Am 17. Mai 2010 veröffentlicht das British Film Institute (BFI) zwei weitere Filme innerhalb der “BFI Flipside”-Reihe. Erstmals werden sie als “Dual Format Edition” – bestehend aus Blu-ray und DVD – erscheinen. Mittlerweile sind die endgültigen Details zur Bonusausstattung bekannt.
 
17. Mai 2010
“The Pleasure Girls” [GB 1965, Gerry O'Hara]
When Sally (Francesca Annis) comes to London to pursue a modelling career, she moves in with Angela (Anneke Wills) and three of her friends, where she experiences the carefree life of bachelor girls in swinging London. Over one weekend – filled with parties, blossoming friendships, and romantic encounters with Keith (Ian McShane) and Nikko (Klaus Kinski) – the vivacious girls learn about life’s pleasures, as well as its more painful side.

Shot on location, with sparkling dialogue and lively performances from its young ensemble cast, this engaging and intelligent drama bears all the hallmarks of director Gerry O’Hara’s (That Kind of Girl, All the Right Noises) assured style.

• Alternative complete export cut (Blu-ray only, 85 mins)
• Export version scenes (DVD only, 13 mins)
• Original theatrical trailer
• The Rocking Horse (James Scott, 1962, 25 mins): an atmospheric short about a romantic encounter between a teddy boy and an artist, shot on location in London’s West End
• The Meeting (Mamoun Hassan, 1964, 10 mins): a young woman’s unconventional brief encounter with a mysterious lover
• Fully illustrated booklet featuring new pieces by Gerry O’Hara, Professor Sue Harper, and Mamoun Hassan

 
17. Mai 2010
“The Party’s Over” [GB 1965, Guy Hamilton]
When enigmatic young American, Melina (Louise Sorel), falls in with a group of Chelsea beatniks, she catches the attention of the gang’s defiant leader, Moise (Oliver Reed), but invites scorn and jealousy from the group’s other members, including Moise’s lover Libby (Ann Lynn). At one wild and drunken party, the group’s games are taken too far, and tragedy follows, but only when Melina’s fiancé, Carson (Clifford David), begins investigating does the terrible truth reveal itself.

Originally banned by the censors for its controversial content, The Party’s Over has long been out of circulation, despite the presence of some of Britain’s most celebrated acting talent and James Bond director Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger , Live and Let Die).

• Alternative theatrical release cut (Blu-ray only, 85 mins);
• Alternative theatrical release sequences (DVD only, 18 mins);
• The Party (R A Ostwald, 1962, 16 mins): a time-capsule short about an art-school get-together;
• Emma (Anthony Perry, 1964, 12 mins): an expressive mediation on the loss of innocence, from the producer of The Party’s Over;
• Fully illustrated booklet with contributions by Guy Hamilton, Andrew Roberts, William Fowler and Vic Pratt

 
Ebenfalls am 17. Mai 2010 erfolgt auch noch die HD-Veröffentlichung des Films “Privileg / Privilege” [GB 1967, Peter Watkins], der seit dem 25. Januar 2010 auf DVD erhältlich ist. Die “Flipside”-Blu-ray wird daher nicht als “Dual Format Edition” erscheinen.

“Privileg / Privilege” [GB 1967, Peter Watkins]
Steve Shorter, the biggest pop star of his day, is loved by millions; his approval or endorsement can guide the choices and actions of the masses. But, in reality, he is a puppet whose popularity is carefully managed by government-backed handlers keen to keep the country’s youth under control. Only an act of complete rebellion can set him free.

Starring Manfred Mann lead singer Paul Jones as Shorter, and iconic Sixties supermodel Jean Shrimpton as the girl who tries to help him defy the system, Privilege is the third feature from provocative British director Peter Watkins, a filmmaker who’s unique vérité-style and oppositional themes have continually met with controversy throughout his career. Remastered in high-definition and made available in the UK for the first time since its original cinema release, Privilege is presented here with two of Watkins’ earliest film works.

• Original trailer
• The Diary of an Unknown Soldier (Peter Watkins, 1969)
• The Forgotten Faces (Peter Watkins, 1961, 17 mins)
• Extensive illustrated booklet with essays by Peter Watkins, film historian Robert Murphy, and Watkins specialist John Cook

 
Nur auf DVD hingegen erhältlich ist ab dem 17. Mai 2010 die Dokumentation “Kim Newman’s Guide to the Flipside of British Cinema“. Die DVD enthält als Bonus drei Kurzfilme. Zwei davon sind bereits auf früheren “Flipside”-Veröffentlichungen erschienen, einer der Kurzfilme liegt allerdings nur auf dieser DVD vor. Diese Disc ist bereits seit Januar exklusiv über den britischen Versandhändler HMV für £1.99 erhältlich.

“Kim Newman’s Guide to the Flipside of British Cinema”
If classic and cult British films – from Alfie to Performance, from The Devils to Withnail and I – are your cup of tea, then this indispensable guide to a previously uncharted, alternative history of British cinema is for you.

In an all-new documentary, produced exclusively for the BFI, the UK’s most knowledgeable and well-respected cult film critic, Kim Newman, explores such questions as how the director of Help! and Superman II came to make one of the world’s greatest, but little-known, black comedies, and lifts the lid on which previously unseen British film features Helen Mirren in her debut role.

With a selection of original trailers and short films – including one that’s exclusive to this release – this is your passport to the exciting and surprising world of the Flipside. All titles are now available on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time ever, in the BFI Flipside collection.

• Carousella (1966, 25 mins): controversial documentary on the lives of a group of striptease artistes, directed by John Irvin (Hamburger Hill, Raw Deal)
• Tomorrow Night in London (1969, 5 mins): vibrant and fast-paced tourist board short extolling the virtues, and fashions, of London’s nightlife
• The Spy’s Wife (1972, 27 mins): a modish tale of international intrigue and extra-marital relations with Tom Bell (The L-Shaped Room, Prime Suspect) and Ann Lynn (Screamtime, Separation)
• BFI Flipside trailer reel
• Fully illustrated booklet with essays and film credits