British Film Institute (BFI) Discussion Thread

[Yami]

Originally Posted by PK22

Hey guys, sorry to ask such an annoying question but I've never bought any of the BFI releases. Can I ask for some recommendations? (e.g. the best films with the best transfers)

I'd wholeheartedly recommend Comrades. Great film and the transfer is magnificent.

[aewb]

Originally Posted by Yami

I'd wholeheartedly recommend Comrades. Great film and the transfer is magnificent.

This.

Also A Day In the Life, Herostratus, Winstanley, Deep End, The Edge of the World...so many wonderful BFI releases.

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by PK22

Hey guys, sorry to ask such an annoying question but I've never bought any of the BFI releases. Can I ask for some recommendations? (e.g. the best films with the best transfers)

Great White Silence

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by PK22

Hey guys, sorry to ask such an annoying question but I've never bought any of the BFI releases. Can I ask for some recommendations? (e.g. the best films with the best transfers)

It would be helpful if you gave some idea of what sort of films you liked. There's no such thing as a "best" film , all depends on what each person prefers

I own The Innocents and Great White Silence from BFI and think they're terrific films with fantastic blu-ray presentations.

[BigNickUK]

Originally Posted by James78

I recommend The Innocents: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-I...-Blu-ray/6764/

The Innocents definitely!

[rapta]

Originally Posted by PK22

Hey guys, sorry to ask such an annoying question but I've never bought any of the BFI releases. Can I ask for some recommendations? (e.g. the best films with the best transfers)

I have Alice, L'Age D'Or/Un Chien Andalou, The Great White Silence, Tokyo Story and Good Morning. I've so far only watched the first 2 and they are great, but L'Age D'Or isn't for everyone (unless you are into Dali and/or Buñuel). The Great White Silence looks and sounds excellent from what I can gather, and the last two are Ozu so will be good I hope.

Anyone know when Aguirre, Wrath Of God is getting a release? I got a BFI newsletter today and there was no mention of Herzog whatsoever...getting impatient! Also they said that the Seven Samurai release would be 'steelbook exclusive', does that mean there's no Dual Format clear amaray this time around?

[pro-bassoonist]

PRESS RELEASE (DVD/BLU-RAY)

Highlights in October include:

The legendary Play for Today drama Robin Redbreast (1970) – an unsettling tale of ‘folk horror’ that’s considered a precursor to 1973’s The Wicker Man (DVD)
The three surviving, terrifying episodes of the long-unseen 1972 ghost story anthology Dead of Night (DVD)
Classic Ghost Stories (1986), five spine-tingling tales from the pen of MR James, presented by Robert Powell (DVD)
An extended six-disc repackage of the best-selling BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas (DVD)

Highlights in November include:

A BFI Flipside Dual Format Edition presentation of the BBC’s Schalcken the Painter (1979). This highpoint of BBC arts filmmaking will be presented in High Definition from a rare 16mm source recently discovered in the BFI National Archive
The 1977 BBC gothic horror anthology Supernatural starring a host of British acting legends including Billie Whitelaw, Robert Hardy, Denholm Elliot and Jeremy Brett (DVD)

Other Gothic releases include:

Scary Stories – a collection of creepy films from The Children’s Film Foundation featuring The Man From Nowhere (1976), Haunters of the Deep (1984) and Out of the Darkness (1985) (September 2013, DVD)
A three-disc Dual Format special edition of Rupert Julian / Lon Chaney’s original The Phantom of the Opera (1925) (November 2013)
The BFI National Archive digital re-mastering of Thorold Dickinson’s dark psychological drama Gaslight (1940) (November 2013, Dual Format Edition)

October also sees the long-awaited Blu-ray premiere of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954) – presented as a steelbook exclusively at http://www.zavvi.com.

Rescheduled releases for December include the previously announced Dual Format Editions of Roberto Rossellini’s Stromboli (1950) and Journey to Italy (1954), and Alain Robbe-Grillet’s Trans-Europ Express (1967) and Successive Slidings of Pleasure (1974).

Pro-B

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

That BFI version of Phantom does look great; I've never seen Schalcken (though I've read the story and heard a BBC radio adaptation); and I haven't seen this version of Gaslight, only the Boyer/Bergman version. (Is it fair to call the US version a remake?)

So thanks for the heads-up and info on these, Pro-B!

