'My Dinner with Andre' is Finally Getting the Criterion Treatment!
Filed under: New Releases, Fandom, Home Entertainment
In the sea of conversation-based films, of which there are many but never enough, My Dinner with Andre often reigns supreme. Perhaps this is because it is only a conversation -- a film so determined to be just dialogue that it makes Richard Linklater talkies look like action adventures. Unfortunately, no matter how popular it is, the Wallace Shawn/Andre Gregory film has always been one of those hard-to-find features. It's the kind you might be able to rent at a niche video store, but would only find to buy once in a blue moon, for a large chunk of change (last time I saw it, a dilapidated vhs was going for $80). But finally, FINALLY, Criterion is giving it the DVD treatment -- a release that I hope will last longer than the gone-in-a-flash stint in 2003.
The new release, which will hit shelves on June 23, will offer a crisp, new high-definition transfer. A film centered on two men having dinner isn't the easiest thing to amp up with special features, but Criterion does a solid job. There will be new interviews with André Gregory and Wallace Shawn, which will be led by Noah Baumbach, plus "My Dinner with Lewis" -- an episode of BBC's Arena that had Shawn interviewing director Louis Malle, and a booklet featuring an essay by Amy Taubin and prefaces for the published screenplay written by Gregory and Shawn.
Anyone else gearing up for a talkie party on June 23?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-27-2009 @ 9:43AM
Flowers said...
I love this film and when I saw Criterion putting it out I was very excited. Louis Malle is a great filmmaker and My Dinner with Andrei is a great example of that.
What I like about this film is that it's like a great book. You can put it down and come back to it for more inspiration. It's also very honest and it's not trying to be quirky, just real. So perhaps those out there that think all dialogue should be snappy, clever etc... should view this film. It reminds us that humanity is based on our words and actions. Not clever retorts or one-liners.
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5-27-2009 @ 9:37PM
HairyLime said...
How exactly do you put a "high-definition transfer" on a standard definition source (DVD)? If they've made a high-def master, why isn't it coming out on Blu-Ray?
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5-30-2009 @ 9:42PM
Megaera said...
The transcendant moment of "Waiting for Guffman" comes in the closing moments when one of the principals, a collector of film memorabilia, reveals to the camera his most cherished treasures: his "My Dinner With Andre" action figures ...
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