Possession (1981) (Special + Limited Editions)

[Akijama]

PRE-ORDER (Special Edition) http://www.toufaan.com/products/poss...igipak-edition



PRE-ORDER (Limited Edition) http://www.toufaan.com/products/poss...umbered-copies

DEEP-CUTTING CINEMA THAT REACHES THE SOUL

A spiral staircase movie, a never-ending metaphysical game of cat-and-mouse, a moral aspiration to the Heavens, a “spotlight” on God, a scornful detective movie, a horror movie and frightful, high-octane baroque work – Possession is all of that at once. It is a film that provokes, but it provokes intelligence above all – not just the merry continuation of our little social mechanisms.

Possession is a visionary, scathing attack on what could be called an “alien” from within. It is a movie that deliberately goes against the new “dominant ideology”, and takes huge risks. This deep-cutting, biological cinema, delves into the guts to reach the soul. Through its fire, it revives something that a lot of contemporary movies have lost: emotion, and the prospect of the audience reacting, perhaps even throwing up (figuratively?) in front of a screen displaying their own fantasies.

MONDO VISION presents the first ever North American Blu-ray release of Andrzej Zulawski's POSSESSION (1981) in an all new 2K digital transfer supervised and approved by the director. UNCUT & Fully Uncensored, this edition also marks the first ever release of the film in North America in its original Director's Cut.* The film is presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 along with an uncompressed mono audio soundtrack. This Dual Layer disc has been transferred and encoded using a high-frequency process which preserves as much of the detail and texture from the original film as is possible on the Blu-ray format.

[Show spoiler]...with one small hiccup

I had an email exchange with Mondo Vision, and here is what I learned.

Good news:

Possession is definitely coming to Blu.

There will be 4.5 hours of extras

Bad news:

Blu-ray was initially planned for July/August release, however they have some problems with manifacturing, so now they are waiting for the manifacturer to give them a status update.

[Show spoiler]

UK version is due July 29, from Second Sight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTB15PPtMyA

[spanky87]

I'll go with the UK one if we don't get a confirmed release date by the end of July.

[Scottie]

Nice! Looking forward to it!

[deepred]

Very cool!

[Monty70]

I had a chance to see this film online a few days ago and was blown away by it. The acting was incredible, especially Isabelle Adjani's performance. Sam Neill was also great. The film has such an incredible menace hanging over it that a physical toll is exerted on the viewer. (much like The Devils, though a much different film)

This is a must have on Blu-ray when it becomes available.

[deepred]

It's like Scenes From a Marriage - horror style. I always thought it would make a good double feature with The Brood.

[Brian81]

A relief that it's coming to BD. Now, which version..regular or limited?

[DenOfEarth]

Sounds awesome! i always liked this film since i was a teen, a nice artsy horror film i should say.

[NoirFan]

I thought this made for very grueling viewing. A well-made and intelligent film, but relentlessly disturbing and repulsive. Somewhat emotionally exhausting to watch, like The Exorcist, which I also own (on DVD) but likely won't revisit, and definitely won't upgrade.

[Hawkguy]

I'm ok with a later date as long as we know when by the time the UK version comes out.

It's my favorite film and I've been anxious about this release for a couple of years now..

[Kriztoffer Swank]

Glad to hear Mondo are doing a Blu-ray. I wonder if they'll do a "premium" edition like with their DVDs?

I'd been holding out for their DVD of Possession forever. Heard Second Sight was doing a BD. If the Mondo BD uses the same master and is comparable in quality, I may just get the local release.

[EddieLarkin]

Originally Posted by Kriztoffer Swank

Glad to hear Mondo are doing a Blu-ray. I wonder if they'll do a "premium" edition like with their DVDs?

I'd been holding out for their DVD of Possession forever. Heard Second Sight was doing a BD. If the Mondo BD uses the same master and is comparable in quality, I may just get the local release.

I believe they are doing a Limited Edition set:



Looks to be similar to the Limited Editions of their other Zulawski releases.

The masters will almost certainly be the same between the two releases, headed by the same guy who did the masters for the other Mondo discs. That said, Second Sight could tinker with it on their end and make it worse, but I doubt they'd bother.

[Dr. Seymour Love]

Finally some confirmation! A must buy.

[Nickeleye7]

Does Mondo do Pre-Orders?

[EddieLarkin]

Originally Posted by Nickeleye7

Does Mondo do Pre-Orders?

I believe so. I imagine they'll make it available from their own distributor:

http://www.toufaan.com/

Their prices are usually better than Amazon's as well.

[shogun123]

It's terribly overacted (still getting the Second Sight release)

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

I believe they are doing a Limited Edition set:



Looks to be similar to the Limited Editions of their other Zulawski releases.

The masters will almost certainly be the same between the two releases, headed by the same guy who did the masters for the other Mondo discs. That said, Second Sight could tinker with it on their end and make it worse, but I doubt they'd bother.

That looks very cool, is this their First BLU for the director's films? I want this one for sure, I was going to order the UK release but Im thinking the US release may be even better :-)

[Vixen of the Night]

Originally Posted by shogun123

It's terribly overacted (still getting the Second Sight release)

It's purposely 'over-acted'. It's not done unintentionally and works for what the film is going for, even if it can be grueling to sit through as a result. If anyone has ever been through an awful relationship and break up, then you'll totally get the unhinged acting by the leads in this film.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by shogun123

It's terribly overacted (still getting the Second Sight release)

It's some of the best acting I've ever seen

[Losey]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

It's some of the best acting I've ever seen

Agree. Isabelle Adjani won the Best Actress Prize at Cannes for this (as well as for Quartet). She went on to win the Best Actress Cesar Award later that year for the film. Any other actress would've look ridiculous in the infamous subway scene. She pulls it off 'cause no one can play shades of crazy quite like her. See Adele H, One Deadly Summer, Mortelle Randonnee, Camille Claudel, Queen Margot, Adolphe...: all mad, but never played the same.