tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56231645552809434202024-03-06T03:47:50.546-05:00Breillat On DVDA guide to the films of Catherine Breillat on DVD and Blu-ray - for English speaking audiencesJohn W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-87256688647586064492023-06-21T00:01:00.000-04:002023-06-21T00:01:28.173-04:00The First Breillat Film To Come Out in 4k: Bilitis<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Tv_D_F75xpmvBgPzyxv4QS3pRilBKcWBvqQlIEV5pVS-vFzfS2iviqXm9JRdkR5r-sSLAYxSC-c9Cpndh8Pc7Zl5jrCvhknjm4cUdICnqXWuWoPuHS7w0ayL9xmmQTdohTaGp2hvjFcbyLTBYwl7QmS1yul_0lqhcl40wqMFTKwelU3SnYLOorsbwdA/s1500/bilitis4k.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Tv_D_F75xpmvBgPzyxv4QS3pRilBKcWBvqQlIEV5pVS-vFzfS2iviqXm9JRdkR5r-sSLAYxSC-c9Cpndh8Pc7Zl5jrCvhknjm4cUdICnqXWuWoPuHS7w0ayL9xmmQTdohTaGp2hvjFcbyLTBYwl7QmS1yul_0lqhcl40wqMFTKwelU3SnYLOorsbwdA/s800/bilitis4k.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>Are you getting sick of <i>Bilitis </i>releases yet? This one is big news, though, because it's the first edition on the highest 4k Ultra HD format. The first <i>Bilitis </i>and the first of any of Breillat's films. This is coming out through Germany's Capelight Pictures label, but all UHD's are region free, so it's playable anywhere in the world. And yes, it's English friendly, including both the English dub, and better still, the original French audio with English subtitles. For that matter, it also has a German dub and optional German subtitles.<br /><br />It's a 3-disc set, including the UHD with HDR, a BD copy and the CD soundtrack. It's a mediabook with 24 pages (presumably written in German, though), and includes the original theatrical trailer and the same interview with the cinematographer that was on the US blu. And it's already out as of this writing.<br /><br />Hopefully we see many more of Breillat's films hit 4k, especially some of the ones she directed!<br /><p></p>John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-81744074170252631452023-06-20T02:52:00.002-04:002023-06-20T02:52:28.430-04:00Bluebeard, Better In the UK<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJMfWqZAizIaxC95LH4v2j3QLtFmHytWkw2_cMXyqKSDNrRYZh_WkiHzNNAGvtX5mrluVqRwNAS9rkXlS8v5Ko1_x1M2_irfwic76VDn1NHFC-zRGiZi9rFw8eB4vhFvpoMED3Dkrd_KSuZTFxN57dMQlL8ZX3H9zEc6f_L63d22nJhNRRSedqF0HAn8/s554/bluebearduk.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJMfWqZAizIaxC95LH4v2j3QLtFmHytWkw2_cMXyqKSDNrRYZh_WkiHzNNAGvtX5mrluVqRwNAS9rkXlS8v5Ko1_x1M2_irfwic76VDn1NHFC-zRGiZi9rFw8eB4vhFvpoMED3Dkrd_KSuZTFxN57dMQlL8ZX3H9zEc6f_L63d22nJhNRRSedqF0HAn8/s800/bluebearduk.jpg" width="158" /></a></div>Of course, it would be wonderful to get <i>Bluebeard </i>on blu-ray one day, but I can't say I'm too optimistic. We're barely getting any of her theatrical work in HD, let alone her television films. But in the meantime, whether it happens it or not, it's worth noting that there is a bit of an upgrade available just by importing from the UK. Yes, two years after Strand released this on DVD in the US, New Wave Films released it in the UK, and it's surprisingly better in almost every way, considering it was a new release of a contemporary film using the same modern master.<br /><br />For starters, the US DVD is interlaced, which means intermittent frames have a visible, and ugly, combing effect running through them. Even if your player autocorrects interlacing, and practically all of them do, that's only a partial fix that makes the image stutter in motion and replaces combed frames with ghosted frames, where images have a messy double-image. The aspect ratio is also very slightly shifted from 1.79:1 on the US to what appears to be the more correct 1.81:1 on the UK. The framing is identical, but it fixes a very slight vertical pinch. I suspect a BD could give us an even more accurate AR. But between the two of them, New Wave's geometry is a pinch (get it? Eh, eh?) better.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fHizUC_qvih-fWYRukZ9Zl87u7JUX43ah5s2ceyywU_T0v4WlZrdH301s8uNaRGxkuvZS0fzbZ9h0Yy6hCaDIuDM8OS01q84hsUfpap1nvUXCIBkZs3Qs72-vQmK_FIy3Z5nd9gMVUSiA5HEjnFTf9mnGTYxHs3wPUXih0QkXfAPCEyg2MkDMXmU1vs/s1920/bluebeardc1a1033.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fHizUC_qvih-fWYRukZ9Zl87u7JUX43ah5s2ceyywU_T0v4WlZrdH301s8uNaRGxkuvZS0fzbZ9h0Yy6hCaDIuDM8OS01q84hsUfpap1nvUXCIBkZs3Qs72-vQmK_FIy3Z5nd9gMVUSiA5HEjnFTf9mnGTYxHs3wPUXih0QkXfAPCEyg2MkDMXmU1vs/s1000/bluebeardc1a1033.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2010 US Strand DVD top; 2012 UK New Wave DVD bottom.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVX8pzgRHGUWbJ1Xddwdl6KbHOhAtEa_OL-yvM4YjGIu4zUybQOdvEqF7vGHwqO1D6hG7vG9rJ-JHibJLeQ9oQ-0Q1HaKsydcdJrE4Zm8PRL5-oZZq-nlhqRWiK9K0Q_nKv1WHOcXbbt6jhRi2rUyGnXfFi5eMbNEHva559CPDRoTmltvo67T32GMWD4/s1920/bluebeardc1b946.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVX8pzgRHGUWbJ1Xddwdl6KbHOhAtEa_OL-yvM4YjGIu4zUybQOdvEqF7vGHwqO1D6hG7vG9rJ-JHibJLeQ9oQ-0Q1HaKsydcdJrE4Zm8PRL5-oZZq-nlhqRWiK9K0Q_nKv1WHOcXbbt6jhRi2rUyGnXfFi5eMbNEHva559CPDRoTmltvo67T32GMWD4/s1000/bluebeardc1b946.png" width="400" /></a></div>The stereo audio tracks sound the same on both discs. But the subtitles
are burnt in on the US DVD, meaning they are unremovable if you want to
see the image without the subs on screen. The UK disc makes them
optional, so you can turn them on and off. So rack up another slight advantage
to New Wave there.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmogooajtdNDQc66k1xjVW5_CoqWzg1h2N4vAR10jkuQhVZ26-A5XmCO1izzud1YkhFGCg2qoTQtly5Ojzm9YkZwH-6oIM1ltIE2ID1VFxaqB4Crzfz30KWs033jn7eup0YtNqWIw2-cz5OAMUbelzE6qE0-iI8e0k5BruF2x5MdpQHD3wf6eQspKZso/s1917/bluebearde.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="1917" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmogooajtdNDQc66k1xjVW5_CoqWzg1h2N4vAR10jkuQhVZ26-A5XmCO1izzud1YkhFGCg2qoTQtly5Ojzm9YkZwH-6oIM1ltIE2ID1VFxaqB4Crzfz30KWs033jn7eup0YtNqWIw2-cz5OAMUbelzE6qE0-iI8e0k5BruF2x5MdpQHD3wf6eQspKZso/s800/bluebearde.png" width="400" /></a></div>But most compelling of all? New Wave's DVD
has an exclusive on-camera interview with Breillat herself! Strand has
the trailer and a couple bonus trailers for other Strand releases, but
otherwise it has no special features. Well, New Wave also has the
trailer. And while one interview doesn't exactly amount to a packed
special edition, it's a substantial half-hour piece that gives us some
solid insight into her work. And honestly, interviews with Breillat are
