British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[StarDestroyer52]

Finally, was able to get this one from Rarewaves for $15, there's must've been a sale for one of my favorite silents and those extras I see:

[trobrianders]

Has anyone had a chance to compare the recent BFI release of Renoir's The River with the older Criterion and Carlotta blus?

[justwannaboogie]

Originally Posted by trobrianders

Has anyone had a chance to compare the recent BFI release of Renoir's The River with the older Criterion and Carlotta blus?

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=342845

[trobrianders]

Originally Posted by justwannaboogie

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=342845

Thanks. Still very much worth getting for the second disc.

[NeilZ]

Was Classe Tous Risques discontinued or just temporarily out of stock?

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by Sifox211

Hopefully a BD - or even a UHD - will come along after. I haven't seen it since its original cinema release and its about time

If a UHD does come along, it certainly WON'T be from BFI:

I wouldn't hold your breath for a UHD of Draughtman's Contract. Agreed, it needs a decent Blu-ray release, but I'm afraid spending 3 and a half times the money to do a UHD isn't likely.

[Hammerlover]

Is THE PARTY'S OVER out of print? Can't find a decent price for it anywhere.

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by Sifox211

Hopefully a BD - or even a UHD - will come along after. I haven't seen it since its original cinema release and its about time

I thought a BD was definitely coming? I recall someone saying that earlier in the thread, and there's a placeholder in the database.

[FollowTheBear]

Originally Posted by Hammerlover

Is THE PARTY'S OVER out of print? Can't find a decent price for it anywhere.

Yes, it was announced as going OOP about two years ago, quickly followed by Privilege. Those two and Joanna are the only Flipside titles that have currently been discontinued.

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by FollowTheBear

Yes, it was announced as going OOP about two years ago, quickly followed by Privilege. Those two and Joanna are the only Flipside titles that have currently been discontinued.

I think one of the 2 Mondo ones are also OOP.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by koberulz

I thought a BD was definitely coming? I recall someone saying that earlier in the thread, and there's a placeholder in the database.

It was definitely already mentioned in a different press release.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by StarDestroyer52

Finally, was able to get this one from Rarewaves for $15, there's must've been a sale for one of my favorite silents and those extras I see:

Interesting coincidence. Just yesterday I got my copy of this movie and put it on for the night's viewing.

I became interested in Piccadilly after seeing Anna May Wong do a pivotal vamp role in the Douglas Fairbanks version of Thief of Bagdad where I thought her a much better match for the hero than the milksop princess. Piccadilly has some pretty good things going for it. For one I was surprised to see a movie of that vintage showing its Chinese-British characters in a non-archetype way - they're not ponytail wearing, traditionally garbed laundry-operating chopstick users. They're also not shown as being subservient to the white characters (except for money, but that's a universal trait). The movie is a nice showcase for Wong too - her glamorous presence and commanding attitude get center-stage, and it was lovely to also see her in a pre-glam avatar as the young ingenue who is confident in her ability to mesmerize men. Jameson Thomas as the club owner who is smitten by her and Gilda Gray as the rival dancer who finds her position eroded away by Wong's magic form the other angles of a contentious triangle in which love, lust and ambition collide. The race angle is hinted at indirectly, like when Wong and Thomas go to a pub and are rattled by the sight of a black man being thrown out for dancing with a white woman (she is the initiator). But rather than explore it more deeply, the film devolves into a conventional melodrama with a bunged in murder. Charles Laughton has a cameo as a disgruntled drunk patron who makes a scene about dirty dishes early in the film.

EA Dupont's film has a reasonable amount of visual style - I like the opening credits which are presented as bus hoardings, and there are some interesting tracking shots and camera angles. But I wonder how much more ravishing it might have come across if GW Pabst (Pandora's Box) had helmed the same material (or a better script that took the race bull by the horns).

The BFI presents the film with 2 options - original theatrical silent release or a later American version where a sound prologue was added, featuring the Jameson Thomas character. If the prologue with its damaged elements and muffled sound gives you the jitters about the rest of the film, worry not. While there are unavoidable elements of age and technology limitations, this is still a handsome image for most part. Neil Brand's score is of course more recent and comes across with full verve and presence. I haven't yet gone over the extras, but I am definitely looking forward to the exploration of Anna May Wong's career.

