DVD releases for June 10

Like the man who thought he could run away from the maniacal hair-washing/ice-cream serving Takeshi Kaneshiro in Fallen Angels, all I can do is hold up my hands and say, with my best Hong Kong accent "Sorry. Sorry!" Inexcusably distracted by the NBA finals, unable to treat a deadline any differently than I did in college, and basking in the light of my new computer, I have been neglecting my responsibilities as...well, I'm not sure what kind of responsibility this is.

Anyway, two DVDs of note this week and one to consider:

The Wayward Cloud (2005) directed by Tsai Ming Liang
This release took a while, but I was not optimistic about any release at all for this movie. Fans of Tsai Ming-liang (who do not have a region free DVD player) should rejoice. The Wayward Cloud picks up where What Time Is It There and The Skywalk is Gone left off. Hsiao-Kang has made a career change from selling watches on the now missing skywalk to amateur porn star. Meanwhile Shiang-Chyi is still desperately trying navigate a society that she seems ill-suited for. She and Hsiao Kang's spiritual connection is reestablished building to the most audacious crescendo I think I have ever seen. Interspersed with the most delightful musical pieces that are anything but elegant, The Wayward Cloud seems like total catharsis, and I am not about to blame Tsai Ming-liang for that. This is an off-the-charts film with material that is as sexually explicit as any porn film that is sure to infuriate most film fans. Personally, I find its irreverence like a breath of fresh air. (Watch the trailer, for 18+ only, here.)


The Ballad of Narayama (1983) directed by Shohei Imamura
Is this really the first time this film has been out on DVD in the US? That is really hard to believe, but kudos to Animeigo who continues to reach outside there normal cult genres to release titles like this. The Ballad of Narayama is truly an amazing film chronicaling life, in its many facets, in a small village in 19th century Northern Japan. Emotionally powerful and beautifully made.

Funny Games (2007) directed by Michael Haneke
If you haven't seen the original, check this version out. If you have seen the original, there is really no reason to see the new version. (Read my thoughts here.)

THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING and a plea from the Oak Street

Marwan Hamed's epic The Yacoubian Building opened Friday and plays nightly through Monday at the Oak Street Cinema, and if there was a time to rally around the Oak Street, it sounds like this is the time. Following is a personal note sent by Al Milgrom enclosed in the recent MN Film Arts e-mail newsletter:

"Dear Oak St Cinema friends,

The very engaging Egyptian prizewinner, "The Yacoubian Building", is showing at 7:30 pm Fri. thru Mon. Oak St. Cinema, is here on a very tenuous thread. Yours truly has promised many people that The Yacoubian Building WILL GET an audience, WILL break even, or, at least, WILL NOT lose money. So I appeal to all those who say they want the Oak to stay open to SHOW UP this weekend, schedules permitting. It's that simple! This worthy, strong "word of mouth" feature from the recent Mpls/St Paul Film Fest, about this down-at-the-heels Art Deco hotel in downtown Cairo, with its aging pasha and voluptuous sirens, will charm you with its acting, photography (and controversial but revealing) portrait of an exotic Mideast society.

-- Al Milgrom, Mn Film Arts"

I have to admit that I missed the one screening of this film at the Film Fest, so I can not give any critical comments on the film. However, it might be just the time for a practical joke on your friends: gather a group and tell them you want to go to Sex and the City or Indiana Jones (depending on which would work better) and take them to this 3-hour Egyptian film! In all seriousness, this may not be the best crowd-drawing film, but it is time to put words into action and show up at the Oak if it means anything to you. I'll be there Monday night.

DVD releases for June 3

Control (2007) directed by Anton Corbijn
What was it about this film that was so unsatisfying for Unknown Pleasures' fans? It looked beautiful and had great acting (Sam Riley had Ian Curtis down to a science, especially his on stage performing.) But something left me a little cold. Am I alone here? Control is more than worth seeing however. It is a pretty impressive first feature from Anton Corbijn, better known as a a man of music videos. Samantha Morton makes a cursory appearance as the bitter wife alongside the boys in the bad. It's beautifully shot in high-contrast black and white that makes the grittiness palpable. Control is an interesting cronical that fails to reach the heights that Unknown Pleasures (and Ian Curtis) have in my mind.

Boarding Gate (2007) directed by Oliver Assayas
Wow. That was fast. Or at least it's available sooner than I thought it would be. I guess the theatrical run didn't go so well for this film. I know Boarding Gate didn't get the best of reviews but I was still upset about missing it at the film fest. My expectations are pretty low, but, let's face it, it has to be more interesting than Indiana Crystal Skull. If nothing else I am interested in the roles Kelly Lin, Carl Ng, Kim Gordon and Hong Kong play in the film.

