Will Filmgoers Have The Stomach For It?
When it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the director Lars von Trier’s new film, “The House That Jack Built,†prompted walkouts, dismissals and outright condemnations because of its graphic depictions of a serial killer’s spree of sexualized violence. Now he and his distributor, IFC Films, are hoping an unorthodox release plan will help spin bad press in their favor. An edited, R-rated version of “Jack†will reach theaters and video on demand on Dec. 14; but first the unrated director’s cut will show in cinemas on Wednesday for “one night only,†all but daring audiences to withstand what so many at Cannes could not.
