Abel Ferrara is a pretentious hack.
Yes!
The two I’d most like to see done right, by Criterion:
Ms. 45 – which has yet to be released uncut on a US dvd
Cat Chaser – ditto. Hopefully Ferrara’s much longer workprint could be part of this too; I know it occasionally screens at retrospectives.
I’d like to see Mary and/or Go Go Tales.
Besides “The Addiction” ( the best vampire movie since Kathy Bigelow’s “Near Dark” — and stinging rebuke to the Mormon teenage trash that passes for vampire movies these days) there’s “Mary” — arguably the greatest film about Christianity ever made.
“there’s “Mary” — arguably the greatest film about Christianity ever made.”
arguably? have you seen many “Christian” films to say that?
have you also forgotten Pasolini’s film? (no, not Gospel According to Matthew)
Absolutely. Hook him up. Way overdue.
I absolutely agree.
I wanted to retie my old VHS copy of The Addiction for quite a while now, hope that it gets a decent release one day (If not by Criterion then by someone else)
any love for China Girl here?
China Girl is one of the few I have not seen yet, It’s high on my to watch list. Also want to see 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy.
@ Dimitrius. Yes I have. Pasolini’s films are “about” Christianity. Ferrara is an actual practicing Christian. Big difference.
Mel Gibson is a fascist.
“China Girl” is OK but minor Abel.
china girl is a very convincing burst of violence and romance, probably one of the best violent films about love
a fascist can still make a convincing Jesus movie (he can even make a convincing version of the tv show Maverick); nothing wrong with showing and emphasizing the torture of jesus alot of christians take that tack when trying to convert.
mary is a very good film but is marred by horrible work from modine.
“Pasolini’s films are “about” Christianity. Ferrara is an actual practicing Christian. Big difference.”
no, either you talk ABOUT religion or practicing it, it REVOLVES AROUND A THEME called R-E-L-I-G-I-O-N.
i am a-political but i HAVE THE RIGHT to be a part of a POLITICAL CONVERSATION, hence there is NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PERSON INSIDE A PARTY and one OUTSIDE.
“china girl is a very convincing burst of violence and romance, probably one of the best violent films about love”
Cool, will get to it soon.
I take a violent film about the crucifixion over a Jesus with shaved armpits any day.
true apoc
I thought i was the only one on here that liked Gibson’s version
I don’t understand all the hate for The Passion either, photography is wonderful, The Devil reminded me a lot about Ismael from Fanny and Alexander and to answer the question “Tell me about Mel Gibson’s Dick and balls” posed in Cecil B. DeMented. Passion proved that Mel has big balls indeed to make this film.
well said
I forgot that cecil d demented qoute
“Mel Gibson is a fascist.”
Har, har, har. Jump on the bandwagon. This forum has degenerated into recycled “comments”.
facist obsessed with twisting himself into a Jesus Christ Pose .
Regardless of Mel Gibson’s bloodstained controversy (one of the more interesting things a director has done to himself since Peckinpah made Straw Dogs [although one can hardly compare the two]), its films like The Passion of The Christ that have made the intellectual and political film non-existant. They have taken the thought and conscience of narrative and made it visceral and stylized. They are the reason filmmakers like Ferrara have to fight so hard to make films, let alone be seen.
What most ignore about Ferrara is this fact. His work maintains a visceral edge to it, a “clumsiness” and honesty that allows most viewers to glide over the content of his films. An occurance that by the look of things, has possibly remained steady and true over these years.
Ferrara is one of the last great American filmmakers. His films are very, very long overdue. Mary, The Funeral, and Dangerous Game are the films that first come to mind when one says Criterion.
And China Girl is wonderful!
Dimitirus thinsk therefore he is.
He thinks.
Lionsgate will be releasing Bad Lieutenant on Blu-ray in October.
. . .
There are all kinds of directors who need films in solid DVD presentations before I would EVEN consider Ferrara.
MATT: for real? any features? glad i held off from buying the special edition last year.
i wish The Funeral would be released on dvd in its proper aspect ratio and a clean print. one of his best looking films, and certainly one his most visually subtle.
Abel Ferrara is a pretentious hack.
He wishes he was capable of being pretentious…he is a hack though.
Love BODY SNATCHERS!!!
@ Joks
The only thing listed on the preliminary info I saw was a commentary track with Ferrara and Ken Kelsch and a documentary.
Yeah, now that we will have King of New York and Bad Lt on BD, I like to see good releases of The Funeral and The Addiction.
SethKing
His movies are chopped to pieces by producers and projectionists. They are cropped out of their original format. They are always poorly transferred. Generally his films are treated like the straight to dvd trash that they are mistaken for.
Ferrara deserves more recognition. Need proof? Read the monumental The Moral Vision by Brad Stevens. Read Nicole Brenez’s Abel Ferrara. Brenez alone speaks volumes. That is no small intellect taking on a figure as disregarded as Abel. There is no possible way that any filmmaker whose been in the buisiness as long has he has, whose love for Godard, Cassavetes, and Pasolini is no kept secret, is attempting to create anything but Art with each film he makes.
Watch any of his post-King of New York films. It is a string of masterpieces. Bad Lieutenant, Dangerous Game (Snake Eyes), Body Snatchers (which was okay, but the french fight to the death for it), The Addiction, The Funeral, The Blackout, New Rose Hotel, R’Xmas. Just pay attention to the tone, the editing, the careful handling of each scene. His characters are obsessively solipsistic. The performances match this perfectly.
Ferrara creates cinema that is for movie lovers, and yet his last four films are not available in any form in the US.
Criterion needs to step up. The rights to his films wouldn’t be that hard to get. Last time I checked his mastpieces The Addiction and The Funeral were owned by low budget distributors. The former isn’t even on dvd in the US. On Amazon a latin american version is going for upwards of $230! The latter I bought for 4 dollars in a bargain bin at Fry’s.
What say you Auteurs?