American Gigolo (1980)

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by anephric

You know me so well. Cat People would be numero trois. Yeah, it's trashy, but artfully so.

Mishima is on a whole other level. Scorsese recently homaged it for that cologne ad he did.

I asked because I find Mishima and American Gigolo his only really great films as a director. The rest is intermittently interesting but flawed. I tried to watch Cat People again when it came out on Blu and didn't make it through. Kinski is lovely, the Moroder soundtrack is great, but the rest is pretty wonky. There are a few of his later films I never got around to. Mishima it's a stunning looking film, but Americna Gigolo is my favourite of his.

[phoenixandrew]

So "American Gigolo" was already released on Blu-ray in France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain and only now it's being released here in the U.S.? Interesting.

[sugar_kane]

Originally Posted by phoenixandrew

So "American Gigolo" was already released on Blu-ray in France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain and only now it's being released here in the U.S.? Interesting.

Australia got it as well in November 2013 and they stuck to the original poster art for the release.

[deepseababy]

Originally Posted by phoenixandrew

So "American Gigolo" was already released on Blu-ray in France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain and only now it's being released here in the U.S.? Interesting.

Australia too. It was released down under in November 2013, with the original poster art.

[Bob Kramer]

Has anyone seen the Japanese disc? The French disc looks passable according to Svet's review here. Both it and the Japanese disc are very affordable right now...

[PowellPressburger]

I think the U.S. disc was probably delayed longer so they could tie it in with a new TV series they wanted to make. I was hoping once it does come out we get some bonus features like a commentary track.

[Akijama]

New date: January 19, according to WB press site

[anephric]

Blue Collar is pretty terrific, and Hardcore has its moments, particularly if you're interested in Schrader's background, as the scenes of the family at home are essentially how Schrader grew up. I'm not big on Light of Day, but it has its fans. Patty Hearst has some interesting scenes, but it's not terribly compelling as a whole.

Of his more recent stuff, I thought The Walker was great, even if it fell back on a Bressonian ending once again.

I went to a Q&A once with Schrader (it was around the time Adam Resurrected came out), and I asked him why he never directed anything again with that sort of Mishima aesthetic. He was pretty drunk and didn't really answer, just said something about his latest film not being tied to any notions of 'realism'.

In the book Schrader on Schrader, he says something about DP John Bailey making him move away from a stylised aesthetic. I think the films Schrader made with Bailey and Scarfiotti are all pretty terrific.

[filmmusic]

Speaking of 80s Gere films, I would love NO MERCY!

[Todd Tomorrow]

I've never seen Blue Collar (I've heard its great) and I quite liked Hardcore at the time, but haven't seen that one since it came out. That was very obviously influenced by The Searchers. I read Patty Hearst's autobiography some time before the film came out and the film was very uninvolving considering the material. That's quite an achivement considering it's one of the most incredible true crime stories of the 20th century. The Walker I haven't seen either, but I should really check that out sometime.

[anephric]

Harrelson is terrific in The Walker; he really makes it.

I've yet to get around to watching The Canyons, but the reviews don't fill me with anticipation. Schrader's latest film looks to be a Nic Cage sludgefest, which is a bit depressing. Still, Cage can still pull it out of the bag when someone prods him, I just don't think Schrader's got it in him these days to do that.

[bookcase]

Shirtless Richard Gere on the cover is fine by me.

[balthazar_bee]

The Canyons is the only Schrader film that really tested my patience.

I'll have to take another look at it, but I remember thinking that it failed even as a double or triple layered satirical "screw you" to Hollywood. Hard to criticize movies like that, because any shortcoming can be defended with a roll of the eyes and an exasperated, "But that's the whole point!"

Let's just say I couldn't really appreciate it on any level.

Revisiting Dominion last week, it's better than I remembered, so maybe there's hope for The Canyons too.

I'm very fond of The Walker though.

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Schrader is one of my top five favorite directors; and, though interesting, the territory he explores in his movies is definitely not mainstream or pleasant. One of the most interesting aspects of AG to me is that Schrader, instead of making a movie that glamorizes Julien's lifestyle (which he easily could have done), takes the opposite route & clearly illustrates the darker side to the "profession". I.e., if you are in the "business" you will probably need to do some degrading/dangerous things, you will be looked down on by many (much of which is probably because of envy), and there are a lot of sleazy people out there who will betray you in a NY minute...

The irony in the film is that

[Show spoiler]what saved Julien in the end was the love of a woman, which is something that he had actively tried to avoid at all costs...

Originally Posted by the sordid sentinel

Now we're talking. Must own for me. Schrader was incredibly incisive about the 80's..had the whole thing nailed before the decade really even began. Can not imagine anyone except Gere in this role. His defining work IMO. Oh, and Giorgio Moroder's synth score is SO good.

Perfect analysis. AG epitomizes the '80's to a great extent, even though it was probably filmed around '79. Also agree this is Gere's best film, and probably Schrader's best directed film..

[pro-bassoonist]

American Gigolo Blu-ray PRE-ORDER



Pro-B

[javi92]

Excited for this one. Been wanting to catch for Schrader on blu.

[PAFCpurser72]

Now this blu ray has been delayed again and there's no new street date for American Gigolo. This was suppose to come out today, 2/24/15, and I was looking forward to getting it today since I ordered it back in Oct. 2014. Damn Warner Bros. and Paramount.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by PAFCpurser72

Now this blu ray has been delayed again and there's no new street date for American Gigolo. This was suppose to come out today, 2/24/15, and I was looking forward to getting it today since I ordered it back in Oct. 2014. Damn Warner Bros. and Paramount.

You've pre-ordered a movie in October, that was supposed to be released in February, 4 months later? This is your fault because, you shouldn't preorder anything 4 month in advance in the first place. That is way too early! Anything can happen in 4 month. If it was released, you would've been one of the last persons to get it.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by slimdude

You've pre-ordered a movie in October, that was supposed to be released in February, 4 months later? This is your fault because, you shouldn't preorder anything 4 month in advance in the first place. That is way too early! Anything can happen in 4 month. If it was released, you would've been one of the last persons to get it.

I really know I should just be ignoring this post, but seriously, how is it his "fault" for pre-ordering something when an item becomes available for pre-order? You know what can happen in 4 months? A temporary price drop on Amazon which would be locked into his order and would mean he could get his movie cheaper than many people buying closer to street date. And what are you basing that comment on about being one of the last persons to get it?

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by baheidstu

I really know I should just be ignoring this post,

Then why didn't you, and why did you even bothered to respond.