35 / BD 27 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
- NABOB OF NOWHERE
- Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 12:30 pm
- Location: Brandywine River
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
How did they sync it up, given the PAL speedup on the video? Or did they bother?mfunk9786 wrote:Just letting everyone know that if you know where to look... there is a custom DVD of this floating around that uses the Czech DVD, custom English subtitles, and also has a custom audio track featuring, yes, The Valerie Project.
- mfunk9786
- Under Chris' Protection
- Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
I'm guessing that they made the adjustment, if only because it seems like it was treated with the utmost of care. I'll check later this afternoon and report back, though -- I didn't even think of that. If so, this is a great companion with the Second Run disc when you want something a little different.MichaelB wrote:How did they sync it up, given the PAL speedup on the video? Or did they bother?mfunk9786 wrote:Just letting everyone know that if you know where to look... there is a custom DVD of this floating around that uses the Czech DVD, custom English subtitles, and also has a custom audio track featuring, yes, The Valerie Project.
- jbeall
- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 9:22 am
- Location: Atlanta-ish
Re: 31 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
I've had a copy since SR released it, but only just now got around to it. Stunning imagery, an absolutely beautiful score and such a wonderful mix of visual associations! I'm still trying to figure out what to make of it, but I'm definitely under its spell, and looking forward to watching it again tomorrow! (The only drawback was that I now feel like a dirty old man.)
Yet another EXCELLENT Czech New Wave release from SR, and kudos to MichaelB for your very useful intro. =D> =D>
Yet another EXCELLENT Czech New Wave release from SR, and kudos to MichaelB for your very useful intro. =D> =D>
- jbeall
- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 9:22 am
- Location: Atlanta-ish
Re: 31 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Incidentally, this is spine #35 for SR. Can someone fix this thread?
- goodguy
- Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2010 7:25 am
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
The German label "Bildstörung" has released a DVD of "Valerie" based on a new master. Compared to the SR, the image is not cropped, the colors are more natural, and details aren't lost in the blacks.
That's according to a label spokesperson who also provided the following (heavily compressed) screencaps:
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u317 ... oerung.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u317 ... ondrun.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u317 ... oerung.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u317 ... ondrun.jpg
Bonus materials include a new audio commentary by Daniel Bird & Peter Hames (in English) and an alternative audio track with the music from The Valerie Project.
Caveat: The main feature subtitles are available in German only.
That's according to a label spokesperson who also provided the following (heavily compressed) screencaps:
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u317 ... oerung.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u317 ... ondrun.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u317 ... oerung.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u317 ... ondrun.jpg
Bonus materials include a new audio commentary by Daniel Bird & Peter Hames (in English) and an alternative audio track with the music from The Valerie Project.
Caveat: The main feature subtitles are available in German only.
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- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:02 am
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Funny that this thread should pop back up today, because I just got the source novel in the mail today. I'm not sure when I'll get around to reading it, but I'll post my thoughts once I do.
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- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:02 am
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
This past Sunday I was restless and cracked open the novel, thinking I would read a few chapters. I ended up reading the entire book that day and it left me in quite the mood. Anyway, some thoughts on it:
First off, the film adaptation is surprisingly faithful. Aside from excising a few small scenes, it follows the events of the novel very closely -- up until the end, at least, where the two diverge completely. The film's vignette-like scenes (most without transitions or even continuity editing) parallel the book's structure, which is made up of very short, disparate chapters which focus on a particular instance (in the tradition of gothic pulp). The film adds a lot of imagery, but the narrative events of the novel are left intact, insofar as they can be described as 'narrative' events.
The novel has much more dialogue than the film, and some of the relationships feel more cohesive in the book, albeit no less strange. Nezval avoids establishing a concrete sense of place. The descriptions are sparse but inspired, frequently capitalizing on striking, surreal juxtapositions ("Then she was alarmed by four windows that seemed to have been forged from a storm."). The book's uniqueness derives primarily from the twisting, irrational narrative which the film also follows: people dying, only to appear alive and well later; confusion over Valerie's relation to all these characters; the bold, alluring, and repulsive sexuality of Weasel (called Polecat in the novel), the grandmother, and Gratian the missionary.
The film is a fascinating adaptation, and it compliments the novel beautifully. It builds upon the novel's surreal narrative, using it to construct a baroque world overwhelmed with gothic, erotic imagery. In the novel, Valerie happens into some very private affairs, spied through keyholes and veils of mist. In the film, the whole world is alive with this vivid, paganistic sexuality. It blurs the identities of the characters even more than the novel. Both regard sexuality with delight and suspicion, but the film feels more open, even celebratory. It's strange, how they manage to be so similar and so different at once. In any case, they definitely enrich one another, and I tend to think of them as two distinct parts of a whole. Their respective endings exemplify this best: they are completely different, but they are equally compelling and both resonate with what came before. Side by side, they are like two different notes which harmonize with one another when put together.
