Cult Films Discussion Thread

[Akijama]

Sorry if it's double thread. Some great titles are coming from CF.

Roll up, roll up cult film fans! CULT FILMS is here to bring you the best in classic and world cinema on DVD, Bluray and online.

We’re pleased to announce that Argent Films has joined forces with Nouveaux Pictures under the banner CULT FILMS. As always we are 100% dedicated to releasing fully-restored and carefully remastered versions of classic films by cinema’s greatest directors, all available via our online store.

Look no further for Italian arthouse classics! We’re proud to bring you Fellini’s groundbreaking works LA DOLCE VITA and 8 1/2, as well as the dazzling JULIET OF THE SPIRITS and Vittorio de Sica’s neorealist masterpiece UMBERTO D, among others.

If it’s cult treasures you want, we have Sergio Corbucci’s seminal Spaghetti Western DJANGO (Tarantino's avowed influence for his 2012 homage), Franco-Dutch chiller THE VANISHING, and exploitation gems STORY OF A CLOISTERED NUN and BEHIND CONVENT WALLS.

We are also proud to present Dario Agento’s phenomenal SUSPIRIA, stunningly restored for Bluray release with specially-commissioned extras featuring Claudio Simonetti and Maestro Dario Argento himself.

Keep an eye on this page for news and updates, and explore all our films at http://www.cultfilms.co.uk.

Thank you,
Cult Films

https://www.facebook.com/cultfilmsuk...78608548817690

[rapta]

Saw this on Facebook. Isn't this just the announcement of a merger of the two labels? I always wondered why they released under different labels anyway as I figured they came from the same company.

Is this actually an announcement of titles? I don't think it is - La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Django and Suspiria have all been released already (years ago, in most cases), and I assume the others are all DVD titles they've released before as well. An upgrade of Umberto D would be great though.

[huntauk]

The Vanishing is a great film, hopefully they will use the same master as the Criterion and get one of the best (sort of) horror films ever on blu in the UK.

Umberto D would be obviously another title of interest along with an improved Suspiria release.

[lolwut]

Cult Epics...Cult Films...

[fabio_p]

New releases coming up (found in a press release):

Two Women - 24 October 2016
A Special Day - 31 October 2016
The Battle of Algiers new 4K restoration - December 2016
La Dolce Vita - 2017
8 1/2 - 2017
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - tba
Marriage Italian Style - tba
Boccaccio '70 - tba

Press

BRAND NEW LABEL CULTFILMS LAUNCHES WITH TWO SOPHIA LOREN MASTERPIECES, TWO WOMEN AND A SPECIAL DAY
CultFilms is a brand new independent label merging two of the original world cinema specialist distributors, Nouveaux Pictures and Argent Films, which will be incorporated into the new label. CultFilms will create luxury releases of quality foreign and arthouse films. Every title will be a high end, collectible product, and extras will feature one or more in-depth documentary.

CultFilms will launch with two award-winning masterpieces starring screen siren Sophia Loren - Two Women, directed by neo-realist master Vittoria De Sica and A Special Day from revered director Ettore Scola. These masterworks of world cinema are Loren's two highest rated films on IMDB and will be presented for the first time ever in pristine HD, sourced from a restored negative, they will be released in October 2016.

CultFilms will sponsor a screening at London's ICA of Ettore Scola's award-winning A Special Day with a panel discussion on 23 October 2016.

Cultfilms has purposefully curated a collection of all award-winning Sophia Loren classics, which it will release subsequently. These include the Oscar winning (Best Foreign Language Film), Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (featuring the epoch-making Sophia Loren striptease), the double Oscar nominated (Best Actress & Best Foreign Language Film), Marriage Italian Style, and Boccaccio 70', creating the most definitive Sophia Loren collection ever.

CultFilms is proud to have been instrumental in the 4K restoration of Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle Of Algiers by award-winning Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with Casbah Entertainment. To celebrate its 50th Anniversary this multi award-winning, seminal war film was especially selected by the panel to screen at the 2016 Venice Film Festival with a red carpet event, introduced by the director of the festival, with the influencer and producer Saadi Yacef and with Mrs. Pontecorvo attending. The film will be released in December complete with a new exclusive documentary on the restoration.

In 2017 CultFilms will curate and release a complete collection of Federico Fellini masterpieces such as La Dolce Vita, and 8 1/2, a much lauded work that redefined filmmaking.

[fabio_p]

TWO WOMEN / LA CIOCIARA
Vittorio de Sica, 1960

Release date: 24 October 2016
RRP: £ 19.99

Transfer: HD sourced from a restored negative
Run time: 115 minutes
Audio: Italian, English
Subtitles: English

Special features:

• Vittorio D. – a documentary on Vittorio De Sica, with participations from the likes of Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen, Ken Loach, Mike Leigh etc.

