BFI to release 'Bande a Part'

[anield]

The Godard classic should be out in April (at the same time as 'Year of the Sex Olympics' and 'Alice in Wonderland) with the following extras: interview with Raoul Coutard (director of photography), commentary, on-set footage, theatrical trailer and "interactive a-z"

[Narshty]

Well, at last the BFI's DVD department seems to be approaching something like a proper release schedule, but I must say I found the film to be, by turns, tedious, pretentious and obnoxious.

[Mario Gauci]

I was about to start a new thread, but then I thought I might as well post this 'news' here.

This morning, I came upon the following by clicking the ‘Specials’ icon on the “Movie Mail” website:


Alice In Wonderland (DVD)

RRP £19.99 MovieMail Price £17.99
Directed by: Miller, Jonathan
BFI BFIVD519
UK 1966
72+8 mins | DVD | Cert PG
With: Peter Sellers, Peter Cook, Michael Redgrave, Alan Bennett, John Gielgud, Leo Mckern, Wilfrid Brambell
Released: Apr 21st 2003

DVD Extras: Audio Commentary by Jonathan Miller and a 1903 silent version of Alice in Wonderland from the BFI Archive.


Bande A` Part (DVD)

RRP £19.99 MovieMail Price £17.99
Directed by: Godard, Jean-Luc
BFI BFIVD549
France 1964
92 mins | DVD | Cert
With: Anna Karina, Claude Brasseur, Sami Frey
Released: Apr 21st 2003

DVD Extras: Interactive A-Z Guide featuring Anna Karina, Quentin Tarantino, clips, stills, on-set footage and informative narration; Interview with cinematographer Raoul Coutard; Audio Commentary by Dr Roland-Francois Lack; Theatrical Trailer.


Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner, The (DVD)

RRP £19.99 MovieMail Price £17.99
Directed by: Richardson, Tony
BFI BFIVD511
UK 1962
100+18 mins | DVD | Cert 12
With: Tom Courtenay, Michael Redgrave, James Bolam, John Thaw
Released: Apr 7th 2003

DVD Extras: Audio Commentary with Alan Sillitoe, Tom Courtenay and Robert Murphy; Video Essay by cinematographer Walter Lassally.


Mark Of Zorro, The (1940) (DVD)

RRP £15.99 MovieMail Price £14.39
Directed by: Mamoulian, Rouben
20CFX 01663DVD
USA 1940
90 mins | DVD | Cert U
With: Basil Rathbone, Tyrone Power
Released: Apr 7th 2003


Persona (DVD)

RRP £19.99 MovieMail Price £17.99
Directed by: Bergman, Ingmar
TARTN TVD3418
SWEDEN 1966
80 mins | DVD | Cert 15
With: Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Margaretha Krook, Gunnar Bjornstrand
Released: Apr 28th 2003

DVD Extras: Original US Theatrical Trailer; Fully uncut and with newly created, uncensored subtitles.


Rififi (aka Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes) (DVD)

RRP £17.99 MovieMail Price £16.19
Directed by: Dassin, Jules
ARROW FCD127
FRANCE 1955
118 mins | DVD | Cert 12
With: Jean Servais, Carl Mohner, Robert Manuel
Released: Apr 14th 2003


Saturday Night And Sunday Morning (DVD)

RRP £19.99 MovieMail Price £17.99
Directed by: Reisz, Karel
BFI BFIVD512
UK 1960
85 mins | DVD | Cert PG
With: Albert Finney, Shirley Ann Field, Hylda Baker, Rachel Roberts
Released: Apr 7th 2003

Extras: Audio Commentary with Alan Sillitoe, Freddie Francis and Robert Murphy; Excerpt from interview with Albert Finney.


Viva Zapata (DVD)

RRP £15.99 MovieMail Price £14.39
Directed by: Kazan, Elia
20CFX 01352DVD
USA 1952
108 mins | DVD | Cert PG
With: Anthony Quinn, Marlon Brando, Jean Peters
Released: Apr 7th 2003

Year of the Sex Olympics, The (DVD)

RRP £19.99 MovieMail Price £17.99
Directed by: Michael Elliott
BFI BFIVD552
UK 1968
103 mins | DVD | Cert 15
With: Leonard Rossiter, Brian Cox, Suzanne Neve
Released: Apr 21st 2003

DVD Extras: Introduction by Kim Newman (also on VHS); Audio Commentary by Brian Cox, DVD-ROM content of original script.


