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[Wes]

Any thoughts on this one...?

I watched this earlier - my second attempt, after abandoning it the first time. Well, this time I barely made it to the end. The story is about a family holed up in a huge sprawling mansion waiting for a large inheritance by a grizzled and mountainous Orson Welles. There's more to it than that but this film seemed draggy, talky and determinedly obscure (but not in a good way). The last 20 min of the film when the story begins to unravel are rather good - and there's some surprising gore that looked like it might have strayed in from a Fulci movie, but for me it was too little too late. I'm sure someone somwhere loves this movie but it didn't work for me. Shame really, as the Barrell DVD, a two-discer no less is stacked with good extras. I'm kinda weary about seeing Daughters of Darkness now...

[Ben Cobb]

Malpertius isn't an easy film by any stretch but I've always enjoyed its dream-like atmosphere. I saw it last at the BFI's Kumel season with an industrial film of his called Wire Variations... now that was hard going!

Wes, DO NOT be put off about Daughters of Darkness - it's a bona-fide classic with beautiful imagery and far more accessible. You won't be disappointed.

[Mark (UK)]

Yes, it took me a couple of attempts to sit through it. Although it is certainly atmospheric, I didn't think that I could watch it again, so sold it on.

[Wes]

Wes, DO NOT be put off about Daughters of Darkness - it's a bona-fide classic with beautiful imagery and far more accessible. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for that Ben, yep I will get Daughters of Darkness at some stage - I've wanted to see it for some time now... Reading back my comment about Daughters of Darkness I think I was just being a bit shitty over the fall out of Malpertius. But yeah, I will get Daughters of Darkness, Blood Spattered Bride and some early Rollin films at some stage....

[R-T-C Tim]

I got to see this on the big screen, with Kumel in attendance, at the Bradford Film Festival.

A very weird film, but I really like the surreal, dream-like, languorously paced atmosphere.

My wife hated every minute of it (and told the director so before realising who he was!), but really enjoyed 'Daughters of Darkness' - so take that as a recommendation.

[Wes]

Thanks Tim for the Daughters recommendation, I definitely will pick this one up.... Malpertius was a huge disappointment to me - usually something with surreal, dream-like, languorously paced atmosphere is right up my street, but this one left me cold. Funnily enough, someone described, Eyes Wide Shut (a film I hated) as dream-like as well, but I wasn't buying it - but that's another post for another forum...

[Soukesian]

Malpertuis is one of my favorite films, though it's definitely not for everyone. I'd definitely second everything that has been said about Daughters of Darkness above - hope to stay in that hotel someday.

If you need more Kumel, his The Coming of Joachim Stiller is available as subbed DVD from the Belgian Film Institute. It's a TV adaptation of a mystical novel by Hubert Lampo. Rambling and uneven, but it definitely has its moments.

[ecc]

The book is also worth a read.

[Vito Cipriani]

The book is also worth a read.

I'd echo that; it's a very, very good book.

[Soukesian]

Finally watched the director's cut of Malpertuis on the KRONIEK VAN DE VLAAMSE FILM Double Disk. Nineteen minutes longer than the original release version. If I have this correctly from the extras, there was a US editor imposed on them as part of co-production agreements. Not liking what the editor was doing, the director made his own cut simultaneously for domestic consumption. So it's a truly different cut, far more than just the film plus a few deleted scenes or shots.

Having said that, if you didn't like the original cut, 19% more of the same dreamy Surrealist Gothic isn't going to help one bit. But if you love this film like I do, I can confirm that it's definitely worth the price tag for this lavish English-friendly release. Lots of extras, too: original/international cut is included with trailer; commentaries in three languages; documentaries on the film, the stars and the writer; plus early shorts by the director.

[J.J.]

I really like this movie!!!
In Spain it was edited in DVD by Vella Vision some years ago...