Thunderbird Releasing (née Soda Pictures)

[rapta]

Any reason Watermark isn't available on Amazon UK anymore? Please tell me you're not gonna pull that one on blu-ray and just do a DVD? It's the kind of film I'd love to see in HD!

[JamesF]

Not sure what's happened with the Amazon listing, but rest assured Watermark is still being released in a dual-format package on October 13th. And yes, it will look lovely in HD, but it's even better in a cinema - try and catch it on the big screen in September!

[domino harvey]

DVD Beaver on the Reichardt Collection-- I didn't realize the "Conversation" with Reichardt was essentially a commentary track over Wendy and Lucy. Can't wait for the set!

[Kauno]

Will there be English subtitles on the Jim Jarmusch Collection?

[JamesF]

DVD Beaver on the Reichardt Collection-- I didn't realize the "Conversation" with Reichardt was essentially a commentary track over Wendy and Lucy. Can't wait for the set!

We were asked to make it audio-only, and so it made more sense to have it as a "commentary" to save on disc space. Not sure I share Gary's reservation about it being primarily about Meek's Cutoff - it does cover all four films in the set fairly equally, with maybe a little more emphasis on Meek's.

EDIT: Just to clarify in case anyone is confused that it is not a scene-specific commentary, just audio from a Q&A.

Will there be English subtitles on the Jim Jarmusch Collection?

Yes, there will be hard-of-hearing English subtitles on all six films. Fingers crossed we'll be able to announce specs for the set next week (might be the week after)...

[EddieLarkin]

The Reichardt Collection has now been reduced even further on Amazon to £22.77 (or $37 delivered to the US).

[JamesF]

Full specs for the Jarmusch boxset in our latest press release:

JIM JARMUSCH COLLECTION | UK Blu-ray release 6 October

Jim Jarmusch has long been considered a seminal figure in American independent cinema. His films are often noted for their transcendent minimalism and upturning of traditional genres such as the road movie, western, crime-film and detective story. Together for the first time in the UK on Blu-ray and in fully restored glory are his six first films: PERMANENT VACATION, STRANGER THAN PARADISE, DOWN BY LAW, MYSTERY TRAIN, NIGHT ON EARTH, and DEAD MAN.

PERMANENT VACATION – Jarmusch’s debut – was good enough to attract the attention of Wim Wenders, who offered the film stock necessary for his career-making second feature STRANGER THAN PARADISE. His third film DOWN BY LAW saw three convicts try to escape the bayou in a pitch-perfect black comedy. MYSTERY TRAIN took him to Memphis for a triptych set around a seedy hotel, whilst his portmanteau film NIGHT ON EARTH took him outside of America for the first time, filming in Paris, Rome and Helsinki. Jarmusch then headed home for his cult classic DEAD MAN, an existential anti-western.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
PERMANENT VACATION
• Kino '84: Jim Jarmusch, a 1984 German television program featuring interviews with cast and crew from Stranger Than Paradise and Permanent Vacation
• Trailers
Aspect ratio: 16:9 (1.33:1) / Running time: 75 mins / 1080p / Colour / 23.976hz / Audio: English DTS Mono / Subtitles: English SDH

STRANGER THAN PARADISE
• Some Days in January 1984, a behind-the-scenes Super-8 film by Tom Jarmusch
• Trailers
Aspect ratio: 16:9 (1.78:1) / Running time: 89 mins / 1080p / B&W / 23.976hz / Audio: English DTS Mono / Subtitles: English SDH

DOWN BY LAW
• Outtakes
• Recordings of phone conversations between Jarmusch and Tom Waits, Roberto Benigni and John Lurie
• Trailers
Aspect ratio: 16:9 (1.78:1) / Running time: 107 mins / 1080p / B&W / 23.976hz / Audio: English DTS Mono / Subtitles: English SDH

MYSTERY TRAIN
• Trailers
Aspect ratio: 16:9 (1.78:1) / Running time: 111 mins / 1080p / Colour / 23.976hz / Audio: English/Japanese/Italian DTS Mono / Subtitles: English SDH

NIGHT ON EARTH
• Trailers
Aspect ratio: 16:9 (1.78:1) / Running time: 128 mins / 1080p / Colour / 23.976hz / Audio: English/French/Italian/Finnish DTS Stereo / Subtitles: English SDH

DEAD MAN
• Deleted scenes
• Trailers
Aspect ratio: 16:9 (1.78:1) / Running time: 121 mins / 1080p / B&W / 23.976hz
Audio: English DTS Stereo /Subtitles: English SDH

“Jarmusch is without a doubt the most rock‘n’roll of film-makers”
THE OBSERVER

Also included is a booklet "with Jim Jarmusch Interviewed by Geoff Andrew at the London Film Festival 1999 for The Guardian".

