The Official Arbelos Films Thread

[nitin]

Originally Posted by CineSicko

Finally watched my recently acquired BD set of THE GANGS OF WASSEYPUR 1 and 2. The first film was good, albeit a bit shaky (some very poor CGI and some pacing issues got on my nerves), but the second installment was a mind-blower. Overall an outstanding presentation of what are probably the best Indian crime films in recent years (rivaled by SATYA and AGNEEPATH as the best I've seen... but I'm new to Indian crime films).

If anyone can recommend more Indian gangster titles, I'm open to them!

Maqbool (2003) and Company (2002). Company is directed by the same director as Satya (which is indeed one of the best Indian crime films) but admittedly a little slicker and less grittier but still compelling.

[CineSicko]

Originally Posted by nitin

Maqbool (2003) and Company (2002). Company is directed by the same director as Satya (which is indeed one of the best Indian crime films) but admittedly a little slicker and less grittier but still compelling.

Ordered COMPANY on DVD. I'll look into MAQBOOL as well, which sounds great. Thanks!

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by cropduster

Oh man, that would be a dream release. I think the first or second dvd I ever bought was Begotten. That was almost 20 years ago!

The director claimed he was involved in a 4K restoration of it, but he didn't mention who was financing it or how long it would take. That was a few years ago now. He also said the footage completed looks better than even the original theatrical version and blows away the dvd, which he was never happy with.

[Mr. Hallenbeck]

Originally Posted by Craig-Rogers

I have a love/hate relationship with restoring animation.

It's always a struggle to balance keeping the "handmade" aesthetic and cleaning it up so that all the built-in "dirt" isn't overly distracting. And much like creating traditional animated films, it's a very, very manual process. Frame-by-frame...not a tremendous amount of help with any automated tools. It's exhausting, but in the end I just LOVE the end result. You can really appreciate how much work goes into traditional animation. You can literally see the hand made work on the screen. Very fulfilling.

If you're wondering, no we haven't announced any new animated restorations coming from Arbelos.

Yet.

My bet is on Fehérlófia (1981). I've been hearing rumblings lately about a bunch of Hungarian animated films being restored.

Also, because I just want it on blu-ray already. It's one of my favorite films ever.

[Yami]

Fehérlófia would be incredible. As would Angel's Egg.

[bsend]

Originally Posted by Yami

Fehérlófia would be incredible. As would Angel's Egg.

I would love Angel's Egg (1985), or Windaria (1986).

[Craig-Rogers]

Arbelos Films has officially announced its upcoming Blu-ray release of Nietzchka Keene's film The Juniper Tree (1990), starring Björk, Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir, and Valdimar Örn Flygenring. The release will be available for purchase on September 10.

Synopsis: An unsung talent in her lifetime, director, professor and Fulbright scholar Nietzchka Keene's stark, stunning debut feature The Juniper Tree is loosely based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name, and stars Björk in her first on-screen performance. The film premiered to glowing reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991 and led Keene to further direct Heroine of Hell (1996) starring Catherine Keener and Barefoot to Jerusalem (2008), the latter completed after her tragically early death in 2004.



Set in medieval Iceland, The Juniper Tree follows Margit (Björk in a riveting performance) and her older sister Katla (Bryndis Petra Bragadottir) as they flee for safety after their mother is burned to death for witchcraft. Finding shelter and protection with Johan (Valdimar Orn Fygenring), and his resentful young son, Jonas (Geirlaug Sunna Pormar), the sisters help form an impromptu family unit that's soon strained by Katla's burgeoning sorcery. Photographed entirely on location in the stunning landscapes of Iceland in spectacular black-and-white by Randy Sellars, The Juniper Tree is a deeply atmospheric film, evocative of Carl Theodor Dreyer's Day of Wrath and Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring, and filled with indelible waking dream sequences (courtesy of legendary experimental filmmaker Pat O'Neill). A potent allegory for misogyny and its attendant tragedies, The Juniper Tree is a major rediscovery for art house audiences.

Special Features and Technical Specs:
BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM from the original 35mm camera negative by the Wisconsin Center for Film & Theater Research and The Film Foundation, with funding provided by The George Lucas Family Foundation
NEW 3 remastered short films by Nietzchka Keene
NEW video interview with cinematographer Randy Sellars
Archival video interview with Nietzchka Keene
Never before seen outtakes
U.S. Theatrical Trailer
NEW essays by Amy Sloper and Angeline Gragasin, plus a short story by Lorrie Moore

[qw0aszx]

I saw the restored 4K DCP of Sátántangó a few days back at Shanghai International Film Festival, what an amazing experience! Watch this in theater is such an overwhelming experience! The picture detail is not as good as I thought would be but still a giant leap from that DVD image, can't wait to own it on blu-ray!

