Camera Obscura: The Walerian Borowczyk Collection

[MichaelB]

Camera Obscura: The Walerian Borowczyk Collection Blu-ray Limited w/ book

Camera Obscura: The Walerian Borowczyk Collection Blu-ray

Now that the Kickstarter campaign to restore Goto is long over (and in any case it only covered just one of the features in the box), I thought that Arrow's massive Walerian Borowczyk project probably needed its own thread.

So here are the provisional specs that Arrow announced yesterday:

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This groundbreaking collection brings together Walerian Borowczyk’s key films from a twenty-five-year period stretching from 1959 through to 1984.
This unique release includes five of Borowczyk’s provocative feature films: Theatre of Mr & Mrs Kabal, Goto Isle of Love, Blanche, Immoral Tales and The Beast, as well as his uniquely original short films from this period.

Not only are many of these films available on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time, but also in new digital high definition restorations approved by the director’s widow, Ligia Branice.

In addition to exclusive documentaries featuring cast and crew, an hour long portrait of Borowczyk is to be included, featuring the director’s musings on painting, animation and sex.

Accompanying this seminal release is a book edited by Borowczyk experts Daniel Bird and Michael Brooke featuring newly commissioned essays on Borowczyk’s films and art, as well as an account of the meticulous restoration process involved.

To round off the release is, for the first time, an English translation of Borowczyk’s 1992 collection of short stories, Anatomy of the Devil, translated by the director's assistant, Michael Levy.

Arrow Academy’s Walerian Borowczyk Collection is a vital addition to anyone interested in either world cinema, animation or experimental film.

Limited Edition collection featuring:

Five feature films:
- Theatre of Mr & Mrs Kabal ([i]Le Théâtre de M. et Mme Kabal/i], 1967)
- Goto, Isle of Love (Goto, l'île d'amour, 1968)
- Blanche (1971)
- Immoral Tales (Contes immoraux, 1974)
- The Beast (La Bête, 1975)

And the short films:
- The Astronauts (Les Astronautes, 1959)
- The Concert (Le Concert de M. et Mme Kabal, 1962)
- Grandmother's Encyclopaedia (L'Encyclopédie de grand'maman, 1963)
- Renaissance (1963)
- Angels' Games (Les Jeux des anges, 1964)
- Joachim's Dictionary (Le Dictionnaire de Joachim, 1965)
- Rosalie (1966)
- Gavotte (1967)
- Diptych (Diptyque, 1967)
- The Phonograph (Le Phonographe, 1969)
- A Private Collection (Une Collection particulière, 1973)
- Venus on the Half-Shell (Escargot de Vénus, 1975)
- The Greatest Love of All Time (L'Amour "monstre" de tous les temps, 1978)
- Scherzo Infernal (1984)

Special Features:
- Brand new 2K restorations (all features, a minimum of nine shorts);
- High Definition digital transfer;
- Newly created exclusive content;
- Collector’s book featuring limited edition exclusive content, new writing on the film, archive content and more!
- More to be announced closer to the release date (provisionally 30 June 2014).

For more information, here's Culture.pl on The Obscenely Fertile Filmmaker Borowczyk, which doubles as an introduction to Arrow's box set.

[Yami]

The passion being put into this box set is clearly evident in this CineOutsider interview with producer Daniel Bird and there's been some good news from James White on twitter - the recently discovered fine grain positive of Goto is in excellent shape and should "look exquisite when fully restored."

[ravenus]

Kudos to all the people that have put their efforts into this super-special collection. I know there's still some months to go and I wish Arrow all the time to do the best they can, but I'm really excited at the prospect of this amazing sounding set.

[BAKA]

I haven't read it yet, but there is a meaty looking article on Borowczyk in the latest issue of Sight & Sound (May) by David Thompson, for anyone interested.

[Yami]

£50 very well spent, I would say! It's great to see that the Kickstarter seemingly raised enough to restore all the short films as well. Will Kickstarter backers be receiving this on release day or a little bit earlier?

[josuv22]

Are the disks inside the box coming in amaray cases or cardboard like the battle royal set ?

[gitsurfer]

Looks like a genuinely tremendous release and a real labour of love. Very much looking forward to getting my hands on it.

