British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[BarnDoor]

Some very exciting Alan Clarke developments, though I've no idea if they're DVD or Blu-ray related. The user Tuppence over on the zetaminor forums noticed that a number of his films have recently been submitted through the BBFC by BFI:

http://bbfc.co.uk/search/releases/an...?advanced=true

Under the Age
Psy-Warriors
Nina
Funny Farm
Elephant
A Follower for Emily
Christine
Contact

Searching the BFI archives reveals that they have 16mm materials for Contact, Christine and Elephant. Fingers crossed they might do a dual-format mixed release. Of course, it's possible the BBC have supplied them with HD scans of the original elements for some of the other productions (something they didn't do for the Ghost Stories for Christmas set - the BBC archives hold the original film elements, not the BFI's), though I don't know whether all of these were shot on film.

I hope we'll get To Encourage the Others, A Life is For Ever (Play for Today), The Hallelujah Handshake (Play for Today), Sovereign's Company (The Wednesday Play), Danton's Death (Play of the Month), and The Road (Screenplay) as well. Also notable by its absence is Penda's Fen, but I wouldn't imagine it's too far away. Maybe we'll get a Blu-ray of that later in the year?

[GaryCouzens]

Originally Posted by BarnDoor

I hope we'll get To Encourage the Others, A Life is For Ever (Play for Today), The Hallelujah Handshake (Play for Today), Sovereign's Company (The Wednesday Play), Danton's Death (Play of the Month), and The Road (Screenplay) as well. Also notable by its absence is Penda's Fen, but I wouldn't imagine it's too far away. Maybe we'll get a Blu-ray of that later in the year?

You can see Penda's Fen at the BFI Southbank in February (if you're near London) as part of a David Rudkin retrospective. According to him, there are rights issues with it so sadly there may not be a DVD/Blu-ray release of it forthcoming. Shame, as I'm sure the BFI would love to release that if they could.

I saw it on the BBC - not on the original broadcast but a more recent repeat - which isn't showing up on BBC Genome, but it was in the 1990s. Maybe it was an unscheduled replacement for something else? Whatever, it made quite an impression.

[Hatfield Peverel]

Originally Posted by oddbox83

I trust the Flipside brand. I have bought neither Riddle of the Sphinx and Murder in the Cathedral, but would have happily blind-bought if they had that Flipside seal of approval stamped on them. Because Flipside, to me, always means something rare and interesting from British cinema/TV regardless of it's a genre I'm interested in or not.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the Flipside branding, or you'll miss out on some really exciting films. It's all from the same curatorial team at the BFI's DVD department, with their nose for striking and undervalued filmmaking. The Flipside selections don't strike me as wholly consistent - Deep End and That Sinking Feeling could have been "standard" releases to my mind, given that they were popular, fondly remembered films, and the obscure-but-fascinating Jack Bond/Jane Arden films and Loving Memory (and the titles you mention) could just as easily have been Flipsides. I'd say the biggest sign you should take a chance on a particular title you've not heard of is that the BFI think it worthwhile to restore from scratch for Blu-ray, which is no small investment of time, money and energy.

[rapta]

Loads more Alan Clarke submitted to the BBFC!

Baal
Beloved Enemy
Danton's Death
Diane
George's Room
Goodnight Albert
Horace
Penda's Fen
The Last Train Through Harecastle Tunnel
The Love-Girl and the Innocent
To Encourage the Others
Thief
Road
Shelter
Sovereign's Company
Stars of the Roller State Disco
Stella
The Fifty-Seventh Saturday
The Gentleman Caller
The Hallelujah Handshake

So looks like this will be a pretty hefty box set then, and so far it looks almost complete!

[BarnDoor]

Fantastic. The only one I'm still waiting on now is A Life is For Ever (Play for Today). However, this isn't encouraging:

http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk...orks/150220296

Is this one lost? It's possible the BBC have it in their archives, or that another type of recording might exist. But this is of course merely a bonus at this point. I never expected the BFI to release anywhere near this much.

