1216 Dogfight
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
- Location: SLC, UT
1216 Dogfight
Dogfight
An ineffably bittersweet portrait of youth in the 1960s, Nancy Savoca's funny, sensitive tale of love and war etches two vividly alive characters: aspiring San Francisco folk singer Rose (Lili Taylor) and hotheaded, Vietnam-bound marine Eddie (River Phoenix), who meet on the occasion of a cruelly misogynistic party where men compete to bring the most unattractive dates they can find. But what begins as a night to forget unexpectedly develops into something far more meaningful. Featuring music by folk legends Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Pete Seeger, Dogfight captures the miracle of human connection while gracefully subverting ideas surrounding machismo, patriotic duty, and the very meaning of America itself.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• New 2K digital restoration, supervised by director Nancy Savoca, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• Audio commentary featuring Savoca and producer Richard Guay
• New interview with Savoca and actor Lili Taylor conducted by filmmaker Mary Harron
• New interviews with cinematographer Bobby Bukowski, production designer Lester Cohen, script supervisor Mary Cybulski, music supervisor Jeff Kimball, supervising sound editor Tim Squyres, and editor John Tintori
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Christina Newland
An ineffably bittersweet portrait of youth in the 1960s, Nancy Savoca's funny, sensitive tale of love and war etches two vividly alive characters: aspiring San Francisco folk singer Rose (Lili Taylor) and hotheaded, Vietnam-bound marine Eddie (River Phoenix), who meet on the occasion of a cruelly misogynistic party where men compete to bring the most unattractive dates they can find. But what begins as a night to forget unexpectedly develops into something far more meaningful. Featuring music by folk legends Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Pete Seeger, Dogfight captures the miracle of human connection while gracefully subverting ideas surrounding machismo, patriotic duty, and the very meaning of America itself.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• New 2K digital restoration, supervised by director Nancy Savoca, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• Audio commentary featuring Savoca and producer Richard Guay
• New interview with Savoca and actor Lili Taylor conducted by filmmaker Mary Harron
• New interviews with cinematographer Bobby Bukowski, production designer Lester Cohen, script supervisor Mary Cybulski, music supervisor Jeff Kimball, supervising sound editor Tim Squyres, and editor John Tintori
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Christina Newland
- jazzo
- Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2013 12:02 am
Re: 1216 Dogfight
Yowza. Between this, Little Darlings, Texasville and the upcoming disc of Household Saints, these last two months have been magic for jazzo
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: 1216 Dogfight
I only learned of this film’s existence a few months back when watching an old Siskel and Ebert review of it. They were split on it but it sounded (and looked in the clips) pretty miserable to me as a concept
- Buttery Jeb
- Just in it for the game.
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:55 pm
Re: 1216 Dogfight
I remember reading about it for the first time in Danny Peary's Alternative Oscars back in the '90s. The film had never registered to me before that, which was rare for a film that recent around that time; but he was calling it one of the best films from 1991 in that book.
I always thought this film would show up from Criterion, given the increased focus on female directors and their relationship with Warner Bros. With this film coming out, plus the restoration of Household Saints due soon, we'll likely be getting a re-appraisal of Nancy Savoca's career.
I always thought this film would show up from Criterion, given the increased focus on female directors and their relationship with Warner Bros. With this film coming out, plus the restoration of Household Saints due soon, we'll likely be getting a re-appraisal of Nancy Savoca's career.
- jazzo
- Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2013 12:02 am
Re: 1216 Dogfight
I honestly can't recommend it enough. It's a beautiful film.domino harvey wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2024 1:22 pmI only learned of this film’s existence a few months back when watching an old Siskel and Ebert review of it. They were split on it but it sounded (and looked in the clips) pretty miserable to me as a concept
- therewillbeblus
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm
Re: 1216 Dogfight
I finally watched it within the last year or two and my impressions were split between these: There are objectively good elements, particularly the performances, but I probably don't ever need to see it again
- Matt
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm
Re: 1216 Dogfight
I agree it’s really good. It’s a hard film to describe in a blurb, but Phoenix and Taylor deliver beautiful performances, and it’s definitely not a Cinderella story (or a Pygmalion story).
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- Joined: Fri May 18, 2018 3:07 pm
Re: 1216 Dogfight
Savoca’s student films are touring with the new restoration of Household Saints. I wish this release had included at least one, but hopefully the Blu-Ray of said feature will
The commentary is from WB’s DVD and is definitely worth a listen, particularly with regards to discussing the film’s screenwriter, who passed away just when the film was being released
The commentary is from WB’s DVD and is definitely worth a listen, particularly with regards to discussing the film’s screenwriter, who passed away just when the film was being released
- barryconvex
- billy..biff..scooter....tommy
- Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 10:08 pm
- Location: NYC
Re: 1216 Dogfight
One of my most beloved films of the 90s. River Phoenix' finest hour for sure.
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- Joined: Fri May 18, 2018 3:07 pm
Re: 1216 Dogfight
He truly never had a poor performance. I think he’s remarkable in this and The Thing Called Love, and he was absolutely headed towards becoming the biggest actor in Hollywoodbarryconvex wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2024 4:23 pmOne of my most beloved films of the 90s. River Phoenix' finest hour for sure.
- jazzo
- Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2013 12:02 am
Re: 1216 Dogfight
I just showed my 11 year-old daughter and 13 year-old son Running On Empty, not just because I thought they would like it, but also because they both loved 12 Angry Men and, my son, Dog Day Afternoon, and I wanted another Lumet to screen for them.
They both loved it, but my daughter was particularly taken with River's performance, especially when she realized that he was also Chris Chambers from Stand By Me (also greatly embraced by them), and one of the kids from Explorers (they loved at first but wound up hating towards the end). My wife and I tried to provide context; how there were certainly a lot of great young performers around that time, but also how Phoenix seemed to be operating on a different, almost metaphysical plane than the rest of them.
"Also," she replied, "he's really pretty."
Running On Empty holds up beautifully, by the way. One of those films, like Peggy Sue Got Married and Tin Men, to me, that I loved as a young person starting to venture deeper into films for grown-ups, but that also that got richer and much more affecting once I had the shit kicked out of me by life a few times.
I think The Mosquito Coast may be next. Dogfight in a couple of years.
They both loved it, but my daughter was particularly taken with River's performance, especially when she realized that he was also Chris Chambers from Stand By Me (also greatly embraced by them), and one of the kids from Explorers (they loved at first but wound up hating towards the end). My wife and I tried to provide context; how there were certainly a lot of great young performers around that time, but also how Phoenix seemed to be operating on a different, almost metaphysical plane than the rest of them.
"Also," she replied, "he's really pretty."
Running On Empty holds up beautifully, by the way. One of those films, like Peggy Sue Got Married and Tin Men, to me, that I loved as a young person starting to venture deeper into films for grown-ups, but that also that got richer and much more affecting once I had the shit kicked out of me by life a few times.
I think The Mosquito Coast may be next. Dogfight in a couple of years.
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- Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:36 pm