[rapta]

Thanks once again James. Still any idea what's going on with Watermark? Amazon now have the date for 13th October (day before my birthday!) but you were quoting 3rd November before (as do all other sites). Still no pre-order available from them...some places are listing it as a DVD with no mention of the blu-ray disc. Hope these matters are cleared up before the release!

My Reichardt set arrived yesterday from Amazon but damaged, so I got a replacement that just arrived today in mint condition - what a lovely set! Is that what you guys have in mind for the Jarmusch set, a digipack? Can't wait to start watching these.

Noticed Night Moves is out in January, will definitely be picking that up too (as well as Only Lovers Left Alive in a couple of weeks).

[What A Disgrace]

Will there be any further Chris Marker collections?

[JamesF]

Still any idea what's going on with Watermark? Amazon now have the date for 13th October (day before my birthday!) but you were quoting 3rd November before (as do all other sites).

Watermark is a dual format release and is set for release on October 13th, as I mentioned above.

Is that what you guys have in mind for the Jarmusch set, a digipack? Can't wait to start watching these.

The Jarmusch discs are in a Digistack box.

Will there be any further Chris Marker collections?

There are currently no plans for another Chris Marker set.

[JamesF]

For rapta and anyone else looking forward to our dual-format edition of Watermark, the release date has been pushed back a week to October 20th now.

In the meantime, it's out in selected cinemas today, with Edward Burtynsky doing a Q&A at the ICA tomorrow night: https://www.ica.org.uk/whats-on/watermark" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JamesF]

Also, some other exciting news that's just been announced - Canada, we're comin' to git ya:

Soda, Thunderbird kick off merger with Riot Club deal

5 September, 2014 | By Wendy Mitchell

EXCLUSIVE: Soda brand continues to exist as the company expands to include Canadian distribution, starting with The Riot Club.

Canadian production company Thunderbird has acquired UK indie distributor Soda Pictures in a deal that will see Soda grow its UK operations and slate as well as launching as a distributor in Canada.

The companies launch the new venture with a Canadian deal for Lone Scherfig’s The Riot Club, which premieres tomorrow night in Toronto. The Riot Club deal was negotiated between HanWay’s Thorsten Schumacher and Soda’s Eve Gabereau.

Soda will continue to operate under its own brand, as part of the Thunderbird group of companies. Soda principals Eve Gabereau and Edward Fletcher, who founded the company in 2002, will continue to lead the outfit.

The alliance will see Soda concentrating on high-end British films for its Canadian slate. The UK slate will grow in “scale and scope” thanks to the new investment.

Tim Gamble, CEO of Thunderbird, said “We are thrilled to be expanding into the theatrical space with Eve, Edward and the Soda team, they are a great fit for us.”

“Soda has exceptional relationships with filmmakers and an infrastructure in place that will help us expand our reach, library and expertise. By leveraging this, we think it’s a smart way to enter the Canadian distribution market,” added Thunderbird executive chairman Ivan Fecan.

Gabereau said: “Launching with The Riot Club says it all. It’s fun, it’s raucous, it’s disturbing, it’s poignant, it’s great, great filmmaking.”

The deal lets Thunderbird build on its production background by creating an inroads into distribution in both the UK and Canada; and Soda, which has been increasing its production activities, now gets the strength of two markets.

Deals will be done on a film-by-film basis, sometimes for single territory but sometimes acquired jointly for the UK and Canada.

The backing will allow Soda’s UK team to grow, as well as for the company to work on some bigger films. Gabereau, Canada-born but living in the UK for 16 years, reassures that the company will also continue to work on the niche and foreign-language titles it has been known for. “We’re still very strongly aligned with those films,” she added.

“In a way it’s business as usual, but we also now have a partner company that can fund growth and expansion, while letting us run autonomously,” Gabereau said.

Privately owned Thunderbird, headquartered in Vancouver with offices in Toronto and Los Angeles, includes Thunderbird Films, Reunion Pictures and Sea to Sky Studios (a joint venture with Lionsgate). Frank Giustra, founder of Lionsgate, is the largest investor in the company.

Thunderbird’s productions include TV shows Package Deal, Some Assembly Required, Zigby and Olympus; the company’s film projects include Baby Sellers starring Kirstie Alley, and the forthcoming Blade Runner relaunch.

[AlexHansen]

A Blu of A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness is a pleasant surprise, and one I might just buy on principle (even though I don't particularly care for the film). My hat's off to you Soda!

[JamesF]

Hope you enjoy! There's some good bonus stuff (short films by both Rivers and Russell, and a nice booklet) to make it a worthwhile purchase even if you're not crazy about the film

[zedz]

I see Soda has also picked up Alonso's remarkable Jauja - does that also have a Blu in its future?

