The BFI announced today the introduction of 'Dual Format Editions', in which both the DVD and Blu-ray versions of selected releases – main features and extras alike – will sit side-by-side in a "competitively-priced" single package. Dual Format Editions launch on April 26, at RRP £19.99, with two classics from the master of Japanese cinema, Yasujiro Ozu:
Tokyo Story (1953) and
Early Summer (1951).
Late Spring (1949) will follow in June. Over the next 12 months a total of 25 releases will be packaged in this way.
Sam Dunn, Head of BFI Video Publishing, comments: "The idea behind Dual Format Editions is to provide film lovers with the ultimate win-win solution in a time of financial uncertainty and technological confusion. Not only does the price mean that the BFI's quality Blu-rays are instantly more affordable, but the inclusion of both DVD and Blu-ray in a single package means that the DVD buyer is safeguarded against upgrades they may make in the future at no extra cost."
Existing Blu-ray customers will benefit both from the lower price and from the inclusion of a DVD, which offers greater flexibility for viewing away from the home cinema environment.
Other titles lined up for the BFI Dual Format treatment this year are the Quay Brothers' exquisite
Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life (1995); Tony Garnett's controversial
Prostitute (1980); celebrated James Bond director Guy Hamilton's long-lost
Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life (1965) starring Oliver Reed; Gerry O'Hara's swinging
The Pleasure Girls (1965) starring Ian McShane and Klaus Kinski; a collection of acclaimed Hollywood director Tony Scott's early films; and Mike Sarne's colourful Swinging Sixties masterpiece
Joanna (1968).