JLG on DVD

[arsaib4]

4 films from Jean-Luc Godard that aren't available in the U.S on DVD are being released in the U.K. Nouveaux Pic. (who recently did a fine job with Bresson's work) is going to release Masculin, féminin (Masculine-Feminine/1966) and 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle (Two or Three Things I Know About Her/1967). Both of these films are only available on vhs here. DVD's will be released on March 7th...more details to follow.

artwork:
http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?r=0&s=1&c=5544&n=1&k=godard&burl=r%3D0%26g%3Dinfo%26s%3D1%26k%3Dgodard

Another film which is being released is the lesser known Made in U.S.A. (1966) which has become more in demand recently since it's not even out on vhs. This film is part of an aptly titled box-set "Jean-Luc Godard DVD Collection - Vol. 2" by WarnerHV. This set also includes, Pierrot Le Fou and Prenom Carmen (both available on DVD in the U.S). February 21st is the the release date.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006GVK48/qid=1105425170/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/026-2940773-5475615

Finally, Artificial-Eye is releasing Week End (Weekend/1967), also on February 21st. Only available on vhs here.

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000AQVIR.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

* Of course it'll be great if all of them come out here soon but...

[wpqx]

I'll get happy when these films make their way to the US, especially Made in USA, which I can't find on VHS.

[arsaib4]

Once in a while a copy of Made in U.S.A appears on Ebay and other internet auctions, but one can usually tell from the description that the quality isn't very good. I don't mind getting the DVD from the U.K. but I wish it was available separately.

[Johann]

I'll comment more later, but this is most welcome news.

[arsaib4]

It looks like the English speaking world is finally paying some attention to the films of this living legend. Unfortunately, most of that love is coming from the other side of the Atlantic.

La Chinoise (http://images.play.com/covers/597285m.jpg) (1967), arguably his most political film, is being released on DVD (Optimum dist.) in the U.K. on May 16th. The film isn't officially available in the U.S. (either on vhs or DVD).

Détective (http://images.play.com/covers/597278m.jpg) (1985), is part of a small group of Godard's more mainstream films that came out early-to-mid-80's. It is also being released by Optimum on DVD in the U.K (the same day as La Chinoise). The film is only available on vhs here.

*more to come on these 2 releases.

...and finally a film which is being released in the U.S. is his controversial Hail Mary (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007GP7QO/qid%3D1109576547/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/103-1128720-9279806#product-details) (Je Vous Salue, Marie/1985), starring Myriem Roussel and Juliette Binoche. The film is being released by Jef Film Inc. on March 29th. It is available on vhs.

*Weekend, which was recently released by Artificial-Eye (as mentioned in an earlier post) is available at Bensons (http://www.bensonsworld.co.uk/v2/dvd-8/7000000082377.asp) for GBP 13.79 (about $26.50). It is the best price out there and they ship for only 1 GBP worldwide.

[arsaib4]

The U.K. DVD is coming out in a couple of days but there isn't much in terms of extras. On the other hand, Australian distributor AV Channel will also release La Chinoise on DVD (no release date set yet). Preliminary info. indicates that the extras will include Godard's 1995 doc. JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December. Again, there's no confirmation yet.

I sent an e-mail to an Australian site called EzyDVD (http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/778862) and this is the response I got:


"I am able to advise that these have not yet been confirmed, as soon as they have been all details will be updated on the website.

I hope this helps."

Regards
Carolyn
Customer Service Officer


Hopefully, all the extras will be there.

[Johann]

I thought about doing a Godard cinema study.

He's an "outsider". Still. All these years later.

He does a lot of voiceovers in his own films (along with his partner in crime Anne-Marie Mieville) and he shows up in cameos as well. (In Prenom: Carmen he's got some more screen time as "Uncle Jean"- love that film).
Jean-Pierre Leaud shows up in a lot of JLG's work.

Did you know Detective was dedicated to directors Cassavetes, Ulmer and Eastwood?

