L'Armée des Ombres (Army of Shadows) 4K UHD (1969)

[TheBondFan]

Coming from StudioCanal in June.

[Nitroes]

https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0CXJCH2KB

Tech https://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/f301872-armee-des-ombres.html

I already have it on Blu-ray and it looks great so I'm really looking forward to the 4K.

French cinema heaven.

[nicwood]

We’ve been spoiled by two masterpiece releases by SC (Peeping Tom & One from the Heart). I wish this streak continued with their French films too but I highly doubt it. We don’t deserve another Le cercle rouge or Contempt.

[StarDestroyer52]

Have the standard Studiocanal Blu as part of the Essential Melville set but haven't got around to watching it, will pick this up if it includes English subtitles.

[NeilZ]

Definitely picking this one up too.

[nicwood]

Announced by SC for June 10. Before that, the restoration plays at Cannes 2024!

https://x.com/studiocanalfr/status/1...410474687?s=46

The poster smells like an Éclair grade (and horrible French encoding like the Godards and Le cercle rouge). Hopefully they’ll get this masterpiece right.

[McCrutchy]

Standard Blu-ray is up on Amazon.co.uk for 3 June, but where is the 4K UHD?

[Yami]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

Standard Blu-ray is up on Amazon.co.uk for 3 June, but where is the 4K UHD?

HMV too. It worryingly looks like Canal might not give this an English-friendly UHD. I think they usually use the same disc for all of their territories but currently Amazon.fr and FNAC only list German subtitles for the French release...

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by Yami

HMV too. It worryingly looks like Canal might not give this an English-friendly UHD. I think they usually use the same disc for all of their territories but currently Amazon.fr and FNAC only list German subtitles for the French release...

It doesn't really make sense, though, because the subtitles would be the same regardless of Blu-ray or 4K UHD. So why release it in France (and Germany?) but Blu-ray, and only Blu-ray, in the UK? I saw some speculation in the UK forum that perhaps this would be a reprint of the older UK Blu-ray, but it would be pretty galling to do that, especially with new artwork on the box.

[nicwood]

There’s always the possibility that Criterion took UK rights for their inevitable UHD á la Le cercle rouge. And in case SC hired their worst encoder, Criterion will be quite important once again.

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by nicwood

There’s always the possibility that Criterion took UK rights for their inevitable UHD á la Le cercle rouge. And in case SC hired their worst encoder, Criterion will be quite important once again.

StudioCanal released it in the UK, but it went OOP.

[nicwood]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

StudioCanal released it in the UK, but it went OOP.

That supports my Criterion theory. They’ve increased their UK UHD output in general, so maybe that’ll be one they’re doing soon.

[Yami]

Originally Posted by nicwood

That supports my Criterion theory. They’ve increased their UK UHD output in general, so maybe that’ll be one they’re doing soon.

Criterion have never licenced a title from Studio Canal in the UK and they've also never just taken UHD rights for any title in any territory.

The feeling I get is that Le cercle rouge was a poor seller on 4K (it was always hovering near the bottom of the sales lists in HMV) so they've decided not to go with this one. Which doesn't explain, as McCrutchy says, why they wouldn't just put English subtitles on their French release considering they own the film in both territories.

[nicwood]

Originally Posted by Yami

Criterion have never licenced a title from Studio Canal in the UK and they've also never just taken UHD rights for any title in any territory.

The feeling I get is that Le cercle rouge was a poor seller on 4K (it was always hovering near the bottom of the sales lists in HMV) so they've decided not to go with this one. Which doesn't explain, as McCrutchy says, why they wouldn't just put English subtitles on their French release considering they own the film in both territories.

I wouldn’t rule anything out when it comes to Criterion. They’ve given us quite some surprises this year alone with their deals with Milestone (I am Cuba), Film Movement (Farewell My Concubine) etc. SC stopped licensing to them for a while, forcing their old editions to go OOP but this is long past now. I’m sure they’re often, if not always asking for dual territory rights if they can. As we’re seeing with Risky Business, this now works even with a studio that’s proven difficult for labels to get into with Warner Bros. If one boutique can get this to work, meaning acquiring UK 4K rights for a SC title, it’s Criterion. There’s always a first for something. Should the SC UHD turn out poor, I hope Criterion come to the rescue again. I don’t know how well AoS sold during the BD era, it seems at least enough for them to warrant renewing the license and doing a nearly identical reprint of their first (OOP) BD. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and can very well imagine the UHD happening.

[Ikari]

Knowing this is StudioCanal, dare I preorder? I know their 4K encoding track record is pretty inconsitent...

[McCrutchy]

The site news article has now been updated and now says that the upcoming UK Blu-ray is sourced from the remaster:

The new 4K restoration of ARMY OF SHADOWS comes complete with brand-new extras and is the newest addition to the ever-expanding Vintage World Cinema collection from STUDIOCANAL.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
• Army of Shadows - The Hidden Side of the Story
• Trailer
• In French, with English subtitles

I'm not sure what the "brand-new extras" are supposed to be, since the documentary and trailer were on the previous Blu-rays.

Again, I just hope this is either getting a UK release, or the French 4K UHD has the English subtitles, since they will be available on this UK Blu-ray, anyway.

[nicwood]

Not so great news from Cannes: L'Immagine Ritrovata is confirmed to have done the restoration of the film.

I'm bracing for a disaster here, also when it comes to the encoding.

A first image is over here: https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2...ch-resistance/

[RDA]

I've e-mailed StudioCanal and asked them about a potential UK 4K UHD release, and also whether the French UHD will have English subtitles.

[raphph]

This Facebook post clearly indicates no 4K UHD

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/TBt...ibextid=WC7FNe

[McCrutchy]

The artwork has been uploaded onto Amazon.fr:



It will be interesting to see if the Blu-ray is the same as the upcoming UK one.