Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain and El Topo finally coming to DVD

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ABKCO Films and Anchor Bay Entertainment have just announced a pair of titles that we've been waiting for on DVD since Day One of this format... El Topo and The Holy Mountain! No kidding! Anchor Bay will release a special limited edition collector's box set, The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky, on DVD on 5/1 (SRP $49.98). The set will contain El Topo, The Holy Mountain and Fando Y Lis on DVD, fully restored and remastered from new HD transfers in anamorphic widescreen video, with Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 audio. The box set will also include 2 music CDs containing the soundtracks for El Topo and The Holy Mountain, as well as a DVD of Jodorowsky's never-before-released first film, La Cravate. El Topo and The Holy Mountain will also be available separately (SRP $24.98 each). The El Topo DVD will contain audio commentary by the director, the original theatrical trailer (with English voice-over), a 2006 on-camera interview with the director as well as an exclusive new interview, a photo gallery and original script excerpts. The Holy Mountain DVD will include audio commentary with the director, deleted scenes with commentary, the original theatrical trailer (with English voice-over), the Tarot short with commentary, a restoration process short, restoration credits, a photo gallery and original script excerpts. Fando Y Lis will include audio commentary with the director and the La Constellation Jodorowsky documentary.
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I can honestly say that I hated both of these movies a couple of years ago, but I'm quite willing to give them a second chance since my tastes have changed and lean much more into experiemental work lately. Santa Sangre weirded the hell out of me, too, but I found that one to be somewhat more palletable. Haven't seen Fando & Lis...
 
**** yeah!
actually, a cautious **** yeah.
I loved these movies, but I have not seen them in ages, and it’s exactly the type of movies that watching at home on a DVD does not favor.

But still.
**** YEAH.
 
Yeah, I just read that in an email about an hour ago. Great news, but pisses me off since I've wasted a good $200+ on various Italian/Japanese/bootleg versions over the years.
 
Hotarubi said:
Santa Sangre weirded the hell out of me, too, but I found that one to be somewhat more palletable. Haven't seen Fando & Lis...
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I saw Santa Sangre when I was 18 and hated it. Couldn't really make sense of it, seemed like a bunch of art just for the sake of art, etc. Then I watched it again last year at age 33 and it blew me away. Everything clicked and connected and it has some of the most memorable visual scenes in any movie I can think of. The movie just resonated and clicked with me when I was older. For what it's worth.


Fando & Lis, by the way, is "eh" at best. Some wild, brain-achingly surreal scenes, but that's about it.


Have you seen any of Fernando Arrabal's movies?
 
VALIS said:
Have you seen any of Fernando Arrabal's movies?
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I haven't, but this certainly sounds like par for the course considering the involved parties. If they're ever readily available, I may be given to watching either Viva la Muerte or Crazy Horse...
 
White Man said:
I've wanted to see El Topo for years. I hear it's weird.
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Holy Mountain is 100x weirder than El Topo, and El Topo is the weirdest thing in the world.

I got to meet Jodo awhile back at a store signing thing, and told him how I saw HM (bootlegged off the japanese lazerdisc, which i didnt know at the time). the main character is naked for a large majority of the movie, and looks like jesus. since it was a japanese release instead of black bars, it featured these little halos emitting from his crotch, which I (i was in high school and stoopid) thought was part of the directors call. also, no one speaks for the first 20 minutes, so when the japanese subtitles popped up, i again thought the director was making a statement.

el topo recently inspired a great little comic called Rabbithead that was featured in that "best comics of 2006" anthology thing. by rebecca dart i think.

RabbitHeadPage.jpg
 
xir said:
el topo recently inspired a great little comic called Rabbithead that was featured in that "best comics of 2006" anthology thing. by rebecca dart i think.
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Yeah, it's in here. I just happened across this particular strip a couple months back while flipping through the book. Was surprised how much I liked a lot of the stuff, since I'm not much for comics in the first place.
 
I wonder what they had to do to prize the films from the evil clutches of Allen Klein then? There was that rumour that he hated El Topo so much that he buried the original negatives underground.

Ive bought some pretty good dvds of El Topo and Holy Mountain from Italy a few years ago but the El Topo one seems to now be out of print. I might buy El Topo again if the quality is a good as claimed.
 
I actually do want to see these movies, but I absolutely hated Santa Sangre, which I had great expectations for (was 25 when I saw it...still am btw). It wasn't weird, It was just silly and boring as hell. Who knows, maybe I'll watch it again i a few years and be blown away like VALIS was.

But I might still pick 'em up because I really do like these kind of movies.
 
Cool. I just saw that this was going to get a midnight screening in LA sometime in March, but I'd probably prefer to just Netflix it for starters.
 
Dan said:
Cool. I just saw that this was going to get a midnight screening in LA sometime in March, but I'd probably prefer to just Netflix it for starters.
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wheres it playing? the egyptian?
 
xir said:
wheres it playing? the egyptian?
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The Nuart. March 16th, midnight. New 35mm print.

I didn't even notice before, but Santa Sangre will be the midnight show the following week.
 