[CrockettandTubbs]

Originally Posted by manicsounds

Watched it and it looked excellent as expected. Booklet says director John Hillcoat and cinematographer Benoit Delhomme supervised the color grading. There is no change to the original colors, with the golden browns hues looking excellent.

4K review:

http://www.dvdcompare.net/review.php?rid=6977

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Interesting coincidence. Just yesterday I got my copy of this movie and put it on for the night's viewing.

I became interested in Piccadilly after seeing Anna May Wong do a pivotal vamp role in the Douglas Fairbanks version of Thief of Bagdad where I thought her a much better match for the hero than the milksop princess. Piccadilly has some pretty good things going for it. For one I was surprised to see a movie of that vintage showing its Chinese-British characters in a non-archetype way - they're not ponytail wearing, traditionally garbed laundry-operating chopstick users. They're also not shown as being subservient to the white characters (except for money, but that's a universal trait). The movie is a nice showcase for Wong too - her glamorous presence and commanding attitude get center-stage, and it was lovely to also see her in a pre-glam avatar as the young ingenue who is confident in her ability to mesmerize men. Jameson Thomas as the club owner who is smitten by her and Gilda Gray as the rival dancer who finds her position eroded away by Wong's magic form the other angles of a contentious triangle in which love, lust and ambition collide. The race angle is hinted at indirectly, like when Wong and Thomas go to a pub and are rattled by the sight of a black man being thrown out for dancing with a white woman (she is the initiator). But rather than explore it more deeply, the film devolves into a conventional melodrama with a bunged in murder. Charles Laughton has a cameo as a disgruntled drunk patron who makes a scene about dirty dishes early in the film.

EA Dupont's film has a reasonable amount of visual style - I like the opening credits which are presented as bus hoardings, and there are some interesting tracking shots and camera angles. But I wonder how much more ravishing it might have come across if GW Pabst (Pandora's Box) had helmed the same material (or a better script that took the race bull by the horns).

The BFI presents the film with 2 options - original theatrical silent release or a later American version where a sound prologue was added, featuring the Jameson Thomas character. If the prologue with its damaged elements and muffled sound gives you the jitters about the rest of the film, worry not. While there are unavoidable elements of age and technology limitations, this is still a handsome image for most part. Neil Brand's score is of course more recent and comes across with full verve and presence. I haven't yet gone over the extras, but I am definitely looking forward to the exploration of Anna May Wong's career.

Yeah, this is one of my favorite silents and an upgrade of my old Image/Milestone DVD:



The added extras on the BFI Blu, were added extras that helped sweeten the deal for me as Anna May Wong is one of my favorites and I'm always on the lookout for more of her films, which is why I'm looking forward to the Kino Anna May Wong set.

[CelestialAgent]

Per Facebook, Vivre sa vie and Black Girl are going OOP.

VSV has three Godard shorts in the extras, have these been released elsewhere?

[manicsounds]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

Per Facebook, Vivre sa vie and Black Girl are going OOP.

VSV has three Godard shorts in the extras, have these been released elsewhere?

- "Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick aka Charlotte et Veronique" (1957; 20:28, 1080P)
This is also on the out of print Criterion DVD of “A Woman Is a Woman”
- "Une Histoire d'eau" (1958; 12:15, 1080P)
This is also on the Criterion Blu-ray of “The Last Metro”
- "Charlotte et son Jules" (1958; 13:13, 1080P)
This is also on the Criterion Blu-ray of “Breathless”

[rapta]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

Per Facebook, Vivre sa vie and Black Girl are going OOP.

VSV has three Godard shorts in the extras, have these been released elsewhere?

Just saw that, wonder if Criterion are snapping up any Godard titles they can get? Vivre sa vie and maybe Bande à part eventually too, since the rest are with StudioCanal (a shame SC never upgraded Le Petit Soldat, as Criterion did).

[Darby1985]

[Nedoflanders]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

Per Facebook, Vivre sa vie and Black Girl are going OOP.

VSV has three Godard shorts in the extras, have these been released elsewhere?

Has it really got to the stage where we have a better idea of what Criterion are about to steal, instead of what they might port over from the latest US announcements?

Yes.

[yukito]

Originally Posted by FollowTheBear

Yes, it was announced as going OOP about two years ago, quickly followed by Privilege. Those two and Joanna are the only Flipside titles that have currently been discontinued.

Boy, am I glad to have the complete flipside collection to date, the asking prices will go insane in a couple of months/years.