Sally Mann Blood Ties

[reggie]

Back in the 90's, a documentary was done on Sally Mann called "Blood Ties".
It was an excellent film and it was nominated for an Oscar(!), but it didn't win.

I got on the 'old' internet using CompuServe and met a guy in LA who had access to a master of this film and he cut me a VHS tape of the movie! I am horrified to learn that the holder for it is now empty. I think my ex-girlfriend (a photographer herself) made off with it when we split up. I can't prove that, yer honor, but that's what I think - you know how women are when you dump them. I caught her lyin'......under another guy.

Does anyone have any idea how to get a copy of the movie? I had heard that Sally Mann herself did not want it released commercially but that it be made available only to schools and libraries. I'm pretty sure that is correct.

Any help would be appreciated. If anyone knows my ex-girlfriend, please steal it from her and mail it back to me.

Thanks.

-R

 

[Andrew Forrester]

Back in the 90's, a documentary was done on Sally Mann called "Blood Ties".
It was an excellent film and it was nominated for an Oscar(!), but it didn't win.

I got on the 'old' internet using CompuServe and met a guy in LA who had access to a master of this film and he cut me a VHS tape of the movie! I am horrified to learn that the holder for it is now empty. I think my ex-girlfriend (a photographer herself) made off with it when we split up. I can't prove that, yer honor, but that's what I think - you know how women are when you dump them. I caught her lyin'......under another guy.

Does anyone have any idea how to get a copy of the movie? I had heard that Sally Mann herself did not want it released commercially but that it be made available only to schools and libraries. I'm pretty sure that is correct.

Any help would be appreciated. If anyone knows my ex-girlfriend, please steal it from her and mail it back to me.

Thanks.

-R

Reggie,

Try this link

Dead Link Removed

It's under projects & films along with another film on Sally Mann
"What Remains"

Andrew

 

[kwmullet]

Reggie,

Try this link

Dead Link Removed
[...]

I've been looking for either What Remains or Blood Ties for months. On 19 May, I sent the following mail to Stick Figure Productions:

Message-ID: <861692d50605191311q7e86e44fn271342fd09c55470@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 15:11:01 -0500
From: "Kevin W. Mullet" <kevin.mullet@gmail.com>
Reply-To: kwm@themullets.net
To: info@stickfigureproductions.com
Subject: Plea from the analog still photography community!

Not that I speak for all my fellow analog photographers, but I know
I'm far from alone in wanting to find a showing of or buy a VHS tape
or DVD of

"What Remains" (Steven Cantor, 2005)
and
"Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann" (Steven Cantor, 1993)

Please let me know how I can find and see these movies!

Thanks very much in advance,

-KwM-



I've yet to receive a reply. I might have to set aside some time and see if I can reach anyone via telephone who is willing to point me in a constructive direction.

I've seen a post or two on various mailing lists indicating that folks have seen Blood Ties at their University. What Remains was screened at 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was made (AFAIK) for HBO, but a search for the terms "What Remains" or "Steven Cantor" on the HBO site yield nothing relevant to the What Remains or Blood Ties movies.

I've tried looking up Blood Ties in several of the area University online library catalogs in hopes of getting it via interlibrary loan. No dice.

Both movies are listed at imdb.com, but neither has any links to a site where it may be purchased. I've Amazoned, Googled, Dogpiled and Barnesandnobled until I'm blue in the face and have bones sticking out of the ends of my fingertips (well... almost) to no avail. I've eBayed from one continent to another. Nada.

It would probably be easier to contact Sally Mann and get her to reenact the movie in the local coffee shop than it would to get a copy of either movie, as far as I can tell.

Whether it's APUG, various Usenet groups, the large format list, alt process lists or countless other photo discussion boards, there's always someone looking for one or both of these movies, and no one knows where to get, rent, borrow or view a copy.

The complete lack of information on the HBO site about this movie which seemed to be fairly prominant at Sundance leads me to fear that HBO is just shelving it with no intention of showing it. Of course, if they own the rights, that keeps anyone else from showing it as well.