I can't comment on the quality of the translation. It's very readable, but apparently Nezval does some remarkable things with the Czech language and I'm not sure how well that comes across. The book is put out by Twisted Spoon Press, a Prague-based English-language publisher, and it's available on Amazon for about twelve bucks. It also includes a wonderful essay by an Italian scholar which discusses influences on the novel, information on Nezval, and explains the context in which he wrote it. The essay mentions so many intriguing artists, many of whom I've never heard of, that I may use it as a resource for further reading.
First off, the film adaptation is surprisingly faithful. Aside from excising a few small scenes, it follows the events of the novel very closely -- up until the end, at least, where the two diverge completely. The film's vignette-like scenes (most without transitions or even continuity editing) parallel the book's structure, which is made up of very short, disparate chapters which focus on a particular instance (in the tradition of gothic pulp). The film adds a lot of imagery, but the narrative events of the novel are left intact, insofar as they can be described as 'narrative' events.
The novel has much more dialogue than the film, and some of the relationships feel more cohesive in the book, albeit no less strange. Nezval avoids establishing a concrete sense of place. The descriptions are sparse but inspired, frequently capitalizing on striking, surreal juxtapositions ("Then she was alarmed by four windows that seemed to have been forged from a storm."). The book's uniqueness derives primarily from the twisting, irrational narrative which the film also follows: people dying, only to appear alive and well later; confusion over Valerie's relation to all these characters; the bold, alluring, and repulsive sexuality of Weasel (called Polecat in the novel), the grandmother, and Gratian the missionary.
The film is a fascinating adaptation, and it compliments the novel beautifully. It builds upon the novel's surreal narrative, using it to construct a baroque world overwhelmed with gothic, erotic imagery. In the novel, Valerie happens into some very private affairs, spied through keyholes and veils of mist. In the film, the whole world is alive with this vivid, paganistic sexuality. It blurs the identities of the characters even more than the novel. Both regard sexuality with delight and suspicion, but the film feels more open, even celebratory. It's strange, how they manage to be so similar and so different at once. In any case, they definitely enrich one another, and I tend to think of them as two distinct parts of a whole. Their respective endings exemplify this best: they are completely different, but they are equally compelling and both resonate with what came before. Side by side, they are like two different notes which harmonize with one another when put together.
I can't comment on the quality of the translation. It's very readable, but apparently Nezval does some remarkable things with the Czech language and I'm not sure how well that comes across. The book is put out by Twisted Spoon Press, a Prague-based English-language publisher, and it's available on Amazon for about twelve bucks. It also includes a wonderful essay by an Italian scholar which discusses influences on the novel, information on Nezval, and explains the context in which he wrote it. The essay mentions so many intriguing artists, many of whom I've never heard of, that I may use it as a resource for further reading.
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- Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 4:33 pm
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- Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 1:48 am
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Took a look at Criterion's Hulu presentation today (the last day before it expires).
I very much hope that their upcoming but not officially announced DVD will not use the same image transfer. The one on Hulu is the same used for the Second Run and CČV/Bonton DVDs, which is regrettably contrast-boosted, losing both highlights and shadow detail. In comparison, there is a German DVD released by Bildstörung with vastly superior image quality (as can be seen in the comparison between various releases here: http://dvdfreak.bloudil.cz/freak.php?p= ... ndivu&dz=0
Examples (screenshots from Hulu and Bildstörung DVD):
- the opening credits should be in dark purple (almost black) text against a white background. The Hulu Criterion/Second Run DVDs present them as extremely faded, almost blown out against the white (see DVD Freak comparison).
- in the overexposed shots of Valerie swimming in the fountain, the details of her face should still be visible. At no time should it become a solid white blown-out mass, as it appears in the Hulu Criterion/Second Run transfer.
-in Valerie's room, the white curtains should retain detail where the sunlight dapples them; they should not be blown out nuclear white (see DVD Freak comparison).
-when the Constable spreads his cape from the barn door, there should be shadow detail visible in his cape, while actual areas of black should be black. Whereas in this transfer there is no shadow detail and black is hazy and blue-inflected.
I'd be thrilled if this turns out not to be the case, but it seems the German Bildstörung DVD will remain the only acceptable video rendition of the film; unfortunately, it doesn't have English subtitles.
