British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[rapta]

Good news! Funeral Parade of Roses is now confirmed to be a 2-disc set and includes the same short films present on the Cinelicious release:

• Released in High Definition for the first time in the UK
• Audio commentary by author and film historian Chris Desjardins (Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film)
• Eight restored avant-garde short films from director Toshio Matsumoto
  • Nishijin (1961, 25 mins)
  • The Song of Stone (1963, 24 mins)
  • Ecstasis (1969, 11 mins)
  • Metastasis (1971, 8 mins)
  • Expansion (1972, 14 mins)
  • Mona Lisa (1973, 3 mins)
  • Siki Soku Z Ku (1975, 8 mins)
  • Atman (1975, 11 mins)
• Original theatrical trailer (1969)
• Restoration trailer (2017)

***FIRST PRESSING ONLY*** Fully illustrated booklet with essays by Jim O’Rourke and director Toshio Matsumoto and full film credits

Still just £13.99 over at Base.com if anyone wants to pre-order. Pretty good price for a new 2-disc release.

[magnetiques]

Excellent news, though I'm probably sticking with Amazon this time to make sure I get the booklet as this is one if my favourites. Just in case.

[Fnord Prefect]

Originally Posted by magnetiques

Excellent news, though I'm probably sticking with Amazon this time to make sure I get the booklet as this is one if my favourites. Just in case.

The BFI admitted to significantly underestimating the demand for Bait with it seemed a second pressing commissioned before the first had even hit retailers.

I honestly can't see that happening with Funeral Parade of Roses as it's an obscure piece of 60's Japanese arthouse cinema rather than a universally positively reviewed (in the UK at least) Mark Kermode/Guardian endorsed modern British production with plenty of hipster appeal thanks to it's "unique" look and sound. It's also one of my favourite new films of 2019.

That said I don't blame you playing safe. Me? I don't have Prime so I'll stick with Base.com (who've never let me down before) to save money on postage. I'm 99.9% sure I'll get a booklet.

Also, has anyone who bought the Woodfall set from Base.com this week received a dispatch notice yet? Not worried as there's often a 2 or 3 working day turnaround re catalogue BFI items, just curious.

[ptb2010]

Originally Posted by Fnord Prefect

Presuming that wanting an uncut version of a film is down to someone's cruel nature, that's a bit judgmental. I would rather have an uncut import copy than a cut UK one simply because when I buy a film I want it in a form the director intended. Yeah it's sad some horses may have been hurt, or worse, on set but cutting 14 seconds ain't going to change what happened 50 odd years ago.

Yes but you can't have any copy cut by 14 seconds or one imported with horsefalls. That's my point. I'd rather have a restored version minus horsefalls than no copy at all. No it won't make a difference to what happened 50 years ago but it may still defy guidelines to include them, though how so many older westerns manage to pass I've no idea. Were horsefalls in Butch and Sundance or any other western of the time cut?

[benkell]

Also, has anyone who bought the Woodfall set from Base.com this week received a dispatch notice yet? Not worried as there's often a 2 or 3 working day turnaround re catalogue BFI items, just curious.[/QUOTE]



I ordered the Woodfall set on Thursday night and haven't received a dispatch notice yet.TBH most of the items i order from Base.com take 3-4 days dispatch time.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by benkell

TBH most of the items i order from Base.com take 3-4 days dispatch time.

As much as a week sometimes.

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by ptb2010

Yes but you can't have any copy cut by 14 seconds or one imported with horsefalls. That's my point. I'd rather have a restored version minus horsefalls than no copy at all. No it won't make a difference to what happened 50 years ago but it may still defy guidelines to include them, though how so many older westerns manage to pass I've no idea. Were horsefalls in Butch and Sundance or any other western of the time cut?

Butch Casidy & Sundance Kid was apparently passed UNCUT till 2018 when it got CUT by 1 second for horsefalls. Checked this out on BBFC site.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by ptb2010

how so many older westerns manage to pass I've no idea. Were horsefalls in Butch and Sundance or any other western of the time cut?