You May Need a Murderer (2007) directed by David Kleijwegt
A documentary on Duluth's favorite slow-core band Low. I'm not sure why there hasn't been a screening of this around town, but whatever. It's also a little hard finding any information on this doc, so if anyone has seen it or knows anything about it let me know. I will try to get a hold of it and post my own thoughts as well.

Machine Girl (2008) directed by Noboru Iguchi
Some sort of mad combination of Tetsuo, Meatball Machine and Versus. Is it campy, crappy or something in between. Check out trailer (link on the title) for compatibility.

The Eye (2008) directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud
I really meant to see this in the theater, but it wasn't around very long. (Gee, I wonder what that means.) I'm pretty keen on the original.

Noise (2007) directed by Matthew Saville
I'm also a little embarrassed that I haven't seen this yet. It played at the MSPIFF and I have had the DVD (from Film Movement) for a few months. Every time I see the trailer, I think to myself, "That looks interesting."

And for all those waiting, Cloverfield is out on Blu-ray

Marco Kreuzpaintner's TRADE

Trade was a film that always seemed so close to being the next big buzz. Even the early reports that Peter Landesman's "The Girls Next Door" (one of the most memorable and devastating exposés to appear in the New York Times Magazine) was to be adapted into a film immediately got my attention. I was stunned by the piece that chronicled the international business of human trafficking, not because I was so naive to believe that such things do not happen, but because so little was being done about it. Director Marco Kreuzpaintner was no doubt equally moved, giving partial writing credits to Landesman for the story. Its premiere at Sundance in 2007 was met with favorable reviews, especially for the two young women who play the leads, Alicia Bachleda and Paulina Gaitan. At some point last summer or early fall I started seeing the trailer for Trade at Landmark and (wrongly) assumed that it would make a theatrical appearance. After waiting and then forgetting, it was quietly released on DVD earlier this year.

The mysteries of missing theatrical releases are never to difficult to solve. After all, films need to make money, and it seemed, given the subject matter, that Trade would not be a blockbuster and would probably be a hard film to market. Nonetheless, if the film was decent and could at least garner a little critical acclaim, it could easily make for a moderately successful independent release. The foregone conclusion here is that Trade has problems. It suffers from some bad acting and some crappy writing and an inconsistent tone.

The film starts in Mexico City where Adriana is celebrating her 13th birthday and, simultaneously, Veronika is arriving from Poland on her way to the US. Both Veronika and Adriana are innocent of the road from abduction to market that they are about to travel. Adriana, who receives a new bike from her adorning big brother Jorge, goes against her mothers wishes and takes to the streets on her bike and is subsequently kidnapped. Veronika, thinking she is simply heading off to a better life in the US, is made brutally aware of her situation as she and her friend are handed off to the people who bought her and are intend on selling her. Veronika takes a motherly interest in protecting young Adriana as they are transported from hovel to hovel by their misogynistic captors. Adriana's brother Jorge, well acquainted with the seedy underworld of Mexico City, knows that he must find his sister if he ever wants to see her again. Jorge meets up with with Ray, a cop looking for his daughter, and together they try to uncover the mystery of his kidnapped sister and the trade ring she has become involved in.

Just trying to flesh out the synopsis of Trade reveals how convoluted and forced the entire story becomes. While Adriana and Veronica's characters are strong, the other characters in the story do nothing but muddy the waters: Ray, played by Kevin Kline, is a hopeless caricature of a good cop with his own problems that do nothing but deflate the film; Jorge is a contradictory character that sets up the no-duh idea that human trafficking is a social affliction that many have a hand in; Manuelo, the thug in charge of the merchandise, is unconvincingly morally conflicted with his job and his controlling girlfriend. Trade is very patronizing with its simplistic 'things are not how they always seem' scenarios and ends up being insulting given the source material. Trade veers so far off course that at one point the movie nearly becomes an ill-conceived buddy film between Ray and Jorge.

Trade doesn't even come close to the film it wants to be. Over-labored and distasteful, it is unwilling to invest emotionally or intellectually in the reality of the material. You needn't look any further than Lukas Moodysson to find someone willing to commit to unmarketable desolation. And although probably fewer people have seen Lilya 4-Ever, I'm willing to champion it for completely taking the wind out of me with it's emotional impact. Trade looks like Disney compared to it.

DVD releases for May 27

Late. As usual.