This set is being released on Tuesday and I'm cautiously awaiting my copy to arrive (it shipped out a couple days ago); we'll see if I'm more receptive to these films now. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive (see: DVD Beaver, DVD Talk) and the restoration is jaw-dropping:

Raro Italian DVD on top (originally considered the best release available) and new Anchor Bay release on the bottom
___________________________________________

topo1.jpg

topo2.jpg


holy1.jpg

holy2.jpg
 
Hotarubi said:
$29 at DVD Planet! Unreal for three movies, a full-length (and rather legendary) doc, and two soundtracks.
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I just put in an order over at DeepDiscount-- $30. Either way, a fantastic deal.
 
icarus-daedelus said:
I’ve been waiting for this on DVD forever – which is why I am wondering, will each film be released separately at some point? Even die hard Jodorowsky fans tell me that Fando y Lis isn’t nearly as good as El Topo/The Holy Mountain/Santa Sangre/etc. Not sure I want to buy that.
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To the best of my knowledge they will be released individually shortly after the release of the box-set, if not simultaneously.

As for Fando y Lis, I can attest it is probably weakest out of the four films. But it still is an interesting experience. The price is right for the box-set so I would dive right in.
 
Regarding El Topo:

Well, got around to watching the remastered DVD and it was an entirely new experience.

First and foremost, there were no over-sized Japanese subtitles obscuring half the screen, so I was able to really take in every morsel that was intentionally installed in this visual marvel of a film. I found myself saying many times over "I never noticed that before".

Secondly, no more optical fogging. Unfortunately, the only print I've had of El Topo, up until now, was a 4th generation Japanese bootleg. Optical fogging was prominintly displayed during any scenes featuring genitalia which was very distracting and took you out of the picture entirely. El Topo, being as immersive as it is, needs to be watched 100% uncensored to fully appreciate the beauty within.

Thirdly, the remastered print itself. Anchor Bay (or Starz! as they are now known as) really put a lot of work into this print and it pays off immensely. Little to no scratches on the film-print, and the colors are as vibrant as the day they were shot.

For a very nominal fee of $30-40 I could recommend this box-set for El Topo alone (soundtrack included). I can't wait to see how Holy Mountain and Fando & Lis hold up. The only downfall of course is the very conspicuous absence of Santa Sangre. I wait day by day for an announcement of a domestic release; of course I can import but from what I've read my bootleg will suffice until they remaster it.
 
I got my boxset in the mail the other day, and holy shit the improvement is staggering. I also didn't know it came with the soundtracks, which made for an awesome surprise.
 
buckfutter said:
I got my boxset in the mail the other day, and holy shit the improvement is staggering. I also didn't know it came with the soundtracks, which made for an awesome surprise.
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Yeah, I initially forgot about the inclusion of the soundtracks. Now for the past week I've been spacing out to distorted flutes and thick psychedelia in general.
 
I just watched both El Topo and The Holy Mountain for the first time today. These movies are INSANE. I have literally never seen anything that even resembles them. So many memorable moments and shots. El Topo is like the most unpredictable movie I have ever seen. The visuals in The Holy Mountain are like etched into my brain. Yowza. How is Santa Sangre? Is it of a similar level of quality?

Also, I have to comment on the restoration job of The Holy Mountain. I have looked at the comparison pics and all, and the restoration on this movie is INSANE. I mean, the job on El Topo is great, too, but even still, it is still clearly a movie from the early 70s. The Holy Mountain, the restoration job was so great that in the opening ten minutes, I had to check only for the release date, and to see if Jodorowsky Lucased it up and added new footage. It looks incredible.
 
White Man said:
I just watched both El Topo and The Holy Mountain for the first time today. These movies are INSANE. I have literally never seen anything that even resembles them. So many memorable moments and shots. El Topo is like the most unpredictable movie I have ever seen. The visuals in The Holy Mountain are like etched into my brain. Yowza. How is Santa Sangre? Is it of a similar level of quality?
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Santa Sangre is the only movie I've seen of his so far. I saw it back in college. It's really striking. There's a sequence with the death of an elephant that is truly horrific. Tons of sideshow freakishness as well.
 
El Topo & The Holy Mountain were so damn awesome. I kind of wish I had just ordered the boxset because now I want the rest of the stuff in it.

I HAVE CONQUERED THE MOUNTAIN HORIZONTALLY!!! I AM A CHAMPION!!!
 
I could sell you mine, Lambtron. I don't find these movies any more palletable than before, so I'm looking to get rid of the set.
 
Hotarubi said:
I could sell you mine, Lambtron. I don't find these movies any more palletable than before, so I'm looking to get rid of the set.
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What didn't you like, exactly? I wouldn't put them on my best movie ever list, but I certainly found both of them interesting to watch. The only real problem I had with them was that it was a bit much to put myself through in one day.
 
I just don't find either to be appealing from a simple entertainment standpoint or as visual pieces; the copious metaphors are lost on me, as well (I've never been able to "read" into a film) so that's pretty much three strikes.
 
Economan said:
I'm thinking of buying it are the movies good and solid or are they just wierd art stuff.
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both.

edit: but if to be less of a smartass, it's probably more what you would call "weird art stuff".
but why won't you give it try? they are if nothing else very unique cinematic experience.
 
Chichikov said:
both.

edit: but if to be less of a smartass, it's probably more what you would call "weird art stuff".
but why won't you give it try? they are if nothing else very unique cinematic experience.
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Okay, they sound really cool but I have gotten boned like buyin Ichi the killer what a horriblr P.O.S/
 
Economan said:
Okay, they sound really cool but I have gotten boned like buyin Ichi the killer what a horriblr P.O.S/
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If you're implying that Ichi the Killer is how you define weird art stuff, then these movies are totally off the weird art stuff scale.
 
White Man said:
If you're implying that Ichi the Killer is how you define weird art stuff, then these movies are totally off the weird art stuff scale.
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No I'm saying that it was sucked balls. I don't really think it was artsy just weird.
 
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