Masters of Cinema wird demnächst eine DVD von Jacques Feyders “Die letzte Etappe / Le grand jeu” [F 1934] veröffentlichen. Ein genauer Termin (angeblich Mai 2010) und weitere Infos sind bisher nicht bekannt, das Cover konnte ich allerdings schon auf der Label-WebSite mit ein paar Tricks finden.

Ken Loachs “Black Jack, der Galgenvogel / Black Jack” [GB 1979] wird am 21. Juni 2010 vom British Film Institute (BFI) als DVD-Premiere präsentiert. Mehr ist zu dem Titel noch nicht bekannt.

Aus dem “BFI looks forward to 2010“-Newsletter vom Januar 2010:

Black Jack (Ken Loach, 1979) – released 21 June
DVD premiere of this visually stunning feature film, adapted from Leon Garfield’s children’s novel, set in 1750s York. Directed by one of Britain’s most celebrated directors, Ken Loach

In den nächsten drei Jahren wird das British Film Institute (BFI) 32 Filme der japanischen Regielegende Yasujiro Ozu auf Blu-ray und DVD veröffentlichen. Der Anfang wird am 19. April 2010 gemacht. Über diese ersten drei “Dual Format Edition”-Sets mit insgesamt sechs Filmen habe ich bereits berichtet.

Aus dem “BFI looks forward to 2010“-Newsletter vom Januar 2010:

The films of Yasujiro Ozu – extensive new Blu-ray and DVD project launching 19 April 32 films by the Japanese master, Yasujiro Ozu, will be released by the BFI over the next three years

Vor einigen Monaten Zeit bereits wurde eine Blu-ray des Films “Institut Benjamenta oder Dieser Traum, den man menschliches Leben nennt / Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life” [GB / J / BRD 1995] der Quay-Brüder Stephen und Timothy vom British Film Institute (BFI) in Aussicht gestellt, genannte Termine konnten allerdings nicht eingehalten werden. Nun scheint es am 17. Mai 2010 so weit zu sein. Veröffentlicht wird die Blu-ray als “Dual Format Edition” inklusive einer DVD des Films.

Inspired by the writings of the Swiss novelist Robert Walser, Institute Benjamenta is the first live-action feature from the acclaimed surrealist animators, the Quay Brothers. Jakob (Mark Rylance) enrols into the Benjamenta Institute, a dilapidated boarding school for the training of servants. He then tries to unravel the hidden mysteries of the school, his fellow pupils, and Frau and Herr Benjamenta, the siblings who run it. A fascinating symphony of light and shade constructed on the prevailing Quay themes of death, decay, and nothingness.

• Dual Format Edition: Includes both the Blu-ray and the DVD of the film and extras
• Inside the Institute: an in-between world (BFI, 2010, c.30 mins): a brand new documentary about the making of the film, featuring actors Mark Rylance, Alice Krige, as well as the directors, writer, DoP and film editor.
• Original trailer
• Eurydice - She, So Beloved (Quay Brothers, 2007, 12 mins): Monteverdi’s opera L’Orfeo
• The Comb (Quay Brothers, 1990, 17 mins): this short animation explores some of the themes of Institute Benjamenta
• On-set footage (15 mins, DVD only)
• Songs for Dead Children (Quay Brothers / Steve Martland, 2003, 23 mins): Steve Martland’s Street Songs as seen by the visionary animators
• Fully illustrated booklet containing newly commissioned essays, biographies and stills by celebrated photographer Jill Furmanovsky

Über mögliche neue Blu-ray Discs aus der “Flipside”-Reihe des British Film Institutes (BFI) hatte ich die Tage schon berichtet. Allerdings scheinen nur zwei neue Titel am 17. Mai 2010 veröffentlicht zu werden, der von mir genannte “Prostitute” [GB 1980, Tony Garnett] scheint außerhalb der Reihe zu kommen.

Anscheinen veröffentlicht das BFI zukünftige Blu-ray Discs als “Dual Format Edition”, also inklusive DVD des Films. Dies ist schon bei den Yasujiro-Ozu-Discs der Fall und nun auch bei den hier vorgestellten Sets. Leider scheint sich der Preis dadurch leicht zu erhöhen.

