Foreign Cinema in BLU
#501
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I received "Black Narcissus" yesterday. The movie and trailer play fine on Region A Panasonic BD30, but the bonus featurette will only play audio without the video (that portion is SD and PAL-encoded).
I am keeping the disc so I'll have the movie in HD, but honestly if I had known one of the extras wouldn't work on Region A players, I would have waited for the eventual Region A release. (Too bad I didn't wait for the DVD Beaver review, since it mentions this problem.)
"Great Expectations" doesn't have any extras and works without any issues on the player, BTW.
I am keeping the disc so I'll have the movie in HD, but honestly if I had known one of the extras wouldn't work on Region A players, I would have waited for the eventual Region A release. (Too bad I didn't wait for the DVD Beaver review, since it mentions this problem.)
"Great Expectations" doesn't have any extras and works without any issues on the player, BTW.
#503
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Originally Posted by Giles
I've never seen Boys from Brazil or Black Narcissus for that matter are they good blind buys?
Last edited by Copper Blue; 07-05-08 at 10:02 PM.
#504
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I just finished Great Expectations and I can say dvdbeaver is spot on with thier review. It is miles above any SD counterpart. Saying that, it does have specks and a shimmer (grain?) on the sky scenes. The source begs for a new restoration. Onto Balck Narcissus.
#507
Originally Posted by Tutut
French editor Carlotta goes Blu-Ray with 3 releases on October 8, Fellini's Casanova, Godard's One+One and Sholay from Ramesh Sippy.
#509
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Originally Posted by samper
Sholay ???? wow - now that would be good. I guess English sub-titles woul be too much to ask for ...
Pro-B
#511
DVD Talk Special Edition
Originally Posted by samper
I just finished Great Expectations and I can say dvdbeaver is spot on with thier review. It is miles above any SD counterpart. Saying that, it does have specks and a shimmer (grain?) on the sky scenes. The source begs for a new restoration. Onto Balck Narcissus.
![Up](/images/smilies/thumpsup.gif)
#512
DVD Talk Godfather
It seems Braveheart is scheduled for France and Germany later this year from some quick googling.
From my limited searching it is being handled by Fox, and apparently they region encode over there(region 2), even catalog titles. Does that sound right?
From my limited searching it is being handled by Fox, and apparently they region encode over there(region 2), even catalog titles. Does that sound right?
#513
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Originally Posted by Michael Corvin
It seems Braveheart is scheduled for France and Germany later this year from some quick googling.
From my limited searching it is being handled by Fox, and apparently they region encode over there(region 2), even catalog titles. Does that sound right?
From my limited searching it is being handled by Fox, and apparently they region encode over there(region 2), even catalog titles. Does that sound right?
Have a look here: http://bluray.liesinc.net/index.php?region=b
Last edited by Tutut; 07-09-08 at 08:50 AM.
#514
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist
Courtesy of AsianBlu-rayguide:
Street date: July 8th.
Street date: July 8th.
#515
DVD Talk Special Edition
Hey Pro-B or anyone else out there...
Do you know where I can get a copy of OSS 117 ? It is a French Blu-ray release. It looks like Amazon.fr doesn't list it anymore. Thanks in advance!
Do you know where I can get a copy of OSS 117 ? It is a French Blu-ray release. It looks like Amazon.fr doesn't list it anymore. Thanks in advance!
#516
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Originally Posted by Overpar
Hey Pro-B or anyone else out there...
![Wink](/images/smilies/wink.gif)
http://xploitedcinema.com/catalog/ca...y-p-14074.html
Pro-B
#517
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Antonioni's breathtaking The Red Desert will receive its international Blu-ray premiere...
Pro-B
Last edited by pro-bassoonist; 08-05-08 at 12:52 AM.
#518
DVD Talk Special Edition
Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist
Also, any details for Les poupées russes or L'auberge espagnole?
#519
Moderator
Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist
Also a quick announcement pertaining to a future BFI release:
Antonioni's breathtaking The Red Desert will receive its international Blu-ray premiere, immediately after Pasolini's SALO boasting an absolutely stunning new presentation freshly telecined from original negatives in Rome.
(Do not look for a source of the news yet, this should become official in the weeks to come).
Also in 2009 BFI will release 15 brand new BR films/discs to coincide with their SDVD counterparts (catalog favorites will be in addition).
Ciao,
Pro-B
Antonioni's breathtaking The Red Desert will receive its international Blu-ray premiere, immediately after Pasolini's SALO boasting an absolutely stunning new presentation freshly telecined from original negatives in Rome.
(Do not look for a source of the news yet, this should become official in the weeks to come).
Also in 2009 BFI will release 15 brand new BR films/discs to coincide with their SDVD counterparts (catalog favorites will be in addition).
Ciao,
Pro-B
#520
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist
Also a quick announcement pertaining to a future BFI release:
Antonioni's breathtaking The Red Desert will receive its international Blu-ray premiere, immediately after Pasolini's SALO boasting an absolutely stunning new presentation freshly telecined from original negatives in Rome.