Come Drink With Me (1966) directed by King Hu
Finally. Come Drink With Me arrives with the original soundtrack, respectable subtitles and beautiful widescreen Shaw Scope. Between Come Drink With Me and Touch of Zen and Dragon Inn few directors gave so much to the genre of swordplay films than King Hu. Come Drink With Me Kong release a few years ago by set the standard on the tavern brawl that has been repeated, parodied and imitated in hundreds of films. This was also Chen Pei-pei's first big role, and, at age 20, made her something of a superstar. It's a thrilling film that stands the test of time. Dragon Dynasty has been kind enough to include the special features that were included in the remastered HongIVL. (It was one of IVL's first re-releases of the Shaw's catalog, and they made sure to include good special features.) It includes a commentary from Chen Pei-pei and Bey Logan (who is currently responsible for TWC/Dragon Dynasty's smart choices), interviews with Tsui Hark (greatly influence by King Hu), actress Cheng Pei-pei, actor YuehHua and Bey Logan. (Not a fan of the cover that Dragon Dynasty has come up with - as if Cheng Pei-pei has just gotten up from a tussle in bed.)

Cassandra's Dream (2007) directed by Woody Allen
Cassandra's Dream was released shortly after Sidney Lumet's very very similar Before the Devil Knows Your Dead last year and it mostly got ignored. It's too bad, because the Woody Allen film is the better of the two in so many ways: the story and pacing is about as tight as it gets and the acting is above and beyond. Colin Farrell's performance was totally overlooked as one of the best of the year. Really.

The Violin (2005) directed by Francisco Vargas
The Violin is now available to the common folk. Subscribers to Film Movement, an indie DVD club of sorts, receive DVD releases almost three month ahead of street date. (Personally, I love getting a random DVD every month and would recommend anyone interested to subscribe.) The Walker screened this film as part of their Cinemateca series last November.
Heroes of the East (1979) directed by Lau Kar Leung
Another cornerstone of the Shaw's catalog known in dub-land as Shaolin Challenges Ninja. Action star Gordon Liu and director Lau Kar Leung are a team to be reckoned with in this film and the many others they did together.

The Thief of Bagdad (1940) directed by Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, and Tim Whelan
Your two-disc Criterion fantasy classic release of the week. Fans will love the special features on the set.

Noriko's Dinner Table (2005) directed by Sion Sono
At first glance Noriko's Dinner Table may seem like just another odd violent exploitation film from Japan, but anyone who has seen other films by Sono (Suicide Club and Exte) know that his films fall firmly outside of the box. This release is out of nowhere (by Tidepoint/Facets?) and I am tempted pick up simply to support the studios efforts. Check out Tom Mes' review here. Check out trailer here.

The Walker (2007) directed by Paul Schrader
This should be a list of recommendations, but it is also my civic duty to steer people away from films that I have been unfortunate enough to see. Do not be seduced by the cast and credentials of this film. It. Is. Terrible.

Tarsem's THE FALL

I'm not very good at horn tootin', but you can check out my review of The Fall, out this week in the Twin Cities, in Friday's Star Tribune or this week's VitaMN or online via link below. The opening sequence has still stuck with me a month later - a truly beautiful cinematic moment.

Star Tribune: The Fall movie review.
The Fall's official website.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

Remember this film? I do. Part of the catalogue that satiated my appetite for horror films as a youngster, Happy Birthday to Me was at the very least memorable because the lead psychopath, Virginia, was played by Mellisa Sue Anderson (aka Mary Ingalls!)

Hopefully, for the sake of my friends, my day will go a little better than Virginia's.

Chris Marker's THE CASE OF THE GRINNING CAT

The Case of the Grinning Cat opens with a a whimsical "public action" in Paris where people congregate with their umbrellas in an outdoor area and open and close their umbrellas at a predetermined time. It's a simple event that is neither protest or celebration, but a show of collective ability. In the eyes of veteran French leftists, it probably seems silly. But not to Chris Marker, who finds something charming about this and other recent public gatherings and demonstrations from a generation that, in his own words, had been written off as being apolitical. The resurgence in political demonstrations in Paris is something that Marker finds hope in, even if it is cautious hope. The Case of the Grinning Cat ends up being a postscript to Marker's previous film (and similarly titled) A Grin Without a Cat (1977) that was made at the end of an era as a sort of eulogy to the Left (with a capital "L".)

The recent essay cum investigation cum video from Chris Marker, who was 85 the year it was released in 2004, encapsulates the post-9/11 Parisian collective unconscious as in takes place under the benevolent omniscience of a grinning cat. The cat under investigation (signed "M. Chat", or Mr. Cat) is a street art character that began showing up in Paris (on buildings, in the subway, on bridges, even on trees) in 2001. Like the Catbus in Miyazaki's Totoro, Paris' M. Chat is instantly likable as an image and a playful character, sometime adorned with wings or an olive branch in its mouth or simply bounding from one rooftop to another. (Here's a great example of M. Chat found in Sarajevo.) M. Chat's appearance coincides with a wave of public demonstrations in Paris starting with protests against extreme right-wing candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2002, and marching on from protests against the war in Iraq to demonstrations for those who have lost their lives to AIDS.

