Upcoming British Film Institute Blu-ray Releases
HomeUpcoming British Film Institute Blu-ray Releases
Posted August 10, 2019 06:06 PM by Webmaster
The British Film Institute has revealed its Q4 slate of Blu-ray releases. Amongst them are : Michael Caton-Jones' Scandal (1989), Paul Verhoeven's Spetters (1980), and John Huston's Moulin Rouge (1952).
Betrayed
Synopsis: After a Jewish radio host is murdered, BFI agent Cathy Weaver (Debra Winger) is sent undercover to infiltrate a close-knit farming community believed to be harbouring the men responsible. She soon meets and falls for local farmer Gary Simmons (Tom Berenger) a well-respected Vietnam veteran, but it's not long before her suspicions are aroused. Realising that Simmons is leading a double-life as the leader of a white supremacist group, responsible for a series of brutal crimes, Agent Weaver must decide where her loyalties lie, with the man she loves or the country she swore to protect.
Directed by Costa-Gavras (Missing) and written by Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge), Betrayed is an edge-of-your-seat thriller with an excellent supporting cast including John Heard, John Mahoney and Betsy Blair.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Scandal
Synopsis: After becoming enchanted by a young exotic dancer, Christine Keeler (Joanne Whalley), an English doctor (John Hurt) invites her to live with him. Through his contacts and parties she and her friend (Bridget Fonda) meet and begin to date various members of the ruling Conservative Party.
When Christine's affair with the Secretary of State for War John Profumo (Ian McKellan) goes public, scandal tears through the government and threatens the lifestyles and freedom of those involved. From producer Stephen Woolley and director Michael Caton-Jones (Rob Roy) this 30th Anniversary Edition is newly restored from original film materials.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Spetters
Synopsis: From legendary filmmaker Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Basic Instinct) and screenwriter Gerard Soeteman (Soldier of Orange) comes an explosive, fast-paced and thrilling coming-of-age drama. Raw, intense and unabashedly sexual, Spetters is a wild ride that will knock the unsuspecting for a loop. Stuck in a dead-end town on the outskirts of Rotterdam, three young friends Rien, Eef and Hans have one thing in common, their passion for motorcycle racing, which each sees as his ticket to a better life. But a deeper passion will soon rule each of their lives when a sexy, ambitious blonde (Renee Soutendijk, The Fourth Man) comes between them and provokes a series of unforeseen events. The film also co-stars the late, great Rutger Hauer (Flesh & Blood, Blade Runner) and Jeroen Krabbe (The Fugitive).
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Yentl
Synopsis: Based on Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer's play of the same name Yentl was directed, co-produced, co-written and stars the legendary Barbra Streisand as Yentl Mendal, a girl living in an Ashkenazi shtetl in Poland in 1904. Her father, Rebbe Mendel (Nehemiah Persoff), secretly instructs her in the Talmud despite the proscription of such study by women according to the customs of her community.
After the death of her father, Yentl decides to cut her hair short, dress like a man, take her late brother's name, Anshel, and enter a Jewish religious school where she befriends fellow student, Avigdor (Mandy Patinkin), and meets his fiancée, Hadass (Amy Irving). Romantic complications soon arise though. Features a score and songs composed by the late great Michel Legrand, who won an Oscar® for his work on the film, whilst Barbra Streisand became the first female winner for Best Director at the Golden Globes.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Les Demoiselles de Rochefort
Synopsis: Following on from the success of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg comes Les Demoiselles de Rochefort - Jacques Demy's large-scale tribute to the Hollywood musical featuring screen legend Gene Kelly. The story centres on twin sisters Delphine and Solange (played by real-life sisters Catherine Deneuve and Francoise Dorléac) who, tired of their humdrum existence, dream of finding success and romance in Paris. The superb ensemble, also featuring Danielle Darrieux, Michel Piccoli, Jacques Perrin, George Chakiris and Grover Dale, weave and wander around the town, looking for and just missing the love of their lives.
With a plot of pure Shakespearean farce, witty dialogue and lyrics by Demy, and a magnificent jazz score by the late, great Michel Legrand, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort is an effervescent celebration of life that is sure to captivate and uplift.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Moulin Rouge
Synopsis: Set in 19th Century Paris, despondent artist Toulouse Lautrec (Jose Ferrer), frustrated by his physical handicaps, seeks solace in the drink, dance and distractions offered up at the infamous Moulin Rouge nightclub. An encounter with a young girl in desperate need of help (Colette Marchand) brings hope to his lonely life but, in the lusty atmosphere of the Belle Epoque, romance can quickly turn to rivalry...
