Russ Meyer

[swo17]

20 bucks says Jonah Hill for Ebert.

[domino harvey]

Or Josh Gad. Michael Lerner's probably too old to do it anymore, but he already did it once

[Professor Wagstaff]

Ebert wanted Philip Seymour Hoffman to play him. I wish that had come to pass.

[domino harvey]

Or Josh Gad. Michael Lerner's probably too old to do it anymore, but he already did it once

Called it

[black&huge]

is there any news on any label restoring Meyer's films for blu ray?

[MichaelB]

Nope. Arrow would do it like a shot, but I haven't heard that there's been any progress with the Meyer estate. The estate themselves put out a restored Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! a few years ago, but I don't think there's been anything since - and Blu-rays aren't viable without direct physical access to Meyer's 35mm pre-print elements.

It's just as well Arrow got round to doing the Fox titles, because of course they're now off limits thanks to the Disney takeover! Although it's a real shame they couldn't do a high-def scan of The Seven Minutes - believe me, they tried, but Fox point-blank refused to grant access to 35mm elements, so they had to make do with their ancient SD master. Although at least it was open-matte rather than pan-and-scan, so it was possible to reproduce the intended framing - and Meyer really watched his framing, so that was critically important.

[JamesF]

A couple of years ago, someone (Mark Toscano, I think?) from the Academy Film Archive posted a photo on Instagram of a pallet of Meyer's film elements on their way to being put in the archive's holdings. I can't find them listed on the archive's website, so maybe it didn't transpire, but fingers crossed it did and Meyer's elements are somewhere safe!

EDIT: Managed to dig out the post in question: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqQoPTRFFRd ... 2wva3aikss

[MichaelB]

That would certainly be a step in the right direction - I was very concerned about how (or whether) they were being preserved.

I've been lucky enough to see most of Meyer's output in 35mm (quite a bit of it courtesy of new prints struck in the 1990s), and it's criminal that virtually all of it is now reduced to fuzzy analogue SD video transfers as far as easy public accessibility goes.

[JamesF]

When I saw Faster Pussycat at BFI Southbank a while back, the person doing the introduction said something along the lines of the 35mm print being screened being the last exhibition print left in the world - no idea if that was a fib to help us forgive some of its defects though.

[MichaelB]

I wonder if that was the same print that we showed at the Everyman's Russ Meyer retrospective in 1995 - when, if memory serves, it was brand new. (I have very fond memories of the queue for that one, studded with men in raincoats and leather-clad lesbians, although I suspect the latter group got a fair bit more out of it.)

I also remember stunning 35mm prints of Lorna and MudHoney - where Meyer really stood apart from most of his exploitation peers is that he was a superb photographer - unsurprisingly, as that's how he made his living before turning to film. His framing was also millimetre-precise - The Seven Minutes looked awful in 4:3, but as soon as we cropped it to the intended 1.85:1 the images really zinged.

[moonboot]

So I've just seen Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! for the first time...

What led me to watch it was that one of my favourite bands, the Japanese jazz outfit United Future Organisation sampled some of the dialogue from the film for their music.

Anyway, contrary to some reviews, I didn't think it was particularly smutty or exploitative at all - what was far more interesting was the remarkably aggressive female leads... they were just brilliant and incredibly refreshing! Seems to me just a very funny and exciting romp, I really enjoyed it.

I can't help but think Tarantino was riffing on this film quite a bit when he made the pretty dreadful & far inferior Death Proof.

[JamesF]

Yes, it's far from Meyer's raciest film, but just so happens to be one of his most entertaining and cohesive, if not his most. Follow it up with Beyond The Valley of the Dolls while the Criterion is still in print!

[dwk]

For those that don't visit the Severin thread, at tonight's Severin Super Shock Pop-Up Film Festival, Supervixens was revealed as one of the future releases.

[Peacock]

Wow, incredible news! Probably my favourite of the colour Meyer movies (but I still have a few to see like Ultravixens)

I assumed the R Meyer estate owned the rights to this picture. If that is so then this is major as it means we might finally be getting all his films released in HD by third parties! (Unless the licensing costs are so high that they are going to pick and choose)

Anyway, whatever the case this is great!

[therewillbeblus]

I was very disappointed by it. There was a lot of promise - Meyer is essentially channelling a version of Zabriskie Point where he amuses himself by conveying vapidity with a vapid approach - but it just doesn't come off well

[Peacock]

I was very disappointed by it. There was a lot of promise - Meyer is essentially channelling a version of Zabriskie Point where he amuses himself by conveying vapidity with a vapid approach - but it just doesn't come off well

I’m sorry to hear that! Personally I loved the cat and mouse game and the dual identities of our leading lady; I can’t think of another Meyer quite like it.

What are your favourites of his work? For me after Pussycat it has to be the very underrated and modest Lorna.

[therewillbeblus]

What are your favourites of his work? For me after Pussycat it has to be the very underrated and modest Lorna.

I've only seen a few - blandly, I liked Pussycat and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls best long ago. I tried a few more recently and none clicked, so I'm a little wary to continue, but I'll attempt to give Lorna a shot

[Matt]

I want to plug Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens. It’s in another universe from the other “vixen” films and from just about the rest of his work. It’s low-budget, but is essentially the film he could have made had he not been restricted by Fox with Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, including being co-scripted by Roger Ebert. Just absolutely wild, story-wise and visually, and it’s essentially his last film.

[dwk]

Severin's Andrew Furtado tweeted

This is a secret I've had to keep for 5 damn years as we have been working to be the company to access the RM Films vault. Lots of ups and downs... But that's what you want from a Russ Meyer film, right?!

Hopefully, this is just the tit of the iceberg.

[dwk]

For those that don't visit the Severin thread

Russ Meyer’s Sexploitation Trilogy ‘Vixen,’ ‘Supervixens’ and ‘Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens’ Set for Blu-ray Release From Severin Films (EXCLUSIVE)

[Peacock]

From that article,

The boxset will be available in 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD.
The release date is 3 December, possibly as a website exclusive?

And this is only the beginning of the Severin Meyer releases.

“We’re grateful for the support of The Russ Meyer Trust as we begin what we hope will be an ongoing and bountiful partnership. The Severin Films team is enormously proud of our work in restoring these legendary titles for a new generation of fans and look forward to bringing Russ’ classic catalog back to the bosom of cinéastes everywhere.”

[TechnicolorAcid]

This is the year of Physical Media, Jesus Christ

[dwk]

So what is left to crack open? The Golden Princess catalog, Palomar/ Bristol Myers Squibb and Disney start licensing out Fox titles..

[TechnicolorAcid]

So what is left to crack open? The Golden Princess catalog, Palomar/ Bristol Myers Squibb and Disney start licensing out Fox titles..

At least 101 other movies.

[dwk]

I was more curious about bigger catalogs that are currently unaccessable rather than specific films. Because, yes there are a massive number of films that need releases.