Robert Altman

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justeleblanc · #101 Post by **justeleblanc** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:18 pm

sorry whipsilk, i saw i've just repeated your post...

Hrossa · #102 Post by **Hrossa** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:20 pm

If I'm not mistaken, Cookie's Fortune has been released on R1 DVD. At least I've watched it on DVD.

justeleblanc · #103 Post by **justeleblanc** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:27 pm

Hrossa wrote:If I'm not mistaken, Cookie's Fortune has been released on R1 DVD. At least I've watched it on DVD.

It's out of print and it's an October title. At least I think that's the case. Did Universal release the already existing DVD?

#104 Post by **zedz** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:48 pm

. . . and according to the Sony thread, the recently released (and incomplete) California Split is now OOP.

Fletch F. Fletch · #105 Post by **Fletch F. Fletch** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 1:36 pm

Worth a looksee: from GreenCine Daily:

The Robert Altman Blog-a-Thon has begun and will carry on all weekend long. Keep an eye on The House Next Door for updates.

Also, this blog is doing a really nice retrospective look through Altman's career: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

justeleblanc · #106 Post by **justeleblanc** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 5:50 pm

I just emailed Fox and they responded with some annoying news. Their upcoming boxsets of the Robert Altman collection and the Mel Brooks collection will not be available as separate DVDs.

jorencain · #107 Post by **jorencain** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 7:06 am

I just got the Altman set (SUPER cheap on eBay, by the way), and so far it is well worth it. The only bummer is that MASH is only 1 disc, so I'm not sure if I'll be getting rid of the previous 2 DVD version. Anyway, these are all good-looking anamorphic transfers, each has a 20 minute-ish documentary, and for the price, you couldn't do much better.

I've only watched "A Wedding" at this point, and I'm looking forward to "A Perfect Couple" and "Quintet". What a great movie "A Wedding" is. It really is a fantastic example of black comedy, that may cross the line into being too dark (not that I mind). I loved when the priest was telling the story of his promiscuous past, and sums it up with (something like), "And now our son David is living proof of our sin." I'm so glad this is finally out on DVD. I don't have as high expectations of the other two, but I'm sure they will be enjoyable.

#108 Post by **Jeff** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:57 pm

I've just plowed through David Thompson's wonderful and essential Altman on Altman. In his endnotes, Thompson says that "in the DVD of Buffalo Bill and the Indians, the transfer fails to represent the original colour scheme, instead seeking a more general balance of the spectrum." Does anyone know if this comment only applies to the Region 2 version, or if the Region 1 transfer is affected as well? If the transfers are indeed the same, how much does it impact the effect of the film and the watchability of the disc?

#109 Post by **zedz** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 8:11 pm

jorencain wrote:I've only watched "A Wedding" at this point, and I'm looking forward to "A Perfect Couple" and "Quintet". What a great movie "A Wedding" is.

I got my set last week and am looking forward to reacquaintance with A Wedding, one of my favourite Altmans on the basis of a bleary TV viewing many years ago. I watched Quintet, which is a deeply bizarre film, more compelling in the abstract than on the screen. Too much of it looks like an episode of an early 80s sci-fi TV series. You don't get the benefit of the amazing real-world setting because too much of it looks studio-bound.

The film is basically a film noir set in the next Ice Age, with detective Paul Newman lagging at least half an hour behind the audience in realising What's Going On. Still, it's fascinating to see Altman operating in this alien mode, the cast is deliriously randomly generated (Newman, Vittorio Gassmann, Bibi Andersson(!), Fernando Rey(!?) - it's an art-film pile-up), and the visual choices (every shot is fog-edged) memorably odd. It's hard to believe that a film this wilfully strange hasn't acquired a much larger cult.

Gigi M. · #110 Post by **Gigi M.** » Tue May 02, 2006 12:50 pm

Beaver's review

Faux Hulot · #111 Post by **Faux Hulot** » Tue May 02, 2006 3:28 pm

zedz wrote:...It's hard to believe that a film this wilfully strange hasn't acquired a much larger cult.

Perhaps because it's such a joyless chore to sit through? (And this is coming from someone who's largely an Altman apologist.) But then, you partially answered your own question in the first paragraph

#112 Post by **zedz** » Tue May 02, 2006 5:36 pm

Faux Hulot wrote:
zedz wrote:...It's hard to believe that a film this wilfully strange hasn't acquired a much larger cult.
Perhaps because it's such a joyless chore to sit through? (And this is coming from someone who's largely an Altman apologist.) But then, you partially answered your own question in the first paragraph

Well, yeah, but that particular trait doesn't seem to have damaged the reputations of any number of cult films!

Michael · #113 Post by **Michael** » Sat May 06, 2006 11:44 am

What a great movie "A Wedding" is. It really is a fantastic example of black comedy, that may cross the line into being too dark (not that I mind).

A Wedding alone is the worth the cost of the entire boxset. I'm so in love with this film. Nearly every review claims that it's a flawed film. Bullshit. A Wedding is perfect.

Carol Burnett shines as the heart of the film and the luminous Lillian Gish lies dead throughout the film. How many films do we get to experience that? Forget the lame, tiring "dysfunctional family" synopsis..the film will make you forget every dysfunctional family dramedy that you've seen. I love the last scene with two women reflecting on the joy and sadness of weddings. Perfect, perfect.

It's funny how the nurse looks like Shelley Duvall and Muffin looks like Sissy Spacek, both actresses played in Altman's previous film, the fabulous 3 Women.

