Todd Haynes on Blu-ray

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

Carol is my number 2. I’m Not There is one I saw as a teenager and the style and what he did just blew my mind. And the montage set to “I Want You”, is one of my favorite moments in cinema. I think I always like when he goes for the weird like Safe and Velvet Goldmine.

Was it at the Landmark? I saw him talk there after both Wonderstruck and Dark Water!

I saw him speak at the Arclight. Dark Waters is probably his least "Haynesian" film, actually, but it's so radically different from his other films that I feel like it goes in a different category. He wasn't trying to be "Haynesian," he was trying to make a 70s paranoia thriller, and I thought he succeeded spectacularly. I thought it was brilliant, the photography was stunning, and I was in awe of the bold choice to withhold all the exposition about the chemicals until halfway through the film, when Ruffalo delivers that monologue to Anne Hathaway, which had me in tears. It was probably my favorite film of last year, and I was disappointed it kind of disappeared.

I think Safe is probably his best film. It's not my personal favorite, but it's so pure and perfectly crafted. The opening half in the house reminded me a lot of Kubrick in how unforgiving the artistry is, it's cold and honest and not interested in whether you like it or not, which is really bold.

If we were going to get one Haynes film from Criterion, I'm glad it was this one - an older catalog title that would never have reached BD otherwise, or would have had a dreadful transfer.

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

I asked Kino, earlier this year I think, if they had it and they said it’s with another label.

Possibly a Criterion release. Maybe Arrow but I feel that's unlikely.
And I doubt the likes of Shout.

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Has Zeitgeist ever done any BDs on their own? It'd be easy to put both films on one disc, they're short.

Wikipedia says Zeitgeist actually has had a deal with KL since 2017:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist_Films

We should ask KL about it.

It would make sense to tie any BD release to whenever Haynes's next film might come out. They just announced yesterday that Apple bought his most recent project, a documentary on The Velvet Underground:

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/a...ry-1234812233/

I know there's the Quay Brothers shorts release they did that's amazing.
And Kino sells the Zvyagintsev film Elena through their site. That's a Zeitgeist release.

I feel that Poison would be simple for them to do. Especially if of the deal and the fact they've done a Haynes film before.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by HipsterTrash

Possibly a Criterion release. Maybe Arrow but I feel that's unlikely.
And I doubt the likes of Shout.

To me, it seems like it would fit nicely alongside Shout's "Masked and Anonymous" release.

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

I see the blu-ray logo on 'Wonderstruck' -- did they press that somewhere? I thought it was a burned disc.

The UK release also adds a couple more interviews (about 14 minutes odd) and has a nice slipcover.

The best releases of Velvet Goldmine, Carol are the Korean ones so far as I’m aware - VG combines the Miramax commentary with the featurette that’s on the UK DVD, and Carol (PLAIN Archive) has a couple of hours of interviews - all EPK material that I believe is accessible online, but it’s nice to have on disc.

It depresses me there aren’t more Todd Haynes films (I wish I could do a deeper dive, and feel there’s lots more to explore), but then, being an independent filmmaker is difficult and requires financing, so is finding the right project, and putting the work together to create something truly perfect and magical takes time too. Eagerly awaiting his next projects. Because of the pandemic, Dark Waters feels like a long time ago. I’m not aware of a territory where Universal doesn’t distribute it (some through eOne), which is a shame because it deserves some good extras. Although at least the original article it’s based on is accessible online.

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I just watched it last night, which caused me to create this list.

I thought I owned all his films, but I discovered that one when I saw the Videotheque video store here in LA advertising on Instagram, and saw their Haynes section in a photo, where I saw that DVD. I was shocked there was a Haynes film I didn't have, and immediately ordered it from Amazon.

It's a weird little short film, but beautifully made. It's fascinating to see Haynes's early work, so raw yet still exploring the same themes.

A shame we'll never get "Superstar" on a legit release.

I read an interview somewhere about Haynes doing a private screening of the film recently in HD. Very jealous!

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

Eagerly awaiting his next projects.

His next project appears to be a feature documentary on The Velvet Underground for Apple+

https://deadline.com/2020/10/apple-t...nd-1234601332/

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

His next project appears to be a feature documentary on The Velvet Underground for Apple+

https://deadline.com/2020/10/apple-t...nd-1234601332/

He’s been working on it for years and I’ve been waiting for it for that long!

[KMR]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

I read an interview somewhere about Haynes doing a private screening of the film recently in HD. Very jealous!

