Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

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MichaelB
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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#26 Post by MichaelB » Wed Jan 26, 2011 11:17 am

I don't know the precise ins and outs of this particular case, but the usual problem is that for various reasons it hasn't been possible to access 35mm mastering materials of sufficient quality to justify an HD transfer.

I ran into similar hurdles when compiling the Jan Svankmajer box - with the vast majority of titles, I had to work from Digibeta transfers of middling quality rather than film sources, and for various complicated licensing and logistical reasons there was no way round that. In fact, when I complained about one transfer and offered to fund a new one, I was told by the rightsholder that the 35mm materials were "too fragile" to access again!

In these circumstances, short of actually breaking into the relevant vault and "borrowing" the print illicitly, there's nothing a distributor can do except make the best of the available sources.

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#27 Post by perkizitore » Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:29 pm

Image

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triodelover
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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#28 Post by triodelover » Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:33 pm

There's no indication on Amazon UK that the dual format L'Age d'Or includes Un Chien Andalou. Can anyone - MichaelB - clarify?

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zedz
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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#29 Post by zedz » Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:36 pm

At the top of the page this was confirmed by the BFI.

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#30 Post by triodelover » Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:53 pm

zedz wrote:At the top of the page this was confirmed by the BFI.

Rats! :oops:

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#31 Post by zedz » Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:54 pm

triodelover wrote:
zedz wrote:At the top of the page this was confirmed by the BFI.

Rats! :oops:
Donkeys!

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#32 Post by NABOB OF NOWHERE » Tue Feb 01, 2011 6:17 pm

zedz wrote:
triodelover wrote:
zedz wrote:At the top of the page this was confirmed by the BFI.

Rats! :oops:
Donkeys!
Ants!!

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#33 Post by RossyG » Tue Feb 01, 2011 6:41 pm

Chiens.

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#34 Post by antnield » Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:41 am

Specs, courtesy of Amazon.co.uk:
L'Age d'Or

A Film by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí

More than 80 years on, this masterpiece of cinematic surrealism remains as brilliantly witty and shocking as ever. Uniting the genius of Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, L'Age d'Or (1930) is a uniquely savage blend of visual poetry and social commentary. A sinister yet poignant chronicle of a couple's struggle to consummate their desire the film was banned and vilified for many years for its subversive eroticism and furious dissection of civilised values.

Also includes Bunuel and Dali s surrealist masterpiece Un Chien Andalou (1928, 16min) and A Propósito de Buñuel (2000, 103 mins) a documentary on the life and work of Luis Buñuel by José Luis López-Linares and Javier Rioyo.

Extra Features:

Dual Format Edition: Feature and some special features presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition (Blu-ray and DVD)
- A Propósito de Buñuel (2000, 103 mins): feature-length documentary on the life and work of Luis Buñuel by José Luis López-Linares and Javier Rioyo
- Un Chien Andalou (1929, 17 mins, DVD only): Buñuel and Dalí s provocative entrée into the Surrealist movement
- Fully illustrated booklet features newly commissioned sleeve notes
- New and improved English subtitles

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#35 Post by MichaelB » Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:41 am

Just to add to that, I can now confirm that it's region-free.

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#36 Post by perkizitore » Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:18 am

If Un Chien Andalou was remastered, that would be THE release of the year (it's still going to be in my best of the year list)

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#37 Post by swo17 » Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:22 pm

So Un chien andalou won't be remastered, but will it be exactly the same transfer as was on the prior release? Or will it perhaps use something already existing that's in a little better shape, like the Editions Montparnasse DVD?

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#38 Post by perkizitore » Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:35 pm

They implied that they will use the old transfer, but you never know [-o<

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#39 Post by sjostrom » Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:51 am

For the Chien andalou, the best version is the recent restoration from Filmoteca Española, not very easy to find online, with spanish and English subtitles and a booklet with the original hand written script. It runs almost 20 minutes, not because it has new images but because of a change in the projection speed. Most of it has been newly printed from the original negatives, and looks quite better than the Montparnasse version. Also, the change of speed changes the film. (I posted a few captures some months ago).

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#40 Post by jsteffe » Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:35 am

I just now saw the DVD of the 2003 Filmoteca Española restoration, and it's really quite astonishing. Intellectually I've always admired Un Chien Andalou, but I didn't love it the way I love some of his other films. The slower projection speed allows the film to breathe, and the richer tonalities and stronger detail of the restored image give the surrealistic aspects more concreteness and conviction. I also appreciated the acting (esp. the male lead) this time around. It amounts to watching a different--and richer--film!

I'm grateful that you brought this restoration to my attention.

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#41 Post by swo17 » Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:52 am

Can you share where you found this DVD?

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#42 Post by jsteffe » Sat Feb 12, 2011 9:24 pm

swo17 wrote:Can you share where you found this DVD?
I found the DVD as part of the Spanish 3-volume book entitled Un perro andaluz: 80 años después. I don't know whether the Filmoteca is also selling the DVD separately. I think you can order the book from Fnac.es and other Spanish booksellers.

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#43 Post by perkizitore » Sat Feb 12, 2011 9:49 pm

This bookstore is English friendly and the total roughly comes to 41 euros shipped to Europe.

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#44 Post by swo17 » Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:25 am

Thank you very much everyone for sharing that information.

I would gladly accept a delay in the release of the L'age d'or BD (or a higher price point) if it meant that the BFI could somehow incorporate this restoration into its release.

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#45 Post by knives » Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:41 am

I second that. If it's not too late to at least look into this information I would be enormously glad and willing to wait.

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#46 Post by What A Disgrace » Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:32 am

They could delay it for a few years and I'd be fine with it, if only to include that restoration. (and maybe Las Hurdes?)

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#47 Post by ola t » Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:32 am

BFI to release new Mordant Music score for Buñuel and Dali’s Un Chien Andalou

Didn't the BFI once release Un Chien Andalou on VHS with a Mauricio Kagel score? Never saw/heard it myself, but I think I remember seeing ads for it in Empire Magazine or somewhere.

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#48 Post by MichaelB » Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:43 am

Yes - if I remember rightly, that edition came with two versions: the Buñuel-supervised tango-plus-Wagner one, and the Kagel.

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eerik
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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#49 Post by eerik » Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:09 am

ola t wrote:BFI to release new Mordant Music score for Buñuel and Dali’s Un Chien Andalou

Didn't the BFI once release Un Chien Andalou on VHS with a Mauricio Kagel score? Never saw/heard it myself, but I think I remember seeing ads for it in Empire Magazine or somewhere.
But Un chien andalou will still be DVD-only, right?

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Re: Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'or

#50 Post by MichaelB » Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:42 am

eerik wrote:But Un chien andalou will still be DVD-only, right?
No, it'll be 1080p, with three possible soundtracks:

1. The "original" (i.e. Buñuel-reconstructed from memories of the premiere) tango-plus-Wagner version assembled in 1960.
2. The brand new Mordant Music score mentioned above.
3. Robert Short's commentary from the old DVD, resynchronised so that it better fits the images.

Note that the transfer will be sourced from the dupe negative of the 1960 restoration, so it will still have the same issues relating to cropping and frame rates that have affected the BFI's previous video versions... but it will at least be in 1080p.

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