1074 Irma Vep
- dekadetia
- was Born Innocent
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 11:57 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
Just watched and really enjoyed this, and wanted to note that the ending of the film's audio reworks/samples music by Nine Inch Nails, specifically from the Fixed EP; there's no mention of this in the end credits nor anywhere else on the internet as far as I can tell.
- Matt
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
According to film scholar Monica Dall’Asta, it’s essentially a full-body silk stocking. I would have thought it would be a fine woolen knit, like a swimsuit of the time, as silk would be awfully sheer. But in certain shots and stills, you can see a whole lot of Musidora.Michael Kerpan wrote: ↑Thu Mar 25, 2021 9:02 amThis Gary comment makes me wonder -- I wonder what the original Irma Vep's catsuit would have been made of?
- Michael Kerpan
- Spelling Bee Champeen
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:20 pm
- Location: New England
- Contact:
- barbarella satyricon
- Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2019 7:45 am
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
Got around to rewatching this one on the Arrow disc after reading Chris’ review of the new Criterion release, and if the teal push is there, I can’t say it bothered me. The grain, though, to my untrained eye, looked super noisy. Wondering if that’s handled better on the Criterion.
As for the film, man, what a film, practically coded into the DNA of my consciousness by now. Each time I revisit it, I think maybe the magic will have worn off a bit, but then I’m always happily hooked in by the end of the second reel. Granted, it’s never seemed like a different or dynamically changed film with revisits, but its pleasures and rewards also haven’t seemed to diminish with the years. It’s always a sinuous, spiky, spontaneously alive work in my eyes.
Sampling randomly from the bounty: Nathalie Richard and Maggie Cheung’s nighttime motorbike ride, with Ali Farka Touré on the soundtrack – just a peak ’90s cinema moment. In a later scene, the way the pulsing rave music makes Maggie’s taxi seem like a space pod or Blade Runner spinner whisking her back to dimensions from whence she came – all the elements of mise-en-scène, cinematography, acting, and sound design coming together in that perfect, fleeting moment. And Bulle Ogier’s apartment is just the apotheosis of a lived-in, arty-intellectual Parisian living space. The extended late-night dinner party sequence, with the most restlessly intuitive handheld camerawork I can recall seeing ever, taking in all the clustered and isolated goings-on.
Came to this thread first and then went to scan the ’90s list thread. This was an also-ran in the last vote? Baffling. This one and demonlover are joined at the hip in my mind, key zeitgeist texts of pre and post Y2K years, sui generis both. Assayas would earn unimpeachable auteur status on those two alone. I could talk in blurbs and hyperbole all day long. Irma Vep, ’90s top ten, top twenty at least.
As for the film, man, what a film, practically coded into the DNA of my consciousness by now. Each time I revisit it, I think maybe the magic will have worn off a bit, but then I’m always happily hooked in by the end of the second reel. Granted, it’s never seemed like a different or dynamically changed film with revisits, but its pleasures and rewards also haven’t seemed to diminish with the years. It’s always a sinuous, spiky, spontaneously alive work in my eyes.
Sampling randomly from the bounty: Nathalie Richard and Maggie Cheung’s nighttime motorbike ride, with Ali Farka Touré on the soundtrack – just a peak ’90s cinema moment. In a later scene, the way the pulsing rave music makes Maggie’s taxi seem like a space pod or Blade Runner spinner whisking her back to dimensions from whence she came – all the elements of mise-en-scène, cinematography, acting, and sound design coming together in that perfect, fleeting moment. And Bulle Ogier’s apartment is just the apotheosis of a lived-in, arty-intellectual Parisian living space. The extended late-night dinner party sequence, with the most restlessly intuitive handheld camerawork I can recall seeing ever, taking in all the clustered and isolated goings-on.
Came to this thread first and then went to scan the ’90s list thread. This was an also-ran in the last vote? Baffling. This one and demonlover are joined at the hip in my mind, key zeitgeist texts of pre and post Y2K years, sui generis both. Assayas would earn unimpeachable auteur status on those two alone. I could talk in blurbs and hyperbole all day long. Irma Vep, ’90s top ten, top twenty at least.
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- Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 6:49 am
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
I wonder if Chris can chime in on the Arrow encode vs the Criterion encode since he mentioned having seen both discs? Arrow's encode is by Premier (not their usual encoding house) and, as barbarella satyricon mentions, it gets super wonky at times. I would say for about 10% of the film it was very noticeable to me (and I am not a huge nitpicker of compression in motion).
- cdnchris
- Site Admin
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:45 pm
- Location: Washington
- Contact:
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
I sampled a couple of scenes from both on my TV and couldn't detect too big a difference between the two, but if there were scenes that stood out to you on the Arrow disc let me know. I can't do a full on compare on my computer at the moment as I'm taking this week to do a room renovation (learning it's harder to do that kind of stuff as you get older), and it's taking my time right now, along with a couple other things.
