Is there any chance criterion could make available their DVDs in the UK? Apart from the odd UK label such as masters of cinema and BFI there is an appalling defict in the quality and range of world cinema titles which meet the excellent standards of criterion. Multi-region DVD players are a hassle (and technically illegal) and the emergence of criterion’s blue ray range makes the situation for UK film lovers even more desperate. For instance I’m in a state of frenzied anticipation with the news of the latest Rossellini releases.
For me Herzog is a cinematic polymath and I find his films, “documentaries” and operatic excursions mesmerising. Herzog’s deadpan personality and eclectic tastes are evoked in much of his work and there are many films etc that I incorporate in my movie canon. For instance THE WILD BLUE YONDER is an awesome creation that pitches a washed out alien in a western society plagued by rampant consumerism, social isolation and intellectual mediocrity. The poetic imagery is awesome, particularly the images of NASA astronauts and the underwater world of a frozen "alien’ planet. GESUALDO is another tour de force and brings to life an obscure sixteenth-century composer who did not always have just music on his mind! Where does Herzog find this superb material.
Unlike some ‘solitary’ art forms such as literature and painting, making a film (or staging a play) involves a collaborative approach which is dependent on the expertise of a number of individuals who share a cinematic vision and aim to create an experience that will appeal to a mass audience. This is the case for many mainstream movies were financial profit and celebratory prestige is a key motivation. For me, however, the auteur subverts the need for fame and wealth. Take for example Derek Jarman who recognises that his films could not be made without the contribution of others, but, nevertheless, adopts material that a mainstream studio and audiences would shun – Latin dialogue, obscure philosophers and fragmented, non-linear imagery (culminating in a film that offers an audience a blue screen). The concept of an auteur is relevant because only they have the courage to fight for funding to produce work that will only attract people from the margins of the film going public. It is the auteur who dismisses convention and extends the cinematic art form. Fortunately the list is a long one which spans over a century of the moving image. I believe that the talent of Vigo, Sirk, Fassbinder and Greenaway rank alongside other great artists such as Caravaggio, Shakespeare, Bernini and Kafka.
I’m new to the forum so having a bit of a posting binge. It’s great to read many interesting topics from so many film connoisseurs. Back to business – does anyone know if the above Fassbinder film has ever been released on DVD?
I’ve not seen the film so can’t comment on Fassbinder’s working of a Tom Stoppard script based on a Nabokov novel. But the thought of seeing Dirk Bogarde in a Fassbinder movie fills me with eager anticipation. Thanks Noel – you’ll make a Fassbinder fanatic very happy.
A PLEA FROM SOMEONE ACROSS THE POND over 3 years ago
Is there any chance criterion could make available their DVDs in the UK? Apart from the odd UK label such as masters of cinema and BFI there is an appalling defict in the quality and range of world cinema titles which meet the excellent standards of criterion. Multi-region DVD players are a hassle (and technically illegal) and the emergence of criterion’s blue ray range makes the situation for UK film lovers even more desperate. For instance I’m in a state of frenzied anticipation with the news of the latest Rossellini releases.
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Favorite Werner Herzog Film over 3 years ago
For me Herzog is a cinematic polymath and I find his films, “documentaries” and operatic excursions mesmerising. Herzog’s deadpan personality and eclectic tastes are evoked in much of his work and there are many films etc that I incorporate in my movie canon. For instance THE WILD BLUE YONDER is an awesome creation that pitches a washed out alien in a western society plagued by rampant consumerism, social isolation and intellectual mediocrity. The poetic imagery is awesome, particularly the images of NASA astronauts and the underwater world of a frozen "alien’ planet. GESUALDO is another tour de force and brings to life an obscure sixteenth-century composer who did not always have just music on his mind! Where does Herzog find this superb material.
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GREAT SITE, BUT AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO'S NOT A BIG FAN OF AUTEUR THEORY over 3 years ago
Unlike some ‘solitary’ art forms such as literature and painting, making a film (or staging a play) involves a collaborative approach which is dependent on the expertise of a number of individuals who share a cinematic vision and aim to create an experience that will appeal to a mass audience. This is the case for many mainstream movies were financial profit and celebratory prestige is a key motivation. For me, however, the auteur subverts the need for fame and wealth. Take for example Derek Jarman who recognises that his films could not be made without the contribution of others, but, nevertheless, adopts material that a mainstream studio and audiences would shun – Latin dialogue, obscure philosophers and fragmented, non-linear imagery (culminating in a film that offers an audience a blue screen). The concept of an auteur is relevant because only they have the courage to fight for funding to produce work that will only attract people from the margins of the film going public. It is the auteur who dismisses convention and extends the cinematic art form. Fortunately the list is a long one which spans over a century of the moving image. I believe that the talent of Vigo, Sirk, Fassbinder and Greenaway rank alongside other great artists such as Caravaggio, Shakespeare, Bernini and Kafka.
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FASSBINDER'S DESPAIR over 3 years ago
I’m new to the forum so having a bit of a posting binge. It’s great to read many interesting topics from so many film connoisseurs. Back to business – does anyone know if the above Fassbinder film has ever been released on DVD?
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What films would you like to see included in future ECLIPSE releases? over 3 years ago
The documentaries of Nicolas Philibert.
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FASSBINDER'S DESPAIR over 3 years ago
I’ve not seen the film so can’t comment on Fassbinder’s working of a Tom Stoppard script based on a Nabokov novel. But the thought of seeing Dirk Bogarde in a Fassbinder movie fills me with eager anticipation. Thanks Noel – you’ll make a Fassbinder fanatic very happy.
Go to Comment