Aesthetic pleasure of the other's destruction, the Crucifixion and The Devils

[MDL]

As the Dr Frankenstein who jabbed the electrodes into this this long-dead cadaver of a thread, can I just say that I never intended to cause controversy or rake up old arguments? I merely wanted to publicise a screening of Russell's film and thought I might as well use an old thread as a springboard to do so. It seemed logical at the time; why start a new thread about The Devils?

[karlhenning]

Oh, good; hate to leave anything to one's imagination . . . .

[MDL]

Alas it seems this is now sold out.    Brilliant film, well worth seeing if you get the chance.  I saw the original on its first release - went with a friend who disappeared to the bathroom halfway through and didn't re-emerge until it was over.  I hadn't realised he was so sensitive.  Mind you, some of the torture scenes are pretty graphic.

Sorry you've missed out on this. If it's sold out, maybe the Barbican will feel inclined (and will be allowed) to screen it again.

Edit: Just had a Facebook message from Ken himself confirming that the screening is indeed sold out.

[MDL]

The 2004 print of The Devils is being shown at the BFI in London on Friday July 29th. Ken and Mark Kermode are slated to appear. It's part of a double bill with Tommy.

[MDL]

Thanks for that.  There's actually a handful of tickets still available!

EDIT: Apparently the 1971 US cut (103 minutes instead of 111) is now available on a Spanish DVD, which you can set up to give the English soundtrack and no Spanish subtitles.

Beware! I haven't seen that DVD, but apparently, not only is it the butchered US print, but further cuts were imposed in Spain. According to some reports, Richelieu's lines "where Church and state are one" and "And may the Protestant be driven from the land" were removed! Might be worth getting to see the film in the proper aspect ratio, so that, at last, one can appreciate Derek Jarman's outstanding sets. Otherwise, be careful.

[MDL]

Oh I've booked for the BFI showing, have no fear.  Even though I only saw it the one time on its original release, I can still remember how stunning those external sets looked even in whatever aspect ratio it was back then.  I was hoping the Spanish DVD was a sign that any copyright or other problems had been overcome and we might be more likely now to see a decent version released.

Thanks again for the tip-off - managed to squeak my nose under the wire this time. 

Brilliant! Glad to be of service. Shove that up your arse, MishaK. Here's Tim Lucas's report on the Spanish DVD. Note the replies.

http://videowatchdog.blogspot.com/2010/09/devils-spanish-dvd-report.html

[MDL]

Saw Murray Melvin (Father Mignon from The Devils) at Canada Water tube this morning. I was heading into town; he was heading east.

[drogulus]

And I like Sean's threads.  His reasoning skills are like a peacock's feathers: of no practical use, and probably a damn nuisance to have to live with, but makes a spectacular display for onlookers.

     I like (some of) them, too. Incidentally, decorative reasoning has considerable support in Continental philosophy. Sean likes that kind. Like many people attracted to such thought he likes things that are stone cold to say. Or convoluted, that's good, too. Some of the things I say are convoluted, alas, but for me that's a failure, an all too common one. For each such pronouncement there's a more straightforward and elegant ways of making the same point, out there somewhere in point-making land.