One of Our Aircraft is Missing

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MichaelB
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One of Our Aircraft is Missing

#1 Post by MichaelB » Thu Jul 08, 2021 7:40 am

Provisional specs:
Shot down over occupied Holland, the crew of a Wellington bomber must navigate their way to safety through enemy territory, in this Second World War classic. Written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (The Red Shoes, A Matter of Life and Death), One of Our Aircraft is Missing is an intense and suspenseful tale of wartime valour and heroism.

An early success for the directing duo, this Academy Award-nominated drama stars a medley of British acting icons, including Eric Portman, Bernard Miles and Googie Withers, appearing in one of her first major film roles.

A true landmark of 1940s British cinema that helped cement Powell and Pressburger’s burgeoning reputations (as well as that of the film’s editor David Lean), One of Our Aircraft is Missing arrives on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK.

• Presented in High Definition
• Limited edition (4,000 units): packaged with a re-production of the original storybook based on the film by Emeric Pressburger
• Newly recorded audio commentary by film scholar Ian Christie
• An Airman’s Letter to His Mother (1941, 5mins): Michael Powell’s powerful propaganda short, narrated by John Gielgud
• The Volunteer (1944, 42mins): an entertaining look at the Fleet Air Arm, directed by Powell & Pressburger and starring the legendary Ralph Richardson
• Target for Tonight (1941, 50mins): a record of a Wellington bomber's mission over Germany
• The Biter Bit (1943, 14mins): a glowing tribute to the Allied bombing campaign, narrated by Ralph Richardson
• Image gallery
• Newly commissioned sleeve art by Jennifer Dionisio
• **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Fully illustrated booklet with new essays by Ian Christie and Professor Sarah Street, writing on the extras by Alex Prideaux and full film credits

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Dr Amicus
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Re: One of Our Aircraft is Missing

#2 Post by Dr Amicus » Thu Jul 08, 2021 9:09 am

Oh, now that is nice - and I might be tempted to preorder to make sure I get the booklet, Christie being an authority on Powell & Pressburger (despite the possible overlap with the commentary) and by coincidence I'm just reading one of Professor Street's books.

This is one of the few Archers films I haven't seen, but the extras look just as tempting - especially Target for Tonight, which I think (a) is a Blu Ray first appearance and (b) has not turned up on any previous BFI DVD collection which seems surprising.

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therewillbeblus
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm

Re: One of Our Aircraft is Missing

#3 Post by therewillbeblus » Thu Jul 08, 2021 9:29 am

Worth noting that, despite Powell having directed before, this is the first film directed by the Archers, and thus I believe eligible for the current First Features list project

Jonathan S
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
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Re: One of Our Aircraft is Missing

#4 Post by Jonathan S » Fri Jul 09, 2021 2:10 am

Dr Amicus wrote:
Thu Jul 08, 2021 9:09 am
.... the extras look just as tempting - especially Target for Tonight, which I think (a) is a Blu Ray first appearance and (b) has not turned up on any previous BFI DVD collection which seems surprising.
Although a documentary, TARGET FOR TONIGHT must have made quite an impact on British cinemagoers. When I watched it on TV in the 1970s with my mum (a teenager during the war), she told me that "target for tonight" became a commonly used double-entendre, at least in her age group, for the rest of the war!

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MichaelB
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Re: One of Our Aircraft is Missing

#5 Post by MichaelB » Thu Aug 26, 2021 4:43 am

Full specs announced:
ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING
A film by Powell & Pressburger

Released in a Limited Edition Blu-ray on 27 September 2021


Shot down over occupied Holland, the crew of a Wellington bomber must navigate their way to safety through enemy territory in this Second World War classic, written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (The Red Shoes, A Matter of Life and Death). An early success for the directing duo, this Oscar-nominated* drama stars a medley of British acting icons, including Eric Portman, Bernard Miles and Googie Withers, appearing in one of her first major film roles.

Released by the BFI in a Limited Edition Blu-ray on 27 September, a raft of extras includes a newly recorded audio commentary and four archival films from the 1940s.

With contributions behind the camera from David Lean, Ronald Neame and Guy Green, this tense and suspenseful drama is a true landmark of British cinema ripe for rediscovery.

*1942 Special Effects (nominated) – Photographic Effects by Ronald Neame; Sound Effects by CC Stevens. Writing (Original Screenplay, nominated) – Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Special features
• Presented in High Definition
• Newly recorded audio commentary by film scholar Ian Christie
An Airman’s Letter to His Mother (1941, 5 mins): Michael Powell’s powerful propaganda short, narrated by John Gielgud
The Volunteer (1944, 44 mins): an entertaining look at the Fleet Air Arm, directed by Powell & Pressburger and starring Ralph Richardson
Target for Tonight (1941, 50 mins): Harry Watt’s acclaimed documentary reconstruction of a Wellington bomber’s mission over Germany
The Biter Bit (1943, 14 mins): A propaganda short detailing the destructive force of wartime aerial bombardment, produced by Alexander Korda and narrated by Ralph Richardson
• Image gallery
• Includes reproduction of the original storybook based on the film by Emeric Pressburger
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jennifer Dionisio
• ***First pressing only*** Illustrated booklet with essays by Ian Christine and Sarah Street, an excerpt from A Life in Movies: An Autobiography by Michael Powell, a selection of original film reviews, notes on the special features and full credits

Product details
RRP: £22.99 / Cat. no. BFIB1422 / PG
UK / 1942 / black and white / 103 minutes / English language, with optional subtitles for the Deaf and partial hearing / original aspect ratio 1.37:1 // BD50: 1080p, 24fps, LPCM mono audio (48kHz/24-bit)

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L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: One of Our Aircraft is Missing

#6 Post by L.A. » Fri Oct 01, 2021 1:43 pm

Beaver and DVD Compare reviews.

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