Westerns are the most commonly cut genre and have been since at least 1939. Along with the Errol Flynn Light Brigade the law was specifically brought in because of animal cruelty in Westerns in response to massive public demand.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by fatboyslim142

Butch Casidy & Sundance Kid was apparently passed UNCUT till 2018 when it got CUT by 1 second for horsefalls. Checked this out on BBFC site.

Not necessarily - the version passed in 1969 was 4 seconds shorter than the one cut by 1 second in 2018 so may have been pre-cut by Fox before being submitted. Pre-cutting films on the BBFC's informal advice before formally submitting them, allowing them to claim they hadn't been cut by the censor, was not uncommon for big studio pictures.

[Fnord Prefect]

Originally Posted by rapta

Heads up: https://www.base.com/buy/product/woo...c-bfib1296.htm

Just got my dispatch notice. Bargain. Very happy.

[Aclea]

Great price for the Ee, But It's Grim Oop North set.

[BobRusk]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Great price for the Ee, But It's Grim Oop North set.

"This Sporting Life" level of grim?

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Great price for the Ee, But It's Grim Oop North set.

Originally Posted by BobRusk

"This Sporting Life" level of grim?

I thought Aclea was speaking Scots.

[stepeanut]

Originally Posted by Areopagita

Does anyone have the BFI Ozu DVDs? I have an annoying problem - I cannot get the discs out of the case, the hub is a kind of a ring which cannot really be pushed in and even bending the disc (which I hate to do) doesn't release it. Any advice?

I have the three that were not issued on BD: The Student Comedies, Three Melodramas, and The Gangster Films. The first of these comes with a swing tray for the second disc, but the other two come with a figure-eight tray:



This figure-eight design can prove difficult to remove the discs. I find it easiest to place a finger on either side of the disc whilst pushing down on the central hub with your thumb. It is a two-hand job, and it can take some force. I would take another photo, demonstrating what I mean, but I don’t have enough hands.

[Areopagita]

Yeah, this is exactly what I mean. Many thanks, I'll try that method as soon as I buy a new case so that I won't have to wrestle with this one ever again.

[Rutger Lundgren]

After a while of being "back in stock soon" at HMV, Jarman: Volume One - 1976-1986 is indeed back in stock for £54.99. Mind you, it won't show up if you search for it (or at least it doesn't for me), but you can use this direct link. That threw me off at first, so I decided to double check with HMV, and this is what they had to say:

Originally Posted by HMV

Please be advised that at the time of writing this, the item in question; Jarman: Volume One - 1976-1986 is in stock at store.hmv.com and available to order for home delivery. Please find a link below for your convenience:

https://store.hmv.com/store/film-tv/...-one-1976-1986

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by Rutger Lundgren

After a while of being "back in stock soon" at HMV, Jarman: Volume One - 1976-1986 is indeed back in stock for £54.99. Mind you, it won't show up if you search for it (or at least it doesn't for me), but you can use this direct link. That threw me off at first, so I decided to double check with HMV, and this is what they had to say:

It may claim that, but:
“Sorry, we couldn't add the product to the basket.”

[Rutger Lundgren]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

It may claim that, but:
“Sorry, we couldn't add the product to the basket.”

Oh. I didn't try it myself because the recent sales sucked me dry. So nothing's changed then, I'm afraid.

[Professor Echo]

I went ahead and picked up MOULIN ROUGE (1952) for $14 shipped from Rarewaves on eBay. I was kind of disappointed no trailer was included, but it occurred to me that vintage UA trailers may be very hard to come by? In addition, I asked KINO if they might have a future deal with MGM and if it would include this title and the Insider responded that all new deals were on hold due to the crisis. For some reason, I’m very anxious to see this movie again as I haven’t since my first time on the Late Late Show when I was a teenager. So I’m very happy to get the BFI and appreciate that they released it. Anyone watched their copy yet?

[Aclea]

My review of Mr. Topaze:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...4#post17526924

.