243 La Llorona

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MichaelB
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243 La Llorona

#1 Post by MichaelB » Thu Dec 09, 2021 8:47 am

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LA LLORONA
(Ramón Peón, 1933)
Release date: 21 March 2022
Limited Edition Blu-ray (World Blu-ray premiere)


Pre-order here.

An early horror classic drawn from Mexico’s rich tradition of folklore, La Llorona recounts the chilling tale of the ‘wailing woman’ who kills herself and her child before returning to haunt the living.

Expressionistic, lyrical and atmospheric, Ramón Peón’s film draws on the influence of Universal Pictures’ contemporaneous horror cycle and incorporates elements of period melodrama and romance. This landmark production in the evolution of Mexican cinema has been newly restored from the only surviving film elements, and is presented here with a selection of essential extras.


INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

• New restoration from the only surviving film element
• Original mono audio
• La llorona: Behind the Scenes (2021): documentary by Viviana García Besné, the producer's great granddaughter, relaying a personal history of the film
• Video appreciation by Abraham Castillo Flores, head programmer of Mexico’s Morbido Fest (2022)
• Optional English subtitles
• Limited edition exclusive booklet featuring a new essay by Emily Masincup, Peter Conheim on the restoration process, new and archival writing on the film, and an overview of contemporary critical responses
• World premiere on Blu-ray
• Limited edition of 2,000 copies for the UK (4,000 copies for the world)
• All extras subject to change

#PHILTD243
BBFC cert: TBC
REGION FREE
EAN: 5060697921991

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DarkImbecile
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Re: 243 La Llorona

#2 Post by DarkImbecile » Thu Dec 09, 2021 9:38 am

Very intriguing! I had no idea this film existed — as a native New Mexican, I grew up with the legend of La Llorona, but the only film version I was aware of was the schlocky-looking Conjuring spin-off from a few years ago.

Glowingwabbit
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Re: 243 La Llorona

#3 Post by Glowingwabbit » Thu Dec 09, 2021 12:21 pm

DarkImbecile wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 9:38 am
Very intriguing! I had no idea this film existed — as a native New Mexican, I grew up with the legend of La Llorona, but the only film version I was aware of was the schlocky-looking Conjuring spin-off from a few years ago.
There are actually a lot of film versions of this legend. Even the year that the Conjuring spin-off came out there was another La Llorona film released by a Guatemalan director.

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Re: 243 La Llorona

#4 Post by WmS » Thu Dec 09, 2021 2:41 pm

I love these covers, with grain and bloom on the typography!

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Finch
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Re: 243 La Llorona

#5 Post by Finch » Thu Dec 09, 2021 8:17 pm

I'm a fan of the covers too! This particular cover makes me think of Vampyr, the film. Blind-buying both and hoping they sell well enough for Indicator to explore more foreign cinema along their British and Hollywood output. The other contemporary La Llorona adaptation is very good and can be streamed on Shudder but it's strictly one for the slow burn arthouse crowd.

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brundlefly
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Re: 243 La Llorona

#6 Post by brundlefly » Fri Dec 10, 2021 9:27 am

Glowingwabbit wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 12:21 pm
DarkImbecile wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 9:38 am
Very intriguing! I had no idea this film existed — as a native New Mexican, I grew up with the legend of La Llorona, but the only film version I was aware of was the schlocky-looking Conjuring spin-off from a few years ago.
There are actually a lot of film versions of this legend. Even the year that the Conjuring spin-off came out there was another La Llorona film released by a Guatemalan director.
The Bustamante is worth a watch. Might be a little too reserved -- especially for something currently relegated to Shudder -- but it manifests political guilt and outrage in creepy and heartbreaking ways.

Excited for these two Indicator releases and for their availability stateside. MoMA did a Mexican noir series a few years back and I've been hoping that Flicker Alley or someone would bring them out on disc; if Indicator's going to delve into Mexican cinema, maybe they'll fit in there.