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).

• Dual Format Edition: includes both the Blu-ray and the DVD version of the film and extras
• Remastered to High Definition
• Alternative export cut of the main feature
• Archival short films and documentaries
• Extensive illustrated booklet featuring essays and supporting material.

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Mittlerweile sind die Ausstattungsdetails der Yasujiro-Ozu-Blu-ray Discs vom British Film Institute (BFI) über play.com bekannt geworden:

“Später Frühling / Banshun / Late Spring” [J 1949, Yasujiro Ozu]

• Dual Format Edition: includes both Blu-ray and the DVD versions of the main feature
• Transferred from best available film elements to High Definition
• Contains full length feature The Only Son, Ozu’s first sound film, as an extra (DVD only)
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Extensive illustrated booklet featuring essays and film notes

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Neuzugänge im DVD/Blu-ray-Kalender:

2. Februar 2010
- “Mystic River” [USA 2003, Clint Eastwood] Blu-ray Warner Bros. USA | Deutsche Tonspur
- “Music Man / The Music Man” [USA 1962, Morton DaCosta] Blu-ray Warner Bros. USA | Deutsche Tonspur
- “Der Wolfsmensch / The Wolf Man” [USA 1941, George Waggner] DVD Universal USA “2-DVD Legacy Series”

4. Februar 2010
- “Der mit dem Wolf tanzt / Dances with Wolves” [USA 1990, Kevin Costner] Blu-ray Kinowelt BRD “Limitierte Jubiläumsedition | Kinofassung + Langfassung”
- “Die Milchstraße / La voie lactée” [F / BRD / I 1969, Luis Bunuel] DVD Kinowelt BRD
- “Das Gespenst der Freiheit / Le fantôme de la liberté” [F / I 1974, Luis Bunuel] DVD Kinowelt BRD
- “King Kong Collection” [USA 1933 - 1949] DVD Kinowelt BRD
- “1941 - Wo, bitte, geht’s nach Hollywood / 1941” [USA 1978, Steven Spielberg] DVD Universal BRD “2-DVD Special Edition”
- “Raumschiff Enterprise - Staffel 3 / Star Trek - The Original Series - Season 3” [USA 1968] Blu-ray Paramount BRD

5. Februar 2010
- “Coco Chanel: Der Beginn einer Leidenschaft / Coco avant Chanel / Coco Before Chanel” [F 2009, Anne Fontaine] Blu-ray Warner Bros.
- “Coco Chanel: Der Beginn einer Leidenschaft / Coco avant Chanel / Coco Before Chanel” [F 2009, Anne Fontaine] DVD Warner Bros.

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Masters of Cinema wird zwei weitere Filme von Maurice Pialat am 22. März 2010 auf DVD veröffentlichen. Im August 2009 hatte ich bereits die Cover vorgestellt, mittlerweile sind die Infos zur Ausstattung bekannt.

22. März 2010
DVD #76: “Auf das, was wir lieben / À nous amours / To Our Romance” [F 1983, Maurice Pialat]

• Gorgeous new anamorphic transfer of the film in its original aspect ratio
• New and improved English subtitle translations
• 16-minute 2003 interview with star Sandrine Bonnaire, conducted by former Cahiers du cinema editor-in-chief, and current director of the Cinémathèque Française, Serge Toubiana
• L’Oeil humain [The Human Eye], a 55-minute film by director Xavier Giannoli that analyses A nos amours. and features former Cahiers du cinema editorial director Jean-Michel Frodon, actors Jacques Fieschi and Sandrine Bonnaire, and other members of the cast and crew
• 14-minute excerpt from a 1983 TV interview with Maurice Pialat from the set of A nos amours., and featuring rushes of scenes that don’t appear in the finished film
• 31 minutes of video screen-tests from 1982 for various actors that variously show up in and do not appear in the finished film
• Original theatrical trailer for A nos amours., along with trailers for the six other Maurice Pialat films released by The Masters of Cinema Series

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Das Cover zur “M (aka: M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder)” [D 1931, Fritz Lang] Blu-ray hatte Masters of Cinema bereits im Oktober über Twitter verbreitet. Mittlerweile stehen auch die Ausstattungsdetails zur Blu-ray und zur DVD auf der Label-WebSite online. Die beiden Discs sollen im Februar 2010 in Großbritannien in den Handel kommen.

