Foreign/Art/Independent Film DVD Preorder List II (1 Viewer)

[DonaldB]

Tape was shot on digital video at an aspect ratio 1.33:1.

 

[Pascal A]

Deepak and Talal, thanks for Bimal Roy DVD caution. I'll cancel the order when they open this morning. I'm still keen on seeing a few of them though; rental it is, then. :frowning:
Adding to the list:
5/14 Keep Your Right Up (Godard, France)
6/11 The Steamroller and the Violin (Tarkovsky, Russia)
I received this press release on The Steamroller and the Violin on my website email last Friday. Also of some interest are the additional announcements of the aforementioned Godard film on DVD, and unnamed Bani-Etemad, Fotopoulos, Gitai, and Nemec films (although likely on VHS only):
Facets Video will release THE STEAMROLLER AND THE VIOLIN, a lost masterwork from legendary director Andrei Tarkovsky, on DVD and VHS on June 11, 2002. DVDs and VHS tapes will retail at $24.95 each.
The astonishing discovery of 28-year-old Andrei Tarkovsky’s diploma film THE STEAMROLLER AND THE VIOLIN is a revelation. It clearly marks Tarkovsky as the great cinematic genius he would become with such films as ANDREI RUBLEV, SOLARIS, and THE MIRROR.
At the center of the film is the unlikely friendship between Sasha, a young boy who loves to play the violin, and Sergey, the macho driver of a steamroller. The film sidesteps sentimentality to give us a warm yet ironic look at two individuals who bridge differences in generations to form a powerful bond.
Available here for the first time, THE STEAMROLLER AND THE VIOLIN features a brilliantly natural performance from the young Igor Fomchenko, in a film that is memorable and deeply affecting – a re-discovered gem that strikes close to the heart.
THE STEAMROLLER AND THE VIOLIN is presented in a full-screen transfer rescued from the Russian archives. The DVD features include full chapterization, a Tarkovsky biography, and a Tarkovsky filmography.
KATOK I SKRIPKA. With Igor Fomchenko, V. Zamansky, and N. Arhangelskaya.
Written by Andrei Konchalovsky and Andrei Tarkovsky, from a story by S. Bakhmetyeva. Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. Camera Operator: Vadim Yusov. Sound: V. Krachkovski. Production Designer: S. Agoyan. Production Director: A. Karetin. Original music: V. Ovchinnikov. Film editing: L. Butuzovoy. Produced by United Literature of Children's Films Production. Russian with English subtitles. 1960 / U.S.S.R. / color / 43 mins.
© Mosfilm 1960.
DVD: $24.95
Catalog# DV67514 - UPC# 736899040222 - ISBN# 1565803124
VHS: $24.95
Catalog# 42968 - UPC# 736899855536 - ISBN# 1565803116
The release of THE STEAMROLLER AND THE VIOLIN continues Facets' commitment to Russian cinema.
THE STEAMROLLER AND THE VIOLIN joins such other Russian films on the Facets Video Label as WE ARE GOING TO AMERICA (directed by Efim Gribov), OUTSKIRTS (directed by Peter Lutsik), and OUT OF THE PRESENT (directed by Andrei Ujica), as well as three Communist Musicals directed by Grigori Alexandrov, four films about Stalinism directed by Semeon Aranovich, and three late- and post-Soviet films directed by Boris Frumin.
Coming soon on the Facets Video Label: WE ARE GOING TO AMERICA (VHS, street date: April 23, 2002); KEEP YOUR RIGHT UP!, directed by and starring Jean-Luc Godard (DVD and VHS, street date: May 14, 2002); TRUE LIFE video stories (DVD, street date: July 2, 2002); films from Rakhshan Bani-Etemad (street date: August 13, 2002); and films from Jan Nemec, James Fotopoulos, and Amos Gitai.
THE STEAMROLLER AND THE VIOLIN
Preorder Date: May 28, 2002
Street Date: June 11, 2002

 

[Brook K]

From the Image June List

The Legend of 1900 (Giuseppe Tornatore, 6/4)

Listen To Britain and Other Films By Humphrey Jennings (Humphrey Jennings, 6/4)

Tale of Time Lost (Alexander Ptushko, 6/25)

 

[Jay E]

Here are 2 titles coming out in UK-R2

La Belle Noiseuse - June 17th

Pandora's Box (special edition) - June 24th

 

[Rich Malloy]

Facets Video will release THE STEAMROLLER AND THE VIOLIN, a lost masterwork from legendary director Andrei Tarkovsky, on DVD and VHS on June 11, 2002.

Tarkovsky is one of my favorite directors, but calling this film "lost" or "a masterwork" would be engaging in more than a little hyperbole.

