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One word: LISZTOMANIA.I knew this film by reputation, as well as having read Ken Russell's autobiography, A BRITISH PICTURE (North American title: ALTERED STATES), in which he claims the whole project was more or less hijacked by keyboardist Rick Wakeman, to its detriment (though I doubt it would have been a masterpiece even if Mr. Wakeman's influece had been reined in...)
Last night, my partner and I watched the first half on LD (it is only available in widescreen in that format, and I paid a pretty penny for it on eBay just 'cause I'm a completist and I *had* to have it). We had just returned from New York City and had been travelling most of the day. Before we put it on I asked him if he was ready for this, and warned him that it was pretty f*cked up judging by all accounts.
Though I got a tongue-lashing from my partner when I originally decided to invest in a used LD player ("What? ANOTHER obsolete format??"), I think he's secretly happy now because the side flip--even thought it's an automatic one lasting only a few seconds--now gives him an overture to call it quits if he doesn't like the movie. His exact words last night were "We can watch the second half tomorrow... or never."
djprobed
Follow Ups:
Grins
Jeunet
Let's see... 'Delicatessen', 'City of Lost Children', 'ALIEN: RESURRECTION'???, 'Amelie'
Still can't believe he stepped into that mess... bet he never visits Hollywood again
I didn't see Alien: Resurrection , but I thought Delicatessen , City of Lost Children and Amelie were all pretty bad.
But, when Nixon saw Patton twice, he invaded Cambodia. The power of film is amazing.
A huge disappointment.N
nada
From Bergmann to Hitch to Fellini to Truffaut to Renoir..., they may be all of the same quality or not all to my personal taste, but they all shares my deep respect and gratitute.
Though a beautiful and well made film including the best choreographed storm scene in a motion picture (it's real not actor's equity) and an impeccable performance by John Mills as the village idiot and Trevor Howard as a Padre tending his flock, this film caused the 14 year chill in the director's career. But you really have to see it in 70mm! GR
On my recently acquired LD of Russell's THE BOY FRIEND (another one only available in widescreen on that format), the notes include an explanation of how several films in production at MGM in the early 1970s were cut without the director's consent after a new studio boss took over (it was some guy from CBS). THE BOY FRIEND suffered this fate, as well as several other films including RYAN'S DAUGHTER. At least THE BOY FRIEND was eventually restored. Was RYAN'S DAUGHTER ever released in a restored version? Did it make a difference? (I haven't seen this)
djprobed
....only a heavily cropped NTSC square box screen VHS. I don't think it's even avaliable on DVD. THey spent alot of money on it. A whole village was constructed in Northern Ireland and the production design by Steven Grimes was wonderful. Photography by Freddy Young. One of the last films photographed in Super Panavision 70mm. The parasite critics hated it and someone at the studio got cold feet. GR
The laserdisc is the theatrical version but it IS letterboxed. The storm sequence is breathtaking. This one has grown on me over time and I now accept Mitchum, a part I had trouble with originally.
What about Doctor Zhivago ? Even worst!
My pick...Gus Van Zant; Even Cowgirls get the Blues ("possibly the worst movie of 1993"-L. Maltin) and his word for word remake of Psycho.GVZ has done some fine work, but these to really hit rock bottom, imo.
Gary
Arthur Penn, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando. Just horrible!
ending was breathtaking.
There are MANY films on LD that have not yet appered or wil lnever appear on DVD. I use my player regularly and have two backups.BTW, an LD player makesd a wonderful high end sounding CD player, particularly those late Pioneer models which feature a separate CD drawer which, when engaged, disconnects the video circuitry for even better sound. So you can get rid on another box.
Mine is a Pioneer CLD-701; it doesn't have the separate CD drawer, but does have a button called "CD Direct" which accomplishes the same thing, though it doesn't engage automatically (you have to press it).A worthwhile investment for movie maniacs, any way you slice it!
djprobed
BTW, what does that feature purport to do? I have something called "soft picture," but it only works with the S-video output, which I don't use since my TV doesn't have an S-video input
djprobed
is a proprietary Pioneer technology which "expands" bits for allegedly better music reproduction. Whatever it does, it works and makes CDs sound really sweet and more analog like.
nt
djprobed
Plus the CD sound rivals that of expensive high end stand alone CD players. I have posted before that this is one of audio's best kept secrets.Does your 701 have the so-called "Legato Link"?
Rick Wakeman!For a second (because I was scanning, not reading) I thought you were saying that in Britain Altered States the film was released under the title A British Picture , which was a head-scratcher.
I have to admit that Russell's a taste I haven't acquired.
Anyway, DUNE.
There was a *lot* more footage shot than what eventually ended up in the final cut which, although it is certainly flawed, is at least Lynch's own compromise. As many of you know, when it was re-relased in a longer cut with an animated prologue tacked on, Mr. Lynch took his name off it (director credit went to Alan Smithee).I agree that the special effects have not worn especially well, but they're not terrible, either. It would be great to have a Director's Cut DVD of this, in all its 4-hour (or was it 6-hour?) glory. I suspect that would go a long way towards alleviating the original cut's two main annoyances: all that voice-over, and the extreme telescoping of events in the last 30 minutes.
Much as I am aware of its shortcomings, I still like the movie. How can you resist Sian Phillips? :)
djprobed
Er...I like Dune. Kinda.I consider it an honorable failure. A) It wasn't *all* Lynch's fault, Dino's intervention certainly didn't help the film...and B) There's a lot of interesting, imaginative stuff in Dune, wot an imagination our David has, eh?
The Toto soundtrack...now THERE'S a misstep. Horrible.
Dune was technically impossible to pull off at the time anyway, so an interesting failure was all right by me, even a wrongheaded interesting failure. I enjoy watching it once a year.
I'm surprised no one said Firewalk With Me.
In my opinion, that honor would go to the Palm D'Or-winning Wild At Heart , at least the version that screened in the USA. Apparently, other countries got the real movie.It's easy to make a case for both Dune and Fire Walk with Me . As for the former, I prefer it to Frank Herbert's pompous novel that's way more shallow than it wants to be. At least Lynch was able to distill all the silliness into some wonderful imagery, even if it's not one of his better movies overall.
Back to the topic, Lynch hasn't really misstepped that badly with any of his movies. There are much better examples out there.
"The Straight Story", his finest IMHO. Lynch and Disney, talk about
strange bedfellows. On the DVD, Lynch, idiosyncratic as ever, has forbidden chapter stops.
Others have fallen much farther.Besides, I'd rather watch an ambitious, interesting failure than a poppular mediocrity any day.
I haven't seen any but the US version of Wild At Heart, but it's not my favorite Lynch.
However...for Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive alone I could forgive him nearly anything.
Japanese laser disc runs 124 minutes; Tarantino might well have cribbed the Elvis theme that runs through this film for his True Romance
Wild at Heart has more humor pace and pulse than either Dune or Firewalk IMO
And a great supporting cast
Grins
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