Heavy Breathing

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I was told last night by an excellent source that Michael Ritchie's Downhill Racer ('69), a first-rate verite drama about a reckless, emotionally cut-off downhill skiier (Robert Redford) vying for Olympic glory, is being prepared as a Criterion Collection DVD. The highly regarded film has never been on DVD. No word about whether a Blu-ray version will pop through or whether Criterion will simply give it an Eddie Coyle or Hit-styled lowball release. I'm presuming the latter.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 23, 2009 at 6:54 PM

comment #1

Emmanuel_Goldstein says ...

Anyone have any good ideas on what to do about Pakistan?

Posted by Emmanuel_Goldstein at July 23, 2009 8:07 PM

comment #2

Doug Pratt says ...

Roman Polanski worked on the preparations of the film before moving on to something else, but you can still see his influence in a lot of the non-racing scenes.

Posted by Doug Pratt at July 23, 2009 8:11 PM

comment #3

Baron Munchausen-by-Proxy says ...

Leaving 1980's "The Island" - a guilty pleasure, except I never feel guilty for digging David Warner - as the sole Ritchie not out on dvd.

If only WB would get on the goddamn ball with "Candidate". They've yet to spruce up that film from its muddy pan & scan edition.

Posted by Baron Munchausen-by-Proxy at July 23, 2009 8:27 PM

comment #4

btwnproductions says ...

1969, actually.

Posted by btwnproductions at July 23, 2009 8:42 PM

comment #5

TheJeff says ...

Yes, Criterion confirmed Downhill Racer in December.

Jeff, you will be interested to know that Mike's Murder has just been announced in the next wave of the Warner Archive program. No ship date yet.

http://www.wbshop.com/Mike+s-Murder-+EST-MOD/1000112970,default,pd.html?cgid=

Posted by TheJeff at July 23, 2009 8:46 PM

comment #6

jacicita says ...

Yeah, '69. For certain, since 5 minutes ago I got home from seeing it at the NW Film Forum, part of their *excellent* 69 series.

Posted by jacicita at July 23, 2009 9:02 PM

comment #7

btwnproductions says ...

I'm glad MIKE'S MURDER is getting a WA release--but that would seem to rule out, or at least seriously delay, a director's cut release along the lines of REVOLUTION and LOOKIN' TO GET OUT.

Posted by btwnproductions at July 23, 2009 9:44 PM

comment #8

Terry McCarty says ...

btwnproductions wrote:
I'm glad MIKE'S MURDER is getting a WA release--but that would seem to rule out, or at least seriously delay, a director's cut release along the lines of REVOLUTION and LOOKIN' TO GET OUT.

Maybe UCLA could consider running a print of Bridges' cut at the Wilder Thater in the Hammer.

Posted by Terry McCarty at July 23, 2009 10:20 PM

comment #9

Terry McCarty says ...

Baron Munchausen....wrote:
Leaving 1980's "The Island" - a guilty pleasure, except I never feel guilty for digging David Warner - as the sole Ritchie not out on dvd.

Did AN ALMOST PERFECT AFFAIR make it to DVD? I remember it being on VHS.

Posted by Terry McCarty at July 23, 2009 10:21 PM

comment #10

Terry McCarty says ...

Answered my own question re AN ALMOST PERFECT AFFAIR. Paramount released it to DVD in 03; out of print now but some copies available on Amazon Marketplace; Amazon also has it as a pay-for download for $9.99.
http://www.amazon.com/Almost-Perfect-Affair-Keith-Carradine/dp/B0000A2ZNI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1248414205&sr=1-1

Posted by Terry McCarty at July 23, 2009 10:30 PM

comment #11

DeeZee says ...

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006438.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
Brolin tries his luck at a V for Vendetta remake.
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/41799

Posted by DeeZee at July 23, 2009 11:16 PM

comment #12

Baron Munchausen-by-Proxy says ...

Terry - it's a very good transfer, too. Wasn't someone going on recently about Keith? They should see him in this as well.

Posted by Baron Munchausen-by-Proxy at July 23, 2009 11:42 PM

comment #13

larry braverman says ...

Great thread. Tremendous Comic-Con coverage. How about a post about Alexander Korda?

Posted by larry braverman at July 23, 2009 11:56 PM

comment #14

DeeZee says ...

Please don't suck. http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/boondocksaints2/

Posted by DeeZee at July 24, 2009 2:38 AM

comment #15

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Whoa...waitasecond. "Please don't suck?" You mean like Boondock Saints 1?

Don't tell me you are a fan of that film, fake D.Z. If you ring Tarantino up on charges of high plagiarism, then Troy Duffy certainly must sentenced to a public hanging for the tunnel-visioned way he tried to rip off Quentin's style and humor. He didn't even throw all of his influences in the blender. QT was the only ingredient.

Oh, and Duffy's filmography since BS (rather appropriate acronynm for that movie) is empty, and that was 10 goddamn years ago. Pathetic.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at July 24, 2009 4:26 AM

comment #16

bagelfilm says ...

BOYCOTT KEN LOACH!

Like in 1933 Germany, someone again is calling for a boycott of Jews

ent: 24 July 2009 05:59
To: Ann
Subject: once a Ken Loach admirer, now realizing he is anti-semitite

Dear Ken Loach,
KES is a film that I saw when I was six years old and have loved ever since. Not a single of your films did I miss, but now that I realized that you are an anti-semite, I definetly will stop. When are you moving to Gaza or Tehran? My Loach-dvds are heading for the trash can.
sincerely,

Paul

Dear Paul

Ken is not anti-semite. The press often distort the facts. Please see attached the correspondence regarding his decision to boycott the Melbourne Film Festival.
Please also see this website for information regarding the wider cultural boycott: http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=868
I hope these will clarify things.