The Case of the Grinning Cat is a lighthearted investigation that is fully aware of the contradictions present in contemporary society. The irony that the anti-Le Pen sentiment allowed for the re-election of Jacques Chirac is not lost on Marker. As a matter of fact, not much is lost on Marker as he goes from demonstration to demonstration finding things that encourage him and amuse him as he contemplates his thoughts through narrator Gérard Rinaldi. Although it is heartening to see young people passionately demonstrating against war, he is quick to point out also that equally passionate crowds gather "to watch eleven billionaires kick a ball." The Case of the Grinning Cat, originally made for television, shows Marker at his best: intelligent, playful, curious, sincere and unassuming - this is his gift to the audience as he leads us through whatever random social or philosophical association comes up between protests and images of M. Chat. Describing Marker's films never fails in sounding like an aimless documentary with no context. Quite the opposite, the context is the launching point from which thought and ideas can take off. And in this case, the context is this short period of time from late 2001 to 2004 in which M. Chat graces the streets of Paris along side a not-so ambivalent population. For those who have never seen a Marker film, the result is mesmerizing.

The Case of the Grinning Cat was recently released on DVD by Icarus Films through the Wexner Center where they are hosting a Chris Marker store. (I like living in a world where there is a Chris Marker store. I want that t-shirt.) There are intertitles and occasional conversations in French that are not directly translated , and although I doubt that I really missed much, it would have been nice to have some subtitles. The DVD opens with the very silly Leila Attacks and contains six of Marker's short films that go along with the animal theme: Cat Listening to Music, An Owl is an Owl is an Owl, Zoo Piece, Bullfight in Okinawa, Slon Tango, and Three Cheers for the Whale.

Sydney Pollack R.I.P.

It would really be hard to come up with a more well respect and well connected actor and director working in Hollywood. Looking at his career is somewhat mind-boggling in respect to the actors and people he worked with for over forty years. He was an award winning director who also seemed perfectly at home in front of the camera. His role in Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives, a film I love, is fantastic. And he obviously had a pretty good sense of humor, making a pre-show cell phone commercial that was actually funny.

Sydney Pollack, a fellow Hoosier born in the same town as I, was 73. He died from cancer.

NYT obituary.
IMDB stats.

Three cheers for ASHES OF TIME REDUX

Sure, there is lots to talk about when it comes to screenings that happened last week at Cannes, but I am most interested in the swoony swordplay film from 1994. I haven't even seen it yet and I like it. The reports, paltry as they seem, are in on Wong Kar Wai's reworking of Ashes of Time and I am very encouraged. As it sounds, Ashes of Time Redux is less of a redux than a resurrection. From prints that would put Robert Rodriguez's faux-weathered Planet Terror to shame, as Wong explained to the Guardian's Xan Brooks, "the film has been pieced together from various old and rotting copies, using the waterlogged negatives he rescued from a bankrupt Hong Kong laboratory and augmenting it with footage dredged up from distributors in San Francisco's Chinatown district." (Although it doesn't explain the deplorable pan-scan of the existing DVDs of Ashes of Time, it would explain the poor quality and why there has not been better versions.)

Changes to the original include a new running time that clocks in 5 minutes shorter (from 98 to 93 minutes) and a "rearranged" score by Wu Tong including cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma. The content change seems minimal, with Lee Marshall of Screen Daily attributing the different running time mostly to credits. (He also claims that a water scene with Brigitte Lin looks new, but there was a water scene in the original, as I recall, the fight between Yin and Yang, but whatever.) I'm curious about the changes to the score, simply because I love Frankie Chan's original score so much. Is it a different score? Or is it just rerecorded? Or just rearranged with a little Yo-Yo Ma. I don't really get it, but I'm sure I will find out soon enough.

For me the biggest and best news is that Wong did not really rework this film. I was plagued by the idea that the film I knew and loved was not the film he wanted to make after all. Fortunately, it seems that Wong has simply taken this opportunity (to wash the bad taste of My Blueberry Nights from his palette?) to remaster Ashes of Time. All accounts say that fans of the film (that's me) will be thrilled, and those perplexed the first time, may still be perplexed. On the flip side maybe Ashes never found its audience to begin with and I may find more kindred spirits for swoony swordplay films. Sony has picked Redux up for US distribution. I look forward to the many theater screenings.

(Above is the new poster for Ashes of Time Redux. Below is the beautiful Japanese one-sheet giveaway that I have.)