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What A Disgrace wrote:Seems to be coming March 30.

On Blu Ray, too

Nighthawks – 30th Anniversary
A film by Ron Peck and Paul Hallam
With Ken Robertson, Stuart Craig Turton, Rachel Nicholas James

30 years since its first release, and now restored by the BFI, Nighthawks will be presented as part of the 23rd London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival on 27 and 28 March; on BFI DVD and Blu-ray from 30 March and in an extended run at BFI Southbank from 9 - 23 April.

Hugely controversial on its initial release, Nighthawks defies categorisation. Set to a haunting electronic score, its compelling cyclical structure portrays the daily work of a schoolteacher with his documentation of changing urban spaces and nights spent cruising bars and clubs in search of Mr Right.

Leading actor Ken Robertson, who excels in a brave performance, was the only professional member of the cast, and the film confounded critics at the time, but the recent restoration by the BFI reveals Nighthawks to be one of the great undervalued films of the 1970s.

Strip Jack Naked, made thirteen years after Nighthawks, puts the earlier film into a historical and personal context, with Ron Peck drawing on his own journey from closeted suburban teen to politically radicalised filmmaker. Its unusual honesty marks Nighthawks II: Strip Jack Naked as not just a lucid account of the responsibilities of a gay filmmaker, but as one of the most honest and abrasive British biographies ever made.

Special features on DVD edition
• Its Ugly Head (1974), Ron Peck’s student film
• On Allotments (1976), documentary by Four Corner Films
• Edward Hopper (1981), Ron Peck’s documentary on the artist
• Nighthawks pilot (1977), 16mm film made to interest potential investors and others in the project
• What Can I Do with a Male Nude? (1985), Ron Peck’s video essay on censorship
• The Last Biscuit (2005), a video essay by Paul Hallam and Andrea Luka Zimmerman
• Illustrated booklet with essays, reviews and new pieces by Ron Peck and Paul Hallam

Special features on Blu-ray edition

High definition features (with PCM audio):
• Nighthawks (1978), newly transferred from the original negative
• Its Ugly Head (1974)
• On Allotments (1976)
• Edward Hopper (1981)

Standard definition features:
• Strip Jack Naked (1991), from original production video
• Nighthawks pilot (1977)
• What Can I Do with a Male Nude? (1985)
• The Last Biscuit (2005)
• Illustrated booklet

Cert 18 / 2-disc set / colour / original aspect ratio 1.33:1
BFI DVD and Blu-ray release date: 30 March 2009
DVD Cat no. BFIVD832 / RRP £22.99 / 358 mins
Blu-ray Cat no. BFIB1015 RRP £24.99 / 204 mins (Blu-ray) / 167 mins DVD

criterionsnob wrote:Good news. Does that include all of the content, or just the movie?

• Nighthawks and 1970s British Realist Cinema by James Leggatt (p.1-6)
  Nighthawks II: Strip Jack Naked by Stephen Thrower (p.9-11)
  How not to disappear from that choice: Four Corners 1972-1985 by Carla Mitchell (p.13-19)
  Nighthawks: A Few Reflections by Ron Peck (p.22-26)
  Facsimile copy of production history, typed in mid-1978 (p.28-30)
  Facsimile of supportive letter from Lindsay Anderson (p.31)
  In the Shadow of the Mosque by Paul Hallam (p.34-42)
  Nighthawks credits and review by Natalie Heinrich (p.44-47)
  Nighthawks II: Strip Jack Naked credits and review by Michael O'Pray (p.48-49)
  Its Ugly Head credits and review by Michael Brooke (p.49-50)
  On Allotments credits and review by Ian Christie (p.51-52)
  Edward Hopper credits and review (p.52-54)
  What Can I Do With A Male Nude? credits and review by Mark Finch (p.54-56)
  The Last Biscuit credits and article by Paul Hallam (p.56-58)
  Biographies of Ron Peck, Paul Hallam, Joanna Davis, Wilf Thust, Andrea Luka Zimmerman (p.60-67)
  Detailed notes on each transfer (p.70-71)
  Acknowledgements (p.73)
  plus loads of stills, many in colour.

This spectacular BD/DVD set containing Paul Hallam and Ron Peck's Nighthawks and Nighthawks II: Strip Jack Naked is certainly a prime candidate for a Blu-ray release of the year! I personally continue to be utterly impressed by BFI and their commitment to promoting important cinema. Very Highly Recommended.

the only really satisfactory one comes directly from the BFI, who retransferred the first film directly from the original 16mm negative for DVD and Blu-Ray. The results are surprisingly rich and vibrant, leaping ahead of past transfers by leaps and bounds while maintaining the grain and grit of the original photography. The nightclub scenes which were murky and muted on past editions are now pulsating and crisply detailed, and the dialogue is much sharper and easier to understand.

Dr Amicus wrote:Can I repeat my request for thoughts on the short films? I have the Second Rund DVDs and am quite happy with them - the upgrade in picture quality looks impressive but maybe not quite enough to upgrade on its own. The booklet sounds very impressive though.