British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[Fnord Prefect]

Originally Posted by CrockettandTubbs

Letter to Brezhnev review:

http://www.dvdcompare.net/review.php?rid=4741

Rita, Sue and Bob Too review:

http://www.dvdcompare.net/review.php?rid=4742

If you're a fan of either/both films these releases are well worth your time, the colour corrected correctly matted no PAL speed up Letter To Brezhnev is almost like watching a new film after it's particularly poor treatment on VHS and DVD.

[rapta]

Cool, looks like the BFI are releasing Abel Gance's J'accuse (1938) for the UK: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/jaccuse-1938

[havalina]

Originally Posted by rapta

Cool, looks like the BFI are releasing Abel Gance's J'accuse (1938) for the UK: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/jaccuse-1938

Cool! Hopefully it's doubled up with (or, indeed, an extra for) the 1919 version, which isn't quite on Napoleon level but is a great silent.

Anyway, good to know BFI doing more Gance in the wake of Napoleon's success. La Roue would be lovely too..

[Gerby]

La Roue is the one i want to see!

[Darby1985]

The 1919 J'Accuse is much, much more powerful than the latter version.

[GaryCouzens]

And another - Diane Kurys's debut Peppermint Soda (Diabolo menthe) just submitted to the BBFC: here.

Good film. I saw it on BBC2 both times they showed it (1984 and 1988).

[fdm]

Originally Posted by GaryCouzens

And another - Diane Kurys's debut Peppermint Soda (Diabolo menthe) just submitted to the BBFC: here.

Good film. I saw it on BBC2 both times they showed it (1984 and 1988).

Nice! I haven't seen it, but have wanted to for decades.

I did see both Cocktail Molotov and Entre Nous on the big screen back in the early 80s… Hope these all show up on blu-ray. (Or even decent anamorphic dvds.) The sooner the better (I'm not getting any younger...).

[SilverBlueSnow]

Very cool news that E.A Dupont's Moulin Rouge 1928 is coming to BFI dual format later this month.

Apparently Variete (already on excellent MOC release), Moulin Rouge and Piccadilly (have DVD but not watched yet) form a trilogy of films.

It would seem only a matter of time before Piccadilly gets a restoration!

[Pikylechu]

Originally Posted by SilverBlueSnow

Very cool news that E.A Dupont's Moulin Rouge 1928 is coming to BFI dual format later this month.

Apparently Variete (already on excellent MOC release), Moulin Rouge and Piccadilly (have DVD but not watched yet) form a trilogy of films.

It would seem only a matter of time before Piccadilly gets a restoration!

I thought that this was being released by Network? And also that it was one disc only?

EDIT: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...f_rd_i=desktop

[CrockettandTubbs]

Review:

http://www.dvdcompare.net/review.php?rid=4770

[SilverBlueSnow]

Sorry - saw the post on Cineoutsider and was speed reading. Somehow got that it was BFI and assumed dual format. My mistake - thanks for pointing it out!

Originally Posted by Pikylechu

I thought that this was being released by Network? And also that it was one disc only?

EDIT: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...f_rd_i=desktop

[tenia]

July 24th : The Orchard End Murder
July 24th : Peppermint Soda
July 24th : Gance's 1938 J'acuse

Aug 21st : My Beautfiul Laundrette
Aug 21st : Life is Sweet (including 2012 production A Running Jump)

Sept 18th : Ken Loach boxset : Raining Stones, Riff Raff and Ladybird Ladybird

Artworks are up for J'accuse and Peppermint :


Some specs are already up too :
Orchard End Murder :

[Show spoiler]The BFI Flipside presents...
THE ORCHARD END MURDER (DVD + Blu-ray)
A film by Christian Marnham

Set in an idyllic Kent village one balmy summer during the 1960s, The Orchard End Murder is a grim take of murder and mischief.

Lured to the countryside for a romantic tryst, a young lady from the suburbs (Tracy Hyde) wanders off and happens upon a deformed stationmaster and his towering, half-witted rail worker friend (played by BBC TV Casualty's Clive Mantle). The strange encounter turns sinister and deadly when she is followed through and apple orchard.