I'm still waiting to see his Histoires du Cinema- all 8 parts.

[arsaib4]

True. He's an "outsider" and complains about it at times, but he wouldn't be comfortable if he wasn't. Yet he's still up to date on everything else around him. Fascinating!

Godard admits that Détective was a compromise; he wanted to raise funds for a few other projects. Still, it stands as one of the best French films of the 80's. Jean-Pierre Léaud shows up in a lot of everyone's work.

I haven't seen all of Histoire(s) du cinéma, but I did get a chance to see its summation of sorts, Moments choisis des Histoire(s) du cinéma last year at the renovated MoMA (http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/film_media/2004/premieres.html) (third film on the list). The film is also playing at Cannes this year.

*JLG's latest, NOTRE MUSIQUE, will be released on DVD (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0007Y8ABU.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) by Wellspring on May 17th. See it if you haven't already. It's one of his most lucid elegies.

[arsaib4]

One of wpqx's favorite films, Weekend, is being released on DVD (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0009NZ6RA/qid=1116458306/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/102-9896485-0832960?v=glance&s=dvd) by New Yorker on June 28th. (I'm sure it's just a port of the Artificial-Eye disc, but who cares.) Audio commentary will be provided by David Sterrit.

But that's not all, JLG's Bosnian parable For Ever Mozart is also being released on DVD (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0009NZ6RK/qid=1116462532/sr=1-11/ref=sr_1_11/102-9896485-0832960?v=glance&s=dvd) the same day. Both films were released on vhs by New Yorker couple of years ago.

[wpqx]

Every so often I'm glad to be so patient. This is indeed good news. Ironically now that dvdplanet has stopped carrying New Yorker dvd's they've stepped up. Bresson and Sembene are being released this month, and now JLG. Not just any JLG, but Weekend. His greatest film, France's greatest film, my second favorite foreign film, and one of the most incredible pictures ever made. Fuck I love that movie, and although I've seen it several times, I just might watch it again with the commentary when it comes out. Forever Mozart I actually haven't seen yet, and with that and Notre Musique, which I believe is soon to be released, I'll be in heaven.

[arsaib4]

Both Weekend and For Ever Mozart were initially scheduled for June 28th (as I mentioned earlier), but they've now shifted to August 23rd. Not sure why, but I hope they get released.

Whoever designed the cover of Weekend (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0009NZ6RA.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) deserves to be shot!

[trevor826]

I thought the cover of the Artificial Eye DVD was a bit bland but it's a work of modern art compared to the US release.

Cheers Trev.

[wpqx]

Maybe the delay is to include some damn special features. Granted I just want Weekend on DVD, but when you've seen a movie 3 times, it'd be nice to get a DVD with at least some commentary.

[arsaib4]

Originally posted by trevor826
I thought the cover of the Artificial Eye DVD was a bit bland but it's a work of modern art compared to the US release.



Absolutely. Some might say that it doesn't matter what the cover looks like but I think they couldn't be more wrong. While it probably doesn't make a difference to "cinephiles" who are gonna get the DVD anyway, it certainly does to people who've only heard of the film and/or are ambivalent towards it. If the saying "a picture speaks a thousand words" is true, then, this image portrays the film as a cheap jungle flick.

A good example of a case where an interesting coverart has helped the film is the DVD (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00062134E.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) of Time of the Wolf. A friend who works at a video-store, and knows how much I care for this film, told me that customers have often returned the DVD with interesting comments. Most rented the film because of the image, and while they weren't able to find a "Wolf" nor was there any attention paid to "Time," it was one of the most fascinating films they've seen and they were pleasantly surprised at how involving it truly was.

[arsaib4]

Most retailers are still listing these special features:

*Audio Commentary by Critic David Sterritt

*Interview with Raoul Coutard

*Mike Figgis on "Weekend"

*Biographies of Jean-Luc Godard, Cinematographer Raoul Coutard, Film Director Mike Figgis and Prof. Colin MacCabe