Radiance Films General Discussion & Wishlist

[beamish14]

This could be heading towards the semi-obscure, but I’m curious as to whether there’s ever been any discussion of Radiance working on any Alain Tanner works.

Full disclosure that I’ve never seen any of his films, but I’ve read enough film guides over my lifetime to know that he was once held in some degree of regard (esp. Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000, In The White City). I know that some of his work is available on back channels, but I’d rather have my first viewing of one of his films be a proper release. Anyway, just something I daydream about from time to time. (Another, especially as an Aussie, is Paul Cox. But I’d suspect it’d take an Australian imprint to make that happen.)

I’d love to see Paul Cox and Alain Tanner releases. I believe that many of their respective films have been restored.

Tanner was indeed a huge figure during the 70’s, with his collaborations with novelist/Marxist art critic John Berger (whose own books are being reissued by the New York Review of Books) were very well-received, and the screenplays for them were even published Stateside. New Yorker Films was his primary distributor, and with them being bust, I hope another entity will give them fresh exposure

[GaryC]

Fran has since confirmed that the podcast was recorded prior to the Rozier set being announced and that's what he is referring to. So no need to get excited about a Michel Drach set just yet.

If that's so, then it's not true that Rozier had never been distributed outside his own country, unless Fran is referring specifically to distribution on disc. Adieu Philippine had a UK cinema release, two showings on television and was streamed by Mubi (which is when I saw it). Granted, the other four features in the set have never seen the light of day in the UK before as far as I've been able to tell.

[GaryC]

This could be heading towards the semi-obscure, but I’m curious as to whether there’s ever been any discussion of Radiance working on any Alain Tanner works.

Full disclosure that I’ve never seen any of his films, but I’ve read enough film guides over my lifetime to know that he was once held in some degree of regard (esp. Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000, In The White City). I know that some of his work is available on back channels, but I’d rather have my first viewing of one of his films be a proper release. Anyway, just something I daydream about from time to time. (Another, especially as an Aussie, is Paul Cox. But I’d suspect it’d take an Australian imprint to make that happen.)

I’d love to see Paul Cox and Alain Tanner releases. I believe that many of their respective films have been restored.

Tanner was indeed a huge figure during the 70’s, with his collaborations with novelist/Marxist art critic John Berger (whose own books are being reissued by the New York Review of Books) were very well-received, and the screenplays for them were even published Stateside. New Yorker Films was his primary distributor, and with them being bust, I hope another entity will give them fresh exposure

I would too. The only Tanners I saw were Jonah... and In The White City on Channel 4 in the 1980s, plus his two films with Myriam Mézières (A Flame in My Heart and The Diary of Lady M) which I saw in the cinema, the latter at a press showing. Those two are pretty awful as I remember and the latter attracted laughter which I'm sure wasn't intended when I saw it.

Yes to Paul Cox. He was a case in the UK of a director no longer being distributed after a while, presumably due to not finding big audiences and companies no longer picking his films up, though they continued to be shown at the London Film Festival for a few years longer. It's a pity that he's no longer around to contribute to any releases. You can't pass his films off as Ozploitation so that may be a reason why he's fallen into neglect. I don't know what the situation is regarding rights etc but as far as I'm aware his films have not gone further than DVD.

Another director who was quite big in arthouse terms in the 1960s but whose films have been all but impossible to see, in the UK at least, is the recently deceased Alexander Kluge. Now that he's gone I'd hope for some activity regarding his work, memorial screenings at least. Maybe that could be one for Radiance.

[Peacock]

All of the aforementioned names are on my Radiance wish lists, particularly Kluge and Tanner.

I’d like to add my own: Werner Schroeter. It seems bizarre that no English language territory has released The Rose King, Day of the Idiots, The Death of Maria Malibran, Eika Katappa, and of course Malina (although this has an oop German Blu with English subs)… and everything else by him.

What’s holding these up?

