Radiance Films General Discussion & Wishlist

[TechnicolorAcid]

I honestly hope that if it is that landmark silent they were teasing it’s a Sjostrom set with anything but Phantom Carriage especially because 1.) his other films are very much OOP, 2.) never to my knowledge released in the UK and 3.) are very much influential and groundbreaking silent films. Phantom Carriage at least has a readily available Blu-Ray so it would seem just a smidge unfair to his other works.

[therewillbeblus]

A Page of Madness would be fantastic - the less overlap the better

[rapta]

Japanese, Swedish and Italian films confirmed on Twitter for tomorrow.

The Italian film might be Slap the Monster on Page One but for the Swedish title, I’m not entirely sure, but perhaps the SM box set could be some sort of set dedicated to Swedish Masters or something of that nature though it’s naturally just guessing on my part.

great shout on SMPO - I forgot we had that due!

The Man From Majorca was guessed elsewhere by Rapta and I think that's a good idea. I would be game for UK editions of Haxan, The Phantom Carriage, or if we really wanna be more obvious, Hour of the Wolf. but I think the first two will be MOC, the latter...well, I just hope it gets its own edition with actual extras from someone sometime. of course, it could be a Swedish film I've never heard of, which this label excels at. would be happy with that too

I have a feeling Slap the Monster on Page One is the Italian title since they only have 9 clues left on that 2024 handwritten list (unless there's an Italian horror we haven't guessed yet, if they're going full horror slate).

I think someone on BR.com asked about The Man from Majorca and was told they don't have it...yet. Common sense would say they should do it because The Man on the Roof did so well, and I actually preferred The Man from Majorca (though I'd definitely watch both films again).

So it'd be a nice surprise, but the Swedish tease certainly gives a bit more weight to them picking up a silent from SF Studios. Häxan seems likely as it feels like the kind of ex-Tartan DVD title a UK boutique should have released by now and I'm still surprised nobody has yet (chiefly Eureka, but BFI and even Arrow have dabbled in silents). The Phantom Carriage or any other Sjöström would indeed be great, of course, but both that and Häxan have technically been released by Criterion before now.

I pointed out in another thread that SF Studios actually have a couple of Dreyer films he made in Sweden, and The Parson's Widow fits that description (but isn't a horror, alas).

PS: If it does turn out to be Häxan, it would be amazing to see them include my sister's friend/bandmate's synth-led score for the film, which he has been performing live a lot recently in the UK and Ireland. Anyone curious can listen to it here: https://nickcarlisle.bandcamp.com/album ... soundtrack

A Page of Madness would be fantastic - the less overlap the better

Indeed, this feels the most Radiance since they are largely introducing lesser-seen Japanese cinema to UK and US audiences.

However, that film has already had a US release from Flicker Alley, so wouldn't that still be overlap as much as Häxan or The Phantom Carriage is overlap with Criterion?

[domino harvey]

I think the Flicker Alley is a BD-R, isn’t it?

[Finch]

It is BD-R only, yes. The Japanese title has got to be the rumored/teased Daiei Ghost Stories set unless Fran also throws in A Page Of Madness for October as a second Japanese release. Could the landmark silent be House of Usher? Would be a BD premiere though not for tomorrow as France is not listed.

[Peacock]

Fall of The House of Usher also has a BD, albeit a BD-R.

I would love this to be the title Radiance release however! But who knows. Landmark silent could really mean anything.

[TMDaines]

So we know what the bold DG was (Daiei Gothic), but no other clues answered this month.

Imported Criterion’s Häxan two months ago, so a little frustrating, but will likely sell and re-buy here.

Bonus clue of “Next month the Panic starts” suggests we get Panic in Year Zero next month.

[Finch]

Oshima set confirmed for 2025 with The Man Who Left His Will on Film in their newsletter.

AVAILABILITY WATCH
UK
Messiah of Evil SE - 7 left
Night of the Devils - 95% sold out
The Horrible Dr. Hichcock - 95% sold out
A Woman Kills 95% sold out
Scream and Scream Again 95% sold out
Visible Secret 95% sold out
She Dies Tomorrow 90% sold out
Tony Arzenta 90% sold out
O.C. and Stiggs 90% sold out
Fill 'Er Up with Super 85% sold out
Commedia all'italiana 80% sold out
Suzhou River 80% sold out
The Dead Mother 75% sold out
Black Tight Killers 75% sold out
By A Man's Face Shall You Know Him 75% sold out
A Story Written with Water 75% sold out
L'amour fou 75% sold out
Shinobi 75% sold out
Elegant Beast 75% sold out

US
A Moment of Romance 80% sold out
Visible Secret 80% sold out
A Woman Kills 80% sold out
Cosa Nostra 75% sold out
The Iron Prefect 70% sold out
Black Tight Killers 60% sold out
The Shape of Night 50% sold out
The Facts of Murder 50% sold out
Shinobi 50% sold out

[Drucker]

Sorry so what's the difference between the new edition of Planet of the Vampires and the last one? Seems like all of the content is still present, which I'm thrilled about it since I missed out on the LE.

