The films of Alejandro Jodorowsky

[Ben Cobb]

Here is the latest design by Graham Humphreys (Evil Dead, Santa Sangre) for Tartan Video's UK Jodorowsky DVD boxset - out May 14th.

Check out my MySpace page (www.myspace.com/bansheeben) for full DVD specs, more rare El Topo artwork and details on my book 'Anarchy and Alchemy: The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky' (Creation Books)...

[WinslowLeach]

Awesome stuff Ben! I'll add ya!

[thebostonlocksmith]

I'm not too sure if i like it... This Graham Humphries or El topo or whoever his name is can't even seem to stay inside the lines...

This is the simplist of colouring in faux pas!!!!!

[ThisIsTheGirl]

That is crazily cool, Ben!

thx for posting, mate - welcome to El Zono

[Seppuku]

Wow, it's been years since I saw these movies. If they add that script Jodo' cut for Son of El Topo, or at least add a link to it online, then this could quite possibly be the greatest DVD set ever.

Badass!

So, what do you guys prefer- El Topo or The Holy Mountain? The fanboy in me says Topo, but I think I have to go with The Holy Mountain, just for being that little bit more batshit insane. Even if it has 100% less naked mini-Topo.

If you haven't seen 'em, well this box-set looks like the best crash course you're gonna get. It's SO pre-ordered!


By the way, if you go on the Holy Mountain page on IMDB, some kind gentleman has spent a few months compiling a list of off the wall movies, that's definitely worth checking out for any leftfield movie fans here.


Here's VERN's El Topo review by the way..

[John-Locke]

I've been waiting for this release for a long time, it'll be nice to finally see Fando y Lis too.

I suggest everyone who wants to get this pre-orders it because it's possible that it'll be unavailable after a certain amount of time.

[Pacino86845]

Finally I can follow up on JL's vehement recommendations to see El Topo and Holy Mountain! At least the box art alone will be worth it.

[Ben Cobb]

Below are the DVD specs for Tartan Video's UK release:

EL TOPO
1970, 125 mins, Colour, Original 1.33:1
Stand-alone release May 14 / Boxset May 14
• Digitally remastered and restored from the original negatives
• Fully uncut and uncensored for the first time
• Optimum bitrate for outstanding playback quality
• Original Spanish Audio (Dolby 2.0 / Dolby 5.1)
• Original English Audio Option (Dolby 2.0)
• Newly created optional English subtitles
• First official UK release
• UK DVD premiere
• DVD includes:
Feature-length Jodorowsky Audio Commentary
Original Theatrical Trailer
Jodorowsky on EL TOPO

HOLY MOUNTAIN
1973, 115 mins, Colour, Anamorphic 2.35:1
Stand-alone release May 14 / Boxset May 14
• Digitally remastered and restored from original negatives
• Fully uncut and uncensored for the first time
• Optimum bitrate for outstanding playback quality
• Original English Audio (Dolby 2.0 / Dolby 5.1)
• First official UK release
• UK DVD premiere
• DVD includes:
Feature-length Jodorowsky Audio Commentary
Original Theatrical Trailer
Restoration featurette
'The Tarot' featurette
Deleted Scenes with Jodorowsky Audio Commentary

FANDO & LIS
1968, 95 mins, B&W, Letterboxed 1.66:1
Boxset only, May 14
• Digitally remastered and restored from the best available sources
• Optimum bitrate for outstanding playback quality
• Newly-created optional English subtitles
• UK premiere release
• DVD includes:
Feature-length Jodorowsky Audio Commentary
Jodorowsky's rare 1957 short LA CRAVATE (21 mins, Colour, no dialogue), digitally remastered and restored from the best available sources
Restoration featurette for FANDO & LIS
Restoration featurette for LA CRAVATE

LA CONSTELLATION JODOROWSKY
Boxset only, May 14
• 90 minute documentary by Louis Mouchet in which Jodorowsky talks at length about his life and his work as a film-maker, graphic novelist and renowned and celebrated Tarot reader. Includes extensive coverage from the famously unrealised DUNE project.