far too rare on these discs, so finding one here is a real treat.<br /><br />So yes, I'd say it's worth importing. And even if you already have the US DVD, it might be worth double-dipping just for the interview (and modest visual improvements).<br />John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-13929982539636454752022-03-30T22:11:00.003-04:002023-06-28T23:15:21.135-04:00The Definitive Dracula and Son<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBei2jT8tg8x_4nAHWa1wenPE3NhONo3JB7l5qn5GMkTbJe67sstvQZTvA1YK6N3m2N89sDEENrbcrJF08GRa5Ab4rAqaMOBs1R4l9GFlkAtEPhQn0S-tD2DR1eMn8p4mOPUdSsLYYTkXsUw7dyybTzvMIWCQinHH-szjoqRADhp-raG9c2FvXdASE/s2348/dracandsons.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2348" data-original-width="1919" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBei2jT8tg8x_4nAHWa1wenPE3NhONo3JB7l5qn5GMkTbJe67sstvQZTvA1YK6N3m2N89sDEENrbcrJF08GRa5Ab4rAqaMOBs1R4l9GFlkAtEPhQn0S-tD2DR1eMn8p4mOPUdSsLYYTkXsUw7dyybTzvMIWCQinHH-szjoqRADhp-raG9c2FvXdASE/s800/dracandsons.png" width="180" /></a></div>It was taking forever, but I knew it was only a matter only of time until a proper edition of <i>Dracula and Son</i> came out. Some of those French TV movies I'm not holding my breath for, but a cult Christopher Lee vampire flick? Oh yeah, it was inevitable. And I'm glad it's Severin who's turned out to be the ones releasing it, because they've put together an impressive special edition, with both the original and abridged cuts of the film, both the original and altered language options in audio and subtitles, and a host of special features, including two audio commentaries, new and vintage interviews with the cast and crew, the trailer and even a soundtrack CD.<br /><br />Now admittedly, this title is a low draw for Breillat fans. She just appears in this film; she didn't have a hand in the writing, directing or anything. Her sister Marie-Helene has the far larger role. But if you're a collector, you collect, right? This has been announced for release on May 31, as part of Severin's 5-film boxed set, The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee, Collection 2, and can be <a href="https://severinfilms.com/shop/the-eurocrypt-of-christopher-lee-collection-2/">pre-ordered direct from the company</a> as of today.<br /><br /><u>Update 6/28/23:</u> a stand-alone (i.e. you don't have to buy the whole Christopher Lee box set) edition has been announced for a September 26th release.<br /><p></p>John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-52798889569661609162022-02-25T02:48:00.000-05:002022-02-25T02:48:13.246-05:00It Really Happened: A Proper US Bilitis Blu!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmQzUud2iIjo6hr59EJ-QKJLk1K1QJq96aD5gvmpsn7RdvH2QVbKqaXRDXAkyr-gWjS49TWCETRejGknaNZDojDNOUu0D737SkFbokVO_A795ZDYQKm1si-XmTqqPXzL7fJhEV7VdtN5JHQ038SddkM3POg7Gq4U728aSb273eMgRCv3E3p3qY37mz=s2108" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2108" data-original-width="1828" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmQzUud2iIjo6hr59EJ-QKJLk1K1QJq96aD5gvmpsn7RdvH2QVbKqaXRDXAkyr-gWjS49TWCETRejGknaNZDojDNOUu0D737SkFbokVO_A795ZDYQKm1si-XmTqqPXzL7fJhEV7VdtN5JHQ038SddkM3POg7Gq4U728aSb273eMgRCv3E3p3qY37mz=s0" width="180" /></a></div>You know, it's been so long since I <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5623164555280943420&postID=3613216744046376055">expressed confidence in the likelihood of a legitimate English-friendly <i>Bilitis </i>blu</a>, I was starting to think I dreamt it. But it's here, sitting on my desk as I type this! A US special edition blu-ray release from Fun City Editions, just released this week. And it's got pretty much everything a fan could've asked for. It's the killer 4k scan of the original 35mm original camera negative featuring the original French mono track with removable English subtitles, and the alternative English dub. It also includes some strong special features, including a great interview with the camera operator (from the 2021 French blu, but subtitled into English for the first time here), an all new expert audio commentary, a full color 12-page booklet, reversible artwork and a slipcover (the last of which is limited to the first 2,500 copies). And just look how it blows away the DVD we've been living with:<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhycecs93XGzddc4Vnnd4d5jQr9F8_x201Vo0kwqcW94a9WllxurJkQ2UuUKdj7bikFV8TD2P0LTjr_5mht1aqqR7BoevALwygAOf8kyAddFd3LMxMnKN4fjvHDGvOyURsmC_cOonr8_HbXoNNa6r8ZHw102sr1lHWk51SZu2Q-VRtD6T4kgUg0waSO=s1747" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1747" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhycecs93XGzddc4Vnnd4d5jQr9F8_x201Vo0kwqcW94a9WllxurJkQ2UuUKdj7bikFV8TD2P0LTjr_5mht1aqqR7BoevALwygAOf8kyAddFd3LMxMnKN4fjvHDGvOyURsmC_cOonr8_HbXoNNa6r8ZHw102sr1lHWk51SZu2Q-VRtD6T4kgUg0waSO=s800" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2012 US Pathfinder DVD top; 2022 US Fun City BD bottom.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi26aMsExaAOXstKdy4X-dU_fJckt5dbLzrCBzP6URfl1tP9yvtZaU7sGEs6yaGoY0SSdeH_J3_lKGp_reJ_n4R4fYjDfFUFTRgXyXZwULXa1LS4h44nKBNspidHbK-WCdIhHaOlsCgZ_9gYZ5XhhLCa0c32l_AK2LRUAeyfjzl51EDo684jh1C30wS=s1808" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1808" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi26aMsExaAOXstKdy4X-dU_fJckt5dbLzrCBzP6URfl1tP9yvtZaU7sGEs6yaGoY0SSdeH_J3_lKGp_reJ_n4R4fYjDfFUFTRgXyXZwULXa1LS4h44nKBNspidHbK-WCdIhHaOlsCgZ_9gYZ5XhhLCa0c32l_AK2LRUAeyfjzl51EDo684jh1C30wS=s800" width="400" /><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1gJfFLt2kwp1-a_5k9YCmqBpsjTSyWvWE7dequDoQf1smOlPcV9ADhW0ChcAFfXOSWEQps4yjGuR-gMukpwKiJ3gdT6h95TKiWAiDUn6LP8jCuG5X9UCYwmnXh4Q5f9Q8EBnjelPSsQrZSkS4pAFNuxMKrm8dINzcEUCfObGw1Qrfb3a5sOAgMy4w=s1721" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1721" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1gJfFLt2kwp1-a_5k9YCmqBpsjTSyWvWE7dequDoQf1smOlPcV9ADhW0ChcAFfXOSWEQps4yjGuR-gMukpwKiJ3gdT6h95TKiWAiDUn6LP8jCuG5X9UCYwmnXh4Q5f9Q8EBnjelPSsQrZSkS4pAFNuxMKrm8dINzcEUCfObGw1Qrfb3a5sOAgMy4w=s800" width="400" /></a></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTWAeWPbvIqPafu7KJm63uuyM85nI_g4guj0VlBcvrKvduGMKQt-Lc-2o4Jgq2KjVSdB32trg62qqyi1e3o3AKOntjyZQ44kVROe7bzustXTtfMN7DTbjUd_UVcSnBdfDaL-TjfukA7bn5zGb9geAFOD0Tc2NXMVdHLfc4KpjEeYwZ3az6S2IMzjl7=s1808" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1808" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTWAeWPbvIqPafu7KJm63uuyM85nI_g4guj0VlBcvrKvduGMKQt-Lc-2o4Jgq2KjVSdB32trg62qqyi1e3o3AKOntjyZQ44kVROe7bzustXTtfMN7DTbjUd_UVcSnBdfDaL-TjfukA7bn5zGb9geAFOD0Tc2NXMVdHLfc4KpjEeYwZ3az6S2IMzjl7=s800" width="400" /></a></div>It's about time we finally got our hands on this restoration. Still, you'll want to hold onto your Pathfinder DVDs if you've got 'em. Catherine Breillat's interview is exclusive to that disc. It's a shame they couldn't've licensed it from them, but oh well.<br /><br />And UK fans, if you don't want to import, just hang in there. Screenbound is a releasing <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bilitis-Blu-ray/dp/B0992M29VD?tag=bluraycom-21&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE">their own blu-ray edition on your side of the ocean</a> on March 28.