Criterion's The Battle of Algiers & John Cassavetes: Five Films announced! (1 Viewer)

http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=249

SPECIAL EDITION THREE-DISC SET FEATURES:

DISC 1: THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS

New high-definition digital transfer, supervised by cinematographer Marcello Gratti, with restored image and sound, and enhanced for widescreen televisions

Return to Algiers (1992, 55 minutes): three decades following its emergence as a nation, director Gillo Pontecorvo and his son return to Algeria to talk with its people about independence

Theatrical and re-release trailers

Poster gallery

New and improved English subtitle translation

Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

DISC 2: PONTECORVO AND THE FILM

The Making of The Battle of Algiers: an exclusive new documentary created for this release guided by Pontecorvo biographer Irene Bignardi and featuring interviews with the director himself, cinematographer Marcello Gatti, composer Ennio Morricone, editor Mario Morra, actors Jean Martin and Saadi Yacef, and film critic Tullio Kezich

The Dictatorship of Truth: a 37-minute documentary narrated by Edward Said about the relationship between Pontecorvo’s politics and filmmaking style

Directors on The Battle of Algiers: a discussion about the film’s influence, style, and importance featuring, Spike Lee, Mira Nair, Julian Schnabel, Steven Soderbergh, and Oliver Stone

DISC 3: THE FILM AND HISTORY

The Battle of Algiers and History: a new documentary featuring interviews with historians Alistair Horne, Hugh Roberts and Benjamin Stora, former FLN members Zohra Drif-Bitat, Mohammed Harbi and Saadi Yacef, and writer and torture victim, Henri Alleg (The Question)

“Etats d’Armies”—a 30-minute excerpt from Patrick Rotman’s 3-part documentary, L’Ennemi Intime, which focuses on the horror of the French-Algerian War. It features interviews with various members of the French military during the French-Algerian War, including General Jacques Massu, General Roger Trinquier, General Paul Aussaresses, and others

How to Win the Battle But Lose the War of Ideas: a conversation about the contemporary relevance of The Battle of Algiers between former National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism and author of Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror, Richard A. Clarke, former State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Michael A. Sheehan, and Chief of Investigative Projects for ABC News, Christopher E. Isham

Plus: a booklet featuring a new essay by film scholar Peter Matthews, a reprinted interview with writer Franco Solinas, brief biographies on the key figures in the French-Algerian War, and more



http://www.criterionco.com/asp/boxed_set.asp?id=250

Includes: Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Opening Night, A Constant Forge.

SPECIAL EDITION EIGHT DISC BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES

New high-definition digital transfers of all films, with restored image and sound and (where applicable) enhanced for 16x9 televisions

New video interviews with Cassavetes collaborators Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Peter Falk, Seymour Cassel, Lelia Goldoni, Lynn Carlin, and Al Ruban

Two versions of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie: Cassavetes’ original 135-minute cut as well as his subsequent 108-minute re-edit

Faces alternate opening: 17 minutes of footage revealing the most significant differences of the two version’s opening sequences

Cinéastes de notre temps: an episode from the French television series, dedicated to Cassavetes

Audio commentary on A Woman Under the Influence by sound recordist and composer Bo Harwood and camera operator Mike Ferris

Stills galleries with hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos, publicity shots, and posters

Booklet featuring new essays on Cassavetes and the films by writers/critics Jonathan Lethem, Gary Giddins, Stuart Klawans, Kent Jones, Philip Lopate, Dennis Lim, and director Charles Kiselyak, as well as reprinted writings by and interviews with Cassavetes, a tribute to Cassavetes by director Martin Scorsese, and more

English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired

Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

More!

Well The Battle of Algiers will be a definite purchase.

Not sure about the Cassavettes set though, don't think I want all 5 films.

Same here. I'll definitely get Battle of Algiers, but I need to hear a bit more about the Cassavetes set before I buy it.

The Battle of Algiers *should* be a definite go for me, but what is this 135 minute cut of it? The Criterion one will be the 125 min. cut.

Both definite purchases. Awesome Criterion line-up in the coming months.

The Cassavetes Boxset is a serious candidate for best produced DVD Box since the advent of the format!

Its sheer historical importance and magnitude of the filmworks on display there will make it a reference Set for centuries to come!

The scope on the production values only serve to confirm what I've written above!

I have NO doubt that Cassavetes films will have a new (and much due) significance after this wondrous way of documenting one artist's body of work gets released on DVD come September!

Start saving those dollars!

Both are must-haves - though those releases probably won't set a reference for "centuries to come", they sure will be worth every single penny - until Criterion pulls out the next budget-wrecking multiple-disc set... .

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Man, I can't WAIT to get the Cassavetes set! An extraordinary filmaker who has been woefully under-represented on DVD. I only wish Mikey and Nicky was included in the set.

Just saw ALGIERS for the first time a week or more ago - an amazing movie. The 3-disc set (and is it just me or are Criterion really firing on all cylinders this year?) looks like a must have.

Thankfully The Battle of Algiers set isn't going to be prohibitively expensive. As nice as the extra features look, all I want is the film.

When are these sets out???

I'm all over Algiers.

These sets are announced for September, Neil.

You can watch a Battle of Algiers re-release trailer here BTW.

Both will be mine. The Pioneer DVD's of these Cassavetes films are some of the worst ever produced. I can't wait to own watchable copies.

Here's an article that's worth reading for anyone interested in the Cassavetes Box Set :

http://people.bu.edu/rcarney/shadows/chasing.shtml

Hmmm . . . .

Count me in for the much anticipated The Battle of Algiers.

Anthony exactly! Criterion is on fire.

I read that story of prof. Carney and the discovery of the first version of "Shadows" a while ago. If true, it could seem that Criterion won't be able able to "tell the whole story" this time. That's the main reason why I have a wait-and-see attitude about the Cassavetes set.

Brian, I certainly don't disagree with you. By "wait and see" I meant that I'd wait and learn more about the whole thing after it's released and then I'll see if I'll buy at all. There is something about this process that I find somewhat sickening...

Okay, Criterion, you win. You can take my money.

What is the aspect ratio of Algiers? It looked about 1.37:1 at the re-release, though it could have been 1.66:1, hence the 16:9 enhancement.