[Yami]

Can't see it on the BFI's site yet, but Nick Wrigley has just posted a snippet of the press release on twitter.

Dissent & Disruption: The Complete Alan Clarke at the BBC will be a limited edition 13 disc Blu-Ray set released on 23rd May.


Wow. Potentially the most impressive release the BFI have ever put together.

[BarnDoor]

Wow. That has to be to be dual-format right? Plus a director's cut of The Firm!

[Yami]

Originally Posted by BarnDoor

Wow. That has to be to be dual-format right?

I don't think so - it seems to duplicate the two 6-disc DVD sets above it but on Blu-Ray, and add in an extra bonus DVD (so whether or not it's 12 Blu-Ray + 1 DVD or 13 Blu-Ray + 1 DVD is perhaps the only thing that needs clarified)

[BarnDoor]

Great news that the BBC version of Scum is included. Michael, do you happen to know if A Life is For Ever (Play for Today) is among the sadly lost material?

And was this previously known? A Month in the Country coming in June:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Month-Countr.../dp/B01BF51KFW

[Gerby]

Any ideas how much the Alan Clark blu ray boxset will cost?

[rapta]

Originally Posted by gerby

any ideas how much the alan clark blu ray boxset will cost?

£1000 ONO.

Limited to 20.

[ravenus]

^Will there be individual releases later for those wary of putting out for a 13-disc box by a film-maker unknown to them?

[rapta]

Originally Posted by ravenus

^Will there be individual releases later for those wary of putting out for a 13-disc box by a film-maker unknown to them?

Not that I can tell. Looks like it's another limited Blu-ray set with alternative non-limited DVD sets for those that aren't sure. The Firm seems to be the only separate Clarke release.

Must admit I'm not that knowledgable, so it would depend on price. I wonder how limited it will be...it could fall in price eventually like the other BFI sets of late.

[GaryCouzens]

Originally Posted by GaryCouzens

You can see Penda's Fen at the BFI Southbank in February (if you're near London) as part of a David Rudkin retrospective. According to him, there are rights issues with it so sadly there may not be a DVD/Blu-ray release of it forthcoming. Shame, as I'm sure the BFI would love to release that if they could.

I saw it on the BBC - not on the original broadcast but a more recent repeat - which isn't showing up on BBC Genome, but it was in the 1990s. Maybe it was an unscheduled replacement for something else? Whatever, it made quite an impression.

Clearly such rights issues no longer apply, if they did previously, as it is included in the box set (and has just been passed 12 by the BBFC).

Sadly, A Life is for Ever is lost, as per Kaleidoscope's Lost UK TV Shows site.

[grahams76]

Will the blu of The Firm contain the short Elephant, like the Blue Underground DVD?

[I KEEL YOU]

Hopefully the box set won't be the only way to get most of these movies, as is the case for the Herzog box set.

Been waiting for individual releases of Stroszek and Heart of Glass since forever, and looks like I'll continue to wait forever.

[BarnDoor]

Individual release of Penda's Fen confirmed, plus the return of Flipside, and SYMPTOMS!!!!

http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/n...pril-june-2016

BFI are only halfway through 2016 with this line-up, and they're already killing it.

[Ozu Teapot]

Originally Posted by BarnDoor

Individual release of Penda's Fen confirmed, plus the return of Flipside, and SYMPTOMS!!!!

http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/n...pril-june-2016

BFI are only halfway through 2016 with this line-up, and they're already killing it.

Great news about Flipside and Penda's Fen which, although I'll be getting the Clarke box set, must be a dream release for many British viewers of *ahem* a certain age! A dream it once seemed wouldn't come true!

[Gerby]

Symptoms is incredible news!
Might even top the news of the Alan Clarke Boxset for me.

[BarnDoor]

Alan Clarke Set now listed on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BGX1BK2

Also Penda's Fen will be a limited edition:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BGX1B0W