Severin Films serves up a couple of meaty treats in delicious 4K. One is a French cult classic. Considering the name and growing reputation of the director, the other probably will be. And both of them throw subtle touches of cannibalism into their already bizarre narratives.
DELICATESSEN (1991/99 min) - The first feature film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (co-directing with Marc Cano), Delicatessen is a visually stunning calling card. It combines elements of post-apocalypse sci-fi, horror and black comedy into a Pythonesque tale of a butcher who hires handymen so he can kill, cut-up and sell them as meat in his deli. But the new guy, ex-circus performer Louison (Dominique Pinon), endears himself to the butcher’s daughter, Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac), who wants to save him from the same fate.
The nutshell story is only a small part of what makes Delicatessen enjoyable. There are other subplots involving other eccentric tenants who share the building (my favorite being an unhappy housewife’s elaborate attempts to commit suicide). And despite some dark underpinnings, the overall tone often borders on whimsical, as exemplified with Louison & Julie’s developing romance, as well as some strange-but-amusing musical set-pieces.
Both narratively and aesthetically, the whole thing plays like something out of Terry Gilliam’s repertoire (Gilliam himself lent his name to the promotional campaign during its initial release). The subject matter might be off-putting to casual viewers, and the story is occasionally a little meandering, but overall, Delicatessen is a unique film that’s engaging just to look at.
EXTRA KIBBLES: FEATURETTE - Fine Cooked Meats: The Making of Delicatessen; INTERVIEWS - Individual interviews with directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Cano, ‘presenter’ Terry Gilliam and Marc Cano by himself; TRAILER; AUDIO COMMENTARY - By co-director Jean-Pierre Jeunet; 4K & BLU-RAY COPIES.
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| This man orders the Not-So-Happy Meal. |
ANTIVIRAL (20212/108 min) - Brandon Cronenberg is, of course, the son of undisputed body horror master David Cronenberg. Having previously watched and reviewed his second film, Possessor, one thing was certain: The apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. 2012’s Antiviral was actually his first effort, and while not as graphic and gory, there’s some twisted imagination at work.
There’s also a timely, relevant theme running throughout the film, that of celebrity worship taken to sick extremes. In this world, fans can buy and eat meat genetically grown from their idols’ cells. But the truly obsessed are happy to pay exorbitant amounts of money to inject themselves with viruses and diseases carried by famous people. In fact, its a huge business, with corporations competing for the rights to the most popular celebrities’ blood.
Syd Match (Caleb Landry Jones), a salesman for Luca Clinic, hawks pathogens from Hannah Geist (Sarah Gadon), the Taylor Swift of infected idols. He also injects himself in secret, then sells his infected blood on the black market, which not only renders him increasingly ill, he runs afoul of pirates and competitors.
That’s the rudimentary summary of a fairly complex (and occasionally murky) storyline. The film is pretty thin on characterization, but remains morbidly compelling and visually impressive. Cronenberg fills the screen with beautiful and repulsive imagery, leading to a twisted climax that must be seen to be believed. All told, it’s one hell of an audacious debut.
EXTRA KIBBLES: FEATURETTES - Anatomy of a Virus is an interesting 30 minute making-of doc; Reviving a Dead Cell is about the film’s 4K restoration; Brandon Cronenberg: A First Time Director’s Vision is a short interview; First Meeting features actors Caleb Landry Jones and Sarah Gadon; The Design of Antiviral focuses on the film’s production design; Manufacturing Celebrity features short segments with cast & crew; “BROKEN TULIPS” - Short film by Brandon Cronenberg, which was the basis for Antiviral; AUDIO COMMENTARY - By Brandon Cronenberg & cinematographer Karin Hussein; DELETED SCENES; TRAILER.
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| "Guess I shoulda read the instructions first." |
In addition to a bunch of interesting bonus features (especially those accompanying Antiviral), both films have been given excellent 4K transfers. Delicatessen has never looked or sounded better, while Antiviral’s cold aesthetic seems tailor made for the format. They are highly recommended for those whose tastes lean toward the offbeat and bizarre.
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