UK: BFI May/June 2009 Releases

[MarcMorris]

Some more exciting announcements from the BFI, who as you can see are doing the Blu-ray format proud.

18 May 2009:

Central Bazaar (Stephen Dwoskin, 1976): amazon.co.uk (DVD)

Kenneth Anger's Magick Lantern Cycle: amazon.co.uk (DVD)

Kenneth Anger's Magick Lantern Cycle: amazon.co.uk (Blu-ray)

Parade (Jacques Tati, 1974): amazon.co.uk (DVD)

25 May 2009 (Rare Brit Movie Month!):

Bed Sitting Room, The (Richard Lester, 1969): amazon.co.uk (DVD)

Bed Sitting Room, The (Richard Lester, 1969): amazon.co.uk (Blu-ray)

London in the Raw (Norman Cohen & Arnold L. Miller, 1964): amazon.co.uk (DVD)

London in the Raw (Norman Cohen & Arnold L. Miller, 1964): amazon.co.uk (Blu-ray)

Primitive London (Arnold Louis Miller, 1965): amazon.co.uk (DVD)

Primitive London (Arnold Louis Miller, 1965): amazon.co.uk (Blu-ray)

8 June 2009:

General Post Office Film Unit Collection Vol.3 - If War Should Come: amazon.co.uk (DVD)

Partner (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1968): amazon.co.uk (DVD)

This Filthy Earth (Andrew Kotting, 2001): amazon.co.uk (DVD)

Valée, La (Barbet Schroeder, 1972): amazon.co.uk (DVD)

[claire]

Very excited about the Magick Lantern Cycle coming to Blu-ray. Followed the link and have pre-ordered it from Amazon for the extremely reasonable price of £17 (it's £23.99 on Play!).

[ForestFilmsUK]

still waiting for THE INNOCENTS and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on blu

[claire]

And the Cinema Of Transgression set (not that it would look much better in HD )

[Dave Jay]

The Bed Sitting Room - been hoping for that one for years! Great stuff...

[Timmy Lea]

Will the DVD of PRIMITIVE LONDON include the 'missing' sequences that Arnold Louis Miller alluded to in the recent interview I did with him?

Shame they didn't ask me to write some notes actually, mind you I think they started on this project before I even met him.

By the way, just in case you wondered what happened to the aforementioned interview, it's still awaiting final approval from the man himself....

[MarcMorris]

Yes, it will indeed be complete and uncut, mastered in hi-def from the original negatives. Which is why I flogged my old UK pre-cert the other week on eBay.

[claire]

Full specs for the Magick Lantern Cycle, courtesy of DVD Times:

"The Magick Lantern Cycle, released in a 2-disc set, contains the following films: Fireworks (1947); Puce Moment (1949); Rabbit's Moon (1950/1971, the rarely seen 16 mins version); Eaux d'Artifice (1953); Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954); Scorpio Rising (1964); Kustom Kar Kommandos (1965); Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969); Rabbit's Moon (1979); Lucifer Rising (1981).

Features include:
Newly recorded commentaries by Kenneth Anger
The Man We Want to Hang (2002) – Anger’s film on the art of Aleister Crowley
Restoration work demo
Anger Me (2006) – Elio Gelmini’s portrait of Kenneth Anger
Illustrated booklet containing Modesty and the Art of Film (1951), an original article by Kenneth Anger; The Crowned and Conquering Child (2008), a newly commissioned essay by author Gary Lachman; and film credits

The content is spread across a DVD9 + DVD5 on DVD and a BD50 + DVD5 on Blu-ray."

I'm excited.

Also, for you lucky Londoners:

"There is also a theatrical event tied into this release…

Kenneth Anger Shoots the Moon – BFI Southbank Special Event
Kenneth Anger will introduce a special screening of Rabbit’s Moon (1950 version). After the screening, we welcome Gary Lachman, Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard to discuss with Anger his influences and legacy. Tue 12 May 18:20 NFT1 Tickets £9, concs £6.65."

[MarcMorris]

I saw Anger at the BFi South Bank a few years ago, and got him to sign the flier. During the screenings of his shorts he was sitting in the front row next to Anita Pallenberg.

[claire]

Originally Posted by MarcMorris

I saw Anger at the BFi South Bank a few years ago, and got him to sign the flier. During the screenings of his shorts he was sitting in the front row next to Anita Pallenberg.

Brilliant, but that just makes me jealous.

To my shame, I've just had to look up Anita Pallenberg ... I know who it is now, was just being slow

[MarcMorris]

Most will no doubt remember her from Barbarella (The Great Tyrant), although she was dubbed. Prety, pretty..

[claire]

Has anyone's Magick Lantern Cycle BD been shipped yet? I'm waiting with bated breath for a shipping confirmation from Amazon ...

[claire]

To answer my own question (I must be the only person interested in the Anger BD ), the Magick Lantern Cycle Blu-ray shipped today. Whoopee.