June 15, 2008
Privilege
After many years of Privilege [d. Peter Watkins, 1966] only being available in low quality “grey market” video versions, Universal Studios has finally allowed Oliver Groom at Project X Distribution to release the film on DVD in Canada and the USA. Oliver will be releasing the DVD in conjunction with New Yorker Films on 29th July 2008.
Fun facts to know and tell: I was inspired in part to post this announcement of the DVD release of Privilege by Renner’s comment on another post of mine. “Even so, I wouldn’t mistake you for the suburban Mr. Jones,” he wrote.
His reference (I’m guessing) is to “Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James,” a single by the group Manfred Mann, whose vocalist in the earliest years was Paul Jones, the star of Privilege. It is Jones who sings the group’s best-known hit, “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”. Now this do get confusing, because I believe Jones had left the group by the time of “Semi-Detached” and that Mike D’Abo sings the song. But I am now veering into record nerd territory, so . . .
Privilege is a fascinating film, and I encourage you to see it if you’re the sort of person who likes this sort of thing. Et cetera.
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The Privilege page on Peter Watkins’s own site is especially interesting for its inclusion of excerpts from the predominantly negative contemporary reviews of his film.