DVDs to look forward to: Valerie a týden divu

Some good news from the UK. Jaromil Jires' Carterian take on vampirism and young girls, Valerie and her Week of Wonders, is finally getting a decent DVD presentation.

Thanks to local cinephile James Cathcart Wilson, Valerie was the toast of Nashville's film community on the weekend of March 29th and 30th this past year, screening in a 16mm print better than any other available in the country. Past DVD editions, from Facets in the US and Redemption in the UK, have been dingy and not up to snuff in representing the palette of this particular offering. So here's hoping that this new edition, from second run video in the UK, will fix that. Specs say a new transfer from the negatives, and I am all for it.

Here's the Valerie trailer for the Nashville showing.

Half Baked French.

So I was watching the Half Baked DVD with the French option a ways back, and what follows are the ten most useful pieces of language I picked up from it. Though I will readily confess that translating comedy must be really hard.



10. "bourdon" - bong.

09. "oui, sois cubain B." - yes, Cuban B.

08. "des chips a la creme sure et aux oignons avec de la trempette" - sour cream and onion chips with dip.

07. "fous le camp!" - "get away from me, bitch!" This phrase is also used, however, for "goddamn you!" and "Boo this man!"

06. "j'le crois. Je sais pas quoi, mais j'le crois." - I believe him, yo. I don't know why, but I do.

05. "va t'faire foutre, sale negre!" - fuck you, n*gga!

04. "oh, ton nichon" - damn girl, your titty.

03. "J'ai tue. J'ai aide a tuer. J'ai tue partoe de moi-meme. J'ne peux rien y changer, moi. Je dois rechercher Buddha. Je dois rechercher du Christ." - I have killed. I have helped to kill. I have killed a part of myself. I cannot change this, I. I must seek Buddha. I must seek Christ.

02. "Abba-Zabba, t'es mon seul pote" - Abba-Zabba, you're my only friend.

01. "Nous etions defonces" - We was to' up.