I very much hope that their upcoming but not officially announced DVD will not use the same image transfer. The one on Hulu is the same used for the Second Run and CČV/Bonton DVDs, which is regrettably contrast-boosted, losing both highlights and shadow detail. In comparison, there is a German DVD released by Bildstörung with vastly superior image quality (as can be seen in the comparison between various releases here: http://dvdfreak.bloudil.cz/freak.php?p= ... ndivu&dz=0
Examples (screenshots from Hulu and Bildstörung DVD):
- the opening credits should be in dark purple (almost black) text against a white background. The Hulu Criterion/Second Run DVDs present them as extremely faded, almost blown out against the white (see DVD Freak comparison).
- in the overexposed shots of Valerie swimming in the fountain, the details of her face should still be visible. At no time should it become a solid white blown-out mass, as it appears in the Hulu Criterion/Second Run transfer.
-in Valerie's room, the white curtains should retain detail where the sunlight dapples them; they should not be blown out nuclear white (see DVD Freak comparison).
-when the Constable spreads his cape from the barn door, there should be shadow detail visible in his cape, while actual areas of black should be black. Whereas in this transfer there is no shadow detail and black is hazy and blue-inflected.
I'd be thrilled if this turns out not to be the case, but it seems the German Bildstörung DVD will remain the only acceptable video rendition of the film; unfortunately, it doesn't have English subtitles.
- feihong
- Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:20 pm
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Here's a movie that needs a blu-ray as soon as possible.
I feel like a dork for liking my Second Run disc so much. I hadn't seen that comparison before. I guess in my head I was still comparing it to the old Redemption disc.
I feel like a dork for liking my Second Run disc so much. I hadn't seen that comparison before. I guess in my head I was still comparing it to the old Redemption disc.
- Bikey
- Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:09 am
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS screens Monday 18th Feb in a double-bill with with Karel Kachyña's THE EAR (UCHO) at Riverside Studios Cinema from 7pm
- Bikey
- Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:09 am
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
VALERIE screening this Thursday 6th June at the Whitechapel Gallery, London E1 as part of a special programme of "events workshops and talks celebrating central/eastern European and British interpretations of the folkloric. Featuring interventions from The Museum of British Folklore, a debate on folk culture's inherent tension with modernity and music from Bird Radio."
- Bikey
- Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:09 am
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
VALERIE screens tomorrow, Saturday 11th January at London's BFI Southbank, at 6.10pm as part of the BFI's epic, ongoing 'Gothic' Season...
- Koukol
- Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 8:31 pm
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
I was hoping someone announced a BD.
- Bikey
- Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:09 am
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
I wish!
Apologies - but seeing on a big screen, from a print is even better than BD!
Apologies - but seeing on a big screen, from a print is even better than BD!
- JamesF
- Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2010 1:36 pm
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
I've got my ticket!
- Koukol
- Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 8:31 pm
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Has anyone suggested this title to Criterion?
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
- Location: SLC, UT
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
They already have the rights (see their Hulu channel). It's supposed to be part of the third Czech New Wave Eclipse set.
- Koukol
- Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 8:31 pm
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Excellent!
Thanks.
Thanks.
- rapta
- Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:04 pm
- Location: Hants, UK
Re: 35 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Forthcoming early 2020, apparently!
- Bikey
- Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:09 am
Re: 35 / BD 27 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Pre-order at the Arrow Webstore
- Finch
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
Re: 35 / BD 27 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Specs confirmed, due Jan 27
Blu-ray Special Edition features:
• Presented from a brand new HD transfer of the film from original materials by the Czech National Film Archive.
• Audio commentary with Peter Hames and Daniel Bird.
• The Projection Booth audio commentary with Mike White, Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger.
• Filmed introduction by Michael Brooke.
• Interview with actor Jaroslava Schallerová.
• Three short films by Jaromil Jireš:
- Uncle (Strejda, 1959)
- Footprints (Stopy, 1960)
- The Hall of Lost Footsteps (Sál ztracených kroků, 1960)
• Trailer
• Booklet featuring writing by Peter Hames and Joseph A. Gervasi
• New and improved English subtitle translation.
• Region free Blu-ray (A/B/C)
• UK premiere on Blu-ray
Blu-ray Special Edition features:
• Presented from a brand new HD transfer of the film from original materials by the Czech National Film Archive.
• Audio commentary with Peter Hames and Daniel Bird.
• The Projection Booth audio commentary with Mike White, Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger.
• Filmed introduction by Michael Brooke.
• Interview with actor Jaroslava Schallerová.
• Three short films by Jaromil Jireš:
- Uncle (Strejda, 1959)
- Footprints (Stopy, 1960)
- The Hall of Lost Footsteps (Sál ztracených kroků, 1960)
• Trailer
• Booklet featuring writing by Peter Hames and Joseph A. Gervasi
• New and improved English subtitle translation.
• Region free Blu-ray (A/B/C)
• UK premiere on Blu-ray