Whity [VHS]

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Price: $49.99   

Whity [VHS] Review

(From my original 1999 review on IMDB. Thanks to DVD, I think the film is better known now.)
Rarely screened, forgotten by even the most devoted admirers of Fassbinder, "Whity" is nonetheless a crucial film in Fassbinder's own development as a film-artist. For one, the style of the film marks Fassbinder's turn away from his earlier, Neo-realistic efforts (notably "Katzelmacher" and "Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?") and turn towards the flamboyant, melodramatic form favored by him until his untimely death in 1982.

Melodrama turns out to be the best possible style for the film's story, which chronicles the fall of the seigniorial Nicholson family in the Mexican 19th century. Indeed, this film should be seen for no other reason than the inescapable weirdness one feels in watching German actors play Mexicans in the Old West. It's like seeing Peter Lorre playing John Wayne: ridiculous, if only it weren't so creepy. "Decadent" and "dysfunctional" are words redefined by the Nicholson family: the patriarch, Ben Nicholson, is remote and cruel, the wife a nymphomaniac, the older son a flaming homosexual, and his brother a severely retarded adolescent.

Then there's Whity, the ironically named mulatto slave of the Nicholson family, an inadvertent focus point of each family member's perverse obsessions. It is this mutual obsession with Whity (an obsession shared by the viewer by film's end) which allows Fassbinder to explore the themes which were to comprise his greatest contribution to film's development as a medium, including: dominance and submission, the role of the Other, sexuality, the doppelganger, the economy of familial relationships, and the obstacles fate puts in the way of consummating love.

These issues gain complexity when one considers that the slave Whity is played by Fassbinder's then-lover, Gunther Kaufmann. Given this, what is the viewer to make of such stylistic scenes as when Whity is disciplined by his master, while the other family members garrulously look on--knowing that Fassbinder himself is also watching from his director/dictator's chair? (The complex inter-relationships of Fassbinder and the actors during the filming of "Whity" were later chronicled by Fassbinder in his film "Beware of a Holy Whore," which is based on the real-life melodrama that occurred off the set of "Whity.")

If nothing else, "Whity" deserves to be included in with the other Fassbinder films, such as "Despair," which are so justly celebrated for their psychological depth and complexity. Beyond this, two aspects of Fassbinder's technique in making "Whity" deserve special mention. The first is that in "Whity," one of the first of his films to employ a half-way reputable color process, Fassbinder shows himself to be a great colorist in the tradition of Delacroix, bathing the eyes with the lushest oranges, browns, and reds to be seen this side of a sunset. The palette is one that seems to have existed in film only in the late 60s and early 70s, finding similarly gorgeous expression in Truffaut's "Fahrenheit 451," Boorman's "Point Blank," Godard's "La Chinoise," and Nicolas Roeg's early efforts ("A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to The Forum," "Performance," "Walkabout," "Don't Look Now," "The Man Who Fell to Earth").

The second aspect of noteworthy technique is a camera movement that truly has no precedent in film history--a fact which makes the obscurity of "Whity" among film scholars all the more remarkable. The best example of the technique occurs in a scene in which Ben Nicholson reads his last will and testament to the silent family members surrounding him. During an unbroken ten-minute take, the actors remain virtually motionless, as if posed in some Rembrantian tableaux (and in this way recalling Dreyer's "Day of Wrath"). Against this stasis, the camera pans slowly from one family member to another, following their own sight-lines, as if the camera were recording the trace of their attention. For ten minutes the camera repeats this zig-zag path with methodical precision, while Raben's psychedelic, trance-inducing music drones in the background.

The greatest merit of the technique (seen also in an equally static scene between Whity and the retarded son in the horse barn) is that it allows the viewer time enough to meditate on the relationships among the characters involved in the tableaux--in this case most profoundly on the relationships of power among family members. It's as if Fassbinder, using film technique, took a snapshot of the family, and then spent ten minutes tracing out with his finger exactly who is dominated by whom, who resents the domination, who is perceiving whom and how, and so on. The technique, which to my knowledge Fassbinder never used again to such great effect, can only be seen as the great innovation that it is, and as such, a powerful tool for the revelation of psychological truth.

