual name of the film as far as Rivette was concerned at the moment it got into shape for the 1988/1989 'premiere').
-'L'Amour fou' by Jacques Rivette
-'Va savoir +' by Jacques Rivette
(the long, and, as far as Rivette is concerned, only true version of the film, which screened in Paris for maybe a week, maybe two, then disappeared until the -true- "Complete Rivette" at the Pompidou last year)
-'Six fois deux, sur et sous la communication' by Jean-Luc Godard
(currently, theoretically held up in the US by Electronic Arts Intermix, no relation to E - A - SPORTS -- It's in the *Game*)
-'France / tour / détour / deux / enfants' by Jean-Luc Godard
(currently, theoretically held up in the US by Electronic Arts Intermix)
-'Numéro deux' by Jean-Luc Godard
-'Scénario du film 'Passion' '' by Jean-Luc Godard
-'Vladimir et Rosa' by Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin
-'Nouvelle vague' by Jean-Luc Godard -- in its correct aspect ratio of 1.37/1.33:1
-'For ever Mozart' by Jean-Luc Godard -- in its correct aspect ratio of 1.37/1.33:1
-'Which Way to the Front?' by Jerry Lewis
-'Hardly Working' by Jerry Lewis
-'Cracking Up' by Jerry Lewis
-'Affaires publiques' by Robert Bresson
-'Une femme douce' by Robert Bresson
-'Quatre nuits d'un rêveur' by Robert Bresson
-Norman Mailer's pre-'Tough Guys Don't Dance' films: 'Beyond the Law'; 'Wild 90'; 'Maidstone'.
-'La Cicatrice intérieure' by Philippe Garrel
-'Tih-Minh' by Louis Feuillade, in a version that incorporates the very good version at the Cinémathèque Française with the extra-footage held by the print at the Belgian Cinémathèque.
-'Barrabas' by Louis Feuillade
-'Dersu Uzala' by Akira Kurosawa — a filmmaker I've grown violently apart from, but this is one of the 7 or 8 true triumphs of his career, and deserves its due.
-'Je t'aime je t'aime' by Alain Resnais
-'Smoking / No Smoking' by Alain Resnais
-'Charlotte for ever' by Serge Gainsbourg -- in a subtitled DVD
-'Stan the Flasher' by Serge Gasinbourg -- in a subtitled DVD
-'7 Women' by John Ford
-'Red Line 7000' by Howard Hawks
-'City of Sadness' by Hou Hsiao-hsien
-'Daughter of the Nile' by Hou Hsiao-hsien
-'Bab el shams' / 'The Gate of the Sun' by Yousry Nasrallah
-The Complete Jean Eustache
-'Shanghai Express' by Josef von Sternberg
-'The Saga of Anatahan' by Josef von Sternberg
-'While the City Sleeps' by Fritz Lang
-all of Bergman's television films between 'Fanny and Alexander' and 'Saraband' in the oeuvre.
-'La Chienne' by Jean Renoir
-'La Nuit du carrefour' by Jean Renoir
-'Madame Bovary' by Jean Renoir
-'Le Crime de Monsieur Lange' by Jean Renoir
-'Swamp Water' by Jean Renoir
-'The Diary of a Chambermaid' by Jean Renoir
-'The Woman on the Beach' by Jean Renoir
-'Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe' by Jean Renoir
-'Le Petit théâtre de Jean Renoir' by Jean Renoir
-all of Maya Deren
-all of Bruce Baillie
-all seven million hours of Andy Warhol
-'Stars in My Crown' by Jacques Tourneur
-the westerns produced and authored by Val Lewton
-'Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards!!!!!!!!!' by Seijun Suzuki
-'Othello' by Orson Welles, in its pre-Beatrice-sanctioned restored version.
-'Touch of Evil' by Orson Welles, in a Blu-ray version, or flipper disc of any format, that allows the viewer to select between a 1.33:1 and a 1.85:1 rendering of the film.
-'Filming "Othello"' by Orson Welles
-'The Wrong Man' by Alfred Hitchcock, in a.......ditto above with 'Touch of Evil'
-'Rear Window' by Alfred Hitchcock, in a...etc.....between a 1.33:1 and a 1.66:1 rendering of the film.
-'Vertigo' by Alfred Hitchcock in a version that allows the viewer to choose between the desecrative restoration and a version with the proper, original sound mix.
-the complete Eugène Green on subtitled DVD.
-Gregory Markopoulos, intégrale.
-new versions of the complete Chaplin retaining 1.19:1 aspect ratio where necessary (as on the ported-from laserdisc Image DVDs, not the WB versions), and no PAL->NTSC shit-smear, including 'A Countess from Hong Kong' in its correct ratio.
-'Cold Water' by Olivier Assayas
-the 80% of Pasolini that is going unreleased.
-the complete Sacha Guitry, subtitled.
-the complete Alexandre Astruc, subtitled.
-the complete Roger Leenhardt, subtitled.
-'Le Fond de l'air est rouge' / 'A Cat Without a Grin' by Chris Marker
-'Level Five' by Chris Marker
-'Tarrafal' by Pedro Costa
-'The Rabbit Hunters' by Pedro Costa
-'India matri bhumi' by Roberto Rossellini
-'Terres noires' by Luc Moullet
-'Essai d'ouverture' by Luc Moullet
-'La Sept selon Jean et Luc' by Luc Moullet
-'Les Naufragés de la D17' by Luc Moullet
-'Le Prestige de la mort' by Luc Moullet
-the complete Jean-Claude Biette.
