Flipside 019: Deep End
Moderator: MichaelB
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
It is indeed, after a theatrical revival in June.
And I'll be interviewing Skolimowski at the Renoir this Thursday (25th) after a preview of Essential Killing, and I fully intend to bring up the subject of Deep End.
And I'll be interviewing Skolimowski at the Renoir this Thursday (25th) after a preview of Essential Killing, and I fully intend to bring up the subject of Deep End.
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Re: Deep End
Be sure and ask him about the curveballs some members of the New York audience threw at him during the Q&A session after the ESSENTIAL KILLING screening at FSLC a few months back!MichaelB wrote:It is indeed, after a theatrical revival in June.
And I'll be interviewing Skolimowski at the Renoir this Thursday (25th) after a preview of Essential Killing, and I fully intend to bring up the subject of Deep End.
Back to DEEP END, when will you be able to announce the disc's supplements?
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
I fear that "Tell me about the curveballs some members of the New York audience threw at you?" might generate a blank expression - so can you give me a few more details?kneelzod wrote:Be sure and ask him about the curveballs some members of the New York audience threw at him during the Q&A session after the ESSENTIAL KILLING screening at FSLC a few months back!
Soon. And you can absolutely rest assured that this won't be a barebones release.Back to DEEP END, when will you be able to announce the disc's supplements?
- triodelover
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Re: Deep End
SD, BD, or dual format?MichaelB wrote:And you can absolutely rest assured that this won't be a barebones release.
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
Dual format, in common with all Flipside releases. It's the recent Bavaria Films restoration, and apparently looks stunning.triodelover wrote:SD, BD, or dual format?MichaelB wrote:And you can absolutely rest assured that this won't be a barebones release.
- knives
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm
Re: Deep End
TCM has always shown this in academy and while I have never noticed any problems with that, but it does seem odd considering the year so is the BFI also going to be academy or some other ratio.
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
Jerzy Skolimowski is involved, so you can rest assured it will be the correct aspect ratio.
Quite aside from anything else, it would be the height of lunacy to create a brand new HD restoration intended for screening both in cinemas and on Blu-ray and get it wrong!
Quite aside from anything else, it would be the height of lunacy to create a brand new HD restoration intended for screening both in cinemas and on Blu-ray and get it wrong!
- knives
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Re: Deep End
I was mainly curious as to what the correct aspect ratio is. I have no doubt that the release will be definitive.
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Re: Deep End
Sure...after ESSENTIAL KILLING, Skolimowski was met with quite a bit of resistance from the audience, at least from those members that decided to ask questions or, more accurately, make statements about the director's true intent. In general, these people were upset with what they perceived as a film that was sympathetic to a terrorist. Skolimowski reiterated several times that he was not making any political statements and that it wasn't entirely clear that Gallo's character was a terrorist. Still, at least one person was not convinced by Skolimowski's assertions and went so far as to call the filmmaker disingenuous. I felt like that was a pretty limited prism to view the film through, but that would have been OK, if not for the disrespectful tone the audience members took when making their complaints. As a New Yorker and regular attendee at Walter Reade, I can't say I was too proud of either association at that moment, but the director handled it as tactfully as could be expected, I thought.MichaelB wrote:kneelzod wrote:Be sure and ask him about the curveballs some members of the New York audience threw at him during the Q&A session after the ESSENTIAL KILLING screening at FSLC a few months back!I fear that "Tell me about the curveballs some members of the New York audience threw at you?" might generate a blank expression - so can you give me a few more details?
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Re: Deep End
That honour must still go to Jancso, surely. 90% of his catalogue is missing, and what there is only exists in shit-poor transfers. Fish Tank: Criterion Collection obviously being a far more urgent priority.MichaelB wrote:most important director most poorly represented on DVD.
- knives
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm
Re: Deep End
A few of the Jansco discs out there, I'm thinking Second Run, are in good condition.
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
In mid-2008, which was the period I referred to in my original comment (being eighteen months before January 2010) there were fourteen English-friendly Jancsó releases, including the vast majority of the great 1960s/early 1970s masterpieces.
Not great, admittedly, but light years ahead of the situation with Skolimowski - because at that time, if I remember rightly, you could get The Shout, Moonlighting, The Lightship and I think that was it.