<br />John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-20207005331956164042021-10-17T21:05:00.001-04:002021-12-13T02:38:28.043-05:00Romance Blu-ray Hitting the US<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2vZRHSsz0TC0flwsOkfSOb0NQmaI0NQ08k9FRSsGmXhXtrvDjeZSIVBdxclXurKNU4qbnjWOu4x12JsJUKckIy6bTpTTGJjtcQ1J6bReeJ47PYI8VqiG12UhF9wJHkgLAgzB_X-rb4E/s1500/romanceusblu.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2vZRHSsz0TC0flwsOkfSOb0NQmaI0NQ08k9FRSsGmXhXtrvDjeZSIVBdxclXurKNU4qbnjWOu4x12JsJUKckIy6bTpTTGJjtcQ1J6bReeJ47PYI8VqiG12UhF9wJHkgLAgzB_X-rb4E/s800/romanceusblu.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>Bummed <i>Romance </i>was only released on the blu in the UK? It is, after all, region B locked. Well, cheer up, Charlie - Strand is releasing <i>Romance </i>in the US next month!<br /><br />No real specs have been released yet, so we don't know if there will be any special features or anything yet. My guess would be this will use the same transfer as <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2019/07/romance-in-hd.html">the UK release</a> and generally be pretty similar... no complaints if that's the case; it was a pretty great release. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The release date is less than a month and a half way (Nov 30th), so we should learn more soon.<br /><br /><u>Update:</u> Yep, it's still 1.66:1, and it keeps the lossless 5.1 remix (though not the stereo mix). No extras on this one apart from the trailer and trailers for the other Breillat films available from Strand.<br /><p></p>John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-2951924092374723852021-08-19T15:14:00.001-04:002021-08-19T15:16:44.887-04:00Brief Crossing (2001)<p>I wanted to come back and revisit the DVD releases of this film, which I'd given rather hasty, minimal coverage of in my original post. I've found, really digging into a proper comparison between the two available releases, that the distinction was greater than I thought.<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmecP8Jru9H6vnmQrxavnQaFEO3b75Dt5GFWcU3tz99xG8ikrOKGzAzI41W7nfIMd6LxSf8wD2AbnTKmYSW7zm7HwRlfmP4mMXl7wLbw0u58DWPo3ktKvavL2Be-G5mHPpfqQiwydqDkFq/s1600-h/briefUS.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191491098663022514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmecP8Jru9H6vnmQrxavnQaFEO3b75Dt5GFWcU3tz99xG8ikrOKGzAzI41W7nfIMd6LxSf8wD2AbnTKmYSW7zm7HwRlfmP4mMXl7wLbw0u58DWPo3ktKvavL2Be-G5mHPpfqQiwydqDkFq/s200/briefUS.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><i>Brief Crossing</i> (<i>Brève traversée</i> in its homeland), about a chance encounter between an English woman in her mid 30's (Sarah Pratt) and a 16 year-old French boy (Gilles Guillan) during an overnight ferry ride, is a more subdued film, at least by Breillat standards. It still has an extensive, 10 minute long sex scene in the second act. But by and large, it's just intently focused on the flirtations and almost Socratic dialogue between the two leads who enter and leave each other's lives in a single night.<br /><br />This film is available on two DVDs: the 2004 US edition from Wellspring (which has since been absorbed into the Weinsteins' Genius Products company) and the subsequent 2006 UK one from Second Sight Films.<br />
</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAD1r_JRiu09i67_mxp5O5O_LxVH8GcUh6Jb_i9W-rHdeYM_UCSjxJhX9lxtmOfEvusXoTfBQ8RrK2EIUtT7NDmxGFQjn3K7KQ9yZpqurpudoxPYSzaE2sg57PTsEfRFGSQbgdHU9PY3E/s1920/briefc1ab816.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAD1r_JRiu09i67_mxp5O5O_LxVH8GcUh6Jb_i9W-rHdeYM_UCSjxJhX9lxtmOfEvusXoTfBQ8RrK2EIUtT7NDmxGFQjn3K7KQ9yZpqurpudoxPYSzaE2sg57PTsEfRFGSQbgdHU9PY3E/s800/briefc1ab816.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">US DVD on top; UK DVD below.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPLiKn5hINqboQifeTI9XisHVug0S657JRf4vDZHTc0Fo7KRrrNf236SES7AX7aZANinmQ9Zolz2Q9j5wsdxVgdwbBL1YA-xZVbKUwZMemtxNg8_YDAe7yH_eoGZBDYBYoDsztz0I3Vc/s1920/briefc1b745.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPLiKn5hINqboQifeTI9XisHVug0S657JRf4vDZHTc0Fo7KRrrNf236SES7AX7aZANinmQ9Zolz2Q9j5wsdxVgdwbBL1YA-xZVbKUwZMemtxNg8_YDAe7yH_eoGZBDYBYoDsztz0I3Vc/s800/briefc1b745.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmMubPNEZMNaPCDpjfQWUubxG7nW2Ll4l2jBF8ugoxcG-R0R3QFKlBIc_OsqtyxCG-bS5PvRLo7lvUuWSYzVHM22DZbcun-1RFdHrMlRqdCkPmuXc3nF8PBy1sTTrWCPfHMnED_QDoHD7/s1600-h/briefUK.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191490999878774690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmMubPNEZMNaPCDpjfQWUubxG7nW2Ll4l2jBF8ugoxcG-R0R3QFKlBIc_OsqtyxCG-bS5PvRLo7lvUuWSYzVHM22DZbcun-1RFdHrMlRqdCkPmuXc3nF8PBy1sTTrWCPfHMnED_QDoHD7/s200/briefUK.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a></span>Both
are widescreen transfers, but only the R2 PAL DVD is anamorphic. I've left the negative space around both screenshots so you can see how it will display on your set. What's
more, the US disc is interlaced, presumably due to a poor PAL
conversion, since both discs have nearly identical run times. Oh, and
it's vertically stretched a bit, making the characters tall and skinny, while still cropping a substantial
amount of picture off around the edges. Actually, the UK disc might be stretched a bit in the other direction at the same time, making everything too wide. You start getting into a weird uncanny valley comparing the two transfers: exactly how wide are these actors' natural faces? So maybe it's a trade-off in that respect. But the US disc is also a bit softer. So while
a blu-ray would be ideal, to get this image into HD and really refine
the aspect ratio and everything to perfection, I don't see that on the horizon anytime soon. So for
now, and quite possibly always, the Second Sight disc is by far the
preferable transfer.<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlfXvxT7p7n9CIaZYp86uUUse4i1XQXlvc_mbLUO0WoDVdwyZJbt2HNF_9WGLTOUJeYafzcD3M_6FucgUk47D1kCHl9MHyBQvK8CwH4_wskDvGjH8Btick3XtMQ_DTGr3H5HD_kLVnXY/s1437/briefce.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1437" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlfXvxT7p7n9CIaZYp86uUUse4i1XQXlvc_mbLUO0WoDVdwyZJbt2HNF_9WGLTOUJeYafzcD3M_6FucgUk47D1kCHl9MHyBQvK8CwH4_wskDvGjH8Btick3XtMQ_DTGr3H5HD_kLVnXY/s320/briefce.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: black;">However, Wellspring went the extra mile and
recorded a new interview with the director for their edition. It's just
over twenty minutes and nice to have since this film is one that rarely
gets discussed. The US disc also has an exclusive 5.1 mix (both discs
have the standard Dolby stereo track and removable English subtitles), which might be a draw for audiophiles.
