The complete filmography of Bitter Films, a.k.a. Oscar-nominated animator Don Hertzfeldt, comes to DVD on Sept. 29, 2006. BITTER FILMS VOL. 1: 1995-2005 contains all of Hertzfeldts student projects and professional films, from cult favorite AH LAMOUR to his Oscar-nominated short, REJECTED, through last years THE MEANING OF LIFE, as well as an abundance of supplemental material.
Its nice to put everything we had in the vaults out there now and close the book on this batch of movies, says Hertzfeldt.
In addition to the voluminous extras, all the films have been transferred to hi-def and undergone extensive frame-by-frame restoration. Soundtracks have also been digitally restored, and a Dolby 5.1 mix has been prepared for THE MEANING OF LIFE.
The disc represents the proper DVD debut of several of Hertzfeldts scarce student projects from the University of California Santa Barbara, including AH LAMOUR and GENRE. Many of these were no-budget 16mm student films, Hertzfeldt says, and after ten years of film festivals, those elements show real signs of abuse. So we had our work cut out for us.
Supplemental materials include deleted dialogue and outtakes from LILY AND JIM; a 2005 commentary for Lily and Jim by actors Robert May and Karin Anger; the previously-released worst-ever commentary commentary for REJECTED, as well as properly informative (and supernaturally prophetic) trivia captions for REJECTED; VFX commentary for THE MEANING OF LIFE; a time-lapse featurette, Watching Grass Grow, shot during the making of THE MEANING OF LIFE; production photos, camera notes, and ephemera; and the video debut of Hertzfeldts notorious short, THE SPANKY THE BEAR SHOW.
BITTER FILMS VOL. 1: 1995-2005 is available exclusively through www.bitterfilms.com. Discs roll off the press this week, and Bitter Films will shut down its online shop over the weekend of Sept. 30-Oc. 1 to process pre-orders. Fans who pre-ordered their copies, starting earlier this summer, will be first in line to receive discs. Pre-orders will still be accepted through Sept. 29, and some pre-orders will be picked at random to include a signed gift from the artist, either original artwork or a frame from a Bitter Films film. The shop will begin accepting regular orders Oct. 2.
Full details on ordering and the contents of the DVD are available at www.bitterfilms.com.
