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For nearly five years, acclaimed German director Werner Herzog desperately tried to complete one of the most ambitious and difficult projects of his career: Fitzcarraldo, the story of one man’s attempt to build an opera house deep in the Amazon jungle. Documentary filmmaker Les Blank captured the unfolding of this production, made more perilous by Herzog’s determination to shoot the most daunting scenes without models or special effects, including a sequence requiring hundreds of Indigenous locals to pull a full-size 320-ton steamship over a small mountain. The result is an extraordinary document of the filmmaking process and a unique look into the single-minded mission of one of cinema’s most fearless directors. BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restoration, supervised by filmmaker Harrod Blank, director Les Blank’s son, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack Alternate uncompressed monaural soundtrack Audio commentary featuring Les Blank, editor and sound recordist Maureen Gosling, and Fitzcarraldo director Werner Herzog Interview with Herzog Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980), a short film by Blank Deleted scenes Behind-the-scenes photos taken by Gosling Trailer New English subtitle translation and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing PLUS: An essay by film scholar Paul Arthur

Description

For nearly five years, acclaimed German director Werner Herzog desperately tried to complete one of the most ambitious and difficult projects of his career: Fitzcarraldo, the story of one man’s attempt to build an opera house deep in the Amazon jungle. Documentary filmmaker Les Blank captured the unfolding of this production, made more perilous by Herzog’s determination to shoot the most daunting scenes without models or special effects, including a sequence requiring hundreds of Indigenous locals to pull a full-size 320-ton steamship over a small mountain. The result is an extraordinary document of the filmmaking process and a unique look into the single-minded mission of one of cinema’s most fearless directors. 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restoration, supervised by filmmaker Harrod Blank, director Les Blank’s son, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack Alternate uncompressed monaural soundtrack One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features Audio commentary featuring Les Blank, editor and sound recordist Maureen Gosling, and Fitzcarraldo director Werner Herzog Interview with Herzog Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980), a short film by Blank Deleted scenes Behind-the-scenes photos taken by Gosling Trailer New English subtitle translation and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing PLUS: An essay by film scholar Paul Arthur and a book of excerpts from Blank’s and Gosling’s production journals

Description

An uncompromisingly independent filmmaker, Les Blank made documentaries for nearly fifty years, elegantly disappearing with his camera into cultural spots rarely seen on-screen - mostly on the peripheries of the United States, but also occasionally abroad. Seemingly off-the-cuff yet poetically constructed, these films are humane, sometimes wry, always engaging tributes to music, food, and all sorts of regionally specific delights. This collector's set provides a diverse survey of Les Blank's vast output, including fourteen of his best-known works and eight related short films. Texas musician: Always for Pleasure, which captures the vivacious spirit of New Orleans: Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers, a hilarious celebration of the pungent, flavorful stinking rose of the title: and eleven other unexpected features, plus eight of Blank's short films.

Description

An uncompromisingly independent filmmaker, Les Blank made documentaries for nearly fifty years, elegantly disappearing with his camera into cultural spots rarely seen on-screen - mostly on the peripheries of the United States, but also occasionally abroad. Seemingly off-the-cuff yet poetically constructed, these films are humane, sometimes wry, always engaging tributes to music, food, and all sorts of regionally specific delights. This collector's set provides a diverse survey of Les Blank's vast output, including fourteen of his best-known works and eight related short films. Texas musician: Always for Pleasure, which captures the vivacious spirit of New Orleans: Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers, a hilarious celebration of the pungent, flavorful stinking rose of the title: and eleven other unexpected features, plus eight of Blank's short films.

Description

An uncompromisingly independent filmmaker, Les Blank made documentaries for nearly fifty years, elegantly disappearing with his camera into cultural spots rarely seen on-screen - mostly on the peripheries of the United States, but also occasionally abroad. Seemingly off-the-cuff yet poetically constructed, these films are humane, sometimes wry, always engaging tributes to music, food, and all sorts of regionally specific delights. This collector's set provides a diverse survey of Les Blank's vast output, including fourteen of his best-known works and eight related short films. Texas musician: Always for Pleasure, which captures the vivacious spirit of New Orleans: Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers, a hilarious celebration of the pungent, flavorful stinking rose of the title: and eleven other unexpected features, plus eight of Blank's short films.

Description

Les Blank (Burden of Dreams) considered this free-form feature documentary about beloved singer-songwriter Leon Russell, filmed between 1972 and 1974, to be one of his greatest accomplishments. Yet it has not been released until now. Hired by Russell to film him at his recording studio in northeast Oklahoma, Blank ended up constructing a unique, intimate portrait of a musician and his environment. Made up of mesmerizing scenes of Russell and his band performing, both in concert and in the studio, as well as off-the-cuff moments behind the scenes, this singular film which also features performances by Willie Nelson and George Jones has attained legendary status over the years. It s a work of rough beauty that serves as testament to Blank s cinematic daring and Russell s immense musical talents. BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES - New, restored 2K digital transfer, supervised by executive producer Harrod Blank, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack - New interviews with Harrod Blank, musician Leon Russell, assistant editor Maureen Gosling, and artist Jim Franklin - Behind-the-scenes material, shot and edited by Gosling - Trailers - More! - PLUS: An essay by critic Kent Jones