Things changed significantly when that box set of his four 1960s Polish features came out in September 2008, but I was specifically referring to the time before then.
Not great, admittedly, but light years ahead of the situation with Skolimowski - because at that time, if I remember rightly, you could get The Shout, Moonlighting, The Lightship and I think that was it.
Things changed significantly when that box set of his four 1960s Polish features came out in September 2008, but I was specifically referring to the time before then.
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Re: Deep End
There are fourteen English language Jancso releases? Where...?
The only decent transfer I'm aware of is My Way Home. Red Psalm and Silence & Cry are just about acceptable. Elektra, The Round Up and both R1 & R2 releases of The Red & the White are a travesty. Haven't seen the R2 of Private Vices, Public Virtues, but apparently it makes even the Second Run releases look good, taking the definition of 'DVD Release' to an all time low... Just did a search which also turned up Cantata - will have to get back to you on that one. So that's 8 titles, of which only 3-4 have been handled with any degree of professional pride. Then there's The Pacifist, which is only available in Italian. Classics like Winter Sirocco, Hungarian Rhapsody and Allegro Barbaro are completely unavailable, as far as I'm aware, and the same goes for his later work (you wouldn't believe the guy is still working, yet he actually made a new film last year...)
Michael, you know that I'm going to bug you about this once a year until the BFI releases a dual edition boxset
The only decent transfer I'm aware of is My Way Home. Red Psalm and Silence & Cry are just about acceptable. Elektra, The Round Up and both R1 & R2 releases of The Red & the White are a travesty. Haven't seen the R2 of Private Vices, Public Virtues, but apparently it makes even the Second Run releases look good, taking the definition of 'DVD Release' to an all time low... Just did a search which also turned up Cantata - will have to get back to you on that one. So that's 8 titles, of which only 3-4 have been handled with any degree of professional pride. Then there's The Pacifist, which is only available in Italian. Classics like Winter Sirocco, Hungarian Rhapsody and Allegro Barbaro are completely unavailable, as far as I'm aware, and the same goes for his later work (you wouldn't believe the guy is still working, yet he actually made a new film last year...)
Michael, you know that I'm going to bug you about this once a year until the BFI releases a dual edition boxset
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
Cantata, My Way Home, The Round-Up, The Red and the White, Silence and Cry, Red Psalm, Elektreia, Private Vices Public Virtues and the six features that he made from The Lord's Lantern in Budapest onwards are all available in English-friendly editions from various American, British, French and Hungarian labels. The Confrontation and La Pacifista are also out, but without subtitles.Nothing wrote:There are fourteen English language Jancso releases? Where...?
Clavis' Cantata is superb, though I have to disagree with you over their Silence and Cry - is there a better alternative?The only decent transfer I'm aware of is My Way Home. Red Psalm and Silence & Cry are just about acceptable.
And the six post-1999 features are fine, though there'd be far less excuse with those!
No disagreement with you about Facets' Elektreia, but Second Run's The Round-Up is much better than the Clavis edition - not as good as their My Way Home, but far superior to The Red and the White.Elektra, The Round Up and both R1 & R2 releases of The Red & the White are a travesty.
The ball is in the Hungarians' court - if they produce better masters, more Western distributors might be interested. I provided some technical advice on Second Run's The Round-Up (as did MoC's Peerpee), and we can both assure you that they did everything that they could to squeeze the best possible DVD picture from a less than felicitous source.Michael, you know that I'm going to bug you about this once a year until the BFI (or MoC or Criterion) releases a dual edition boxset
Sadly, although the Poles have massively and unrecognisably raised their game since they supplied Second Run with VHS-quality masters of major classics five years ago (while insisting that there was nothing better available), the current dire financial situation in the Hungarian film industry doesn't bode too well for similar initiatives there - but who else is realistically going to step into the breach with the necessary funds? There's no way that the BFI could justify it in the current climate, Criterion has shown precious little interest in central/eastern European cinema, and I don't think MoC does its own telecines - so they'd be as dependent on Hungarian masters as Clavis or Second Run.
