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Keaton
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:31 am
Location: Wuppertal, Germany

#1 Post by Keaton » Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:07 pm

Arn777 wrote:According to their recent catalogue, they plan to release Steam BoatBill Jr and The College
Thanks. As it seems, MK2 will release all of Keatons work. Found something here: http://www.joehisaishi.net/enquetes/enq ... lerama.htm
It's in french, and a bit translation (with a bad translator tool, sorry) shows: "...After the full-length films of Charlie Chaplin and recently Métropolis, of Fritz Lang, it is on the point of republishing, from here 2006, the integral of films of Buster Keaton in restored version...." I could cry :)

Now I received a direct answer from MK2 about their plans to release Keaton films, and they said that they will release the following ones on DVD this year:
Battling butler (le dernier round)
Navigator
Go west
Our hospitality
Seven chances
Sherlock Jr
Le caméraman
Spite marriage
3 ages (already out)
Steam Boatbill Jr
College

Nothing about Saphead or his shorts, maybe 2006.

A small update on their Keaton disks and his Short films: they "will add Keaton shorts as extras with others extra features

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Arn777
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#2 Post by Arn777 » Tue Feb 22, 2005 10:22 am

Loves of a blonde hasn't been released yet. There won't be a full commentary track on it, only a few scenes analysed, by a French critic I guess.
I just got their new catalogue, future releases will include a Fritz Lang box (no titles announced), a Tarkovski one (no titles specified, but would be great if they could include the Chris marker documentary), amogst others (Griffith and Murnau).

The Forman films are now listed on the MK2 website, with commentary tracks by Forman on both films. They may well be in French though. And although Amazon list Saraband for next Tuesday it looks like it has been pushed back by a few months.

Coming out this week is 'Coming Apart' from Milton Moses Ginsberg, early 70's but was only released last year in Paris.

'Joe Glazer, a psychoanalyst in New York, separates form his pregnant wife. He rents a bachelor pad in which he conceals a movie camera and films the unbridled sex life he leads in order to forget his painful break-up. In the beginning, he thinks he can control the situation by manipulating the fragility and the needs of some of these women - patients, mistresses, neighbors, passers-by, one night stands... but, slowly, he sinks into sexual decadence and psychological decay... '

The few articles I read about it, kind of make it a precursor to reality TV shows like Big Brother, for the fly on the wall aspect.

It sounds quite mad though and I will get it, but I was wondering if anybody here can comment on it?

I have just received the Bresson Box. As announced, the films are subtitled in English, German, Spanish and Italian and the supplements are subtitled in English. Will check picture/sound tonight.

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ellipsis7
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#3 Post by ellipsis7 » Fri Mar 18, 2005 10:09 am

I'd be very interested to here this report, but as PICKPOCKET is due from the CC soon, and LE PROCES DE JEANNE D'ARC sometime in the future, and L'ARGENT coming shortly from AE, I may just stick with my tape copies and wait a while to accumulate these titles otherwise...

Doug Cummings
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#4 Post by Doug Cummings » Sat Mar 19, 2005 2:41 am

http://www.dvdrama.com/fiche.php?4975&o ... =menu&pm=0

You can click or wait for the ad to disappear.

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Arn777
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#5 Post by Arn777 » Sat Mar 19, 2005 6:29 am

Yes Pickpocket and Jeanne look fine, but L'Argent is sadly a bit soft.

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ellipsis7
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#6 Post by ellipsis7 » Sat Mar 19, 2005 7:17 am

L'Argent is sadly a bit soft
I wonder - the VHS copy I recorded off FilmFour is also a tad soft - so maybe there's a problem with the source material, or maybe it is intentional (like Godard's UNE FEMME EST UN FEMME)...

leo goldsmith
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#7 Post by leo goldsmith » Sat Mar 19, 2005 1:54 pm

I've seen L'argent on film and it looked pretty sharp to my eyes.

