Lars Von Trier has built a solid cult fanbase since his 1984 debut "Element of Crime" and that was proven once again this week with the one-night-only debut of his first film in over 4 years. This Wednesday “The House That Jack Built,” a film which prompted hundreds of walkouts at Cannes this past May, amassed more than half the U.S. total gross of von Trier's previous film, “Nymphomaniac: Volume II.” All of this on its one-day-only preview engagement (showing on 140 screens).
Read more‘The House That Jack Built’: Lars von Trier Director’s Cut Being Released in November
Earlier today, IFC announced that Lars von Trier's "The House That Jack Built" will be getting a special release later this year. Two versions of the film will be screened — the “director’s cut” that was shown at Cannes and the “R-rated cut” that is supposed to be 'tamer,' at least by Lars von Trier standards. Both will be available on VOD and in select theaters. However, what most people are talking about today is not the IFC release announcement but rather a promotional campaign that had film journalists being robocalled at random by a creepy voice. This was most definitely a prank call and the victims are none too pleased about it, describing it as “creepy,” “aggressive,” “terrible,” and “twisted.”
Read moreCannes: Lars Von Trier's “The House That Jack Built" is much more thoughtful and meditative than you think
CANNES – Lars von Trier‘s "The House That Jack Built" came to Cannes with a lot of heavy baggage, but, after having seen it at this morning's press screening, the end result is actually von Trier indicting himself and his sins more than anything else, even as he repulses us. This is exactly the film you'd expect when delving into a serial killer drama directed by von Trier and yet, perverse fetishes aside, there are moments that give us a kind of satisfaction, as if the filmmaker is telling us that he deserves to be damned into the deepest pits of hell.
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