La Note Bleue (1991) (Special + Limited Editions)

[benhoppel]

Originally Posted by David M

It's all on one BD50 on both SKUs. The second disc is the soundtrack CD.
The feature is CBR 38mbps. The bonus features are about 4mbps.

Thank God! Time to buy...

[shadedpain4]

Just a heads up for people. The limited edition is listed as backordered on Toufaan, but I just ordered it and got a shipping notice after about 30 mins.

[frogjunk65]

My favorite release of the new year. Everything about the movie and all the extras are exquisite. Well done MV!

[ticktock60]

Anyone else still waiting for theirs?

[anthonyls]

I wonder if I'll like this movie. I was a big fan of Possession. I know this is quite a different kind of movie. I've seen a few of Zulawski's other movies (Cosmos and SZAMANKA) and did not like either of them. Any ideas?

[Russhole]

I ordered on the 22nd and it's scheduled for this delivery this Friday the 3rd.

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by anthonyls

I wonder if I'll like this movie. I was a big fan of Possession. I know this is quite a different kind of movie. I've seen a few of Zulawski's other movies (Cosmos and SZAMANKA) and did not like either of them. Any ideas?

Of the three other Zulawski films I've seen (Possession, L'Importance..., and Cosmos), this reminded me most of Cosmos. It does have some completely left-field, anti-realist moments in the vein of Possession, but if Zulawski's general style doesn't strike a chord, I doubt this will be a good blind buy.

That said, everyone should buy it anyway so Mondo Vision can get around to releasing their next set(s), which from what I gather might have something more for fans of Possession!

[anthonyls]

Cosmos was so far out of left field... that I couldn't follow anything that was happening. I was lost from after 10 minutes into the movie all the way until the end. Possession I could follow just fine. It seems Zulawski likes to have his actors experience and display extreme mood swings... the kind that you only see homeless people display in real life. This strikes me as a bit unreal (unless you are homeless or crazy... or both). But his characters aren't homeless or crazy. I'm a bit confused on where he is coming from at times.

[David M]

Blue Note is definitely more Cosmos than Possession. Possession's easily his most accessible film.

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by anthonyls

Cosmos was so far out of left field... that I couldn't follow anything that was happening. I was lost from after 10 minutes into the movie all the way until the end. Possession I could follow just fine. It seems Zulawski likes to have his actors experience and display extreme mood swings... the kind that you only see homeless people display in real life. This strikes me as a bit unreal (unless you are homeless or crazy... or both). But his characters aren't homeless or crazy. I'm a bit confused on where he is coming from at times.

I think of Zulawski's characters as id with no superego, to put it crudely. They have unmet emotional and physical needs and emotional reactions to those needs being unmet, and feel all of them at full force with little to no ability to control them. It's exhausting, indeed, for them and for us, but it's also fascinating as a sort of petri dish of violent emotion, to see this highly artificial situation where everyone feels and reacts to everything at the most extreme. I think we're used to seeing that extreme type of reaction in movies, but only with very simple, one-dimensional emotions: anger, love, sadness. Zulawski actually builds very complex emotional constructs, though, so it's overwhelming to track all the eddies in them—especially when they're being reported via rapid-fire dialogue in a language that isn't your native tongue!

In light of that constant full-tilt-ness, La Note Bleue has an absolutely beautiful sort of inverse climax,

[Show spoiler]where Chopin and Solange seem to reach a kind of temporary equilibrium and things calm down for ten minutes before their still unmet emotional needs and the presence of other people send everything spiraling back out of control

.

Zulawki's like Greenaway for me: I don't necessarily enjoy his movies, and they have something of the abstract, philosophical automaton about them, but I think they're enthralling because they're doing something with visual narrative that can have no corollary in any other medium.

[anthonyls]

Hmmmm, I appreciate the feedback and comments. I don't think I should blind buy this... but if anyone lives in the Portland, OR area... I'd love to borrow it from ya...

Anyone, anyone...

[GhastlyGraham]

It's a pity a lot of Zulawski's written work in unavailable in English, to help a wider audience get to experience more of his work than just Possession.

The man, and I use the word sparingly, is (was) a goddamn cinematic genius.

[captainron_howdy]

If the words cinematic genius ever belong in describing a director, Zulawski is most certainly one of them. Only films I cannot seem to find are Fidelity, My nights, & Boris.

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by captainron_howdy

If the words cinematic genius ever belong in describing a director, Zulawski is most certainly one of them. Only films I cannot seem to find are Fidelity, My nights, & Boris.

Fidelity is on Amazon Prime, and there is a French blu of Boris, tho Mondo will eventually release it.

[captainron_howdy]

Thank you!!!!!

[Old Geezer]

I ordered the Limited Edition from Toufaan yesterday and received a shipping notice this morning. Great service! I own everything Mondo Vision has put out; I can't say enough about their commitment to quality.

[LAPrice]

I'm from the UK. And thought I'd quickly chip in on the delivery discussion for this item via Toufaan.
I ordered this release to the UK, and had to pay £21.00 in extra customs charges, bringing the total payout to nearly £100. Probably bad luck, but UK buyers using the Toufaan service should avoid and find other means to order these (admittedly amazing) releases.
Toufaan don't have any literature on their site saying that there was a risk, and haven't offered any kind of apology. Just generic replies saying that it was essentially my fault for ordering from the UK.
I know an earlier forum member on this thread asked if they were international customs friendly, and the answer is a definitive no.

[tenia]

Originally Posted by LAPrice

Toufaan don't have any literature on their site saying that there was a risk, and haven't offered any kind of apology. Just generic replies saying that it was essentially my fault for ordering from the UK.

People importing stuff should ALWAYS consider their product will be taxed unless told otherwise, not the other way around.

I know in the pain in the rear-end, but that's just how the law is. I'm not even sure if it's legal for the companies declaring a lower value to do so.

[LAPrice]

Originally Posted by sjconstable

They are

I know that its always a consideration for the buyer, but thought I'd post as there was the above exchange earlier in the thread, and have to admit it swayed me to take the risk. Silly me.
Pretty sure most US companies (amazon.com etc), state in their FAQ's about the risk of customs charges, and some charge upfront for it? or am I mistaken?
Pretty sure I ordered a Criterion disc, and they charged about £25 for delivery to account for the customs charge.

[Sleazeaddict]

Ok, time to add their LE to my collection. so beautiful and should be sold out soon.

are they working on another Zulawski ?