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Re: Deep End
ooh, nice... Have never seen any of those. Where might one order?MichaelB wrote:the six features that he made from The Lord's Lantern in Budapest onwards are all available in English-friendly editions
The Clavis was an improvement over the R1, which is probably why I have a (semi) favourable recollection - although not a huge fan of that particular film as it goes.MichaelB wrote:I have to disagree with you over their Silence and Cry - is there a better alternative?
A team up between Criterion, the BFI, the Hungarians and a French distributor to create some new masters, perhaps? Winter Sirocco, Elektra or a double bill of Hungarian Rhapsody & Allegro Barbaro in exchange for one less swinging sixties C-movie sounds good to me... or perhaps you can snag Private Vices, Public Virtues away from 'Jet Films' or whatever they're called, the sex should help that one sell, ala. SaloMichaelB wrote:The ball is in the Hungarians' court - if they produce better masters, more Western distributors might be interested.
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
I've yet to find a reliable online Hungarian supplier, but a PM to skuhn8 might point you in the right direction. They're very different from his 1960s/70s films, though!Nothing wrote:ooh, nice... Have never seen any of those. Where might one order?MichaelB wrote:the six features that he made from The Lord's Lantern in Budapest onwards are all available in English-friendly editions
Lovely idea, can't see it happening. God knows I've been banging the central/eastern European drum loudly enough within the BFI over the last few years, and not without some success, but the notion that they're likely to stump up even part of the cost of restoring what will inevitably be less familiar Jancsó titles (since most of the really famous ones are already out, and the rights therefore tied up elsewhere) is fanciful in the extreme. Seriously, you'd be far better off lobbying rich Hungarian expats.A team up between Criterion, the BFI, the Hungarians and a French distributor to create some new masters, perhaps?
Completely wishful thinking, I'm afraid. You can gripe about the Flipside range all you want (it wouldn't be the first time you've taken a sideswipe at it), but it's squarely within the BFI's remit to facilitate access to the widest possible range of British cinema - most of the fifty-odd titles included on the Flipside releases to date haven't been seen in decades. Also, more importantly, there are archival as well as distribution reasons for creating HD restorations, which wouldn't apply to a Jancsó restoration project - at least not outside Hungary.Winter Sirocco, Elektra or a double bill of Hungarian Rhapsody & Allegro Barbaro in exchange for one less swinging sixties C-movie sounds good to me... or perhaps you can snag Private Vices, Public Virtues away from 'Jet Films' or whatever they're called, the sex should help that one sell, ala. Salo
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Re: Deep End
Is this a warning? What kind of different?MichaelB wrote:They're very different from his 1960s/70s films, though!
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
Almost unrecognisably different - in fact, one of the only cast-iron clues that they're Miklós Jancsó films is the fact that he's in them in the supporting role of 'Uncle Miki'. When he was interviewed in London a few years back, he quipped that pretty much any Hungarian under about forty will know him more for Uncle Miki than for his 1960s masterpieces, and this is probably true.
Anyway, they're extremely weird comedies ostensibly about the adventures of two gravediggers, Pepe and Kapa, and large chunks are pretty much incomprehensible unless you have a keen interest in Hungarian culture and politics - which is why international distribution has eluded them (I don't imagine Jancsó is that bothered).
There's not much English-language commentary online, but Andrew Horton reviewed The Lord's Lantern in Budapest in some detail, with supplementary links, and Filmkultura reviewed The Lord's Lantern in Budapest (1999) and what they call Your Mother! The Mosquitos! (2000 - Skuhn8 informs me that the title is closer to Fuck! The Mosquitos!) - possibly others too, but I couldn't get my head around the interface.
Oh, and Wikipedia's Jancsó biography offers this overview:
Anyway, they're extremely weird comedies ostensibly about the adventures of two gravediggers, Pepe and Kapa, and large chunks are pretty much incomprehensible unless you have a keen interest in Hungarian culture and politics - which is why international distribution has eluded them (I don't imagine Jancsó is that bothered).
There's not much English-language commentary online, but Andrew Horton reviewed The Lord's Lantern in Budapest in some detail, with supplementary links, and Filmkultura reviewed The Lord's Lantern in Budapest (1999) and what they call Your Mother! The Mosquitos! (2000 - Skuhn8 informs me that the title is closer to Fuck! The Mosquitos!) - possibly others too, but I couldn't get my head around the interface.
