Dissent & Disruption: Alan Clarke at the BBC

[swo17]

The Humphrey Jennings collection was pretty monumental, even though there are only three discs worth of material there.

[Alan Clarke]

I'd be careful of the review of the entire boxset that Thornycroft posted, it's littered with spoilers.

[MichaelB]

CineOutsider's longest review ever (which, if you know the site already, is no small claim!).

[Yakushima]

Love the conclusion: "Sell your car, sell your jewellery, sell your family if you have to, and buy this magnificent and lovingly produced release."

[Big Ben]

I'd like to echo the statement made in the review. "All hail the BFI..."

Actually reading the parts of the view that aren't spoilers it appears that this thing really is the real deal for both newcomers like myself and veterans. A comprehensive, lovingly commissioned set to a man I'm hoping to get very well acquainted with in in the near future. Bring on next week! \:D/

[Alan Clarke]

Yes this set seems super cool. I managed to cancel my Amazon order and buy it from movie mail.com as I got £20 off through various discounts, making it less than £90. I can't really afford it but since it's limited edition I just can't risk missing out. I dunno, maybe they will release some the films individually throughout the year like Arrow did with Fassbinder's set?

5 more days...then it's over.

[domino harvey]

5 more days...then it's over.

Promise?

[Big Ben]

It's important to remember that the box set is limited.

It looked to me like the BFI made stand alone releases of things they believed would sell well ("No shit" logic I know). From what I read in the CineOutsider review Penda's Fen for example, has survived on reputation alone, making it a perfect film for those not willing to take the full leap with the entire set. The Firm I think speaks for itself with it's seemingly accessible (at least to this Clarke initiate) narrative.

Barring anymore secret delays I hope to have this set next week as well. I hope many of you will share your experiences here.

[Alan Clarke]

5 more days...then it's over.

Promise?

Whats your problem my friend?

[Alan Clarke]

It's important to remember that the box set is limited.

It looked to me like the BFI made stand alone releases of things they believed would sell well ("No shit" logic I know). From what I read in the CineOutsider review Penda's Fen for example, has survived on reputation alone, making it a perfect film for those not willing to take the full leap with the entire set. The Firm I think speaks for itself with it's seemingly accessible (at least to this Clarke initiate) narrative.

Barring anymore secret delays I hope to have this set next week as well. I hope many of you will share your experiences here.

Big Ben you can count on me to share my experience. I'm getting chicken feet just thinking about this set. By far the most expensive blu ray set i've ever paid for..and I paid 20 quid for the Hitchcock Masterpiece set!!!!! LOL

I'm going to share my thoughts with each and every single Clarke production with you lot, I cannot wait. Seriously up for this xx

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

I'm going to share my thoughts with each and every single Clarke production with you lot, I cannot wait. Seriously up for this xx

We are as one on tenterhooks!

[MichaelB]

I'm particularly looking forward to his takes on Solzhenitsyn, Büchner and Brecht.

[manicsounds]

I guess when I get around to watching "Baal", I'll hear this album in a new light.

[MichaelB]

5 more days...then it's over.

I'm afraid not.

Since review copies are already in circulation, it's presumably not a production issue, and the fact that they haven't given a new date suggests that this is out of their hands for now.

[AidanKing]

Presumably some sort of rights issue but hopefully not an intractable one?

With regard to Baal, there was a review of volume 2 of the DVD set in Uncut magazine, which concentrated on the film as being the culmination of Bowie's experimentation throughout the 1970s, which is an interesting view. I remember seeing it on its original broadcast but can only really remember it having a slightly peculiar, studio-bound texture to it, possibly a bit similar to Derek Jarman's Caravaggio.

[L.A.]

I am more than happy to wait as long as it takes. I know some of you are disappointed blahblah but no need to repeat this. Okay?

[MichaelB]

Presumably some sort of rights issue but hopefully not an intractable one?

That's what my money would be on. I can only imagine how hellish the rights situation must be for a collection like this, given that hardly any (if indeed any) of the original production contracts would have allowed for the possibility of commercial releases. And some of the productions are based on existing works that are also still in copyright, just to make things even more complicated.

I have absolutely no idea what the reason for the delay is, but two people at the BFI have independently confirmed to me that it's completely out of their hands right now.

[criterion10]

5 more days...then it's over.

I'm afraid not.

This is too good to be true...

(although obviously, I hope that this isn't too serious of an issue and doesn't affect the box set in the long run - I certainly hope it's not a rights issue!)

[Alan Clarke]

5 more days...then it's over.

I'm afraid not.

Since review copies are already in circulation, it's presumably not a production issue, and the fact that they haven't given a new date suggests that this is out of their hands for now.

Please tell me that this is a belated April Fools Day prank???

[Big Ben]

Hopefully the BFI can resolve this as soon as possible. But if it's out of their hands I can only imagine what it could mean. I REALLY hope it's not a rights issue.

[Alan Clarke]

Out of their hands..wtf, how can there be a rights issue when all the films are from his days at the BBC?? If the BBC have given the BFI the go ahead, how the hell can there be a rights issue?? I'd understand if it included content from his ITV days and such, but it's all BBC. What bloody rights is this????

Look, i'm just going to do burpees then have go out for a pint because this is just doing my head in. I need answers.

[Big Ben]

Well I think the worst thing to do is to overreact. The BFI obviously wouldn't delay it unless there was an actual issue. I assume Michael will keep us informed to the best of his abilities and that's really all we can hope for.

I want this set to be the best the BFI can make it even if if it means waiting a few more months.

[MichaelB]

Out of their hands..wtf, how can there be a rights issue when all the films are from his days at the BBC?? If the BBC have given the BFI the go ahead, how the hell can there be a rights issue?? I'd understand if it included content from his ITV days and such, but it's all BBC. What bloody rights is this????

It may not be a rights issue at all, although that's almost always the reason for sudden last-minute delays that are outside the distributor's control.

The fact that the BBC made and broadcast the productions originally has no bearing at all on whether or not they're clearable for later commercial release, and a number of BBC productions including the original Nineteen Eighty-Four and Ken Russell's Dance of the Seven Veils are currently unreleasable without the consent of the relevant rightsholder (in those two cases, the George Orwell and Richard Strauss estates).

It may well be something as simple (albeit intensely annoying) as a few seconds of uncleared music in a single production.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Look, i'm just going to do burpees then have go out for a pint because this is just doing my head in. I need answers.

Either we are heading for a Rupert Pupkin style abduction of the BBC's Director-General or the Samaritans should increase the manpower wielding the phones after closing time tonight.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

The worst that can happen is a Kill Baby Kill sort of deal so we should hopefully be safe. I'd be worried about the production costs incurred if the BFI has to re-organize the set in some major way if it's a few films causing the delay. Or maybe it's just the bonus DVD so who knows.