British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[Yami]

Good news: the BFI have now changed the cover to say Fear. Puzzlingly, they felt the need to change Stromboli to "Stromboli, Land of God" - a translation of that film's Italian title.

But it's good to see it confirmed that the proper English version of Fear will be included. Hopefully they include Angst as well, even if it is in SD by necessity

[Opdef]

Bill Morrison Boxset arrived today. What a splendid looking thing it is. No writing on box, just a wraparound a la Borowcyk. Very surprising and welcome from BFI.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by Opdef

Bill Morrison Boxset arrived today. What a splendid looking thing it is. No writing on box, just a wraparound a la Borowcyk. Very surprising and welcome from BFI.

Quick Google search gives me THESE images of the set!







WTF! This is exactly what I've wanted for the last few sets! Herzog and Dreyer especially! Keep doing this BFI! I'm sure everyone would agree with me. Thick card stock, sturdy amaray cases, and a high-quality booklet! I might just get this set after all was going to anyway, but this is now priority for the next set I buy, I reckon!

[EddieLarkin]

Yup, that's packaging perfection.

[rapta]

Obviously modelled on what Eureka did for Late Mizoguchi, World Cinema Project: Volume One, The Passion of Joan of Arc, or Shoah & 4 Films After Shoah...or Arrow's Camera Obscura and Six Gothic Tales sets. I love how there's no text on this one though (is that what Arrow did?) and the photographic wraparound artwork designs in the Amarays remind me of The Passion of Joan of Arc Amaray edition (or at least what I remember from pictures).

It's interesting that BFI have obviously taken on board criticisms of last year's box sets (particularly Herzog, which for an 8-disc set perhaps should have been a digistack, like Soda's Jarmusch Collection). The War Trilogy set seems to use the sensible digipack design employed for the Kurosawa and Robbe-Grillet sets (which didn't work for the Herzog one), and the Dreyer set seems to have taken a leaf out of Artificial Eye and StudioCanal's books (e.g. Mizoguchi Collection, Essential Jacques Tati). I hope they will consider this Bill Morrison set as their best set design yet and for any future sets they use this layout! I'm sure the Rossellini & Bergman set will be a digipack like The War Trilogy set though, which is fine.

In other news I've returned my Dreyer set to LinkEntertainment, and they've guaranteed the replacement will be sent with more substantial packaging so it doesn't get damaged. Fingers crossed!

[tenia]

I'm going to slightly party-poop : I believe slim cases would have been nice in order to save some shelf-space. 2 big-ass Amaray for 3 discs is clearly too much.

This being said, the design looks marvelous. And sturdy !

[David M]

Oh, nice! That's the first I've seen of the packaging.

As an aside, I wonder how abstract something has to be for it to be "Exempt" from age rating in the eyes of the British censors.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by tenia

I'm going to slightly party-poop : I believe slim cases would have been nice in order to save some shelf-space. 2 big-ass Amaray for 3 discs is clearly too much.

This being said, the design looks marvelous. And sturdy !

Nah, slim cases aren't as substantial - and as with the Dreyer set, they wouldn't use a hard box if they had slim cases in it. Clear Amarays are the way to go - can fit extra discs, booklets, postcards, and generally feel sturdier.

Originally Posted by Lyris

Oh, nice! That's the first I've seen of the packaging.

As an aside, I wonder how abstract something has to be for it to be "Exempt" from age rating in the eyes of the British censors.

A lot of 'art film' and documentary is rated 'Exempt'. The criteria are probably somewhere on the BBFC site.

[TomN245]

According to Amazon, Around the World with Orson Welles is a Blu Ray and Numbered. Pre-order up for 16.25!

[EddieLarkin]

Beaver have the Chaplin set up, though only compared to the Divisa, not the Flicker Alley. The Spanish set is proven to be an absolute hump of a release.

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

The Spanish set is proven to be an absolute hump of a release.

Pardon my ignorance, but is "hump" good or bad?

[EddieLarkin]

How could it be good?

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

How could it be good?

What, like "sick" ?

(Was just trying to understand, mate. No criticism involved.)

[EddieLarkin]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

What, like "sick" ?

Good point, though I think that one has died off a bit. Anyway, I was definitely using it as a negative, as the first cap after the intertitle sample should demonstrate.

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

What, like "sick" ?

(Was just trying to understand, mate. No criticism involved.)

More like "shit" Upscaling and the like

Here's the link where you can see screencaps.

[tenia]

Originally Posted by rapta

Clear Amarays are the way to go - can fit extra discs, booklets, postcards, and generally feel sturdier.

But both clear cases don't have postcards or booklets in the Morrison set.
Look at how the Lubitsch MoC set is, for instance (the 1st one).

[rapta]

Originally Posted by tenia

But both clear cases don't have postcards or booklets in the Morrison set.
Look at how the Lubitsch MoC set is, for instance (the 1st one).

I meant for consistency's sake. If all the BFI sets were like that, it'd be great. MoC have stuck with them throughout, and they haven't made a bad box set to date.

[fdm]

Well, did give base.com a shot. Unfortunately, the Dreyer box set arrived (in the US) with the obligatory post office big dent that means I'll be sending it back.

The one thing with Amazon is that they'll pay for return postage. Any idea about base.com?

Wouldn't mind swapping, but postage back to UK is a lot more than postage from the UK, so if they don't cover it, I'll likely just return it, since odds obviously still favor getting damaged goods. And once eating return postage would be enough to end any subsequent base.com experiments.

[nitin]

Originally Posted by fdm

Well, did give base.com a shot. Unfortunately, the Dreyer box set arrived (in the US) with the obligatory post office big dent that means I'll be sending it back.

The one thing with Amazon is that they'll pay for return postage. Any idea about base.com?

Wouldn't mind swapping, but postage back to UK is a lot more than postage from the UK, so if they don't cover it, I'll likely just return it, since odds obviously still favor getting damaged goods. And once eating return postage would be enough to end any subsequent base.com experiments.

base has decent customer service (as opposed to say zavvi), drop them an email.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by nitin

base has decent customer service (as opposed to say zavvi), drop them an email.

Was going to do so tomorrow, fingers crossed.