'Image Entertainment'
Aug 28, 2010 13:00:10
Brand : Image Entertainment
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Roman Polanski followed up his international breakthrough, Knife in the Water, with this controversial, chilling tale of psychosis, starring Catherine Deneuve as Carole, a fragile, frigid young beauty cracking up over the course of a terrifying weekend. Left alone by her vacationing sister in their London flat, Carole is haunted by specters real and imagined, and her insanity grows to a violent pitch. Thanks to its unforgettable attention to disturbing detail and Polanski’s unparalleled adeptness at turning claustrophobic space into an emotional minefield, Repulsion remains one of cinema’s most shocking psychological thrillers.
SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:
• New, restored high-definition digital transfer with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• Audio commentary featuring director Roman Polanski and actress Catherine Deneuve
• A British Horror Film (2003), a documentary on the making of Repulsion, featuring interviews with Polanski, producer Gene Gutowski, and cinematographer Gil Taylor
• A 1964 television documentary filmed on the set of Repulsion, featuring rare footage of Polanski and Deneuve at work
• Theatrical trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar and curator Bill Horrigan
Stills from Repulsion (Click for larger image)
Repulsion- (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Reviews By Customers
Yes, outer beauty can indeed hide inner ugliness. There is bound to be a conflict between the two at some point and, when that happens, it is the inner, twisted soul that will win out with disastrous consequences for anyone who gets too close — the theme of this chilling and repulsive movie that accounts for its originality. Polanski, being a clever fellow, uses a variety of effective techniques to get the story across, including casting Deneuve as the troubled Carole in the bait-and-switch role of a beautiful beautician gone mad — paradox and perversity are Polanski’s stock-and-trade. One keeps asking not just “how can this be?” but also “how could she have turned out that way?” and maybe also “where’s Dr. Phil when you need him?” The middle question is answered in the film’s final scene by means of a still photo of Carole as a young girl with a fearful, demented look in her eyes (to indicate she may have been abused by a family member.) In the last shot, the camera closes in on an eye — allegedly the window to the soul — at the same time closing the circle, a fitting ending because that is how the film starts. (We should note that the film’s disturbing theme hasn’t deterred Polanski in the least from chasing after beautiful women all his life.) The DVD I watched comes with commentary by Polanski and Deneuve.
It Feels Sooooo Good When It’s Over. – Yasha Banana –
Roman Polanski, you’ll excuse the expression, *violated* the first law of movie directing; and that is, when you have a beautiful woman in a movie, as the director, you must bring out her full beauty. Put another way: a director must know how to film a beautiful woman.
And, surprisingly enough, Roman Polanski didn’t do that in “Repulsion.” Didn’t do that with a 21-year-old Catherine Denueve — Catherine Denueve generally regarded then and for many years thereafter as “the most beautiful woman in the world.”
If you don’t believe me, check out the extra on this DVD that is a documentary on the making of “Repulsion.” In that documentary we see Catherine Denueve rehearsing with Polanski and also speaking to the camera, i.e., speaking to the documentarian. And therein we see Catherine Denueve in all her glory — *glowing* with beauty.
But Polanski blew it. He didn’t film Denueve properly. Now, you may say he did that on purpose, for the purposes of the story. But I don’t think so; I doubt that very much. The entire movie was basically a knock-off; it had a limited budget and it showed it.
In fact, had not Polanski gone on to make several excellent movies, it’s unlikely this movie would ever have been re-issued, by Criterion or by any other company.
The movie is choppy, disjointed, poorly photographed (and not just of Denueve), and after a while it’s just plain annoying. Especially the music. Time and again the music telegraphs the “horror” of a scene. So that boring as the movie is, don’t try falling asleep while you’re watching it because every 10 minutes the music *SCREECHES* at you, for one simple reason — to scare you with the sheer volume of its SCREEEEEEECH!
In other words, a scary movie shouldn’t be scary because the music punctures your eardrums.
If the music in a movie is telling you how you should react emotionally, it’s probably not a good movie. It’s the *movie* that should be telling you how to react to it, not loud, annoying, telegraphed” music.
Everybody’s talent in this film is wasted. Polanski’s considerable talents are wasted, Denueve’s talents are wasted. But, then again, what can you expect, the movie was made on the cheap.
I have the feeling that Polanski himself was surprised that it was re-issued; so that when they asked him to do a director’s commentary for the DVD, what was he supposed to do, admit this wasn’t such a great movie? Actually, in the first part of his commentary he does admit that one of the opening scenes was not shot very well.
A well made movie needs to be subtle. It’s a good movie’s underlying subtlety that makes you want to see it over and over, getting something new from it each time you see it.
But this ain’t that.
Buying this movie is like paying a hooker to hit you over the head with her high heel shoes. Why? Because it feels sooooooooooo good when it’s over.
