New York, NY – May 22, 2012 - Kino Classics is proud to announce the Blu-ray releases of the Lina Wertmüller Collection: The Seduction of Mimi (1972), Love & Anarchy (1973) and All Screwed Up (1974). Acclaimed as one of the leading filmmakers of the 1970s, Wertmüller demonstrates her equal skills at both rollicking comedy and rich drama with this trio of classics made during the height of her career.
Each film comes to Blu-ray on June 19th, with individual SRPs of $29.95 each, and are currently available for prebook. The three films are available in a DVD-only box set, which also streets on June 19th, with a SRP of $59.95.
These three films represent some of the finest achievements of their director, Lina Wertmüller, whose prolific career spans several decades and who has been recognized as one of the leading filmmakers in world cinema in the past 50 years.
The Seduction of Mimi (1972)
"Rollicking fun! For laughter, latch onto 'The Seduction of Mimi'." – Judith Christ,New York Magazine
"Deep wild humor… hilarious…one of the year's ten best." - Time Magazine
"A wonderfully funny sexual farce." - The New Yorker
"An extremely funny comedy not to be missed." – Daily News
The Seduction of Mimi is a raucous sex comedy that brought international fame to director Lina Wertmüller (Swept Away).
Giancarlo Giannini (Love and Anarchy) gives a wonderfully comic performance as the sad sack Mimi, a Sicilian laborer whose refusal to vote for the Mafia's candidate leads him to lose his job, his wife and his home. At rock bottom, he revives his spirits by falling in love with the beautiful, radical Fiorella (Mariangela Melato), with whom he starts a new life as a reliable husband and father. But the past comes back to haunt him, piling on comical complexities as all his energies surge into defending his honor – an obsession that has horrendous but hilarious consequences.
A blistering satire of Italy in the 1970s, The Seduction of Mimi takes aim at a corrupt government, compromised labor leaders and the Neanderthal sexual politics of men in power, with uproarious results.
1.85:1, 16:9 * 112 minutes * Italian with English subtitles * Mono * Color
Love & Anarchy (1973)
"A fascinating film! Rich in character and mood." – Gene Shalit, NBC-TV
"Passionate and stirring." - The New York Times
"Breathtaking…executed with the high-pitched passion of a gothic romance with a fluid, whirling, dazzling energy." - Newsweek
"A film of extraordinary vigor and force, possessed of boldness and ferocity." - New York Daily News
An epic tragicomedy from director Lina Wertmüller (Seven Beauties),Love and Anarchy plumbs the depths of fascist Italy from the perspective of a simple farm boy sent to kill Mussolini.
Giancarlo Giannini (The Seduction of Mimi) won the best acting prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his achingly sensitive portrayal of Tunin, a freckle-faced innocent who became an accidental anarchist. His contact in Rome is Salome (Mariangela Melato), a prostitute with her own sob story. While they prepare for the assassination, Tunin falls in love with Tripolina (Lina Polito), which threatens the entire operation.
A film of operatic emotion and subversive comedy, Love and Anarchy is a powerful statement on the terror of fascism and the ignoble fates of those who challenged it.
Bonus:
Stills Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
1.85:1, 16:9 * 129 minutes * Italian with English subtitles * Mono * Color
All Screwed Up (1974)
"Breathtaking…exuberantly funny. Watching 'All Screwed Up' is to be witness to a giant talent." – Vincent Canby, The New York Times
"A brilliant movie that must be seen several times!" – Rex Reed
"Lina Wertmüller is the most important director since Ingmar Bergman!" – John Simon, New York Magazine
An anarchically outrageous comedy from Lina Wertmüller, All Screwed Up is ripe for rediscovery, an accomplishment as impressive as the classics she made before and after: Love and Anarchy (1973) and Swept Away(1974).
It tells the story of Gigi (Luigi Diberti) and Carletto (Nino Bignamini), two Southern country boys who travel north to get work in Milan. Arriving with nothing but the clothes on their backs, they join the labor movement and live in a communal home with other migrant workers, including some combative love interests. Their dreams of wealth devolve into a series of slapstick adventures, from an uproarious attempt at petty crime to the daily indignities of life in a restaurant kitchen.
A pointed satire that skewers the illusion of upward mobility, All Screwed Up is essential viewing for fans of Lina Wertmüller. With exuberant and biting performances from Diberti and Bignamini, it's a comedy whose laughs stick in your throat.
Bonus
Stills Gallery
1.85:1, 16:9 * 108 minutes * Italian with English subtitles * Mono * Color
The Lina Wertmüller Collection
(Individual Blu-rays)
The Seduction of Mimi (1972)
Director: Lina Wertmüller
Genre: Comedy
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95
Street date: June 19, 2012
Love & Anarchy (1973)
Director: Lina Wertmüller Genre: Drama Blu-ray SRP: $29.95 Street date: June 19, 2012
All Screwed Up (1974)
Director: Lina Wertmüller Genre: Comedy Blu-ray SRP: $29.95 Street date: June 19, 2012
The Lina Wertmüller Collection is also available as a DVD-only Box Set:
The Lina Wertmüller Collection (DVD Box Set) Director: Lina Wertmüller Genre: Comedy/Drama DVD SRP: $59.95 Street date: June 19, 2012
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