Cinema Paradiso

Last night we watched the recent recut Cinema Paradiso. The original theatrical release is one of my all-time favorite films, so I was particularly eager to see the added footage. Well, I can't say that it is an improvement. I guess if it is more material and not an improvement it must necessarily be a flaw. I guess. Since the DVD comes with both the original and the added footage versions, I will be going back to the original this week and comparing. Do any of y'all out there have any opinions on this? I need to see the original again before I really comment, but it just seemed unecessary, based on my memories of the film.

One thing that strikes me every time I have seen the film (and many other films as well) is how great an actor Noiret is. I was also struck, for the first time, that Morricone was not at his best in this film. The music just didn't have that great Morricone spark that a lot (but certainly not all) of his scores have. I guess I never noticed the music much before, but I paid attention to it last night.

J'ai Ete Au Bal....on DVD!

Also released today for your musical enjoyment (c'mon, Keilholtz, is this a blog for discussion of weighty matters or is it a commercial platform?)...

For the first time on DVD, Brazos Film's award winning documentary of Cajun and Zydeco culture J'ai Ete Au Bal! By Les Blank, Maureen Gosling and Chris Strachwitz. Featuring Clifton Chenier, Queen Ida, Walter Mouton, Rockin' Sidney, The Balfa Brothers, Marc and Ann Savoy, D.L. Menard, Nathan Abshire, Michael Doucet and BeauSoleil, John Delafose, Wayne Toups, BoisSec Ardoin, Chuck Guillory, The Hackberry Ramblers, Dennis McGee, Boozoo Chavis, Canray Fontenot, Paul Daigle and many more. There are 30 minutes of "Lost and Found" footage that are really good, and filmmakers' commentary that is interesting.

Now, I don't pitch all of our releases to you. You will not find me telling people to rush out and purchase a title unless it is something that stands out. Also, I tend to push non-Arhoolie titles more than Arhoolie ones on the Blog. However, the three releases we have today are all worth getting.

This will give you an idea of how good this documentary is. Melanie is lukewarm on Cajun and Zydeco music. She'll go to a concert or festival, but she is not one who would go to the shelf and pull out a Louisiana French record to listen to. But I was watching this one at home while I was recovering from the surgery, and she stopped to see a little and stayed in the room for the whole thing. As far as I am concerned, that is the ringingest endoresement for a documentary on Cajun music you can get.

The other DVD we are releasing today is Brazos Film's Chulas Fronteras and Del Mero Corazon. Both films are documentaries about the music and culture of the Mexican-American Border by Chris Strachwitz and Les Blank, and both are outstanding. I saw Chulas Fronteras several times long before I started working at Arhoolie and thought that it was great. Like J'ai Ete Au Bal, we have added 30 minutes of "Lost and Found" footage (and we are not just pushing crap from the cutting room floor onto the DVD - this is real stuff that is worth watching).

Frankly, I would recommend Chulas Fronteras just for the footage of Lydia Mendoza, alone (and if you don't know who Lydia Mendoza is, you are missing out on an amazing singer), not to mention getting a close up look at Narciso Martinez's hands on the button accordion.

I find it very easy to write up and push records and films like the ones we put out. I really don't think that I could work publicity for the garbage that has invaded and taken over the pop music world, though. I would rather be a trash collector than have to push Mariah Carey or Celine Dion. The trash collector gets to take all of the noxious refuse of a household and deposit it in the appropriately hideous place called the dump. The pusher of Mariah Carey has to go around encouraging people to bring more noxious refuse into their houses.