Antonioni's breathtaking The Red Desert will receive its international Blu-ray premiere, immediately after Pasolini's SALO boasting an absolutely stunning new presentation freshly telecined from original negatives in Rome.
#521
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Overpar
Thanks! I can't believe I forgot about that site, especially since it will be shutting down soon. My workplace has it blocked, so I can't access it now. I guess I'll have to wait til I get home. Did you happen to see what the price was?
Also, while XC is closing down, they've still been adding a few new Blu-Ray's - I assume there were inbound anyway. So it still pays to check out the site for new stuff. I just picked up Taegukgi and Tell No One.
#522
DVD Talk Special Edition
Originally Posted by bunkaroo
It's 44.95.
Also, while XC is closing down, they've still been adding a few new Blu-Ray's - I assume there were inbound anyway. So it still pays to check out the site for new stuff. I just picked up Taegukgi and Tell No One.
Also, while XC is closing down, they've still been adding a few new Blu-Ray's - I assume there were inbound anyway. So it still pays to check out the site for new stuff. I just picked up Taegukgi and Tell No One.
#523
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Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist
Also in 2009 BFI will release 15 brand new BR films/discs to coincide with their SDVD counterparts (catalog favorites will be in addition).
#524
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Originally Posted by NoirFan
I would assume this will get a BFI SD release as well?
As far as 2009 is concerned this is what BFI's Press Officer mentioned to me:
For those titles we'll be using newly created master materials and offering alternative versions on the same disc so as to make the Blu-ray a more attractive proposition to the consumer than a simple format replacement offering.
In any event I will keep you updated.
Edit:
Originally Posted by NoirFan
I would assume this will get a BFI SD release as well?
Ciao,
Pro-B
#525
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Courtesy of TF1, set to be released in France on September 4th.
![](http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/3080/femmesdelombrefp3.jpg)
Official UK distro site:
http://www.femaleagents.co.uk/
Variety:
Pro-B
![](http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/3080/femmesdelombrefp3.jpg)
Official UK distro site:
http://www.femaleagents.co.uk/
Variety:
By JAY WEISSBERG
A bevy of resolute gals go undercover against the Nazis to conceal Allied plans for the D-Day invasion in "Female Agents," an old-fashioned period adventure that radiates star wattage but doesn't exactly shine in the script department. A sort of "Girls With Guns 2" for helmer Jean-Paul Salome, pic has a slick look and exciting WWII setting that help plaster over its generic feel and generally one-note perfs ("Look determined!" must have been Salome's chief instruction). Name cast and Gauls' fondness for Resistance tales should result in stellar B.O. on release March 5, with certain reach into Francophile markets worldwide.
Plot was inspired by heroic partisan leader Lise Villameur, though pic conflates fictional main character Louise Desfontaines with the real Villameur and changes the latter's story significantly. Still, as a popular tribute to the tenacity and bravery of these often unsung Resistance heroines, pic deserves its fair share of salutes.
A nicely shot ambush scene in a steamy French train station segues into the arrival of Louise (Sophie Marceau) in London, where she has a rendezvous with her brother Pierre (Julien Boisselier) and is given orders by spymaster Maurice Buckmaster (Colin David Reese) to round up some female agents. Their mission: Rescue a wounded British geologist (Conrad Cecil) from a hospital in occupied France before the Nazis figure out who he is and torture him for information on D-Day.
Recruitment for this dangerous assignment isn't easy, making blackmail necessary. First on board is tough prostitute Jeanne (Julie Depardieu), followed by young explosives expert Gaelle (Deborah Francois) and, finally, showgirl Suzy (Marie Gillain), whose former relationship with a Nazi officer makes her unwitting bait. Parachuted into France, they meet up with Jewish Countess Maria Luzzato (Maya Sansa) and together rescue the geologist just as he's being tortured by order of Col. Heindrich (Moritz Bleibtreu).
Escape isn't so easy, and with Pierre and Gaelle captured, the agents must work to outwit the Germans and pluck off the colonel. A subway-station scene reps pic's most skilled moment, as sightlines intersect and the ensuing gun battle foils plans and further reduces numbers.
Though its main focus is on Louise, the film is really an ensembler with only the most basic, broad-stroke characterizations. Jeanne is the hard-nosed hooker looking to bail until she's converted to the cause; innocent Gaelle is sustained by a faith echoed in an unnecessarily sappy coda; lovelorn Suzy musters the courage to turn Mata Hari. Script isn't nuanced enough to avoid a deja-vu feeling.
Keeping her face in a fixed expression through most scenes, Marceau (also in Salome's "Belphagor") plays best when confronting the underlying tensions between Louise and Pierre. Bleibtreu makes a less stereotypical Nazi in a perf that would sit comfortably in wartime romances from the period. English thesps recite stilted lines more in keeping with BBC takeoffs than proper dramas.
