Am 15. November 2010 erscheinen beim British Film Institute (BFI) zwei Filme von Jacques Tati als “Dual Format Edition” mit Blu-ray und DVD.

“Die Ferien des Monsieur Hulot / Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot” [F 1953, Jacques Tati]
The film that brought Jacques Tati international acclaim also launched his on-screen alter ego: the courteous, well-meaning, eternally accident prone Monsieur Hulot with whom Tati would from now on be inseparably associated. As with Jour de fête, the film is set in a sleepy French coastal resort which is seasonally disrupted by holidaymakers in energetic pursuit of fun. At the centre of the chaos is the eccentric Hulot, struggling at all times to maintain appearances, but somehow entirely divorced from his immediate surroundings. There is little plot in Tati s beautifully orchestrated ballet of comic action: it s a series of incidents, a seamless succession of gently mocking studies of human absurdity.

• Newly remastered to High Definition
• Includes two different cuts of the film
• Dual Format Edition: includes both Blu-ray and the DVD versions of the main feature
• Interview with filmmaker Richard Lester (A Hard Days Night, Superman II) (DVD only)
• Original trailers for Les Vacances de M. Hulot, Mon Oncle and Playtime
• Extensive illustrated booklet featuring essays and film notes

“Playtime / Play Time” [F / I 1967, Jacques Tati]
Regarded by many as Jacques Tati’s masterpiece, Playtime is a surreal, comic vision of mankind s battle against the overwhelming depersonalisation of modern life.

Tati stars as the hapless Hulot, who ambles through the massive metropolis specially constructed for the film one of the most ambitious and imaginative film sets ever to grace the screen. The film is a multi-layered symphony of sight and sound gags. Jokes unfold in various parts of the frame simultaneously and the soundtrack a meticulously composed cacophony of footsteps, gibberish, and lounge music only adds to the absurdity.

• Newly remastered to High Definition
• Dual Format Edition: includes both Blu-ray and the DVD versions of the main feature
• Feature commentary by film historian Philip Kemp
• Short Documentary Au-delà de Playtime (DVD only)
• Continuity supervisor Sylvette Baudrot on Tati and Playtime (DVD only)
• Director biography + short film about Tati (DVD only)
• Audio interview with Jacques Tati
• Original trailers for Les Vacances de M. Hulot, Mon Oncle and Playtime
• Includes extensive booklet with contextualising essays on the film and its director

 
“Die Ferien des Monsieur Hulot” wird in zwei verschiedenen Schnittfassungen vorliegen. Mehr zu den verschiedenen Schnittversionen des Films aus der Pressemappe über die Restaurierung aus dem Jahr 2009:

In 1951, Jacques Tati began the shooting of Mr Hulot’s Holiday, his second feature film, two years after Jour de Fête. Refusing to take the easy way out and despite the success of his first film, Tati decided not to bring back his comic hero, the postman, despite the character’s popularity. Thus was born the distracted Monsieur Hulot, in 1951, who would quickly enjoy an international success. Over the years, however, Tati re-edited his film for three major commercial re-releases. The film was first released in 1953. Then, in the early 60s, Tati re-edited the film, cutting out shots and extending others. He had Alain Romans’ score re-orchestrated and overhauled the music and sound mixing. It was at this point that he also added the final color shot of the stamp and postmark, indicating the postman’s invisible hand. Later, in 1977, a delighted new generation discovered the film. Encouraged by this new success and inspired by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, Tati shot new footage on the beach at St-Marc-sur-Mer, which he then cut into the last version in 1978.