982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

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swo17
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982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#1 Post by swo17 » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:04 pm

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

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With this trailblazing musical, writer-director-star John Cameron Mitchell and composer-lyricist Stephen Trask brought their signature creation from stage to screen for a movie as unclassifiable as its protagonist. Raised a boy in East Berlin, Hedwig (Mitchell) undergoes a traumatic personal transformation in order to emigrate to the U.S., where she reinvents herself as an "internationally ignored" but divinely talented rock diva, characterized by Mitchell as a "beautiful gender of one." The film tells Hedwig's life story through her music, an eclectic collection of original punk anthems and power ballads by Trask, matching them with a freewheeling cinematic mosaic of music-video fantasies, animated interludes, and moments of bracing emotional realism. A hard-charging song cycle and a tender character study, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a tribute to the transcendent power of rock and roll.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director John Cameron Mitchell and cinematographer Frank DeMarco, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• Audio commentary from 2001 featuring Mitchell and DeMarco
• New conversation between members of the cast and crew, including Mitchell, DeMarco, composer and lyricist Stephen Trask, hairstylist and makeup artist Michael Potter, animator Emily Hubley, actor Miriam Shor, and visual consultant Miguel Villalobos
Whether You Like It or Not: The Story of Hedwig (2003), an eighty-five-minute documentary tracing the development of the project from its beginnings in a New York club to its theatrical premiere at the Sundance Film Festival
• New conversation between Trask and rock critic David Fricke about the film's soundtrack
From the Archives, a new program exploring Hedwig's production and legacy through its memorabilia
• Deleted scenes with commentary by Mitchell and DeMarco
• Trailer
• More!
• PLUS: An essay by Stephanie Zacharek, along with, for the Blu-ray edition, production photos by Potter and costume designer Arianne Phillips, illustrations by Hubley, and excerpts from two of the films inspirations, Plato's Symposium and The Gospel of Thomas

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knives
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Re: 982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#2 Post by knives » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:11 pm

I wish they would include a thing about Emily Hubley who did the art and animations for the film.

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domino harvey
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Re: 982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#3 Post by domino harvey » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:12 pm

She’s in the booklet according to the specs, in addition to the big chat feature

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knives
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Re: 982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#4 Post by knives » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:15 pm

That's what I get for skimming that though I meant more along the lines of something like they're doing for the soundtrack.

Gambit1138
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Re: 982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#5 Post by Gambit1138 » Thu Mar 21, 2019 2:39 pm

Frank DeMarco posted on his Instagram that the 4K restoration is complete, along with this tantalizing detail:

"The film looks fantastic! And the movie is slightly different and improved from the original release!"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvG_kK-AtL5/

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dwk
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Re: 982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#6 Post by dwk » Sat May 18, 2019 5:13 pm


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FrauBlucher
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Re: 982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#7 Post by FrauBlucher » Thu Jun 27, 2019 7:10 am


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zedz
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Re: 982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#8 Post by zedz » Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:25 pm

The film is entertaining enough, but the extras on this package really put it over the top. Lots of detail on the history of the project and the film's production, and they all radiate a happy family atmosphere. This is probably aided by the absence of Michael Pitt, who is discussed diplomatically when at all. I have no idea whether he was as difficult on this shoot as he would be on later ones, but it's certainly striking how little he features in everybody's warm reminiscences! The cast / crew reunion is the highlight, and it has a conviviality and intimacy most such affairs either lack or don't convey so effectively. Even the period "making of" is way more thorough and revealing than most.

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zedz
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Re: 982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#9 Post by zedz » Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:28 pm

knives wrote:
Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:15 pm
That's what I get for skimming that though I meant more along the lines of something like they're doing for the soundtrack.
Emily Hubley is part of the "family reunion" and gets quite a bit of attention there and elsewhere on the disc. The extras go on for hours and there's a lot of love to go round (unless your name is Michael Pitt).

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tenia
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Re: 982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#10 Post by tenia » Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:49 pm

Never saw the movie before and finally managed to got through it.
I wish I saw this way earlier, because I got blown away by it. It drags just a little bit in places but it's wonderful all over, extremely energetic in a bitter-sweet kind of way (that reminded me the much more recent Leto) and the songs are just tremendous.
zedz wrote:
Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:25 pm
This is probably aided by the absence of Michael Pitt, who is discussed diplomatically when at all. I have no idea whether he was as difficult on this shoot as he would be on later ones, but it's certainly striking how little he features in everybody's warm reminiscences!
The movie Wiki page states that : "in the DVD commentary, Mitchell mentions that Pitt was somewhat uncomfortable with their prolonged kissing scene, complaining about being scratched by Mitchell's stubble. Mitchell mentioned Pitt consuming onion and garlic directly before shooting the scene."

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Boosmahn
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Re: 982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch

#11 Post by Boosmahn » Tue Mar 23, 2021 5:07 pm

This was a very touching movie. The only part I thought could have been handled better was the character of Yitzhak. Also, the reprise of Wicked Little Town is one of the best musical numbers I've ever heard in a film.

Two small choices I liked:
1. The sound of a bomb falling as Hedwig tells Tommy about her biological sex.
2. After Hedwig draws a cross on Tommy's forehead, she holds a mirror up to him, and the focus slowly shifts to his reflection, representing the exact moment his ego took over.

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