BFI (British Film Institute)

[ellipsis7]

These new Lean restorations come out as a 10 film DAVID LEAN CENTENARY COLLECTION on DVD on August 11th, also several of these available singley such as BRIEF ENCOUNTER & PASSIONATE FRIENDS on same day... Restoration was apparently joint venture between Granada International, BFI, Studio Canal & David Lean Foundation... DVD release from ITV, I think (Granada being the rights holder)....

[What A Disgrace]

It also seems that the BFI has plans to re-master Orpheus and La Belle at le Bete, according to a previous news announcement.

[Narshty]

Also an upcoming 2-disc set on DVD.

[John Hodson]

These new Lean restorations come out as a 10 film DAVID LEAN CENTENARY COLLECTION on DVD on August 11th, also several of these available singley such as BRIEF ENCOUNTER & PASSIONATE FRIENDS on same day... Restoration was apparently joint venture between Granada International, BFI, Studio Canal & David Lean Foundation... DVD release from ITV, I think (Granada being the rights holder)....

Some are also getting a limited theatrical run in the UK from this month, and they'll also be released singly by ITVDVD - a few, if not all, getting the BD treatment - with Optimum, rights owned by Studio Canal, releasing the restored Hobson's Choice. It's a pity that the recent Lionsgate release of The Sound Barrier in R1 was not the newly restored version.

[railroaded]

It also seems that the BFI has plans to re-master Orpheus and La Belle at le Bete, according to a previous news announcement.

Both can be pre-ordered now

[Tommaso]

That "Orphée" disc looks interesting, with its audiocommentary and the "Lies and Truth" documentary; "La belle et la bete" however hardly is a match for the extras-stacked CC release, even if the BFI manages to provide a similarly great transfer (same for "Salo", btw, which looks like a quick shot to trump CC with the Blu-Ray edition).

I much rather like to see a BFI edition of "Le sang d'un poete", given that the CC is taken from a print with english intertitles and could be improved upon in other respects as well; it's also annoying to see that even the BFI apparently does not dare to release the other, less known Cocteau films: "L'aigle a deux tetes", "Les parents terribles" and "L'eternel retour"(if one counts this as a Cocteau film for the moment). They may not be as good as his famous films, but clearly deserve to be seen by a larger audience.

[domino harvey]

Pretty sure the commentary is the same one on the previous BFI disc-- I'm ecstatic about the rerelease though since I don't care for the other two parts of the Orphic trilogy and was afraid I'd have to wade through the horrible blocked subtitles on the BFI disc. Hooray!

[manicsounds]

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?

dvdtimes has reviewed it, no new extras, subtitles are still burned in. not much of an upgrade at all. I'm still disappointed I wasn't able to pick up the Cinematic Orchestra version....

[Tommaso]

dvdtimes has reviewed it, no new extras, subtitles are still burned in. not much of an upgrade at all. I'm still disappointed I wasn't able to pick up the Cinematic Orchestra version....

Sorry, you must have gotten the review somewhat wrong, because it is clearly stated at dvd times:

"Moreover, the subtitles (which has moved on from yellow to a greyish blue, though nonetheless still burnt-in) are now optional and the slight window boxing of the presentation has been replaced with a full frame ratio".

Otherwise, I completely agree. An unnecessary disc, because it still does not have the excellent Tsivian commentary that was on the barely watchable first BFI disc (not to speak of the In The Nursery soundtrack).

[foggy eyes]

It's a pity that the recent Lionsgate release of The Sound Barrier in R1 was not the newly restored version.

Is there a UK release of this planned? The theatrical tour isn't stretching to The Sound Barrier or Hobson's Choice because Park Circus don't have the rights, so I'm hoping that the restoration will emerge on DVD soon as well.

[domino harvey]

"Moreover, the subtitles (which has moved on from yellow to a greyish blue, though nonetheless still burnt-in) are now optional and the slight window boxing of the presentation has been replaced with a full frame ratio".

