Bill Morrison: Selected Films 1996-2014

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MichaelB · #1 Post by **MichaelB** » Tue Feb 03, 2015 1:57 pm

Limited edition Blu-ray box set of films by celebrated experimental artist Bill Morrison, including the renowned 2002 feature Decasia, as well as titles such as Spark of Being and Light is Calling, all of which are available for the first time in the UK. These exquisite films are scored by acclaimed composers such as Henryk Górecki and Bill Frisell.

Out in April.

#2 Post by **swo17** » Tue Feb 03, 2015 3:38 pm

Finally! Three BDs can hopefully fit most of his films--the Icarus set from last year was five discs, but only one was a Blu-ray, featuring Decasia and Light Is Calling.

manicsounds · #3 Post by **manicsounds** » Tue Feb 03, 2015 4:11 pm

I was going to say the same. I have Decasia already, and then found out about the Icarus collection. Was tempted to sell off Decasia and buy the Icarus box, but this announcement changes things...

colinr0380 · #4 Post by **colinr0380** » Tue Feb 03, 2015 5:08 pm

I liked Decasia (though the perpertually droning score got wearing after the first twenty minutes!) but absolutely love Light Is Calling, which is the perfect length and encapsulates all of the themes of the decaying material and tragedy of imagery half-lost (although a lost which creates ghostly beauty too) in a more concise package.

warren oates · #5 Post by **warren oates** » Tue Feb 03, 2015 5:48 pm

I don't suppose there's any chance this will be region-free?

#6 Post by **swo17** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 4:24 pm

Amazon product description wrote:BILL MORRISON: SELECTED FILMS 1996-2014

Over the past twenty years, Bill Morrison has built a filmography of more than thirty striking and original works which have been presented in cinemas, museums, galleries and concert halls worldwide. Making use of rare archival footage, which has often been decayed by the passing of time, Morrison explores the power of film as a medium which is evocative of memory and gives rise to a sense of collective mythology. Morrison's exquisite and timeless films are scored by the cream of the US underground / avant-garde music scene, including Dave Douglas, Henryk Górecki and Bill Frisell.

This extensive collection makes Morrison's acclaimed films available in Europe for the first time. The set includes his renowned 2002 feature Decasia (67 mins) as well as the evocative Spark of Being (67 mins), The Great Flood (78 mins), Light is Calling (8 mins), The Mesmerist (16 mins), Ghost Trip (23 mins), Outerborough (9 mins), Who by Water (22 mins) and Just Ancient Loops (26 mins).

Special features

• Presented in High Definition
• Interview with Bill Morrison (2013, 9 mins)
• Special packaging with extensive booklet)

If those are the only films to be included, that leaves these films exclusive to the Icarus set:

The Miner's Hymns (separately available from the BFI on DVD)
The Film of Her
City Walk
Porch
Highwater Trilogy
Release
Re-Awakenings

For what it's worth, the runtimes for the films already confirmed as included in the set come to 144 minutes short of the 460 minute total runtime separately mentioned in Amazon's listing.

EddieLarkin · #7 Post by **EddieLarkin** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 5:27 pm

Nor would 316 minutes of content (or 325 if you include the lone special feature) take up 3 discs (you would also think Film of Her would be a given, as the date range in the title wouldn't really make sense without it).

David M. · #8 Post by **David M.** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 6:41 pm

Those mentioned aren't the only films, just a selection.

David M. · #9 Post by **David M.** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:36 pm

BFI just gave me permission to post the full list of films that'll be included on this set:

Disc 1:
The Film of Her
City Walk
Ghost Trip
Decasia
The Mesmerist
Light Is Calling
Outerborough
Porch
(and I believe also a bonus feature)

Disc 2:
Highwater Trilogy
Who By Water
Spark of Being
Release
Just Ancient Loops

Disc 3:
Re:Awakenings
The Great Flood
Beyond Zero:1914-1918
Back to the Soil

#10 Post by **swo17** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:46 pm

So with the separate Miner's Hymns release on DVD, the BFI will have replicated the entire Icarus set, upgrading 13 of the films to HD, and adding two or three additional ones. Wonderful!

