Oscilloscope Pictures

[SpiderBaby]

I'll buy this either way, but I'll buy it extra hard if it's a blu

count me in as well.

[manicsounds]

dvdbeaver on "Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale" w/"Santa Claus Conquers The Martians"

"...Martians" looks unrestored, by the way.

[Oscilloscope]

dvdbeaver on "Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale" w/"Santa Claus Conquers The Martians"

"...Martians" looks unrestored, by the way.

We had approached the Cineteca di Bologna about a proper restoration but they couldn't fit it into their schedule. We're still holding out hope that a pristine print turns up in an archive in Buenos Aires, at which point, we'll ensure that later reissues of the DVD represent this best possible version.

Oscilloscope

[zombeaner]

I watched it today (review at Twitch), and Martians looks beat to shit, but it hardly distracts from the ridiculousness of the film.

[domino harvey]

(Via email, not officially announced yet) Circle of Trust subscriptions now only $99. Existing Circle of Trust members who paid the old rate get their subscriptions extended an extra five DVDs

[Sarky]

(Via email, not officially announced yet) Circle of Trust subscriptions now only $99. Existing Circle of Trust members who paid the old rate get their subscriptions extended an extra five DVDs

Sounds like a solid investment especially if We Can't Go Home Again/Don't Expect Too Much, We Need To Talk About Kevin and Wuthering Heights are in the next 10 releases (the last one is probably a bit much). I'll be signing up fairly soon.

[domino harvey]

Boy, Bellflower's kind of a hard film for me to deal with: It's impressively made, especially when considering its budget, and undeniably has a vision of sorts. But these characters are so gratingly self-destructive (and outwardly destructive), and I could not really handle where the film went in its final act, particularly the highly disturbing hasty exit of one character near the end. I guess there's something to be said for a film that can still unnerve me, but is being uncomfortable a good thing?

[Cold Bishop]

I personally think it forms something of a trilogy with Super and Drive... and unlike those other films, it doesn't give in to the pop-culture self-mythologizing.

Maybe the most impressive American indie debut since Shotgun Stories and Frownland. I plan on writing on it more when I get my hands on the DVD.

[matrixschmatrix]

The AVClub discussion of it mentioned some significant and unpleasant misogyny- did you guys see that in there?

[Cold Bishop]

I certainly think it's about misogyny, but I really can't believe the film's endorsing the leads. There's certainly some ambiguity, I guess, in just how strongly (and successfully) the film enters the P.O.V. of its lead... and Evan Glodell has one of the strongest understanding of male insecurity and it's ravages since Scorsese-Schrader-DeNiro were working together... and I guess there's something to be said of it's characterization of the female lead; but, man, no one comes out looking good here.

It certainly posits Glodell as a talent to watch: his understanding of narcissistic self-loathing here is enough that I could see him lapsing into narcissistic self-loathing if he's not careful. In fact, there's shades of Bufallo '66 here, especially in Glodell casting himself. Then again, another Vincent Gallo wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

[tavernier]

Then again, another Vincent Gallo wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

yes it would

[Cold Bishop]

Then again, another Vincent Gallo wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

yes it would

Well, film-wise . Nothing I've seen from Glodell has shown the same sort of shameless self-promotion.

[criterionsnob]

Oscilloscope Streaming

[domino harvey]

They're soon going to just start paying us to be CoT Members:

- All Circle of Trust members receive one complimentary stream of each film made available via Stream-O-Vision.
- Films will be available for $4.99 for a 48-hour viewing period (viewing period begins when you start playing the film).
- Most films will be available in HD (SD-only films will be available for $3.99).
- If you decide to buy a DVD or Blu-ray after streaming it, the cost of the stream will be discounted from the DVD purchase price. The same goes for new COT subscriptions.
- Stream-O-Vision will be compatible with both PC and Mac and available on new-fangled gadgets such as iPad and iPhone, plus many yet to be invented devices currently in development in the Labs' Tinkering Room.
- New Stream-O-Vision films will be added on a regular basis.

