repulsion Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Directors: Polanski Polarized
Filed under: New on DVD »
Roman Polanski's masterpiece Repulsion comes out on Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-Ray today. Because of its subversive, suspense/horror nature, it has never truly been counted as a proper cinema classic until now; that Criterion packaging has a way of turning any film into a classic. In it, Catherine Deneuve stars as a sexually repressed young woman who is left alone in a London apartment for a weekend. Before long she begins to experience all types of horrible images, from hands sticking out of a wall to rape and murder.
The great thing about Repulsion is that it's a perfect summation and distillation of Polanski's pet themes: the single, lone hero against the world; maybe it's paranoia and maybe it's not, but the battle remains the same. (Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.) Like Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang and Brian De Palma, Polanski has made a career of exorcising his inner demons on film, and the result has been remarkably consistent, even though he has touched upon many different genres. Unlike his three colleagues, however, Polanski has come the closest to mainstream acceptance, in that he won the 2002 Best Director Oscar for The Pianist. Despite that, however, he remains an outsider, a marginalized figure, rather than the world master he should be.
Polanski's Scariest Movie Getting Criterion Treatment
Filed under: Horror », Distribution », Home Entertainment »
The Roman Polanski horror movie everyone knows and loves is, of course, Rosemary's Baby (and to some extent The Ninth Gate, except for the "loves" part, though I think that one gets a bad rap). But the seriously scary Polanski film that is criminally underseen -- though generally appreciated by those who see it -- is his 1996 effort Repulsion, the first movie in his "apartment trilogy" that would conclude with Baby and The Tenant. Certainly it's the scariest movie about sex that you'll ever see, putting Teeth to shame. (Any other contenders?) A character study that gradually reveals a very disturbed psyche, it's super-creepy in insinuating, unconventional ways. (Remember the constantly ticking clock in Rosemary's Baby? It's here too. And mysterious bells. And sometimes the sound just cuts out...)If you've never seen Repulsion -- as I hadn't until very recently -- you might hold out for July 28th, when the wonderful folks at Criterion will release their typically awesome-sounding Special Edition on DVD and Blu-Ray. Among other things, it'll have a full-length commentary from Polanski and Catherine Deneuve, who was barely 20 when the film was shot and is a dead ringer for Gwyneth Paltrow. It'll also have a documentary shot on set in 1964, which should be fascinating.
But even if you don't shell out the $40 bucks for the Criterion set, see this movie. Netflix it or something. It's a master class for admirers of the horror genre. Here's something tantalizing: it has one of my favorite final shots of all time.
Unauthorized Roman Polanski Biopic Coming from D-list Actor/Director
Filed under: Drama », Independent », Casting », Celebrities and Controversy », Cinematical Indie »
Yesterday, I was looking forward to the next film from Oscar-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski. Today, I'm anxiously awaiting the biopic about him. According to The Hollywood Reporter, low-budget actor-director Damian Chapa (El Padrino) is preparing an unauthorized film about the guy who gave us Chinatown, The Pianist, Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby. Yes, we finally get to see dramatized the tragic and/or controversial events of Polanski's life, including his escape from the Kraków Ghetto during the Holocaust, his mother's death in a concentration camp, the murder of his wife, actress Sharon Tate, at the hands of Charles Manson's "family", and of course, his conviction for having sex with a 13-year-old girl, after which he fled the U.S. The biopic is expected to span the filmmaker's life, and will film in Poland, Belgium, and the U.S. However, it seems the simply titled Polanski, which begins lensing in January, may focus primarily on the statutory rape trial.The title role has not yet been cast, but Chapa himself will be playing Gene Gutowski, who produced Polanski's early films, including Repulsion, Cul-de-sac and Dance of the Vampires, and co-produced The Pianist. Those of you who haven't seen Chapa's own movies, may be familiar with his acting from such films as Street Fighter, Money Talks or Bound by Honor. In addition to his directing and co-starring tasks, Chapa is also the writer and producer of the simply titled Polanski, meaning it probably won't be the greatest biopic we ever see. But hey, I'm curious at least. Aren't you?
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