Watchmaker Films

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Narshty
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:27 pm
Location: London, UK

Watchmaker Films

#1 Post by Narshty » Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:36 am

Watchmaker Films

The first release is coming on January 13th 2009 for $29.95, and it's a three-disc set of Eagle Pennell's late 70's gem The Whole Shootin' Match (over to Roger and Manohla to talk about exactly what it is). This exact same set should come out in the UK a few weeks later.

The DVD specs are as follows:

- New high-definition transfer direct from the 2006 restoration
- Two soundtracks: the 1977 original and the 2006 track rebuilt from scratch using the original sound recordings
- Two audio commentaries: one by actors Lou Perryman, Sonny Carl Davis and Doris Hargrave; the second featuring collaborators Chuck Pinnell, Wayne Bell and Doug Holloway and longtime friends Lonnie and Mark Rance
- The King of Texas, a 2007 documentary on Eagle Pennell's life and career (74 minutes)
- Early short film A Hell of a Note, restored in high-definition and featuring optional commentary by Lou Perryman and Sonny Carl Davis
- Unseen 1980 interview with Pennell, shot for an unfinished documentary on independent filmmaking
- A CD featuring the complete scores to The Whole Shootin' Match and The King of Texas
- Optional English and Spanish subtitles
- 48-page full-colour booklet, with essays, stills and production notes

This should be a very nice release of a wonderful film (I helped work on parts of the release and edited the commentaries). There'll be a lot more coming from Watchmaker, but I've no idea how much I can say, so I won't.

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foggy eyes
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:58 am
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#2 Post by foggy eyes » Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:49 am

Looks great, Narshty! The cat's out of the bag on the Benten deal (it was mentioned in the last issue of Vertigo), so I imagine it's safe to expand on that - what can we expect?

Narshty
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:27 pm
Location: London, UK

Re: Watchmaker Films

#3 Post by Narshty » Fri Nov 21, 2008 11:07 am

I'm not entirely sure what the specifics are - I'm not entrenched in that side of it too deeply. I'll find out.

(Meantime, here's an interview with Lou and Sonny, discussing Eagle and their careers.)

Perkins Cobb
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:49 pm

Re: Watchmaker Films

#4 Post by Perkins Cobb » Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:16 am

The Whole Shootin' Match is an incredible movie. The digital restoration struck me as perhaps overdone (wasn't the score at least partially replaced), but that's a minor quibble. Can't wait to see the documentary, and I hope we get more of Pennell's films down the road.

I had heard a while back that Watchmaker had secured the rights to several features by one of my favorite French directors, but I don't know if that info is still current, so I won't say who.

Narshty
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#5 Post by Narshty » Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:30 am

Perkins Cobb wrote:The Whole Shootin' Match is an incredible movie. The digital restoration struck me as perhaps overdone (wasn't the score at least partially replaced), but that's a minor quibble.
Yes, the restoration track is not the same mix as the original. As far as I know, the sound restoration was only possible because the original soundman Wayne Bell had kept every single reel of tape from the set. It was all transferred digitally then remixed from scratch. The original track was very crude, because Pennell did it himself without the expertise or money or patience to do anything other than an extremely basic mix (sound recorded on the set was usually discarded if score could be used to fill in for it). Nothing "new" was added that wasn't recorded at the time, but sometimes it was reworked within a scene. The 2006 version is of a far higher technical standard (overseen by Wayne Bell and Pennell's brother Chuck who did the score), but it was never the intention to bury Eagle's original achievement, which has also been cleaned up and presented on the disc.

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Antoine Doinel
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#6 Post by Antoine Doinel » Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:52 pm

Mark Rance talks about the restoration.

peerpee
not perpee
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:41 pm

Re: Watchmaker Films

#7 Post by peerpee » Wed Feb 25, 2009 3:08 am

So glad this is finished, and OUT! -- A great film and a massive labour of love for Mark Rance. Will be buying multiple copies for birthday presents.


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kaujot
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 6:28 pm
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#9 Post by kaujot » Thu Feb 26, 2009 7:21 pm

I can't resist a film made in Austin, and the reviews I've been reading over the past couple of months have my salivating about it.

Ordered.

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Cronenfly
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:04 pm

Re: Watchmaker Films

#10 Post by Cronenfly » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:28 pm

A very positive review from the Beev, with some excellent looking screen caps. Can't wait 'til my copy arrives.

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foggy eyes
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:58 am
Location: UK

Re: Watchmaker Films

#11 Post by foggy eyes » Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:16 am

Amazing - Watchmaker are releasing Profit motive and the whispering wind too.

