This special limited edition slipcover (designed by Rebekah Porter) is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.
Saturn's Core Audio & Video is a New Jersey based home video label devoted to releasing underground oddities and shot on video cinema on VHS, and now, blu-ray discs! In partnership with OCN Distribution, Saturn's Core will exhume forgotten or under-seen genre cinema from the 80s and 90s, with an emphasis on SOV horror features. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this diverse and unique home video line!
Ultramegalopolis presents a 2 and a half hour psychogeographic tour through the vast, post-riot, urban sprawl of Los Angeles, California circa the early ‘90s. Explore the war zone from within its graffiti-covered walls as director Larry Wessel trains his camcorder lens on a dizzying display of the city's most peculiar niches and residents including disabled street performers, junkies, sidewalk religious zealots, ex-cons, celebrity impersonators, and living mannequins. Visit the site of the infamous McMartin pre-school, hear the confessions of Charles Manson’s former cellmate, and experience the subterranean boxing gyms, wrestling rings, graffiti yards, and bullfighting arenas of America’s smog infested City of Angels.
Like an analog Frederick Wiseman, legendary cinéma vérité documentarian Larry Wessel has tackled a wide array of eccentric subjects and captured some of underground cinema’s most striking and unforgettable visuals; equipped solely with his camcorder and a nearly non-existent budget. An aesthetic terrorist of the highest order, Wessel’s simplistic, fly on the wall approach has allowed his subjects to reveal their stories and actions in the most candid and uninhibited means conceivable. Saturn’s Core is proud to present Ultramegalopolis in its superlative, director approved Blu-Ray edition, accompanied by a bounty of new supplements compiled and curated under the supervision of director Larry Wessel.
directed by: Larry Wessel
starring: various
1996 / 149 min / 1.33:1 / English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Additional info:
Overall rating: 4.4098363 / 5 from 61 reviews.
Review topics: ["looks","picture","presentation","piece","documentary","release","watch","film","viewing","title","footage","reason","artwork","core","doc","movie","racism","curiosity","oddity","documentaries of all times","star"].
"This is a documentary and it looks like it was recorded on a VCR. You hear people from L. A. tell their stories, in the streets, in the gym. It's made to be raw and provocative, but the candid feeling prevents the experience from being uncomfortable. It's a good watch, I enjoyed the way it was made."
"This release is a great introduction to the Los Angeles underground art scene in the early 1990s, primarily focusing on street art and consisting of SOV footage of impersonators, graffiti artists and the like. Fun curiosity, a snippet of non mainstream art."
"Great!"
"Ultramegalopolis feels like someone weaponized the city itself — dense, hostile, and constantly mutating. Not every experiment lands, but the ambition and texture make it worth owning. VS’s presentation gives it the clarity it needs."
"The best partner label has a super interesting release with a ton of strange moments but makes for a very enjoyable watch"
"Had no idea what to expect with this and after watching, I'm still unsure!"
"Glad I picked this up!"
"A fly on the wall look at LA in the early 90s. I was a little intimidated by the runtime but by the end I wanted more."
"Loved this 90s piece. Artwork is tremendous. Highly recommended"
"Truly a golden age when singular work like this can get a nice, loaded release. Only for the open minded and adventurous viewer, but if that describes you, then this really can't be beat. Incredible supplements as well."
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