Thanks to Criterion, it will be Christmas in June when they release 4K editions of John Waters’ Desperate Living and Hairspray! Squee!!!
Christmas in June!
Movies
Let’s Go to the Movies
Like a good homosexual, I went this past weekend and saw Pillion, the movie being billed as a gay Dom Rom Com. I think referring to this movie as a comedy is kinda crazy. It’s a pretty serious take on a man falling into a dom/sub relationship. I really liked it.
I am still not sure how this movie got an “R” rating. The depictions of gay sex in the context of the dom/sub relationship are pretty frank. I guess it’s good to see the MPAA being a little less prudish in this regard.
Anyhoo! I would recommend. Get thee to a movie theater before it disappears (and, in that case, you should rent, stream, or buy it).
Squee!!! [Zombie Edition]
I have to wait seven months to see this?! Mainline it into my brain already!
Alive and Drooling
Yeah. I am still alive. What an up-and-down summer it has been. Some good times, some pretty bad times, and quite a few trips to the movie theater. Maybe I will chat about all that at some point.
Meanwhile … Second Sight (over in the UK) has announced their limited edition Blu-ray of The Blair Witch Project and you can color me stupidly excited! This release “represents the filmmakers’ complete vision for the film” as the home video versions that Lionsgate has been putting out messed with the look of the original film. Needless to say, I pre-ordered this asap. Ha, ha. Second Sight is out to bankrupt me. Their limited edition releases are ACES.
Special Features
- A new Second Sight Films restoration from the Hi8 videotapes and 16mm film elements, supervised and approved by the Producers and Directors
- 2-disc edition includes restored and remastered Original Theatrical Cut and Festival Cut plus original-release version
- The Blair Witch Documentary: a new feature-length Second Sight Films production
- New audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson
- Directors’ and Producers’ audio commentary
- Deleted scenes including previously unseen video and 16mm footage
- The Blair Witch Project: Analogue Horror in a Digital World by Mike Muncer
- Curse of the Blair Witch
- Alternate Endings
- Cannes 1999: archive Directors interview
- Trailers
Limited Edition Contents
- Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Timothy Pittides
- 184-page hardback book with archive production materials and new essays by Stacey Abbott, Becky Darke, Adam Hart, Craig Ian Mann, Mary Beth McAndrews, Dr. Cecilia Sayad, Pete Turner and Heather Wixson
- Heather’s Journal
- 3 collectors’ art cards
Tripled!
Life is slogging along. I had COVID a few weeks back and then David got Strep early last week. Sheesh. Hopefully, we can both manage to avoid germs for a while.
At least the freelance work is poppin’. Though I do wish it was more consistent. I need more spending cash for movies and records and books. Ha! I guess the freelance stuff would be more consistent if I got off my ass and actually promoted myself to more people. Though I did get contacted over the weekend and it sounds like I might be tapped to do a logo for the county’s first-ever Pride Festival. That should be fun and interesting.
And the movie studios certainly worked it for horror film fans this week. Guess who is going to the movies for the next three nights? This guy! So there is Late Night with the Devil tonight, Ghostbusters, Frozen Empire tomorrow night, and Immaculate on Wednesday night. No links ’cause I am lazy!
Upcoming [Van Sant Edition]
I am pretty stoked that Criterion has announced a new 4K edition of one of my favoritest satire/black comedies, Gus Van Sant’s To Die For. But … c’mon, Criterion! Those special features are a bit anemic. I remember the good ol’ days when you all were the gold standard for home video special editions.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
- New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Gus Van Sant and director of photography Eric Alan Edwards, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
- One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
- Audio commentary featuring Van Sant, Edwards, and editor Curtiss Clayton
- Deleted scenes
- Trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by film critic Jessica Kiang
And So …
Saltburn got me all like …
Getting Back
Yeah. I am working on getting back to posting here. Life has seriously been a struggle lately … since the end of October really. Things have finally felt like they have been getting back to some sort of normalcy over the last few weeks. Maybe one day I’ll type all the craziness and mental anguish here. Beginnings. Endings. Nakedness. All sorts of shit.
Meanwhile, Criterion is bringing it in May with a 4K release of Thelma & Louise and a Blu-ray of Peter Bogdanovich’s underrated first feature film, Targets. Color me stupidly excited!
Dreams Do Come True
I can’t tell you how long I have been waiting for a box set of the Ju-on films. Well, that box set has now been officially announced and it’s stacked. Squee!
Ju-on: The Grudge Collection (Limited Edition) drops in the UK (and for us multi-region player owners) on December 19th from Arrow Video.
