British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[Si Parallel Universe]

The Leopard is in there .. Bit disappointed with that list as I have most if not all of them

[Aclea]

I just got my copy of Cry of the City from Amazon in a box six inches wide and 30 inches long with nothing else in it but brown paper. Good to see they're doing their bit for the environment.

[gouryella]

Does anybody have The Birth of a Nation release? Just received mine from HMV. It looks like a reseal and I've not opened it because the slipcover looks really grubby especially all along the left side on the back. It's not supposed to have this look is it?

[IMG][/IMG]

[Si Parallel Universe]

Originally Posted by Aclea

I just got my copy of Cry of the City from Amazon in a box six inches wide and 30 inches long with nothing else in it but brown paper. Good to see they're doing their bit for the environment.

At least yours was padded out by brown paper unlike the big otherwise empty box they used to send my Sinbad set in which resulted in minor cosmetic damage to the limited edition sleeve bit.

[Si Parallel Universe]

Originally Posted by gouryella

Does anybody have The Birth of a Nation release? Just received mine from HMV. It looks like a reseal and I've not opened it because the slipcover looks really grubby especially all along the left side on the back. It's not supposed to have this look is it?

[IMG][/IMG]

Nothing to be concerned about mine was the same.

[gouryella]

Originally Posted by Si Parallel Universe

Nothing to be concerned about mine was the same.

Thanks for the confirmation. So it's a grubby look on purpose. Have to say it's not very appealing to my eyes.

[Si Parallel Universe]

Originally Posted by gouryella

Thanks for the confirmation. So it's a grubby look on purpose. Have to say it's not very appealing to my eyes.

I'm not sure if it's deliberate. Just the way it is it seems.

Don't let it spoil your enjoyment of the shiny discs inside though

[rapta]

Originally Posted by gouryella

Thanks for the confirmation. So it's a grubby look on purpose. Have to say it's not very appealing to my eyes.

Mine's the same. They did a similar thing on the two Rossellini sets. Just a weird graphic design choice it seems!

Great price at only £6 for this one. Didn't think it'd ever fall under a tenner (ditto Underground, which I also got). Also got Faces, so only have one more Cassavetes to get now (Opening Night). Cry of the City and The Glass Shield are both ones I almost pre-ordered, so happy to get them for roughly half the price!

[MarcusZoller]

Originally Posted by rapta

Mine's the same. They did a similar thing on the two Rossellini sets. Just a weird graphic design choice it seems!

Great price at only £6 for this one. Didn't think it'd ever fall under a tenner (ditto Underground, which I also got). Also got Faces, so only have one more Cassavetes to get now (Opening Night). Cry of the City and The Glass Shield are both ones I almost pre-ordered, so happy to get them for roughly half the price!

I nearly grabbed The Glass Shield today, is it worth a watch?

[gouryella]

Originally Posted by rapta

Mine's the same. They did a similar thing on the two Rossellini sets. Just a weird graphic design choice it seems!

Great price at only £6 for this one. Didn't think it'd ever fall under a tenner (ditto Underground, which I also got). Also got Faces, so only have one more Cassavetes to get now (Opening Night). Cry of the City and The Glass Shield are both ones I almost pre-ordered, so happy to get them for roughly half the price!

I never noticed it on my Rossellini sets. All I can say is it must have stood out more on this one.

I also ordered Underground and Cry Of The City as part of my five. The other two were Play on! Shakespeare.... and Contact. Have restrained myself this time compared to the last BFI promotion.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by MarcusZoller

I nearly grabbed The Glass Shield today, is it worth a watch?

Dunno, not watched it yet. But there are enough names in there to justify a blind buy: Ice Cube, Elliott Gould, M. Emmet Walsh, Lori Petty, Michael Ironside - and of course, Charles Burnett. Mixed reviews but more good ones from those I trust or have similar taste to. Beaver have reviewed it if you need convincing!

Originally Posted by gouryella

I never noticed it on my Rossellini sets. All I can say is it must have stood out more on this one.

I also ordered Underground and Cry Of The City as part of my five. The other two were Play on! Shakespeare.... and Contact. Have restrained myself this time compared to the last BFI promotion.

In the previous offer there weren't many I wanted so I stupidly skipped it. Think that Welles TV set was in there but I was skint at the time and couldn't find much else I really wanted, so missed out. To be honest I remember being quite annoyed there were a couple of titles that were £6 not long after release that I had pre-ordered, so I think I've been skeptical about pre-ordering BFI titles since (unless it's something I'm dying to get hold of, but there have been very few of those lately).

PS: That silent Shakespeare set looks good, and I plan on eventually getting the separate Clarke titles rather than the big set. Was hoping they might add Culloden/The War Game, Farewell My Concubine, Psychomania, Odds Against Tomorrow or Paris Blues to the offer, but maybe next time.

[gouryella]

Originally Posted by rapta

......In the previous offer there weren't many I wanted so I stupidly skipped it. Think that Welles TV set was in there but I was skint at the time and couldn't find much else I really wanted, so missed out. To be honest I remember being quite annoyed there were a couple of titles that were £6 not long after release that I had pre-ordered, so I think I've been skeptical about pre-ordering BFI titles since (unless it's something I'm dying to get hold of, but there have been very few of those lately).

PS: That silent Shakespeare set looks good, and I plan on eventually getting the separate Clarke titles rather than the big set. Was hoping they might add Culloden/The War Game, Farewell My Concubine, Psychomania, Odds Against Tomorrow or Paris Blues to the offer, but maybe next time.

Before I had ordered the five online I had been in store that day. Picked up four and took ages finding a fifth. I then looked at some and thought if this wasn't a BFI release would I still buy it. I then put them all back and bought the five I really wanted online three of which were not instore.

