966 Detour

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Jonathan S
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Re: 966 Detour

#26 Post by Jonathan S » Sat Dec 15, 2018 5:02 am

domino harvey wrote:
Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:46 pm
Interesting that all the extras are Ulmer-specific...
And Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen was previously released as a standalone DVD by Kino.

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FrauBlucher
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966 Detour

#27 Post by FrauBlucher » Sat Dec 15, 2018 9:25 am

Oh boy, that must be a long doc. Goody!

Edit: it’s 1:17 long.

Jonathan S
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Re: 966 Detour

#28 Post by Jonathan S » Sat Dec 15, 2018 10:44 am

Actually I'd forgotten the previous Kino release of the documentary also includes Ulmer's Isle of Forgotten Sins though it's billed (not inappropriately) like a second feature.

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HitchcockLang
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 1:43 pm

Re: 966 Detour

#29 Post by HitchcockLang » Sat Dec 15, 2018 4:10 pm

For such a brief film (and a public domain one at that) and so few extras, I was hoping for another of those rare $30 MSRP BDs, but the length of the Ulmer doc makes it seem like a good deal. No matter, it's a must buy for me either way.

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andyli
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:46 pm

Re: 966 Detour

#30 Post by andyli » Mon Dec 17, 2018 10:09 pm

I remember at one time it was an April Fool's Day joke on DVDBeaver. Now the 4k restoration is really here it almost feels unreal.

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FrauBlucher
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Re: 966 Detour

#31 Post by FrauBlucher » Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:38 am


nitin
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Re: 966 Detour

#32 Post by nitin » Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:10 pm

That really does look unbelievable given this film’s history!

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FrauBlucher
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Re: 966 Detour

#33 Post by FrauBlucher » Tue Feb 19, 2019 7:45 pm


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jsteffe
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Re: 966 Detour

#34 Post by jsteffe » Thu May 02, 2019 2:09 pm

I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion about this release! I finally had the opportunity to view the Blu-ray in motion, and the Academy Film Archive's restoration is surely a landmark in how they used compositing to remove the subtitles from the best available element. I looked at the image very closely, and to my eye this work is difficult, if not impossible, to spot for the casual viewer (i.e., me). The restoration makes you appreciate Ulmer's taut direction and the film's craftsmanship on the whole.

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Boosmahn
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Re: 966 Detour

#35 Post by Boosmahn » Thu May 02, 2019 2:40 pm

I'm waiting until the July B&N sale. I was surprised to learn that Ebert considered it one of his "great movies."

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FrauBlucher
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Re: 966 Detour

#36 Post by FrauBlucher » Mon Jun 10, 2019 5:12 pm

I just finished reading the booklet. Robert Polito writes an outstanding investigative look at the production history. So, so many things I was unaware of. It’s one of my favorite extras.

The bluray looks great. Such a treat to have this film not looking like shat.

Orlac
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Re: 966 Detour

#37 Post by Orlac » Mon Jun 10, 2019 6:18 pm

This is a great release.

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Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
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Re: 966 Detour

#38 Post by Finch » Tue Jun 18, 2019 11:45 am

I watched the film for the first time via one of the crummy public domain copies available to watch for free online, and you really should sample a few minutes from any of the PD versions to get a fair idea of just enormous the improvment is with the new 4k restoration. Who knows what else is on the plate for the remainder of the year from Criterion and everyone else, but in terms of cultural preservation, this disc has got to be among the top three, five releases of the year, and I'm only going by the stills Chris and Beaver posted. I'd be keen to see the film again in the proper condition, not least because it might make me re-evaluate the whole thing because my first viewing left me disappointed: for starters, I found Neal's voiceover far too verbose, and the first 15 minutes felt drawn out, and the dialogue has dated more than in other films of the period. It felt longer than 66 minutes and that's damning for a film this short. I did like the twist mid-way through and the cinematography, even in the dire state of the copy I watched.

