Who owns the rights to these foreign films ... (1 Viewer)

[Deepak Shenoy]

... and will they ever show up on R1 DVD ?

The Exterminating Angel (Bunuel)
L'Eclisse (Antonioni)
Le Boucher (Chabrol)
Le Samourai (Melville)
Monsieur Hire (Leconte)
L'Appartement (Mimouni)

These are just a few of the foreign films I have been intrigued about and haven't had a chance to watch because of their unavailability on R1 DVD.

 

[Carrol M]

Le Samourai (Melville)

I know for a fact that New Yorker Video owns this film. They did the VHS...and I believe I heard that they would be doing the DVD, but nothing is definate on date or anything. They've been slow to roll out anything in their catalog. I wish for this and L'Atalante, too.

Their's a French DVD of Le Samourai that I can't recommend enough... Of course, it's Region 2/PAL. But I'm happy I bought it...

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Hen's Tooth does distribute DVDs. They did an SE for Flesh Gordon of all things.

 

[Jay E]

Please avoid Hen's Tooth DVD's. Besides Madacy, they are the worst DVD company out there. Horrible transfers and non-OAR.

 

[Pascal A]

I have all these films on some video format, but some of them are old and are out of print. As for the films themselves, they're definitely all worth viewing.
The Exterminating Angel (Bunuel) - Hen's Tooth video - okay quality, a little hard to read the subtitles in places; wickedly funny film
L'Eclisse (Antonioni) - Connoisseur video - pretty good quality; devastating film - the best of the Isolation Trilogy
Le Boucher (Chabrol) - Connoisseur video - pretty good quality, a bit faded; my favorite Chabrol along with Les Bonnes Femmes
Le Samourai (Melville) - New Yorker Film - nicely restored; I prefer early Melville, but this is his quintessential noir film (look for the Bresson influence in Jef's demeanor)
Monsieur Hire (Leconte) - Orion Films (defunct) - VHS is Pan and Scan, heartbreaking and genuinely tragic film
L'Appartement (Mimouni) - not available in US, but Region 2 UK release from Artificial Eye is available; entertaining, clever, and original (especially for an homage film)

 

[Ted Todorov]

Some of these are available from R2 France, with English subtitles:
Le Samouraï for more info, click here.
L'Appartement a reference quality DVD with a DTS track and an early short by the director click here.
Le Boucher with another Chabrol classic La Femme Infidele as a bonus click here.
All of these have anamorphic transfers, of course.
Ted