The referent for "the film" in your post is unclear, since Luckard spoke of two different films (one more than the other) in the passage you quoted. Are you speaking of Dottie Gets Spanked or Superstar?

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by KMR

The referent for "the film" in your post is unclear, since Luckard spoke of two different films (one more than the other) in the passage you quoted. Are you speaking of Dottie Gets Spanked or Superstar?

Superstar, the one that will never get a official HD release

[James Luckard]

Added POISON:

[James Luckard]

He has completed the documentary THE VELVET UNDERGROUND. It will screen at the Cannes Film Festival in July and then stream on Apple TV+ this fall.

His next film, MAY DECEMBER, stars Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman and will film in Maine next year:

https://deadline.com/2021/06/natalie...er-1234773839/
https://www.indiewire.com/2021/06/to...er-1234644044/

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

His next film, MAY DECEMBER, stars Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman and will film in Maine next year:

As a Mainer, that's piqued my interest. Camden's a nice place (it's where most of the on-location filming for "Peyton Place" was).

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

As a Mainer, that's piqued my interest. Camden's a nice place (it's where most of the on-location filming for "Peyton Place" was).

Wow, it looks super pretty:


I was in Maine once as a kid, for a week or two, but didn't get there.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Wow, it looks super pretty:

I was in Maine once as a kid, for a week or two, but didn't get there.

I only went up there for the first time myself back in 2019 I live quite a distance from the coast:

[Show spoiler]

Back on the subject of Haynes I haven't really dipped my toes into his work yet (I keep putting off "Far From Heaven" every time it's in a Kino sale) but I think I'll remedy that with "Safe" from the Criterion B&N sale.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Back on the subject of Haynes I haven't really dipped my toes into his work yet (I keep putting off "Far From Heaven" every time it's in a Kino sale) but I think I'll remedy that with "Safe" from the Criterion B&N sale.

Great photos!

I don't know that I would start with Safe. It's brilliant, but it's not as approachable or as illustrative of his overall style as his period melodramas. I'd recommend starting with Far from Heaven, Mildred Pierce, or my favorite film of his, Carol.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Great photos!

I don't know that I would start with Safe. It's brilliant, but it's not as approachable or as illustrative of his overall style as his period melodramas. I'd recommend starting with Far from Heaven, Mildred Pierce, or my favorite film of his, Carol.

I’d swap out Mildred Pierce for I’m Not There. Mildred Pierce doesn’t work for me, unfortunately.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

I’d swap out Mildred Pierce for I’m Not There. Mildred Pierce doesn’t work for me, unfortunately.

Personally, I wouldn't start with I'm Not There.

I'm a Haynes completist, and I couldn't get all the way through I'm Not There, even though I tried multiple times. It's the one film of his I couldn't finish

It's SUPER weird. It's kind of like Velvet Goldmine on steroids. Velvet Goldmine is a fictionalized biopic of David Bowie. Because they couldn't get the rights to his songs, all the songs are homages to his real ones, as I understand it. It's not my favorite Haynes film, but it's easy to follow, because it uses the structure of Citizen Kane, which it very clearly nods to, and is so vibrant and fun that I still enjoyed it.

I'm Not There feels SUPER cerebral, to me. It has about half a dozen different actors (of every race, age and gender) playing Bob Dylan, at various points in his life, like THE GLORIAS or PALINDROMES. However, it's also a heavily fictionalized version of Dylan's life. Unfortunately, at least for me, it felt like you needed to know Dylan's actual life story in pretty great detail to understand all the sequences that were clearly riffing on events in his life. I didn't know much anything about Dylan going in, so none of the movie made any sense to me, and I gave up halfway through, utterly frustrated.

[James Luckard]

Also, between his three period melodramas, I'd describe the differences this way:

FAR FROM HEAVEN - an homage to the films of Douglas Sirk, borrowing heavily from the plot of All That Heaven Allows, but adding elements dealing with race and sexuality. The entire film is a fascinating midpoint between his earlier experimental films, which are all about dissecting and analyzing film form within the confines of a film, and his later, more emotionally open films. That's not to say that Far From Heaven isn't emotional, but it's all done with intentional distancing elements, both borrowed from Sirk and added by Haynes. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's done in an "air quotes" style, but it's definitely reflexive and self-aware.

MILDRED PIERCE - This is a pure melodrama, without the overt formal elements commenting on the genre. It's also one of the most fascinating films of a book I've ever seen, because it's not an adaptation of the book, in the conventional sense. It's literally a film of the book - every word, from beginning to end. The dialogue is all straight from the book, and every scene from the book is there, onscreen. Haynes also brought a bold new photographic style to his work here. He shot the miniseries on 16mm film, and it looks absolutely gorgeous, like an artifact of the period. That's probably the one distancing element in the piece.