Written and directed by Christian Marnham and shot by Pete Walker's regular cameraman Peter Jessop, The Orchard End Murder is a darkly humorous yet starkly violent murder thriller, unseen since it originally shocked UK cinema audiences as the supporting feature to Gary Sherman's Dead and Buried

Special features
Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
The Showman (Christian Marnham, 1970, 25 mins): short documentary about the circus showman, Wally Shufflebottom Jr.
Part of the Team (Christian Marnham, 1976, 22 mins):COI recruitment film for the WRAF
An Interview with Tracy Hyde (2017)
An Interview with Christian Marnham (2017)
An Interview with David Wilkinson (2017, 13 mins)
Illustrated booklet with new writing by Jo Botting, Vic Pratt, Will Fowler and full film credits
UK | 1981 | colour | 50 minutes | English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles | original aspect ratio 1.85:1 | cert 18 (contains sexual assault)

J'accuse :

[Show spoiler]J'accuse (DVD + Blu-ray)
A film by Abel Gance

Acclaimed as one of cinema's finest anti-war movies, Abel Gance's rousing indictment of warfare is as powerful and relevant today as it was on its original release in 1938

Having experienced the horror of the First World War, idealistic poet Jean Diaz (Victor Francen, A Farewell to Arms) turns to technology in a bid to prevent further barbarity. But a meddling and unscrupulous bureaucracy allows Jean's plans to be hijacked as Europe slides towards another great conflict.

Using his epic 1919 silent version of the film as a template, Gance pits mankind's romanticism against its capacity for savagery. Originally released on the eve of the Second World War (and the same year as Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion), J'accuse urges us to honour the memory of the fallen by learning the lessons of a catastrophic past.

Special features
Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
New audio commentary by Paul Cuff
Stills and special collections gallery
Illustrated booklet with full film credits, reviews and a new essay by Paul Cuff
France | 1938 | black and white | 119 minutes | French language with English subtitles | original aspect ratio 1.37:1 | Cert 12 (Scenes of war horror, distressing scenes, injury detail)

Peppermint Soda :

[Show spoiler]Peppermint Soda (Diabolo menthe) (DVD + Blu-ray)
A film by Diane Kurys

Teenage sisters Anne (Éléonore Klarwein) and Frédérique (Odile Michel) couldn't be more different: introverted Anne is trying to understand the world around her as she's on the threshold of adolescence; while outgoing, politically aware Frédérique is beginning her first love affair.

This coming-of-age tale, the debut feature of underrated French director Diane Kurys (Entre nous, Sagan), is an ode to teenage summers, first kisses and first losses. Offering an intricate view of adolescence in 1960s France, Peppermint Soda recalls Francois Truffaut's Les quatre cents coups and encapsulates the upsurge in liberality during this radical period.

Special features
Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
Theatrical trailer (3 mins)
Interview with Diane Kurys (2008, 33 mins):An interview with the director
Scrapbook (2008, 3 mins): Diane Kurys explores her collection of photographs and production materials
Illustrated booklet with full film credits and a new essay by Sophie Mayer and Michael Brooke
France | 1977 | colour | 101 minutes | French language with English subtitles | original aspect ratio 1.77:1 | cert 12 (Infrequent moderate sex references)

[Yami]

Somewhat surprised the BFI aren't releasing the 1919 J'Accuse as well as the 1938 version.

[CrockettandTubbs]

Wally Shufflebottom Jr.

[rapta]

YES! Finally can get a decent edition of Life is Sweet! BFI continuing to mine the Film4 vaults...I really, really hope they can get Local Hero, When the Wind Blows, Ghost Dog. Are there other Film4 titles already released by Criterion they might be able to access?

Also great news about the Ken Loach set. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on that!

[sjt]

Howard's End should be on that list, released 24th July.

[stepeanut]

Nice to see another Flipside release; love that series.

Hard for me to justify the Ken Loach box set, as I already own two of the three films on BD.

[Saccharin]

Originally Posted by sjt

Howard's End should be on that list, released 24th July.

It must be because of it's 25th Anniversary. They also gonna get special screening of Howard's End this year. I saw trailer announcement in the cinema in Holland. Well here they still not released Soldier of Orange from Paul Verhoeven here in Holland and is celebrating it's 40th Anniversary. See why I almost have only UK released BR's. It's makes me really and

[ParisTexan]

Originally Posted by rapta

YES! Finally can get a decent edition of Life is Sweet! BFI continuing to mine the Film4 vaults...I really, really hope they can get Local Hero, When the Wind Blows, Ghost Dog. Are there other Film4 titles already released by Criterion they might be able to access?

Also great news about the Ken Loach set. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on that!

I've not watched my Film4 disc in ages but don't remember it being that problematic. What were the issues?

Regardless, I'm excited to have the chance to pick up a better version of a brilliant film

[Killer Driller]

Originally Posted by tenia

July 24th : The Orchard End Murder
July 24th : Peppermint Soda
July 24th : Gance's 1938 J'acuse

Aug 21st : My Beautfiul Laundrette
Aug 21st : Life is Sweet (including 2012 production A Running Jump)

Sept 18th : Ken Loach boxset : Raining Stones, Riff Raff and Ladybird Ladybird

Artworks are up for J'accuse and Peppermint :


Some specs are already up too :
Orchard End Murder :

[Show spoiler]The BFI Flipside presents...
THE ORCHARD END MURDER (DVD + Blu-ray)
A film by Christian Marnham

Set in an idyllic Kent village one balmy summer during the 1960s, The Orchard End Murder is a grim take of murder and mischief.

