Three Popular Films By Jean-Pierre Gorin (3-DVD)

Avant-garde filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin cut his teeth with heavyweights, including Jean-Luc Godard, the Dziga Vertov Group, and (briefly) Louis Malle, before striking out on his own with a series of offbeat, critically-acclaimed documentaries, many of which delve into long-hidden American subcultures. Three of Gorin's best-received nonfiction films appear in this edition of the Criterion Collection's Eclipse series. The package begins with the 1978 POTO AND CABENGO, a profile of San Diego twin siblings who have invented their own language. Next up is Gorin's 1986 ROUTINE PLEASURES, an essay-style film that intersects reflections on the work of film critic and painter Manny Farber with a look at a group of model train hobbyists based in Del Mar. Finally, Gorin's 1992 MY CRASY LIFE (sic) looks at a Samoan Gang based in Long Beach, California.