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Gordon
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:03 am

#8 Post by Gordon » Sat Mar 19, 2005 6:56 pm

Nice 1.66:1 windowboxing on Trial of Joan of Arc.
Last edited by Gordon on Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Doug Cummings
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#9 Post by Doug Cummings » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:04 pm

Arn777, where did you order from? I know several people who pre-ordered the set from Amazon.fr, and it still hasn't shipped and they changed the release date to 23 Mars today.

Funn, since MK2 have been theatrically screening the films to coincide with the DVD release.

amateurist
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 3:05 pm

#10 Post by amateurist » Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:17 am

Can someone who purchased MK2's DVD of The General comment on the Hishaishi score? What sort of instrumentation does it use? Does it emphasize the comedy or the drama, or is it sensitive to the films unusual mix of the two?

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Arn777
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#11 Post by Arn777 » Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:51 am

I ordered it directly on the MK2 website. Although my previous orders with them had free shipping to the UK (a bug in their website), this time they charged me for shipping, but only 6 euros for DHL courier and I received it on the release date.

Watched L'Argent last night, and the transfer is actually quite good. The suplements are not great, bit of interviews with Bresson which are nice to have, The Models of Pickpockets is a good doc though.

As for the Hishaishi score on The General, I really like it, it is very subtle, not over emphatic and suits the film well IMO.

Doug Cummings
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#12 Post by Doug Cummings » Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:28 am

Doesn't the "bits of interviews" include his entire press conference at Cannes (seen partially in The Road to Bresson)? Stuff like that is priceless. It would've been nice to have a critical commentary or two, though. (Have to wait for the New Yorker L'Argent for that.)

The Models of Pickpocket is a great essay film and an excellent feature-length supplement; I'm really glad to see it in there.

Too bad MK2 doesn't ship to the US.

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Michael Kerpan
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#13 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:42 am

You needn't order from MK2 -- you can order from FNAC or Alapage. In this case, Alapage might be cheaper (IIRC).

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Arn777
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#14 Post by Arn777 » Tue Mar 22, 2005 12:20 pm

Yes but Fnac currently shows a 4-8 days delay (Alapage lists it as available within 2 to 9 days), which means they don't have it in stock and will have to get it from MK2 (or a third party distributor) first, the price is the same (€60) and shipping charges tend to be higher, and I'd rather give my money directly to MK2 than to Fnac [as I would prefer to pay MoC £15 directly for their dvds than give it to Play.com or Amazon] and I got it on the release date.
Doesn't the "bits of interviews" include his entire press conference at Cannes (seen partially in The Road to Bresson)? Stuff like that is priceless
Sadly the press conference is not there, it was announced but has been pulled off. I agree it would have been great. There are a few interviews for TV, one of which at Cannes 'directed' by Bresson himself, answering Daney and Toubiana.

Oh, and I didn't realise MK2 did not ship outside of Europe, that's too bad.

Doug Cummings
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#15 Post by Doug Cummings » Tue Mar 22, 2005 12:31 pm

Rats, that is a big disappointment. Any other differences between what was announced and what actually ended up in the box set?

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Arn777
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#16 Post by Arn777 » Tue Mar 22, 2005 12:59 pm

No I think that's it. from memory, Procès de Jeanne D'arc has an interview with Florence Delay going back on location (recently filmed for a Christian TV programme), and an interview with a very famous french historian about Jeanne d'Arc, Pickpocket has the same features as announced by Artificial Eye, and L'argent two 6 minutes interviews with Bresson, a very short statement from Duras (sadly 1 pointless minute) and the original trailer (scenes from ATM machines that were cut from the film, a very minimalistic trailer but good to have it).

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glueman
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#17 Post by glueman » Tue Mar 22, 2005 1:06 pm

amateurist wrote:Can someone who purchased MK2's DVD of The General comment on the Hishaishi score? What sort of instrumentation does it use? Does it emphasize the comedy or the drama, or is it sensitive to the films unusual mix of the two?

Hishaishi's score is orchestral (presented in 5.1), and is as renovative as the picture quality. The MK2 disc also has Robert Israel's score from 1995, in mono, but I can't think why.