So you'll want to get the UK disc; but if you're a dedicated enough fan, it could be worth getting both.</span>Werner von Wallenrodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04102856408266833762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-42199610571086025872021-04-22T06:15:00.005-04:002021-04-22T06:16:24.035-04:00Breillat's First Movie In Eight Years: Inavouable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfvlnMdHOsJCbgfx-5lg308k2nYoz_RcviDvNpVqJM7ydnUhiu1PfKZp7y9lFhmchu6xmmexP2ka-d_4xALKL2HNsnh2MQqBRVOX4lckxjAVITgEyU9LUQ1JhxUvfTVUvZP8oUj09GTQ/s2048/Exo-Ko5WYAAikbC.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfvlnMdHOsJCbgfx-5lg308k2nYoz_RcviDvNpVqJM7ydnUhiu1PfKZp7y9lFhmchu6xmmexP2ka-d_4xALKL2HNsnh2MQqBRVOX4lckxjAVITgEyU9LUQ1JhxUvfTVUvZP8oUj09GTQ/s600/Exo-Ko5WYAAikbC.jpg" /></a></div>I'm excited to have something new to report on this site, something big: a whole new movie. Titled <i>Inavouable</i>, this will be Catherine Breillat's first new feature length film since <i>Abuse of Weakness</i> in 2013. Producer Saïd Ben Saïd (<i>Bacurau</i>, <i>Maps To the Stars</i>) <a href="https://twitter.com/saidbensaid66/status/1376480993218068481">first announced it by posting the title page of the screenplay on Twitter March 29</a> with the simple descriptor "[b]ientôt" (soon), and has since been posting updates since.<br /><br />The film is set to star Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Olivier Rabourdi. It's actually a remake of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8378126/reference">the recent NC-17 Danish film <i>Queen Of Hearts</i></a> about a lawyer who has an affair with her teenage stepson. The taboo sexual drama certainly feels like it's in Breillat's wheelhouse, but hopefully she's chosen this project because she feels she has something unique to express and wasn't just brought on to replicate the same film in another language because she sounded like an obvious choice. But we'll see; I have faith. It's certainly a good sign that she's both the writer and director.John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-8345486972723452802019-12-04T00:02:00.000-05:002019-12-04T00:03:50.518-05:00A New (Mini) Film By Catherine Breillat Out Now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRIQyfA-_hycSDIPsd-oq_UPZyyMsNTaQqxG8suCLadCXuSuxS0-DHLjs7PCvPmw3S44Dq4C6CzDmUAQLmyokE6yRx81KbXuwLg9FZyVd3N0gwPLzWuHuN1lBQaOw3Ii_USdUVPPm1WU/s1600/3030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="350" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRIQyfA-_hycSDIPsd-oq_UPZyyMsNTaQqxG8suCLadCXuSuxS0-DHLjs7PCvPmw3S44Dq4C6CzDmUAQLmyokE6yRx81KbXuwLg9FZyVd3N0gwPLzWuHuN1lBQaOw3Ii_USdUVPPm1WU/s200/3030.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Catherine Breillat has made a new film, and it's playing in theaters and streaming online now! ...But, before you get too carried away, I should point out that this is an extremely short film. It's part of Strand Films' (the company that's distributed her last several films here in the US) film series called <i>30/30 Vision: 3 Decades of Strand Releasing</i>. It's a series of thirty short films, each roughly a minute long, filmed on iphones by thirty of the filmmakers Strand has worked with over the past three decades. Some of the other noteworthy filmmakers include John Waters, Rose Troche, James Schamus, Cindy Sherman, Claire Denis and Gregg Araki.<br />
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So yeah, as you can imagine, a single minute filmed on their phones suggests they're aiming pretty low compared to these filmmakers' usual feature work. But that doesn't mean we don't wanna see them, right? Well, all thirty films are playing together in various screenings throughout the month of December, including at the <a href="https://www.sfmoma.org/event/30-30-vision-3-decades-of-strand-releasing/">San Franciso Museum of Modern Art</a> and <a href="https://hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events/2019/celebrating-strand-releasing-30">UCLA</a>. Sounds like a fun event to attend!<br />
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But let's say you don't live in a hip, smartly artistically served community. Or maybe, since you're here at breillat.blogspot.com and not breillatandtwentynineotherfilmmakerswhohappentohavethesamedistributor.blogspot.com, you only care about Catherine's film. You just wanna watch it quick and painlessly online. Well, you're in luck! A neat little website called <a href="https://womeninfilm.org/celebrating-30-years-of-strand-releasing/">WomenInFilm.com happens to be streaming all of the female-directed 30/30 shorts, and Breillat's is right at the top of the list</a>! There ya go. It's obviously a minor work, but for us starved Breillat fans who haven't had a new film from her in six years now, a "sad but beautiful" video postcard from our beloved director should be very welcome. She says she's out there writing, so maybe we'll get another movie soon... and this can be a DVD extra!John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-50465504030033350572019-07-26T06:26:00.004-04:002019-07-26T08:27:19.620-04:00Romance Finally In HD!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb9YnP4EDa29-V40ajlYnpd7k9CsJ4yV-pSYcST1whfwfp1Ti_nP4eSaSSIt-zk8IpvZSwsbTLhFNF0VlJSTZb8UYPJ7GfD7kjhB3jHQjZnZbQ8fBCzdslFTArYNmQvytrSGN6ki7rfI/s0/romances.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb9YnP4EDa29-V40ajlYnpd7k9CsJ4yV-pSYcST1whfwfp1Ti_nP4eSaSSIt-zk8IpvZSwsbTLhFNF0VlJSTZb8UYPJ7GfD7kjhB3jHQjZnZbQ8fBCzdslFTArYNmQvytrSGN6ki7rfI/s0/romances.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>
Okay, so they didn't quite make their April 19th release date, but that's okay. Second Sight's blu-ray of <i>Romance </i>has finally arrived! This should be especially big news for anyone who still has the US DVD, which wasn't even anamorphic. I've already <a href="https://breillat.blogspot.com/2019/03/romance-x-restored-for-blu-ray.html">covered a good deal about this release when it was announced</a>, though now that it's landed I can now confirm all of that info was correct: it is indeed uncut and the three promised interviews are on there... Even on the packaging, they still don't tell us any information about this new scan: is it 2k, 4k or what? If they'd sprung for 4k, though, I'm sure they would've told us, so I think it's safe to assume it's not. But now that we have it in-hand, we can take a close up look, and even make a <span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.dvdexotica.com/">DVDExotica</a></span>-style screenshot comparison to the old DVD, so let's do that!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttqY0wcktlSXeqi71ANjVmGcPVOyyIuT_9RuWsEdkJjqrb9UttVYT1O6-Yq8VI3IVCC2OA-jyzjPlvl9BPHTZsr9RmF37x3ErphaR74rnHwwg4xvbol1Wc1YaupWsUTosvhgI4EtBSbI/s0/romancec1a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttqY0wcktlSXeqi71ANjVmGcPVOyyIuT_9RuWsEdkJjqrb9UttVYT1O6-Yq8VI3IVCC2OA-jyzjPlvl9BPHTZsr9RmF37x3ErphaR74rnHwwg4xvbol1Wc1YaupWsUTosvhgI4EtBSbI/s800/romancec1a.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US 2000 Lions Gate DVD on top; UK 2019 Second Sight BD bottom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17sXADdOzfoTg7pEkjyjvegLs50Fe0YhfcZWysud3zqyGk9LYGL9IY631SrzckkwJ4mLeQkEVbOWmKeSMViF7SvOnC7fUAL7Evpaow_sBIAbaPCftPWJmLvYy3sdhX5clhnyYBsae4W0/s0/romancec1b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17sXADdOzfoTg7pEkjyjvegLs50Fe0YhfcZWysud3zqyGk9LYGL9IY631SrzckkwJ4mLeQkEVbOWmKeSMViF7SvOnC7fUAL7Evpaow_sBIAbaPCftPWJmLvYy3sdhX5clhnyYBsae4W0/s800/romancec1b.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXrvLp3HE2YTSMXxkmJ7v10G4j0JUE5oX6N9iY7CoPhc-FxtHOOB7dxyovoPrGeNEnL-6KJE_y5SGMSscnjUxJfrQJMHjjtctuBbipBU2vrosZUfneXIs5EcbdNXb6-5y-Enx1n8GUCg/s0/romancec2a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="1420" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXrvLp3HE2YTSMXxkmJ7v10G4j0JUE5oX6N9iY7CoPhc-FxtHOOB7dxyovoPrGeNEnL-6KJE_y5SGMSscnjUxJfrQJMHjjtctuBbipBU2vrosZUfneXIs5EcbdNXb6-5y-Enx1n8GUCg/s800/romancec2a.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWEl4k3KYlePiVS10qRNBJVR7jDN-dKX0voQys6QXw1k7N8OIY86dd3wEa8rvXHtSz0TQprTznFE_TbSSfo-Ol_iAJE4EwiYnu72sSqVYZlDCLWzwcg67FXqAvJYEELfuAI-hEd0x-Lo/s0/romancec2b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWEl4k3KYlePiVS10qRNBJVR7jDN-dKX0voQys6QXw1k7N8OIY86dd3wEa8rvXHtSz0TQprTznFE_TbSSfo-Ol_iAJE4EwiYnu72sSqVYZlDCLWzwcg67FXqAvJYEELfuAI-hEd0x-Lo/s800/romancec2b.png" width="400" /></a></div>
