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August 14, 2008
Criterion Brand
When I first saw Guy Maddin's Brand Upon The Brain! on the big screen, with all the grandeur and bombast of its orchestral accompaniment and live narration, I was fairly certain I wouldn't ever want to see it again under any other conditions. Now, as has so often been the case in the past, I'm going to eat my words and thoughts and deep dark secrets, because the Criterion Collection has this past week released a robust and hearty edition of the film on DVD! I haven't picked it up yet, but I understand that it's a typically outstanding treatment of the second-most recent masterpiece from Winnipeg's favorite prodigal son. Meanwhile, my initial impressions upon seeing it last summer, can be read here.
Also released this week: an excellent interview with that film's cinematographer, Ben Kasulke, over at Short End Magazine. Ben also shot Lynn Shelton's two feature films and half of Joe Swanberg's Nights And Weekends. And towards the end of this year, it seems, I'll be joining him on a mysterious, Herzog-ian excursion into the jungles of South America. It'll be one last feature film endeavor for a year that's turned out to be rife with them (five, including my own). I wonder where my passport is.
Posted by David Lowery at August 14, 2008 8:17 PM
Comments
BUTB (that sounds bad) is pretty amazing on DVD. What's fun is skipping between all the narrators in mid stream using the audio button on the dvd remote. It's like an audio version of those children's books where you mix and match different heads and bodies and feet and stuff by flipping portions of pages around.
Also, I hope you're including a certain film in that five (plus) film yearly wrap-up of yours. Check your email this week!!!!!!
Posted by: Clay Liford at August 17, 2008 3:33 PM
No, those five are just the ones that are done or already in progress. November's still a wild card!
Posted by: David Lowery at August 17, 2008 7:49 PM