• Sophia, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow – a documentary on Sophia Loren. Much more than a DVD Bonus (?), this exquisite hour long documentary is woven around an exclusive candid personal interview with Loren, it includes never before seen footage of Loren’s life and features her family and close friends such as Woody Allen, Giorgio Armani and many others.

[fabio_p]

A SPECIAL DAY / UNA GIORNATA PARTICOLARE
Vittorio de Sica, 1977

Release date: 31 October 2016
RRP: £ 19.99

Transfer: HD sourced from a 4K scan
Run time: 106 minutes
Audio: Italian, English
Subtitles: English

Special features:

• Ridendo E Scherzendo - an award-winning documentary on Scola, completed a few days before the great director passes away.

• Sophia, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow – a documentary on Sophia Loren. Much more than a DVD Bonus (?), this exquisite hour long documentary is woven around an exclusive candid personal interview with Loren, it includes never before seen footage of Loren’s life and features her family and close friends such as Woody Allen, Giorgio Armani and many others.

[Margot Robbie Fan]

If they're re-releasing La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2 then maybe a remastered version of Suspiria is in the works?

EDIT: Just saw the press release it mentions Suspiria!

[NjabPhungula]

Originally Posted by fabio_p

New releases coming up (found in a press release):

Two Women - 24 October 2016
A Special Day - 31 October 2016
The Battle of Algiers new 4K restoration - December 2016
La Dolce Vita - 2017
8 1/2 - 2017
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - tba
Marriage Italian Style - tba
Boccaccio '70 - tba

Press

Oh, come on! I JUST bought the Argent release of 8 1/2. If the upcoming one is just a straight reissue with different artwork/menus, then I won't feel too bad but if there are new extras I'll double dip because I love the film.

[ParisTexan]

Has anyone viewed the Sophia Loren films yet? Wondering what the quality is like..

[Aunt Peg]

Originally Posted by ParisTexan

Has anyone viewed the Sophia Loren films yet? Wondering what the quality is like..

Stunning. I received my Blu Ray yesterday and flicked through it today.

Trailers of a number of other films also featured on the disc.

[spanky87]

Took some screencaps of Two Women:

It's a BD-50 but the main video file is only 17.3 GB.

[IanSchultz23]

I highly impressed with A Special Day

[ParisTexan]

Originally Posted by spanky87

Took some screencaps of Two Women:

It's a BD-50 but the main video file is only 17.3 GB.

Thanks for these. It looks superb. I might take the plunge now.

[sjt]

Well, I wouldn't rate either of the inaugural Sophia Loren releases as technical triumphs, since both have encoding and compression issues, scarcely a surprise considering that neither Nouveaux nor Argent ever had any decent form.

Most worrying of all is the announcement of "Giulietta degli spiriti" up for HD transfer, since their previous DVD release was MISSING THE ENTIRE FIRST REEL, which, when challenged, far from apologising for, Nouveaux belligerently stated with blithe irrelevance to the matter in hand, "Well that's how it was released in Australia" Er.....

[Merrik]

Came across the review for Two Women today on the site and almost had a heart attack lol.

I've only seen this film a single time, probably 20 years ago on VHS, and was just stunned at Sophia Loren's performance. I've held off buying any of the (from what I've read) terrible DVD versions of the film released in North America because I was hoping someone, someday would pick this film up and give it a little bit of love. After reading the review and comments here (even if it's not absolutely perfect) and finding out it was Region Free (THANK YOU), I had to import it right away. Can't wait for it to arrive and revisit the film after a couple of decades!!

[samdvd1]

Press release today...

CultFilms is set to release newly remastered versions of two world cinema classics from two of the world’s finest filmmakers: Luchino Visconti’s final film The Innocent aka L’Innocente and Vittorio De Sica’s highly acclaimed masterpiece Umberto D. Both will make their debut on UK Blu-ray as well as DVD and digital release in April 2017, complete with brand new special features and distinctive collector’s packaging.

The Innocent aka L’Innocente Visconti's grand finale; the sensual and epic portrayal of a diabolical marriage is finally restored and released in HD on Blu-ray

‘Visconti's final film is also one of his best. Wondrously shot…it perfectly captures the splendour and decadence of 19th-century Italian society’ Sight and Sound


Hailed by Martin Scorsese as ‘De Sica’s greatest achievement’ Umberto D gets a newly remastered release in HD and arrives for the first time on Blu-ray
‘The best of the Italian neorealist films’ Roger Ebert

[ParisTexan]

Originally Posted by samdvd1

Press release today...

Both excite me greatly!

[witchmania]

Great news. Those two April releases will be most welcome. Has there been any mention of extra features anywhere? They seem to have been pretty generous when it comes to throwing in substantial documentaries.

[Sleazeaddict]

Are they still releasing Storia di una monaca di clausura ?