Radiance Films General Discussion & Wishlist

[swo17]

Le Combat dans l'île (Alain Cavalier)

Really not trying to be that guy who shits on these titles but this is another very (VERY) bad French film

Ah, but I see zedz loved it!

Le Combat dans l'Ile (Alain Cavalier, 1962) - This is a terrific New Wave thriller, which kind of plays like a much more commercial Rivette film. There's theatre, there's a big conspiracy, there are flights to a house in the country, but it's all tied up in an hour and a half, the conspiracy is real and makes sense, and the film is focussed on a few main characters. Romy Schneider discovers her husband (Jean-Louis Trintignant, impressive as a reptilian shit) is part of a violent terrorist outfit and gets sideswiped by his secret life of political violence. She's left at a safe house while he flees to Buenos Aires, but when Schneider decides that life is actually just fine without a homicidal maniac sleeping in the same bed, he comes back to 'set things right'. Hey, this film also has an action set piece at the end. Take that, Rivette!

[diamonds]

Ah, but I see zedz loved it!

Le Combat dans l'Ile (Alain Cavalier, 1962) - This is a terrific New Wave thriller, which kind of plays like a much more commercial Rivette film. There's theatre, there's a big conspiracy, there are flights to a house in the country, but it's all tied up in an hour and a half, the conspiracy is real and makes sense, and the film is focussed on a few main characters. Romy Schneider discovers her husband (Jean-Louis Trintignant, impressive as a reptilian shit) is part of a violent terrorist outfit and gets sideswiped by his secret life of political violence. She's left at a safe house while he flees to Buenos Aires, but when Schneider decides that life is actually just fine without a homicidal maniac sleeping in the same bed, he comes back to 'set things right'. Hey, this film also has an action set piece at the end. Take that, Rivette!

I watched it a long time ago precisely because of zedz's praise of it as a "more commercial Rivette film." I was underwhelmed by it but also wished I could've seen it in a better transfer (all those inky blacks courtesy of Pierre Lhomme). Happy to revisit it with fresh eyes.

Remembering that comment though reminded me of the excellent La Mémoire courte (1979), another film that somewhat fits zedz's description (I would say "slightly" more commercial as opposed to "much" more commercial in this case) and a very worthy candidate for an upgrade. It basically is a doppelgänger Rivette film: directed by Eduardo de Gregorio (co-writer on almost all of his 70s work), shot and edited by the Lubtchanskys, featuring appearances by Bulle Ogier, Hermine Karagheuz, and even a cameo by the man himself. Radiance, if you're listening...

[Finch]

Very happy about more Fukasaku.

[Peacock]

Exciting releases all around.

And this is the last major league Fukasaku I’ve been waiting for, so thanks Radiance!

[yoloswegmaster]

If there are more Fukasaku titles that are forthcoming, then I'm hoping that Hokuriku Proxy War is on that list.

[Finch]

Sympathy for the Underdog needs rescuing as well. I don't think that's been released in the West since the old HVE DVD.

[dwk]

Under the Flag of the Rising Sun also hasn't been released since the HVE disc. The HVE release was part of The Classics Collection line, so the film was with Janus at one time. I wonder if they still have it (and if so, why it isn't on the Criterion Channel.)

[cdnchris]

"Cosa Nostra!" Of course!

[swo17]

I just noticed that Walking the Edge is another FCE title Radiance will be distributing in the UK

[therewillbeblus]

Nice! That'd be great if they dug into the back catalog and even distributed films going OOP on VS' site as a second option

[rapta]

Happy with these announcements. Keen for the Damiani set and The Man on the Roof especially, and will get Fill 'er Up with Super too at some point. Also very happy to see Walking the Edge make it over here...just lucky I didn't buy it already (as I did for Morvern Callar, and VS' Patty Hearst release). Great stuff!

Tempted by the subscription option but not sure which to go for yet...got until the end of the year to decide. As far as I can tell, £170 gets you 6x titles and "1-2 box sets", whereas £350 gets you 13x titles and "3-4 box sets" (which includes the Damiani set). That's roughly £14 per title (assuming each box set had 3 films in it), which is fairly good considering I'd probably buy all these anyway (saving £3 per single title). Plus there are plenty of other perks, including free shipping on hosted label titles, a tote bag, and access to the Discord group. Much to consider...