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Arn777
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#18 Post by Arn777 » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:51 pm

I read a brief review in Liberation today, stating that Mylene Bresson had been involved in approving the MK2 Bresson dvds (transfers and features), the article seemed to imply that she didn't want any critical analysis included. Gaumont as ususal delayed the released of their Bresson box that was due on Tuesday, Fnac now states a late May release, but it looks like it won't appear until the Autumn at the earliest (and the reason for the delays is certainly not to add any subtitles, but maybe to add supplements).

To go back to MK2 topic, it seems that Saraband now has a release date of June 22nd, with a 45 minutes making-of. No details on subtitkes yet though.

Doug Cummings
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#19 Post by Doug Cummings » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:07 pm

Mylène was involved with this release, and she does indeed have very definite opinions as to what should and shouldn't be included on DVDs--usually emphasizing the latter.

Thanks for the heads up on the Liberation article.

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ellipsis7
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#20 Post by ellipsis7 » Thu Mar 24, 2005 4:25 pm

Interesting short piece... Will she allow a Schrader commentary track I wonder?...

Other info: MK2 plan to release Kiarostami's FIVE on DVD at year end...

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ellipsis7
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#21 Post by ellipsis7 » Thu Mar 24, 2005 5:37 pm

a running commentary by Paul Schrader especially undesirable
Are you familiar with TRANSCENDENTAL STYLE IN FILM? (Schrader on Bresson, Ozu, Dreyer) pub. 1972 so Bresson would have been well aware of this seminal work....

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Michael Kerpan
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#22 Post by Michael Kerpan » Thu Mar 24, 2005 7:56 pm

I question whether Schrader's book can be consdiered "seminal" -- it was simply the master's thesis of a bright but not not very experienced film student. ;~}

Doug Cummings
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#23 Post by Doug Cummings » Fri Mar 25, 2005 1:51 am

While sound is paramount in any Bresson film (even more than others), the idea of a commentary certainly doesn't offend me. Just make sure you watch the film itself a dozen times before you listen to whatever critic is included.

Schrader's book could really only be considered "seminal" in that it was one of the few critical studies of Bresson in English for many, many years. It is quite interesting but has its faults...and should definitely be considered in light of all of the French commentary on Bresson, at least. Now that Quandt's tome is available, I would recommend it or even Joe Cunneen's much more introductory (but also admirably comprehensive) book before I would Schrader's.

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ellipsis7
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#24 Post by ellipsis7 » Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:12 am

Certainly I would second those comments about James Quandt's (ed.) excellent book ROBERT BRESSON... However TRANSCENDENTAL STYLE (1972) is the work of a (then) young working film critic driven by personal passion as well as professional interest... Even Schrader would distance himself (now) from some his positions (then), but it remains an important book in terms of its time, its subject and its author... No doubt it will inform the upcoming commentary by Schrader on the CC PICKPOCKET disc (after all he's lifted the ending both for AMERICAN GIGOLO and LIGHT SLEEPER)... This in particular, I suspect, will tell us as much about Schrader as Bresson, which will make an interesting variant on the usual commentary track... He will also no doubt draw on his earlier (1969) two part review of PICKPOCKET for the L.A. Free Press...


Incidentally, listening to Cowie's commentary on COUNTRY PRIEST, if you've read Quandt's book, you can tell that Cowie has it close at hand - a lot of stuff is lifted from that source, with a smattering of references to TRANSCENDENTAL STYLE...

Finally, Doug C, surely the fact that 3 of the 4 Masters of Cinema miscrosites are dedicated to Ozu, Bresson and Dreyer implicitly acknowledges the influence of Schrader's work?

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Michael Kerpan
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#25 Post by Michael Kerpan » Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:12 am

I can only judge Schrader's Ozu analysis with any degree of assurance -- and I found it extremely misguided. People with more expertise as to Dreyer and Bresson would have to assess whether his understanding of these directors was any better.

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