Directed by two-time Oscar winner John Huston (The African Queen, Beat the Devil) the film went on to be nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning two for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. This stunning 4K restoration brings new life to the film's exquisite production design and Technicolor photography, brilliantly evoking Lautrec's unique artistic visions.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Varda by Agnès
Synopsis: Whether in front of the camera or behind it, Agnes Varda was a visual storyteller who eschewed convention and prescribed approaches to drama.
In Varda by Agnes - the director's final film - she offers a personal insight into her oeuvre, using excerpts from her work to illustrate her unique artistic visions and ideas. Playful, revealing and endearing, discover the inimitable genius of a true icon of world cinema.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Hair
Synopsis: The film, loosely based on the 1968 Broadway musical Hair: An American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, centers on two men, Claude (John Savage, The Deer Hunter, a naïve young man from America's Bible Belt and Berger (Treat Williams), the leader of a hippie tribe in New York. Drafted into the army and soon to ship out to Vietnam, Claude spends his last time as a civilian with Berger, learning for the first time about race and class issues in 60s America. He soon meets and falls for Shelia, a rich debutante with a rebellious soul. Welcome to the Age of Aquarius.
The film marked Milos Forman s return to directing after winning an Oscar for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest in 1975 and was nominated for two Golden Globes in 1980.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Legend of the Witches & Secret Rites
Synopsis: The 39th release in the long standing BFI Flipside strand sees the release of two far out British films. Exploitation director Derek Ford's (The Wife Swappers) Secret Rites and Malcolm Leigh's Legend of the Witches.
Legend of the Witches (1970, 78 mins): The originally X-rated film documentary which looks in detail at previously hidden magic rites and rituals. Sharing the secrets of initiation into a coven, divination through animal sacrifice, ritual scrying, the casting of a 'death spell', and the chilling intimacy of a Black Mass. It also explores Britain's hidden pagan heritage and its continued influence on our lives today.
Secret Rites (1971, 47 mins): Part Mondo movie, part countercultural artefact, this strange mid-length 'documentary' by sex film director Derek Ford lifts the lid on witchcraft in 1970s Notting Hill. Mystery band The Spindle provide the groovy, psychedelic sounds while tentative occult enthusiast Penny and a serious-sounding narrator introduce the viewer to three ritual acts. Far out.
BFI Flipside is dedicated to rediscovering the margins of British film, reclaiming a space for forgotten movies and filmmakers who would otherwise be in danger of disappearing from our screens forever. It is a home for UK cinematic oddities, offering everything from exploitation documentaries to B-movies, countercultural curios and obscure classics, If it's weird, British and forgotten, then it's Flipside.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Betrayed
Synopsis: After a Jewish radio host is murdered, BFI agent Cathy Weaver (Debra Winger) is sent undercover to infiltrate a close-knit farming community believed to be harbouring the men responsible. She soon meets and falls for local farmer Gary Simmons (Tom Berenger) a well-respected Vietnam veteran, but it's not long before her suspicions are aroused. Realising that Simmons is leading a double-life as the leader of a white supremacist group, responsible for a series of brutal crimes, Agent Weaver must decide where her loyalties lie, with the man she loves or the country she swore to protect.
Directed by Costa-Gavras (Missing) and written by Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge), Betrayed is an edge-of-your-seat thriller with an excellent supporting cast including John Heard, John Mahoney and Betsy Blair.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Guardian Interview with Costa-Gavras (1984, 86 mins, audio only): the Oscar winning director discusses his career in this interview recorded four years before the release of Betrayed Interview with Joe Ezsterhas (2013, 100 mins, audio only): recorded at The London
- Screenwriters Festival, the incomparable writer of Betrayed and Basic Instinct is interviewed by filmmaker and author Chris Jones and also fields questions from the audience
- Interview with William Bradford Huie (1968, 28 mins): the journalist, author and civil rights activist is interviewed by Bernard Braden for his never broadcast series Now and Then
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- First pressing only: Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- AND MORE...
