British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[manicsounds]

January 17th, for the next 2 Ozu double features

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by retask

Any news on 2011 releases?

NEWS:
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5610

FIRST POST:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/2229644-post1.html

PRE ORDERS:



Pro-B

[rkish]

A question for Pro-B...kndy...or anyone in the know.

PQ-wise (as content-wise, they are supposedly identical), what is the comparison between the Flicker Alley "Chaplin at Keystone" and the BFI version that I have linked below.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002EAKWDO

The BFI version is considerably cheaper...just wondering if the UK version is worth a look.

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by rkish

A question for Pro-B...kndy...or anyone in the know.

PQ-wise (as content-wise, they are supposedly identical), what is the comparison between the Flicker Alley "Chaplin at Keystone" and the BFI version that I have linked below.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002EAKWDO

The BFI version is considerably cheaper...just wondering if the UK version is worth a look.

I think the only difference is the distributor, rkish. Both editions have the same content, as far as I know, and use the same recent restored footage. I have the Flicker Alley set, but I haven't had the time to even begin to crack it open.

CC

[rkish]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

I think the only difference is the distributor, rkish. Both editions have the same content, as far as I know, and use the same recent restored footage. I have the Flicker Alley set, but I haven't had the time to even begin to crack it open.

CC

Thanks CC!

Trust me...I'd much rather pick up a "domestic" version, but there are too many films that I want to get and saving where I can certainly helps my cause.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

The BFI and Flicker Alley releases were products of the same international Chaplin Keystone restoration project conducted by numerous archives around the world over the past eight years or so. I don't think anyone's done a feature-by-feature comparison yet, but both releases should be close to identical given the common source.

This is borne out by the two longest reviews I could find: DVD Beaver on the Flicker Alley box, and The Digital Fix on the BFI - which make it clear that each release contains the same 34 core films, and the same set of video extras. The BFI release appears to have a more extensive booklet, but that's based purely on their apparent page counts (58 pages versus 38), and of course one of the reviews could have a typo.

The only really significant difference is that the BFI release will be encoded to the PAL video standard, thus offering more picture information (576 lines versus 480) - and because of frame-rate issues I suspect the usual downside to PAL releases won't apply here: speeding these titles up to 25fps would look ridiculous.

Thanks MichaelB! I appreciate your insight on this.

[Dubstar]

unlike DVDBeaver review, blu-ray.com's review of 'Playtime' makes note that the commentary runs the entire film - that's obviousily one up on the Criterion release.

[rkish]

Pro-B:

I hope you're ready for the holidays.

I had a couple of questions about the soon to be released Equinox Flower/There Was a Father BFI/BD. Is the print/transfer used for the BFI version the same as the one used by Criterion for their 2010 DVD release?

Also, I was lead to believe that both films would be included on the blu-ray disc. Is this the case?

I would almost have liked to see There Was a Father as the lead film.

Thank you...Happy Holidays!

[rkish]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Equinox Flower was sourced from Criterion's master, as this was deemed the best available existing HD transfer. However, it underwent extensive additional colour grading and restoration to improve the overall quality and to bring the film closer to what the BFI believes to be Ozu's correct colour palette.



This is indeed the case. Of the four Ozu films that the BFI is putting out in January, only I Was Born But... is solely in SD.

Thanks MichaelB...I really appreciate getting your incite on BFI titles, as I'm a novice with UK titles and companies.

Can I assume that "There Was a Father" was also taken from the 2010 Criterion DVD transfer?

[rkish]

Thanks again MichaelB!

Hey...this is open to anyone. I've already bought Tokyo Story and I want to pick up another Ozu. Early Summer or Late Spring. I'm leaning toward Late Spring.

[manicsounds]

Early Summer looks better in print quality than Late Spring, and I do prefer Early Summer as a film more, but Late Spring is not far behind...

Plus with Late Spring, "The Only Son" bonus film is also in hidef and is another classic to see.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by manicsounds

Early Summer looks better in print quality than Late Spring, and I do prefer Early Summer as a film more, but Late Spring is not far behind...

Plus with Late Spring, "The Only Son" bonus film is also in hidef and is another classic to see.

Thanks for the feedback!