So I left the negative space around the first set of shots so you can get a clearer idea of the framing, and just how annoying non-anamorphic DVDs are in the age of modern, widescreen monitors. It just floats there in a sea of negative space. Anyway, the aspect ratio is almost the same, with the blu-ray slightly correcting the DVD's 1.61:1 to a properly pillar-boxed 1.66:1. This essentially means the blu-ray has a little extra information along the left-hand side, and a sliver along the top. The DVD's also slightly vertically squished. Colors and levels are pretty much the same, although the BD is a bit on the light, or even pale, side. Detail and resolution, however, are a massive leap forward in PQ. You can see the film grain, making it look like a proper movie, unlike the DVD, which smears and compresses everything fine away. The picture is decidedly sharper now, with no unwanted tinkering (i.e. edge enhancement, artificial sharpening or digital noise reduction), presented in 1080p with a high bitrate on a dual-layered disc.<br />
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The BD does pare away some language options, but it keeps the only important stuff, so I'm fine with it. The DVD had both the original French audio and a slightly cringey English dub, both in Dolby stereo, as well as English, French and Spanish subtitles. Second Sight ditches the dub, giving us just the French audio with optional English subtitles. And Second Sight does add something to the audio mix, giving us the choice of the original stereo mix or a 5.1 remix, both in lossless DTS-HD.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgik69aMQwdL7wnkQxRBuDGu5Uuy6KCCLC8_HPvhyEsYj0HYNo5BXyFNb3cmcZZwSwjfZIXi39ArUvzHScRXkvEaAnK4QZMjZor-G0O9-LY72E4krlUkmCW7Q7VNJFaMvYChe-_4EnoHn4/s0/romancee.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgik69aMQwdL7wnkQxRBuDGu5Uuy6KCCLC8_HPvhyEsYj0HYNo5BXyFNb3cmcZZwSwjfZIXi39ArUvzHScRXkvEaAnK4QZMjZor-G0O9-LY72E4krlUkmCW7Q7VNJFaMvYChe-_4EnoHn4/s800/romancee.png" width="400" /></a></div>
And, of course, they've finally made it a bit of a special edition. Each of the interviews is roughly 20 minutes, and are a must-watch for any fan of the film. A minor disappointment is a lack of the trailer, which even the old Trimark DVD had (remember "www...<span style="color: #cc0000;">taste</span>... <span style="color: #cc0000;">romance</span>... com?"). So okay, that and it's a shame to lose the English dub, even if it's just to amuse yourself by snickering at. But it all adds up to a teensy tiny step backwards and a massive leap forwards. Great news for us Breillat fans, so let's hope they tackle another one of her films soon!John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-49575846924212037902019-03-12T00:42:00.000-04:002019-03-12T00:42:01.505-04:00Romance (X) Restored for Blu-ray!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIoiwGytPi9UgxQHmdpz_pxysRQziDkTvGmiuRQFwvr9FyJRq5uuPJWBrFxgyhPJ2p76HunooJSuqMrg1lgCiS3g6Nqm32aaj7DuqSmUlN1XYQALSwnIkJZHri0SAQFVaZGmDjPN0vpM/s1600/romanceblu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1083" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIoiwGytPi9UgxQHmdpz_pxysRQziDkTvGmiuRQFwvr9FyJRq5uuPJWBrFxgyhPJ2p76HunooJSuqMrg1lgCiS3g6Nqm32aaj7DuqSmUlN1XYQALSwnIkJZHri0SAQFVaZGmDjPN0vpM/s200/romanceblu.jpg" width="144" /></a></div>
It's been a while since we've had any good news on the Breillat home video front, but here's some now! 1999's <i>Romance</i>, or <i>Romance X</i> as it's known in many markets, is getting restored in HD for an all new, special edition blu-ray! Due to hit stores just next month, April 19, it's being put out by Second Sight in the UK, and its <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Romance-Blu-ray-Caroline-Ducey/dp/B07KH1FH3T/">Amazon listing</a> boasts a "[b]rand new scan and restoration." Up 'till now, all existing DVD editions have been pretty barebones. The French DVD had an interview with Breillat, but it wasn't English friendly, so it wasn't much more help. Second Sight, however, promises all new interviews with Catherine Breillat, star Caroline Ducey and producer Jean-Francoise Lepetit, finally giving this film the level of special edition it deserves!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfxIeeQ00yI46c6iUT7brgsGmwBejqPs8CnAm96POpLIq2pfq3JVIfgE3N8tVsv4ckjGpUvO8e4sgu0bE67E4zN951Yt6JTxDKxDDCuJ3FG1ivtdWDtLtGAaJqSHeKQEVz_NhyUt-wLw/s1600/romancedvd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1082" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfxIeeQ00yI46c6iUT7brgsGmwBejqPs8CnAm96POpLIq2pfq3JVIfgE3N8tVsv4ckjGpUvO8e4sgu0bE67E4zN951Yt6JTxDKxDDCuJ3FG1ivtdWDtLtGAaJqSHeKQEVz_NhyUt-wLw/s200/romancedvd.jpg" width="143" /></a></div>
Now, <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2008/04/romance-1999.html">you may remember</a> that the original UK DVD had a brief bit of its extremely graphic sexuality cut. That DVD was put out by a company called Bluelight. But in 2014, Second Sight reissued <i>Romance </i>on DVD (bumping their non-anamorphic transfer up to anamorphic in the process), and they got that cut waived by the BBFC. So it's highly unlikely that this new 2019 edition should have any concerns on that front.<br />
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So this is exciting! Hopefully this is just the beginning, as a lot of Breillat's work is in desperate need of rescue from their very dated DVD transfers, to say nothing of those films still M.I.A.... But for right now, we can be pretty happy with this.John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-24061022635021117072018-10-02T03:54:00.004-04:002018-10-02T03:56:00.145-04:00Police on Blu-ray!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5M1Nnk-9N_z69fuOdG7JTfVAOrOltLFpmIkoMxuM6Lib-mfbociKhegoNZst6t54d5W7UKhm_BscmPvPBgR0usA_G8_WNF_UVGfezQx5Nde46Z-ZQFwdvaVn4KRNs_MMoujA4gwGQk24/s1600/police.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="978" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5M1Nnk-9N_z69fuOdG7JTfVAOrOltLFpmIkoMxuM6Lib-mfbociKhegoNZst6t54d5W7UKhm_BscmPvPBgR0usA_G8_WNF_UVGfezQx5Nde46Z-ZQFwdvaVn4KRNs_MMoujA4gwGQk24/s200/police.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>
Whoops! This one slipped under my radar. I've done <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/search/label/Police">a couple posts</a> on <i>Police </i>already, a 1985 film starring Gérard Depardieu that Breillat wrote but didn't direct. Originally, there was a great French DVD, but it wasn't English friendly. Then, in 2008, Artificial Eye put out an excellent, English friendly special edition DVD in the UK. But what I missed was in 2017, Olive released it on blu-ray here in the US, and in Canada. And not only that, it's been getting alternate blu-ray editions around the world, some of which are arguably even better.<br />
