British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[Judex]

Originally Posted by tama

BFI is just about done wrapping up and releasing films from John Cassavetes. I've held off actually picking them up in hopes that here in N. America we would see a Criterion Box set. But I'm getting impatient.

You should still get them, and if/when Criterion announce a boxset or individual releases sell the BFI ones on. You'll easily make the money back you spent on them.

[Yami]

Originally Posted by BarnDoor

Hopefully BFI have changed their minds and have put the longer cut of Chinese Bookie on a separate Blu-ray, though I suspect it will be DVD only, making this a 1 BD and 2 DVD set.

I agree, it would be great to have both cuts in HD. The BFI is probably done with Cassavetes now but I do hope they licence Love Streams from MGM.

[nitin]

oh really? I was hoping it was the longer cut that was on BD.

[DukeOfPrunes]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

B

Incredible news!!!! I'm so happy!

[Judex]

Cover for Journey to Italy, can't find a high res one though.

[RDA]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

The two Robbe-Grillet announcements place the BFI ahead of just about any other label out there.

Considering how beautiful the Italian DVD releases are, these two Blu-ray releases should be phenomenal. Simply outstanding!!

Indeed! I'm mega excited about 'Trans-Europ-Express'. It's a film I didn't expect to see on blu-ray for years, so am delighted BFI are releasing it. Haven't seen the other Robbe-Grillet, but will pick that up too. I'm really hoping that BFI can release more of his films. I have only seen a couple of the others, but would love to see 'The Man Who Lies' in particular.

On a related note, I would love for BFI or someone to release some of Alain Resnais' films like 'Je t'aime, je t'aime'.

[Ozu Teapot]

Just a heads-up for anyone who's been trying to fill in the gaps in their BFI Flipside collection (like me) that Sainsbury's Entertainment currently seem to have all the dual format Flipside titles up to and including The Black Panther for just £6.99 including free delivery to the UK!

Some other BFI duals like The Great White Silence, Medea, L'Age D'Or and Revolution are just £8.99.

(Edited to add that if you're searching on their site for a dual title it's best to have the category set as "All Films & TV" rather than either "Blu" or "DVD" as it sometimes seems to exclude them.)

[EddieLarkin]

Originally Posted by Ozu Teapot

Just a heads-up for anyone who's been trying to fill in the gaps in their BFI Flipside collection (like me) that Sainsbury's Entertainment currently seem to have all the dual format Flipside titles up to and including The Black Panther for just £6.99 including free delivery to the UK!

And for people who have yet to start their Flipside Collection (like me)! Could you suggest 5 releases to start out?

[tenia]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

And for people who have yet to start their Flipside Collection (like me)! Could you suggest 5 releases to start out?

Herostratus is probably my favorite Flipside, but that's because I love these experiments with editing.

Bronco Bullfrog, Lunch Hour, Deep End and Privilege would probably be the other 4 I would advice.

There are, IMO, no spines I would say "Don't buy it !" except Permissive, which I found truly awful.

[Ozu Teapot]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

And for people who have yet to start their Flipside Collection (like me)! Could you suggest 5 releases to start out?

I hate suggesting titles to people because I always worry they'll have different tastes to me and I'll be effectively selling them a bum steer, however...

One of the titles that most impressed me was Duffer / The Moon Over The Alley, specifically The Moon Over The Alley as it was so unusual. I kept thinking as I watched it that if not for the BFI / Flipside you'd just never see anything like this anymore, which of course is one of the great strengths of the Flipside series.

I also liked Herostratus, Deep End, The Black Panther, The Party's Over and The Bed Sitting Room (although I think that last one tends to divide opinion quite strongly!)

[BigNickUK]

Cant wait for Humphrey Jennings Volume 3. Would love to see more of the documentaries collections coming to high def and blu

[EddieLarkin]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Herostratus and Deep End were both high on my own list so I'll grab them at least. I'll look into all the others!

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Herostratus and Deep End were both high on my own list so I'll grab them at least. I'll look into all the others!

Hi, Eddie. I would also recommend taking a look at All the Right Noises. Very young Olivia Hussey there, who only a few years before this film appeared in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. I thought that this was a simple but very good film.

Nighthawks is also very well made.

The best of them all, however, is Herostratus.

Originally Posted by Judex

Cover for Journey to Italy, can't find a high res one though.

Thank you. I will upload it now. This was the old DVD cover.

Pro-B

[charnier]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

And for people who have yet to start their Flipside Collection (like me)! Could you suggest 5 releases to start out?

The Pleasure Girls and All the Right Noises are really enjoyable.

I personally thought Requiem for a Village and its shorts were really good, but it's not everyone; definitely worth a rent if possible. Same goes for London in the Raw.

Man of Violence was ok - package made even better by the inclusion of the Big Switch. Private Road was just good.

Really disliked Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.

Another thing about the flipsides - sometimes the shorts are better than, if not comparable to the main feature; That Kind of Girl is a case in point (the film's ok but it is little more than an exercise in agitprop on the dangers of unsafe sex). Joanna was a good solid film, with a couple of interesting shorts - The Road to St Tropez is an entertaining travelogue, while Death May Be Your Santa Claus is just bonkers. And one of the shorts on Requiem for a Village - An unfinished film - is terrific.

[Judex]

Zavvi have Tess for £9.95

[Nika]

I'm really looking forward to the Robbe-Grillet titles! Hopefully they will release Eden et Apres very soon. Of all his films I've seen that's my fave. They could beautifully add the redux he made of that film as a nice bonus feature!

[Nika]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Hopefully, we will eventually see someone release Gradiva and especially Le jeu avec le feu a.k.a Playing With Fire. The latter overshadows the best of Ferreri and Borowczyk's films. Will pay whatever it is any distributor asks for a Blu-ray release.







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Pro-B

I would love to see Playing with Fire! I'm sure BFI will get to that one as TEE and SSIP seem to be the first two from a whole batch.

Would be great is BFI would release something by Borowczyk. La Marge being my choise.

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by BigNickUK

Cant wait for Humphrey Jennings Volume 3. Would love to see more of the documentaries collections coming to high def and blu

What he said.

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by Judex

Zavvi have Tess for £9.95

Used a percent-off coupon I've been harboring on this. At this price it's even cheaper than waiting on the presumed Criterion release at half-off.

On another note, does anyone know why PayPal never works on Zavvi anymore?

[Yami]

I've just noticed that the BFI doesn't appear to be putting Lotte Reiniger: Homage to the Inventor of the Silhouette Film on the Achmed release, despite the fact it's on their old DVD. Despite the welcome handful of Reiniger shorts, it would be a shame if there wasn't something on the topic of the director herself and the silhouette technique. There's a recent documentary called Dance of Shadows that would have made a good extra.