14 September 2009

DVD and Acquisition Updates - 14 September 2009

Three new IFC/MPI titles and a slew of films from Asia are on the bill for this DVD round-up.

- Silence, ça tue!, 2008, d. Christophe Lamont, Brink/MVD, 22 September
- Decoder, 1984, d. Muscha, Cobraside/MVD, 29 September, w. William S. Burroughs, FM Einheit, Genesis P-Orridge
- The Asphyx, 1973, d. Peter Newbrook Hens Tooth, 27 October
- Bloody Beach, 2000, d. Kim In Soo, Pathfinder, 3 November
- Fear of Fiction, 2000, d. Charlie Ahearn, Brink/MVD, 17 November, w. Melissa Leo, Sam Trammell, Penn Jillette, Reno
- Hansel & Gretel, 2007, d. Yim Pil-sung, Tokyo Shock, 17 November
- Teacher's Pet, 2005, d. Chung Ji Woo, Pathfinder, 17 November
- Thirst, 2009, d. Park Chan-wook, Focus Features, 17 November
- Green Fish, 1997, d. Lee Chang-dong, Pathfinder, 24 November
- Peter Pan Formula, 2005, d. Cho Chang-ho, Pathfinder, 24 November
- Devilman, 2004, d. Hiroyuki Nasu, Tokyo Shock, Special Edition, 24 November
- Dog Eat Dog [Perro come perro], 2008, d. Carlos Moreno, IFC Films, 8 December
- Ghosted, 2009, d. Monika Treut, First Run Features, 8 December
- Home Movie, 2008, d. Christopher Denham, IFC Films, 8 December
- Prima Ballerina, 2009, d. Laurent Gentot, First Run, 8 December
- The Skeptic, 2009, d. Tennyson Bardwell, IFC Films, 8 December
- The Year of the Jellyfish [L'année des méduses], 1984, d. Christopher Frank, Televista, 22 December
- Kid with the Golden Arm, 1979, d. Chang Cheh, Tokyo Shock, 29 December

Date Changes

- Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…, 3 November, also on Blu-ray
- Janky Promoters, 24 November
- Lesbian Vampire Killers, 29 December
- Antichrist, Artificial Eye/UK, 11 January

In acquisition news, you've probably already read about the strange distribution deal Richard Linklater's Me and Orson Welles is (finally) receiving nearly a year after its premiere at Toronto. Sony Pictures Classics nabbed Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Micmacs [Micmacs à tire-larigot]. National Geographic Films announced their second theatrical release in Lu Chuan's City of Life and Death. Kino will release Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani's Ajami, which received a Special Mention for the Camera d'Or at Cannes this year. IFC took Mia Hansen-Løve's Father of My Children [Le père de mes enfants]. And Zeitgeist picked up Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar's A Town Called Panic [Panique au village].

Magnolia disclosed that they're planning to release Bong Joon-ho's Mother, which South Korea announced recently as their Academy Award submission for 2009. In addition to Mother, they also took the US rights to Bong's first film, Barking Dogs Don't Bite, from 2000 (likely for just a DVD release, but I'm not sure). The director's The Host was one of the company's biggest successes to date.

Thanks to Eric from ioncinema for directing me to this: Mark Urman, former head of ThinkFilm, has started a new company called Paladin. Their first title Steve Jacobs' Disgrace, which stars John Malkovich and Eriq Ebouaney, was released in New York City this past Friday, and before the end of the year, Paladin will roll out Splinterheads, a comedy written and directed by Brant Sersen (Blackballed), and Jodie Markell's adaptation of Tennessee Williams' The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Evans, Ann-Margret, Ellen Burstyn and David Strathairn. Early next year, they'll release the new Bette Gordon (Variety) feature Handsome Harry, with Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, Aidan Quinn, John Savage, Campbell Scott, Karen Young and Bill Sage.

And finally, perhaps I mentioned this before, but I remember reading somewhere that Lorber Films will be picking up Ursula Meier's extraordinary debut feature Home, which stars Isabelle Huppert and Olivier Gourmet, for a 2010 release. Fingers crossed! All for now.

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