She Blogged By Night

Skidoo: Now in convenient, legally-purchasable DVD!

Posted on Author staciaPosted in shout-out, stuff you should look at21 Replies


Olive Films has announced that they are releasing Skidoo (1968) on DVD on July 19, 2011. It is available for pre-order for $18.71 as of right now. Real, legitimate DVD, and not lootbegs, if you catch my heavily-implied meaning here, and in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio to boot. (No pun.)

I have been waiting a year to post this! Last May Ivan, who has pretty much become my sole source of DVD release information, mentioned Skidoo was being released on DVD. Olive Films has been releasing this bunch of Paramount films on DVD a few at a time. I’ve gotten most of my information about these releases from this great thread in the Home Theater Forum that Ivan also clued me in to. Of course, not all of those films listed on HTF were released in 2010, but that just gives us more to love here in 2011.

21 comments

  1. This is actually kind of exciting news; my love for this movie is boundless and I may end up reviewing it now because of this article!

    Thanks for the heads up, Stacia!

    – TGWD

  2. Great news, especially since the recent cable/satellite showings have all been P&S. Now if they could just get the rights to “Candy”–the old DVDs of that go for $110+ on Amazon. Along with The Magic Christian (in print), and some others, these films are all of piece to me–Hollywood trying to be “groovy” at the end of the 60s.

    Two other things about Olive Films. First, they have the interesting (note the adjective) WUSA, which you wouldn’t know from IMDb–it is treated as unavailable there.

    They also have the OOP Criterion 2 DVD set of Straw Dogs, whihc is highly desirable over all others. Moreover, they are selling it for $32.95, which is WAY below the Amazon price ($48+). (PS: God save us from the remake coming out later this year).

    Thanks for the heads up, Stacia.

  3. YES! This news makes me so crazy-happy! I want it NOW! Gimme-gimme-gimme! (You see, as far as I’m concerned, if you’re a fan of The Cinema of Weirdness, watching Skidoo is like taking the trek to Mecca.)

  4. Hey KG, I got “Candy” from Amazon UK for about $15 last year, although I see it’s closer to $20 nowadays. If you’re looking for a cheaper copy and have a region-free player, I suggest Amazon.co.uk.

    You’re right that Olive Films has a lot of great stuff. I wish I had scads of bank to spend over there.

  6. I’m so excited! The last time I saw this it was projected on the back of a film geek’s house. I didn’t know if I’d get to see it again. This is the movie that made me realize I love Carol Channing. And a Nilsson soundtrack too. Woo Hoo!

  9. I’m pretty sure I mentioned this before, but in junior high I rented the 33 1/3 RPM soundtrack from the library constantly. LOVE IT. It’s why I always wanted to see the film, and not being able to see Skidoo was my first clue that not all movies were available. Hard lesson for my young teen self to learn. I’ve been known to get petulant about it now that I’m close to 40… but don’t tell anyone.

  10. I have it on reputable sources that Skidoo was one of late artist David Wojnarowicz’s favorite flicks. (If anyone needed any more incentive…)

  11. I get furious about unavailable films all the time, even if I don’t think they are great–which is why I mentioned Olive having WUSA (and you must recall my tirade at TCM when they pulled Zabriske Point, back when it was unavailable).

    If a studio will not put out a film (or record), I have absolutely no qualms about pursuing bootlegs. My duty is to pay for what is in the marketplace–if they refuse to put something in the marketplace, well then, of course you know this means war (to quote Bugs).

    On a related note:

    http://www.slate.com/id/2291532/pagenum/all/

  12. Watch out… that ridiculous theme song may stick in your head for days, as it has mine. It’s all worth it for Groucho… dear God, Skidoo makes Myra Breckenridge look like All About Eve

    PS – you’re blog is the dopest.

  14. I got Candy from amazon UK as well. You can get a ton of stuff from them at prices way below the US prices. Always worth a look.

    Having never seen Skidoo I will definitely need to buy that one.

  15. KG, that reminds me, I’ve been meaning to ask you how the DVD of “Zabriskie Point” is? It’s under $10 so I probably would get it anyway, but I’m curious as to the quality.

    Thanks, Erich! I should mention that I started this blog so I could do an epic multi-part post on “Myra B” and I STILL haven’t gotten around to it. My readers are probably grateful, but we’re gonna blog about Myra/Myron one of these days. Oh yes.

    D: “Skidoo” is going to blow your mind. The multitude of old Hollywood cameos alone makes it unbelievable.

    …There’s a Carry On boxed set? With all of ’em? Holy cow, there IS. Mistress, you are a brave woman.

  16. Myra Breckinridge is one of my all-time favourite movies. It’s one of the two great American movies of that era (the other being Beyond the Valley of the Dolls). So bring on the Myra blogging!

  17. dfordoom–

    Sir or Madam, you have some STRANGE tastes. But I welcome the difference.

    Stacia–

    The quality of the disc is what you’d expect at this price–it is good, not great. Given that the film has limited appeal (and by that I mean even among those who like Antonioni films generally, it is usually ranked near the bottom of his efforts as a noble failure or something like that), I don’t know you can expect much better any time soon.

  20. A Myra Breckinridge blogathon sounds like a splendid idea! Or possibly a blogathon of despised high camp Hollywood movies of the late 60s and merely 70s which could include all the classics – Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Skidoo, Candy, The Big Cube, etc. A campathon.

Comments are closed.