BFI (British Film Institute)

[domino harvey]

Lubitsch's Cluny Brown is coming May 26.

Finally! \:D/

[colinr0380]

DVD Beaver on the Ozon shorts.

[What A Disgrace]

June 23 sees the release of Syndromes and a Century, according to Amazon UK.

Also a May 26 release for Huston's A Walk With Love And Death. BFI title, Second Run price.

[Person]

Also a May 26 release for Huston's A Walk With Love And Death. BFI title, Second Run price.

Finally putting it out, eh? Weird choice, frankly. Universal would probably license Freud to them.

[John Hodson]

Also a May 26 release for Huston's A Walk With Love And Death. BFI title, Second Run price.

I've seen it (and ordered it) for as low as £8.99. Land of Promise (also preordered) is very decently priced too; is this the start of a refreshing new price policy by the BFI?

[What A Disgrace]

The retail price remains the same, but Amazon UK's discount on BFI's Land of Promise set has gone from 25% to 40%, bringing the new pre-order price to £26.24.

EDIT: Now the retail price is down to the actual, though pre-order price remains at 26.24.

[drdoros]

Just wanted to say that I guess the BFI reads this forum because they just signed on with us to release MY BROTHER'S WEDDING and the four shorts by Charles Burnett. It won't be released in the same set as KILLER OF SHEEP because it's two different producers, but the films will be coming out in England.

[John Hodson]

The retail price remains the same, but Amazon UK's discount on BFI's Land of Promise set has gone from 25% to 40%, bringing the new pre-order price to £26.24.

EDIT: Now the retail price is down to the actual, though pre-order price remains at 26.24.

And down to £25.98, undercutting the previous cheapest at Play.com by a whole penny.

[foggy eyes]

Amazon are listing another Man with a Movie Camera release for 23/06. The first wasn't ideal, so this would be more than welcome. Has there been a restoration since Shephard's in 1996, or are the BFI just getting round to cleaning up the transfer?

[Tommaso]

HMV has pre-order for a BFI release of Cottage on Dartmoor. Release date 26/05/08. Hope they provide some extras, otherwise the Kino seems a rather attractive alternative with the extra "Silent Britain" documentary.

[What A Disgrace]

Movie Mail has the specs for Cottage at Dartmoor.

Insight (1960): Study of Anthony Asquith at work featuring on set footage and interviews; Rush Hour: Comedy film from the BFI National Archive about Britain's workers coping with the transport system during the War (Asquith, 1941); Fully illustrated booklet including essays by Bryony Dixon and Geoffrey Macnab

...and Syndromes and a Century.

Interview with Director; Short film; Trailer.

...and A Walk With Love and Death.

Behind the scenes.

...nothing for Cluny Brown yet, but they also lowered the retail price to 12.99.

[MichaelB]

Movie Mail has the specs for Cottage at Dartmoor.

Insight (1960): Study of Anthony Asquith at work featuring on set footage and interviews; Rush Hour: Comedy film from the BFI National Archive about Britain's workers coping with the transport system during the War (Asquith, 1941); Fully illustrated booklet including essays by Bryony Dixon and Geoffrey Macnab

I haven't seen the booklet yet, but I can thoroughly recommend the video extras - Asquith is, to put it mildly, an original, with his cut-glass accent (he must have had the most aristocratic background of just about any British filmmaker) and the boiler suit he always wore on set (because despite his roots he was a confirmed socialist). There's also an interview with a young(ish) Dirk Bogarde, as the documentary was made at the time they were shooting Libel (1959).

[John Hodson]

Movie Mail has the specs for Cottage at Dartmoor.

Insight (1960): Study of Anthony Asquith at work featuring on set footage and interviews; Rush Hour: Comedy film from the BFI National Archive about Britain's workers coping with the transport system during the War (Asquith, 1941); Fully illustrated booklet including essays by Bryony Dixon and Geoffrey Macnab

I haven't seen the booklet yet, but I can thoroughly recommend the video extras - Asquith is, to put it mildly, an original, with his cut-glass accent (he must have had the most aristocratic background of just about any British filmmaker) and the boiler suit he always wore on set (because despite his roots he was a confirmed socialist). There's also an interview with a young(ish) Dirk Bogarde, as the documentary was made at the time they were shooting Libel (1959).

I'm sold; BTW my 'Land of Promise' set arrived today and it's exceeded my expectations on every level - transfers, packaging, presentation and value for money.

The BFI is doing some tremendous work of late; bravo.

...and Paul Barnes railway doco 'Black Five'.

[railroaded]

Video of Cluny Brown which is released today does remind me of Kino complaints:

[Tommaso]

As to the dvdtimes review: how can a transfer be partly progressive and partly interlaced? Is this technically possible at all?

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Yes, it's very possible -- see the "How the Information Is Stored on Disc" section. (The original version is here but the site seems wonky at the moment.)

[Tommaso]

Thanks, very illuminating indeed (also concerning a few other aspects).

[antnield]

DVD Times on Francois Ozon: Regarde la mer and other short films and Radio On

[MichaelB]

This isn't a DVD, but BFI Screenonline has just launched its latest Archive Interactive in collaboration with BT - an illustrated tour of the work of the GPO Film Unit, presented by Sir Derek Jacobi.

[carax09]

Thanks for that, Michael! I fell in love with that little snippet of Spare Time by Humphrey Jennings. It seems like it might have been something of an influence on Lindsay Anderson's O Dreamland. Is it available in it's entirety, somewhere?

[MichaelB]

Thanks for that, Michael! I fell in love with that little snippet of Spare Time by Humphrey Jennings. It seems like it might have been something of an influence on Lindsay Anderson's O Dreamland. Is it available in it's entirety, somewhere?

Not to my knowledge, but as it was extensively (and expensively) restored last year for the Jennings centenary, I'd be surprised if there weren't plans to do something with it.

It almost certainly was an influence on O Dreamland, as Lindsay Anderson worshipped Jennings.

[railroaded]

At Play.com. Earlier released (March 2006) by Artificial Eye I see in my database.

[antnield]

Latest BFI reviews at DVD Times:

The Lost World of Tibet
A Walk with Love and Death

[What A Disgrace]

Covert art, obviously. From Play.

[foliagecop]

BFI unveil 10 newly restored David Lean films.

MichaelB, any insider gen on a forthcoming DVD release for these, either singly or as a box set? The titles are similar to those on the ITV release, but any BFI version would no doubt trump it hands down.