Douglas Sirk

[domino harvey]

Just broke in the Samuel Fuller Collection with Shockproof and wow, what a noir masterpiece! All the hoary conventions of the genre are there, but with Fuller's novelty and Sirk's total control of the mise-en-scene making every familiar tone ring true. Just goes to show that no matter how many great noirs there are out there on the market now, there's a hundred more sitting unreleased in the vaults

[domino harvey]

I loved the transitional edits (two that come to mind immediately are Knight's large hat at the opening and later the bus schedule)-- it's a seaming device I don't recall in other Sirk films, but maybe I've just forgotten them. They add such grace to the proceedings!

[Ben Cheshire]

Even on material, like WOTW which schreck and others have trouble with here ...

I can't back it up via rational arguments, but I adore Written on the Wind. I don't know precisely what it is about it, but for some reason I can never find a Sirk I like better than it, at a gut level.

Anyway, I hope it looks better in high def and not worse, a la Its a Wonderful Life, and I hope its the first Sirk to come.

[Knappen]

Released today (I left Paris three days ago, darn it!)

[tenia]

This, combined with the 7 movies from Allan Dwan boxset, and I don't already have money left for the rest of the month.

But that's money well spent.

[John Cope]

Thought you guys might enjoy seeing this. I debated about arguing the case for Borzage and John Stahl but then figured, why bother?

[Highway 61]

Thought you guys might enjoy seeing this. I debated about arguing the case for Borzage and John Stahl but then figured, why bother?

You've got to send a better warning before linking to Wells. He is to film what Free Republic is to politics, and I'm sure to be irate for at least a day or two after reading just one paragraph of that.

[Murdoch]

Maybe this is just my cynicism getting the best of me again, but it seems like all of the film blogging I've come across is this same sort of dreck where some guy with a soapbox shouts to the whole world how he thinks so-and-so is bad simply because everybody else "wants you to think he's good" or something along those lines. This Wells character uses that scene as an example of why Sirk's overrated or bad or whatever but that scene is utterly captivating and so vibrant that I'm clueless as to how someone could think the opposite.

Never heard of Wells before and I'm going to actively avoid him from now on, blech.

[jsteffe]

Maybe this is just my cynicism getting the best of me again, but it seems like all of the film blogging I've come across is this same sort of dreck where some guy with a soapbox shouts to the whole world how he thinks so-and-so is bad simply because everybody else "wants you to think he's good" or something along those lines. [...]

Luckily there are some fine bloggers out there, too. Check out Self-Styled Siren. She also lists some other blogs worth exploring.

I agree, though, that post on Sirk was transparent attention-seeking. It's one thing to dislike Sirk--some very smart people I know do--but at least try to make yourself sound articulate when you're bashing a canonical figure!

[John Cope]

Glenn Kenny and The Siren waste their breath for us.

[Cinetwist]

Thank God for Mr Kenny indeed. I only scanned that awful drivel and a couple of the comments and I'm absolutely fuming.

I get riled too easily. But it scares me that my generation is going to entirly dismiss and revile Sirk.

[Cash Flagg]

Scharphedin2 (or a mod), you might want to add the Madman R2 discs of Taza and No Room for the Groom. There's also a Suevia Films (Spain) disc of Sleep, My Love. Speaking of the latter, does anyone here have an opinion on it? I've been debating purchasing the DVD, but I'm not sure if it's worth the $25 price tag.

[perkizitore]

It's only 8 euros at DVDgo and Starscafe.

[Gregory]

I can't comment on the Spanish DVD (I have the German one) but the film itself is better than its reputation might generally lead one to believe. Personally, I find it quite interesting to see Sirk do a mystery/suspense film (Lured is another, of course), and a gothic women's picture in particular. It does seem he didn't feel completely at home in the story, and his main concern was Colbert's character per se. Looking beyond the story, the film is closely related to many of Sirk's foremost thematic concerns, and it's full of Sirkian touches.
If you were only asking about the quality of the DVD, none of this will be any help.

[Cash Flagg]

Thanks for your comments on the film Gregory. As far as the actual DVD goes, does anyone know if the Spanish subs are removable?

EDIT: They are. I went ahead and ordered it from Starscafe.

[rockysds]

"To New Shores" seems to be a similar situation as the recent "La nuit du carrefour" dvd from Video Dimensions. Has anyone seen/bought this release?

[Hofmeister]

Just took delivery of the new release of SIGN OF THE PAGAN (1954). It's from Koch Media Germany, R2 PAL, SSDL 6.82 GB. Upon cursory inspection the transfers seem okay although Koch have done better (and worse).

The good news is that it contains both the CinemaScope and the Academy version, which do differ a bit in set-ups and editing, thus refuting the assumption that one was derived from the other. Scope runs 88m22s, Academy 88m32s (3.48 and 3.18GB, respectively). Also on board are two trailers (one German, one English) and a gallery.

However, there is one piece of very bad news in that the scope version is not anamorphic. This is contrary to the label's press release (see also http://www.kochmedia-film.de/dvd/detail ... nenkoenig/).

Should this release somehow be cross-referenced to the thread "Aspect Ratio discussion for Magnificent Obsession"? SIGN OF THE PAGAN was mentioned in that thread a few times. [Edit: Went there, did that.]

[evillights]

Has the "Douglas Sirk Filmmaker Collection" in the US gone out of print?

[domino harvey]

Not exactly-- the first pressing of real discs is long gone and has been replaced by burned DVD-Rs. This set is indistinguishable from the first edition without unsealing and looking at the undersides of the discs, as I discovered when I ordered it earlier this year from Movies Unlimited. It is, however, available via there or TCM (same thing) if you still want it in that state.

[evillights]

Not exactly-- the first pressing of real discs is long gone and has been replaced by burned DVD-Rs. This set is indistinguishable from the first edition without unsealing and looking at the undersides of the discs, as I discovered when I ordered it earlier this year from Movies Unlimited. It is, however, available via there or TCM (same thing) if you still want it in that state.

Thanks very much for the info. I'll throw in TO NEW SHORES and LA NUIT DU CARREFOUR while I'm at it.

[zedz]

I don't know about To New Shores, but I believe it was reported here that Carrefour is not a legit release, but just a boot of the broadcast transfer with the circulating (very good) fansubs coded in. I don't own it, so please correct me if I'm wrong, anybody who does!

[evillights]

I don't know about To New Shores, but I believe it was reported here that Carrefour is not a legit release, but just a boot of the broadcast transfer with the circulating (very good) fansubs coded in. I don't own it, so please correct me if I'm wrong, anybody who does!

Indeed. But need a copy. And happy to get behind a legit release of LA NUIT DU CARREFOUR when it seems possible.

[Cold Bishop]

I actually think its worse than the bootlegs that can be had for free on the internet.

[evillights]

I actually think its worse than the bootlegs that can be had for free on the internet.

I'm not going to watch anything on my 170ºF MacBook Pro, nor join any torrent sites for DL-then-burn.

[zedz]

Indeed. But need a copy. And happy to get behind a legit release of LA NUIT DU CARREFOUR when it seems possible.

But I don't think this is legit. I think it's just somebody selling what they've lifted from a torrent site, if what I've heard is correct.