Guy Maddin

[TechnicolorAcid]

Zeitgeist has officially released a Blu-Ray of Archangel

[willoneill]

Guy Maddin was in Ottawa tonight to introduce a screening of the Archangel restoration, and during the post-screening Q&A he said that Careful is being restored next and should be out later this year.

[therewillbeblus]

Didn't he say that about Brand Upon the Brain! just a few years ago?

[Peacock]

Didn't he say that about Brand Upon the Brain! just a few years ago?

Yeah but you forget who has the rights to that one…

[willoneill]

In the case of Careful, the work is underway. They're using the original negative (which I think TIFF had in storage) and he's working with Zeitgeist to redo the colour timing; I note that because Maddin himself admitted he doesn't trust himself not to over-saturate the colours if left to his own devices. I thought that was an interesting admission considering the many debates over the years between physical media labels honouring a director's wishes vs. releasing an image as close as possible to how the films were originally seen.

[MichaelB]

The late Barney Platts-Mills said something similar about Bronco Bullfrog - he personally vastly preferred the BFI edition to the one that he authored himself because, to quote him directly, “James White knew what he was doing, and I didn’t.”

[Der Ungrund]

In the case of Careful, the work is underway. They're using the original negative (which I think TIFF had in storage) and he's working with Zeitgeist to redo the colour timing; I note that because Maddin himself admitted he doesn't trust himself not to over-saturate the colours if left to his own devices. I thought that was an interesting admission considering the many debates over the years between physical media labels honouring a director's wishes vs. releasing an image as close as possible to how the films were originally seen.

He said on the commentary for the Kino DVD that he experimented with oversaturating the colors and adding an effect where they shimmer like older 2-strip technicolor, but decided against it. I suspect he'll decide against it again.

[brundlefly]

Along with the news that U.S. distribution for Rumours has been picked up by Bleecker Street comes some details about the film: it's about a G7 summit where leaders of the member nations attempt to draft a statement while lost in the woods. Besides the previously-announced Cate Blanchett, it stars Alicia Vikander, Roy Dupuis, Charles Dance, Denis Ménochet, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rolando Ravello, Hira Takehiro, and Zlatko Burić, and it's expected to release this year.

Trailer.

[hearthesilence]

FYI he’s at Film Forum this weekend promoting the new 4K restoration of Careful and a selection of his part work.

[The Curious Sofa]

Careful was the first Maddin film I saw and may still be my favourite. I hope this means I can upgrade my DVD one of these days.

[willoneill]

Careful was the first Maddin film I saw and may still be my favourite. I hope this means I can upgrade my DVD one of these days.

I saw the restoration in Ottawa back in March (supposedly the world premiere), and it looks great. Maddin actually sat in the back of the theatre the whole time because he said he wanted to make sure it looked right in an actual cinema. He also said there plans are in the works for a blu-ray, most likely from Zeitgeist.

[MichaelB]

Although sadly a DCP's going to stay looking the same, unlike the only 35mm print in UK distribution. I saw that four times over a three-year period, and it looked better every time, as the fake damage was increasingly supplanted by the far more authentic kind.

I was lucky enough to be able to directly inform both Guy Maddin and his producer Greg Klymkiw of this (on separate occasions), and both were predictably delighted.