International BFI (British Film Institute) DVD releases (1 Viewer)

[WaveCrest]

Thought I'd start a thread for the BFI (British Film Institute) DVD and Blu-ray releases. The link to their website is below:


BFI (British Film Institute) website

Some of their titles are Dual Format Editions in the BFI Flipside Collection. Their next DVD & Blu-ray Flipside titles are Joanna (1968) and Lunch Hour (1962), which are both being released in the UK on Monday 25th April, 2011.

Below is the link to a Home Cinema@The Digital Fix news article from March about the BFI Flipside titles being released in April (Joanna and Lunch Hour):


BFI Flipside in April - Home Cinema@The Digital Fix news article

The news article mentions that the next two BFI Flipside titles, released in July, will be Deep End (1971) and Requiem for a Village (1975). Deep End (which stars Jane Asher) was passed by the BBFC this week, given a 15 certificate.

 

[Bob Cashill]

Here's hoping DEEP END will be region free on BD, as some (not all?) have been.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Bob Cashill
Here's hoping DEEP END will be region free on BD, as some (not all?) have been.

I'm with you, I purchased HERE WE GO 'ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH after reading a review that said the Blu-ray was region free. When it arrived it was Region B. Luckily a standard DVD was included and I was able to us my region free DVD player so not all was lost.

 

[WaveCrest]

I'm hoping this is going to be on BFI's July release of Deep End (1970), a 75 minute documentary about the film. Read about this in an IMDb forum thread for Deep End.

 

[WaveCrest]

In the latest issue of Sight & Sound magazine there is a two page article about Deep End (1970). It has been re-released in selected cinemas with a new print.

The BBFC today have passed a new BFI title, called More (1969). It was previously released on DVD by the BFI in 2003, but was cut. It's now been passed with no cuts made (source: the BBFC website).

 

[WaveCrest]

Regarding Requiem for a Village (1975), does anyone know anything about this film? Have checked it's IMDb page and there's hardly anything about the film (no film synopsis and no cast list for example). The BBFC passed it for the first time late last year, so I'm assuming it was never released in UK cinemas.

 

[kenNew]

I checked the Film Review yearbook for 1977-78 and according to that, 'Requiem for a Village' was given a 'floating' (limited) cinema release some time in Late 76 or early 77. According to F. Maurice Speed, editor of Film Review, the movie was a "Quite fascinating and imaginative semi-documentary about the way that the bulldozer and the subsequent concrete tide are sweeping over the old English village and its life-style and replacing it with house-boxes and quiet horror."

The cast was given simply as "Vic Smith and the villagers of Witnesham and Metfield in Suffolk."

Director and screenplay: David Gladwell. Producer: Michael Raeburn.

BFI Production Board film. Colour. 68 mins.

Sorry, no information regarding ratio, sound etc.

 

[WaveCrest]

Thanks Ken for sharing that info, clarifying/my query about Requiem for a Village. I had this thought it was a non-documentary film (It sounded like a horror film). This film sounds very intriguing. Look forward to seeing the front cover artwork and any DVD/Blu-ray extras info.

Film Review was my favourite film magazine, and then publication stopped. Not at all interested now in Empire and Total Film. Sight & Sound is worth recommending. I don't always agree with the opinions of the film reviewers, but the magazine as a whole is very informative.

 

[kenNew]

You're welcome Richard. Actually, the Film Review I was quoting from was the annual hardback book which started publication in 1944 and is still being published now, every autumn. The founder, F. Maurice Speed edited every Film Review from '44 until 1995. Quite an accomplishment.

 

[WaveCrest]

Last week a new news article was posted on Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix about the next two BFI Dual Edition (the BFI's Flipside strand) releases, Deep End (1970) and Requiem for a Village (1975). A list of the extras for each BFI Dual Edition title was included. The news article has since been updated, with news of a 3-disc Collector's Edition of Deep End. This will also be released on Monday 18th July with the 2-disc version of Deep End, and Requiem for a Village. The link to the updated news article is below:


Deep End & Requiem for a Village (BFI Flipside/Dual Edition releases) - Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix news article


The total running time of the deleted scenes featurette is 12 minutes. which is slightly more than the running time given on Play.com and Amazon.co.uk's listing pages for Deep End.

I noticed on Amazon UK and Play.com that More (1969) is being re-released in September. Are there any other re-released and new Dual Edition titles in the works from the BFI?

 

[WaveCrest]

Originally Posted by Bob Cashill
Here's hoping DEEP END will be region free on BD, as some (not all?) have been.

It does say in the updated news article I've posted a link to in the post above that Deep End is Region 0, but I assume this is just for the DVD disc and not the Blu-ray disc.

 

[Wade Sowers]

The is a fellow over on The Criterion Forum who makes a list of BFI coding

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=9483

DEEP END shows Regin Free and he has been right about everything so far.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

I think you're speaking of Michael Brooke, who is a curator at BFI and usually has the inside scoop on all the BFI releases. He stated on the Criterion Forum, in no uncertain terms, that DEEP END would be entirely region free. This, he said, was the information he got directly from the producer of the disc.

Originally Posted by Wade Sowers
The is a fellow over on The Criterion Forum who makes a list of BFI coding

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=9483

DEEP END shows Regin Free and he has been right about everything so far.

 

[Wade Sowers]

Must be the fellow, he signs MIchaelB at HTF.

 

[WaveCrest]

Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix review of the BFI's Blu-ray version (Region All) of Requiem for a Village (1975):


Requiem for a Village (Blu-ray) - Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix review

 

[WaveCrest]

Mondo Digital have posted a review on their website for Deep End (1970). Note that it's a review of the 2-disc version and not the 3-disc version with the Q & A session on the third disc.

 

[WaveCrest]

Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix review for the Blu-ray disc of Deep End:


Deep End (Blu-ray) - Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix review

 

[WaveCrest]

Couple of news articles posted on Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix recently about BFI DVD releases in August:


BFI DVDs in August - Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix news article

Before the Revolution (BFI) in August - Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix news article

 

[WaveCrest]

Double post.

 

[WaveCrest]

Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix posted a news article on their website on Thursday about the BFI's re-release of More (1969) on DVD (but making it's debut on Blu-ray):


More (BFI) in September - Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix news article