Anyone concerned about recent example of poor encoding on silent releases need not worry about Play On! Shakespeare in Silent Film. It's a packed release with some troublesome, rare and damaged film sources but seems to be brilliantly encoded.
Cry of the City (Blu-ray)
A film by Robert Siodmak
A masterpiece of law and disorder, Robert Siodmak's film noir classic depicts a timeless battle of good versus evil on the streets of New York.
Charismatic criminal, Martin Rome (Richard Conte) is on the run from Lieutenant Candella (Victor Mature), a dogged cop and one-time friend. The two nemeses go head-to-head in a tense game of cat and mouse, leading to a dramatic showdown.
Insolent, menacing yet darkly charming, Conte is magnificent, whilst Mature gives a career best performance as the unsettlingly obsessed detective. Cry of the City boasts a glorious gallery of shady figures, from a lawyer oozing corruption to a memorably sadistic masseuse, whilst the film's steely realism is enhanced by flourishes of noir stylisation, anticipating the films of Martin Scorsese.
Special features
Presented in High Definition
Original theatrical trailer
Audio commentary with Adrian Martin
Adrian Wootton on Cry of the City (2016): a newly filmed appreciation by the critic and chief executive of Film London
Fully illustrated booklet with credits and newly commissioned essays
US | 1948 | black and white | English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles | 96 minutes | original aspect ratio 1.37:1 | BD50 | 1080p | PCM mono audio (48kHz/24-bit) | Region 2 | cert 12
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On the Black Hill (DVD + Blu-ray)
A film by Andrew Grieve
Chronicling the travails of the Jones family - Amos (Bob Peck, Jurassic Park), Mary (Gemma Jones, Bridget Jones' Diary), and their three children - the heart of the story is the intense relationship between their sons, identical twins Benjamin and Lewis (played by real-life brothers Mike and Robert Gwilym). Sharing a unique bond, the brothers journey through eight decades of life, death and hardship together, all the while tied to the land on which they were raised. The epic sweep of the film takes in two world wars, exploring themes of nationalism, class, community, faith and pacifism. Though unrelenting in its portrayal of the raw experiences of rural life, On the Black Hill celebrates the people of the Black Mountains and its landscape, made transcendent by the magnificent cinematography of Thaddeus O'Sullivan.
Set in the stunningly dramatic Welsh Borders, Andrew Grieve's (Hornblower, Letter from the East) evocative adaption of Bruce Chatwin's novel is presented on Blu-ray for the first time.
Special features
Newly remastered and presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
Introduction by Andrew Grieve (2016, 20 mins): newly-filmed interview with the director
Special Collections Gallery: a selection of stills and promotional media
Shadows on the Mountains (Arthur Elton, 1931, 20 mins)
O'Er Hill and Dale (Basil Wright, 1932, 16 mins)
Complete screenplay and original press book (Downloadable PDF - DVD only)
Illustrated booklet with writing by Andrew Grieve, Brian Hoyle, Kevin Jackson, Jonathan Chatwin, Philip Kemp and Kathleen Luckey, and full film credits
UK | 1988 | colour | 116 minutes | English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles | Original aspect ratio 1.85:1
BD50 | 1080p | 24fps | region B
DVD9 | PAL | 25fps | region 2
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Women in Love (Blu-ray)
A film by Ken Russell
Ken Russell's lauded D H Lawrence's adaptation is a sophisticated meditation on the complexities of human relationships and the shifting social mores of a country shell-shocked by World War One.
Women in Love was hailed upon its release, earning four Academy Award nominations, and the Best Actress Oscar for Glenda Jackson. Audiences flocked to see its famous, erotically-charged naked wrestling scene, and critics celebrated the film's opulent design, handsome cinematography and the compelling ensemble performances of Alan Bates, Jennie Linden, Oliver Reed and Glenda Jackson. Often regarded as Russell's masterpiece, Women in Love endures as one of British cinema's finest achievements.
