1252 Performance

[DeprongMori]

Regardless of the supplements, mostly I’ll be ecstatic if they finally fix all the audio issues that have plagued every previous release and they don’t screw up the 4K and encoding. This will be maybe my fifth time buying this film.

[Drucker]

Well it very clearly states

with uncompressed monaural original-UK-version soundtrack

[DeprongMori]

Well it very clearly states

with uncompressed monaural original-UK-version soundtrack

That presumably answers the question whether the original voice tracks would be used, but I believe that had been claimed in some of the previous releases and some erroneous ADR crept in anyway. There have also been a fair number of documented issues with the audio in several of the musical pieces in prior releases. I am crossing all my digits that all of these problems have finally been laid to rest.

[ryannichols7]

Well, I'm going to be a Negative Nicholas and say that it is unfortunate however that there is no real academic angle to this edition, there are lots of experts who have a lot to say about this film, and some of them have written books about it, and some of THEM have worked with Criterion before. I don't think this Keiron Pim person counts as academic, as presumably his visual thingy will be more biographical in nature.

I don't like Roeg, but I will say during his life his releases didn't have scholarly supplements so I could maybe understand it back then. now, I wouldn't think they'd have to worry about that? this does seem like a disc that people have been requesting for ages, and I didn't realize the WAC disc is pretty flawed

as a huge Stones fan who hasn't seen this movie, I am amused that Jagger actually did an interview for it back in the day (presumably, any idea when it was produced?)

[Beloved Aunt]

I am amused that Jagger actually did an interview for it back in the day

It's a Performance orgy reunion!!! Maybe they can re-enact it, or maybe its filmed in a bed in a filthy, dark London flat with mushrooms growing on it. Here is a very handy website that collects some or all of the books, academic and otherwise, that deal with or extensively analyze this film or its making: https://performancethefilm.com/books-2/

[Beloved Aunt]

It would be nice to have a commentary by Sam Umland or an interview with Colin MacCabe, or both. After all its pretty safe to assume this, like Drugstore Cowboy, is going to be a big or even huge seller for them.

[_shadow_]

Well it very clearly states

with uncompressed monaural original-UK-version soundtrack

That presumably answers the question whether the original voice tracks would be used, but I believe that had been claimed in some of the previous releases and some erroneous ADR crept in anyway. There have also been a fair number of documented issues with the audio in several of the musical pieces in prior releases. I am crossing all my digits that all of these problems have finally been laid to rest.

My pessimistic expectation is that we'll just get the baseline of the original DVD release with the British voices but no correction for the "restored" audio that remixes out some instrumentation -- and probably the "Here's to old England" line that was dropped in that release and badly dumped back for the BD in what sounds like someone recording a TV broadcast from another room.

My dream would be to have the fully restored British audio, with all spoken lines present, and a more accurate music presentation.

The special features seem a bit thin - the Donald Cammel doc has already been released elsewhere, and it would be more useful to hear from his biographers Rebecca and Sam Umland to provide an alternative take.

[MichaelB]

Given that there are no fewer than four excellent books on Performance plus the Rebecca and Sam Umland biography of Donald Cammell (all of which I've read, and what's really remarkable about the Performance books is the comparative dearth of overlapping info), to say that I'm not remotely exercised about supplements here would be putting it mildly. Provided they don't screw up the presentation of the main feature - and producer Sandy Lieberson's involvement is a hopeful sign that they're taking it seriously - it could be barebones for all I care.

It's one thing to be miffed about supplements where there's little or no discussion of the film elsewhere - I've just signed up to do a commentary for a film about which there's pretty much nothing available in English, and so I'm acutely conscious of my responsibilities there - but in this case there's loads.

Also, the Cammell doc (a hefty supplement in its own right) was on a UK-only Arrow release, and I'd lay money on it having been region-locked given the licensing source. So I'm sure the people who (a) don't import and (b) wouldn't be able to play it even if they did – i.e. a substantially greater percentage of the target market than the likes of us - will be very grateful for its inclusion.

[pianocrash]

it could be barebones for all I care.

I agree with MichaelB on all fronts - as long as the presentation is great, this is a release and film that rewards multiple viewings and I'm happy it's here, and that more people can finally see it whole.

The UK HMV Exclusive BD edition of the film is one I covet and paid a hefty price for (and have given as a gift to many), so this will be the inaugural 4K plunge for me.

This is probably the only time I'd endure Richard Ayoade interviewing his father-in-law, but for both their sake's I'm not disappointed that's not happening \:D/

[Matt]

I'm okay with scholars and film critics not repeating on a disc what has already been made available in books. It seems like anyone with a deep interest in a film would be able to deepen their knowledge with outside reading. What's often not easy to find is interviews with cast and crew, and those are always of interest to me. I feel like I can analyze and critique a film on my own, but knowing the inside history is always illuminating to me.

MichaelB's (and some others') commentaries are always rich with analysis, critique, and history, and I like that mix as well.

[nredding]

That Cammell documentary is already on Arrow’s phenomenal White of the Eye release. Talk about a serious missed opportunity of a release. Wow.

The Cammell documentary is on YouTube.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jlx57w2 ... Zvcm1hbmNl

[MichaelB]

Emphatically not legally, though, so a red herring.

[nredding]

That Cammell documentary is already on Arrow’s phenomenal White of the Eye release. Talk about a serious missed opportunity of a release. Wow.

The Cammell documentary is on YouTube.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jlx57w2 ... Zvcm1hbmNl

It’s also on the new Criterion release.

Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance (1998), a documentary by Kevin Macdonald and Chris Rodley

https://www.criterion.com/films/30003-performance

[MichaelB]

Yeah, we know - it's already been discussed quite extensively above. Including in the post that you yourself replied to.

[Drucker]

Reviewing this thread I can see why I avoided Performance for all of these years, as most of the posts are complaining about the audio! But I really enjoyed the new Criterion of this title. It's been swirling around in my head just all day, since watching it last night, how powerful the film was. The piece taking place in a courtroom and the dialogue about the rights of a smaller firm to merge with a bigger firm were fantastic and grabbed my attention early on. Johnny Shannon's performance is astounding and every scene he is in is magnificent. Bob Hoskins' performance in The Long Good Friday certainly owes more than little debt to the perf, surely? And the film's ability to so deftly transition to the second half and create such an air of discomfort is perfect, from the moments Turner is trying to kick Chas out of the house. I'll also add that among all the great performances here, Jagger's completely holds up, never appearing uneasy (like some other musician-turned-actor roles I could imagine) as he completely throws himself into the role.
And the last scene, as well, seems that Roeg later re-uses it a little bit in Don't Look Now, right?

The first Roeg film I watched was The Man Who Fell To Earth when I believe we were doing film club? I didn't care much for the film. Though I know the extras make clear this is more Cammel's film than Roeg's, the run of Performance, Walkabout, and Don't Look Now, not to mention Man Who Fell (which I surely need to revisit) is really one for the ages.