CAROL - This is my favorite film of his because I find it to be his most emotionally pure. It has none of the elevated emotions or narrative devices of Mildred Pierce or Far From Heaven. It's not ironic or detached in any way. It's raw and nakedly emotional. He also further explores the 16mm style from Mildred Pierce here, shooting a lot through dirty windows and foggy windshields and such, influenced by photographers of the period that he talks about on the Blu-Ray. I feel like it's the most refined example of his signature style.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Personally, I wouldn't start with I'm Not There.

I'm a Haynes completist, and I couldn't get all the way through I'm Not There, even though I tried multiple times. It's the one film of his I couldn't finish

It's SUPER weird. It's kind of like Velvet Goldmine on steroids. Velvet Goldmine is a fictionalized biopic of David Bowie. Because they couldn't get the rights to his songs, all the songs are homages to his real ones, as I understand it. It's not my favorite Haynes film, but it's easy to follow, because it uses the structure of Citizen Kane, which it very clearly nods to, and is so vibrant and fun that I still enjoyed it.

I'm Not There feels SUPER cerebral, to me. It has about half a dozen different actors (of every race, age and gender) playing Bob Dylan, at various points in his life, like THE GLORIAS or PALINDROMES. However, it's also a heavily fictionalized version of Dylan's life. Unfortunately, at least for me, it felt like you needed to know Dylan's actual life story in pretty great detail to understand all the sequences that were clearly riffing on events in his life. I didn't know much anything about Dylan going in, so none of the movie made any sense to me, and I gave up halfway through, utterly frustrated.

I’m not there got me into Dylan. It worked for me for how different and weird it was. It’s a biopic of him and his music, like Naked Lunch. It’s a biopic but also of his work. Velvet Goldmine is a loose biopic of Bowie, Lou Reed, and Iggy Pop, with a dash of Kurt Cobain. They couldn’t get the rights to Bowie music, but in doing so it became way more of a love letter to Glam Rock and punk. This purity in out of the mainstream and what selling out means.

I had so much trouble finishing Mildred Pierce. I love melodrama, but it felt so boring to me. I think that I’m not a fan of Kate Winslet so that made it harder. I think an almost 6 hour miniseries isn’t always the best thing to recommend to someone as a way to get into a filmography.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

I had so much trouble finishing Mildred Pierce. I love melodrama, but it felt so boring to me. I think that I’m not a fan of Kate Winslet so that made it harder. I think an almost 6 hour miniseries isn’t always the best thing to recommend to someone as a way to get into a filmography.

Ha, fair point about the length, but I found it gripping and fun, and I love Winslet.

It's also probably the easiest one for many people to access. Even though it's OOP on BD, it's streaming on HBOMax, which every subscriber of HBO gets for free.

[Tommy0807]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Personally, I wouldn't start with I'm Not There.

I'm a Haynes completist, and I couldn't get all the way through I'm Not There, even though I tried multiple times. It's the one film of his I couldn't finish

It's SUPER weird. It's kind of like Velvet Goldmine on steroids. Velvet Goldmine is a fictionalized biopic of David Bowie. Because they couldn't get the rights to his songs, all the songs are homages to his real ones, as I understand it. It's not my favorite Haynes film, but it's easy to follow, because it uses the structure of Citizen Kane, which it very clearly nods to, and is so vibrant and fun that I still enjoyed it.

I'm Not There feels SUPER cerebral, to me. It has about half a dozen different actors (of every race, age and gender) playing Bob Dylan, at various points in his life, like THE GLORIAS or PALINDROMES. However, it's also a heavily fictionalized version of Dylan's life. Unfortunately, at least for me, it felt like you needed to know Dylan's actual life story in pretty great detail to understand all the sequences that were clearly riffing on events in his life. I didn't know much anything about Dylan going in, so none of the movie made any sense to me, and I gave up halfway through, utterly frustrated.

I'm Not There was the first of Haynes' films that I really loved when I first saw it. I found it very compelling.

I had seen Poison and The Karen Carpenter Story and could appreciate them, but they didn't blow me away. I saw Far from Heaven when it was first released, and I liked it well enough, but have never felt the need to revisit it. I have since seen and loved Carol--and I agree with you that it's my favorite of his films. I recently watched Safe and I liked it very much. I finally watched Velvet Goldmine and it left me cold. I haven't seen Mildred Pierce.