[domino harvey]

They also broke up a bunch of their OOP or soon to be OOP boxes into individual standard releases, so a great chance to pick up Un temoin dans la ville /Witness in the City for the film and extras without needing the whole World Noir box

[TMDaines]

Sorry so what's the difference between the new edition of Planet of the Vampires and the last one? Seems like all of the content is still present, which I'm thrilled about it since I missed out on the LE.

No 80-page book, just the 20-page booklet, and no outer hard cardboard box.

[Finch]

Weird that Haxan is at the moment the only Radiance title not listed at Orbit (Diabolik has it but I prefer Orbit). Would be really annoying if Criterion followed Vinegar Syndrome in requesting that competing titles are not stocked.

[TechnicolorAcid]

I’m sure it will pop up mainly because Diabolik is the more generally well known second hand store of the 2 so if Criterion wanted to shadow ban the release they wouldn’t just go after Orbit.

[therewillbeblus]

They also broke up a bunch of their OOP or soon to be OOP boxes into individual standard releases, so a great chance to pick up Un temoin dans la ville /Witness in the City for the film and extras without needing the whole World Noir box

Is there any way to pick this up from third-party sellers, or just directly through the website?

[domino harvey]

The newsletter said they’ll be available from other retailers

[swo17]

Witness in the City

[Finch]

I’m sure it will pop up mainly because Diabolik is the more generally well known second hand store of the 2 so if Criterion wanted to shadow ban the release they wouldn’t just go after Orbit.

Yeah, Orbit confirmed to me they are still waiting on specs from the distributor. We're good! I couldn't justify the shipping charge from Radiance direct and I have credit with Orbit anyway.

[Aunt Peg]

Having just finished watching for the very first time If Paris Were Told to Us (1956) I would love to see a company like Radiance do a boxset of the complete works of Sacha Guitry.

[domino harvey]

Arrow took a bath on their Guitry box set (their limited edition with a small run still ended up getting dumped en masse to remainder sellers-- I paid $20 for a new copy just a few months ago), so I wouldn't get your hopes up

[Aunt Peg]

Arrow took a bath on their Guitry box set (their limited edition with a small run still ended up getting dumped en masse to remainder sellers-- I paid $20 for a new copy just a few months ago), so I wouldn't get your hopes up

I wonder how I missed that release but then I checked the French DVD box set for Guitry's mainly 30's work and all those titles appear to be in that so I probably passed on the Arrow release and have since forgotten it was ever released.

[hearthesilence]

If more individual titles ever get done for Blu-ray - and I'll settle for French imports with English subtitles, as long as the restoration and transfer's good - I would hope for Le Roman d'un tricheur (Confessions of a Cheat) and Les Perles de la couronne (The Pearls of the Crown) next.

[Balthazar]

The BFI Southbank screening schedule for September includes The Exterminating Angel, "restoration courtesy of Radiance Films".

[therewillbeblus]

It'll be a huge disappointment if this is the only Bunuel title we get. So many others are demanding HD releases

[thesmark88]

The BFI Southbank screening schedule for September includes The Exterminating Angel, "restoration courtesy of Radiance Films".

I can't see Exterminating Angel mentioned in the press release or a released schedule yet. Where did you see this?

[rapta]

It's on this PDF (here) that was linked to the main press release.

Great news! Figured Fran might start with one of the two ex-Arrow Buñuel titles - either this or Viridiana - but hopefully more will follow. Perhaps there's scope for a box set? This isn't necessarily the only Buñuel film Radiance have plans for...

Also worth pointing out there's a Maggie Cheung season, and several titles I'm surprised haven't been announced by UK labels yet (e.g. Radiance, Eureka, 88 Films), particularly Center Stage (aka The Actress) and Green Snake. Coincidentally I was talking to a friend/colleague about Maggie Cheung earlier today, and she said she was best friends with Cheung's makeup artist back in Hong Kong! I don't think she ever got to meet Cheung through her friend, but she also worked for Tony Leung so my friend did get to meet him once (very jealous).

A couple of other films mentioned in this press release I'd love to see Radiance release: Steve McQueen's Hunger (rights with Pathé, whom Radiance recently dealt with; same goes for Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher, which had a recent theatrical re-release) and the Coen Brothers' Barton Fink (rights with Universal, though if they wanted a slightly more obscure title perhaps The Hudsucker Proxy would be more suitable; UK rights are also with Universal for that one). I would say Soderbergh's King of the Hill as well, but I'd imagine Criterion will eventually get to that one for the UK.