I was talking to a colleague only yesterday about how scandalously difficult it was to see films by Jerzy Skolimowski – and with immaculate timing the blog J.B.Spins has drawn my attention to a retrospective at New York’s Anthology Film Archives, running until this Saturday. I can’t go, but if anyone else can take advantage, do – most of these screenings are very rare indeed, and Deep End (1970) is a little masterpiece that badly needs a proper DVD release at the very least.
For those stranded on my side of the Atlantic, Skolimowski’s The Shout (1978) recently popped up on a surprisingly good (and very cheap) British DVD, with a commentary and huge PDF section containing original marketing materials and a massive press book. Mike Sutton reviewed it for DVD Times here, and I’m very happy to endorse his comments.
Deep End is actually running a whole week, to Wednesday the 12th, and in a brand new print. Anthology Film Archives is probably the most interesting film venue in New York City. I’m going to try to make it there, but hopefully a DVD will come out of this somewhere.
I was lucky enough to see it on the big screen way back in 1983, courtesy of the NFT’s Skolimowski retrospective (and when I was roughly the same age as the lead character), but I honestly don’t think I’ve had the chance since.
From what I hear it’s been tied up in rights complications for years, but if a new print has been struck, that sounds like a very promising development