THE LOVELY BONES
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Recently sat down with friends to watch Peter Jackon's THE LOVELY BONES and must say it is great to see the director back on top form. Not only great, but refreshing.
I can now cast away those feelings about that overblown, self-indulgent mess that was the KING KONG remake and feel that Jackson has more than redeemed himself and got back on track with what is surely going to be considered for major awards...
Beautifully conceived and with an ambient score that taps into your heartbeat, the film is a real treat and one of those very rare creatures where tension is at times born out of some of the most serene moments. You have to see and experience the film to understand what i mean by that!
It is about time Peter Jackson got back to something a little more simple and subtle and this is that film. Sure, LOTR was a magnificent, sprawling epic fantasy and a masterpiece but following up with a remake of KING KONG that was three times as long as it should have been, meandering, messy and often yawn-inducing was obviously a mistake and Jackson's health seemed to be an indicator of that.
BAD TASTE, MEET THE FEEBLES, BRAIN DEAD, HEAVENLY CREATURES, LOTR trilogy, FORGOTTEN SILVER...all great films in their own little pigeon-holes. Even THE FRIGHTENERS, dismissed by some as having too much of a Zemeckis influence was a winner. Then came KING KONG...a total wipeout...
Jackson is back....THE LOVELY BONES is a wonder to behold and one of the year's must-see movies!
I can now cast away those feelings about that overblown, self-indulgent mess that was the KING KONG remake and feel that Jackson has more than redeemed himself and got back on track with what is surely going to be considered for major awards...
Beautifully conceived and with an ambient score that taps into your heartbeat, the film is a real treat and one of those very rare creatures where tension is at times born out of some of the most serene moments. You have to see and experience the film to understand what i mean by that!
It is about time Peter Jackson got back to something a little more simple and subtle and this is that film. Sure, LOTR was a magnificent, sprawling epic fantasy and a masterpiece but following up with a remake of KING KONG that was three times as long as it should have been, meandering, messy and often yawn-inducing was obviously a mistake and Jackson's health seemed to be an indicator of that.
BAD TASTE, MEET THE FEEBLES, BRAIN DEAD, HEAVENLY CREATURES, LOTR trilogy, FORGOTTEN SILVER...all great films in their own little pigeon-holes. Even THE FRIGHTENERS, dismissed by some as having too much of a Zemeckis influence was a winner. Then came KING KONG...a total wipeout...
Jackson is back....THE LOVELY BONES is a wonder to behold and one of the year's must-see movies!
RENATO POLSELLI DVD RELEASES
Monday, February 22, 2010
Ok.....a bit later than Sunday, admittedly, but better late than never, right? ;P
Various brief stuff to cover so let's get stuck in right away...
Director Michael Murphy has finished supervising clean-up of the transfer for ATLANTIS and the transfer along with various DVD supplementary materials are on their way to our Canadian HQ as i write this for the next stages to begin (namely, creating some quirky menu screens and putting the entire package together and authoring it ready for pressing). The transfer still shows signs of wear here and there throughout but Mike and actor Phil Lyndon went through the transfer frame-by-frame and did the best they could do to remove the worst dirt and scratches as well as colour correcting and creating the nicest-looking transfer possible. Looks good...far better than the riddled transfer freshly struck from the original 16mm reversal camera elements!
Work will soon begin on THE RITE OF SPRING also, again from a fresh Betacam SP master recently transfered from the original 1" video master. A shame that the original camera elements could not be used but seeing as Mike often shot on 16mm reversal stock the resulting transfer would be the same and so a waste of time and money. Sounds a harsh thing to say, but this stock does not hold up well over time, the film stock it is shot on essentially being the final positive print (as well as the workprint of sorts). So, we could have expected another transfer rife with vertical tramline scratches and other defects....meaning the original 1" video master, struck from the camera elements back when they were at their freshest, is the best way to go and the new Betacam SP master made from it should yield a better transfer than the original elements could...
Finally, as far as the Renato Polselli releases are concerned, we don't wish to announce too much at this point as they are far down the line on the schedule still. But we will say this much:
Although, it goes without saying that if we don't get enough sales of our other releases then it will set those releases back further or even hamper them in other ways....
Take care one and all....
Wayne & Clive
Various brief stuff to cover so let's get stuck in right away...
Director Michael Murphy has finished supervising clean-up of the transfer for ATLANTIS and the transfer along with various DVD supplementary materials are on their way to our Canadian HQ as i write this for the next stages to begin (namely, creating some quirky menu screens and putting the entire package together and authoring it ready for pressing). The transfer still shows signs of wear here and there throughout but Mike and actor Phil Lyndon went through the transfer frame-by-frame and did the best they could do to remove the worst dirt and scratches as well as colour correcting and creating the nicest-looking transfer possible. Looks good...far better than the riddled transfer freshly struck from the original 16mm reversal camera elements!