Scandal
Synopsis: After becoming enchanted by a young exotic dancer, Christine Keeler (Joanne Whalley), an English doctor (John Hurt) invites her to live with him. Through his contacts and parties she and her friend (Bridget Fonda) meet and begin to date various members of the ruling Conservative Party.
When Christine's affair with the Secretary of State for War John Profumo (Ian McKellan) goes public, scandal tears through the government and threatens the lifestyles and freedom of those involved. From producer Stephen Woolley and director Michael Caton-Jones (Rob Roy) this 30th Anniversary Edition is newly restored from original film materials.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Original theatrical trailer
- First pressing only: Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- AND MORE...
Spetters
Synopsis: From legendary filmmaker Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Basic Instinct) and screenwriter Gerard Soeteman (Soldier of Orange) comes an explosive, fast-paced and thrilling coming-of-age drama. Raw, intense and unabashedly sexual, Spetters is a wild ride that will knock the unsuspecting for a loop. Stuck in a dead-end town on the outskirts of Rotterdam, three young friends Rien, Eef and Hans have one thing in common, their passion for motorcycle racing, which each sees as his ticket to a better life. But a deeper passion will soon rule each of their lives when a sexy, ambitious blonde (Renee Soutendijk, The Fourth Man) comes between them and provokes a series of unforeseen events. The film also co-stars the late, great Rutger Hauer (Flesh & Blood, Blade Runner) and Jeroen Krabbe (The Fugitive).
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
- Feature-length audio commentary with director Paul Verhoeven.
- Interview with Paul Verhoeven (8 mins)
- Interview with screenwriter Gerard Soeteman (11 mins).
- Interview with cinematographer Jost Vacano (67 mins).
- Original theatrical trailer.
- First pressing only: Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- AND MORE...
Yentl
Synopsis: Based on Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer's play of the same name Yentl was directed, co-produced, co-written and stars the legendary Barbra Streisand as Yentl Mendal, a girl living in an Ashkenazi shtetl in Poland in 1904. Her father, Rebbe Mendel (Nehemiah Persoff), secretly instructs her in the Talmud despite the proscription of such study by women according to the customs of her community.
After the death of her father, Yentl decides to cut her hair short, dress like a man, take her late brother's name, Anshel, and enter a Jewish religious school where she befriends fellow student, Avigdor (Mandy Patinkin), and meets his fiancée, Hadass (Amy Irving). Romantic complications soon arise though. Features a score and songs composed by the late great Michel Legrand, who won an Oscar® for his work on the film, whilst Barbra Streisand became the first female winner for Best Director at the Golden Globes.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Includes both the original theatrical version and the director's cut
- Audio commentary by Barbra Streisand and co-producer Rusty Lemorande
- Introduction by Barbra Streisand (3 mins)
- Deleted scenes with introduction by Barbra Streisand (17 mins)
- The Director's Reel (7 mins): featurette showing Barbra Streisand's approach as an actor and director
- The Rehearsal Process (2 mins): Barbra Streisand explains her rehearsal process, includes original footage
- Where Is It Written? (6 mins): rehearsal footage to the song from Barbra Streisand's personal archive;
- No Wonder Reprise (4 mins): pre-rehearsal/feature comparison footage
- Tomorrow Night (5 mins): pre-rehearsal concept (featuring Yentl lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman)
- Will Someone Ever Look At Me That Way? (3 mins): rehearsal/feature comparison montage
- The Moon and I (4 mins): Storyboard montage for a deleted song
- Several Sins A Day (4 mins): original VHS storyboard montage for a deleted song
- 8mm concept film with narration by Barbra Streisand (9 mins)
- My Wonderful Cast and Crew (7 mins): a montage of footage featuring the cast and crew at work
- Trailers
- First pressing only: Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- AND MORE...
Les Demoiselles de Rochefort
Synopsis: Following on from the success of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg comes Les Demoiselles de Rochefort - Jacques Demy's large-scale tribute to the Hollywood musical featuring screen legend Gene Kelly. The story centres on twin sisters Delphine and Solange (played by real-life sisters Catherine Deneuve and Francoise Dorléac) who, tired of their humdrum existence, dream of finding success and romance in Paris. The superb ensemble, also featuring Danielle Darrieux, Michel Piccoli, Jacques Perrin, George Chakiris and Grover Dale, weave and wander around the town, looking for and just missing the love of their lives.
