Indie Collector's Pack: Pi, Permanent Midnight

Starring:Ben Stiller, Maria Bello, Jay Paulson, Spencer Garrett, Owen Wilson, Elizabeth Hurley, Lourdes Benedicto, Fred Willard, Chauncey Leopardi, Mary Thompson (IV), Connie Nielsen, Charles Fleischer, Liz Torres, Douglas Spain, Janeane Garofalo, Sandra Oh, Scott Williamson, Cheryl Ladd, Jerry Stahl, Peter Greene
Director: David Veloz, Darren Aronofsky
Studio: Live / Artisan
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

In for a rare treat
two good flicks
At least one of the movies is good

Indie Collector's Pack: Pi, Permanent Midnight
Starring: Ben Stiller , Maria Bello , Jay Paulson , Spencer Garrett , and Owen Wilson
Director: David Veloz , and Darren Aronofsky
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 078401325X
Release Date: 2000-03-15

Customer Reviews:

In for a rare treat.......2001-07-26

How do I judge movies? I wait until about an hour has gone by and then I try and reckon on how much is left or rather, how much I want to be left of the film. These are two films that I just didn't want to end and once they had finished I could have just pressed play again.

Pi, to begin with, is not a piece of unwatchable trash. It is an acute psychological thriller which has blah blah blah... You get the picture and at some point you have probably read what it says on the box. However, it seems to be so rare to find an 'intelligent' film around that Pi is an opportunity not to be passed upon. It combines the perfect schizophrenic/paranoid acting by Sean Gullette and having watched it several times I have difficulty in imagining anyone playing that role better. The direction is frantic but at times it can be said that it may seem a little tedious. However, the underlying theme and the general nature of the film give Arronofsky some leeway in the way that he shoots the film. This is not an 'acute psychological thriller...' so don't see it for that reason. Instead, see it for the reason that it is a genuinely good (and for once well-researched) film that will leave you uncannily shaken.

As for Permanent Midnight. I just finished watching this film and so came here to see how much the DVD cost. To find that this film is combined with Pi seems absolutely fantastic. Never has Ben Stiller acted so well and with such credulity than here. His ability to forget himself and just become the role (which is even harder considering the fact that it is someone who is still very much alive) leaves you wincing, laughing and finding yourself empathise with Jerry Stahl that you just wouldn't do if someone said "Oh, hey - You know the story about Jerry Stahl?" I didn't know who he was and if someone had told me that he used to be a heroin junkie I probably wouldn't have cared that much either. However, this is the thing. You do care becasue the film is so engrossing that you feel as though you are genuinely there with him living through those same moments. As one of the previous reviewers put it, you wonder why he keeps going back to the needle. You not only wonder but you care, and you care doubly considering the fact that he is a real person. Of course, this effect is largely down to Veloz's direction. He manages to get inside the mind of all the roles but most decidedly the one of the addict and he brings to light with both a sensitive and a hard angle. However, just as it may seem that you are getting in too deep and it is becoming too uncomfortable to watch, we pull back to an 'After' situation which always provides the saving grace from the sliding slope downwards. All in all, a good movie with some stellar (no pun intended) performances so if you haven't already - SEE IT!!!

Don't miss out on this - You're being given two great movies for the price of one and if you don't think it's worth the price of admission wait until you've got through your first beer, you won't be getting up to grab a second.

two good flicks.......2000-12-16

a previous reviewer trashed pi, why i cannot comprehend, its blend of schizoid paranoia and underground religious themes leads to an engrossing and disturbing film, well worth seeing by anyone with an interest in philosophy, psychological study, and religion. some of the acting is weak, but then again it was a low budget film so one must forgive that aspect of it. however the direction more than makes up for it..........ps his new movie requim for a dream is also a must see.....

At least one of the movies is good.......2000-10-05

Permant Midnight is a good movie that is sad and charming at the same time. When watching it I thought that Ben Stillers chacter was idiot to keep going back to the needle even though it cost him his daughter but I also felt bad for him because he couldn't stop and it took the loss of his wife and daughter to finnaily get him to end his addiction.

Customer Reviews:

Matewan: phenomenal movie, terrible dvd.......2002-09-14

I can only comment on Matewan, since it's the only one I've watched, but is is abundantly clear that whoever produced this DVD did the cheapest job of it they could. NO subtitles, NO special features, wrong aspect ratio, crappy sound, *terrible* picture quality, etc. I'm not a videophile and this is the first time I've ever been so disappointed with a dvd. Incredible movie though.

picture quality.......2000-10-12

the reason the picture quality isn't stellar is because these are indie (independent) films. that means that for the most part they aren't big budget movies with multi-billion dollar studios backing the films. in the same token, you aren't going to get the tired and predictable Hollywood actors and screenplays. it's a fair trade-off in my opinion...watch movies that were made to quench the artistic desire, not the pocketbook.

more specifically, "Breaking the Waves" is a truly excellent film. Watson gives a heart-wrenching performance, and the storyline is top-notch. i haven't viewed the other two films yet.

Good Movies - Bad Picture Quality.......2000-05-01

I was suprised to find the films of these disks not presented in widescreen. The overall picture quality seems very poor.

Good Movies - bad copies.......2000-05-01

I was suprised and disappointed to find these films squashed into the square TV format (instead of widescreen). The picture quality is also poor. I've learned a valuable lesson: just because its on DVD doesn't mean its good.

buyer beware!.......2000-03-04

These are great films, and they deserve better treatment."Traveller" and "Matewan" are NOT widescreen presentations and "Breaking the Waves" is not 1.85:1,as listed on the case, but is 2.35:1. Nit-picking? I think not, as I believe that even though these are budget-priced discs, films should be presented widescreen if that was the theatrical presentation, and "Traveller" could have done with a 5.1 sound mix given that there are no extras. I guess i would rather pay more for premium treatment of great movies, than pay less and have to settle with just being thankful that the movies are on disc at all. A missed opportunity from ARTISAN, especially since the potential buyers for movies such as these three would happily pay extra for top-notch releases.

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