Robert Altman

[domino harvey]

Preminger's ROSEBUD.

Out in a pretty good R2 DVD, you know

[justeleblanc]

Preminger's ROSEBUD.

Out in a pretty good R2 DVD, you know

I forgot about that. Though it looks like the aspect ratio is off, cropping the top and bottom. It's supposed to be 2.35:1 and its 2.44:1.

[Perkins Cobb]

Is that a joke? How on earth could you notice a difference of .09 on a consumer entertainment system?

[jorencain]

I just watched the Warner's bare-bones "Brewster McCloud," which certainly looked acceptable. I've never seen the film before and am so glad I've finally been able to. It's completely hilarious and off-the-wall, but it's still very obviously an Altman film. The movie provides another example of an amazingly dense soundtrack of dialogue, music, radio broadcasts, etc. There are a million great moments throughout.

One thing I'm wondering: does anyone think that Virginia Madsen's character in "A Prairie Home Companion" is at all a reference/homage to this film? Both she and Sally Kellerman were blonde, trenchcoat-wearing angels of death, and I was immediately reminded of the later film when I watched this.

Anyway, the film definitely deserves better treatment on DVD, but I'm just happy to have finally seen it.

[knives]

Finally saw Brewster, thank you TCM, and it may be my new favorite Altman (need to rewatch Secret Honor). I think I died temporarily during the wicked witch's scene and it's not even the best of the movie. what was really amazing for me is how terrible the movie it is when looking at what films are supposed to be (even by Altman's very loose standards), but it's still an absolute success. Every poor decision, every out of place action, every mood whiplash, the score is putrid, just everything works because it doesn't. Now I'm really upset that this got relegated to hell while even California Split managed a DVD release.

[tojoed]

Now I'm really upset that this got relegated to hell while even California Split managed a DVD release.

Really? I think California Split is Altman's greatest film, whereas Brewster is one of his worst. You described a terrible film and then said how good it was.
But I'm glad Warner's released it, because people can see for themselves. When it was difficult to see, I think a lot of people assumed it was some sort of unreleased masterpiece. I know Robert Altman himself liked it, but I thought he was the only one.

[Matt]

Now I'm really upset that this got relegated to hell while even California Split managed a DVD release.

Well, if it's any consolation, California Split was only in print for a matter of months and now can't be had for less than $24.

I get being disappointed that a film doesn't get a full special-featured release on a pressed DVD is a disappointment, but is a professionally-made anamorphic DVD-R with a real case and a cover based on original poster art, which is currently available at 30% off with free shipping, really hell? What I wouldn't give for Cabaret or Star 80 to get such awful treatment from Warner Bros.

[knives]

Guess I should have kept Dr. T as my example. I understand what you're saying though, but paying twenty dollars for something that really should only cost six, maybe ten, comes across, well this has already been hashed out enough times on this board. I just wish they'd either make these releases reasonably priced or put them on discs that don't fall apart within five years.

Now I'm really upset that this got relegated to hell while even California Split managed a DVD release.

Really? I think California Split is Altman's greatest film, whereas Brewster is one of his worst. You described a terrible film and then said how good it was.

Firstly in defense for my odd position I generally have an odd position on Altman's films (I'd tie Short Cuts with California Split though neither are bad for example). As for me describing a bad film but announcing a great one, as this film is a comedy and the terrible aspects aid in that comedy, specifically the satire. I feel that those terrible aspects are a success and are only terrible because by themselves you'd have to be insane to use them, but together they make a thoughtful hilarious experience. I think a lot of this is important for the ending to work. There has to be no emotional expectation or resolve and the only way to make this work beyond turning it into a short is to have the preceding movie a giant question mark. Maybe I haven't been clear enough, but I hope that clears up what I meant (and I really regret listing California Split).

[tojoed]

I think I see what you mean, it just doesn't work for me. When Altman's methods succeed,there's no-one like him, he's one of the best. When they don't, there's really nothing ordinary or conventional about them to fall back on and they collapse.
My real surprise was that you don't seem to like "California Split", which makes me sad. I really thought everyone loved it, but each to his own.

[Feego]

I must say that I find Brewster McCloud a delight as well, although it is far from my favorite Altman. Interestingly, I've seen every 70s Altman film except California Split, and the only post-70s Altman films I've seen are Popeye and The Player. My position on Altman may seem unconventional, as I consider Popeye supremely underrated and The Player, while enjoyable, a tad overrated. The worst that I've seen from him by far is Buffalo Bill and the Indians, a film that didn't work for me on any level, followed by A Perfect Couple, a film that worked in places (particularly the lead performances) but not as a whole.