I'd rather wait for the UK release of The Whole Shootin' Match and save a few quid, but can't see any pre-orders listed in the usual places. Is it still on the cards, Narshty?

Narshty
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Location: London, UK

Re: Watchmaker Films

#12 Post by Narshty » Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:26 am

Yes, definitely, and should be 100% the same. We're just finalising release dates and figuring out how to least obtrusively rework the packaging to include the obligatory BBFC logos.

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foggy eyes
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#13 Post by foggy eyes » Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:02 pm

Benten & Watchmaker Announce International Partnership.
The two companies have been busy acquiring titles, and are currently planning releases by such noted filmmakers as Tobe Hooper, John Gianvito, Danny Lyon, Fred Kelemen, and Peter Wollen/Laura Mulvey.
Made my day.

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carax09
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:22 am
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#14 Post by carax09 » Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:52 pm

That is truly excellent news about The GoodTimesKid being their first release. I saw it at a festival a few years ago, and it really blew me away with it's bohemian, early Jarmusch for a new millenium, vibe.

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zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: Watchmaker Films

#15 Post by zedz » Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:36 pm

Peter Wollen/Laura Mulvey
Hoorah! A whole new generation can be intimidated by Riddles of the Sphinx (at least I'm assumiong that's what we're talking about).

A memorable imdb comment:
I even felt the smell from the screen like purple at me. I never smelled a film before. I still would like to see it again for a better perspective.

Perkins Cobb
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:49 pm

Re: Watchmaker Films

#16 Post by Perkins Cobb » Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:44 pm

That's cool, but I'm hoping Watchmaker will come back to Eagle Pennell and do something with Last Night at the Alamo.

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Dadapass
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#17 Post by Dadapass » Tue May 26, 2009 11:41 pm

I don't know if this is old news but Los Niños Abandonados is being restored and will be released by Watchmaker Films in 2009. Link

They will also release Gretchen

Adam
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#18 Post by Adam » Tue May 26, 2009 11:48 pm

Maybe it's time for Mark to try to get James Benning again.

Perkins Cobb
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#19 Post by Perkins Cobb » Wed May 27, 2009 12:49 pm

That link also teases "films by Jean Rouch, Jacques Rozier, Penny Allen, Danny Lyon and Sergey Dvortsevoy" as coming eventually from Watchmaker. Almost anything by Rouch or Rozier, at least, will be vitally important.

Rozier is the French director I hinted at in an earlier post in this thread. I'd also heard that Rozier (who controls most or all of his own films, I believe) had been negotiating with Criterion, but I don't know who ended up with what. I guess these will be less essential after last year's release of an English-subbed Rozier box in France, but anything that makes Rozier's work better known in the US will be most welcome.

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Hopscotch
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:30 pm

Re: Watchmaker Films

#20 Post by Hopscotch » Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:06 am

Rozier has disappeared from the news and catalog pages of the site now. :-k
Last edited by Hopscotch on Sun Nov 22, 2009 2:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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perkizitore
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 3:29 pm
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#21 Post by perkizitore » Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:07 am

From their site:
The Whole Shootin' Match Special Edition DVD with The King of Texas and The Long Road available now. Blu-ray edition coming in 2010

I bought the DVD 2 days ago! ](*,) :x

Adam
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#22 Post by Adam » Sun Nov 22, 2009 5:25 pm

The Sergei Dvortsevoy is supposed to be done by Spring 2010. great films - short docs like "Bread Day."

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What A Disgrace
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Re: Watchmaker Films

#23 Post by What A Disgrace » Sun Nov 22, 2009 5:49 pm

I will definitely double dip on a Blu of Whole Shootin' Match. Best DVD of the year, in my opinion, though Jeff Keen, Comrades and Hiroshi Shimizu Eclipse make a good argument.

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Dadapass
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:57 pm

Re: Watchmaker Films

#24 Post by Dadapass » Thu Mar 04, 2010 6:21 pm

perkizitore wrote:From their site:
The Whole Shootin' Match Special Edition DVD with The King of Texas and The Long Road available now. Blu-ray edition coming in 2010
Gretchen + Profit motive and the whispering wind will also be released on Blu-ray editions in 2010.

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Hopscotch
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:30 pm

Re: Watchmaker Films

#25 Post by Hopscotch » Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:47 pm

Just noticed that Mark Rance of Watchmaker said on the mubi page for A Hell of a Note that they are indeed working on Last Night at the Alamo. That was last October, however, and their website hasn't been updated in some time.

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