I love the movie but the dvd is horrible – Chris –
I recently received this dvd as a birthday present. Repulsion is a must have Polanski film, but the quality on this dvd hardly does it justice. Be aware that some of the reviews on this page is for the criterion version and not this film. I was miss led and now I am stuck with what is almost unwatchable. I am pretty familiar with older films and I own a lot, including some rare foreign films, and I have never encountered quality this bad on a purchased dvd. It is a shame because this film is amazing and a must own for those who appreciate fine film. However at nearly half the price of the criterion dvd it might still be worth the purchase.
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August 28th, 2010
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Jan 17, 2010 23:06:34
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3.5 of 5.0
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Stuck [Blu-ray] Reviews By Customers
If you’d like to be disgusted, search for the name Chante Mallard. What you’ll find is the story of a drug/alcohol intoxicated woman, who hit a man named Gregory Biggs with her car while she was driving home. After the collision she completed her trip, parked in the garage, and proceeded to callously let Biggs bleed-out (officials believe he would have lived if given medical help) while she had sex with her boyfriend and no doubt did whatever else her morally decayed black heart desired.
Since no audience would appreciate simply seeing a man slowly bleed to death while stuck in a car windshield, the makers of this movie took some liberties with the truth. I’m ecstatic they did.
Thomas Bardo (Stephen Rea) is down on his luck. Evicted, jobless, possession-less, he doesn’t even have a place to sleep. When police wake him from slumber on a park bench, he’s forced to make his way toward a mission.
Meanwhile, Brandi Boski (Mena Suvari – miscast because Mallard is an obese black woman) is a soulless, selfish drug-abuser who is getting trashed and partying the night way. (Suvari really manages to pick out character roles that make me despise her) Many other reviewers may view her as “balanced”, but since she’s a drug-using drunk driver, and is a white girl with corn-rows – which never looks good – I’m going to go ahead and say that she’s incredibly unbalanced and vile.
As if it were a surprise, she’s blitzed out of her mind (thanks to X and alcohol), effing with her cell phone, swerving all over, and she blasts Bardo, mangling his legs and lodging him in the windshield. Drunk or not, people with a shred of humanity stop there and help the man. But not this intellectually, morally, and spiritually defective sociopath. Instead, she goes home and has the least appealing non-rape full-frontal nudity, sex scene in cinema history.
Ahh…the resolution. In real life, as I said before, it’s boring. This movie, however, provides the resolution that Ted Kennedy sees in his nightmares. Brilliant. I won’t ruin it, but the tight directing and believable acting accentuates Bardo’s rage against the dying of the light.
Overall, I recommend this for people with mild tempers and no heart conditions.
COMMENTARY
Knowing the case beforehand, I watched the majority with a snarled lip. Such social apathy really brings out my misanthropy. This single instance serves as a harsh critical analysis representative of the insidious cultural decay that has wreaked havoc on the community, family, and morals of our society. It’s an overtly sexual, me-first MTV-generation where every child is a precious little snowflake, nobody has respect for family, elders, or authorities, and selfishness all but negates personal accountability. People like Mallard are deserving of a special place in hell, and the fact that there is no doubt at least one person with sympathy for her only reflects society’s decay. It’s sad that the movie ending isn’t the real ending, and that vile scum like Mallard are allowed to live, let alone be given the possibility of parole. With any luck (crossing my fingers), karma will make the rest of her life a horror movie. Check Special Price!
OK as a Low-Budget Thriller – Tsuyoshi – Kyoto, Japan
Brandi Boski (Mena Suvari) is a committed nurse. She is having a good day because she’s got a promotion at home for senior people. Brandi goes to a night club after work, meets her boyfriend who is also a drug dealer, and drives home under the influence. On her way she runs over a man, Thomas Bardo, (Stephen Rea), and she runs away terrified, with the victim stuck in the car windshield. She puts her car in the garage, but to her surprise, he is still alive, asking for help. So what will she do?
The premise is interesting–”Stuck” is inspired by a true event that happened in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2001. The story is basically a thriller and there are many twists and turns intended to keep us guessing what is next in store. Many things happen and some of them are really surprising – or impossible – but definitely nasty.
In spite of gores and broken bones, tension fails to rise as it should because after all nurse Brandi’s choices are limited from the beginning and she only delays her decision. To make a feature-length film out of this thin idea, the script of “Stuck” relies on poorly-conceived plot devices that only stall the story–side story about Thomas recently evicted; social satires (apathetic and bureaucratic workers at employment services) and occasional dark humor. You may giggle at Mena Suvari’s love scene (brief nudity if you are interested) or a lovely dog licking the poor guy’s fractured bone. But sorry, I was bored.