With best wishes

Assistant to Ken Loach

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Paul
S

Posted by bagelfilm at July 24, 2009 6:33 AM

comment #17

maxfm says ...

I've never -- ever -- understood the love for The Boondock Saints.

Looking forward to Downhill Racer, and I second a re-release of The Candidate DVD. And speaking of Richie: I've always loved Prime Cut -- which IS on DVD.

Finally: I have the Freebie & the Bean and One Trick Pony Warner Archive DVDs, and while the transfers aren't great, I enjoy the rough look of the prints because they remind me of how they actually looked back in the day -- like they had been spooled through projectors about a 1,000 times.

Oh, and one more finally: How can one search for future Warner Archives titles like The Jeff did for Mike's Murder?

Posted by maxfm at July 24, 2009 6:40 AM

comment #18

btwnproductions says ...

Here: http://www.wbshop.com/Pre-Orders/ARCHIVEPRE,default,sc.html

Posted by btwnproductions at July 24, 2009 7:24 AM

comment #19

DeeZee says ...

Kane: You can't plagiarize a plagiarist. Besides, I don't remember QT making a movie about Irish-Catholic vigilantes solving crimes. At best, if what I'm told is accurate, Duffy ripped off Dogma. And even

bagel: No problem. Just ask Loach when his county's going to pay reparations to India and leave Ireland.

Posted by DeeZee at July 24, 2009 11:04 AM

comment #20

DeeZee says ...

*And even then, Duffy's approach to action scenes and crime re-enactments in that movie still belong to him. When is QT going to shoot action scenes which don't just seem like imitations of older and better MA movies?*

Posted by DeeZee at July 24, 2009 11:07 AM

comment #21

maxfm says ...

Thanks btwnproductions!

Posted by maxfm at July 24, 2009 12:12 PM

comment #22

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"Besides, I don't remember QT making a movie about Irish-Catholic vigilantes solving crimes."

That's funny because I don't remember Duffy making that movie, either. Solving crimes? They're just two hitmen that go around shooting people in between (badly-written and forced) "witty" banter. See: Jules and Vincent 5 years earlier in Pulp.

"At best, if what I'm told is accurate, Duffy ripped off Dogma."

As usual, it's not. They debuted at various festivals within a couple months of each other in the summer of '99.

"When is QT going to shoot action scenes which don't just seem like imitations of older and better MA movies?"

Okay, just to stay away from his action scenes with any HK influences, what the hell was wrong with the action in Death Proof? Say what you will about the movie as a whole, but those crash/chase scenes were phenomenal.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at July 24, 2009 3:02 PM

comment #23

frankbooth says ...

Good news. Never seen Downhill Racer.

I'm beginning to think DeeZee really is D.Z. Who else who would be stupid enough to defend a juvenile piece of shit like B.S.?

Check out this dialogue and those accents. Especially Reedus. Holy fuck, that's embarrassing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKzM8xsQ5-U

Posted by frankbooth at July 24, 2009 3:58 PM

comment #24

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Yeah, me too, frank.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at July 24, 2009 7:41 PM

comment #25

DeeZee says ...

Kane: " Solving crimes? They're just two hitmen that go around shooting people in between (badly-written and forced) "witty" banter. See: Jules and Vincent 5 years earlier in Pulp."

Except they're not hitmen: they're vigilantes. There is a difference. As for Jules and Vincent, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM7MyIeDkww . Also, I don't remember any of the characters in Boondock Saints discussing tv pilots. But that's just me.

"As usual, it's not. They debuted at various festivals within a couple months of each other in the summer of '99."

Kevin had been trying to pitch the idea years before Duffy, though.

"Okay, just to stay away from his action scenes with any HK influences, what the hell was wrong with the action in Death Proof?"

It's a Six Flags ride inserted into a car-chase movie?

frank: "Who else who would be stupid enough to defend a juvenile piece of shit like B.S.?"

Yes, because TDK is high art....

"Check out this dialogue and those accents."

Someone hasn't seen Braveheart...

Posted by DeeZee at July 24, 2009 7:43 PM

comment #26

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Fine, vigilantes. They sure as hell aren't solving any crimes, tho. They may not discuss TV pilots, but this is close (and painful) enough:

Murphy: You know, on TV you always got that guy that jumps over the sofa.
Connor: And then you gotta shoot at him for ten fucking minutes, too.
Murphy: Aye.
Connor: Christ.
Murphy: We're good.
Connor: Yes, we are.

"Kevin had been trying to pitch the idea years before Duffy, though."

Years before Duffy would still make it after PF. Nice try, tho'. Besides, Dogma was about fallen angels, not mortal vigilantes, since we're in the mood to be so fucking pedantic.

"It's a Six Flags ride inserted into a car-chase movie?"

Sounds like a compliment to me?

"Someone hasn't seen Braveheart... "

Big ol' WTF to that. Now this is the DZ we know and hate.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at July 24, 2009 8:53 PM

comment #27

DeeZee says ...

Kane: Gee, I didn't know that guy who jumps on a couch was in that all-girl squad.

"Besides, Dogma was about fallen angels, not mortal vigilantes,"

True, but they still take out the trash all the same.

"Sounds like a compliment to me?"

Um, no. I'm making fun of the crappy camera-work and the feeling you get that the characters aren't really in danger, since you know the scene is shot for safety purposes, rather than excitement.

Posted by DeeZee at July 24, 2009 10:59 PM

comment #28