[MyNameCriterionForum]

Wow, Bellflower sucked. One privileged-kid-film-geek trope after another: white sunglasses, dialog like "I'm feeling it", shitty twinky indie soundtrack, playing dress-up in stupid thrift store costumes, actors whose facial hair and smoking makes them look like 12-year-olds on Halloween instead of grown men, unusually attractive girls inexplicably hanging around, the importance of male-female relationships above all other ideas, etc.

All they did here was toss a little Survival Research Labs into a Judd Apatow film, photographed it like a rock video from 1997, then fucked the extras and called it a day.

[Cold Bishop]

One privileged-kid-film-geek trope after another: white sunglasses, dialog like "I'm feeling it", shitty twinky indie soundtrack, playing dress-up in stupid thrift store costumes, actors whose facial hair and smoking makes them look like 12-year-olds on Halloween instead of grown men, unusually attractive girls inexplicably hanging around, the importance of male-female relationships above all other ideas, etc.

So close, but a miss. This isn't an inaccurate description, but you're ignoring the self-awareness (and criticism) of it all. Overgrown man-boys who put women on all a pedestal is what the film is all about, but I really think you're hard-pressed to call it an endorsement. Of course, this isn't something like Pleasures of the Flesh: Glodell understands and relates to his characters perhaps a little too well. But, I'm more forgiving of that than most: messy subject matter is going to lead to messy films, and filmmakers need to be free to explore them nonetheless.

I was having a conversation with someone about it week or so ago, and I really wish I could re-transcribe it in more depth, but it really takes everything that's implicit (and offensive) in so many indie romances, like 500 Days of Summer (or, yes, many Apatow films) and makes it terribly explicit. It's also something of an anti-mumblecore, which is why I can stomach the lo-fi aesthetic, when I usually find that sort of thing obnoxious.

[antnield]

The Digital Fix on The Other F Word.

[manicsounds]

I've noticed a lot of Oscilloscope releases have recently been priced down to $19.99 or $14.99 SRP. Can get them for much less at many places.

[Jazzkammer]

Can anyone perhaps give me some encouraging reasons to watch Bellflower? This girl that I really like that's in a film club I'm in told me it was her favourite film of last year (along with Drive), and she suggested I watch it. I want to watch it, to impress her, but judging from the comments here, and the comments on youtube trailer ("this movie kicks so much ass!" is a red flag to me), I have a hard time imagining I will even remotely enjoy the film.

[Brian C]

Can anyone perhaps give me some encouraging reasons to watch Bellflower? This girl that I really like that's in a film club I'm in told me it was her favourite film of last year...

You're going to take the word of a few strangers over this girl you really like? I don't think it's going to work out between you two.

[Cold Bishop]

The worst thing about liking the film is the possibility of being accused of being a misogynist, and... well... I don't think that's going to happen in this instance.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Can anyone perhaps give me some encouraging reasons to watch Bellflower?

Just watch the movie and discuss it with her. That's a great way to learn more about a person. If needed, look back a page or two because domino here had some great comments on it. I believe mfunk did as well. If all else fails, just bond over Drive. Or watch Bronson or Valhalla Rising and ask her if those were favorites as well.

[JFarnsworth]

Psst there's a big sale on Oscilloscope DVDs and Blu-rays on Fab.com, just sayin' (registration required)

[manicsounds]

Oscilloscope Pictures has announced DVD ($29.99) and Blu-ray ($34.99) releases of We Need to Talk About Kevin for May 29th. Extras will include extra footage from the famous "La Tomatina" Tomato festival in Spain, an interview with author Lionel Shriver, 2 featurettes ("Behind the Scenes of Kevin", "In Conversation - Telluride Film Festival Honors Tilda Swinton"), the original theatrical trailer, and an exclusive essay by psychologist Mark Stafford.

[salad]

I'm hoping that 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' warrants a blu-ray edition