British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[rapta]

Yeah I love that Insiang poster, and the Maynila one is alright. Still, would've liked to have seen something that pops a bit more, but I guess they might not have much to work with? The above posters were for Cannes, so maybe they couldn't reuse them without having to pay someone.

As you say though, I'm going to buy it regardless of the cover. I actually don't mind the artwork at the moment - it'll certainly look better in person!

[tenia]

To be fair, I don't dislike either, but it's just extremely bland.

Originally Posted by aewb

Still better than the garbage Arrow regularly produce.

Again, to each their own tastes, but I think it's very bland and a bit like a 5-min job.

While I don't like many Arrow covers, they are also many others I like a lot and which convey both the movie they're selling while getting a sense of a cover which took some time to produce (at least more than 5 minutes).

[OceanBlue]

A few weeks ago I nearly decided to get the BFI dual format release of two John Cassavettes-directed films, Opening Night and A Woman Under the Influence. However, what stopped me from getting these two BFI titles was an additional set of comments on the DVD Beaver review of A Woman Under the Influence (apparently a full restoration/preservation was done of A Woman Under the Influence at the UCLA, and it wasn't used for either the BFI or Criterion release).

Also, thinking about getting the Quay Brothers Animated Films release because animation has been something I've been interested in for a long time. Had a look at what the film Institute Benjamenta is about, and it's a BFI release I'm thinking about getting in the near future.

[nitin]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

A few weeks ago I nearly decided to get the BFI dual format release of two John Cassavettes-directed films, Opening Night and A Woman Under the Influence. However, what stopped me from getting these two BFI titles was an additional set of comments on the DVD Beaver review of A Woman Under the Influence (apparently a full restoration/preservation was done of A Woman Under the Influence at the UCLA, and it wasn't used for either the BFI or Criterion release).

Also, thinking about getting the Quay Brothers Animated Films release because animation has been something I've been interested in for a long time. Had a look at what the film Institute Benjamenta is about, and it's a BFI release I'm thinking about getting in the near future.

For what it's worth, both of them Cassavetes look quite good so I wouldn't hold off for fear of poor PQ or anything.

[tenia]

Yeah, while the whole BFI Cassavetes releases are just using the Criterion HD masters (which Criterion also re-used for their BD upgrades), they're still quite good. A newer restoration probably wouldn't be a bad thing, but especially for Woman and Opening Night, the upgrades are very much OK.

[gouryella]

Is Permissive oop? It's been a month since I ordered it from Amazon and still they can't give me a delivery estimate.

[Foggy]

BFI just posted a pic of Cronenberg's Crash on Instagram. Make it happen BFI.

[AlexIlDottore]

Originally Posted by Foggy

BFI just posted a pic of Cronenberg's Crash on Instagram. Make it happen BFI.

[rapta]

It's with Sony, right? Reckon if it was HD-ready, Indicator might consider it, and that's if Criterion hadn't got it already...

[fdm]

In the US it is/was with New Line (Warners). And way back was a Criterion laserdisc.

[DavidGallow]

I never put much stock in BFI social media teases as they're just as likely to be teasing for their theatrical wing and promoting seasons, screenings and curations as they are a home video release. Sometimes the two overlap of course but not often.

[OceanBlue]

Is the Jacques Rivette-directed film Celine and Julie Go Boating still with the BFI? Would like to see this get a Blu-ray upgrade.

[rapta]

These are the films Scorsese has selected to show during the BFI Southbank season dedicated to him:

America, America (Elia Kazan, 1963)
The Big Country (William Wyler, 1958)
The Boy with Green Hair (Joseph Losey, 1948)
Caught (Max Ophüls, 1949)
Drums Along the Mohawks (John Ford, 1939)
Force of Evil (Abraham Polonsky, 1948)
Manila in the Claws of Light (Lino Brocka, 1975)
The Night of Counting the Years (Shadi Abdel Salam, 1989)
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (Albert Lewin, 1951)
The Red Shoes (Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1948)
The River (Jean Renoir, 1951)

The Red Shoes and The Big Country are already available on UK Blu-ray, as was Pandora and the Flying Dutchman but that's now OOP, and Manila in the Claws of Light is coming out in March...but I wonder if we'll see any of the others on Blu-ray?