[Craig-Rogers]

FINALLY I can let you all know what I've been working on!

from the press release:

Ahead of its world premiere at Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, a restored version of Hungarian psychedelic animation Son Of The White Mare has landed at Arbelos Films.

The distributor has acquired North, Central, and South American rights to Marcell Jankovics’ cult film, set to screen at Fantasia on July 29. The quest story takes place in a mythological setting as three brothers led by Treehshaker set out to save the universe by destroying dragons attached to a huge oak tree at the gates of the underworld. The film first came out in 1981.

Read the entire press release at: ScreenDaily

Here's a sneak peek for you.

[nitin]

I am going to see Arbelos’ restoration of The Juniper Tree at the Melbourne International Film Festival next month

[Yami]

Absolutely fantastic news, Craig!

Son of the White Mare(Fehérlófia) has been a film that I have championed and requested for years, and it is unreal to hear that it has finally been restored! It is one of the most visually mindblowing films I've ever seen - and that's just in YouTube quality!

Thank you, between this and your restoration of Sátántangó (very different films...) it's a great time to be a fan of Hungarian cinema.

[MechaGodzilla]

Originally Posted by Craig-Rogers

FINALLY I can let you all know what I've been working on!

from the press release:

Ahead of its world premiere at Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, a restored version of Hungarian psychedelic animation Son Of The White Mare has landed at Arbelos Films.

The distributor has acquired North, Central, and South American rights to Marcell Jankovics’ cult film, set to screen at Fantasia on July 29. The quest story takes place in a mythological setting as three brothers led by Treehshaker set out to save the universe by destroying dragons attached to a huge oak tree at the gates of the underworld. The film first came out in 1981.

Read the entire press release at: ScreenDaily

Here's a sneak peek for you.

[Show spoiler]

Fantastic!

[Kincho]

Son Of The White Mare looks very cool!

[Telstar]

Son of the White Mare was presented at a recent screening by the super cool Church of Film in Portland. Does Arbelos Have any sort of relationship with CoF?

[Craig-Rogers]

And hopefully more to come!

Originally Posted by Yami

Absolutely fantastic news, Craig!

Son of the White Mare(Fehérlófia) has been a film that I have championed and requested for years, and it is unreal to hear that it has finally been restored! It is one of the most visually mindblowing films I've ever seen - and that's just in YouTube quality!

Thank you, between this and your restoration of Sátántangó (very different films...) it's a great time to be a fan of Hungarian cinema.

[Craig-Rogers]

one more peek...

[Yami]

Originally Posted by Craig-Rogers

And hopefully more to come!

Glad to hear it! Those screencaps that you posted look gorgeous.

I believe that MANDA have restored many Hungarian films, including some animated films, over the past few years. It would be great if you could include the restorations of Jankovics' Sisyphus and Kuzdok as extras on the eventual Blu-Ray release of Son of the White Mare - and maybe some other examples of restored Hungarian animation.

[Show spoiler]

Kovásznai György: Gitáros fiú a régi képtárban (1964) - YouTube

Kovásznai György: Ca Ira, a Francia Forradalom dala (1973) - YouTube

A légy - animációs film - digitálisan felújÃ*tott (1980) - YouTube

Körúti esték(1972) - YouTube

Istvan Banyai Hamm.(Gobble-Gobble) 1976 mp4 - YouTube

Macskássy Katalin -- Nekem az élet teccik nagyon... (1974) - YouTube

[Yami]

Word out of Fantasia is that the restoration of Son of the White Mare is "absolutely STUNNING!"

Tomm Moore (Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea) is a fan of the film. It might be nice to get him on the extras, he has done wonderful commentaries for his own films

[Craig-Rogers]

In case you hadn't heard yet...



Stealing my partner's facebook post as he's better with words than I...

Immensely proud to be bringing Béla Tarr's incomparable magnum opus Sátántangó back to North American screens in a new 25th anniversary 4K restoration this Fall - beginning with the U.S. premiere at New York Film Festival! Each of these restoration / re-release projects takes a village to realize, and Sátántangó was no exception.

Huge kudos to my pals and colleagues at Arbelos (especially Craig Rogers who performed the truly Herculean task of digitally restoring all 7 1/2 hours (!) of film.) Big thanks to Tyler Fagerstrom (Five Lights) and our partners at the Hungarian Film Fund / Magyar Filmlabor who did a phenomenal job grading the film, our lovely international partners Fiorella and Hedi at Luxbox, and all the amazing festival and theatrical programmers supporting the re-release (a 432 min runtime isn't easy to schedule!) And lastly a heartfelt thanks to Béla Tarr himself, both for entrusting us with the film and for generously supervising the restoration.

So call the babysitter, pack a snack and catch this on the big screen when it rolls through town!

[Craig-Rogers]

New Satantango poster coming soon....