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A new DCP of Killer of Sheep (advertised as the first one made of the film) was released in theaters last year for its 40th anniversary. If that involved re-scanning the film to create a new digital master, that must be a good sign, right?

That's what I was referring to in my previous post. I hope it's coming soon...I can't imagine Milestone passing on it.

Ah, never mind then!

Milestone is in fact distributing the re-release on DCP.

Hoping 2018 will finally be the year Maborosi makes it to Blu-Ray...

Fred Holywell wrote:Any update on when Rocco and His Brothers is now due? TCM ran the restored version with a Milestone logo, yesterday morning. A hopeful sign, perhaps.

2018...

Any news about Rocco?

Two Astonishing Films by Pioneer Woman Director Lois Weber
Restored and Available NOW from Milestone!
SHOES and THE DUMB GIRL OF PORTICI
https://www.milestonefilms.com/collecti ... lm-pioneer

SHOES

“Brilliant.”
— Manohla Dargis, New York Times

Selected for the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress

Lois Weber weaves a beautifully simple story of one shop girl’s struggles into a heartbreaking cinematic masterpiece. Filmed on the streets of Los Angeles — including a remarkable scene in Pershing Square and another in front of Woolworth’s on Broadway — Weber follows the daily travails of Eva Meyer, whose meager wages from her job at a five-and-dime store are the sole financial support for three younger sisters, a struggling mother, and a father who prefers beer and penny dreadfuls to work. When there is barely enough to cover the grocer’s bill, Eva is forced to patch the holes in the soles of her shoes with cardboard. But with each rainy day and every splinter, her plight becomes more painful, and finally intolerable. With no solution in sight, Eva is forced to consider other options.

The Shoes restoration by the EYE Filmmuseum combined a Dutch nitrate print and a 1930s “comedic” short reissue of the film found at the Library of Congress. Thanks to the recent discovery of the original script and intertitles in the 16mm microfilm files at NBC/Universal, the Milestone edition more closely reflects the original film. Prominent musicians and composers Donald Sosin and Mimi Rabson have created a mesmerizing and moving score.

Bonus Features:
Commentary track by Lois Weber biographer Shelley Stamp
1932 spoof Unshod Maiden
1971 audio interview of Mary MacLaren
Richard Koszarski on Unshod Maiden
Shoes: Before-and-after video
1911 short film, Lost Illusions written by and starring Weber

THE DUMB GIRL OF PORTICI

“Pavlova’s artistry is something that we are often asked to take on faith, something where you had to be there. Watching The Dumb Girl, you are there!”
— Joan Acocella, The New Yorker

The Dumb Girl of Portici has been long overdue for recognition as one of pioneer filmmaker Lois Weber’s finest creations and a landmark in women’s cinema. The blockbuster film was Universal’s most expensive to date and featured an enormous cast, large-scale sets, and an ambitious story.

For Weber, the film represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with Anna Pavlova, the incomparable prima ballerina. Pavlova was appearing with the Boston Opera Company in D. F. E. Auber’s 1829 La Muette de Portici, portraying Fenella, a wordless fisher-girl living during the Spanish occupation of Naples in the mid-17th century who is seduced and abandoned by a Spanish nobleman. In the opera and in Weber’s stirring drama, the betrayal of Fenella and the oppression of her people inspire her brother to foment a revolution.

Sadly, over the years The Dumb Girl of Portici has fallen out of distribution. This restoration, with a dazzling new score by the acclaimed composer John Sweeney, offers audiences a chance to experience the energy, brilliance, and the talents of maestras Pavlova and Weber.

Bonus Features:
The Immortal Swan, 1935 feature documentary by Pavlova's partner Victor D’Andre with amazing footage of the great ballerina
Anna Pavlova in Newsreels
Anna Pavlova's own 9.5mm home movies!
Films of Anna Pavlova dancing her most famous roles

These two great rediscoveries are 20% off the retail price at http://www.milestonefilms.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DVDs are $23.96
Blu-rays are $27.96

And the DVD of Lois Weber’s The Blot is just $10!

