The Ken Russell Collection (2 Box Sets - BFI) - Preorder

[ionsi]

The BFI will release 'The Ken Russell Collection: The Great Composers' on Feb. 22nd 2016 on Blu-Ray.

The set will include:

- Elgar
- The Debussy Film
- Delius - Song of Summer

It is currently up for preorder on amazon.cu.uk and the BFI-Site:

http://shop.bfi.org.uk/new-releases/...l#.Volr-MRLZyU

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ken-Russell-Collection-Composers-Format/dp/B017HFTPYW/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1451846555&sr=1-1&keywords=Ken+Russell






On the same date another set will be released:

'The Ken Russell Collection: The Great Passions'

This set will include:

- Always on Sunday
- Isadora: The Biggest Dancer in the World
- Dante's Inferno

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ken-Russell-Collection/dp/B017HL1Y22/ref=pd_cp_74_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1J2Z6GGTTEDQCFG4058F





'Valentino' by Russell will be released on the same date too:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Valentino-Dual-Format-Rudolf-Nureyev/dp/B017HL1X7I/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1451847400&sr=1-4&keywords=Ken+Russell

[Wernski]

Originally Posted by ionsi

'Valentino' by Russell will be released on the same date too:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Valentino-Dual-Format-Rudolf-Nureyev/dp/B017HL1X7I/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1451847400&sr=1-4&keywords=Ken+Russell

It will be interesting to see what extras they wind up with. Kino is releasing the film on blu in the US this week with a bunch of interesting features.

[ionsi]

Originally Posted by Wernski

It will be interesting to see what extras they wind up with. Kino is releasing the film on blu in the US this week with a bunch of interesting features.

'The Great Passions' and 'The Great Composers' seem to have been postponed to March 28th.
'Valentino' is set to be released on February 29th.

Special Features for 'Valentino' are:

- Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
- Audio commentary with Tim Lucas
- Original TV spots and trailers
- Dudley Sutton remembers Ken Russell and filming Valentino (2015, 22 mins)
- The Guardian Lecture: Ken Russell in conversation with Derek Malcolm (1988, 90 mins, audio with stills)
- Lynn Seymour remembers Rudolf Nureyev (2003, 9 mins, audio with stills)
- Tonight: Nureyev on Ken Russell and Valentino (1977, 9 mins)
- Stills & Special Collections gallery (2016, 10 mins)
- The Funeral of Valentino (1926, 9 mins)
- Textless opening and closing credits
- Isolated music and effects track
- Fully illustrated booklet with extensive credits and newly commissioned essays

UK | 1977 | colour and black and white | English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles | 128 minutes | Original aspect ratio 1.85:1 | Cert: 18 (contains strong sex and sexual threat)

Disc 1: BD50 | 1080p | 24fps | PCM stereo audio (48k/24-bit)
Disc 2: DVD9 | PAL | Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (192kbps)



The Covers:

[ravenus]

I pre-ordered for the Composers set today after the Beaver review. Never seen them but I like documentaries about people and cultures.

[FriendlyDragon]

Originally Posted by Fnord Prefect

I remember thinking Delius: Song of Summer was great, a really touching docudrama about a perhaps not that sympathetic character. I think it's going to look a treat in HD.

Also I wonder if they've been able to restore the Charlie Chaplin footage deleted from the 2002 BFI release?

Do you mean Laurel and Hardy rather than Chaplin? MichaelB posted this on another forum a while back:

All six films have had brand new HD masters created specifically for these releases, and both Isadora Duncan and Song of Summer are being presented in longer versions than on previous video and DVD releases (BBC America for both, BFI DVD/VHS for Song of Summer). Isadora has had approx. 90 seconds of footage from Olympia restored, and while it proved impossible to clear the Laurel and Hardy footage that originally appeared at the start of Song of Summer, the BFI has substituted a British silent comedy of similar vintage (What Next?, from 1928), which has allowed the rest of the film's original opening (and, importantly, original voice-over) to be preserved intact.