And please can someone release a complete Nikos Nikolaidis Boxset, there’s only ten features… Morning Patrol etc. Masterpieces with genre leanings to appeal to all.

Anyway getting carried away, i’ll behave now with the wishlist requests!

[Calvin]

Tanner has been brought up as a suggestion multiple times over the years but, as far as I'm aware, Radiance have never mentioned him themselves.

The list of unavailable filmmakers is obviously a lengthy one - Deville is obviously a forum favourite and I'm not surprised that we're not seeing Kluge, Schroeter, Syberberg etc. if Deville and Oliveira are considered too much of a commercial risk. As Fran actually discusses in the podcast above, there is an inexact science about predicting what will and won't sell

[yoloswegmaster]

Apparently Matador and Special Effects are apparently 95% sold out despite neither having appeared on the Availability Watch list prior.

[Lowry_Sam]

Apparently Matador and Special Effects are apparently 95% sold out despite neither having appeared on the Availability Watch list prior.

Glad I placed an order directly with Radiance to take advantage of the July titles 10% discount (& decided to add Matador) because Orbit's pre-order window for it closed so quickly!

[DeprongMori]

I believe the forthcoming Iranian film will be 1999’s Willow and Wind. It is scripted by Abbas Kiarostami, is highly regarded, and screened at Il Cinema Ritrovato in the past few years, and fills out the clue WW.

[Marwood]

I believe the forthcoming Iranian film will be 1999’s Willow and Wind. It is highly regarded, and screened at Il Cinema Ritrovato in the past few years, and fills out the clue WW.

I can't remember seeing this at the festival, and I make a point of catching all Iranian films each year. I suppose it can have slipped me by,
,but I did a search in the festival database, which came up empty as well.

What is your source for Willow and Wind having been screened in Bologna?

[yoloswegmaster]

I'm also trying to find this on Ritrovato's website, as they keep the pages of the films that have screened at the festival in past years, and I can't seem to find anything for Willow and Wind. I can't even find confirmation that it's even received a restoration.

[Lowry_Sam]

PFA just finished an Iranian series with new 4K restorations & featured The Postman, Far From Home, Bashu, the Little Stranger, All My Trees, Gilaneh & Under The Skin Of The City, but no Willow and Wind.

[TechnicolorAcid]

I believe the forthcoming Iranian film will be 1999’s Willow and Wind. It is scripted by Abbas Kiarostami, is highly regarded, and screened at Il Cinema Ritrovato in the past few years, and fills out the clue WW.

I think it might be The Wayward Wife since a restoration was shown at the Venice Film Classics and it seems like something Fran might like to release

[DeprongMori]

I believe the forthcoming Iranian film will be 1999’s Willow and Wind. It is highly regarded, and screened at Il Cinema Ritrovato in the past few years, and fills out the clue WW.

I can't remember seeing this at the festival, and I make a point of catching all Iranian films each year. I suppose it can have slipped me by,
,but I did a search in the festival database, which came up empty as well.

What is your source for Willow and Wind having been screened in Bologna?

Mea culpa! Mea culpa! Mea maxima culpa!

Before dashing out the door this morning I did a quick web search on the state of the film, and good ol’ A.I. Summary gave me very misleading information which I did not have time to check out. I normally avoid and ignore anything generated by AI, but sadly I gave in to efficiency this morning, and posted. After doing quite a bit of further research this afternoon, I have able to uncover many kudos for the film, but no evidence of a restoration or an actual screening at Il Cinema Ritrovato. (Though it seems it was a hit in Mark Cousins’ “Cinema of Childhood” film series in 2014.) However, the search did lead me to what sounds like an excellent film I was previously unfamiliar with, so there’s at least that.

How many Hail Marys for penance?

[Calvin]

It would be a great release - and not outwith the realms of possibility. I wouldn't be surprised if Fran had some awareness of the film owing to the Cinema of Childhood touring series (it's where I saw it, alongside Talebi's other wonderful films Bag of Rice and The Boot) and it appears that DCP screenings are credited to Talebi himself. It has been on my wish list for a long time now. I'd be very curious to see any of Talebi's more recent works as well as I don't think they've had any distribution outside of Iran.

