British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[James78]

Originally Posted by Baron Blood

Thanks, James.
It would have cost me a lot to Import the DVD to Canada and I already have all the VCI blu ray releases up to the 60th Diamond Edition.
The film deserves better treatment than it's given so far.

I wonder how that German release looks.

I have the VCI Blu-ray too. I imagine the German release looks similar, as it doesn't have the BFI logo on the cover. I have just compared a few scenes of the DVD and Blu-ray, and they look very similar to me. Perhaps if this new restoration was in high definition the difference would be more noticeable. The DVD only has digital audio and has PAL speed-up, so I really wouldn't worry!

[randian]

Who is the best retailer to order BFI titles from for import to the US? Deff rebates VAT at point of sale which is great but they don't seem to sell BFI, and Base & HMV don't appear to ship to the US at all. Amazon.co.uk used to be good until its shipping rates skyrocketed.

[Aunt Peg]

Originally Posted by randian

Who is the best retailer to order BFI titles from for import to the US? Deff rebates VAT at point of sale which is great but they don't seem to sell BFI, and Base & HMV don't appear to ship to the US at all. Amazon.co.uk used to be good until its shipping rates skyrocketed.

Aside from an eBay seller you could try Zavvi's US site: https://us.zavvi.com/

[oddbox83]

Originally Posted by Aclea

It's not a BFI release: they restored it but Renown released it.

Renown have a well-known contempt for releasing Blu-ray. They stick firmly to DVD. Which is a shame as they own this film.

[Aclea]

It's more that, like their Talking Pictures TV channel, they operate on a shoestring and are targeting the same kind of DVD-only market that will never upgrade, so a BD would be fairly risky for them.

[oddbox83]

Originally Posted by Aclea

It's more that, like their Talking Pictures TV channel, they operate on a shoestring and are targeting the same kind of DVD-only market that will never upgrade, so a BD would be fairly risky for them.

They don't even try though - I like what they do, but their avoidance of Blu-ray reads much like a personal "couldn't care less" about HD rather than a purely business decision.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by oddbox83

They don't even try though - I like what they do, but their avoidance of Blu-ray reads much like a personal "couldn't care less" about HD rather than a purely business decision.

I'm sure it is business - I was amazed at just how small an outfit they are when Teddy_westside posted this link in the Sainsburys' thread:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entert...-arts-53111684

Back in April they were very badly hit by the lockdown drop in advertising:

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2...hannel-crisis/

Lockdown has been a double-edged sword for TV: more viewers, fewer advertisers paying less money. And their advertising rates are so incredibly low - no exaggeration, some slots are less than the cost of a bargain bluray, and only their peak slots are the price of an Indicator boxed set (https://tvadvertising.uk/channel/talking-pictures-tv/ - that they really must be a wing and a prayer outfit.

Most of their renown DVDs are crap quality - unsurprisingly, many are donated prints and in some cases literally found in skips outside film distributors offices - but like Simply Home Entertainment and the defunct DD Video before them, they aim at an older nostalgia market that will never upgrade to Blu. A Bluray release of a title that has so many other releases on various formats could be a very costly mistake for them: it may have been better to have licensed it to the BFI, but I rather suspect the BFI's home video arm themselves couldn't justify the cost of a licensing fee (the restoration comes from a different department's budget and grants).

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by Aclea

I'm sure it is business - I was amazed at just how small an outfit they are when Teddy_westside posted this link in the Sainsburys' thread:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entert...-arts-53111684

Back in April they were very badly hit by the lockdown drop in advertising:

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2...hannel-crisis/

Lockdown has been a double-edged sword for TV: more viewers, fewer advertisers paying less money. And their advertising rates are so incredibly low - no exaggeration, some slots are less than the cost of a bargain bluray, and only their peak slots are the price of an Indicator boxed set (https://tvadvertising.uk/channel/talking-pictures-tv/ - that they really must be a wing and a prayer outfit.

Most of their renown DVDs are crap quality - unsurprisingly, many are donated prints and in some cases literally found in skips outside film distributors offices - but like Simply Home Entertainment and the defunct DD Video before them, they aim at an older nostalgia market that will never upgrade to Blu. A Bluray release of a title that has so many other releases on various formats could be a very costly mistake for them: it may have been better to have licensed it to the BFI, but I rather suspect the BFI's home video arm themselves couldn't justify the cost of a licensing fee (the restoration comes from a different department's budget and grants).

So are there any Renown DVDs that actually look good

[Aclea]

Not that I've seen, but after the few I have I wasn't in a hurry to check out many others, especially after the rarer titles started turning up on Talking Pictures. A friend who has quite a few of them rates them as varying from pretty bad to more or less okay but never great (he doesn't have Scrooge); I'd guess the versions that turn up on Talking Pictures are the same masters they used for the DVDs, so are probably a good indication of the quality.

[AKNewbie]

Originally Posted by randian

Who is the best retailer to order BFI titles from for import to the US? Deff rebates VAT at point of sale which is great but they don't seem to sell BFI, and Base & HMV don't appear to ship to the US at all. Amazon.co.uk used to be good until its shipping rates skyrocketed.

Agree with the Az UK shipping going through the roof. That's really curtailed my purchases.

As for BFI releases, I've also used Zavvi and have ordered directly from BFI on occasion.

[BobRusk]

Originally Posted by randian

Who is the best retailer to order BFI titles from for import to the US? Deff rebates VAT at point of sale which is great but they don't seem to sell BFI, and Base & HMV don't appear to ship to the US at all. Amazon.co.uk used to be good until its shipping rates skyrocketed.