[John Edmond]

That's great that A Spell to Ward Off Darkness is appearing on blu -- any details on the supplementary shorts? Wasn't there word that a Rivers short compilation was in the works at some point?

And will second a Jauja blu. You're doing great work. Thank you.

[AlexHansen]

There's some good bonus stuff (short films by both Rivers and Russell, and a nice booklet) to make it a worthwhile purchase even if you're not crazy about the film

Sold!

[rapta]

Hope you enjoy! There's some good bonus stuff (short films by both Rivers and Russell, and a nice booklet) to make it a worthwhile purchase even if you're not crazy about the film :)

Nice, I may blind-buy it as it does look interesting! Can't wait to see Night Moves again by the way...one of the best films I've seen this year by a long way and possibly Reichardt's best to date!

Very pleased you acquired Jauja by the way, it looks great and I hope it gets a Blu-ray release from you guys. Looking forward to Still The Water, The Face of an Angel and The Turning too, will those get Blu-ray jobs or just DVD?

Noticed some others from you at LFF...The Cut, Altman, Phoenix, National Gallery, The Goob. Nice work!

[JamesF]

Yep, we had a very busy LFF, twelve films in all!

No idea about a Jauja (or any of the other upcoming films you mentioned) Blu-Ray yet, that's a decision that won't be made for quite some time and probably depends on how it performs theatrically next year.

The two short films on the A Spell... discs are Let Us Persevere In What We Have Resolved Before We Forget (directed by Russell, 20 mins) and The Creation As We Saw It (directed by Rivers, 15 mins), which were shot simultaneously in the Republic of Vanutu for a film festival.

Here's the confirmed bonus features for the Night Moves DVD/Blu-Ray too:
- Interviews with Kelly Reichardt and Jesse Eisenberg
- "A Film by Jackie Christianson" short film by Larry Fessenden
- Theatrical trailer
- Kelly Reichardt Collection trailers

[Calvin]

Also, some other exciting news that's just been announced - Canada, we're comin' to git ya

Interesting news. As a UK customer, I hope that this might result in Soda exploring Canadian cinema. It would be great to see something along the lines of a Claude Jutra box set.

[rapta]

Yep, we had a very busy LFF, twelve films in all!

No idea about a Jauja (or any of the other upcoming films you mentioned) Blu-Ray yet, that's a decision that won't be made for quite some time and probably depends on how it performs theatrically next year.

The two short films on the A Spell... discs are Let Us Persevere In What We Have Resolved Before We Forget (directed by Russell, 20 mins) and The Creation As We Saw It (directed by Rivers, 15 mins), which were shot simultaneously in the Republic of Vanutu for a film festival.

Here's the confirmed bonus features for the Night Moves DVD/Blu-Ray too:
- Interviews with Kelly Reichardt and Jesse Eisenberg
- "A Film by Jackie Christianson" short film by Larry Fessenden
- Theatrical trailer
- Kelly Reichardt Collection trailers

Well fair enough! I will try and see Jauja in the cinema next year then

Great extras for Night Moves...the Fessenden short sounds interesting, is it related to the film or just added as he regularly produced Reichardt's features?

[JamesF]

Great extras for Night Moves...the Fessenden short sounds interesting, is it related to the film or just added as he regularly produced Reichardt's features?

It's a full version of the short film by Clara Mamet's character that plays briefly at the beginning of the film.

Review of our Finding Vivian Maier Blu-Ray from Rewind.

[GaryC]

I notice from the BBFC website that The Turning is being released in a shortened version in cinemas, 107 minutes instead of 180. (So that's presumably ten Tim Winton stories instead of seventeen.) Is there any chance of the full version coming out on Blu-ray or DVD? (I probably will see it in the cinema anyway, if I'm able to.)

[JamesF]

I notice from the BBFC website that The Turning is being released in a shortened version in cinemas, 107 minutes instead of 180. (So that's presumably ten Tim Winton stories instead of seventeen.) Is there any chance of the full version coming out on Blu-ray or DVD? (I probably will see it in the cinema anyway, if I'm able to.)

Yep, we'll 100% be releasing the full 180-minute version on DVD (no confirmation either way on a Blu-Ray yet).

[swo17]

I've just received Soda's Chris Marker Collection, and it's a lovely package that's probably going to divide forum members seeing as it's extremely slimline (three discs taking up less space than a regular case - yay!) but employs slots (boo!)

Did you ever try to watch the DVDs? My Blu-ray plays fine, but the DVDs struggle through several of the films (and I can't play Casque bleu at all). I wouldn't mind so much about the DVDs if all the bonus films were included in SD on the Blu-ray (couldn't they all have fit?), which is more scratch-resistant. Hopefully my replacement from Amazon will fare better...