[dwk]

Nice! That'd be great if they dug into the back catalog and even distributed films going OOP on VS' site as a second option

I have to assume that Fun City is going to change distributors when their deal with VS expires, there is no other explanation for why such recent releases are going OOP, especially when they are getting distributed in the UK

[swo17]

Except that the LE model helps drive sales

[dwk]

Unfortunately true, but that doesn't really explain why something like Morvern Callar, which wasn't announced as a limited edition, is going OOP less than a year after being released.

[yoloswegmaster]

I'm not sure where this is coming from but someone from the other forum said that these are the clues for upcoming releases:

- Italian box set
- Italian gothic
- Italian crime film
- Hong Kong actioner
- Hong Kong horror
- French crime film
- Japanese crime film
- Japanese trilogy

[Glowingwabbit]

I'm not sure where this is coming from but someone from the other forum said that these are the clues for upcoming releases:

- Italian box set
- Italian gothic
- Italian crime film
- Hong Kong actioner
- Hong Kong horror
- French crime film
- Japanese crime film
- Japanese trilogy

Those are posted in the description for the new subscriber packages on the Radiance website (in case you wanted a confirmation).

[swo17]

Well, Discord members know about the Italian boxset, but I'm not going to be the one to spill the beans

[yoloswegmaster]

I'm not sure where this is coming from but someone from the other forum said that these are the clues for upcoming releases:

- Italian box set
- Italian gothic
- Italian crime film
- Hong Kong actioner
- Hong Kong horror
- French crime film
- Japanese crime film
- Japanese trilogy

Those are posted in the description for the new subscriber packages on the Radiance website (in case you wanted a confirmation).

Thanks! It also looks like the Italian boxset and gothic film will be U.K. only releases, alongside a TBC boxset.

Well, Discord members know about the Italian boxset, but I'm not going to be the one to spill the beans

I got 5 shekels with your name on it if you do happen to spill the beans on the set. :-k

[senseabove]

Safe to say all the insiders will be playing possum for that pittance but it's a dinomite set \:D/

[swo17]

It also looks like the Italian boxset and gothic film will be U.K. only releases

Yes, the Italian box is UK-only, with one of the titles already released by Criterion (but now from a newer 4K restoration). And no, it's not Il gattopardo

[yoloswegmaster]

Big Deal on Madonna Street please [-o<

[dwk]

Dino Risi set with an ill sore possum from a new 4K transfer?

[andyli]

The Organizer has a 4k restoration and a Criterion release not using it. I wonder if that title fits into any set?

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

I'd also be cool with any of the Zhang Yimou titles that Imprint has released, but I think those won't see a UK/US release until they've been properly restored. or Jiang Wen's In the Heat of the Sun and Devils on the Doorstep. many possibilities! just have no idea what's been restored/what's available

In the Heat of the Sun has a restoration that's been released on Blu in France and looks pretty good from the little I've seen. Devils on the Doorstep was never approved by the Chinese censors so I'm not bullish on its chances for a remaster.

Sadly there doesn't really seem to be much else in the way of Sixth Generation films with HD-ready elements, excepting of course films made on HD video to begin with (which to be fair covers a lot of ground). An HD copy of Zhang Yuan's Mama has been floating around for awhile, but the bitrate is so low it's impossible to tell if it came from a genuine HD element or is merely an upscale of an SD transfer. There is a good-looking remaster of Huo Jianqi's Postman in the Mountains on Blu in Japan. Wang Xiaoshuai's Shanghai Dreams has a 4K restoration by Ritrovata that played a couple of years ago at the Beijing International Film Festival. Zhang Ming's Rainclouds Over Wushan has also been recently restored.

But now I'm worried that the two PRC flags on the Twitter post referred to the two Hong Kong films supposedly in the pipeline. Guess we'll know soon enough.

[Peacock]

I guess they must refer to the Hong Kong releases unless they have posted Hong Kong flags on Twitter as well?