A member of this forum (think it was @blurayisnice) mentioned using some king of forwarding service to import HMV purchases from the UK. HMV is currently running a BFI sale, so might be worth checking out.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by randian

Who is the best retailer to order BFI titles from for import to the US? Deff rebates VAT at point of sale which is great but they don't seem to sell BFI, and Base & HMV don't appear to ship to the US at all. Amazon.co.uk used to be good until its shipping rates skyrocketed.

Have you tried BFI's shop itself?

https://shop.bfi.org.uk/

Generally, I've found them easy to deal with (and they also take off the VAT). I did have an annoying issue with them this past summer, but it was the result of understaffing due to Covid, so I got over it. Haven't tried ordering anything from them since then, but that's been more a matter of money and opportunity.

[UnionJackMix]

I think I need to start paying attention to this thread as it was only thanks to the deal in the banner here I found out there is a Marlene Dietrich At Universal set coming! Can't wait!

[Richard A]

Originally Posted by blujazz

Anyone ordered from the BFI store recently?

Ordered the Lino Brocka boxset on 30 October and its still processing. Not in a rush but weird how it's taking 20 days at least?

I ordered a copy of the Lino Brocka set from the BFI shop on 22 Nov and it arrived just now.

Might have been a reseal as it was shrink-wrapped and there's a very light smudge on the Insiang BD but everything else, including the booklet, is in tiptop condition.

It was only after spotting the discussion about the set in this thread that I took the time to research it and realise I really should grab one. Somewhat kicking myself for not having been aware of Brocka's work before now.

[blujazz]

The extras are pretty cool on this set

[justwannaboogie]

It's no bargain, but two recent titles - Pocketful of Miracles and After the Fox can be had from Zavvi for £21.77 delivered with code 210GSG.

[Clodius]

My lovely lady got me the BFI Herzog Collection for Christmas, unaware of region locking. Since we’re stateside, I’m currently unable to play it. I’m wondering if y’all know whether BFI discs will work with any of the various firmware side region unlocking (like the Panasonic trick) or whether I need to look into returning/purchasing a region free player from 220 Electronics.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by Clodius

My lovely lady got me the BFI Herzog Collection for Christmas, unaware of region locking. Since we’re stateside, I’m currently unable to play it. I’m wondering if y’all know whether BFI discs will work with any of the various firmware side region unlocking (like the Panasonic trick) or whether I need to look into returning/purchasing a region free player from 220 Electronics.

I don’t own the Herzog set but all of the BFI discs I own have worked on my Panasonic player with the “top menu” trick.

[Clodius]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

I don’t own the Herzog set but all of the BFI discs I own have worked on my Panasonic player with the “top menu” trick.

Thanks for the response! I found in one of the threads somebody mentioning having tested the Herzog set too. I’m probably going to go pick up a Panny player tomorrow.

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by Clodius

My lovely lady got me the BFI Herzog Collection for Christmas, unaware of region locking. Since we’re stateside, I’m currently unable to play it. I’m wondering if y’all know whether BFI discs will work with any of the various firmware side region unlocking (like the Panasonic trick) or whether I need to look into returning/purchasing a region free player from 220 Electronics.

I highly recommend keeping it, even if it means getting a region free BD player. Basically you will want/need BOTH the Shout Factory & BFI Herzog sets as they BOTH contain exclusive material.

1) The Shout Factory Herzog set films:

EVEN DWARFS STARTED SMALL
LAND OF SILENCE AND DARKNESS
FATA MORGANA
AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD
THE ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER
HEART OF GLASS
STROSZEK
WOYZECK
NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE
FITZCARRALDO
BALLAD OF THE LITTLE SOLDIER
WHERE THE GREEN ANTS DREAM
COBRA VERDE
LESSONS OF DARKNESS
LITTLE DIETER NEEDS TO FLY
MY BEST FIEND

2) BFI Herzog set films
The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz 1967 | 1.33:1 | black and white
Last Words 1968
Precautions Against Fanatics 1969
Handicapped Future 1970
Fata Morgana 1971
Land Of Silence and Darkness 1971
Aguirre, Wrath of God 1972
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser 1974
The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner 1975
Heart of Glass 1976
How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck 1976
Stroszek 1977
Nosferatu the Vampyre 1979
Woyzeck 1979
Huie's Sermon 1980
God's Angry Man 1980
Fitzcarraldo 1982
Cobra Verde 1987

Here's what is exclusive to each set:

US EXCLUSIVES:
*"Even Dwarfs Started Small" Herzog movie
*"Ballad of the Little Soldier" Herzog documentary
*"Where the Green Ants Dream" Herzog movie
*"Lessons of Darkness" Herzog documentary
*"Little Dieter Needs to Fly" Herzog documentary
*"My Best Fiend" Herzog documentary
*"Herzog in Africa" documentary
*"Portrait: Werner Herzog" documentary
*2x"In Conversation - Werner Herzog and Laurens Straub" interviews
*Additional audio commentaries in German on Aguirre, Fitzcarraldo and Nosferatu


UK EXCLUSIVES:
*"The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz" Herzog short
*"Last Words" Herzog short
*"Precautions Against Fanatics" Herzog short
*"Handicapped Future" Herzog documentary
*"The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner" Herzog documentary
*"How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck" Herzog documentary
*"Huie's Sermon" Herzog documentary
*"God's Angry Man" Herzog documentary
*"Burden of Dreams" documentary
*"Guardian Lecture: Werner Herzog in Conversation with Neil Norman" audio interview
*"Werner Herzog Eats his Shoe" short
*"South Bank Show: Werner Herzog" TV episode
*German 5.1 soundtracks on Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde