Giuseppe Makes a Movie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Giuseppe Makes a Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 2, 2015

Adam Rifkin's "Giuseppe Makes a Movie" (2014) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cinelicious Pics. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; audio commentary with the director and producer Mike Plante; video interview with Giuseppe Andrews; extra scene; video interview with actor Bill Howlin; and more. The release also arrives with a 16-page illustrated booklet featuring Bill Gibron's essay "Take One" and Mark Borchardt's review of the film. In English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"Smells like... Garbanzo Gas"

Watching Adam Rifkin’s documentary Giuseppe Makes a Movie is like reading one of Charles Bukowski’s novels -- you feel the smell of the streets and for a short period of time you befriend people that really exist. Then, while they tell you their stories, you begin to better understand the world you are a part of.

The film follows closely Giuseppe Andrews, a former child actor who once appeared in Independence Day and Detroit Rock City. Here, however, Andrews is on the opposite end of the camera -- he is an enthusiastic indie writer/director who is getting ready to shoot his latest film, Garbanzo Gas, about a couple of exotic characters who have a strange encounter with a cow on vacation from the slaughterhouse. Andrews plans to shoot the film in two days.

Before shooting begins, Andrews is seen contacting various “actors” with whom he has worked in the past – homeless alcoholics, drug addicts and friendly losers from Ramona Mobile Home Park in Ventura, California. There is a script, but no one cares much about it. Andrews already has the entire film in his head and the actors are happy that they will be part of it.

Eventually, Andrews and the actors gather in a cheap motel and begin shooting Garbanzo Gas.The visuals are beyond surreal – one of the elderly actors poops his pants, another pulls out his crack pipe, and another gets dizzy after he snorts a few lines of flour. Exactly 48 hours later, Garbanzo Gas is completed.

This is a wacky but hugely entertaining documentary that is as much about Andrews and his obsession with indie cinema as it is about the people our nation has rejected in more than a few ways. Occasionally we see some of them emerge in big-budget Hollywood productions, but not as they do in Rifkin’s documentary – looking friendly but desperate, fully aware that they have hit the bottom and that they will be stuck there for the rest of their lives.

Andrews confesses that he was inspired by Luis Bunuel and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, but it would be quite a stretch to speculate that any of his films come even remotely close to matching the stylistic brilliance and wit the works of these giants of world cinema are known for. It is probably easier to think of him and his film as possibly being driven by similar creative enthusiasm.

After being completed in 2007, Garbanzo Gas was screened at the Cinevegas Film Festival and later on the Mid Valley Film Festival.

Andrews, who grew up in Ramona Mobile Home Park in Ventura, is now residing in Austin, Texas, where he continues to write and direct low-budget films.

Note: Giuseppe Makes a Movie is independent U.S. distribution company Cinelicious Pics’ first Blu-ray release. The company’s sister post & digital restoration studio, Cinelicious, handled all mastering for David Gordon Green’s Prince Avalanche at its 4K DI theater in Hollywood and provided post workflow consulting and 2.5K oversampled DI scans for Richard Linklater’s Boyhood. Cinelicious was also responsible for the outstanding 4K restoration of Christopher Nolan's directorial debut, Following.

Giuseppe Makes a Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.36:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i transfer, Adam Rifkin's Giuseppe Makes a Movie arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cinelicious Pics.

The film was shot with a standard HVX200 camera back in 2005 and as a result there are all kinds of different source limitations. In other words, even though the original content is presented in 1080i, the quality does not match that of native 1080i content contemporary cameras can deliver. (What you get here is essentially flat DV type of quality). Additionally, there are numerous inserts from interviews and Giuseppe's early films that were shot in standard definition. Rather predictably, detail, depth, contrast and color reproduction constantly fluctuate. So, while viewing Giuseppe Makes a Movie keep in mind that all these fluctuations are inherited and that the Blu-ray disc simply stores the data. It is true that the quality isn't comparable to that of big indie documentaries, but this is how the footage was shot. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your Blu-ray player regardless of your geographical location).

Giuseppe Makes a Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English Dolby Digital 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There are native limitations in the audio department as well. Indeed, the HVX200 with its built-in microphone really cannot compete with modern film cameras as technology has drastically improved since 2005. Nevertheless, the native audio is stable, clean, and surprisingly crisp. However, for obvious reasons, you should not expect nuanced dynamics and great depth.

Giuseppe Makes a Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Trailer - original trailer for Giuseppe Makes a Movie. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080i).

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, director Adam Rifkin and producer Mike Plante discuss in great detail the fascinating production history of Giuseppe Makes a Movie, Giuseppe Andrews' passion for cinema, his quite unusual film projects, his relationship with the "actors", his father (with some very interesting comments about his mother and the dramatic impact her departure had on him), the directors that inspired him, etc.

Disc Two

• Garbanzo Gas - presented here is the feature film being made in Giuseppe Makes a Movie. In English, not subtitled. (76 min, 480/60i).

• Schlong Oysters - presented here an extra scene from Giuseppe Makes a Movie. In English, not subtitled. (25 min, 720p).

• Visual Medium Observation - in this video interview, Giuseppe Andrews recalls how he was initially exposed to the work of some of the directors that influenced him early in his career (Roman Polanski, Rainer Werner Fassbinder) and explains why currently he is a lot more interested in music than film. Giuseppe Andrews also explains how his life changed after he moved to Austin, Texas. The interview was conducted in 2012. In English, not subtitled. (29 min, 720p).

• Bill Howlin Lives - in this video interview, Giuseppe Andrews interviews actor Bill Howlin, who appeared in some of his early films. The interview was conducted in 2005 and shot by Adam Rifkin. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 720p).

• 5th Wheel - an absolutely hilarious pilot with some of the actors that appear in Giuseppe Makes a Movie. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 480/60i).

• Directed by Giuseppe - bonus footage. In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 720p).

• Booklet - 16-page illustrated booklet featuring Bill Gibron's essay "Take One" and Mark Borchardt's review of Giuseppe Makes a Movie.

Giuseppe Makes a Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Adam Rifkin's Giuseppe Makes a Movie is one of the most bizarre films to reach my desk in a very long time, but I have to admit that I enjoyed every minute of it. It is about an artist with limited resources and an incredible imagination whose work literally has to be seen to be believed. The Blu-ray release comes from U.S. distribution company Cinelicious Pics whose sister post & digital restoration studio, Cinelicious, has done some remarkable work (see the 4K restoration of Christopher Nolan's directorial debut, Following). I think that Cinelicious Pics could become a major player on the home video market and I cannot wait to see more Blu-ray releases from them. (New 2K restorations of two rare Agnès Varda films are coming up). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.