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Re: 243 La Llorona

#7 Post by MichaelB » Sat Jan 22, 2022 12:28 pm

Final specs:

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Re: 243 La Llorona

#8 Post by MichaelB » Sat Feb 19, 2022 6:15 pm


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Re: 243 La Llorona

#9 Post by MichaelB » Wed Feb 23, 2022 6:18 pm


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Re: 243 La Llorona

#10 Post by MichaelB » Fri Mar 18, 2022 8:39 am


Jonathan S
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Re: 243 La Llorona

#11 Post by Jonathan S » Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:53 am

A curious bit of trivia about La Llorona that I don't recall in any of Indicator's extras: the Los Angeles - and USA? - premiere occurred at the Teatro California on 14 September 1933, less than four months after the Mexico City first run and long before the 1935 date usually given for its US release. The "patrons" of this event were the Mexican actor and tenor José Mojica... and Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, who "improvised a sketch, which caused great amusement," according to the Spanish language Los Angeles newspaper La Opinión. "Guests of honor" at this event included the Consul of Mexico and the Consul of Spain.

The source for the above is A.J. Marriot's book Laurel & Hardy: The U.S. Tours (p.57). Mr Marriot also mentions that Laurel & Hardy had previously been "guests of honor" at the Los Angeles premiere of Santa (Mexico's first film with synchronised dialogue) on 20 May 1932 at the same theater. He speculates that the main reason for their high-profile attendance at these events was their longstanding professional connections with impresario Frank (Francisco) Fouce, who operated Los Angeles' circuit of Spanish-language cinemas (which I presume at some point also programmed the team's various Spanish "remakes" of 1930-1).

Also advertised as a guest of honor at the premiere of La Llorona was Antonio Moreno, the director of Santa, probably best known as an actor in many Hollywood films including Laurel & Hardy's The Bohemian Girl (1936).

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Drucker
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Re: 243 La Llorona

#12 Post by Drucker » Thu Jun 29, 2023 6:58 pm

I was hoping and sort of expecting something much more akin to the likes of Vampyr or other early-sound films that play out in a half-silent way with lots of elegant camerawork, so I ended up a bit disappointed with this film. There are some really wonderful moments and shots. The ghost sequences are quite well done, but I found this film even at 70 minutes a bit of a slog. The first half of the film is a bit slow pacing wise, and I was disappointed by the relatively consistent lighting during the first flashback sequence. The video piece by Flores was enjoyable, and he speculates that the majority of the budget would have been used in the contemporary part of the film and the first ghost story sequence, where the costumes are very elaborate. But I would say that the second ghost story, told during the time of the conquering by the Conquistadors, was the most interesting part of the film visually.

The extras provide great context of just how new the crew and actors behind this film would have been to the film industry, so I enjoyed getting to watch this and can appreciate it as a historical document. But I don't imagine it's something I'll really revisit as a horror fave, which I had hoped going in.

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brundlefly
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Re: 243 La Llorona

#13 Post by brundlefly » Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:27 pm

Drucker wrote:
Thu Jun 29, 2023 6:58 pm
I was hoping and sort of expecting something much more akin to the likes of Vampyr or other early-sound films that play out in a half-silent way with lots of elegant camerawork, so I ended up a bit disappointed with this film. There are some really wonderful moments and shots. The ghost sequences are quite well done, but I found this film even at 70 minutes a bit of a slog. The first half of the film is a bit slow pacing wise, and I was disappointed by the relatively consistent lighting during the first flashback sequence. The video piece by Flores was enjoyable, and he speculates that the majority of the budget would have been used in the contemporary part of the film and the first ghost story sequence, where the costumes are very elaborate. But I would say that the second ghost story, told during the time of the conquering by the Conquistadors, was the most interesting part of the film visually.

The extras provide great context of just how new the crew and actors behind this film would have been to the film industry, so I enjoyed getting to watch this and can appreciate it as a historical document. But I don't imagine it's something I'll really revisit as a horror fave, which I had hoped going in.
Agreed on all counts. So hopefully you will also enjoy Phantom of the Monastary much more. While it is of course in no way as innovative (and is far more Catholic), Vampyr is exactly the mental comparison I made while watching that one. (Newman and Jones name-check it a couple times as well in their commentary, though I think mostly because they think certain cast members resemble each other.) Its story may be more basic/traditional, but it's enhanced by the dreamy atmosphere and the playful dynamic in its trio. I prefer it to the more consciously arty Dos Monjes, which one of Phantom's writer's co-wrote and directed; I'd like to think Scorsese lost sleep deciding (because this is how it works of course) which one to give to Criterion -- the one where someone is murdered by a crucifix, or the one with the self-flagellating devil?

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