I'm not familiar with a lot of their titles but I have seen Rocco and His Brothers and it's amazing. It's also one of Scorsese's favorites. I've heard Shirley Clarke's work is held in high regard as well.
Thanks for the heads up on this, Milestone is a really fascinating company with a modest library but almost every release is unique or groundbreaking in some way. Picked up the following:
[Show spoiler]South: Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition
Shoes (by Lois Weber)
Back to God's Country: The Films of Nell Shipman
Olive Thomas Collection
Mad Love: The Films of Evgeni Bauer
The Adventures of Prince Achmed
Piccadilly (featuring Anna May Wong)
Hindle Wakes
The Cook and Other Treasures (Keaton/Arbuckle)
Connection (by Shirley Clarke)
Maborosi (early Kore-eda)
Emphasis on early silents but these all sounded intriguing. Was glad to hear about the sale and support them with an order. Several only available on DVD but I was able to grab a few BDs to keep things relevant for this forum
From its first release at an underground theater in Paris, this account of France’s occupation under the Nazi regime has been acclaimed as one of the most moving and influential films ever made. Director Marcel Ophuls interviewed the residents of Clermont-Ferrand who remembered the occupation, as well as government officials, writers, farmers, artists, and German veterans. Here, in their own words, is the story of how ordinary citizens and leaders alike behaved under military siege. Originally refused by French TV, the film garnered international success and acclaim – including an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary – while shattering the myth of an undivided and universally resistant France under the Vichy government. A triumph of on-the-ground filmmaking, The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) remains gripping, appalling, and exhilarating for its unflinching view of humanity.
Came over here to see what was new, but I'd heard about this release in the KLSC thread. Surprised to see I had been the last one to post in here before MifuneFan, and it was more than 2yrs ago! Surprising (and a little sad) Milestone has been so quiet since then.
Just commenting to follow this thread, but also want to state I love this label! One of the lesser known/talked about "boutiques", even though they have released some beautiful gems. Some titles I can highly recommend:
And this one as well, but it's not in the blu-ray.com database:
Good news, Milestone Films (through Kino distribution) will be releasing Piccadilly (1929) on September 26th. The film was was restored by BFI, who released their own Blu-ray of the film in 2021.
Milestone Films (via Kino distribution) will be releasing Michael Powell's The Edge of the World (1937) on Blu-ray on October 17th. The film was previously released in the UK all the back in 2010. Most of the extras from that release are included with this Milestone one.
Audio commentary by Oscar®-winner Thelma Schoonmaker, film historian Ian Christie, and Oscar®-winner Daniel Day-Lewis reading from Michael Powell’s book on the making of the film
Return to the Edge of the World (1979), in which Michael returns to Foula with the cast and crew
An Airman’s Letter to his Mother (1941), Michael Powell’s WWII-era short film
Alternative Scenes (1944, 9 minutes)
Michael Powell’s Home Movies narrated by Thelma Schoonmaker
Original Trailer
Quote:
Two families living on a remote island off of Scotland are brought together by star-crossed lovers. When Ruth's brother Robbie plans to leave the island for a future abroad, her item of affection, Andrew, challenges her brother to race up the island's treacherous cliffs. Their challenge threatens to tear the families apart and ruin whatever peace is left on their island home, bringing both men right up onto THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. Shot entirely on the wild, windswept island of Foula in the Shetlands, this thrilling romantic drama from director Michael Powell (The Red Shoes, Stairway to Heaven) is beautiful and profoundly moving for its time.
My favorite Milestone release is THE EXILES (1961), but sadly they only released it on DVD.
They need to get a clue.
Had never heard of documentary The Exiles until yesterday when I saw the Blu-ray.com news article (which is linked to on the Blu-ray.com database listing page for Milestone's Blu-ray release, out in early-December):
Milestone I’m gonna start taking it personally. Where is I Am Cuba?!?!?
Be patient. I've been waiting for a Blu-ray of THE EXILES (1961) ever since Milestone released the DVD version back in 2009. It's taken until the end of 2023 for that to occur. Perhaps I AM CUBA will be next?
Be patient. I've been waiting for a Blu-ray of THE EXILES (1961) ever since Milestone released the DVD version back in 2009. It's taken until the end of 2023 for that to occur. Perhaps I AM CUBA will be next?
Maybe Milestone is waiting for the 30th anniversary of them obtaining the rights. 2025 here we come!
Be patient. I've been waiting for a Blu-ray of THE EXILES (1961) ever since Milestone released the DVD version back in 2009. It's taken until the end of 2023 for that to occur. Perhaps I AM CUBA will be next?
I'm not familiar with the situation for THE EXILES, but I think the particular frustration with I AM CUBA is that Milestone had hinted at a forthcoming Blu-ray release as far back as 2019 (a 4K restoration had already been completed and was released in theaters that year). So it's not just wishful thinking but what felt like a tangible release on its way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gacivory
Maybe Milestone is waiting for the 30th anniversary of them obtaining the rights. 2025 here we come!
When I emailed Milestone back in January to inquire about both a Blu-ray for I AM CUBA and KILLER OF SHEEP, I was told that "they are definitely both supposed to be out in this year," so I don't know if it's a rights issue. However, I sent a follow-up email at the end of August for an update but this time didn't get a reply back.
I'm not familiar with the situation for THE EXILES, but I think the particular frustration with I AM CUBA is that Milestone had hinted at a forthcoming Blu-ray release as far back as 2019 (a 4K restoration had already been completed and was released in theaters that year). So it's not just wishful thinking but what felt like a tangible release on its way.