I guess unless you were lucky enough to see Blood Ties in the mid-nineties or What Remains at Sundance, you're out of luck.

pity.

-KwM-

 

[reggie]

Well, I guess we have no recourse but to charter a jet and fly down to Mexico, invade my ex-girlfriends house and take over her living room.

-R

 

[reggie]

Well, good news afterall. I went to the Stick Figures Productions web-site and gave them a call. They said that someone had just called in ahead of me requesting a copy. They were out, but they have just placed an order for a 'bunch' of copies of "Blood Ties". They cost $20 + s\h. I put my name in the queue for a copy and I'd encourage anyone interested to do the same. The movies are on DVD and they will arrive within a few days according to the contact at SFP.

Also, please spread the word about the movie to other sites that you know. I know there was a usenet newsgroup devoted to Sally Mann and I'll try to subscribe to it if it still exists and let them know.

As for "What Remains", it is not available. It is making the film festival circuit right now and HBO owns the rights to it. At some point, someone will become the distributor for it, but he didn't know how long that would take. But patience young Skywalker, you will be able to buy it one day.

 

[kwmullet]

Wonderful!

[Added later: I should have known that an analog contact method would yield vastly superior results to digital searches and messaging]
​

Thanks reggie!

I'm adding that to my Father's day list.

Next, I want the APUG channel. each night, another ten-installment miniseries on your favorite photographer. Must-See TV on Thursday nights is darkroom-TV. Every Friday is 24-hours straight of alt-process. 2am on Sunday is Camera Repair School. Better make that 4am so it doesn't run into reruns of Enterprise.

-KwM-

 

[kwmullet]

Well, good news afterall. I went to the Stick Figures Productions web-site and gave them a call. They said that someone had just called in ahead of me requesting a copy. They were out, but they have just placed an order for a 'bunch' of copies of "Blood Ties". They cost $20 + s\h. I put my name in the queue for a copy and I'd encourage anyone interested to do the same. The movies are on DVD and they will arrive within a few days according to the contact at SFP.[...]

reggie,

Did you ever get your copy of Blood Ties? I'm ordering one probably today or tomorrow and am interested to know what kind of turnaround to expect.

If you did get it, I noticed the clip on the website refers to something called "Southern Exposure: The Life and Work of Sally Mann". Is that a featurette included with the DVD?

-KwM-

 

[reggie]

I got my copy of Blood Ties fron Stickman Figures. I called them at (212)277-3600. I told them what I wanted, and they connected me with someone who sent me a copy. He had to make a custom DVD for me. I called them on Monday 11/27 and I had the DVD by Friday 12/2. It cost $15. Apparently they do not have an inventory of these in stock - they made one for me but I got the impression that a polite request will get a fast response.

Nice company to do business with.

-R

 

[kwmullet]

Same for me. Twice. I ordered one, got it a few days after (even before they got my money), and lent it to a teacher at my son's school. I never got it back, got tired of asking for it back, so I sent Stick Figure Productions a letter and money order for $15 and got another one in a few days. Very nice to deal with .

The preview online is a bit misleading. None of the "what remains" content is on the "blood ties" DVD, nor is the "southern exposure" stuff. I think "What Remains" or "Southern Exposure" (or whatever they're calling it) is still making its way through the film festival circuit.

My only complaint about the Blood Ties DVD is that I wish there was more of it. I think it's around 30 minutes long. Wonderful and inspiring to watch.

-KwM-

 

[reggie]

<snip>My only complaint about the Blood Ties DVD is that I wish there was more of it. I think it's around 30 minutes long. Wonderful and inspiring to watch.</snip>

-KwM-

Maybe we can ask for a "Making Of Blood Ties" DVD, complete with outtakes, directory commentary, cast interviews, trailers, etc. <vbg>

 

[celluloidpropaganda]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/storyville/what-remains.shtml

It appears that What Remains has screened on the BBC, so maybe it will be coming to HBO soon.