Though most of us saw it for the first time on TCM during their Tarkovsky retrospective last Fall, this is not a situation where film elements were lost. As to the quality of the film... well, it's a student film, and better than most but nothing at all approaching the brilliance of even Tarkovsky's first "real" movie ("Ivan's Childhood"). The script is pretty much standard-issue Soviet propaganda gussied up in T's already unique style. Probably essential for Tarkovsky fans (tho' I have doubts as to whether I'll even upgrade my VHS dub), but I'd urge rental-first for others.

 

[DonaldB]

Update time:
5/14
Keep Your Right Up (Jean-Luc Godard, France) Facet
6/4
The Legend of 1900 (Giuseppe Tornatore, Italy) Image
Listen To Britain and Other Films By Humphrey Jennings (Humphrey Jennings, UK) Image
6/11
The Steamroller and the Violin (Tarkovsky, Russia) Facets
A One and a Two (aka Yi Yi) (Edward Yang, Taiwan) ICA Projects Ltd [R2 - UK]
6/18
La Belle Noiseuse (Jacques Rivette, France) Artificial Eye [R2 - UK]
The Day I Became A Woman (Marziyeh Meshkini, Iran) Artificial Eye [R2 - UK]
Va Savoir (Jacques Rivette, France) Artificial Eye [R2 - UK]
6/25
The Devil's Backbone (Guillermo Del Toro, Mexico/Spain) Columbia/TriStar
Tale of Time Lost (Alexander Ptushko, USSR) Image
Pandora's Box (G.W. Pabst, Germany) [R2 - UK]
The following has just been released but was never listed here as a pre-order:
Abnormal: The Sinema Of Nick Zedd (Nick Zedd, US) Music Video Distributors
It would appear that the UK edition of A One and a Two coming in June will have a different commentary track than the R1 disc.

 

[Ted Todorov]

Does anyone know the OAR of Richard Linklater's Tape? It comes out this week, but the DVD is full frame.

Not true. I just got the DVD and it is anamorphic 16:9 and has a director's commentary track as well.

Ted

 

[Jean-Michel]

I don't know if anybody is interested, but the R2 DVD of The Kingdom will be the same five-episode version as the Canadian release. A couple of sources say it will include the Tranceformer documentary also on the Criterion Element of Crime.

Just FYI.....

 

[Ted Todorov]

Truffaut's Une belle fille comme moi (Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me) is in fact out on DVD from R2 Spain with Catalan subs only. I held it in my hands -- Kim's Video in NYC has a couple of copies. What stopped me from buying it was no indication that the DVD was in OAR.
Anyone know if it is P&S or OAR?
Ted

 

[DonaldB]

Ted, is this the disc you saw? DVDGO.com says this one has an anamorphic transfer.

 

[Ted Todorov]

My memory must be failing, because it looks different. Could Spain have two different editions, while the rest of the world has none???

Ted

 

[Brook K]

I have no idea on the accuracy of this, but according to this site
http://www.lfvw.com/comingsoon.htm
Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain is coming out on 5-20 with El Topo to follow on 7-27. Great news if true and if these are coming from a source other than the Japanese LD's.

 

[DonaldB]

As reliable as each day seeing the rise of the sun, each week sees the updating of the preorder list *cough*cough*cough*

4/30

Joke (Jaromil Jires, Czechoslovakia) Facets

6/25

Hearts and Minds (Peter Davis, US) Criterion [16 x 9]

The Importance of Being Earnest (Anthony Asquith, UK) Criterion

Tokyo Olympiad (Kon Ichikawa, Japan) Criterion

7/23

Orfeu (Carlos Diegues, Brazil) Image

 

[Jay E]

I just wanted everyone to know that DeepDiscountDVD has Place Vendome & Fox & His Friends up for pre-order at $14.99 and the Masterworks Edition of Merchant of 4 Seasons for $17.99.

 

[Jay E]

Europa Europa is being released in Region 2 on 6/17.

 

[Jay E]

Wow, 3 postings in a row!
Image releases for July:
Ossessione (1943) - 7/16
La Terra Trema (1948) - 7/16
Childhood of Maxim Gorky (1938) - 7/23
Guardian of the Night (1986) - 7/30
Subterfuge (1986) - 7/30
I'm really looking forward to those Visconti films!

 

[DonaldB]

Me, too! Thanks for the scoop, Jay.

 

[Jean-Michel]

Let's not forget Criterion's Red Beard, A Nous la liberte, and Under the Roofs of Paris. All are due in July (no exact date yet).

 

[Pascal A]

Sorry if this is old news, but I haven't had much time to comb through new and upcoming releases lately, and I just noticed that both Hou Hsiao Hsien's Millennium Mambo (Region 3) and Shohei Imamura's Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (All Region) are up for sale at Poker Industries.

 

[DonaldB]

The list has been updated with more quality amusements and diversions for the discerning layabout, and with some groovy html wizardry, too.

Wim Wenders will be providing a commentary on The Merchant of Four Seasons DVD.