The Night of Counting the Years seems like something that could've been in a WCP Volume 2 set from MoC, but now could potentially be of interest to the BFI. I imagine MoC would also have licensed Ophüls' Caught from Paramount by now but Second Sight might still have the rights to that one.

A mystery why the BFI didn't release their own Blu-ray of Renoir's The River, but Criterion did. Both BFI and Janus were involved in the restoration, so you'd think they'd be able to do their own edition, especially considering they have the rights (or did, at least).

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

Is the Jacques Rivette-directed film Celine and Julie Go Boating still with the BFI? Would like to see this get a Blu-ray upgrade.

I think it still is, yes, and a Blu-ray upgrade would be great (ditto Paris nou Appartient). Dunno what's going on with a lot of their French titles...they seem to be slow to upgrade a lot of them. Grateful for the recent Godard titles of course, but wish they'd dig a bit deeper and deliver some other French classics they already have the rights to.

[BarnDoor]

Drums Along the Mohawk is a Fox title, but it was released on DVD in late 2014 by a label called Odyssey, which might throw a spanner in the works (providing DVD and Blu-ray rights aren't separate).

That said, the US Twilight Time release, which looks terrific and also includes Becoming John Ford, is currently available for just $8 at Screen Archives. For those interested it might be your best bet for the time being.

[GaryCouzens]

Originally Posted by rapta

These are the films Scorsese has selected to show during the BFI Southbank season dedicated to him:

The Night of Counting the Years (Shadi Abdel Salam, 1989)

I'd be interested in seeing this again. This was the first subtitled foreign-language film I ever saw, on its one and so far only showing on British TV, way back in 1976. (I was twelve.) The year should be 1969, by the way.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by GaryCouzens

I'd be interested in seeing this again. This was the first subtitled foreign-language film I ever saw, on its one and so far only showing on British TV, way back in 1976. (I was twelve.) The year should be 1969, by the way.

Ah sorry, was reading it from small text and hadn't actually looked up the correct year! Thanks for that.

I wonder if the BFI or MoC will be interested in releasing it next year? I noticed it was restored by the World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna back in 2009. The plot sounds really interesting (and very topical considering the recent looting during and after the Arab Spring and Egyptian Revolution), and I just watched a bit on YouTube and definitely looks like something I would blind-buy...especially if there was maybe a video essay or commentary included, or at least some writing on it.

This is why I'm a little frustrated there has been no World Cinema Project Volume 2 from MoC - looks like it would have been the perfect title for a follow-up set.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

Is the Jacques Rivette-directed film Celine and Julie Go Boating still with the BFI? Would like to see this get a Blu-ray upgrade.

I programmed a season of Rivette films shortly after his death earlier this year and it was a minefield of uncertainty. We had to bring forward a number of screenings due to rights lapsing. Our performance of Paris nous apartient finished literally just six hours before the film was pulled from exhibition, while there was a similar state of uncertainty regarding Celine And Julie (not to mention pretty much everything that artificial eye have the rights to too). Quite why this is we couldn't figure out for sure, but I was led to believe that our performance of Paris nous appartient was likely to be the last ever to be screened from that particular 35mm print, so it could be a case of the films being pulled prior to restoration, or it could be that another distributor has acquired them. The timing guidelines for our PARIS screening were incredibly tight, which makes me lean toward the latter.

[Yami]

The BFI DVDs of Celine and Julie and Paris nous appartient had their 10th birthdays a couple of months ago - my guess is that the BFI had a 10 year license.

[BarnDoor]

Alan Clarke's magnificent Contact (together with Psy-Warriors, so not the same disc as that on the set, but one that works better thematically) appears to be getting an imminent single release, though I guess we'll know very soon if Amazon have the date wrong:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Contact-Blu.../dp/B01MYN3C1W

I thought they'd wait until the box-set has sold out for further releases, given that a title like Contact is one of the stronger incentives for buying the set. I can see BFI doing single releases for Road (maybe with Christine) and Scum (perhaps with Sovereign's Company or Funny Farm?) at least. Possibly a DVD-only release for Baal also?

[floriang]

Great bargain at Moviemail: Kenneth Angers Magick Lantern Cycle (Dual Format) for £4. It seems to be in stock so it should actually be delivered (unlike the Day for Night [Criterion] offer). There's a 10% off code too: SPECIAL.