I had not long started collecting BFI releases when last years promotion came along and I think I was purchasing to bulk it up. I am much more selective now. Think I bought Culloden in an Amazon 3 for £20. Definitely would have bought Psychomania if it was in this offer.

[Si Parallel Universe]

I didn't get Culloden in the last offer. Deeply regretting that now

[Darby1985]

Originally Posted by rapta

PS: That silent Shakespeare set looks good, and I plan on eventually getting the separate Clarke titles rather than the big set. Was hoping they might add Culloden/The War Game, Farewell My Concubine, Psychomania, Odds Against Tomorrow or Paris Blues to the offer, but maybe next time.

FWIW most of the Alan Clarke pieces I've enjoyed most in the set have been the ones not given standalones. It's a chunk of change but worth every penny.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by gouryella

Before I had ordered the five online I had been in store that day. Picked up four and took ages finding a fifth. I then looked at some and thought if this wasn't a BFI release would I still buy it. I then put them all back and bought the five I really wanted online three of which were not instore.

I had not long started collecting BFI releases when last years promotion came along and I think I was purchasing to bulk it up. I am much more selective now. Think I bought Culloden in an Amazon 3 for £20. Definitely would have bought Psychomania if it was in this offer.

I find you have to be fairly selective with the BFI catalogue or you'll end up buying everything. I am interested in probably 90% of what they put out but try not to buy literally 90% of it! Much like the Arrow offers/sales, this current HMV offer is a good way to snap up a few I had my eye on, so I can't really complain about selection - I just figured something like Farewell My Concubine might be in there due to the lack of extras (and no booklet, shockingly), and Culloden/The War Game was in a previous Fopp promotion (as were most BFI titles, to be fair).

Reminds me, I still need to pick up Privilege, preferably with the new artwork. Haven't seen it in-store anywhere yet actually...

Originally Posted by Si Parallel Universe

I didn't get Culloden in the last offer. Deeply regretting that now

Yeah, I seem to remember it was similar case of not finding another 2 in the offer I wanted to get with it. I also think it was around Christmas-time (or just after) and I was trying to cut back on frivolous purchases. I'm sure it'll be on offer again - I almost bought it for £8 in Fopp last November but got Symptoms instead (and a free Napoleon/Psychomania mini-poster).

Originally Posted by Darby1985

FWIW most of the Alan Clarke pieces I've enjoyed most in the set have been the ones not given standalones. It's a chunk of change but worth every penny.

I'm sure I'd go for it if I was already a fan, but I don't think I've seen a full Clarke film to date so wouldn't be happy dropping that kind of money on a blind-buy. I was even hesitant to get Arrow's Rivette set despite being quite interested in his work due to the price tag.

Perhaps one day if I feel a bit more informed, or it drops to a ridiculously low price, as some BFI sets often do. I got the Pioneers of African-American Cinema set for twenty quid last week, for example, and the Robbe-Grillet one for a tenner quite recently too. Others got the Herzog set for dirt cheap (I pre-ordered that one; huge fan here).

[Si Parallel Universe]

The Alan Clarke set is a thing of beauty for all sorts of reasons.

Not sure the earlier plays would sell in high enough numbers to justify separate releases and so are included for collectors purposes only.

Hence the separate releases being the most popular and accessible

[Si Parallel Universe]

Originally Posted by rapta

I find you have to be fairly selective with the BFI catalogue or you'll end up buying everything. I am interested in probably 90% of what they put out but try not to buy literally 90% of it! Much like the Arrow offers/sales, this current HMV offer is a good way to snap up a few I had my eye on, so I can't really complain about selection - I just figured something like Farewell My Concubine might be in there due to the lack of extras (and no booklet, shockingly), and Culloden/The War Game was in a previous Fopp promotion (as were most BFI titles, to be fair).

Reminds me, I still need to pick up Privilege, preferably with the new artwork. Haven't seen it in-store anywhere yet actually...



Yeah, I seem to remember it was similar case of not finding another 2 in the offer I wanted to get with it. I also think it was around Christmas-time (or just after) and I was trying to cut back on frivolous purchases. I'm sure it'll be on offer again - I almost bought it for £8 in Fopp last November but got Symptoms instead (and a free Napoleon/Psychomania mini-poster).

I think I had planned to get it on a subsequent visit went back and the promotion had finished.
Yeah its possible that I will see it again but I'm reluctant to pay £19 for it thats for sure

Was the poster inside Symptoms or something ?

[Shillingbury Tales]

I think the Alan Clarke boxset was the last BFI title I purchased and I've yet to even open it.

But pleased to see an announcement for a second feature The Orchard End Murder from 1981 that not only stars Tracey Hyde from Melody but also includes a brand new interview with her.
She went off the radar decades ago so will be great to see her being interviewed

[Si Parallel Universe]

Originally Posted by Shillingbury Tales

I think the Alan Clarke boxset was the last BFI title I purchased and I've yet to even open it.

But pleased to see an announcement for a second feature The Orchard End Murder from 1981 that not only stars Tracey Hyde from Melody but also includes a brand new interview with her.
She went off the radar decades ago so will be great to see her being interviewed

Oh you have to get playing some of the things in that set, seriously, its a gold mine.

Yeah Im interested in that Flipside title too

[Shillingbury Tales]

Originally Posted by Si Parallel Universe

Oh you have to get playing some of the things in that set, seriously, its a gold mine.

Yeah Im interested in that Flipside title too

I've been waiting years to see some of them but just not got round to it.
Last BFI titles I think I actually watched (and still not completed them) was The Boy From Space and The Changes (both only on dvd)

And while the BFI have stalled on releasing Childrens Film Foundation product I've managed to record a good few from Talking Pictures