Sergei Eisenstein

[bearcuborg]

Today’s Google doodle has a pretty cool Eisenstein animation with the Potempkin steps.

[Michael Kerpan]

My take on Bezhin Meadow and Eisenstein.

Your link didn't work, but here's what I found: http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/cteq/bezhin/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Stefan Andersson]

Kino Lorber is releasing "SERGEI EISENSTEIN ¡MÉXICO! /.../ newly restored versions of those films derived from Eisenstein's legendary Mexican footage: Thunder Over Mexico (1933) and Death Day (1934) by Sol Lesser, Time in the Sun (1940) by Marie Seton, Bell & Howell’s four-volume Mexican Symphony by Willam F. Kruse and Egon Mauthner (1940-41), and the debut of Idols Behind Altars (2026), a diptych of Eisenstein's raw footage conceived by Bruce Posner with a new score by Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky). This special two-disc collection also includes rare outtakes, photographs, sketches, and documentaries"
https://kinolorber.com/film/sergei-eise ... ZDLyd-qaRh

Death Day is showing in the 2026 Pordenone film festival. Notes on the restoration, from the festival catalogue:
”This 2026 restoration was sourced from a nearly complete 35mm nitrate print acquired by the British Film Institute from Upton Sinclair in 1939, and several seconds of a 16mm reduction print held in the David Bradley Collection at Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive. The original film negat ive and release prints of the 1934 Death Day were destroyed in a nitrate fire in 1938. It remains unclear which version Sinclair sold to the BFI in 1939. But the image quality i superior. I believe it is the original release print, slightly damaged in projection. This newly restored version is unique, not an altered edit: the viewer can see the entire 35mm picture full silent aperture as registered on the 1939 print. Previously much of the top and bottom were cropped by the Academy sound aperture. The version we are seeing is exactly the same, less 8-11 seconds of footage lost to projection damage; I added back 3- 4 seconds from the 16mm print. The actual film is 15'08"; the complete digital file with titles, 15'51"; with the Kino Lorber logo, 15'57”. Thanks to digital scanning technology we can see for the first time everything photographed by Tissé on the 35mm film frame, except the left-side optical track area that was blocked out in the print. In much of the Mexican footage one can see full silent compositions and sound film compositions. Tissé often reverted to silent film framing. /…/ Bruce Posner”

Source: 2026 Pordenone catalogue - PDF downloadable here, under menu Giornate:
https://www.giornatedelcinemamuto.it/en ... V-TB6_lGJk

See also:
https://www.americancinematheque.com/no ... o-4-18-26/
https://www.americancinematheque.com/no ... s-5-14-26/
https://www.americancinematheque.com/no ... s-5-23-26/

Two films related to the above release but apparently not included in it:

10 minutes of filmed drawings by Eisenstein;
https://ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/se ... s-1930-32/

A Philological Quandary, Kenneth Anger’s ¡Que Viva Mexico!
https://iffr.com/en/iffr/2026/films/a-p ... exico-1950

[Peacock]

Filmjuwelen product page]DEFA Filmjuwelen released Ivan the Terrible Parts I & II on Blu-ray in Germany on 3 September 2026

Both films are on a BD-50, 1080p/24, 1.37:1, with Russian DTS-HD MA 2.0 and English subtitles. Part I runs 99:17 and Part II 85:18. The disc also includes both the East and West German dubs.

The label doesn’t state the source, but it seems likely to be the same Mosfilm restoration used for the French Bach Blu-ray which David Hare reviewed on Film Alert.The big difference is that the French disc was 1080i/25fps (and not English friendly) whereas the German disc is confirmed from the retail BDInfo as 1080p/24, so it appears to present the films at the correct speed.

Video is around 20 Mbps AVC for each film. I haven’t seen any proper screenshot comparisons yet, so how the encode compares with the French disc is still an open question.

[denti alligator]

I‘m still holding out for a Criterion upgrade.

[domino harvey]

I don’t think they can legally negotiate a new deal to release it though?

[Big Ben]

I don’t think they can legally negotiate a new deal to release it though?

I am under the impression that the Russian sanctions for the most part only affect things like banks or certain individuals. Films as you're well aware are considered protected speech in the US and that actually, hilariously plays a role here. I would wager if Criterion were to make the attempt and Mosfilm was willing, nothing could realistically stand in the way on the US end of the deal in any legal sense that would in any realistic way stand up in court. Big assumption here on my part but I doubt the current administration is going to care all that much about two Soviet made films from the forties and fifties getting licensed out to a boutique label.

[domino harvey]

Dennis from Milestone has indicated otherwise multiple times on this very board, unfortunately

[denti alligator]

I would expect sanctions in Germany to be stronger than here, or did they already have an agreement in place to release this film before the sanctions ramped up?

[Peacock]

I would expect sanctions in Germany to be stronger than here, or did they already have an agreement in place to release this film before the sanctions ramped up?

Yes, long before, DEFA has had Ivan in their German catalogue since the Soviet era, and had it re-confirmed in 1993 post reunification.

[starmanof51]

I‘m still holding out for a Criterion upgrade.

Would tend to think they would duplicate the Sound Years set and give us Alexander Nevsky at the same time