With a plot of pure Shakespearean farce, witty dialogue and lyrics by Demy, and a magnificent jazz score by the late, great Michel Legrand, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort is an effervescent celebration of life that is sure to captivate and uplift.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Les Demoiselles ont eu 25 ans (1993, 64 mins): documentary by Agnès Varda
- Gene Kelly Guardian Lecture (1980, audio only): the legendary Hollywood star discusses his long and much celebrated career
- Catherine Deneuve Guardian Interview (2005)
- First pressing only: Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits
- Optional English subtitles for the main feature
- AND MORE...
Moulin Rouge
Synopsis: Set in 19th Century Paris, despondent artist Toulouse Lautrec (Jose Ferrer), frustrated by his physical handicaps, seeks solace in the drink, dance and distractions offered up at the infamous Moulin Rouge nightclub. An encounter with a young girl in desperate need of help (Colette Marchand) brings hope to his lonely life but, in the lusty atmosphere of the Belle Epoque, romance can quickly turn to rivalry...
Directed by two-time Oscar winner John Huston (The African Queen, Beat the Devil) the film went on to be nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning two for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. This stunning 4K restoration brings new life to the film's exquisite production design and Technicolor photography, brilliantly evoking Lautrec's unique artistic visions.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
- Newly recorded commentary with continuity supervisor Angela Allen.
- Trailer
- First pressing only: Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- AND MORE...
Varda by Agnès
Synopsis: Whether in front of the camera or behind it, Agnes Varda was a visual storyteller who eschewed convention and prescribed approaches to drama.
In Varda by Agnes - the director's final film - she offers a personal insight into her oeuvre, using excerpts from her work to illustrate her unique artistic visions and ideas. Playful, revealing and endearing, discover the inimitable genius of a true icon of world cinema.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Agnes Varda in Conversation (2018, 82 mins): the legendary director gives a talk about her career, illustrated with clips, to an audience at BFI Southbank.
- Agnes Varda: Filmmaker, photographer, Instagrammer (2018, 12 mins): the veteran director explains how to Instagram followed photography and film as her medium of choice.
- Video essay (2019, 10 mins): a newly commissioned video essay by film critic and writer Amy Simmons
- Original theatrical trailer
- First pressing only: Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- AND MORE...
Hair
Synopsis: The film, loosely based on the 1968 Broadway musical Hair: An American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, centers on two men, Claude (John Savage, The Deer Hunter, a naïve young man from America's Bible Belt and Berger (Treat Williams), the leader of a hippie tribe in New York. Drafted into the army and soon to ship out to Vietnam, Claude spends his last time as a civilian with Berger, learning for the first time about race and class issues in 60s America. He soon meets and falls for Shelia, a rich debutante with a rebellious soul. Welcome to the Age of Aquarius.
The film marked Milos Forman s return to directing after winning an Oscar for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest in 1975 and was nominated for two Golden Globes in 1980.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Original theatrical trailer
- First pressing only: Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- AND MORE...
Legend of the Witches & Secret Rites
Synopsis: The 39th release in the long standing BFI Flipside strand sees the release of two far out British films. Exploitation director Derek Ford's (The Wife Swappers) Secret Rites and Malcolm Leigh's Legend of the Witches.
Legend of the Witches (1970, 78 mins): The originally X-rated film documentary which looks in detail at previously hidden magic rites and rituals. Sharing the secrets of initiation into a coven, divination through animal sacrifice, ritual scrying, the casting of a 'death spell', and the chilling intimacy of a Black Mass. It also explores Britain's hidden pagan heritage and its continued influence on our lives today.
Secret Rites (1971, 47 mins): Part Mondo movie, part countercultural artefact, this strange mid-length 'documentary' by sex film director Derek Ford lifts the lid on witchcraft in 1970s Notting Hill. Mystery band The Spindle provide the groovy, psychedelic sounds while tentative occult enthusiast Penny and a serious-sounding narrator introduce the viewer to three ritual acts. Far out.
BFI Flipside is dedicated to rediscovering the margins of British film, reclaiming a space for forgotten movies and filmmakers who would otherwise be in danger of disappearing from our screens forever. It is a home for UK cinematic oddities, offering everything from exploitation documentaries to B-movies, countercultural curios and obscure classics, If it's weird, British and forgotten, then it's Flipside.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Newly recorded commentary on Secret Rites by Flipside founders Vic Pratt and William Fowler
- First pressing only: Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- AND MORE...