MichaelB · #11 Post by **MichaelB** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 7:37 pm

Full specs announced:

Bill Morrison: Selected Films 1996-2014

On 4 May 2105 the BFI will release a 3-disc Blu-ray set of films by innovative New York-based filmmaker Bill Morrison. Selected Films 1996 - 2014 includes 2002’s Decasia, which was released in cinemas in the UK to much acclaim. Morrison's exquisite and timeless films are scored by the cream of the US avant-garde classical and jazz scenes, including Michael Gordon, David Lang, Julia Wolfe, Dave Douglas, and Bill Frisell.

Over the past twenty years, Bill Morrison has built a filmography of more than thirty striking and original works which have been presented in cinemas, museums, galleries and concert halls worldwide.

Making use of archival footage, which has often been decayed by the passing of time, Morrison explores the power of film as a medium which is evocative of memory and gives rise to a sense of collective mythology.

Disc One
• The Film of Her (1996, 12 mins)
• City Walk (1999, 6 mins)
• Ghost Trip (2000, 23 mins)
• Decasia (2002, 67 mins)
• The Mesmerist (2003, 16 mins)
• Light Is Calling (2004, 8 mins)
• Outerborough (2005, 9 mins)
• Porch (2006, 9 mins)

Disc Two
• Highwater Trilogy (2006, 31 mins)
• Who By Water (2007, 18 mins)
• Spark of Being (2010, 67 mins)
• Release (2010, 13 mins)
• Just Ancient Loops (2012, 26 mins)

Disc Three
• Re: Awakenings (2013, 18 mins)
• The Great Flood (2013, 78 mins)
• Beyond Zero: 1914-1918 (2014, 41 mins)
• Back to the Soil (2014, 18 mins)

Special features
• Presented in High Definition
• Bill Morrison: The Film Archaeologist (2013, 9 mins)
• Extensive illustrated booklet featuring essays by Lawrence Wechsler, Alex Ross, Gareth Evans, Geoffrey Himes, Sukhdev Sandhu, Steve Dollar and Matt Levine

Product details
RRP: £49.99 / Cat. no. BFIB1204 / Cert E
USA / 1996 – 2014 / colour, black and white / English language / 460 mins / BD50x3 / 1080p / 24fps / Mixed aspect ratios / DTS HD Master Sound 5.1 (on select films) and PCM 2.0 stereo audio (48k/24-bit)

An Evening with Bill Morrison – Blu-ray launch event at Rough Trade East on Wednesday 22 April at 7.00pm with special guest Bill Morrison
This release will be at launched at Rough Trade East, Brick Lane, E1 on Wednesday 22 April when Bill Morrison will present four of his short films followed by a Q&A, hosted by Gareth Evans, Film Curator at the Whitechapel Gallery. More details here

peerpee · #12 Post by **peerpee** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 1:00 pm

Packaging porn.

manicsounds · #13 Post by **manicsounds** » Mon May 11, 2015 12:54 pm

Still dont see any disc by disc breakdown reviews of this set (or the Icarus set for that matter), but which disc is the interview on? And what audio codec is used for the films?

David M. · #14 Post by **David M.** » Mon May 11, 2015 3:42 pm

The films are PCM except for those with 5.1 soundtracks, those are DTS HD-MA.

tenia · #15 Post by **tenia** » Mon May 11, 2015 3:52 pm

manicsounds wrote:which disc is the interview on?

1st disc.

Ashirg · #16 Post by **Ashirg** » Tue May 12, 2015 2:42 am

DVD Beaver

manicsounds · #17 Post by **manicsounds** » Tue May 12, 2015 10:02 am

BFI is taking all my money with these recent releases...

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