Guy Maddin fans?

Post by **woods01** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 6:41 am

Anyone else a fan of Winnipeg auteur Guy Maddin? I recently watched his
new feature " the Saddest Music in the World". He shoots almost
exclusivily in black and white and his films intercut Super 8 and 16mm
(and probably 35mm too). The DVD features show him working with a
Bolex and Bealieau cameras. His films are a lot like what you would
expect from the 1920s or 30s but use modern editing and camera
techniques.

Post by **tod8** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:25 pm

i plan on renting it.

hate to say this, but there deosn't seem to be much B & W lovers on this site

everyones seduced by Kodachrome... 8O

Post by **ccortez** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:35 pm

tod8 wrote:i plan on renting it.

hate to say this, but there deosn't seem to be much B & W lovers on this site everyones seduced by Kodachrome... 8O

Count me among the B/W lovers. I just watched "Light Keeps Me Company" about the life and career of Sven Nyquist. He didn't need no stinkin' Kodachrome. ;)

I'll check out Guy Maddin, I've heard great things about TSMITW.

c.

Post by **TomFoolery** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 8:23 pm

I had the pleasure of seeing this film on the big screen. Highly recomend. His use of in camera and old film editing techniques and effects are amazing. And a beautiful 35mm print!

Post by **Dcm** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 8:55 pm

Definitely a fan of Maddin's work. I'd say his best Black and White feature is "Archangel" and his best Color feature is "Careful"... both are readily available on DVD in the U.S. Do check them out...

And, coincidently, Guy Maddin will be here in Seattle in January shooting a short film with the newly christened "Film Company"... five or six of my friends will be working on the shoot, most of whom honed their skills on Super 8... (still honing, actually). Should be a blast, as Guy rarely shoots on location... he builds mountain ranges and forests in warehouses... always to fun effect.

dcm

Post by **timdrage** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 1:01 am

I love black + white too! Even the old Quarzchrome!

Havn't seen any Guy Maddin films yet but they sound amazing + just the sort of thing I like, so will check out.

Post by **Dcm** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 1:37 am

Some clips for the curious. Click above the ads on the left.

Careful:
http://videodetective.com/home.asp?PublishedID=995526

Tales from the Gimli Hospital:
http://videodetective.com/home.asp?PublishedID=296712

IIRC, with Careful Maddin decided that every scene should be dominated by two specific colors... hence the almost Fauvist look of the first clip.

As for Gimli, his first feature, its a fine film, but doesn't quite cohere as much as it could have. Note the little nod to a rather sad artifact of film characterization in this clip. Maddin's commentary track on the DVD reveals his rather interesting motives for including him... (also that Steppin Fetchit character is played by the main character.) Anyway, Archangel, his second film, is far and away a better film... top-notch. Sadly, I couldn't find a clip...

And, if you can find his short "The Heart of the World"... check it out, though I believe it's on the 'Archangel' DVD.

...oh, and his film Twilight of the Ice Nymphs... well... it sure looks good.

Post by **scottbobo2** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 2:26 am

I recently viewed 3 of Guy Maddins films ( Careful,saddest music in the world and The dead father).He is definately a weird guy.He does a great job of filmmaking but his films are weird!. His next film will be in all 35mm and he said it was terrible,it slowed everything down on the set,not like he is use to working.
He prefers Super 8 and 16mm. My only problem with his use of super 8 is he tries very hard to degrade the image( vasaline on the len,push processing k-40 ,and shooting in 18 fps not 24 fps.
On the other hand he can get canada to green light a 3 million dollar 16 and 8mm film.
I liked "Careful" but on the dvd he says it bombed out in New York and the film was pulled from theaters on the first weekend

Post by **Sparky** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:05 am

Thanks Woods/DCM! I caught what I now know to be called Careful on a Channel4 series of strange films and was utterly enchanted by it, but had forgotten completely about it. Within the first few seconds of watching that clip I realised what it was and now I know who it was by and can check out his others. Awsome- and to think (some of) it was shot on super8! Thats inspirational.

Mark

Post by **robbie** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 4:07 pm

big fan especially of his earlier shorts and dracula piece. beautiful. must see projected on film. luckily came to two cinemas in atlanta. good inspiring stuff.

Post by **tod8** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 4:10 pm

Just saw SMITW. I was inspired. Inspired to put vaseline on my lens (or in front of it somehow, don't want to ruin my lens).
I was a little annoyed at the rapid fire editing and that every single shot was blown out, plus the whole thing reaked of David Lynch.
I loved the handmade, 2-d sets.
It's good to see 8mm so prominently in such 'big' film.

Post by **woods01** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:59 pm

Yes his films are 'weird' but I think Saddest is pretty conventional except
for being B&W compared to his early work. Its got great humour in it
from the giant vat of beer the winners get dumped into and the glass legs.
Its definatly a film to draw inspiration from. Its production design is
fantastic. The movie is really low budget but the design just embraces
that to make a pretty unusual looking city.

Post by **timdrage** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 9:11 pm

On a possibly similar note, has anyone seen 'The American Astronaut'? Amazing film, it's a low-budget sci-fi musical western in which most of the space-ships, moon-bases etc are actually depicted as seedy-looking decidedly earth-bound apartments, bars, theatres... the surface of venus is just a park by a lake! it's all filmed in a really authentically retro black & white, has great music, and indescribably brilliant!

http://www.americanastronaut.com

I saw it a few years back at london sci-fi film fest.
Hope it comes out on DVD soon!

I'm always a sucker for both authentically old-looking modern films (see also the very odd 'Nothing Lasts Forever') and sci-fi films in which you're simply informed that modern-day stuff is in the future/space (eg Alphaville), so this appealed on both counts!

I digress!

Filmshooting

Guy Maddin fans?

Guy Maddin fans?

no-dachrome