I've been so excited for these two new Weber blu-rays (and eager to support more Weber releases) that I preordered both (something I seldom do for non-limited editions) on Amazon. Portici arrived yesterday, but I received a notification from Amazon this morning that Shoes is now expected to arrive between February 21st and March 20th! Any word on what the holdup is? Hopefully it might end up just being delayed a few days. Should have just paid a little extra and ordered directly from Milestone, I suppose.

Dunno about Shoes, but Milestone sent this out recently, may be related:

Dear friends of Milestone,

For those who have already purchased (or will be purchasing) Lois Weber's THE DUMB GIRL OF PORTICI, we goofed. Through a chain of human error that ended with me, the second disc (both DVD and Blu-ray) with all the Anna Pavlova bonus features was not replicated and added to the release. For those who have already received the film, my apologies. We will be shipping you the second disc in the next month along with a 2-disc case.

If you haven't purchased the DVD or Blu-ray yet, we will be moving the new release date for the complete set sometime in late February hopefully. Again, my apologies. In a month of big mistakes (see Hawaii: button) and other mistakes (see White House: Big Button), I hope you'll be able to keep this in perspective.

For me, this was a release that I have been trying to bring out since 1989. I'm disappointed, but proud to be releasing this amazing film. We'll be back in touch when the swan is ready again to fly!

Sincerely,

Dennis Doros
Milestone

Good to know! I didn't actually crack open my copy of Portici yet, but I thought it felt kind of light (almost certainly not two discs.) I'll contact Dennis about whether I should return it or just get the second disc and case from him.

EDIT: Received an instant response. New disc is on its way from Milestone, and Dennis says that he thinks Amazon now has Shoes.

Kore-Eda's Maborosi is coming out on Blu-Ray in Japan in a couple of months (along with all his features from Maborosi through Air Doll), which perhaps bodes well for Milestone being able to get their edition out?

Those Japanese releases include English subs.

OMG! Distance on blu-ray!

Kore'eda listings at cdjapan

This seems like as good an opportunity to as any to finally watch Distance. I'm not sure we'll ever get better stateside releases of After Life, Nobody Knows or Hana, either.

Can someone clarify what the difference is between the ¥3,051 and ￥3,694 listings on amazon is? It sounds like the more expensive release includes a card signed by Koreeda, but the translation is somewhat inconsistent.

Finally getting the older Koreeda films on Blu AND with English subs is a wonderful development. Knowing our luck, once we import these, Arrow will announce these for half the price. Still, going to place an order for Afterlife and Maborosi together with Kitano's Sonatine in May.

Is Sonatine getting a subbed Blu-Ray release too?

Michael Kerpan wrote:Hoping 2018 will finally be the year Maborosi makes it to Blu-Ray...

Wish granted! (May 2018)

Also, according to cdjapan, the Sonatine Blu-ray is subbed.

Does anyone have any information about a home video release of Bless Their Little Hearts (1983)? All I see is info for institutional sales. Looks like I missed its recent theatrical run.

I just finished watching Thom Anderson’s Los Angeles Plays Itself and the clips from this look fascinating — a bookend to Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep.

I've been waiting for Milestone's release of Rocco and His Brothers but the Eureka Blu-ray is currently on sale at the extremely tempting price of £7.99. Is there any news of when Milestone's edition will appear and is it a safe bet it will look better than the reportedly flawed Eureka?

Maborosi and Rocco and His Brothers on July 10, according to Amazon.

Strange Victory (Leo Hurwitz, 1948) also forthcoming to DVD and Blu-ray.

DeprongMori wrote: Thu Mar 08, 2018 3:00 am Does anyone have any information about a home video release of Bless Their Little Hearts (1983)? All I see is info for institutional sales. Looks like I missed its recent theatrical run.

I just finished watching Thom Anderson’s Los Angeles Plays Itself and the clips from this look fascinating — a bookend to Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep.

I'm eagerly awaiting it, too. I've seen UCLA's restoration of it, and they did an astonishing job with it. It's far bleaker than Killer of Sheep, and the ending will never leave you. I taught in Watts for 2 years, and it's truly heartbreaking how that community has never been able to recover after the 1965 riots.

July 10 on Blu-ray and DVD from Milestone...






Dennis
Milestone F&V

Good timing announcing the Kore-eda!

Starring Travis Bickle as Alain Delon