Of all Fritz Lang’s creations, none have been more innovative or influential than M, the film that launched German cinema into the sound era with stunning sophistication and mesmerising artistry. A spate of child killings has stricken a terrified Berlin. Peter Lorre gives a legendary performance as the murderer Hans Beckert, who soon finds himself chased by all levels of society.

From cinema’s first serial killer hunt, Lang pulls back to encompass social tapestry, police procedural, and underworld conspiracies in an astonishingly multi-faceted and level-headed look at a deeply incendiary topic. One of the greatest psychological thrillers of all time, M remains as fresh and startling almost 80 years on. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present a stunning high-definition restoration of a definitive classic of world cinema.

• Blu-ray #9: Stunning, restored 1080p high-definition transfer in the correct 1.19:1 ratio, with restored sound
• DVD #92: Stunning, restored high-definition transfer in the correct 1.19:1 ratio, with restored sound
• Two audio commentaries: one by German film scholars Anton Kaes and Eric Rentschler; the other featuring film restoration expert Martin Koerber, filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich, historian Torsten Kaiser and excerpts from Bogdanovich’s 1965 audio interviews with Lang
• The original 1932 British release version of M, presented in its entirety, recently rediscovered after 70 years, featuring different actors, alternate takes and Peter Lorre’s first performance in English
• Zum Beispiel Fritz Lang, a 1968 documentary with Fritz Lang discussing his career in German cinema
• 48-page illustrated booklet, including writing by Fritz Lang, historian Robert Fischer, details of a missing scene, behind-the-scenes stills and production drawings

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Wie im Oktober bereits gemeldet, erscheint Douglas Sirks “Es gibt immer ein Morgen / There’s Always Tomorrow” [USA 1956] im Februar 2010 bei Masters of Cinema. Ein genauer Termin steht noch nicht fest, dafür aber die Ausstattung der DVD. Leider erscheint der Film nicht auf Blu-ray. Der Grund: Das HD-Backup-Master soll im Feuer von 2008 bei Universal zerstört worden sein. Mehr dazu weiter unten.

DVD only release

Between his twin masterpieces All That Heaven Allows and Written on the Wind, Douglas Sirk created this razor-sharp study of male crisis, both a glittering testament to love’s labours lost and his most unforgiving vision of suburban conformity.

Disregarded and neglected by his family, executive toy manufacturer Clifford Groves (Fred MacMurray) is unexpectedly reunited with his former co-worker Norma Miller (Barbara Stanwyck). As the old friends catch up on lost time, his children’s suspicions and hostility to the new relationship threaten to push their father away permanently and throw into disarray the lives of all concerned.

With crystalline, noir-tinged cinematography from Russell Metty (Touch of Evil) and heartbreaking performances by Stanwyck and MacMurray, reunited 12 years after Double Indemnity in their final on-screen pairing,There’s Always Tomorrow finds one of Hollywood’s greatest dramatists at his finest. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this little-seen classic in a new special edition.

• Beautiful high-definition anamorphic transfer
• Days with Sirk, a 61-minute documentary from 2008 featuring rare interview footage with Sirk shot in 1982
• Original theatrical trailer
• New optional English subtitles (SDH) for the hearing impaired
• Original dialogue and continuity script (in PDF form)
• Booklet featuring an essay by Andrew Klevans, excerpts from a 1977 interview with Sirk and rare production stills

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Bei Masters of Cinema wurden die Details der “Hausu / House” [J 1977, Nobuhiko Obayashi] DVD (Filmtrailer), die am 25. Januar 2010 in den Handel gelangen wird, bekannt gegeben.

An unforgettable mixture of bubblegum teen melodrama and grisly phantasmagoria, Obayashi’s deranged fairy tale House is one of Japanese cinema’s wildest supernatural ventures and a truly startling debut feature.