I've also had a thought that MV could be Michael Verhoeven - o.k. has been restored relatively recently, The White Rose has a German Blu-Ray, and The Nasty Girl was an early Arrow DVD from the early 00s that has been OOP for a long time.

[Lowry_Sam]

I've also had a thought that MV could be Michael Verhoeven - o.k. has been restored relatively recently, The White Rose has a German Blu-Ray, and The Nasty Girl was an early Arrow DVD from the early 00s that has been OOP for a long time.

I would love to finally replace my dvd of The Nasty Girl, hopefully this is the case.

[Calvin]

Announcements tomorrow - confirmed to be coming from Italy, Japan, USA, and Spain.

[Peacock]

Could they be?

Italy - Rome Wants Another Caesar + The Technique and the Rite (Jancśo) Double Feature

Japan - The Blue Sky Maiden (Masumura)

USA - All The Vermeers in New York (Jost)

Spain - Spirit of the Beehive (Erice)

[Calvin]

I'd love some Jost but, as of December, Fran was "not familiar" with him when I asked so I doubt there will be any releases for the foreseeable.

[rapta]

Great suggestions, Peacock. Would particularly love Masumura and Erice but we'll see. I'm not familiar with Jancsó's Italian work so would of course be interested in those too.

Someone has suggested the Italian title might be Pietrangeli's Il magnifico cornuto, judging by last month's newsletter clue, which could also be part of another volume of Commedia all'italiana stuff, probably with two or more of Pietrangeli's comedies (e.g. Adua e le compagne, Fantasmi a Roma, La visita, La parmigiana). They might not go for another box set though since the Risi one did take a while to sell out.

[Lowry_Sam]

Was a 2nd Commedia All'Italiana box actually hinted or justed speculated? Sergio Corbucci directing Toto would make a nice box.

Gli onorevoli
il Monaco di Monza
Lo smemorato di Collegno
I due marescialli
Totò, Peppino e... la dolce vita
He Who Hesitates Is Lost

[MichaelB]

I'm not familiar with Jancsó's Italian work so would of course be interested in those too.

It's very different from the films that he was making in Hungary, not least because he didn't have his virtuoso Hungarian crew or seemingly unlimited numbers of human and equine extras to draw upon. And while he spent his 1964-70 career decisively moving away from the long shadow that Antonioni cast over 1963's Cantata, it came right back when he made La Pacifista, and not just because Monica Vitti's in the lead.

[Calvin]

In terms of what we're expecting:

Italy - we're expecting an Italian comedy (likely The Magnificent Cuckold) and a Cottafavi
USA - Nadja and/or a Ferrara
Spain - none explicitly hinted at as far as I'm aware; Erice's Dreams of Light was a previous failed licence and more Saura wouldn't be a shock
Japan - Radical Japan 2 and a Kon Ichikawa

Was a 2nd Commedia All'Italiana box actually hinted or justed speculated? Sergio Corbucci directing Toto would make a nice box.

The blurb for the first box said "this ongoing series shines a light on this misunderstood filmmaking style with the first collection focusing on three films by master director Dino Risi" so it was certainly initially planned as a series, but I believe lacklustre sales has prompted a bit more thinking on that matter.

[domino harvey]

I’m pretty sure he confirmed they’re doing at least one more regardless of sales figures

[beamish14]

I'd love some Jost but, as of December, Fran was "not familiar" with him when I asked so I doubt there will be any releases for the foreseeable.

I’m sorry, but that’s a little nutty for someone running a label like this. It really is a shame that his work isn’t more widely commercially available, but new DCPs exist

[Calvin]

On further thought, there's also a clue for 'a whodunit' which shortens the odds for the Kon Ichikawa film being either or both The Inugami Family and its remake The Inugamis