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Olive's blu is a pretty impressive looking 1.66:1 transfer, an upgraded DTS-HD soundtrack, but unfortunately it's barebones. And here's where it gets frustrating. Gaumont had already released it on blu in France back in 2013. That one features the same transfer as Olive's blu, but not only does it import all of the special features from the previously French and UK DVDs, it also features new on-camera interviews with Pascale Rocard and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli. Sounds like the way to go, right? Sure, if you speak French, but otherwise, not so much. The film itself features English subtitles, but none of the special features do.<br />
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So, for us English speakers, the ideal experience would be to get both the Olive blu-ray and Artificial Eye DVD, which would give you the best edition of the film and most of the special features. There's a Japanese blu, but it's essentially the same as the Olive, English subs on the feature, but no special features. It sure would be nice if they would issue an English-friendly blu with everything, but here at breillat.blogspot.com, I think we're used to these kind of disappointing compromises. But hey, at least we got the film in HD now, that's a step forward.John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-36132167440463760552015-03-14T03:44:00.001-04:002015-03-14T03:44:34.246-04:00Bilitis English language Blu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2r2LAq8oSTNEFYGU2ZPu6vqTQl8JBe_EhQvvQDwyRs0tntgrCHtnIBIW-8vjig02aiRWFc5AJTxCmx2YtET09mXyl2G7eLUgNLvEhbMFdk4OIN1ULSCyQqA0xpvsOivfG6_eVLCvi-w/s1600/bilitises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2r2LAq8oSTNEFYGU2ZPu6vqTQl8JBe_EhQvvQDwyRs0tntgrCHtnIBIW-8vjig02aiRWFc5AJTxCmx2YtET09mXyl2G7eLUgNLvEhbMFdk4OIN1ULSCyQqA0xpvsOivfG6_eVLCvi-w/s1600/bilitises.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
It was pretty disappointing when <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2014/07/an-elusive-bilitis.html">that German <i>Bilitis </i>blu-ray</a> turned out to have no English language options. Well now there's another blu, this time from Spain, and it does have the English audio, as well as the French, German and Spanish tracks. Unfortunately, it has several subtitle options, but not including English, so you can't select the French audio with English subs. But still, this blu-ray has the English audio, which puts it leaps and bounds ahead of the German disc.<br />
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It's from a company called Llamentol - here's their <a href="http://llamentol.es/catalogo/bernard-giraudeau/bilitis-1-blu-ray">official webpage</a>. They've also released a DVD edition for fans who haven't gone blu. Unfortunately, Llamentol is known to release their discs on BD-Rs, which isn't ideal. But clearly the fates will not allow us an uncompromised <i>Bilitis </i>release; so if you're bound to the English language, this seems to be the new best bet.John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-25379316749864958342015-01-06T12:07:00.002-05:002021-08-19T19:19:02.021-04:00Scratch One Off the M.I.A. List!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZUBIeZ1v7jmb0VtXc0m8Gvv6lTl5SnWk4K_9A6_4LGUg6Q-TCD72Dep0cA1D-DnLiCLLFXE7y5lFw1yOtICNrhpK_5aUS2zXg5uurV2iMDQIzx_Co8dRtJwddmea0jLTj0gY2FR7NfY/s1600/theskin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZUBIeZ1v7jmb0VtXc0m8Gvv6lTl5SnWk4K_9A6_4LGUg6Q-TCD72Dep0cA1D-DnLiCLLFXE7y5lFw1yOtICNrhpK_5aUS2zXg5uurV2iMDQIzx_Co8dRtJwddmea0jLTj0gY2FR7NfY/s1600/theskin.jpg" height="320" width="268" /></a></div>
Woo-hoo! I just got to remove a title off our <em>DVDs Still M.I.A.</em> column on the right, there! <em>La Pelle</em>, Or simply <em>The Skin</em> as it's been directly translated to in the US, is coming to blu-ray this month. Giving us one more Catherine Breillat film finally available in English... and on a fancy shcmancy special edition blu-ray to boot!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXU0PyjJr8-45Zn4Qg93p5yMi-OvW7Bi9vCMj5fCimGZttARDsfamd7Osdpsh_PdIdm2qsNm65P-9w-2JzkBXGtiMQJ2mbclnuWQ8RSphZCCkoGaQABc3F7LisZ3xSE4LNrV7quLq6iA/s1600/lapeau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXU0PyjJr8-45Zn4Qg93p5yMi-OvW7Bi9vCMj5fCimGZttARDsfamd7Osdpsh_PdIdm2qsNm65P-9w-2JzkBXGtiMQJ2mbclnuWQ8RSphZCCkoGaQABc3F7LisZ3xSE4LNrV7quLq6iA/s1600/lapeau.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a></div>
I wrote about this film <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2008/04/some-scripts-shes-written.html">before</a>, as part of a series of posts covering scripts Breillat had written or co-written. In this case, she co-wrote it with two other screenwriters, based on the memoirs of Curzio Malaparte. The film stars Marcello Mastroianni and Burt Lancaster, and has a had a couple untranslated DVDs in other countries. Then, in 2011, it was released on blu-ray in France... frustratingly, with no English language options!<br />
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Well, that's finally been corrected in the US by Cohen Media Group. Not only have they ported over the HD transfer onto blu-ray, but they've added a whole heap of English-friendly special features, including an audio commentary and four new featurettes. This will be out In just a week's time, January 13, and has received <a href="http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_64/the_skin_blu-ray.htm">a very encouraging review from DVDBeaver</a> - those screenshots look great. Wow. I didn't see this one coming.John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-83344714570933554862014-11-02T01:58:00.001-05:002014-11-02T01:58:51.736-05:00Abuse Of Weakness on DVD!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEl2CID5ngnwqnAnnPFg8VK2SQQC5NY-gRC29y9joFe_h31Qd-Mo6dIh3RriXZUxHJ32ya3JyndplZ2lCfs-SOb7eBwyVknwXu7GLMHRqthY41xQOrIWBerZW7hVB3duM1a6Av4FVRQY/s1600/abusepigeon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEl2CID5ngnwqnAnnPFg8VK2SQQC5NY-gRC29y9joFe_h31Qd-Mo6dIh3RriXZUxHJ32ya3JyndplZ2lCfs-SOb7eBwyVknwXu7GLMHRqthY41xQOrIWBerZW7hVB3duM1a6Av4FVRQY/s1600/abusepigeon.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
Okay, I've done a couple posts leading up to it, but now I finally have the official Strand DVD release of Breillat's latest film, <i>Abuse of Weakness</i>, in hand. The transfer naturally looks great, since you'd almost have to go out of your way to screw up a brand new release. I've provided a screen cap, above (right click and "view image" to see it full size), for you to judge anyway. The <i>IMDB </i>lists this as 2.35:1, while this is visibly about 1.85:1; but I think that's just the <i>IMDB </i>being inaccurate. I could certainly see shots like the one above especially benefiting from an HD blu-ray presentation, but for a DVD release, you really can't hope for any better than this.<br />
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The extras are <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2014/10/abuse-of-weakness-special-features.html">as detailed in my last post</a>, but now that I've actually had the chance to watch them all, I can get a little more specific. The short film is indeed her <i>Venice Reloaded</i> short, which looks great here, and you've got the trailer for this film as well as <i>Sleeping Beauty</i>, <i>Bluebeard </i>and four other Strand releases.<br />
