A Poem Is a Naked Person [1974] - Les Blank, Leon Russell, Willie Nelson, George Jones (Blu-ray - 3/29/2016) [The Criterion Collection]

Les Blank (Burden of Dreams) considered this free-form feature documentary about beloved singer-songwriter Leon Russell, filmed between 1972 and 1974, to be one of his greatest accomplishments. Yet it has not been released until now. Hired by Russell to film him at his recording studio in northeast Oklahoma, Blank ended up constructing a unique, intimate portrait of a musician and his environment. Made up of mesmerizing scenes of Russell and his band performing, both in concert and in the studio, as well as off-the-cuff moments behind the scenes, this singular film-which also features performances by Willie Nelson and George Jones-has attained legendary status over the years. It's a work of rough beauty that serves as testament to Blank's cinematic daring and Russell's immense musical talents.

Condition:NEW. Brand New Factory Sealed

Product Details

Actors: Leon Russell, George Jones, Willie Nelson
Directors: Les Blank
Format: Restored, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Number of discs: 1
Rated:
NR
Not Rated
Studio: Criterion Collection (Direct)
DVD Release Date: March 29, 2016
Run Time: 90 minutes

Special Features
New, restored 2k digital transfer, supervised by Executive Producer Harrod Bank, Director Les Blank's son, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack; New conversation between musician Leon Russell and Harrod Blank; Excerpts from a 2013 Q&A with Les Blank; A Film's Forty-Year Journey: The Making of "A Poem Is A Naked Person," a new documentary featuring interviews with Harrod Blank, Assistant Editor and Sound Recordist Maureen Gosling, and artist Jim Franklin; Out in the Woods, a short documentary by Gosling; Trailers; Plus: An Essay by critic Kent Jones.

Cast & Crew
Leon Russell Actor
Willie Nelson Actor
George Jones Actor
Maureen Gosling Actor
Harrod Blank Actor
Jim Franklin Actor

Technical Credits
Les Blank Director,Editor,Screenwriter
Harrod Blank Executive Producer
Denny Cordell Producer
Leon Russell Producer