Oh, and Wikipedia's Jancsó biography offers this overview:
In the late 1990s, Jancsó's career revived with a series of improvised low-budget films that were witty and self-deprecating. As well as doing relatively well at the Hungarian box office for art house fare, these films have been popular with a new generation of younger viewers. The success of The Lord's Lantern in Budapest has led to a succession of Pepe and Kapa films (six so far, the last in 2006 at the age of 85). Although all of these films are rooted in the present, recent ones have also seen Jancsó return to his earlier love of historical themes, including depictions of the Holocaust and Hungary's devastating defeat to the Ottomans in 1526, usually in the context of criticising Hungarians for not understanding the meaning of their own history. These films are highly popular among young cinephiles, mainly for the post-modernist, contemporary approach to filmmaking, the black, absurd humour and the appearance of several popular alternative and/or underground bands and persons.
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
The BFI's new trailer has just gone live.
- knives
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Re: Deep End
Well that's better then I've ever seen. Looks brand new in fact and also answers the aspect ration question, I'll assume the TCM was matted. It's almost unrecognizable BFI did such a good job cleaning up. Thanks.
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
Credit where it's due - the new HD master was actually created by European rightsholders Bavaria Film from original 35mm materials.
But you're right about it looking stunning: after decades of dodgy 16mm-sourced pirate VHSes and DVD-Rs (my own copy has Italian subtitles, presumably sourced from an off-air recording), it is indeed almost unrecognisable.
Oh, and I raised the subject of Deep End with Jerzy Skolimowski during last night's Essential Killing Q&A, and he said that he was absolutely delighted that it was getting such a high-profile revival, and assured us that it was "definitely in his top three or four".
But you're right about it looking stunning: after decades of dodgy 16mm-sourced pirate VHSes and DVD-Rs (my own copy has Italian subtitles, presumably sourced from an off-air recording), it is indeed almost unrecognisable.
Oh, and I raised the subject of Deep End with Jerzy Skolimowski during last night's Essential Killing Q&A, and he said that he was absolutely delighted that it was getting such a high-profile revival, and assured us that it was "definitely in his top three or four".
- NABOB OF NOWHERE
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Re: Deep End
To quote Patrick McGoohan..'Who is number 1?'MichaelB wrote:Credit where it's due - the new HD master was actually created by European rightsholders Bavaria Film from original 35mm materials.
But you're right about it looking stunning: after decades of dodgy 16mm-sourced pirate VHSes and DVD-Rs (my own copy has Italian subtitles, presumably sourced from an off-air recording), it is indeed almost unrecognisable.
Oh, and I raised the subject of Deep End with Jerzy Skolimowski during last night's Essential Killing Q&A, and he said that he was absolutely delighted that it was getting such a high-profile revival, and assured us that it was "definitely in his top three or four".
- MichaelB
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Re: Deep End
Essential Killing.
He introduced it last night by saying it was his best film, so naturally I opened the Q&A afterwards by asking him why. He replied that it was the only film he ever made on which he had absolute creative control and can honestly claim complete responsibility for every square millimetre of footage.
His worst was The Adventures of Gerard, for the record, and I know he's none too keen on King, Queen Knave or Torrents of Spring either. He also concedes that Ferdydurke ended up proving that his favourite writer Witold Gombrowicz was unfilmable - at the very least, the film should have been in Polish, as translating it into English made it worse. (He himself used the word 'Europudding' in a recent interview!)
He introduced it last night by saying it was his best film, so naturally I opened the Q&A afterwards by asking him why. He replied that it was the only film he ever made on which he had absolute creative control and can honestly claim complete responsibility for every square millimetre of footage.
His worst was The Adventures of Gerard, for the record, and I know he's none too keen on King, Queen Knave or Torrents of Spring either. He also concedes that Ferdydurke ended up proving that his favourite writer Witold Gombrowicz was unfilmable - at the very least, the film should have been in Polish, as translating it into English made it worse. (He himself used the word 'Europudding' in a recent interview!)
- NABOB OF NOWHERE
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Re: Deep End
Any chance of this Q&A being available to us geographically challenged?
- davidprice
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Re: Deep End
+1!NABOB OF NOWHERE wrote:Any chance of this Q&A being available to us geographically challenged?