[crazyman]

Not my cup of tea but I hope it does really well for Arrow.

[rock, stone]

Oh wow, this is looking amazing. I'm so happy to have been able to contribute to this one.

[Lutz]

I wonder how close is the boxset to selling out?

There would be about 400 copies gone already from Kickstarter and then pre sales as well...

[ISmith1979]

This 22 minute extended version of the Beast segment of Immoral Tales sounds interesting!

[CMNPlanet]

Originally Posted by Lutz

I wonder how close is the boxset to selling out?

There would be about 400 copies gone already from Kickstarter and then pre sales as well...

Arrow tweeted out today (April 23), they're at the 60% sold mark.

[fuzzymctiger]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

This was just about the most pleasant surprise we've had on this project so far! When the 35mm print of the "Beast short" was sent over, we assumed it would be the same as the version included in the German reconstruction of the five-part Immoral Tales (on the three-disc limited edition). Our suspicions were first aroused when it didn't have the Immoral Tales-style introductory title card, but it was only when comparing the two that it became clear that our 2K scan was much ruder, including some shots that didn't even make it into the final version of The Beast.

So as a result, we've dropped plans to include a "deleted scenes" section on The Beast's disc, as there's something like a 90% overlap - so in its place we'll be including the 22-minute short film, with the slightly politer 17-minute cut being featured on the Immoral Tales disc. BBFC permitting, of course, but they've been very supportive and sympathetic so far.

(This does not, of course, mean that they're going to pass the Oberhausen cut of A Private Collection without modification, but I accept that their hands are tied. In fact, we sought informal advice prior to submission and it turns out that we'd be breaking the law even if we submitted the unexpurgated version to them, because of the laws on possession of images of actual bestiality.)

This box set is sounding more and more obscene with every update!

Although I am extremely excited to be getting a box set with so much newly found material and things.

Though just curious: could I have a quick guide as to what parts of the box set I should be watching with other people around? I'm guessing Immoral Tales and The Beast, but any other films or shorts?

[fuzzymctiger]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

I'm guessing you mean not watching?

Anyway, discs 1 to 3 should be absolutely fine in polite company, with the possible exception of the illustrated Borowczyk interview on disc 3 (Blanche). But I'd steer well clear of Immoral Tales and especially The Beast, the two discs that give the package its 18 certificate.

(The ruder shorts are included on those discs, not out of a desire to keep them separate, but because A Private Collection was specifically designed to accompany Immoral Tales and ditto Venus on the Half-Shell and The Beast. But I don't think any of the other shorts will even get 18s - I'd say the vast majority of disc one is PG/12, possibly nudging a 15 at times.)

Oops, yep I meant not watching.

Ah thank you very much, that's a very a good idea with the shorts on the other discs.

So I'll have to wait until no one is around for the last two discs, but I can assure you I will definitely watch them. I'm very very excited for this box set

[chip75]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

James White on restoring Goto.

(or, if you were a Kickstarter backer, what your money was spent on!)

Thanks for the link. Well done to everyone who supported the project. Are there any firm dates on individual releases of Immoral Tales and The Beast?

[Craig666]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

I'm guessing you mean not watching?

Anyway, discs 1 to 3 should be absolutely fine in polite company, with the possible exception of the illustrated Borowczyk interview on disc 3 (Blanche). But I'd steer well clear of Immoral Tales and especially The Beast, the two discs that give the package its 18 certificate.

(The ruder shorts are included on those discs, not out of a desire to keep them separate, but because A Private Collection was specifically designed to accompany Immoral Tales and ditto Venus on the Half-Shell and The Beast. But I don't think any of the other shorts will even get 18s - I'd say the vast majority of disc one is PG/12, possibly nudging a 15 at times.)

I've never heard of this director. I saw the Terry Gillam interview and I could see how he was influenced by the animation. So what's rude about his other films?

[Craig666]

I see. Unique take on Beauty and the Beast. I bet Ferman loved watching the uncut version.

[ravenus]

^Quite interesting.

[Dr. Feelgood]

I just pre-ordered mine.

Thanks for all the interesting info MichaelB!

[fuzzymctiger]

Will those who backed the kick starter get their copies early or first?