Or perhaps we should take her character and everything else as a parable. Maybe. But as a social commentary or character study, “Stuck” is too shallow to take seriously with stock characters and the leading lady’s overacting. Inconsistencies within a character can be intriguing, and Mena Suvari’s character, first seen as a dedicated nurse, then as an irresponsible hit-and-run driver, has a potential for insightful thriller. But instead of giving more details about her character and much subtler treatment of them, like in “The Collector” and “The Crying Game,” Stuart Gordon-directed film seeks an easy way out – cheap thrills just like the heroine of the film.
“Stuck” has an intriguing concept, which could have been developed better with a simpler, more straightforward approach. The result is a confusion, not without fun, I admit, but ultimately unsatisfactory.
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Clever and Unforgiving – Dayna Newman – Tampa
“Stuck” will stick with you for quite awhile after you see it.
Great acting by Mena Suvari and Stephen Rea and a very clever story”read synopsis”..Brandi played by Suvari is unapologetically Sociopathic in her attempt to cover up the fact that she has hit a man “Rea” while intoxicated and he is stuck in her windshield like a love bug .
What ensues after that is terrifying and darkly humorous at the same time,but all the while I felt much sympathy for Rea’s character,He was already down on his luck ,couldn’t find a job and this was his first night living on the streets..and her car was the last thing he needed to come across and likewise as he was the last thing she and her car needed to come across..It turns into a cat and mouse game between Suvari’s character Rea’s and Suvari’s thug boyfriend.
it plays out quite cleverly and was fun to watch.
There’s a line in the movie that stuck with me, after Suvari’s character left Rea stuck in the windshield and told him she was calling help but decided against it and went to bed.The next morning when she found he was still alive she looks at the bloody beat up Rea stuck in her windshield and say’s”why are you doing this to me?
Chilling..
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Stuck DVD – Manny M. Agah –
A very interesting and well-made film with good acting by Mena Suvari and Stephen Rea. The DVD has excellent picture and sound.
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AN IMPRESSIVE BLACK COMEDY! – ! MR. KNOW IT ALL ;-b – TRI STATE AREA
Wow! I watched this film by chance and I was really surprised how good it was. I know 5 stars???…… Well YES! I give it 5 stars because I think the film maker was able to get all he could out of this premise. The film starts quickly and never lets up for it’s entire hour and 25 minute running length. It’s captures the complex conflict of right and wrong and shows the fine line between human compassion and self preservation with some interesting contradictions all rolled into an intense black comedy that will have you filling with rage one minute and laughing hysterically the next. It’s a little gory and repulsive at times, but it’s sure to keep you glued to the screen. This is a film that I think will become a huge cult hit and it’s way above average for films of this nature.
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January 17th, 2010
Product Reviews Post Time
Jan 06, 2010 22:30:43
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3.5 of 5.0
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My Name Is Bruce [Blu-ray] Reviews By Customers
My fiance is a big Bruce Campbell fan so I got this for one of he’s Birthday Presents he loves it already watched it twice Check Save Price!
Worst Movie and I’m a B.C. Fan – Rightwingandproud – MA(liberal land)
Absolutely awful and painful to watch. What a waste of time and Campbell’s crazy talent, I was extremely dissapointed. This movie does not come close to comparing with Bubba Ho-Tep which had good production value and decent acting. The thing about watching a B.C. movie is that you expect some good one-liners that make you laugh and you like whatever caracter Bruce is playing. It’s ironic that when he plays himself you end up hating him and this movie. Don’t waste an hour and a half of your life, trust me, avoid this movie.
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But It IS Worth Watching – John P. Sullivan – Roseville, CA
“My Name is Bruce” is a very cheesy movie, but it’s chock full of hilarious gags – I loved the newspaper headline bit.
The acting is a little off, most notably the kid, but that’s all right this is not an Oscar contender by any means.
Great plot, although very silly; this story could not have been written for anyone other than Bruce Campbell himself…not just because his name matches, but because of who he is.
The Blu-ray mastering isn’t too super, as is evident in dark foggy scenes. The audio is top-notch though. Despite all of this, the Blu-ray version is still very much worth watching because it is so much fun.
Three stars as a product – but since there were no other ‘twos’ at the time I thought I’d fill the spot, in the spirit of Bruce’s good humor, of course.
I recommend “My Name is Bruce” to any fan of gruesome, classic, monster-style thrillers. Lots of fun, without milking the clock.
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Who thought this was a good idea? – L. Myhan – Seattle, WA
My Name Is Bruce would be mildly entertaining if it weren’t also blatantly racist. Ted Raimi participates in some of the most offensive yellowface I’ve seen in years as the character Wing. Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast At Tiffany’s is almost tame by comparison. It’s a shame, because I would otherwise have liked to support this movie.
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January 6th, 2010
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