Well, mostly it’s good news – particularly the BFI stuff - but for anyone who has bought the recently-released Criterion DVD of BANDE A` PART (aka: BAND OF OUTSIDERS), the inclusion here of a full-length Audio Commentary sticks out like a sore thumb! The same thing happened to me when I purchased the R2 DVD of Godard’s A` BOUT DE SOUFFLÉ (1959), which I was very happy with – until the R1 edition (albeit of a reportedly substandard quality) came along, which was accompanied by Commentary track!

And, of course, RIFIFI (1955) was also released by Criterion on R1 (and which I just purchased) with few supplements, though the lack of any info regarding extras on the R2 edition doesn’t bode well for it – thankfully, I might add.

I’m also disappointed by the lack of any substantial features on the much-anticipated Tartan release of PERSONA; I hope Movie Mail is mistaken in its details, and likewise for THE MARK OF ZORRO - which in the US is coming out in October as part of Fox “Studio Classics” line of releases – and VIVA ZAPATA!

As for the BFI releases, I’ll surely pick up SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING and THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER – along with A TASTE OF HONEY (1961) and THE CARETAKER (1963) which the BFI recently released, and the R1 edition of BILLY LIAR (1963), released by Criterion. The only DVD I’ve purchased so far in the BFI’s line of “Archive Television” releases was Ken Russell’s DELIUS – SONG OF SUMMER (1968). I’ve been contemplating whether or not to get ELGAR (1962), CULLODEN (1964), THE WAR GAME (1965), WHISTLE AND I’LL COME TO YOU (1968), THE STONE TAPE (1972), A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS (1972) and THE SIGNALMAN (1976) for months now and, perhaps this announcement, which includes another two releases that interest me - and which have been highly praised - should definitely do it for me! Another BFI release I have my eyes on is John Ford’s Silent Western classic THE IRON HORSE (1924).

[anield]

At one point, I had all the BFI releases, but got behind a little last year. I'm currently trying to pick one up at least once a fortnight. The sheer diversity of their output (short films by the likes of Bavo Defurne and Evgneii Bauer to 'An Actor's Revenge' and 'The Stone Tape') makes them, for my money, one of the best DVD distributors the UK has. Okay, the discs may not all have huge amounts of extras, but each one that does appear seems to count (witness the documentary about Lotte Reiniger on 'The Adventures of Prince Achmed' or Ken Russell's commentary on 'Delius'). Plus, along with Artificial Eye, they are the only British company that I know of who have released every film so far in the correct ratio.

[Narshty]

Originally posted by Mario Gauci
As for the BFI releases, I’ll surely pick up SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING and THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER – along with A TASTE OF HONEY (1961) and THE CARETAKER (1963) which the BFI recently released, and the R1 edition of BILLY LIAR (1963), released by Criterion. The only DVD I’ve purchased so far in the BFI’s line of “Archive Television” releases was Ken Russell’s DELIUS – SONG OF SUMMER (1968). I’ve been contemplating whether or not to get ELGAR (1962), CULLODEN (1964), THE WAR GAME (1965), WHISTLE AND I’LL COME TO YOU (1968), THE STONE TAPE (1972), A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS (1972) and THE SIGNALMAN (1976) for months now and, perhaps this announcement, which includes another two releases that interest me - and which have been highly praised - should definitely do it for me! Another BFI release I have my eyes on is John Ford’s Silent Western classic THE IRON HORSE (1924).

Mario and Roderick, by all means pick up all the Archive Television discs - the only one I didn't like was The Stone Tape, but I'm certainly in the minority with that opinion.

Please don't dismiss Ghostwatch out of hand like many others have done - it's still a remarkably entertaining and effective horror film, and absolutely beats the living daylights out of many other faux-reality horror/thrillers, such as The Blair Witch Project, Series 7: The Contenders and the like, because the "live TV" scenario is essential to the success of the programme itself, and not just a money-saving gimmick.

The Caretaker and A Taste of Honey are outstanding films and discs, and wonderful examples of 1960s British filmmaking. I've just picked up The Iron Horse, along with Mad Love: Three Films by Evgenii Bauer, but they haven't arrived yet.

Kon Ichikawa's An Actor's Revenge is truly tonic for the senses - just like with Tokyo Olympiad, he creates vibrant widescreen frames that just explode with energy and it's something truly special. It's a wildly over-the-top revenge story, and all the better for it. The anamorphic transfer is beautiful, even if the sound is a little harsh at times.

I bought Ritwik Ghatak's The Cloud Capped Star and A River Called Titas as companion/comparison pieces to Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy - Ghatak's work are also decidedly melodramatic, unlike the poetic realism of Ray's cinema. The storylines are pure soap opera (kidnappings, strife, etc.), but handled with such sincerity, richness and artistry, they're almost Sirkian.