EL TOPO Soundtrack CD
Boxset only
• Track details TBC
• First ever CD release (originally released on Apple vinyl)

HOLY MOUNTAIN Soundtrack CD
Boxset only
• Track details TBC
• First ever release

N.B. - boxset will contain 6 discs. FANDO & LIS/LA CRAVATE, LA CONSTELLATION JODOROWSKY and the CDs will be exclusive to box.

[WinslowLeach]

Wow, I GOTTA get this!! 8)

[HollywoodBabylon]

Definitely on my DVD shopping list.

[John-Locke]

I only just now realised that El Jodo has a new film in development, it's called King Shot, it's a Spaghetti Western Gangster film set to star Nick Nolte and Marilyn Manson.

Here are some storyboards

[ThisIsTheGirl]

That looks fucking wild, JL - nice find

[tapehead]

Seems the best place to post this - quite a good interview by Daniel Robert Epstein with Alejandro Jodorowsky on Suicide Girls (which of course, I read for their excellent cultural critiques and hot chicks)
http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Alejandro+Jodor owsky/

[John-Locke]

On Friday I was lucky enough to get tickets for a screening of the new print of El Topo followed by an extensive, almost 2 hours long interview with the great man himself.

Now a lot of stuff was said in those two hours so it's going to be hard for me to remember it all now. A lot of it was about the history of his films, his relationship with John Lennon and that dude who stopped El Topo and Holy Mountain from getting proper releases until now.

He was asked about his proposed Dune project and admitted that he hadn't even read the book when he secured the rights, just knew that one of his friends loved it and got asked by a studio if there were any projects he was interested in so that popped into his head, he was shocked at how complex the book and world of the book was when he did get around to reading it, his version would have been something like 8 hours long, Udo Kier would have played Feyd-Rautha, David Carradine was going to be in it (Playing Duke Leto or Duncan presumably), Welles was going to be Baron Harkonnen (which I'm sure we all knew) and Dali wanted $100,000 an hour to play the Emperor, he was going to pay him and use him for 1 hour of filming where it would have been set up that the Emperor talks to others with a replica puppet which he operates through a curtain off screen. Music would have been by Pink Floyd and some other band I can't remember.

When asked about whether or not he watches many films he replied that he on average watches 2 films a day, he had just watched the latest episode of The Shield (no doubt obtained legally ) and although I think it was brought up at a different time he said that he loved the modern way of telling a story over many hours and series, something he couldn't have done with Dune at the time.

He also mentioned that he thought David Lynch was one of the only true artist working in Films at the moment and that he's seen most of Takashi Miike's films, to paraphrase he said something like "The man makes a lot of shit but in amongst it all are some truly genius moments which makes watching everything he does worthwhile".

When asked by some silly cow Who he'd want to play him in the film of the story of his life he said that he hates the idea of working with all NAME actors except Nick Nolte, he loves Nick Nolte (Star of King Shot if it gets made), and that he'd have his family and unknowns play the characters in that film.

He is planning on shooting a film next January, he doesn't know which one yet, either King Shot, Sons of El Topo some other one that deals with his Depression Therapy (can't find the name easily online) or maybe even an adaptation of his Comic Bouncer, he also said that he was going to make his next film available to the public for free via the internet, whether or not that is going to be the film he shoots in January or not was not clear, I got the feeling that it would be something smaller and cheaper but still he doesn't want to make any money from his craft.

Much much more was said, he was a true legend, I'm sure he is a madman but he didn't come across as one, maybe we got him on a good evening but for a 78 year old (who claims is going to live to be 150 years old) he was still pretty damn sharp, he had the audience in fits of laughter many times and it was one of the greatest film related experiences of my lifetime.

I'll post some more stuff if I can remember it later.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

robust reportage, thanks for the intel.

[Brocktune]

arent the new 35mm prints just gorgeous? i mean it looks like they filmed the bitch today. it's too bad that more distributors dont have this kind of respect for classic cinema.

[magicmonkey]

Wow, great write up JL.

Here is interview the Guardian's Xan Brooks did with the man.

