It is Accomplished

Well...it's taken over a year to get here, but LOL, Benten's first DVD release, finally hits the shelves today. Honestly, there were times when I felt this day would never arrive. The road here was often arduous, and I couldn't have navigated it successfully without the help and encouragement of many. (Check the DVD booklet for a complete list of names!) Both the film and the DVD itself have been receiving great reviews, which of course thrills us to no end. LOL is a terrific film, and I'm excited that it can now be seen by those who didn't catch it on the festival circuit. Buy it, rent it, borrow a friend's copy – but please do see it. You won't be disappointed. "Benten Films ... state on their website that they intend to put out "overlooked gems that deserve greater recognition" and that all of their releases will be "of the highest technical quality, each supplemented with enhanced features and artful packaging". That is certainly the case with their release of Joe Swanberg's LOL." – DVD Times "My expectations weren't exceptionally high but LOL is one of those rare film experiences that reinforces the hopefulness of indie cinema. The inability to 'connect' in today's environment is certainly not an original concept but Swanberg's unique vision exporting both pathos and satire is extremely refreshing." – Gary Tooze, DVD Beaver "LOL is treated as if it were Citizen Kane by newbie distributor Benten Films." – Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine

Comments

[girish]

Congratulations, Filmbrain!

I bet it feels good to have this huge, herculean labor come to fruition for you. And the good notices must taste awful sweet right now.

Best wishes for Benten's future projects!

[Aaron]

Congrats Filmbrain. Hopefully you'll be able to calm down now, even though ... you're gonna do it all over again. ;-)

[Dave McDougall]

Congratulations!

I am very much looking forward to this dvd, and to Benten's future.

[Peter Nellhaus]

Best of luck to you and Aaron on this venture!

[kinojay]

Much congratulations--this is a huge accomplishment and a great treat for film lovers. You've come a long way since the early days of ranting with me on ILF :)

[Paul Doherty]

Filmbrain: They did not have a copy at the local Best Buy so I came home and picked it up on line. best of luck to you and Aaron.

[HarryTuttle]

Congratulations Benten!
And the final version of the filmsite is great! Well done. There is still hope for films on DVD if serious cinephiles like you are in the business.
Now, when do you distribute this in France?

[Filmbrain]

Wow, Jay! A ghost from the past! Those were fun times, I have to admit. Life was so much simpler then. . .

Peter, Dave, Aaron & Girish -- thanks so much.

[mkh]

My copy of LOL was delivered yesterday, and I'm looking forward to watching it this weekend. Congratulations!

[Moviezzz]

Congratulations on the DVD!

I watched it a few days ago and was really impressed. Not only on the film itself (probably my favorite of Swanberg's) but on the DVD. The menus, the extras, extremely well done.

I look forward to all the future releases.

[J.]

I actually got a review copy of this a week or two back, and didn't realize that Benten was your baby until, well...until right now, actually. As a long time reader and fan of your site, it's an honor to have first crack at your first release. If the DVD presentation of LOL is any indication, Benten looks like it will be essential owning - great presentation, and a whole pile of extras that actually complement and add to the viewing experience very well.

Keep up the good work.

Best,
J.