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domino harvey
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Re: 966 Detour

#39 Post by domino harvey » Sat Jun 22, 2019 6:27 am

domino harvey wrote:
Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:46 pm
Interesting that all the extras are Ulmer-specific rather than any broader ones about the film's genre legacy, especially considering that it's of the most widely-seen Noirs given its PD status
Well, Isenberg's interview does touch on this a little, but I found his comments on Film Noir wrongheaded and often laughable (It's rare to see location shooting in a Film Noir? Uh, [citation needed]). I can understand someone in the stress of the interview process making a silly mistake like claiming Veronica Lake starred in the Postman Always Rings Twice. What I can't understand is why no one from Criterion caught this mistake and asked him to retake or edited it out afterwards, especially since he throws it in as an addendum to his existent list of "femme fatales" (a character type which he thinks Gene Tierney in Laura fits, so, you know, again I'm not sure I value what this guy has to say about Noir even when he doesn't misspeak...) and the remark could have easily been excised had I any faith in the disc's producers knowing enough about Noir to catch it. Anyone looking for insight into why this film has been so omnipresent in Noir discussion for decades will come away from the deluxe edition of fucking Detour empty-handed, unless "Well, the streets are indeed wet" counts... In fairness, the liner notes fare better in providing an interesting production history and some context, but the lack of any real critical approaches to or insights into this film even here is glaring. Obviously the magic the restoration was able to weave is the star here, but I think it would be harder to find Noir experts who couldn't have spent a half-hour talking about this film. I don't even think it's a particularly good film, Noir or otherwise (about thirty seconds of Ann Savage's performance/character goes a long way, and she's not in the film for thirty seconds)-- though I warmed more to it on revisit-- but it deserves better than this package.

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FrauBlucher
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Re: 966 Detour

#40 Post by FrauBlucher » Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:41 am

I agree the overall package is lacking. It does a great job of clarifying the production history and giving us Ulmer's history but any critical reading of the film would've been welcomed for sure. I am surprised and disappointed that Eddie Muller wasn't asked to participate

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domino harvey
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Re: 966 Detour

#41 Post by domino harvey » Sat Jun 22, 2019 2:43 pm

I recently rewatched that long Noir doc from WB’s third Film Noir set and this is the only movie Christopher Nolan seemed interested in talking about. I’m sure he’s wildly busy (and we don’t know when this disc was actually produced), but even an extra like that from a famous fan would have moved a lot of extra units to justify the energy into procuring it. But yeah, Muller or Ursini or Silver or Rode or Imogen Sara Smith or any of the other go-to informed Noir talking heads for home video release surely could have produced comments with little notice

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swo17
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Re: 966 Detour

#42 Post by swo17 » Sat Jun 22, 2019 3:27 pm

This was destined for a great release...but then fate forced a detour

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Finch
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Re: 966 Detour

#43 Post by Finch » Tue Jun 25, 2019 2:57 pm

Filmfreakcentral reviews Detour.
What it's lacking in film noir's usual narrative detail or expressionistic flourishes is compensated for by its overarching preoccupation with determinism and a healthy contempt for fate. Amplifying and accompanying the slow-building sense of despair and helplessness is an internal-monologue-in-voiceover that's unrelentingly dreary and self-pitying, even for noir. Detour isn't remotely sexy or exciting, though it is amply dour and uncomfortably personal--disturbing, even, in its spare vision
.

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denti alligator
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Re: 966 Detour

#44 Post by denti alligator » Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:43 pm

First time viewer here. It felt to me like an extended Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode. And not necessarily one of the great ones. Hot off the heels from re-watching Double Indemnity, so it had tough competition. Still, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

mteller
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Re: 966 Detour

#45 Post by mteller » Tue Jul 09, 2019 11:32 am

It's tight as heck and it in a way it feels like the definitive example of a film noir, but really it's Ann Savage who merits all the fuss.

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