British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[NeilZ]

Originally Posted by Mattmck99

The Wages of Fear is getting a 4K release: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CM9HVC...d%2C67&sr=1-27

Big one. I hope they do Diabolique on 4K next (unless Criterion still has it in the UK).

[Shanghai Express]

I take it Wages Of Fear will be region free? Or are BFI's 4K discs troublesome?

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Shanghai Express

I take it Wages Of Fear will be region free? Or are BFI's 4K discs troublesome?

I believe they've done 5 4K titles to date, and they've all been region free.

[CelestialAgent]

Thundercrack! might never get a UK Blu-ray (not impossible given the Southbank screening), but makes me happy to see it represented on the Scala! cover. Cool to see Incredibly Strange Film Show included.

Originally Posted by justwannaboogie

In for the Clouzot 4K and I'll probably like the new Joanna Hogg film but the other announcements are are a bit meh. The Herzog doc interests me but sounds pretty streamable.

Not sold on The Eternal Daughter artwork, more exciting is Enigma of Kaspar Hauser returning to cinemas on 19th January. Shame the Herzog is so barebones when surely there’s some shorts they weren’t able to get for the boxset? Or get some extended interviews for Cymande maybe.

Originally Posted by CrockettandTubbs

Just The Scala!!! for me. Bought Wages many times. Happy with the BFI regular release.

Definitely curious to see how it compares to the BD.

[CavebobSpongeman]

Got Beautiful Thing on DVD not long ago so I'm am so down to upgrade, top film.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by justwannaboogie

In for the Clouzot 4K and I'll probably like the new Joanna Hogg film but the other announcements are are a bit meh. The Herzog doc interests me but sounds pretty streamable.

Have to be honest, I saw the cover and got excited thinking it was a little box set of Herzog titles...but no, just a doc about the legendary filmmaker. Not sure how vital that'll be for HD but maybe in a sale or something.

Doc-wise, far more interested in the Cymande one, but for me The Eternal Daughter is the only likely pre-order (would probably go see it theatrically but doubt it'll show near me).

The Clouzot upgrade is a smart one though, props to BFI for playing the upgrade game like Criterion, Arrow and Eureka. I'll pass for now but if I ever do go fully 4K, of course I'll buy this.

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by rapta

The Eternal Daughter is the only likely pre-order (would probably go see it theatrically but doubt it'll show near me).

The Clouzot upgrade is a smart one though, props to BFI for playing the upgrade game like Criterion, Arrow and Eureka. I'll pass for now but if I ever do go fully 4K, of course I'll buy this.

The Eternal Daughter doesn’t seem to be getting a BFI Presents Vue screening either (Is There Anybody Out There? looks to be the next one), but would make sense to go when I’ve seen The Souvenir (and a lot of A24 and Swinton theatrically.) I’m not sure I need to see Scala! theatrically if the disc is so stacked as looking at the trailer it’s a lot of talking heads, archive clips, stills - though most documentaries definitely benefit from theatrical. I feel okay with having missed Squaring the Circle and Meet Me in the Bathroom. However I’ll try and see the Cymande and Herzog documentaries in the cinema if I can. It’s hard to tell with the BFI, the P&P reissues have barely been playing Picturehouse for example.

I wonder if Criterion will rush to do a mediocre UHD to compete as happened with The Seventh Seal? Interesting this gets a UHD and Regle doesn’t (I know the French HDR grade was controversial.)

[Foggy]

All in on Beautiful Thing, it’s terrific. I’m gonna check out Eternal Daughter first to see if it clicks, Hogg’s films can be a little too hit and miss with me.

[Olmo]

Was hoping for Horace Ové's Pressure.

[Jaymole]

So happy to see Beautiful Thing make it onto Blu-ray!

[GaryCouzens]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

Thundercrack! might never get a UK Blu-ray (not impossible given the Southbank screening), but makes me happy to see it represented on the Scala! cover. Cool to see Incredibly Strange Film Show included.

I believe the BBFC informally advised a potential distributor that Thundercrack! would get a R18 certificate, which would make it commercially unviable. If it was submitted to the BBFC with contextual material attached, they might be persuaded that it's not just a "sex work" and pass it at 18, but it's not my money which would be spent on submitting it. Some of the short films on Synapse's Blu-ray are potential R18 material as well.

In any case, I doubt there would be much point in a UK company releasing a Blu-ray as I doubt you could better the Synapse disc, which is region-free. All I could imagine the BFI doing is adding a few archival shorts in some way appropriate to the main feature.

The BFI Southbank showing would have been with the authorisation of the London Borough of Lambeth. It wouldn't have been the first time the BFI have shown potential R18 material - the gay porn film Le beau mec during LGBT Flare back in February, for example. (A full house and the most gender-skewed audience I've ever seen there - just two women I could see, one of whom was Leslie Caron. She was a friend of the late director and helped in locating the materials from which the film was restored.)

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by GaryCouzens

In any case, I doubt there would be much point in a UK company releasing a Blu-ray as I doubt you could better the Synapse disc, which is region-free. All I could imagine the BFI doing is adding a few archival shorts in some way appropriate to the main feature.

McDowell's shorts have all (or nearly all) been had new 16mm prints struck and digital restorations created by the Academy, so there would be newer, much improved copies of those to use at the very least, but I'd rather hope for a McDowell shorts collection from someone.

[101 steel]

Originally Posted by CavebobSpongeman

Got Beautiful Thing on DVD not long ago so I'm am so down to upgrade, top film.

Same, had the dvd for ages, it deserves an upgrade.
Saw some of it being filmed too

[CelestialAgent]

Only took three years after the French Blu-ray!

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by senseabove

McDowell's shorts have all (or nearly all) been had new 16mm prints struck and digital restorations created by the Academy, so there would be newer, much improved copies of those to use at the very least, but I'd rather hope for a McDowell shorts collection from someone.

Maybe a set containing his other (he directed 4 others albeit the last one, Little Showoffs, has already been released on DVD by Vinegar Syndrome) feature films & his short films. I reckon a set like this would contain 2 discs for his feature films along with 2 discs for his short films which have a running time of about 4hrs 25 mins depending on if it is a US set or not considering 5 of his short films are on the DVD part of Synapse's release of Thundercrack! BD.

[PowellPressburger]

Just saw the release date for Beautiful Thing...

MARCH! Talk about a long pre-order wait!

[Jackie Scanlon]

The Herzog doc is fine but very much for newcomers. Any hardcore fans won't find anything of particular interest in it.

[Sifox211]

Latest email from BFI Player shows they have, in addition to I Know Where I’m Going!, an HD rental of A Canterbury Tale

First I’ve heard of an HD copy of this from anywhere... Can it be - a dream come true! It’s also a free rental so definitely checking this one out!

[Olmo]

Originally Posted by Sifox211

Latest email from BFI Player shows they have, in addition to I Know Where I’m Going!, an HD rental of A Canterbury Tale

First I’ve heard of an HD copy of this from anywhere... Can it be - a dream come true! It’s also a free rental so definitely checking this one out!

Seismic.

Actually, I can’t see ITV releasing a blu ray but it gives the hope that Criterion May pick this up.

[the13thman]

I still have the Criterion DVD of Wages of Fear, I would upgrade it if the new version was dual format but it being a 4K-only release puts me off, it can wait until a sale.