However, let none of these deeper concerns eclipse the enjoyment to be had watching this bizarre, Teutonic "Dallas" unfold. Like the best moments in a Warhol film, the high camp of "Whity" is very, very funny to watch--certainly because it is absurd, which is not to say it is without profound meaning.

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Moonlight and Valentino

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Moonlight and Valentino Review

I originally rented this just so see a glimpse of Jeremy Sisto, who I adore in all of his films, but i was surprised to find myself completely swept up by this soft, quiet story of a woman who lost her husband. So true to life, the way she grieves over him. Can't imagine losing my husband so suddenly and swiftly that you feel like all the air's been knocked out of your lungs. Elizabeth Perkins, Whoopi Goldberg and Gwynyth Paltrow all do well in their roles of family/friends who laugh and bicker and live life as best they can while helping each other along the way. Whoopi's marriage is crumbling and Gwynyth is afraid of falling in love, even with Jeremy, who is completely captivating in this movie and only gives me another reason to love it. A really good film to watch alone so you can get immersed in it and enjoy it.

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Anatomy Trains - Superficial Back Line DVD

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Anatomy Trains - Superficial Back Line DVD Review

These DVDs are not intended to be an in-depth study of fascia. They are a wonderful introduction to the geography of myofascial meridians and insightful techniques for manipulation of these tissues for the manual therapist. Highly recommended.

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Fritz the Cat [VHS]

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Fritz the Cat [VHS] Review

Although Fritz's creator Robert Crumb supposedly wasn't so crazy about this film, I gotta say this is definitely the masterpiece its rumored to be... What's so wild about it (besides the incredibly funky Hammond organ laden Jazz soundtrack featuring the likes of Charles Earland and Merle Saunders) is that although it was made on the '70s and was a saracastic and twisted take on the '60s the film is anything but dated, even with all the student revolutionary, free love and pot smoking in it... In fact, I think its gotten even funnier with time... and if you're old enough to remember some of the "types" in this film... its even more funnier (or perhaps scarier.)... What freaked me out was when I realized that even BLUE the meth addict neo-nazi motorcycle gang biker and his *literally* fat cow girlfriend reminded me of some real people - - Though there aren't a lot of extra features, the trailer for the film is pretty wild and cool itself...Overall, Fritz the Cat, being one of those films who's scenes you watch over and over and over again is DEFINITELY worth getting... especially on DVD... The kicks never wear off...

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Prometheus (3D)

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Prometheus (3D) Review

I'm reviewing the 4-Disc Collector's Edition. I'll go through each disc individually to give you a good idea of what you will be getting, and which version you should purchase. But first, let's briefly discuss the movie itself.

If you haven't seen the film yet, you will still undoubtedly be aware of the polarized reception it received. Some love it, some hate it. Instead of giving you another opinion on why it's the best/worst film ever, let me tell you what to expect. PROMETHEUS is not a horror film. Certainly it has structural similarities to ALIEN, and there is one scene that I would consider very "stressful." But overall, the film is what I would classify as a "concept drama." That is, a drama that doesn't focus on characters, but rather on concept. Don't let any of the tense trailers fool you, this movie was meant as a discussion piece, not an adrenaline rush. You can decide whether it succeeds or fails when you watch it yourself.

Onto the discs ...

DISC 1 - 3D Blu-Ray (ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE 4-DISC VERSION)

A lot of critics commented that PROMETHEUS had some of the best use of 3D they have ever seen. Many compare it to AVATAR or animated films. With expectations set so high, I was expecting quite a lot out of the 3D version of the movie. I don't know that it fully delivered on what I was expecting, but here is my take on the 3D presentation seen on this disc.

1) 3D isn't used as a gimmick where things jut out of the screen at you, which is a plus in my book.

2) There are a few sequences that look absolutely gorgeous in 3D, usually involving holograms or "projected" images. I also think that the medpod scene benefits particularly by the use of 3D.

3) I feel like the depth of the 3D was under-utilized. Almost everyone seems to disagree with me, but I felt that throughout most of the film, the 3D was a bit flat. That being said, if you prefer 3D, you should get this disc in order to fully appreciate the aforementioned scenes.