Special features
New 4K restoration by the BFI National Archive
Original theatrical trailer
Audio commentary with director Ken Russell
Audio commentary with writer and producer Larry Kramer
Second Best (Stephen Dartnell, 1972, 25 mins): previously unreleased short film starring Alan Bates based on the short story by D H Lawrence
The Guardian Lecture: Glenda Jackson interviewed at the National Film Theatre (1982, audio only)
The Pacemakers 14: Glenda Jackson (1974, 14 mins): profile of the actress with interviews and footage of the post-production work on Women in Love
Stills and Collections gallery
Fully illustrated booklet with credits and newly commissioned essays
UK | 1968 | colour | English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles | 131 minutes | BD50 | 1080p | original aspect ratio 1.75:1 | PCM mono audio (48kHz/24-bit) | region B | cert 15
I'm looking forward to Women in Love. I'm surprised that there isn't a new interview with Glenda Jackson - I would have thought that we'd start seeing her pop up on extras (or - better - new films!) since she stepped down as an MP last year.
Just noticed on the BFI site they have thumbnails for some of the recent announcements:
Shame it's looking like The Glass Sheild won't be getting a Blu-ray release anymore. I hope they can get some other Burnett on Blu-ray at some point (it looks like Killer of Sheep is actually OOP now).
I also saw a listing for the Pioneers of African-American Cinema set (but no one for the Brothers Quay one that's supposedly arriving before that). Their price is £54.99 for the Blu-ray or £39.99 for the DVD. I reckon they might be about £5-10 cheaper from the usual outlets.
I hope we get a full quarter announcement soon! They've already changed the release date for The Crying Game to November...
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Originally Posted by Yami
I wonder what this could be about? Or just quoting The Shining with nothing more to it?
Interesting...could it just be a Kubrick season or theatrical tour? They re-released Barry Lyndon in cinemas recently (and 2001 a year or two ago) but I doubt they'd be the ones to release it on Blu-ray as well (surely WB themselves would?). I was wondering if they might do a one-off Blu-ray release of the US cut of The Shining at one point, but then I decided that was just a fantasy.
Paths of Glory was the last Kubrick title to hit Blu-ray in the UK, so I doubt it'll be a Blu-ray release (or any kind of home video). Very happy to be proven wrong though!
Shame it's looking like The Glass Sheild won't be getting a Blu-ray release anymore. I hope they can get some other Charles Burnett on Blu-ray at some point.
I'm surprised that they're not using the Blackstar season as an opportunity to upgrade Killer of Sheep - it's certainly up there with the most important and best films directed by an African-American.
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Interesting...could it just be a Kubrick season or theatrical tour? They re-released Barry Lyndon in cinemas recently (and 2001 a year or two ago) but I doubt they'd be the ones to release it on Blu-ray as well (surely WB themselves would?). I was wondering if they might do a one-off Blu-ray release of the US cut of The Shining at one point, but then I decided that was just a fantasy.
Paths of Glory was the last Kubrick title to hit Blu-ray in the UK, so I doubt it'll be a Blu-ray release (or any kind of home video). Very happy to be proven wrong though!
I'm not sure Warner would keep Barry Lyndon as close to their chest as, say, The Shining but without a new restoration I'm not sure why the BFI would bother. Sure, it should be in 1.66:1 instead of 1.78:1 but...
It could well be another October theatrical reissue of The Shining, I suppose.
I'm surprised that they're not using the Blackstar season as an opportunity to upgrade Killer of Sheep - it's certainly up there with the most important and best films directed by an African-American.
Yeah, I know! I suppose it now being OOP on DVD opens it up for others to do either own release. It would make a great addition to MoC, for example.
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Originally Posted by Yami
I'm not sure Warner would keep Barry Lyndon as close to their chest as, say, The Shining but without a new restoration I'm not sure why the BFI would bother. Sure, it should be in 1.66:1 instead of 1.78:1 but...
It could well be another October theatrical reissue of The Shining, I suppose.
Yeah, and the only films they've licensed to the BFI before are The Devils (strictly on DVD) and Revolution, so The Shining US Cut would be more than a huge favour!
For some reason I thought Barry Lyndon was a new restoration, but I just looked it up and you're right - it's just a re-release. So yeah, not gonna be that either.
Dunno why the BFI would bother drum-rolling for a theatrical re-release of The Shining though, since they did that very thing a few years ago. They seem to screen it every year at BFI Southbank, in fact.
I guess we find out tomorrow what it is.
