As someone who’s always enthusiastic about the practice of selecting objects and arranging them for a motion picture camera, I await the December 5 release of The Conformist with more anticipation than that of any DVD I can recall.
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I don't think I've seen any of those early Bertolucci films. (I've been on a hiatus from DVD watching for a long while too, but maybe I'll resume it.) A b&w film in 1970, seems surprising.
I purchased a DVD player at the last possible moment, that is, after my movies from the monthly subscription service had already arrived, so perhaps I can relate to the intent of your hiatus.
The film was in color, tho, the best use of Technicolor ever imho. That’s just a b/w still.
ah. My DVD situation is more strange and tricky. I own at least half a dozen DVD players. I was working, for upwards of a couple years, at starting a DVD production/distribution venture (focusing of course entirely on very indie stuff); but a year and a half ago, I hit a personal-plus-financial impasse in this nascent not-quite-out-of-the-gate effort, and I've not been able (or had the right frame of mind & spirit, not to mention bank account) to revive it. And I guess my enthusasm for DVDs also got backburnered. Tentatively, I'll look seriously at poss. reviving the DVD gameplan a year from now -- when I'm back from India. (Will be spending most of 2007 in that country, Inshallah as it were.) And that's the news from lake woebegone.
cheers,
d.i.
When do you go to India, and what city will you be flying into?
Not quite tacked down, but probably leave DC circa Jan.3, tentatively flying into Bangalore. (Except there's some question of stopping off a few days in Beijing en route -- but there doesn't seem to be an el cheapo way to do that...) I'll be spending much of my time in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh); but I figure I'd prefer to get there via the 25-hour journey of an express train from the south. But all these details are subject to change...
Of course, I don’t get why you are flying to Bangalore to get to Bhopal instead of going through Delhi or Mumbai. Have you bought tickets?
Also I don’t know why you are going to Beijing in the winter time.. Maybe it is business or a friend. Hong Kong or Bombay are economical places to break the flight going West, and London is good option going the other way.
Actually, my plans have gotten one notch more outlandish -- now I'm looking at arriving Chennai, then train to Bangalore, then train to Bhopal. ;-)
I've already been to Mumbai and Delhi, and have never been anywhere whatsoever in South India -- and have both friends, holy-sites, and (in case of Chennai) a music festival to attend. Plus, I'd like to SEE some of the country.
Beijing is strictly for friends and some business, yes -- nothing at all like sightseeing. But this may probably wait till late spring; HK is a good point however! London of course prob. among cheapest / most prevalent; but I should check out the HK idea (and cost of RT Beijing/HK)... I've been to HK only one day (en route to India 20 years ago) and really loved the feel of the place. It was my first foot-on-earth of China (subsequently, I've been to both Beijing and Kunming in the south). Anecdotally, I went to help oversee a little concert-visit by the Meredith Monk Vocal Ensemble (that my friend in Beijing had helped arrange). Meredith herself didn't go, but she sent a couple of her singers. It was I think late December, 2000.
I’m a big Meredith Monk fan – Do You Be being my favorite of her albums.
I also want to travel around Tamil Nadu and the South of India.
The most efficient way (according to my Lonely Planet China & India) to get from here to Chennai via Beijing would be to fly to Beijing, then fly to Guangzhau (Canton; lots cheaper to fly into than Hong Kong), boat out to Hong Kong, and then fly to Chennai.
Chennai also has flights to Bangkok which is pleasant in January. In my previous post I typed Bombay when I meant Bangkok.
Then there’s also the rugged but picturesque overland trip via the Friendship Highway from Tibet to Nepal where you can get a bus to Delhi or Varanasi. That’s what I want to do some time soon, and I spend evenings figuring out how I will get to Lhasa from Hong Kong. From Beijing, you have countless options: you can fly direct to Lhasa, or stop at Xi’an, or fly from Beijing to Wuhan and take the inexpensive Yangtze river cruise past the Three Gorges Dam, and fly from Chengdu to Lhasa. It probably comes out costing a little more money and definitely a lot more time, but..
The winter is a good time to do the Yangtze river and Lhasa is warmer than Beijing and is supposed to be great in January.
Interesting routes and ideas, thanks Ian. In this case, I'm actually in a "semi-hurry" to arrive in Bhopal, albeit obviously taking a somewhat scenic route. Something like the road through Tibet may need to await some other year (if not to say lifetime). :-)
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