Thursday, October 16, 2008

DVD Contest: Kiss of the Spider Woman Unearthed

Whenever a landmark film resurfaces for home viewing, it's cause for rejoicing. Kiss of the Spider Woman, a surprise Best Picture contender way back in 1985 long before indies dominated the Oscar race, is finally getting the deluxe treatment. A 2 Disc Collector's Edition comes out next Tuesday and I have 4 copies to give away, one for each of its historic Oscar nominations.

Kiss of the Spider Woman, 4 time Oscar nominee

For those of you who haven't seen it: Trust me, you want to. The film, set in a prison in an unspecified Latin American country, throws a homosexual film buff into a cell with a political prisoner and the polar opposites engage in an odd, compelling and terrific acting duet. The movie raised Brazilian auteur Hector Babenco's profile, won William Hurt the Best Actor Oscar at the peak of his winning 80s streak, gifted Sonia Braga (all kinds of memorable as the actress that Hurt's character obsessively swoons over) with international fame and gave Raul Julia his best screen role.

To enter --please note: you must be 17 to enter this contest --e-mail me by Sunday October 19th with the following 4 pieces of information:
  1. SPIDER WOMAN in the title line.
  2. Your full name (and nickname if you want to go by something else if you win)
  3. Your address (in case you win)
  4. And a sentence or two on which actress and performance you would repeatedly obsess over / talk about with your cellmate if you were ever thrown into prison with no contact to the outside world and no more new movies to enjoy. Don't pretend you don't know which actress that would be.
Extra points if you doll yourself up with a towel and robe like Hurt here whilst typing #4. Quadruple bonus points if you send a photo of same for publication. I kid (or do I?). Winners will be drawn randomly and announced next week.
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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is such a cool movie! For those who don't know about it, You can get the info here:
http://www.hollywood.com/movie/Kiss_of_the_Spider_Woman/177610
It's a cool movie about two guys in jail for dumb reasons and they become good friends despite their sexual and social differences. Awesome.

Anonymous said...

When is this coming out on DVD? I've wanted to see this since forever for William Hurt's Oscar win. Great news!!!

Anonymous said...

They had an interesting short piece about this movie over at "In Contention" a few weeks ago. Apparently the director of the film thought he had hired and would be directing the OTHER actor named Hurt, John Hurt, and was dismayed and disappointed to get William instead. When I compare this film with John Hurt in "Love and Death on Long Island", I have to say that John is by far my favorite of the two. I would have loved to have seen him in this part.

Anonymous said...

I prefer the Kander-and-Ebb musical.

NATHANIEL R said...

really? that's one i haven't heard before. preferring it (not the musical itself)

but i was probably tainted against it because my BFF went to see it on a road trip to NYC long before we moved here and h-a-t-e-d it.

Anonymous said...

Heh. I love tango, and Brent Carver + Chita Rivera? Yep. I think Hurt's overrated, and the film is merely okay.

I should also state that my experience with the work goes from musical to original novel to movie. That sequence does not favour the movie at all, unfortunately.

NATHANIEL R said...

there is definitely something to be said for sequencing in terms of our reaction to the arts.