I'm definitely picking up all the April BFI releases (with the exception of Bande A Part) - I can't wait for Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland (with a cast that includes Peter Sellers, Alan Bennett, John Gielgud, Michael Gough, Peter Cook, Michael Redgrave and Wilfrid Brambell!)

[Gary Couzens]

Originally posted by Narshty
Well, at last the BFI's DVD department seems to be approaching something like a proper release schedule, but I must say I found the film to be, by turns, tedious, pretentious and obnoxious.

It's pretty mild in that department, compared to many of the films Godard made after 1968. <i>Hail Mary</i> is one of the longest 80 minutes I've ever experienced.

[Mario Gauci]

Quote (originally posted by Narshty):

“Well, at last the BFI's DVD department seems to be approaching something like a proper release schedule, but I must say I found the film to be, by turns, tedious, pretentious and obnoxious.”

Jon, I’m quite surprised that you didn’t take to Godard’s BANDE A` PART (1964). To tell you the truth, knowing your genuine love for most things Criterion, I looked at your DVD collection, via the link provided in your signature, just to check whether you owned the disc they released earlier this year. Also, you did not participate in its respective thread on the current Criterion Discussion Board which, although not a member myself, I peruse regularly.

I am saying all this because to me, BANDE A’ PART is probably the most sheerly enjoyable of the Godard films I’ve seen so far, which include such highly regarded works as A` BOUT DE SOUFFLE (1960), UNE FEMME EST UNE FEMME (1961), LE MEPRIS (1963), ALPHAVILLE: UNE ETRANGE AVENTURE DE LEMMY CAUTION (1965) and, my own personal favorite, WEEK-END (1967). It is definitely one of his lightest, most carefree pictures which effortlessly conveys Godard’s infectious love for American pulp cinema and his then wife, Anna Karina.

Mind you, these were just my impressions of the film when I watched it for the first and only time (so far; I have the Criterion DVD, but it is currently languishing in my ever-growing pile of unwatched discs!) last September at London’s National Film Theatre during my last visit to England. Perhaps the fact that I was watching it for the first time on the big screen, in such a wonderful venue, in a foreign country and in such great company (we were even treated to an informal discussion on the film and its innovative use of sound after the screening) had something to bear on my positive response to the trio’s playful antics and Godard’s off-the-cuff stylistics, but I still think that the film should eventually repay repeated viewings. I might not buy the BFI edition now that I have the Criterion one, but I sure would like to listen to that Audio Commentary!


Quote (originally posted by Gary Couzens):

“It's pretty mild in that department, compared to many of the films Godard made after 1968. Hail Mary is one of the longest 80 minutes I've ever experienced.”

I hear you, Gary! Of the few post-1968 Godard films I’ve watched, LOTTE IN ITALIA (1970), TOUT VA BIEN (1972) and even NOUVELLE VAGUE (1990) were pretty hard to sit through, although I have to say that, while far removed from his best work, SAUVE QUI PEUT (LA VIE) (1980), PRENOM CARMEN (1983) and DETECTIVE (1985) had their occasional felicities. Oh, well, at least Jon does seem to like CONTEMPT and ALPHAVILLE well enough to have them in his collection! The former promises to be a stunning package but I was sorely disappointed by the lack of supplements on the latter’s DVD edition, so much so that I decided to stick to my VHS tape!


Quote (originally posted by Narshty):

“Mario and Roderick, by all means pick up all the Archive Television discs - the only one I didn't like was The Stone Tape, but I'm certainly in the minority with that opinion.”

I also see that you no longer have the BFI disc of THE STONE TAPE (1972). I recall that when we corresponded on a previous occasion by e-mail and I asked you about it, you did not seem to be so hard on it:

Quote:

“THE STONE TAPE is a thoroughly entertaining yarn on the old theme of ‘explaining the unexplainable’. The performances occasionally border on the hysterical, and its television production values are all too obvious (although being shot on videotape isn't nearly as distracting as one might imagine). The commentary has a few long pauses, but when Kim Newman and Nigel Kneale speak, it's excellent stuff. The clarity of the transfer is far better than I was expecting – taken from the original videotape masters it's definitely superior to broadcast quality.”

Actually, I know of several fellow DVD addicts who periodically prune their collections so as to get rid of any unwanted discs and make way for new acquisitions; I never seem to get the courage to go through this although, if push comes to shove, I know which would be the first to go – FANDO AND LIS (1968) and POSSESSION (1981) – but I am always swayed by some supplement or other and eventually reconsider.

