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Posted: **Wed Apr 25, 2012 7:51 pm**

August 20th

Carlos Saura's (Carmen, Blood Wedding) touching and thought-provoking 1976 work remains one of the most important films in Spanish cinema. Released when Spain was just coming out of 40 years of Fascist rule it was nominated for a Golden Globe, and won the Grand Prize at Cannes in 1977

Cría Cuervos (English translation:Raise Ravens) centres on an amazing performance by the young actress Ana Torrent (Spirit Of The Beehive, The Haunting) as the disturbed eight-year-girl living in Madrid with her two sisters and mourning the death of her mother, played by an ethereal Geraldine Chaplin, whom she conjures as a ghost.

Special Features

[*]Carlos Saura in Conversation (2001, 22 minutes): onstage interview at BFI Southbank in which Saura talks in detail about the film s production and reception, and discusses the challenges of working as a filmmaker in Franco's Spain

[*]Extensive booklet with essays and critical assessments.

[*]Other extras to be confirmed

Posted: **Thu Apr 26, 2012 12:08 pm**

That's great news. It's a fantastic film that I wasn't familiar with until Janus did a theatrical tour of a new print a few years ago. It's been one of my absolute favorite Criterion "discoveries." I've been hoping for a blu upgrade, but it seems like it would be pretty far down their agenda. I may have to hang on to their disc for the Saura doc, but will definitely pick up the BFI blu.

Posted: **Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:23 pm**

Fantastic news! This is one of my faves.

Hopefully there will be some good supporting material, Suara was at the BFI southbank last year and was in London just a few days ago for the London Spanish Film Festival at the Ciné Lumière.

Posted: **Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:30 pm**

Presumably it will be on the Blu-Ray but here's Carlos Saura in Conversation at the BFI Southbank last year to mark the re-release of Cría cuervos.

Posted: **Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:35 pm**

Calvin wrote:Presumably it will be on the Blu-Ray.

More likely the DVD given previous examples (Before the Revolution, etc.)

But yes, it's a pretty safe bet that it'll be included somewhere in the package.

Posted: **Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:25 am**

When Masters Of Cinema said they were releasing something starting with the letter "C", I was hoping "Cria Cuervos". Even if it's not MoC, I'm very glad that BFI is handling it in HD.

Posted: **Fri Apr 27, 2012 6:36 pm**

20th August

Posted: **Thu May 03, 2012 8:06 am**

Duncan Hopper wrote:Hopefully there will be some good supporting material, Suara was at the BFI southbank last year and was in London just a few days ago for the London Spanish Film Festival at the Ciné Lumière.

Amazon is listing it among the extras. Other special features yet to be confirmed...

Carlos Saura in Conversation (2001, 22 minutes): onstage interview at BFI Southbank in which Saura talks in detail about the film's production and reception, and discusses the challenges of working as a filmmaker in Franco's Spain.

Posted: **Fri May 04, 2012 10:50 am**

Posted: **Fri May 04, 2012 11:30 am**

What that cover needs is more ugly logos and crap taking up space.

I really enjoyed the use of the song Porque Te Vas in the film.
In the extras, the director worried about using such a well-known song, since it had been a big hit in Spain a few years prior to the film. But I imagine that the reason the song is remembered/known today is mostly due to the film, especially anywhere outside Spain. The song has a repetitive hypnotic quality which works nicely in the film, as the young girl becomes entranced by it. It's really not the type of music I normally listen to, and it seemed rather odd and creaky the first few times I heard it, but now the song is in long-term rotation on my MP3 player. Always enjoy it.
A very nice musical choice for the film, and beyond ...

Posted: **Fri May 04, 2012 11:39 am**

I assume that the date for Carlos Suara in Conversation is supposed to be 2011 rather than 2001?

Posted: **Sat May 05, 2012 5:46 pm**

I wonder if they plan to follow this by any other films by Saura. I would personally love to see "Elisa vida mia" on Blu-ray.

Posted: **Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:06 pm**

Amazon says This title will be released on March 18, 2013. Can it be so? I just sold my criterion for less than £10.

Posted: **Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:46 pm**

It does appear that its been delayed, unfortunately.

Posted: **Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:30 am**

Kauno wrote:Amazon says This title will be released on March 18, 2013. Can it be so? I just sold my criterion for less than £10.

Now they write the date of release is May 13, 2013. Hope it won't be delayed anymore.

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:11 am**

It has indeed been delayed because the BFI asked for the master to be redone, but as far as I'm aware the new release date has not been set yet - and probably won't be until the new master arrives.