Doesn't that sentence contradict itself then? How can the subs be burnt-in and optional?

[The Glue Man]

Here's a capture from the menu screen on the new disc:



Hope that helps answer the question

Pre-ordered this long before I realised it would just be a straight re-release of the previous Nyman version. Shame that BFI didn't take the opportunity to produce something definitive, but never mind.

[foggy eyes]

Doesn't that sentence contradict itself then? How can the subs be burnt-in and optional?

I presume he's saying that on the second BFI release the subtitles remained burnt-in (despite the alteration in colour), whereas on the third release they are now optional. You're right though, it's not immediately obvious.

[railroaded]

Remarkable or not?

[Tommaso]

I presume he's saying that on the second BFI release the subtitles remained burnt-in (despite the alteration in colour), whereas on the third release they are now optional. You're right though, it's not immediately obvious.

Yes, he phrases it curiously. Perhaps an additional note to those who have not seen the film: there are actually NO intertitles in the film, so those subs in the first and second BFI release simply translate on-screen writing (names of factories and shops, newspaper headlines and so on), and as these are completely irrelevant for understanding the film, these fixed subs, whether yellow or blue, are a clear annoyance in any case. The only titles in the film are the opening credits, which wouldn't create a problem if they went untranslated, too. Which leads me to again recommend the German arte edition release even to those who don't understand any German at all. You not only get an excellent image and the Nyman soundtrack, but also the In The Nursery soundtrack (indispensable in my view) plus a third one by Walter Cee. This alone makes it more value than the new BFI. If you understand German, even better: a very good booklet plus an 86-min (!) documentary on Vertov. Extrawise certainly the best edition around at the moment. The German subs on the credits are white and optional.

[Person]

Remarkable or not?

Fucking hell - that cover is out the window! I thought that you couldn't put nipples on the front cover. Great cover art.

[Kinsayder]

Remarkable or not?

Fucking hell - that cover is out the window! I thought that you couldn't put nipples on the front cover. Great cover art.

I suspect there may be some further tinkering with that cover before September. A slightly bolder type for the title would catch that stray nipple.

[Narshty]

It's the same image they used for the theatrical re-release poster in 2000. Surely it's no more extreme than the whiff of pubes on the new Criterion cover?

[Kinsayder]

But Criterion is US. We don't have nipples over here.

[ellipsis7]

Reminds me Barbara Leaming amusingly titled her chapter on ORSON WELLES and his time with Hilton Edwards and Michael MacLiammoir of Dublin's Gate theatre, 'Sodom and Begorrah'!... Times have moved on from then, and I think we're just about ready for that cover...

[colinr0380]

But remember that the previous BFI release that has been available for years took the completely opposite minimalist approach with the black title against a white cover.

I've got the feeling that since that didn't attract much controversy (most of the anger at the time, if I remember correctly, was directed at the cinema release and Film Four showing it on digital TV while the DVD which came out months later seemed to go under the radar) they're angling for some good Daily Mail-baiting 'ban this sick film' publicity, which will reinspire the kids and anyone who might be interested in extreme films to pick up the DVD (and which will backfire on whoever gets upset when they can say that the film has been out for years already without comment!)

[jules]

Best cover ever! Hope they don't change it! =D>

[colinr0380]

Also it would be interesting to see what the Video Packaging Review Committee (VPRC) thought about it! I assume that they had to approve it for a cover even if it had been used as a poster.

[Narshty]

I don't think it'll cause much fuss. I remember the Emmanuelle VHS had a bluntly indiscreet topless shot of Sylvia Kristel and that was from the early 90s onwards (maybe earlier).

[klee13]

It still seems a little strange to me that someone would actually desire watching Salò on Blu-ray. It was intense enough when I saw it on a blurry VHS.

Oh and nice cover. I am afraid I can only say that half sincerely though, because right now I am imagining some unknowing person picking this up at a store and saying "Oh, that looks hot" and buying it for an erotic night with their spouse or something.