Still, having watched and loved a couple of Nigel Kneale-scripted sci-fi classics – THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT (1955; coming soon on R2 DVD), THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN (1957), QUATERMASS II (1957) and QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1967), all of which I own on R1 DVD from Anchor Bay – I will be purchasing THE STONE TAPE eventually, although probably not before Play.com decides to lop off some of the BFI’s hefty price tags! Actually, I am also looking forward to three other Nigel Kneale movies – FIRST MEN IN THE MOON (1964) and the upcoming R2 DVDs of THE YEAR OF THE SEX OLYMPICS (1973) and QUATERMASS (1978; which includes both the original TV serial and its 1979 film version entitled THE QUATERMASS CONCLUSION).


Quote (originally posted by Narshty):

“Kon Ichikawa's An Actor's Revenge is truly tonic for the senses - just like with Tokyo Olympiad, he creates vibrant widescreen frames that just explode with energy and it's something truly special. It's a wildly over-the-top revenge story, and all the better for it. The anamorphic transfer is beautiful, even if the sound is a little harsh at times.”

Kon Ichikawa’s AN ACTOR’S REVENGE (1963) holds the distinction of being the only film which I have watched at the NFT each time I visited London (twice so far, in 1999 and 2002). I don’t usually go to theatrical screenings of movies I have previously watched on TV (let alone on the big screen) but, as it happened, while the first screening of AN ACTOR’S REVENGE was accompanied by an earphone translation, the second one sported English subtitles and again was followed by a discussion, this time headed by noted film critic Philip Kemp. Actually, when during the discussion he was comparing the use of color in AN ACTOR’S REVENGE with the one in “that compendium of Lafcadio Hearn stories”, the name of which had apparently slipped his mind, I came to the rescue with the obvious answer: KWAIDAN (1964).

I agree completely with your comments on AN ACTOR’S REVENGE and I sure would like a chance to watch Teinosuke Kinugasa’s 1935 version ALSO with Kazuo Hasegawa in the lead(s)! It is a pity, therefore, that the BFI DVD is a bare-bones affair. I should think that the film is important enough for the Criterion treatment on R1, and I hope that someday that edition does materialize!

My second visit to London enabled me to catch two of Ichikawa’s finest films -THE OUTCAST (1962) and ALONE ON THE PACIFIC (1963) – along with several of his lesser-known works, namely HER BROTHER (1960), TEN DARK WOMEN (1960), I AM TWO (1962), MONEY TALKS (1963) and THE WANDERERS (1973). Due to other commitments I had to forego a screening of TOKYO OLYMPIAD (1965), but I am not at all keen on sports anyway, although that doesn’t mean I won’t be buying the Criterion disc.


Quote (originally posted by Narshty):

“I bought Ritwik Ghatak's The Cloud Capped Star and A River Called Titas as companion/comparison pieces to Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy - Ghatak's work are also decidedly melodramatic, unlike the poetic realism of Ray's cinema. The storylines are pure soap opera (kidnappings, strife, etc.), but handled with such sincerity, richness and artistry, they're almost Sirkian.”

By the way, how are the Satyajit Ray discs? Although I haven’t yet watched any of THE APY TRILOGY (1955-59), I did manage to watch THE MUSIC ROOM (1958), DEVI (1960; coming soon on R2 DVD), an episode from THREE DAUGHTERS (1961; also coming soon on R2 DVD) and THE CHESS PLAYERS (1977). What prospects are there for an R1 release?

Damn, Criterion have spoiled us so much over the years that no disc of any World Cinema masterpiece seems definitive unless it is part of “The Collection”! That is precisely why I am on the fence at the moment about acquiring some of Tartan’s Truffaut and Bergman R2 DVD releases. Questions such as “…now that Antoine Doinel has been dealt with, is it not time for LA PEAU DOUCE (1964) and THE LAST METRO (1980) to be Criterionized?” come frequently to mind and one never really knows the answer until perhaps it is too late (i.e. soon after you give in to that R2 edition)! To make matters worse, Play.com is currently offering these discs for GBP 8.99 each!


Quote (originally posted by Narshty):

“I'm definitely picking up all the April BFI releases (with the exception of Bande A Part) - I can't wait for Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland (with a cast that includes Peter Sellers, Alan Bennett, John Gielgud, Michael Gough, Peter Cook, Michael Redgrave and Wilfrid Brambell!)”

For the moment, the only two BFI DVDs in my collection are THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED (1926) and DELIUS - SONG OF SUMMER (1968), with SOUTH (1919) currently “On Order”, but I definitely plan to pick up a lot more in the future…if only they would cut down a little on their prices! Hell, most of those Archive TV specials are hardly over an hour long!