- Brand new 4K restoration of Ju-On: The Grudge from the original camera negative by Arrow Films
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Ju-On: The Grudge in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all films
- Home video premiere outside Japan of Ju-On: The Curse and Ju-On: The Curse 2
- Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (except The Curse and The Curse 2) and 2.0 stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles
- Exclusive 60-page collector’s booklet featuring writing by Grady Hendrix, James Marsh, Tom Mes, William Carroll and Lindsay Nelson [Limited Edition Exclusive]
- Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Oink Creative
- Twenty-four double-sided, postcard-sized artcards [Limited Edition Exclusive]
- Reversible poster with new and original artwork [Limited Edition Exclusive]
DISC 1 – JU-ON: THE CURSE AND JU-ON: THE CURSE 2 (BLU-RAY)
- Introduction to both films by writer-director Takashi Shimizu
- Introduction to Ju-On: The Curse by actor Takako Fuji
DISC 2 & 3 – JU-ON: THE GRUDGE (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY / BLU-RAY)
- Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative by Arrow Films
- Introduction by writer-director Takashi Shimizu
- New audio commentary by film historian David Kalat
- Audio commentary by Sam Raimi and Scott Spiegel
- Alternate English dub track in 5.1 Surround
- Haunting in Monochrome, a new interview with Takashi Shimizu on the Ju-On films
- Being Kayako, a new interview with Takako Fuji on her role as Kayako
- The Evolution of Ju-On, a brand new featurette with authors and Japan specialists Tom Mes and Zack Davisson discussing the cultural forces that shaped the series
- Through a Glass Darkly, an archive interview with Takashi Shimizu
- Whispers in the Dark, an archive interview with actor Megumi Okina on her role as Rika
- Fade to Black, an archive interview with actress Kayoko Shibata, who plays Mariko
- On-set interviews with Takashi Shimizu, Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara and Yui Ichikawa
- Deleted scenes with commentary by Takashi Shimizu
- Almost an hour of behind-the-scenes footage
- Ju-On True Stories, two ghostly true-life tales that inspired the films, narrated by Hiroyoshi Kihara
- Original trailers
- Image gallery
DISC 4 – JU-ON: THE GRUDGE 2 (BLU-RAY)
- Introduction by writer-director Takashi Shimizu
- New audio commentary with scholar Raechel Dumas and critic Jasper Sharp
- Alternate English dub track in 5.1 Surround
- Interview with Takashi Shimizu from the time of making Ju-On: The Grudge 2
- On-set interviews with Noriko Sakai, Chiharu Niiyama, Kei Horie, Yui Ichikawa, Emi Yamamoto and Shingo Katsurayama
- Deleted scenes
- 55 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage
- On-set reports by cast members Noriko Sakai, Yui Ichikawa and Erika Kuroishi
- Premieres and stage greetings footage from Japan, Taiwan and Korea
- Trailers and TV spots
- Image gallery
DISC 5 – JU-ON: WHITE GHOST AND JU-ON: BLACK GHOST (BLU-RAY)
- Introduction to Ju-On: Black Ghost by writer-director Mari Asato
- New interview with Mari Asato
- Original trailer
- Image galleries
Today’s History
*Drools!*
A new David Cronenberg film? Yes, please!
Hey. Hi. Hello.
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Not much has been going on here other than my standard “work, eat, sleep, be depressed” routine. I have not had much energy about posting here (shocker!) because day in and day out seems to be the same ole, same ole.
I did actually have a vacation scheduled last month … to a gay campground in Florida! But, guess who got sick with strep the day before we were supposed to fly down. You guessed it. I ended up home sick and missed the vacation while David got to go. It’s hard not to feel like the universe has it in for you when shit like this happens.
During REI’s member discount sale, I did finally pull the trigger on a new sleeping pad for my backpacking adventure. You can see in the pictures that the new pad packs much, much smaller than the Thermarest that I have been carrying for 20+ years. Over the past three years, I have managed to replace all my old gear. The only thing I want now is a more compact camp stove (and maybe a lightweight camp chair) and I will be fully set!
And … I am stupid excited to finally have acquired a copy of Austra‘s debut album, Feel it Break, on vinyl. I have been looking for a copy of this for quite a while. Whoo!
And, yeah. Sunrise in the mountains never gets old …
In movie news … Robert Eggers’ The Northman opens next week and I can’t fucking wait!
[Untitled]
Yeah. I am still alive. My mental state and mood have been in the crapper for the last month. Yay.
At least there is a new Alex Garland movie dropping on May 20. Can’t wait!