If I had to rank the Altmans I've seen, they'd be:
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
3 Women
Nashville
Images
Thieves Like Us
Popeye
A Wedding
The Long Goodbye
Brewster McCloud
The Player
MASH
Quintet
A Perfect Couple
Buffalo Bill and the Indians

[tojoed]

I agree with you about "Buffalo Bill" and "Popeye", but I've never been able to see anything in "3 Women", which seems to go haywire after the first reel.
If you have to pay $25 or $30 for "California Split", I'd strongly advise it. If by some chance you don't care for it, I'd gladly buy it from you for whatever it cost. I can always find a good home for it.

[MoonlitKnight]

BTW, his made-for-cable film "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" is one of titles released among the first batch of Sony on-demand DVDs. I believe now that leaves only "That Cold Day in the Park," "H.E.A.L.T.H.," "Come Back to the Five and Dime" as not yet getting the DVD treatment.

[knives]

Somebody has found and uploaded Altman's first film as director. It's fairly average, but it is still nice to have.

[Jeff]

Somebody has found and uploaded Altman's first film as director. It's fairly average, but it is still nice to have.

I love educational/industrial shorts from this era, and knew that Altman made a ton of them for The Calvin Company in the the early 50s. Modern Football is a wonderful find. Here's a little more on its discovery.

[whipsilk]

In my quest to have a truly complete Altman collection, I've been looking at the Region 0 PAL dvd of That Cold Day in the Park, released in Australia by Force Video around 2005-6. Can anyone tell me if it's the OAR, or is it a chopped-down version in 4:3?

As much as I'd love to have Health (yah, I know, it's actually H.E.A.L.T.H. - for some reason that version of the title annoys me in a way M.A.S.H. doesn't) in a reasonable version, I somehow think we may never see it on commercial DVD. It was, after all, only released for a week in NY and LA (by 20th Century Fox), then permanently pulled by the studio, almost never to resurface.

Finally, does anyone know if there are any plans to release a remastered (blu-ray, please) Nashville? The ancient 2000 Paramount version certainly shows its age, and although it's incredibly cheap (yah, it's still in print!), its washed-out colors and slightly fuzzy image don't to justice to this American classic, arguably one of the greatest films of the 1970s. How I would love for Criterion to pick this up from Paramount!

[Forrest Taft]

That Cold Day in the Park is a terrible looking, cropped version I'm afraid. Out of curiosity, have you managed to track down any of the filmed plays he did for television in the 80s? Been looking for those for years, hoping for an Eclipse set, but no such luck...

[stereo]

A truly complete Altman collection is difficult indeed once you start collecting his TV work and Calvin Co. films; I've been working on this for years. I managed to obtain Two by South, Black and Blue, and The Real Mcteague and Mcteague opera after great efforts. I have most of his early TV work now, ads, and Scopitones, which can prove elusive; some of them are on YT. The Laundromat (HBO) still proves elusive as does Pot au feu. That Cold Day in the Park is a truly awful DVD though.

[beamish13]

A truly complete Altman collection is difficult indeed once you start collecting his TV work and Calvin Co. films; I've been working on this for years. I managed to obtain Two by South, Black and Blue, and The Real Mcteague and Mcteague opera after great efforts. I have most of his early TV work now, ads, and Scopitones, which can prove elusive; some of them are on YT. The Laundromat (HBO) still proves elusive as does Pot au feu. That Cold Day in the Park is a truly awful DVD though.

You're in luck with THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK. UCLA is in the process of restoring it, and it will tour in 2013.

I'd love to see TWO BY SOUTH. Are you willing to trade?

[tarpilot]

Out of curiosity, have you managed to track down any of the filmed plays he did for television in the 80s? Been looking for those for years, hoping for an Eclipse set, but no such luck...

There's a cruddy rip of his filming of Pinter's The Dumb Waiter floating around, worth seeing if only for John Travolta's atrocious attempt at a British accent

[stereo]

Both The Room and The Dumb Waiter had VHS releases. The Dumb Waiter is the one with Travolta, not The Room.
http://www.learmedia.ca/product_info.ph ... cts_id/124
http://www.amazon.com/The-Dumb-Waiter-J ... B000MRTVNS

[tarpilot]

Haha, whoops!

[SamLowry]

My list of best to worst of those I've seen:

Nashville
Gosford Park
MASH
The Player
3 Women
Come Back To The Five & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
The Long Goodbye
A Wedding
Short Cuts
Thieves like Us
California Split
Streamers
A Prairie Home Companion
That Cold Day In The Park
Brewster McCloud
Popeye
Kansas City
The Deliquents
Vincent & Theo
Dr. T & The Women

[matrixschmatrix]

Haha, my list is basically

The Long Goodbye
Secret Honor




everything else

[knives]

Now's a good time to say I can't stand MASH, yes?

[matrixschmatrix]

I grew up watching the TV show, so watching the movie was just too disconcerting to work properly for me. I've also never gotten entirely on board with the Altman overlapping-dialog-I-can't-understand thing, though I'm inconsistent in how much it bugs me.