Great news from Cult Epics! First off, coming out on May, 20:
SLOGAN
Serge (Gainsbourg) is a hip and successful film director who leaves his pregnant wife to attend the annual advertising awards festival in Venice, and enters into a passionate affair with a young British woman (Jane Birkin). This sexy satire formed the background for one of the swinging sixties' most famous real-life romances.
During the rehearsals for Pierre Grimblat's "Slogan", Serge Gainsbourg met the woman who would forever change his professional and personal life: Jane Birkin. They sang together for the first time on the film's theme-song, "The Slogan Song". After which, they recorded their version of "Je t'aime moi non plus". The song became a huge success and set the 70's on fire. Together, they lived out one of the most beautiful love stories ever. Featuring music by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin
"This was the first film where a director finally had me act as myself, just as I am!" - Serge Gainsbourg
"If it hadn't been for 'Slogan', I would never have came to France, would never have met Serge, and I would never have had the career in France that I've had. One never can tell what fate will bring, but as for me, I know for sure it would've been a heck of a lot less fun!" - Jane Birkin
"This film is the child of pop-art and the Pill." - L'Express
"Grimblat has ten ideas going on per minute." - France Soir
SLOGAN
DVD062 • $24.95 • 90 Minutes • 1969 • Color • French • Not Rated • Widescreen • Director: Pierre Grimblat * Special Features: Original French Theatrical Trailer
Lino wrote:7 FILMS BY WALERIAN BOROWZCYK (Animation)
This might just be my release of the year. Of course, I'm deeply curious about Slogan too (and won't be able to get Jane B's strained vocal on the theme song out of my head for the rest of the day) but assume it's a terrible film. Has anybody seen it?
It's a shame they couldn't slip Averty's wonderful album-length video for Histoire de Melody Nelson on there. Hunt down the R2 Gainsbourg compilation for the full gob-smacking experience.
Lino wrote:7 FILMS BY WALERIAN BOROWZCYK (Animation)
Amazing news. I saw Les Jeux des anges a few weeks ago, and it was utterly entrancing - almost like a stop-frame Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies (admittedly a rather superficial comparison). Can't wait for more - are the other animated films similar?
Tribe wrote:I just ordered (sight unseen) the Cinema of Death, Spiritual Exercises and Black Night releases. Anyone familiar with these?
I bought Spiritual Exercises, there's some excellent films on it, though I have not watched all of them yet. I'm interested in Black Night too, and will get it sometime in the future, I hope it's as thoughtful and intelligent as his short films, which I wasn't expecting....thought I was in store for something on the level of Nico B's "PIG", which I don't like much, and not sure if I will check out the Cinema of Death dvd.
Well, if you check Cult Epics front page now, it seems that the promised Borowczyks are nowhere to be seen... But, something altogether interesting has popped up as coming soon:
THE FERNANDO ARRABAL COLLECTION VOLUME 2
CAR CEMETARY/FAREWELL, BABYLON!/ARRABAL, CINEASTE
The first volume was one of the most amazing discoveries I've made in the past few years and to say that I'm greatly looking forward to this second volume, is understating it.
Goodness gracious! I'm in the same boat as you, shaped like a vagina, the Arrabal Discovery cruise, and this is excellent news. Thanks for pointing it out.
Lino wrote:Well, if you check Cult Epics front page now, it seems that the promised Borowczyks are nowhere to be seen... But, something altogether interesting has popped up as coming soon:
THE FERNANDO ARRABAL COLLECTION VOLUME 2
CAR CEMETARY/FAREWELL, BABYLON!/ARRABAL, CINEASTE
The first volume was one of the most amazing discoveries I've made in the past few years and to say that I'm greatly looking forward to this second volume, is understating it.
I would be looking forward to it as well were it not for the fact of being released by this bunch. Neither of my two versions of Viva La Muerte, from the single disc and from the boxset played at all, and despite three e-mails alerting them to the flaw they never even bothered to acknowledge my pointing out the error (I offered to return both discs, pay for postage, etc), never mind make good the fault.
Their release of Tinto Brass's The Key is also bedevilled, this time by a muffled soundtrack (like one of those old public service ads on the effects of going deaf from noise exposure at work).
Just watched Tinto Brass' Deadly Sweet. What a freaking fun, psychedelic gialli! This watches as if Seijun Suzuki had made Blow-Up...sort of a poor man's Point Blank. I love the rapid fire cuts along with the mix of black and white and color as well as the comic book arrangement of the production (the collaboration with Guido Crepax clearly led Brass to do lots of experimentation when this was made).
The disc has a commentary by Tinto Brass (I haven't listened to that yet). The picture has some ghosting and I often found the colors to look somewhat washed out at times, but all in all a very pleasant surprise.
Cult Epics is releasing Radley Metzger's Score on DVD and Blu-ray on October 26.
- New Restored High-definition Transfer
- On the Set of Score - A 25 minute Featurette with Claire Wilbur, Lynn Lowry, Cal Culver, Gerald Grant, Carl Parker and Radley Metzger
- Keeping Score with Lynn Lowry - A 20 minute Interview
- Audio Commentary Track by Michael Bowen and Radley Metzger
- Trailers
I have seen the films from the first set, and I loved them, I recently got the second set but haven't seen them yet, I got it really cheap, brand new in the used section at Amazon, total was like $25
According to Blu-Ray.com, Cult Epics is working on a Blu-Ray/DVD release of Massacre at Central High.
I've never seen this one, but I remember hearing that it was once bandied about for a Criterion release, back when they were working on their never-launched cult label. Anyone have any opinion on this title?
It was a celebrated cult film back in the day (featured in Danny Peary's first or second volume) that earnt its reputation by being: 1) a little more inventive than most of its exploitation brethren; 2) a little better directed; and 3) a rather transparent political allegory. It provides plenty of nasty fun, but its reputation for political sophistication is exaggerated.
It's also somewhat infamous for being allegedly ripped off by Heathers, though Lehrmann's film is undoubtedly superior. It also features an opening title song that will remain stuck in your head forever and ever... (I've only ever seen the film once, and I can hear it now.)
I seem to remember hearing the late Subversive Cinema were working on this one at some point? If this release actually makes it to shelves I may well get one just on principle.