My new favorite film.

Gordon · #114 Post by **Gordon** » Sat May 06, 2006 6:43 pm

Indeed, A Wedding is a masterful film, prehaps even more satisfying than Nashville.

I have long been curious of Quintet and now that a good, OAR transfer is available, I am even more tempted. Aside from my being a huge admirer of Altman's films, it is mainly to with the great Jean Boffety (Roberto Enrico's An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and Les Aventuriers; La Choses de la vie; La Dentellière[/i]) being the cinematographer and those DVD Beaver captures look intriguing. But as these discs are not available seperately, I'll pass and wait for UK editions and rent Quintet, as I already have MASH (2-disc, R1) and A Wedding (R2).

#115 Post by **zedz** » Sun May 07, 2006 5:58 pm

Michael wrote:Carol Burnett shines as the heart of the film and the luminous Lillian Gish lies dead throughout the film. How many films do we get to experience that? Forget the lame, tiring "dysfunctional family" synopsis..the film will make you forget every dysfunctional family dramedy that you've seen. I love the last scene with two women reflecting on the joy and sadness of weddings. Perfect, perfect.

Still haven't watched it again, and it's been many years since my single viewing, but I still can't forget the chilling moment when

SpoilerShow

everyone forgets about the car crash as soon as they learn it didn't involve the bride and groom, just two other - dispensible - guests

- one of the sharpest satirical jabs in any Altman film.

jesus the mexican boi · #116 Post by **jesus the mexican boi** » Sun May 07, 2006 6:18 pm

Michael wrote: A Wedding alone is the worth the cost of the entire boxset. I'm so in love with this film. Nearly every review claims that it's a flawed film. Bullshit. A Wedding is perfect.

Michael throws down the gauntlet. I just got this from Amazon marketplace for next to nothing, and new, and now I've gotta see it. That's a helluva recommendation from a guy who knows good movies.

jorencain · #117 Post by **jorencain** » Sun May 07, 2006 6:33 pm

Yeah, it's a bold statement, but it's one that I can back up. For me, it surpasses MASH, Nashville, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, and many other celebrated Altman films (all of which I love, by the way).

Michael · #118 Post by **Michael** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:20 pm

Everyday characters from Altman films visit me in my mind and heart. Yesterday over a latte and chocolate pound cake at Starbucks, Doreen and Earl from Short Cuts pranced through my mind.. oh, how much I'd love for them to walk in Starbucks and sit next to me. Since watching A Wedding last week, every character still happily lingers about in my mind. As a kid in the 70s and early 80s, I was a die-hard fan of the Carol Burnett show and you have no idea how precious and joyous the experience I had watching her blooming beautifully as Tulip in A Wedding.

It may be a bold statement but not for me: Robert Altman, not Orson Welles, not Woody Allen, not Martin Scorsese, not David Lynch, is the greatest American director ever. Of course it's an opinion but I stand firmly by it.

carax09 · #119 Post by **carax09** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:52 pm

Doreen and Earl would never set foot in a Starbucks. Even if they weren't just characters in a movie.

justeleblanc · #120 Post by **justeleblanc** » Mon May 08, 2006 2:12 pm

Michael wrote:It may be a bold statement but not for me: Robert Altman, not Orson Welles, not Woody Allen, not Martin Scorsese, not David Lynch, is the greatest American director ever. Of course it's an opinion but I stand firmly by it.

That just begs for an OT post.

justeleblanc · #121 Post by **justeleblanc** » Mon May 08, 2006 2:17 pm

By the way, I'm thinking of buy the collection and just selling the Mash disc. Is this possible? Are the discs in standard DVD cases with booklets? Or are they slim cases or without booklets or imbedded together in booklets?

Or should I just wait until they all get individual releases?

Michael · #122 Post by **Michael** » Mon May 08, 2006 2:21 pm

That just begs for an OT post.

Not really.

Or should I just wait until they all get individual releases?

No, the boxset is not that expensive. Like I said earlier, A Wedding alone is worth the cost of the boxset.

justeleblanc · #123 Post by **justeleblanc** » Mon May 08, 2006 2:24 pm

Yes but I'm too neurotic to have two copies of the same movie.

(And the comment begs only because I'm sure people in this forum will try to convince each other of why they think shananana is the best American director. I know there are die-hard Cassavetes & Billy Wilder posters.)

Michael · #124 Post by **Michael** » Mon May 08, 2006 2:34 pm

Yes but I'm too neurotic to have two copies of the same movie.

(And the comment begs only because I'm sure people in this forum will try to convince each other of why they think shananana is the best American director. I know there are die-hard Cassavetes & Billy Wilder posters.)

Deep Discount DVD sells the boxset for $27, around the same price as Criterion's Altmans. I think A Wedding is just as great as 3 Women and Short Cuts. I haven't checked out the other two in the boxset yet since I'm still savoring every ooze of A Wedding.

I don't mean to start a commotion about who's the best American director blah blah. That's old stuff and it's certainly immature of me to say that in the first place but I just felt like showing off my eternal love for Altman.

gubbelsj · #125 Post by **gubbelsj** » Mon May 08, 2006 2:38 pm

Michael wrote:It may be a bold statement but not for me: Robert Altman, not Orson Welles, not Woody Allen, not Martin Scorsese, not David Lynch, is the greatest American director ever. Of course it's an opinion but I stand firmly by it.

Well, every time I watch McCabe and Mrs. Miller, I shout the same opinion. And 3 Women. And The Long Goodbye.