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Originally Posted by tenia
I... guess I can cancel my The Glass Shield [Blu-ray] pre-order at Amazon before it screws up the rest of my order...
Just wait for Amazon to do that themselves? The listing should get deleted if it's not being released.
I'm surprised that they're not using the Blackstar season as an opportunity to upgrade Killer of Sheep - it's certainly up there with the most important and best films directed by an African-American
Well the Kino release of Cry of the City is coming from a 2K restoration, so I'd be very surprised if BFI didn't have access to the same.
They got an older master for Where the Sidewalk Ends whereas TT got the 4K restoration. The wording used by the press release indicates older HD telecine for Cry of the City.
Napoleon (3-Disc Blu-ray Set)
A film by Abel Gance
Marking a new chapter in the history of one of the world's greatest films, the release of Abel Gance's Napoleon is the culmination of a project spanning 50 years. Academy Award-winning film historian Kevin Brownlow and the BFI National Archive have completed a new digitally restored version of this cinematic triumph, and audiences will be able to experience this extraordinary film complete with Carl Davis's magnificent score when the released on DVD & Blu-ray in November.
Originally conceived by its director as the first of 6 films about Napoleon, this five and a half hour epic features full scale historical recreations of episodes from his personal and political life, from the French Revolution to the heroic arrival of French troops in Italy that marked the beginning of the First Italian campaign of 1976. Utilizing a number of groundbreaking camera and editing techniques, Abel Gance's Napoleon offers one of the most richly rewarding and thrilling experiences in the history of cinema, a brilliant pairing of music and film, comparable to grand opera in its intensity, offering dazzling scenes of unparalleled brilliance.
Special features
Abel Gance: Charm of Dynamite (Kevin Brownlow, 1968, 50 mins): Documentary on the life and work of Abel Gance, narrated by director Lindsay Anderson (If..., This Sporting Life)
Interview with composer Carl Davis on the recording of the score for Napoleon
60 page illustrated book including new essays on the film and music plus full film credits
Other extras TBC
France | 1927 | black & white, and tinted | 330 minutes | BD50 x 3 | Cert U | Region B
3 Blu-ray discs and a 60-page booklet? Sounds like a heavy-hitter! Set for November 21st, though there could well be delays.
Also, the artwork for Pioneers of African-American Cinema is up too:
There seems to be some confusion about what films are actually included in that one. BFI saying the films span from 1920 to 1946, but the US set states 1915 to 1946. I assumed this would be basically a direct port of the Kino Lorber set, maybe with one or two changes to the extras? I doubt BFI would have any films taken out, let alone added...
For small reductions, I just accept it, but I have contested significant price drops in the past, and Amazon has been happy to refund the difference.
For example, I pre-ordered The Velvet Underground Live at The Matrix CD box set last year, which dropped in price by some £15 the day after mine was shipped. Amazon didn't argue the toss on that one. The woman was like, "Yes, I see that. I'll process a refund for the difference right away."
Try them. In my experience, they're very good with these things.
Amazon.co.uk recently changed their policy and no longer honors, or matches price drops, at least that's what a representative told me.
I won't even bother complaining as they won't refund the difference, but it does make me more and more reluctant to pre-order anything knowing that the day after the Pre-Order Price Guarantee is over, the price could drop...
I combat this buy ordering the item(s) I want, and adding another item that won't be released far into the future, three to six months, and selecting for my order to be shipped in as few packages as possible. Thus the order won't ship until the last item is released, which means I have Amazon preorder price match guarantee and I've protected myself from sudden post-release price drops.
By the way, sounds like we were right about Charles Burnett's THE GLASS SHIELD. Amazon have now deleted the listing, so I expect everyone's orders will be cancelled now. It's DVD-only if you still want it, which is a bit of a shame - as I and others have expressed, we hope there will be at least one Burnett title on Blu-ray in the next couple of years. BFI were more likely than most to do that for us!
3 Blu-ray discs and a 60-page booklet? Sounds like a heavy-hitter! Set for November 21st, though there could well be delays.
Seeing this in a theater in 2012 was the greatest cinematic experience of my life. The movie's not bad (technically dazzling and way ahead of its time), but seeing it in a theater with the final triptych sequence on three screens for a huge 4:1 aspect ratio will probably never be topped. MUST BUY!
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