[John-Locke]

Vern Reviews the Jodorowsky Boxset

And I just found some more Storyboards for King SHot

[Cha-Ka Khan]

Dunno if anyone lives in the Rochester, NY area, but the Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman House will be showing new 35mm prints of "El Topo" and "The Holy Mountain" next month:

The Return of El Topo and The Holy Mountain

Unseen on the big screen in the US for many years, two of the early 1970s most awe-inspiring cult classics have returned in new 35mm prints provided by ABKCO Films. Alejandro Jodorowsky’s El Topo (screening June 15 & 17) and The Holy Mountain (June 22 & 24) both use hallucinatory visuals to tell stories of spiritual quests and skilled warriors who wish to become gods. John Lennon and Yoko Ono were the first to spread the word of Jodorowsky’s special brand of movie madness and the films gained most of their initial exposure at special midnight projections. The Dryden will screen the films at more accommodating hours.

[Theta]

Well, I worked my way through the set.

Honestly, in light of how these movies were built up as lost classics...a letdown. The best was probably "The Holy Mountain", which was light on the self-seriousness and used a lot of humor, black and otherwise.

[Brocktune]

the films gained most of their initial exposure at special midnight projections. The Dryden will screen the films at more accommodating hours.

no midnights?

weak.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

Honestly, in light of how these movies were built up as lost classics...a letdown.

who the fuck ever called 'em "lost classics" without affixing "Midnight Movie" in the middle of that is beyond me.

just rewatched EL TOPO last night, and it was even awesomer than I remembered. It helped that there wasn't Cantonese, Spanish and English subs running along the frame as my old beat up VHS EL TOPO had, and the transfer was gorgeous.

but I guess I'm a sucker for any film with a mix of Dadaist, Surrealist, Theater of the Absurd and Leone influences.

[TheButcher]

From SPEAKEASY:
Alejandro Jodorowsky: A Spirited Talk With The ‘Santa Sangre’ Director

[TheButcher]

CBR Spotlight on Writer, Filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky

CBR News spoke with legendary filmmaker, writer and comics creator Alejandro Jodorowsky about his creative process, new volumes of "The Incal," tarot and his return to filmmaking.

[TheButcher]

Alejandro Jodorowsky Prepping Auto-Biopic, Dance Of Reality

[Spandau Belly]

LA DANZA DE LA REALIDAD
(the dance of reality)

Jodorowsky's long-awaited return to cinema did not let me down. This is a work that fits right in with his older stuff both in style, themes, and quality.

The film is a dual biopic that is as much about Jodo's childhood as it is about his father. The film explores the dynamic of snivelling weakling son and gruff manly father also seen in THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS. Jodo's father is played by his real life son, Brontis. I have to give Brontis full props for his committed performance here. He carries the movie, playing each scene with maximum conviction.

The film deals with all of the same themes that dominated Jodo's work: masculinity and mysticism. Jodo's father is a proud tough guy, an immigrant from Ukraine to Chile, he styles himself after Josef Stalin. He beats up clowns and amputees, aspires to murdering the president.

Jodo depicts himself as a weakling, who strives for his father's approval, even enduring made up moments from James Frey's made up life to prove his worth to his father. But when left to his own motivation, Jodo just likes doing more sensitive things like dancing around in fancy shoes, and having a game of Oedipus hide 'n go seek with his busty mum.

The film tells an overall arc of Jodo and his father's evolving identities. As with all of Jodo's work, he is excellent at building scenes and his films always feel like they are told in chapters. My favourite part was when Jodo's father's gets mauled by donkey-eating plague sufferers and Jodo's mum has to disinfect Jodo's dad by pissing on his chest after which she mops up the piss with her tits while singing opera about the glories of Stalin. I also liked the part where Jodo's father awakes from a coma or something to discover he's been getting raped by a hunchback who then instantly kills herself.

I think this is an excellent film for anyone who refuses to live in a world of costumed dogs. It is touching, funny, and surreal. Jodo's still got it.

[Al Shut]

To think that I was worried he would try a more real approach for a biopic.

[Spandau Belly]

I would say it reminded me the most of THE TIN DRUM. Very similiar depictions of the son who wants to play and be a little boy forever and the father who is a fascist. There's just a lot more screen time given to the father character in this. If you liked DIE BLECHTROMMEL, I would recommend LA DANZA DE LA REALIDAD.