When I emailed Milestone back in January to inquire about both a Blu-ray for I AM CUBA and KILLER OF SHEEP, I was told that "they are definitely both supposed to be out in this year," so I don't know if it's a rights issue. However, I sent a follow-up email at the end of August for an update but this time didn't get a reply back.
Killer of Sheep too? Those two releases alone would make my year!
Killer of Sheep too? Those two releases alone would make my year!
Yep, actually the entire Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection. Here's my post again from January:
Quote:
Originally Posted by edmoney
FYI, I reached out to Milestone to inquire about the Blu-ray status of both I Am Cuba and Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection. Here's the reply I received:
They are both coming out, but the delay is for the same reason, which I'm sorry, I can't share with you. But they are definitely both supposed to be out in this year.
Fondest regards,
Dennis Doros
Milestone Film & Video
So there's still hope!
I hope the non-reply to my follow-up email in August doesn't mean bad news.
Milestone Films and Kino Lorber are proud to announce the 4K and analog 35mm restoration and release of Charles Burnett’s long-lost feature, The Annihilation of Fish, starring James Earl Jones, Lynn Redgrave, and Margot Kidder. The restoration by UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation with funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation of the acclaimed independent filmmaker’s missing movie will have its world premiere at the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio on March 2, 2024 as part of the 10th annual Cinema Revival: A Festival of Film Restoration. Mr. Burnett will be in attendance. UCLA Film & Television Archive will host the film’s Los Angeles premiere on April 5, as part of their 25th anniversary Festival of Preservation.
“Charles Burnett is one of the finest filmmakers in this country,” said Martin Scorsese, Founder and Chair of The Film Foundation. “His pictures speak in a cinematic voice that is uniquely and completely his own. For much too long, The Annihilation of Fish has been in limbo. It took many years and endless persistence to rescue this beautiful, delicate picture and get the original materials properly restored and preserved. It required the combined efforts of multiple organizations — Milestone Films, UCLA Film & Television Archive, The Film Foundation, and the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation — to see this restoration through, and I’m so happy that it’s finally ready for the world to discover.”
Shot in 1999, The Annihilation of Fish screened that September at the Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired for distribution. But following a single bad review in Variety, the distributor canceled the film’s release. For almost a quarter of a century, The Annihilation of Fish has been unavailable on all media — it has never been distributed on 35mm, DCP, VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, television, or streaming — anywhere.
In 2003, Mr. Burnett asked Milestone Films (distributor of his features Killer of Sheep, My Brother’s Wedding, and The Final Insult plus five short films) to try to acquire the rights for his lost film, The Annihilation of Fish. Thus began a 19-year-long odyssey that included hundreds of phone calls, faxes, and emails contacting distributors, producers and heirs, archives, labs, lawyers, the US Treasury Department, and finally the US Bankruptcy Court for the State of California. Even after finally acquiring the rights for The Annihilation of Fish, Milestone spent six months battling a lab to get the master film materials transferred to the UCLA Film & Television Archive — which now holds the film’s 35mm original A/B picture negative, 35mm internegative, 35mm interpositive, 35mm original track negative, 35mm prints and various sound masters.
Charles Burnett’s feature films Killer of Sheep (1978) and To Sleep With Anger (1990) were both named to the prestigious US National Film Registry. In 2022, Killer of Sheep was also listed in Sight and Sound’s international poll as one of the “100 Most Important Films of All Time.” The filmmaker has also made groundbreaking work for television, including Nightjohn; Selma, Lord, Selma; and Warming By the Devil’s Fire. In presenting him with an honorary Oscar® in 2017, filmmaker Ava DuVernay described Mr. Burnett as “A giant, a legend, an icon, a true artist… one of the most significant American directors in the history of cinema of any color.” He is also a past recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship.
Adapted from a short story by Anthony C. Winkler, The Annihilation of Fish (1999, 108 minutes) is a tender comedy about two eccentric humans (James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave) finding love later in life. With extraordinary performances from a stellar cast, the film tackles such issues as race, mental illness, and aging with anarchic humor and energy.
On the acquisition and restoration of his film, Charles Burnett has written:
“The Annihilation of Fish was written by Anthony Winkler, produced by Paul Heller and Kris Dodge, edited by Nancy Richardson, cinematography by John Demps, Jr., sound by Veda Campbell, music by Laura Karpman, production designer Nina Ruscio, production supervisor Ed Santiago, and starring Lynn Redgrave, James Earl Jones, Linden Chiles, Margot Kidder, and Tommy Hicks. There are so many people whom I have to thank who worked over the years to get The Annihilation of Fish restored and released. Releasing the film conveys a great deal to everyone involved, particularly the cast and crew, especially the late Paul Heller, who spent ten years producing the film. I want to thank Milestone Films, UCLA Film & Television Archive, The Film Foundation and the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation, who found the funding to restore and release it so that cinema lovers can enjoy this story about two distinctly different, lonely people who find love in the crazy world while still holding on to their bizarre outlooks on life.”
The Annihilation of Fish will premiere March 2, 2024 at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio. UCLA Film & Television Archive will host the Los Angeles premiere on April 5, as part of their 25th anniversary Festival of Preservation. Milestone Films and Kino Lorber will handle the film’s long-awaited international theatrical release of the film and later in 2024 will premiere the first-ever release of The Annihilation of Fish on DVD, Blu-ray, SVOD, and streaming services.
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The Exiles (Blu-ray release)
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