Amazon has an incredibly annoying habit of just making up new release dates several months in the future in such situations - once an initial release date gets into their system, it seems that they can't just put up a simple message to the effect that the release has been delayed.

But as far as I'm aware, all the various elements of this release are already in place apart from the master of the main feature (my own contribution to the booklet was submitted weeks ago), so once the BFI is happy with the new master it shouldn't take too long to put everything together.

Posted: **Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:25 am**

Extras look to have been finalised. From Amazon...

Special Features

Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definiton
Portrait of Carlos Saura (José Luis López-Linares, 2004, 60 mins, DVD only)
On-stage interview with Carlos Saura (2012, 23 mins, DVD only)
Original theatrical trailers
Optional English language soundtrack
Fully illustrated booklet featuring new essays and notes from Maria Delgado, Mar Diestro-Dópido and Michael Brooke.
UK | 1976 | colour | Spanish language, with optional English subtitles | 109 minutes | Original aspect ratio 1.66:1

Disc 1: BD50 | 1080p | 24fps | PCM mono audio (48k/24-bit)
Disc 2: DVD9 | PAL | Dolby Digital audio (320kbps)

Posted: **Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:35 pm**

...and here's the official announcement:

Cría cuervos
(Raise Ravens)
A film by Carlos Saura
Starring Geraldine Chaplin, Ana Torrent

One of cinema’s most hauntingly vivid depictions of a child’s fantasy-imbued reality, Cría cuervos is a darkly unsettling and deeply touching film which stands as a landmark of Spanish cinema. Released for the first time in the UK, on 27 May 2013, this BFI Dual Format Edition (DVD and Blu-ray discs) also contains an hour-long portrait of Carlos Saura (Carmen, Blood Wedding) and an on-stage interview with the director.

Shot in the summer of 1975 as General Franco lay dying, Saura's masterpiece takes its title from a sinister Spanish proverb: Raise ravens and they'll pluck out your eyes.

Eight-year-old Ana (the spellbinding Ana Torrent from The Spirit of the Beehive) lives in a mysterious mansion in central Madrid, cut off from the roaring traffic and urban bustle by a high-walled garden. Recently orphaned, she believes herself to have poisoned her cold, authoritarian father (Héctor Alterio), a high-ranking military man whom she blames for the death of her much adored, musically gifted mother (Geraldine Chaplin in a performance of exquisite tenderness). Now cared for, along with her two sisters, by her uptight, scolding Aunt Paulina (Mónica Randall), Ana has ample opportunity to observe the frustrations – emotional, sexual, and professional – of her adult female relatives. This is a world of secrets and lies in which only the family maid Rosa (Florinda Chico) will respond frankly to questions about sex or the Spanish Civil War.

Cría cuervos was nominated for a Golden Globe and won the Grand Prize at Cannes in 1977. It enjoyed a highly successful BFI theatrical release in June 2011 when it received 5 star reviews.

Special Features

• Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition;
• Portrait of Carlos Saura (José Luis López-Linares, 2004, 63 mins, DVD only)
• On-stage interview with Carlos Saura (2012, 23 mins, DVD only)
• Optional alternative English language soundtrack;
• Original theatrical trailers;
• Illustrated booklet featuring new essays and notes from Maria Delgado, Mar Diestro-Dópido and Michael Brooke.

Product details

RRP: £19.99 / cat. no. BFIB1139 / Cert 12
Spain / 1976 / colour / Spanish language, with optional English subtitles / 109 mins / Original aspect ratio 1.66:1
Disc 1: BD50 / 1080p / 24fps / PCM mono audio (48k/24-bit)
Disc 2: DVD9 / PAL / Dolby Digital audio (320kbps)

The BFI has also published the trailer.

Posted: **Fri Apr 26, 2013 12:52 am**

This is a great film, which I first saw on Criterion DVD. Can't wait to see it again on Blu.

Posted: **Fri Jul 12, 2013 9:39 am**

The Digital Fix.

Posted: **Fri Jul 12, 2013 1:14 pm**

Completely forgot this came out last month. Pretty late for a first review, isn't it?

Posted: **Fri Jul 12, 2013 1:17 pm**

manicsounds wrote:Completely forgot this came out last month. Pretty late for a first review, isn't it?

The Digital Fix reviewers are unpaid, I believe.

Posted: **Wed Sep 04, 2013 1:50 am**

Finally, another review. From BlurayDefinition

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