- Elizabeth Corday
- Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:58 am
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
I wanted to ask about this. I accidentally saw clip of the **finished product footage** with the squiggly line coming from Maggie's eyes and stuff. It confused me and kinda hurt my brain a bit. (Fwiw I do not mind spoilers) I'm just wondering if the whole film is like that? I know its new wave and about a very hectic crazy film production of a remake of a silent film. Worth a watch?
- senseabove
- Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2015 3:07 am
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
Yes, it's definitely worth a watch, and no, very little of the film is like that.Elizabeth Corday wrote: ↑Wed Oct 13, 2021 1:23 amI wanted to ask about this. I accidentally saw clip of the **finished product footage** with the squiggly line coming from Maggie's eyes and stuff. It confused me and kinda hurt my brain a bit. (Fwiw I do not mind spoilers) I'm just wondering if the whole film is like that? I know its new wave and about a very hectic crazy film production of a remake of a silent film. Worth a watch?
- Elizabeth Corday
- Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:58 am
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
Finally watched! I loved it and I'm looking forward to the second disc.
I am curious about Maggie Cheung though. She seems to have vanished...is she doing well? I fear she may have gone the way of Shelley Duvall and Setsuko Hara being reclusive or unwell. I know she and Olivier divorced but I wonder if she is still in touch with him and with people like Kwan, Leung, Lin, Wai, Kaneshiro, Yeoh, etc. I saw a clip of her in 2014 in some sort of music performance but judging by the comments apparently she got attacked on social media in China and there are rumors she is a drug addict...which I hope is not true.
I am curious about Maggie Cheung though. She seems to have vanished...is she doing well? I fear she may have gone the way of Shelley Duvall and Setsuko Hara being reclusive or unwell. I know she and Olivier divorced but I wonder if she is still in touch with him and with people like Kwan, Leung, Lin, Wai, Kaneshiro, Yeoh, etc. I saw a clip of her in 2014 in some sort of music performance but judging by the comments apparently she got attacked on social media in China and there are rumors she is a drug addict...which I hope is not true.
- andyli
- Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:46 pm
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
She's doing well. Just appeared in a Gucci event a few days ago. Looked rather relaxed, enjoying herself.Elizabeth Corday wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 1:52 amFinally watched! I loved it and I'm looking forward to the second disc.
I am curious about Maggie Cheung though. She seems to have vanished...is she doing well? I fear she may have gone the way of Shelley Duvall and Setsuko Hara being reclusive or unwell. I know she and Olivier divorced but I wonder if she is still in touch with him and with people like Kwan, Leung, Lin, Wai, Kaneshiro, Yeoh, etc. I saw a clip of her in 2014 in some sort of music performance but judging by the comments apparently she got attacked on social media in China and there are rumors she is a drug addict...which I hope is not true.
Also heard of an interview with Assayas talking about inviting her out of retirement for a new production but was declined. Can't find the source now. Must be one of those promotional interviews for the Irma Vep TV remake.
EDIT: Found the link to the Vanity Fair article. Turns out that new production is the Irma Vep TV series itself.
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- Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:14 am
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
I’ll add that in @andyli’s link, you can see Cheung smiling with HK film stars Nicholas Tse, Karena Lam, and Aaron Kwok in that (staged) photo. So at least she appears friendly with them. But in the Vanity Fair interview, Olivier Assayas said she is so reclusive (or maybe just cut off from him) that he could not find her through the right email at first. The Gucci event was Cheung’s first public appearance in years.andyli wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 3:53 amShe's doing well. Just appeared in a Gucci event a few days ago. Looked rather relaxed, enjoying herself.Elizabeth Corday wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 1:52 amFinally watched! I loved it and I'm looking forward to the second disc.
I am curious about Maggie Cheung though. She seems to have vanished...is she doing well? I fear she may have gone the way of Shelley Duvall and Setsuko Hara being reclusive or unwell. I know she and Olivier divorced but I wonder if she is still in touch with him and with people like Kwan, Leung, Lin, Wai, Kaneshiro, Yeoh, etc. I saw a clip of her in 2014 in some sort of music performance but judging by the comments apparently she got attacked on social media in China and there are rumors she is a drug addict...which I hope is not true.
Also heard of an interview with Assayas talking about inviting her out of retirement for a new production but was declined. Can't find the source now. Must be one of those promotional interviews for the Irma Vep TV remake.
EDIT: Found the link to the Vanity Fair article. Turns out that new production is the Irma Vep TV series itself.
- Elizabeth Corday
- Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:58 am
Re: 1074 Irma Vep
I was worried she was not doing well.
But she looks so happy! People are attacking her weight though.
But she looks so good and happy. I wonder if she's just taking a break for now and DJ'ing. I imagine she knows that people revere her (and more people are discovering her work with Wong Kar Wai especially now that people who didn't know Tony Leung now know him from Shang Chi).
It would be so interesting to see her appear in a new film, even if it ends up being something from Hollywood.