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Finally, the most compelling extra, the new interview with Breillat. This was apparently recorded at the Melbourne International Film festival and is a good 18 minutes long. It's a very good interview, covering the essential point of how this film mirrors her own real life incident, as well as how this film fits in with the rest of her body of work, working with Isabelle Huppert and Kool Shen, differences between her book and the film, and it even addresses her unmade film <i>Bad Love</i>, <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2008/11/bad-love.html">which I posted about back in 2008</a>. She <i>is </i>a bit hard to understand here, to the point where I was wishing for subtitle options despite the fact that she's speaking English; but if you're patient and willing to concentrate enough to make it out, it's absolutely worthwhile.<br />
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And the film itself is quite compelling... even compared to her other films, I'd say it's not her best, but pleasingly near the top. A large portion of this has to be credited to a command performance by Isabelle Huppert. She and Breillat feel like ideal collaborators, and I'd love to see her continue to become the Mastroianni to Catherine's Fellini, or the Keener to Catherine's Holofcener. And if you had any misgivings about the male lead being given to a rapper, I have to say Kool Shen was actually quite convincing and natural as Huppert's foil.<br />
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So, I'm pleased to report this is a pretty ideal DVD release. And that's good, because there's still no signs of one in France, the UK or other markets, so they'll have to import our US disc, too. The release date is Nov. 11 - strongly recommended.John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-23146905539918754972014-10-09T10:24:00.002-04:002016-06-25T22:55:13.432-04:00Abuse of Weakness Special Features<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRdcWsccDFLOKG0RduPopwBFUy_NPMGnLXXiaYzXLk6MUgHSrLSA4HYNVMTRzfv3dlgHySV0z250IvxrsIcXIaToFn1_oJ7r59CkIlqkzCHr25ubilXgKQLNywYrPeSP60fp8T4s_dE0/s1600/abuse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRdcWsccDFLOKG0RduPopwBFUy_NPMGnLXXiaYzXLk6MUgHSrLSA4HYNVMTRzfv3dlgHySV0z250IvxrsIcXIaToFn1_oJ7r59CkIlqkzCHr25ubilXgKQLNywYrPeSP60fp8T4s_dE0/s1600/abuse.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Checking up on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00MFZ62BY/dvdaficionado">Amazon's listing</a> for the upcoming <i>Abuse of Weakness</i> DVD from Strand this morning and I see there's an update - special features have been announced! First and foremost is an interview with Catherine Breillat. This seems like the kind of film that could benefit the most from a little back story, as it's based on some shocking real life events; so that's great to see. Next up is "<i>The Future of Cinema...</i> (A Short Film by Catherine Breillat)." I presume this was <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2013/10/venice-70-future-reloaded.html">her short film for <i>Venice 70 Future Reloaded</i></a>, which will be nice to have properly in our collections. Then there's the theatrical trailer, and trailers for other Breillat films (presumably the other ones Strand sells on DVD) and Strand releases.<br />
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So there ya go. Not a huge, super-mega-special edition, but definitely something more than just another bare-bones release. Of course, it remains to be seen how substantial the interview is, but I'm optimistic the features will be a solid enhancement. Can't wait for November 11!John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-16696378152770232632014-08-11T03:00:00.004-04:002014-08-11T03:00:47.449-04:00Abuse of Weakness Is Finally Landing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNQANsGVF8RM1frZWp6z-LuTipgPlECqemrACGtXFE8iOSZ9Ez9fu9MGmYxUK-EBqDZwRjgbdxa43GoZuMlhyphenhyphenXIKciMK7KbMpu6qOYuGB1buIUqxHyBgTuE3R-oF1mZEjwiZR294Q7Jk/s1600/abuse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNQANsGVF8RM1frZWp6z-LuTipgPlECqemrACGtXFE8iOSZ9Ez9fu9MGmYxUK-EBqDZwRjgbdxa43GoZuMlhyphenhyphenXIKciMK7KbMpu6qOYuGB1buIUqxHyBgTuE3R-oF1mZEjwiZR294Q7Jk/s1600/abuse.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
It seems like <i>Abuse of Weakness</i> (<i>Abus de faiblesse</i>)'s time in film festival purgatory is finally ending, at least here in the USA. It was taking so long I started to doze off, but thanks to Frank in the comments section for waking me up to this. Strand Releasing, the company that distributed Breillat's last two films here in the States, has picked up her latest. Their official page for the film is <a href="http://www.strandreleasing.com/films/film_details.asp?BusinessUnitID={BFD06A96-7612-4F21-AEC0-3452C34902C4}&ProjectID={43108112-022A-E311-A94E-D4AE527C3B65}">here</a>. They'll be giving it their usual, limited art-house theatrical run this coming Friday (Aug 15), and then releasing it on DVD with a release date - at least according to <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/abuse_of_weakness/">this site</a>; I can't find more official confirmation, but it sounds right - of November 10th. The official trailer is up <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVeWmLvO3sA">here</a>.<br />
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Keep your fingers crossed for a blu-ray edition, too. Strand does occasionally release them, but out of their nearly three hundred DVD titles, only six of them have gotten blu-ray counterparts, so the odds aren't in our favor. But hopefully this strikes them as one of their more high-profile releases.John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-17710098584050064392014-07-15T02:41:00.000-04:002014-07-15T03:24:33.211-04:00An Elusive Bilitis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hwVEzVlWsqEgSHhDbahiM0L3B0r6Q072NLa1w-I4ILhlD6hu6BeboUD9zYPZnustri5kG1DC-1vF7jt6xHrPsRRnA5Fcm0S0WZ6zVFheZ8y5E6pRISaVof-h1VbhOqZVnq69PNr4veI/s1600/bilitis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hwVEzVlWsqEgSHhDbahiM0L3B0r6Q072NLa1w-I4ILhlD6hu6BeboUD9zYPZnustri5kG1DC-1vF7jt6xHrPsRRnA5Fcm0S0WZ6zVFheZ8y5E6pRISaVof-h1VbhOqZVnq69PNr4veI/s1600/bilitis.jpg" height="200" width="158" /></a></div>
Well, the good news is <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-blu-bilitis.html">the upcoming German <i>Bilitis </i>blu-ray from Alive</a>, due out in October, is definitely a full restoration of the film. Just look at these screenshots and compare them to <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-better-bilitis.html">the screenshots I've posted of the past DVD editions</a>.<br />
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Wow. And we now know they're not just including the German dub, but also the original French audio. The 'Making Of' featurette seems to have been nixed, but in the presence of a beautiful restoration job of a film that so badly needed it, who cares?<br />
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The bad news, unfortunately, is that there are no English language options, leaving us out in the cold just like that <i>La Pelle</i> blu. This is hard news because I contacted Alive directly, and they responded, <i>"Thank you for your interest in BILITIS. unfortunately we can not publish the
English sound or English subtitles on our DVD or Blu-ray."</i><br />