Distressed by her widowed father’s plans to remarry, Angel sets off with six of her schoolgirl friends in tow for a summer getaway in her aunt’s isolated mansion. But all is not well – in this house of dormant secrets, long-held emotional traumas have terrifyingly physical embodiments and the girls will have to use all their individual talents if any are to survive.

A rollercoaster ride without brakes, House is by turns sinister, hilarious and curiously touching, with ceaseless cinematic invention and a satirical, full-blooded approach to the horror genre. A gigantic smash upon its original release in Japan, the Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present its UK premiere on DVD.

• New anamorphic transfer of the Toho restoration
• An extensive 90-minute selection of interviews with director Nobuhiko Obayashi, co-screenwriter Chigumi Obayashi, actress Kumiko Oba and Toho promotional executive Shoho Tomiyama
• Theatrical trailer
• A luxurious booklet, with new writing, stills, promotional material and more.

Gestern hat Eureka Entertainment den Trailer zu “Hausu / House” [J 1977, Nobuhiko Obayashi] bei Youtube online gestellt, mit dem Hinweis, daß der Film bei Masters of Cinema erscheinen wird. Heute ist das Cover der DVD auf der MoC-WebSite veröffentlicht worden. Ob es auch eine Blu-ray geben wird, ist zu diesem Zeitpunkt noch nicht bekannt.

UPDATE 20. November 2009
Der Film soll im Januar 2010 erscheinen, allerdings leider nur auf DVD.

Am 25. Januar 2010 erweitert das British Film Institute (BFI) die “Flipside”-Reihe um die Discs #7 bis #9. Die “Flipside”-Reihe präsentiert “weird and wonderful British films in new high-quality editions on DVD and Blu-ray.”

“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 whose 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.

Special features:

• All films remastered to High Definition
• Original trailer
• The Diary of an Unknown Soldier (Peter Watkins, 1959, 17 mins): a compelling short film in which a young solider in the trenches of the First World War shares his innermost feelings
• The Forgotten Faces (Peter Watkins, 1961, 17 mins): a gripping newsreel-style account of the peoples’ uprising in Hungary, 1956, given forceful authenticity by Watkins’ unique approach
• Extensive illustrated booklet with essays by Peter Watkins, film historian Robert Murphy, and Watkins specialist John Cook.

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Wie ich schon gemeldet hatte, erscheint Friedrich Wilhelm Murnaus “Unser täglich Brot - Die Frau aus Chicago / City Girl” [USA 1930] im Februar 2010 bei Masters of Cinema auf DVD und Blu-ray. Mittlerweile hat das britische Label weitere Infos bekannt gegeben:

After the visual fireworks of Sunrise and the now-lost splendour of 4 Devils, F.W. Murnau turned his attention to this vivid, painterly study of an impulsive and fragile marriage among the wheatfields of Minnesota.

During a brief stay in Chicago, innocent farmer’s son Lem falls for and weds Kate, a hard-bitten but lonely waitress. Upon bringing her home at the start of harvest time, the honeymoon soon turns into a claustrophobic struggle as they contend with the bitter scorn of his father and the invasive, leering jealousy of the farm’s labouring community.

Tenderly romantic and tough-minded in equal measure, City Girl is one of cinema’s great pastorals, featuring some of the most delicate performances Murnau ever filmed and influencing directors such as Terrence Malick and Jean Vigo. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Murnau’s penultimate film in a glorious high-definition transfer.

• Restored high-definition transfer of the silent version by 20th Century Fox
• A new score, composed and arranged in 2008 by Christopher Caliendo
• Full-length audio commentary by film scholar David Kalat
• 40-page illustrated booklet with new writing and reprints

Masters of Cinema wird im Februar 2010 den Douglas Sirk-Film “Es gibt immer ein Morgen / There’s Always Tomorrow” [USA 1956, Douglas Sirk] veröffentlichen. Dies wurde über deren Twitter-Account bekannt. Ob die Veröffentlichung nur auf DVD oder aber auch auf Blu-ray erfolgt, ist bisher nicht bekannt.

Twitsclusive: we’re releasing Douglas Sirk’s THERE’S ALWAYS TOMORROW in February 2010.