The image quality was near perfect, and there were no noticeable signs of ghosting on my TV setup. Audio quality was fantastic, the mix sounded nearly identical to the 2D disc, so I'll comment more on it in my review of that disc. Subtitles are also included.

DISC 2 - 2D Blu-Ray (AVAILABLE IN ALL BLU-RAY VERSIONS)

The image quality here is near perfect. Most important for me are the blacks, which are quite striking on this transfer. Definite reference quality material here. As far as audio clarity goes, it's spot on. The dynamics are up to a bit of interpretation, but it is worth noting that the speakers are seperated with precision. And there aren't any silly choices made like dialogue coming only from the front speakers, or the back speakers being dedicated exclusively to music. Subtitles are again included.

The primary draw of this disc, apart from the film itself, is the surprisingly large wealth of bonus features. We have two audio commentaries: one by director Ridley Scott, and one by the writers. In addition, there are more than 30 minutes of alternate and deleted scenes (although many scenes have incredibly minimal changes) with optional audio commentary, and The Peter Weyland files. For those who have not yet seen the movie, I would actually recommend watching The Peter Weyland files before delving into the film itself. It's comprised of four videos (created for the express purpose of promoting the movie) that play very much like deleted scenes or webisodes. None of the content is necessary to understand the film, but they certainly help give further context and depth.

For any casual fan, this disc includes all of the elements comprising of PROMETHEUS's "canon." So unless you want a 3D copy of the movie, or are into bonus features, the standard Blu-Ray release should be more than satisfactory.

DISC 3 - Blu-Ray Bonus Disc (ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE 4-DISC VERSION)

As far as completionists go, this disc is solid, if not perfect. I was hoping that FOX would come out with an extended cut of the film to be released six months down the road, but this seems to be the definitive home video release for the foreseeable future.

The good news is that it's the most COMPLETE wealth of bonus features I have seen since the transition of home video to the Blu-Ray format. From the "Behind the Scenes" documentary, which performed beyond my wildest dreams, to an incredibly massive collection of pre-vis sequences, artwork, stills, storyboards, promotional content, and more. (Side-note: I love when they're willing to include marketing material like trailers, tv spots, and posters, because those so often shape our opinions of the final product.)

So why do I think that the disc is imperfect? Because there is more content that we were told that we would get that we're not getting. In an interview, Ridley mentioned at least one deleted scene that would appear on the "special edition" that we're not getting here. We were also promised an early version of the script, while the film was still a hardcore ALIEN prequel. That was supposed to be on the "second screen" app. Due to ambiguous legal reasons, that's not happening.

(On that note, the second screen app is a nice supplement, but really isn't necessary to have a complete viewing experience.)

DISC 4 - DVD + DIGITAL COPY DISC (AVAILABLE IN THE 2 & 4-DISC BLU-RAY VERSIONS)

This is a bare bones version of the DVD and includes a digital copy. It doesn't include any of the special features that are on the standard DVD release, but those are all included on the 2D Blu-Ray disc anyway. (Still, it would have been nice to have them in DVD form as well.) The advantage I see with these combo packs isn't that I need to watch the same movie on a billion different devices, but if I currently have only a DVD player, and plan on upgrading to Blu-Ray eventually, I can buy the special edition now for only a few dollars more than buying the DVD on its own.

Both the two and four-disc version comes with an Ultraviolet copy of the movie IN ADDITION to the standard digital copy.

As a final thought, here are the different home video releases available for purchase:

1) Standard DVD Version
2) 2-Disc Blu-Ray (Standard Release)
3) 1-Disc Blu-Ray (Walmart Release)
4) 4-Disc Blu-Ray (Collector's Edition)

There are also various digital copies available from Amazon or iTunes, but those have been available for some time, and like the standard DVD release, do not come with much in terms of bonus features.

[EDIT AS OF OCT. 21st] Some have reported macro-blocking and various other issues with the 2D Blu-Ray disc and the Extras disc. Not all copies are affected, but if yours is, and you don't wish to exchange your discs, you should be able to fix it by turning off your Blu-Ray player's internet connection. It apparently has something to do with new copy protection protocal. In addition, there have been reports of these discs working well after updating the firmware, and/or on different Blu-Ray players.

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