BFI (British Film Institute)

[Awesome Welles]

is BFI going to do a Blu-ray of Seven Samurai?

How could they not, as I mentioned above the BFI Southbank will cover Kurosawa's centenary in June at the Southbank so I imagine this will kick off PR for further Kurosawa home ent stuff. My guess is Rashomon BR will come first. The only question is WHEN.

[perkizitore]

Optimum owns the rights to Rashomon in the UK, hopefully a Studio Canal BR will be announced soon.

[Awesome Welles]

Of course, I forgot all about that edition. My real wonder is how much Kurosawa will make it to Blu and whether anything we haven't seen yet (UK-wise) will be issued?

[Duncan Hopper]

They've also shown non British stuff at Flipside like Miss Leslie's Dolls. For obvious reasons this would never be released as a flipside title.

Then again, one definite future Flipside title is a US-West German co-production directed by a Pole. But I think most people would agree that Deep End counts as culturally 'British'.

I see Flipside in April is William Castle's 'Shanks', staring Marcel Marceau.
I've not seen it, but it sounds fantastic.

[Awesome Welles]

From Twitter, re Kurosawa: box set action...

[The Glue Man]

I see Flipside in April is William Castle's 'Shanks', staring Marcel Marceau.
I've not seen it, but it sounds fantastic.

Do you mean as in they are screening it, or that they are releasing it?

Either way, good news! I've seen it - a very odd piece...

[Cold Bishop]

TCM is showing it in a week or so, as well.

[Duncan Hopper]

I see Flipside in April is William Castle's 'Shanks', staring Marcel Marceau.
I've not seen it, but it sounds fantastic.

Do you mean as in they are screening it, or that they are releasing it?

Either way, good news! I've seen it - a very odd piece...

It's being screened at the BFI on the 21st of April with another Marceau film, the short 'A Fable' from 1969.

[perkizitore]

Is is true that BFI have deleted many Flipside titles, in order to re-release them in DVD/Blu-ray combo releases? Also, is the Leopard blu-ray delayed until June?
Finally, will the new combo sets be cheaper than the previously released blu-rays?

[MichaelB]

Is is true that BFI have deleted many Flipside titles, in order to re-release them in DVD/Blu-ray combo releases?

Where did you hear this?

[perkizitore]

On HMV many titles appear deleted, so i thought the best explanation is that BFI is re-releasing them as combo packages, following the examples of the Ozu releases and Institute Benjamenta.

[MichaelB]

Institute Benjamenta? You're obviously ahead of me, and I'm working on this release!

[codam]

Institute Benjamenta is listed as 'with bonus dvd' on HMV. Also The Leopard as 'with bonus DVD', with release date 21/06.

[Awesome Welles]

This is a very interesting move and the prices seem to be getting lower!

[HarryLong]

TCM is showing it in a week or so, as well.

Thanks for the reminder. I have a truly dreadful, smeary VHS of this. It'll be good to upgrade.

[perkizitore]

I don't think the inclusion of a DVD is what made the releases cheaper, it's just BFI's policy and i hope it makes people's transition to blu-ray quicker!

[ellipsis7]

Policy is changing rapidly @ BFI, it appears... I can understand the logic of the Ozus - with 32 films singley released on separate BR & DVD packages, that's 64 individual releases to get out, pair up them in dual format releases then that's 32, however add a second feature on the DVD, that's only 16 releases you have to put out - makes huge economical sense, and persuades previous Criterion & Tartan customers to double dip, both for the 1080P main feature and for the rare second feature..

[jamie_atp]

Please please please if anyone out there is listening, a flipside bluray of Little Malcolm and his Struggle against the Eunuchs is required! The screening tonight at the nft was fantastic.

[Awesome Welles]

I couldn't make it to this. What was the print like?

[jamie_atp]

Not fantastic to be honest, sound a little off in places but still very watchable. John Hurt Q&A at the end was nice, and Mike Leigh who had directed the original Malcolm play was in the audience and joined in a bit so all in all a really good night.

[perkizitore]

Are any Ken Russell films in the Flipside works?

[jamie_atp]

Pretty sure the vast majority of Ken stuff is available on DVD already though spread around about 5-10 different dvd labels.

[MichaelB]

Pretty sure the vast majority of Ken stuff is available on DVD already though spread around about 5-10 different dvd labels.

The most glaring omissions are the films from 1970-2 - Dance of the Seven Veils, The Music Lovers, The Devils, The Boy Friend and Savage Messiah.

Two are definitely unreleasable because of rightsholder antipathy (Seven Veils, The Devils) - I'm not sure what the situation is with the others, but I think the current rightsholders are all major studios.

[MichaelB]

Official announcement about the BFI's upcoming dual-format editions:

BFI to launch DVD and Blu-ray ‘Dual Format Editions’

The BFI announces today the introduction of ‘Dual Format Editions’, in which both the DVD and Blu-ray versions of selected releases – main features and extras alike – will sit side-by-side in a competitively-priced single package.

Dual Format Editions launch on 26 April, at RRP £19.99, with two classics from the master of Japanese cinema, Yasujiro Ozu: Tokyo Story (1953) and Early Summer (1951). Over the next 12 months a total of 25 releases will be packaged in this way.

Sam Dunn, Head of BFI Video Publishing, comments:

"The idea behind Dual Format Editions is to provide film lovers with the ultimate win-win solution in a time of financial uncertainty and technological confusion. Not only does the price mean that the BFI's quality Blu-rays are instantly more affordable, but the inclusion of both DVD and Blu-ray in a single package means that the DVD buyer is safeguarded against upgrades they may make in the future at no extra cost."

Existing Blu-ray customers will benefit both from the lower price and from the inclusion of a DVD, which offers greater flexibility for viewing away from the home cinema environment.

Other titles lined up for the BFI Dual Format treatment this year are the Quay Brothers' exquisite Institute Benjamenta (1995); Tony Garnett's controversial Prostitute (1980); celebrated James Bond director Guy Hamilton's long-lost The Party's Over (1965) starring Oliver Reed; Gerry O'Hara's swinging The Pleasure Girls (1965) starring Ian McShane and Klaus Kinski; a collection of acclaimed Hollywood director Tony Scott's early films, including Loving Memory (1970); and Mike Sarne's colourful Swinging Sixties masterpiece Joanna (1968).

Over the past 18 months the BFI has embraced the Blu-ray format and built a unique and exciting catalogue of High Definition releases. Providing a platform for both critically acclaimed and little-known films, the BFI Blu-ray range not only includes classics such as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Red Desert and Salò, but also showcases lesser-known, but equally arresting, works by unduly neglected filmmakers like Jeff Keen, Bill Douglas and Jane Arden.

Looking ahead, the BFI will continue to present a rich and diverse selection of works on Blu-ray in order to provide viewers with the opportunity to experience and engage with film like never before.

[peerpee]

I think this is all very, very clever - makes perfect sense for the BFI - and I love the look of the new Ozu dual-format packages now with b+w photos.