Lured to the countryside for a romantic tryst, a young lady from the suburbs (Tracy Hyde) wanders off and happens upon a deformed stationmaster and his towering, half-witted rail worker friend (played by BBC TV Casualty's Clive Mantle). The strange encounter turns sinister and deadly when she is followed through and apple orchard.

Written and directed by Christian Marnham and shot by Pete Walker's regular cameraman Peter Jessop, The Orchard End Murder is a darkly humorous yet starkly violent murder thriller, unseen since it originally shocked UK cinema audiences as the supporting feature to Gary Sherman's Dead and Buried

Special features
Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
The Showman (Christian Marnham, 1970, 25 mins): short documentary about the circus showman, Wally Shufflebottom Jr.
Part of the Team (Christian Marnham, 1976, 22 mins):COI recruitment film for the WRAF
An Interview with Tracy Hyde (2017)
An Interview with Christian Marnham (2017)
An Interview with David Wilkinson (2017, 13 mins)
Illustrated booklet with new writing by Jo Botting, Vic Pratt, Will Fowler and full film credits
UK | 1981 | colour | 50 minutes | English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles | original aspect ratio 1.85:1 | cert 18 (contains sexual assault)

J'accuse :

[Show spoiler]J'accuse (DVD + Blu-ray)
A film by Abel Gance

Acclaimed as one of cinema's finest anti-war movies, Abel Gance's rousing indictment of warfare is as powerful and relevant today as it was on its original release in 1938

Having experienced the horror of the First World War, idealistic poet Jean Diaz (Victor Francen, A Farewell to Arms) turns to technology in a bid to prevent further barbarity. But a meddling and unscrupulous bureaucracy allows Jean's plans to be hijacked as Europe slides towards another great conflict.

Using his epic 1919 silent version of the film as a template, Gance pits mankind's romanticism against its capacity for savagery. Originally released on the eve of the Second World War (and the same year as Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion), J'accuse urges us to honour the memory of the fallen by learning the lessons of a catastrophic past.

Special features
Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
New audio commentary by Paul Cuff
Stills and special collections gallery
Illustrated booklet with full film credits, reviews and a new essay by Paul Cuff
France | 1938 | black and white | 119 minutes | French language with English subtitles | original aspect ratio 1.37:1 | Cert 12 (Scenes of war horror, distressing scenes, injury detail)

Peppermint Soda :

[Show spoiler]Peppermint Soda (Diabolo menthe) (DVD + Blu-ray)
A film by Diane Kurys

Teenage sisters Anne (Éléonore Klarwein) and Frédérique (Odile Michel) couldn't be more different: introverted Anne is trying to understand the world around her as she's on the threshold of adolescence; while outgoing, politically aware Frédérique is beginning her first love affair.

This coming-of-age tale, the debut feature of underrated French director Diane Kurys (Entre nous, Sagan), is an ode to teenage summers, first kisses and first losses. Offering an intricate view of adolescence in 1960s France, Peppermint Soda recalls Francois Truffaut's Les quatre cents coups and encapsulates the upsurge in liberality during this radical period.

Special features
Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
Theatrical trailer (3 mins)
Interview with Diane Kurys (2008, 33 mins):An interview with the director
Scrapbook (2008, 3 mins): Diane Kurys explores her collection of photographs and production materials
Illustrated booklet with full film credits and a new essay by Sophie Mayer and Michael Brooke
France | 1977 | colour | 101 minutes | French language with English subtitles | original aspect ratio 1.77:1 | cert 12 (Infrequent moderate sex references)

Life Is Sweet, haven't seen that since it's original release. The first thing that comes to mind is being grossed out by the scene where

[Show spoiler]Timothy Spall's talentless chef preparing some grotesque recipe using snails

(or am I misremembering it?).

As said elsewhere nice to see BFI releasing Film Four titles, specifically ones that have previously been available on crumby Cinema Club DVDs I've noticed which if the observation has any baring bodes well for a BFI Ghostdog but less so When The Wind Blows. Probably regarded as a second tire title but I hope they pick up Wish You Were Here.

Originally Posted by stepeanut

Nice to see another Flipside release; love that series.

Hard for me to justify the Ken Loach box set, as I already own two of the three films on BD.

Like the imminent Long Shot it sounds a lot more in keeping with the original spirit of the collection than a couple of last years releases, that means you Expresso Bongo and Psychomania...

That said Expresso Bongo is a great film, especially in it's original more songs/less Cliff edit, and the BFI edition will no doubt forever be the definitive edition. Just puzzling that Val Guest's film earned a Flipside banner while earlier in the year the "none more flipside of British cinema" Akenfield didn't.