So I guess the Amazon UK listing that has "The Only Son" as a SD DVD only supplement is incorrect?

[Aristide Massaccesi]

Originally Posted by rkish

So I guess the Amazon UK listing that has "The Only Son" as a SD DVD only supplement is incorrect?

Yes. Buy with confidence.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by Aristide Massaccesi

Yes. Buy with confidence.

Thanks Aristide!

Ordered! Late Spring...too tempting to get The Only Son, as well (on BD yet!)

Thanks to all for your input...Happy Holidays!

[McCrutchy]

From The Digital Fix:

The BFI have announced the UK Dual Format Edition (DVD and Blu-ray) release of The Valley (Obscured by Clouds) on 14th February 2011. The second feature from Barbet Schroeder (Barfly, Reversal of Fortune, Single White Female) explores the limits of experience as it journeys into the great unknown accompanied by Pink Floyd's wondrous soundtrack, later released as the album Obscured By Clouds.

When Viviane (Bulle Ogier), a chic diplomat's wife, meets an intriguing adventurer (Michael Gothard) and his hippy friends in the wilds of Papua New Guinea, different worlds collide. The group, led by enigmatic visionary Gaetan (Jean-Pierre Kalfon), convince Viviane to join their expedition in search of a mysterious uncharted Valley.

Previously unreleased in the UK, the film has additional special features including three documentary shorts directed by Barbet Schroeder about aspects of the lives of the tribes of Papua New Guinea and a new director-approved 'optical effect' digitally-restored optional ending. The full list of features is as follows…

* Disc 1: BD50 / 1080p / 24fps / PCM mono audio (48k/16-bit) / Region Free
* Disc 2: DVD9 / PAL / Dolby Digital mono audio (320kbps) / Region 0
* Director-approved High Definition transfer from the original negative
* Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
* Original and digitally-restored optional endings (Blu-ray only)
* Original un-restored ending (5 mins, DVD only)
* Three ethnographic documentary shorts directed by Barbet Schroeder: Le cochon aux patates douces (1971, 8 mins) about the Mapuga tribe’s feast of pigs with sweet potatoes; Maquillages (1971, 12 mins) which examines the different types of ceremonial make-up worn by the Mapuga tribe; Sing Sing (1971, 5 mins) on the ceremony of ‘Sing Sing’ practised by Papua New Guinea’s tribes
* Theatrical trailers for Schroeder’s The Valley, More (1969) and Maîtresse (1974)
* Illustrated 26-page booklet with rare on-set photographs, an essay, ‘Childhood’s End: Pink Floyd’s Music for The Valley (Obscured by Clouds)’ by Rob Young and an essay and new director interview by Emilie Bickerton, author of the recently published book A Short History of Cahiers du Cinéma

[kristoffer]

Any news on Seven Samurai?

[rkish]

OCD question...

Tokyo Story comes with a red/circular sticker on the front of the slipcase. As it was placed in a good spot, it's not a major concern (though I usually pull off all stickers).

Is this an easy sticker to pull off or am I better with just leaving it on?

Thanks!

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

From The Digital Fix:

I love the Pink Floyd album, but I've never seen the movie. Is it very good? This might be a blind buy.

[Immersion]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

NEWS:
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5610

FIRST POST:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/2229644-post1.html

PRE ORDERS:



Pro-B

Exciting releases from BFI, and both of the upcoming BFI Flipside releases look very interesting. I just preordered Duffer, which was my first ever preorder Private road looks good too.

[Reduman]

Originally Posted by Immersion

Exciting releases from BFI, and both of the upcoming BFI Flipside releases look very interesting. I just preordered Duffer, which was my first ever preorder Private road looks good too.

I have to say that I have blind bought almost all of the BFI's [I]Flipside[I] series movies -- although I had never heard of most of them before! Rarely have I come across a bad movie yet. Now I trust the "brand" so completely that I will usually order the titles as soon as they come up and at least promise to hold some interest for me. I especially love the style of the 1960s films. It is simply fab that these films, which prior to the advent of DVD/Blu-ray would most likely never have seen the light of day again, can win over new audiences and possibly gain new fans. That's what makes today's technology so great!