-'Fear City' by Abel Ferrara -- complete.
-'The Gladiator' by Abel Ferrara
-'Cat Chaser' by Abel Ferrara
-'The Addiction' by Abel Ferrara -- in 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
-'The Funeral' by Abel Ferrara -- in 1.85:1
-the "environmental short" no-one ever speaks about by Abel Ferrara, released between 'Mary' and 'Go Go Tales' as part of an omnibus film that premiered in early 2007 at the TriBeCa Film Festival.
===
and finally, but not so finally, --------
-'A New Leaf' by Elaine May
-'Husbands' by John Cassavetes
-'Minnie and Moskowitz' by John Cassavetes (reissued, complete)
-'Love Streams' by John Cassavetes
-in an English-subtitled version: 'Serge Daney, itinéraires d'un cinéfils' by Pierre-André Boutang and Dominique Rabourdin
best,
craig.
Posted by: craig keller. | April 23, 2008 at 01:40 AM
All of Max Ophuls films including a better Lola Montes disc
Georges Franju's films after Eyes Without a face
Kim Ki-Youngs entire filmography
Posted by: slothrop | April 23, 2008 at 02:36 AM
About time Michael Mann's 'The Keep' turned up on DVD. Paramount had a 2.35:1 laserdisc on the market so it can't be too much trouble to issue a DVD version. OK, it's not a film classic but it is one of the strangest films ever made. John Box's production design, Alex Thomson's photography and Tangerine Dream's score all make this a must own for cult film lovers. And don't forget that eclectic cast; Scott Glenn, Ian McKellen, Jurgen Prochnow, Gabriel Byrne. Come on Paramount/Mr Mann, do the right thing.
Posted by: Mark | April 23, 2008 at 04:20 AM
Is it really so hard to get multi-region players in the US? I know several people who have them. In the UK, i don't think any serious film enthusiast would invest in anything else. And while for ease of purchase and price I can see why you'd still like Region 1 releases of stuff available elsewhere in perfectly good editions, that desire surely would take second place to the stuff listed here that's not available anywhere? What I'm saying is, A Matter of Life and Death is probably in my top 3, and i'm sure a Criterion edition will be the best there is, but I'd be more excited about any kind of release for Out 1 or Tih-Minh.
Posted by: D Cairns | April 23, 2008 at 06:08 AM
India Song (Marguerite Duras, 1975) in Region 1. Criterion would be nice. Rented the French PAL DVD copy at Scarecrow, couple days before leaving Seattle. Did not have enough time to see it :(
Posted by: Tram | April 23, 2008 at 06:09 AM
Sorry to take this thread downmarket, but I'm still waiting for decent anamorphic editions of The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three, The Abyss, and True Lies.
It's 2008, people! This is unacceptable!
Posted by: Owain Wilson | April 23, 2008 at 07:09 AM
Last Year at Marienbad
The Exterminating Angel
India Song
City of Sadness
Last Chants for a Slow Dance
Rolling Thunder
a decent transfer of White Dog
Satantango
The Magnificent Ambersons
Adalen 31
Manila in the Claws of Brightness
Two or Three Things I Know About Her
A Brighter Summer Day
Cold Water
and I second whoever it was that said Hardly Working
Posted by: Nathan Duke | April 23, 2008 at 07:53 AM
Keeping with my wish for British horror films, how about "Blood on Satan's Claw"?
I'd love for Criterion to put out Mike Leigh's "Topsy-Turvy", but I was able recently, through great good luck, pick up the out-of-print bare bones DVD for six bucks. Still, extras would be swell.
And what about "The Stepfather"? I've never seen it, but I hear that it's at worst a very solid suspense film, and considering that it stars Terry O'Quinn, and was written by Donald E. Westlake, it's sort of a must-see for me.
Posted by: bill | April 23, 2008 at 08:10 AM
Also, I did recently get a region-free DVD player, but have thus far not taken advantage of it (not much, anyway). Glenn, you need to compile your foreign DVD columns into a book or, I don't know, whatever format would be best, for easy access and reference. I just really don't know what's available.
Posted by: bill | April 23, 2008 at 09:19 AM
I heard Michael Mann's The Keep is coming to DVD soon.
I second The Anderson Tapes... and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three in anamorphic.
Also missing in anamorphic: as a Spielberg completist (definitely not his best films), 1941 & Always, as well as Boorman's Hell in the Pacific & Hope and Glory, Walter Hill's Extreme Prejudice & Johnny Handsome, and Aldrich's Kiss Me Deadly, too.
Some others not mentioned:
Paul Schrader's The Comfort of Strangers
David Lynch's Hotel Room (presented on HBO originally, but fiercely longed for nonetheless)
Robert Altman's Countdown, Brewster McCloud
Antonioni's Red Desert
Ashby's 8 Million Ways to Die
Coppola's The Rain People
Cronenberg's M. Butterfly
John Ford's The Fugitive
Nicolas Roeg's Castaway & Track 29
Ridley Scott's 1492
And I really can't believe they haven't released Steven Soderbergh's Kafka
Posted by: Tony Dayoub | April 23, 2008 at 09:42 AM