You are welcome, Mac. Have a wonderful week

Pro-B

[ravenus]

With respect to Adventures of Prince Achmed, the original BFI DVD release makes mention of a 60 min documentary on Lotte Reiniger. Will this be present on the upcoming dual format release also?

[SolidBlu]

Originally Posted by Funktion

The limited edition of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is also limited to 1000 copies, and also includes a bonus DVD. Better pick it up soon, it already vanished from several online stores (Amazon.co.uk, for example, isn't selling it directly anymore).

And good luck with Deep End, it's a lovely release, for a lovely film.

Already received my copy of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie CE (and it has slip! ) and More (great thick white case similar to CC cases) from amazon UK, thanks for the help and advise buddies

[SolidBlu]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

NEWS
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=11768



Pro-B

Thanks Pro-B, that The Phantom of the Opera will be mine, region free or not

[BAKA]

MovieMail have an 80th Anniversary BFI sale on. It's worth a browse. I picked up Cría Cuervos, Before The Revolution and Tess for £9.99. Nice to see Tess drop below £10 at somewhere other than Zavvi.

[SolidBlu]

Originally Posted by Funktion

I'm not sure about the region-free status, but the 3 disc edition had a bonus DVD, with a Q&A session with John Moulder-Brown and Jane Asher, and the reissue trailer (this one: ) Deep End (1970) Trailer - Out Now on BFI DVD & Blu-ray - YouTube

Good luck finding a copy of the 3 disc edition though, it was limited to 1000 copies, and it sold out soon after release.

already received my copy of Deep End CE, it's very expensive but I am very happy with it thanks buddy

[MacEachaidh]

I've just seen that the BFI's coming season of Gothic cinema will include Jacques Tourneur's Night of the Demon.
("Dana Andrews said prunes, gave him the runes, and passing them used lots of skills ...")

I would really love to see a cleaned-up transfer of this film come to Blu-ray. I've loved (and dreaded) it since it scared the bejaysus out of me when I was a kid, when I had snuck out of bed to watch it in the middle of the night against my parents' advice. I had recurring nightmares for years afterwards.

[NoirFan]

Night/Curse of the Demon is a long-time personal favorite of mine as well as a masterpiece of mood and imagination. Tourneur was a superb director responsible for several iconic films, none of which are available on BD.

Edit: Wild Side in France will be releasing Nightfall and Night of the Demon in October, but they will be extremely pricey to import. I had been hoping for a TT release of Demon, but I may ultimately have to bite the bullet and shell out for the French disc, depending on reviews.

[Modman]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

Night/Curse of the Demon is a long-time personal favorite of mine as well as a masterpiece of mood and imagination. Tourneur was a superb director responsible for several iconic films, none of which are available on BD.

Edit: Wild Side in France will be releasing Nightfall and Night of the Demon in October, but they will be extremely pricey to import. I had been hoping for a TT release of Demon, but I may ultimately have to bite the bullet and shell out for the French disc, depending on reviews.

I will pick up the Wild Side release of Night of the Demon, as long as it does not have forced subtitles.

[MacEachaidh]

I'm personally happy for films not to go to TT — purely selfishly — because they're far too expensive, and a TT release ties a title up and keeps it from general release. Though we do seem to be getting a few TT titles on Blu coming to market here in Australia, such as Journey to the Centre of the Earth, which is out here in a few days' time. One of the benefits of being a marketing bywater, perhaps.

As for Night of the Demon, I do hope there's a decent release of it. It would sit so nicely beside the Val Lewton Boxed Set I keep hoping for!

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by Modman

I will pick up the Wild Side release of Night of the Demon, as long as it does not have burned subtitles.

According to the Amazon listing it includes both versions as well as an 128-page book which will be useless to me as I don't know French, but there will be photos and archive documents to browse as well. Gun Crazy is 60 Euros, now that's price crazy! Are there ever group buys for France?

[Modman]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

According to the Amazon listing it includes both versions as well as an 128-page book which will be useless to me as I don't know French, but there will be photos and archive documents to browse as well. Gun Crazy is 60 Euros, now that's price crazy! Are there ever group buys for France?

Are you in the UK? I don't find the shipping to the UK that costly. I think its a strong bet that Gun Crazy will get a Blu-ray release in the US by Warner, that will be a lot cheaper.

[nitin]

Nightfall is being released somewhere on blu? As in the noir? That would make my day.