Work will soon begin on THE RITE OF SPRING also, again from a fresh Betacam SP master recently transfered from the original 1" video master. A shame that the original camera elements could not be used but seeing as Mike often shot on 16mm reversal stock the resulting transfer would be the same and so a waste of time and money. Sounds a harsh thing to say, but this stock does not hold up well over time, the film stock it is shot on essentially being the final positive print (as well as the workprint of sorts). So, we could have expected another transfer rife with vertical tramline scratches and other defects....meaning the original 1" video master, struck from the camera elements back when they were at their freshest, is the best way to go and the new Betacam SP master made from it should yield a better transfer than the original elements could...
Finally, as far as the Renato Polselli releases are concerned, we don't wish to announce too much at this point as they are far down the line on the schedule still. But we will say this much:
- 2-Disc Special Editions
- Region Free
- Utlilizing the best elements we can lay our hands on
- All-new sleeve art based on original poster art
- Possible audio commentary
- Optional English subtitles
Although, it goes without saying that if we don't get enough sales of our other releases then it will set those releases back further or even hamper them in other ways....
Take care one and all....
Wayne & Clive
ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER...
Saturday, February 13, 2010
...or is that Absinthe?
I don't know. All i know is that i have been absent from posting blogs on here a couple of weeks in a row now and i am happy to be back.
My dear Dad passed away suddenly in recent weeks and it has been one Hell of a hard time for us all. I have suffered through a split from my fiancee after 8 years, had to move out of home, get used to not seeing my son every single day, struggling to find a regular day job and a new place of my own, sleeping on a 2-seater sofa in my folks' living room next to my Dad on his hospital bed and then having him pass away all of a sudden while i was out and my Mum was on her own with him. I returned to witness the paramedics trying to resuscitate him, held his hand, helped where i could, accompanied them in the ambulance but all to no avail.
My Dad had gone...
My ex then decided to stick the knife in deeper, as if i needed it or could take much more, and i almost lost my own life as a result. That is, until waking one day soon after all of this and feeling an eerie sense of calm in every inch of me. Every day after that felt the same and i could feel my strength returning. I am not religious, never have been and never will be. But spiritual in some ways, yes. And i couldnt't help but think it was impossible to feel that calm and feel such serenity permeating every inch of my being and that my Dad must be watching over me in some way and had pulled me back from the brink (which is where i was). I remained calm and feeling strength return to me every single day after that and even on my Dad's funeral day my heartbeat was steady and my head in a good place as i carried his coffin every single step of the journey from chapel to graveside and also lowered it into the ground.
I also met the most wonderful and beautiful woman who has ever come into my life and happiness abounds...i know my Dad is still with me...he is in my heart and he is in my soul and my blood....without him my son may very well have been without a father of his own today....
Which brings me back home to Sarcophilous....and, despite not planning to reveal anything about these 2 planned releases anytime in the first half of 2010, i have decided to embrace how upbeat i am feeling by sharing in some of the happiness by (hopefully) putting some smiles your way too!
So, without further a do, let us proudly announce plans for the release of 2 super-rare Italian obscurities by Renato Polselli, "OSCENITA'" and "LA VERITA' SECONDO SATANA"........;)
More details to follow....bon ape-tit!
Wayne & Clive
I don't know. All i know is that i have been absent from posting blogs on here a couple of weeks in a row now and i am happy to be back.
My dear Dad passed away suddenly in recent weeks and it has been one Hell of a hard time for us all. I have suffered through a split from my fiancee after 8 years, had to move out of home, get used to not seeing my son every single day, struggling to find a regular day job and a new place of my own, sleeping on a 2-seater sofa in my folks' living room next to my Dad on his hospital bed and then having him pass away all of a sudden while i was out and my Mum was on her own with him. I returned to witness the paramedics trying to resuscitate him, held his hand, helped where i could, accompanied them in the ambulance but all to no avail.
My Dad had gone...
My ex then decided to stick the knife in deeper, as if i needed it or could take much more, and i almost lost my own life as a result. That is, until waking one day soon after all of this and feeling an eerie sense of calm in every inch of me. Every day after that felt the same and i could feel my strength returning. I am not religious, never have been and never will be. But spiritual in some ways, yes. And i couldnt't help but think it was impossible to feel that calm and feel such serenity permeating every inch of my being and that my Dad must be watching over me in some way and had pulled me back from the brink (which is where i was). I remained calm and feeling strength return to me every single day after that and even on my Dad's funeral day my heartbeat was steady and my head in a good place as i carried his coffin every single step of the journey from chapel to graveside and also lowered it into the ground.
I also met the most wonderful and beautiful woman who has ever come into my life and happiness abounds...i know my Dad is still with me...he is in my heart and he is in my soul and my blood....without him my son may very well have been without a father of his own today....
Which brings me back home to Sarcophilous....and, despite not planning to reveal anything about these 2 planned releases anytime in the first half of 2010, i have decided to embrace how upbeat i am feeling by sharing in some of the happiness by (hopefully) putting some smiles your way too!
So, without further a do, let us proudly announce plans for the release of 2 super-rare Italian obscurities by Renato Polselli, "OSCENITA'" and "LA VERITA' SECONDO SATANA"........;)
More details to follow....bon ape-tit!
Wayne & Clive
