jt938 wrote: Fri Jun 27, 2025 7:43 pm
Even though it's terrible and I probably wouldn't buy it, I'd like to see VinSyn do Bonfire Of The Vanities since the bd from Warner is mediocre and the film had a 70mm blow up and has a six track which Warner did not include. A truly terrible movie but it's a gorgeous one and in need of a upgrade.
Edit: Thank you guys for the corrections.
It’s ridiculous that its deleted scenes and infamous test audience-screened ending still haven’t been released.
Morgan Freeman has shit on it and Brian De Palma for years, and Julie Salamon took him to task for showcasing racist stereotypes 20 years after Hi, Mom!
Walter Matthau was the first choice for that part, and he'd have been infinitely better.
Not to diss Morgan Freeman's talent in any way, but egregious miscasting is egregious miscasting - in the novel, the judge in a predominantly black-neighbourhood courtroom is Jewish, which means that those scenes crackle with barely suppressed racial tension throughout. Make him black, and that tension evaporates. Make him sympathetic, which the novel's judge definitely wasn't, and all those scenes fizzle out altogether.
The rethink came about because Warner Bros was worried that there wasn't a single sympathetic black character in the entire project. There wasn't a sympathetic white character either (despite Tom Hanks' best efforts), but that argument counted for nothing.
MichaelB wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:42 am
Walter Matthau was the first choice for that part, and he'd have been infinitely better.
Not to diss Morgan Freeman's talent in any way, but egregious miscasting is egregious miscasting - in the novel, the judge in a predominantly black-neighbourhood courtroom is Jewish, which means that those scenes crackle with barely suppressed racial tension throughout. Make him black, and that tension evaporates. Make him sympathetic, which the novel's judge definitely wasn't, and all those scenes fizzle out altogether.
The rethink came about because Warner Bros was worried that there wasn't a single sympathetic black character in the entire project. There wasn't a sympathetic white character either (despite Tom Hanks' best efforts), but that argument counted for nothing.
If The Devil’s Candy has one lesson, it’s this: stick with your first instinct. All of De Palma’s original casting choices were infinitely better and he knew Michael Cristofer’s script was basically unfinished
As an aside, I’ve always wanted to read Cristofer’s rejected draft of Less Than Zero, and I need to see if the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library has it
acidgoat wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 7:09 pm
I would love for them to release Daryl Duke’s Payday as well as Jerry Schatzberg’s Honeysuckle Rose.
I love both of those films. Rip Torn’s performance in the former is just stunning. Screenwriter Don Carpenter’s novels have received a big reappraisal in recent years
I agree that there’s not much I’m interested in but I’ll probably pick up Satan’s Bed, if only because of its infamy from inexplicably popping up in a taping of a Corey Feldman special.
There are just over 100 copies of Iron Angels Trilogy left, if anyone wants it, they should order ASAP.
The Card Player is the best post-Stendhal Argento film, which I know sounds like damning it with faint praise, due in large part to the two leads, Stefania Rocca and Liam Cunningham. But, like everything else VS, it is a bit too expensive, so I'll wait a year and pick it up during a sale.
beamish14 wrote: Tue Jul 01, 2025 4:08 pm
This has to be the weakest batch of VS and partner label titles ever. Naomi Kawase? Carrie 2? No, thanks.
It's on par with their usual announcements. Mostly turds with a genuine surprise/want at least once every few months. However I'm a fan of Carrie 2 but not a useless VS deluxe 4k package fan so I'll wait for a competing release to eventually come out.
It’s really been helpful that so many of their slipcovers lately have been really ugly and thus these releases are now much cheaper from Amazon without them
Glad for Pavements, was wondering if that one was ever going to get a physical release
What A Disgrace wrote: Tue Jul 01, 2025 7:20 pm
I wasn't Aware Naomi Kawase was so poorly regarded, I'm definitely excited for that, and getting Eureka and Route One USA along with Iron Angels.
I don’t know if she’s exactly “poorly regarded”, but I’m almost always left cold. I discovered her through Tom Mes’ endorsements on Midnite Eye and caught a few through an online festival, but despite the beautiful visuals, I felt no connection with her scripts
beamish14 wrote: Tue Jul 01, 2025 4:08 pm
This has to be the weakest batch of VS and partner label titles ever. Naomi Kawase? Carrie 2? No, thanks.
To be fair, six additional releases will be announced through the rest of the week, so I'm hopeful for...anything else?! At least the Deals! & respective Insane Deals sections are alight again!
Probably a missed opportunity to not offer a bundle of Pavements with Louder Than You Think, Yo(u)ngary, and maybe reissue the Pavement Brighten The Corners nightlight (RIP forever?), but I don't make the rules (......yet?)
New partner label Klubb Super 8 seems most promising, but only because, uh, sweeeeeedish :-"