WWII flavor is handsomely captured, combining richly textured studio shooting with location work (including real Paris boulevards draped in swastikas). D.p. Pascal Ridao (also on Salome's "Arsene Lupin") catches the look of '40s color newsreels, but elsewhere, rooms appear to be swathed entirely in mist, like a poor imitation of Alexander Sokurov. A monochrome scene in an English pub overdoes the filters.
Camera (color), Pascal Ridao; editor, Marie-Pierre Renaud; music, Bruno Coulais; production designer, Francoise Dupertuis; costume designer, Pierre-Jean Larroque; sound (Dolby DTS), Laurent Poirier, Vincent Guillon; assistant director, Serge Onteniente; casting, Stephane Foenkinos. Reviewed at Berlin Film Festival (market), Feb. 8, 2008. Running time: 116 MIN.
With: Vincent Rottiers, Volker Bruch, Robin Renucci, Xavier Beauvois, Colin David Reese, Juergen Mash, Conrad Cecil, Alexandre Jazede, David Capelle, Wolfgang Pissors, Chantal Garrigues, James Gerard, Edward Hamilton-Clark.
(French, German, English dialogue)
A bevy of resolute gals go undercover against the Nazis to conceal Allied plans for the D-Day invasion in "Female Agents," an old-fashioned period adventure that radiates star wattage but doesn't exactly shine in the script department. A sort of "Girls With Guns 2" for helmer Jean-Paul Salome, pic has a slick look and exciting WWII setting that help plaster over its generic feel and generally one-note perfs ("Look determined!" must have been Salome's chief instruction). Name cast and Gauls' fondness for Resistance tales should result in stellar B.O. on release March 5, with certain reach into Francophile markets worldwide.
Plot was inspired by heroic partisan leader Lise Villameur, though pic conflates fictional main character Louise Desfontaines with the real Villameur and changes the latter's story significantly. Still, as a popular tribute to the tenacity and bravery of these often unsung Resistance heroines, pic deserves its fair share of salutes.
A nicely shot ambush scene in a steamy French train station segues into the arrival of Louise (Sophie Marceau) in London, where she has a rendezvous with her brother Pierre (Julien Boisselier) and is given orders by spymaster Maurice Buckmaster (Colin David Reese) to round up some female agents. Their mission: Rescue a wounded British geologist (Conrad Cecil) from a hospital in occupied France before the Nazis figure out who he is and torture him for information on D-Day.
Recruitment for this dangerous assignment isn't easy, making blackmail necessary. First on board is tough prostitute Jeanne (Julie Depardieu), followed by young explosives expert Gaelle (Deborah Francois) and, finally, showgirl Suzy (Marie Gillain), whose former relationship with a Nazi officer makes her unwitting bait. Parachuted into France, they meet up with Jewish Countess Maria Luzzato (Maya Sansa) and together rescue the geologist just as he's being tortured by order of Col. Heindrich (Moritz Bleibtreu).
Escape isn't so easy, and with Pierre and Gaelle captured, the agents must work to outwit the Germans and pluck off the colonel. A subway-station scene reps pic's most skilled moment, as sightlines intersect and the ensuing gun battle foils plans and further reduces numbers.
Though its main focus is on Louise, the film is really an ensembler with only the most basic, broad-stroke characterizations. Jeanne is the hard-nosed hooker looking to bail until she's converted to the cause; innocent Gaelle is sustained by a faith echoed in an unnecessarily sappy coda; lovelorn Suzy musters the courage to turn Mata Hari. Script isn't nuanced enough to avoid a deja-vu feeling.
Keeping her face in a fixed expression through most scenes, Marceau (also in Salome's "Belphagor") plays best when confronting the underlying tensions between Louise and Pierre. Bleibtreu makes a less stereotypical Nazi in a perf that would sit comfortably in wartime romances from the period. English thesps recite stilted lines more in keeping with BBC takeoffs than proper dramas.
WWII flavor is handsomely captured, combining richly textured studio shooting with location work (including real Paris boulevards draped in swastikas). D.p. Pascal Ridao (also on Salome's "Arsene Lupin") catches the look of '40s color newsreels, but elsewhere, rooms appear to be swathed entirely in mist, like a poor imitation of Alexander Sokurov. A monochrome scene in an English pub overdoes the filters.
Camera (color), Pascal Ridao; editor, Marie-Pierre Renaud; music, Bruno Coulais; production designer, Francoise Dupertuis; costume designer, Pierre-Jean Larroque; sound (Dolby DTS), Laurent Poirier, Vincent Guillon; assistant director, Serge Onteniente; casting, Stephane Foenkinos. Reviewed at Berlin Film Festival (market), Feb. 8, 2008. Running time: 116 MIN.
With: Vincent Rottiers, Volker Bruch, Robin Renucci, Xavier Beauvois, Colin David Reese, Juergen Mash, Conrad Cecil, Alexandre Jazede, David Capelle, Wolfgang Pissors, Chantal Garrigues, James Gerard, Edward Hamilton-Clark.
(French, German, English dialogue)
Last edited by pro-bassoonist; 07-18-08 at 02:14 PM.