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March 18, 2010

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bill

I've wanted to see this Losey film for a long time. This is great news.

"It's often termed a science-fiction film—indeed, the entry on it in Carlos Clarens' great An Illustrated History of Horror and Science Fiction Films is one of the most crucial passages in that essential book—but one of the most disarming things about it is how casually the science-fiction element is introduced into it."

That's what I found so interesting about Ishiguro's NEVER LET ME GO. It can only be termed an SF novel because the idea around which everything else in the book revolves is an SF concept, but it reads like a contemporary drama. There are no SF trappings outside of that one idea (without which the book wouldn't exist).

Also, and forgive me if this sounds pedestrian, and your answer won't effect my desire for this DVD set one way or the other, but are there any commentaries? Old genre films with good commentary tracks are my favorite thing.

Glenn Kenny

@ Bill: No commentary; this is about as bare as bare-bones gets. The picture quality is ace, though.

bill

Nertz. Well, I'll buy it anyway.

Ray

@bill: Excellent way of describing the Ishiguro novel. He does the same kind of sleight-of-hand genre trick with detective fiction in "We Were Orphans," to equally powerful effect. And did you see there's a film of "Never Let Me Go" in the works? I suspect the film version will tilt over into a fully sci-fi genre approach--just as "Remains of the Day" tilted over into full-mahogany period piece.

steve simels

Fricking about time. I've wanted to get my mitts on this one for ages....

bill

Ray - I think that movie's done, actually, and set for release in the not-too-distant future. For whatever reason, I'm cautiously optimistic about it. If they go the route you predict, then it'll probably be a disaster, but I'd frankly be surprised if they went to the trouble of adapting that novel, if they misunderstood it so badly. But I've been wrong about these things before.

I've read WHEN WE WERE ORPHANS. Strange book...

Shawn Stone

Because I can't help myself I went to the NYP Web site. And the headline on the essay made me cry out "OH. Oh God, no."

Good thing it's Sunday and I'm alone in the office and don't have to explain what just punched me in the stomach.

Tim Lucas

I offered to provide a commentary for this one, but my offer either didn't reach the right ear or was rejected. : (

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