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The silver lining is that now that the restoration has been done, there's a good chance DVD companies in other regions will license it and distribute it with English language options. The fact that Alive said they <i>couldn't </i>include the English option suggests there may already be a deal in place with another company (possibly Pathfinder?) that split the costs of the restoration for exclusive distribution rights. Fingers crossed anyway.John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-80305093986963789382014-06-15T22:28:00.000-04:002014-06-15T22:28:13.560-04:00A Blu Bilitis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxXSRqgBSAu-A5riC2aAgVhKBoKAAKg0nak16CmYXarOyleERC_TrdveyCFYRNq5MDrDqPyRNBiym2QVjHVv_0F6RJIC7Fn3ZM9fgdJhxYYFGBx4cIyl9F1NR0RW0SZ7xUEUUGz99l7c/s1600/Blu_ray_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxXSRqgBSAu-A5riC2aAgVhKBoKAAKg0nak16CmYXarOyleERC_TrdveyCFYRNq5MDrDqPyRNBiym2QVjHVv_0F6RJIC7Fn3ZM9fgdJhxYYFGBx4cIyl9F1NR0RW0SZ7xUEUUGz99l7c/s1600/Blu_ray_logo.png" height="107" width="200" /></a></div>
Fingers crossed, folks; <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-better-bilitis.html">the search for a definitive </a><i><a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-better-bilitis.html">Bilitis</a> </i>may finally be over. On the second of October, German DVD company Alive are scheduled to release <i>Bilitis </i>on blu-ray. It would take a lot of nerve to issue the lousy sourced-from-VHS transfers we've been living with up 'till now onto blu-ray, and Alive is a pretty credible company, so it feels safe to assume this is going to be a proper restoration taken from a 35mm print, if not an original camera negative... though of course there's no knowing that for sure at this stage.<br />
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There's no artwork yet (hey, October is a long way away still), but their <a href="http://www.alive-ag.de/index.php?page=artikel&ArtikelNr=8032337">official website</a> promises us 1080p and, intriguingly, a "Making Of" feature. All of this is very promising news, but I can't help but notice that the only language option they list is "Deutsch DTS-HD 2.0" audio. Now, it's certainly possible that, since the release is still so far off, additional specs are pending for this release. But while fans may be divided on whether the French or English is the preferable audio track, I think we can all agree just having the German dub would be really disappointing. Furthermore, since there's no mention of any subtitles, we non-German speakers may be well left out in the cold completely with this release.<br />
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Still, there's a lot to hope for here. It would seem easy enough for this company to throw on the other audio and subtitle tracks, even if they don't bother to remaster them into nice, lossless tracks, to bring in our international collector dollars. And, even if they don't... once a high quality master has been struck, there's a good chance another company in a different region will license it to release the film on blu to their market. Hopefully an English-speaking one.<br />
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So there's nothing for it but to wait and see at the moment. In the meantime, pre-orders are already up at <a href="http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00KGLRJ9S/?tag=-p-21"><i>Amazon.de</i></a>.John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-86785165609689397952014-06-11T00:40:00.000-04:002014-06-11T00:42:26.588-04:00Australia's Difficulty With Romance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSLKhMpFX3nK4MWa7O7qU7Y-n1DuqT_mD_Xr7UMoelT3jtWyUO6lf7JB4W6A14IudIX7rAZe6xudpt5LDvmqhEQbLEF8kyec0V3qXm2p96we-QheGzvumi63NOcfbN1hxNwk3BadA6yg/s1600/ausromancec.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSLKhMpFX3nK4MWa7O7qU7Y-n1DuqT_mD_Xr7UMoelT3jtWyUO6lf7JB4W6A14IudIX7rAZe6xudpt5LDvmqhEQbLEF8kyec0V3qXm2p96we-QheGzvumi63NOcfbN1hxNwk3BadA6yg/s1600/ausromancec.png" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
Breillat's <i>Romance </i>had a bit of a sticky time getting released in Australia ...although they still got it on DVD a good year before we did in the US. But for its intended theatrical run in January 2000, it was banned by the Office of Film and Literature Classification. This ban was appealed and eventually overturned after almost a full year, in December. But the legacy of that banning has been preserved on DVD.<br />
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Pictured in the upper left is the Australian DVD, released in 2001 by Madman. For those interested, it's a fine DVD release of the film... uncut, in its original 1.66:1 ratio, and includes the original theatrical trailer, as well as bonus trailers for Breillat's <i>Fat Girl</i>, as well as <i>Betty Blue</i>, <i>Paris, Texas</i> and <i>Show Me Love</i>. It features the original French audio with forced English subtitles. It's all region, but US fans should note that, like most Australian DVDs, it's PAL.<br />
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But it has one more bonus feature unique to this particular disc: <i>The Australian Censorship Controversy</i>. This is a text-only feature, but it's 27 pages long and details the decision of the censors, their subsequent correspondence and contains their full report. As a text-only feature, it may not make the disc worth going to the trouble of importing; but does make for a fun little bonus for the film's Australian fans, who probably still remember the initial banning incident fairly well.John W McKelveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07224424721208024907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-13005185359575642972013-10-31T23:50:00.001-04:002013-10-31T23:50:34.056-04:00Venice 70: Future ReloadedThis year the Venice International Film Festival commissioned 70
filmmakers who've had success at the fest to create original short
films, between one and three minutes long. There are some compelling
names on that list, including <a href="http://www.toddsolondz.com/">Todd Solondz</a>, Bernardo Bertolucci, Atom Egoyan, Isabel Coixet, Claire Denis and yes, Catherine Breillat. The festival <a href="http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/">describes</a> the series of films, collectively titled <i>Future Reloaded</i>, as, <i>"both
a collective tribute to the Festival (the world’s first film festival
to celebrate its 70th edition) and a reflection on the future of
cinema." </i>The films have already been completed and at least most of them seem to be available onlime.<br />
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The credits for Breillat's entry (which doesn't seem to have its own, individual title) aren't too helpful, only saying, roughly translated: "Catherine Breillat, her actors and crew," which I take to mean she's working with her usual people. At any rate, that's definitely Breillat herself in the primary speaking role, talking about film's dependance on money in this semi-documentary, semi-fictional film. It's just barely over ninety seconds long, so rather than explaining it further, I'll let it speak for itself:<br />
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Interestingly, the IMDB <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3064438/combined">has an entry</a> for a two hour documentary called <i>Venice 70: Future Reloaded</i>, which lists all 70 of the filmmakers as co-directors. I don't know if this is an upcoming documentary <i>about </i>the
short films, or very possibly just a lazy way to list all 70 short
films as one easy entry to the database. I'm hoping it means that the
festival intends to package all 70 films as a single DVD, so I'll be able to remove it from the "DVDs Still M.I.A." list as quickly as I added it; but we'll see. At any rate, we've got an unexpected new short film by Breillat on our hands - enjoy!Werner von Wallenrodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04102856408266833762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-71709496821423532692013-06-30T17:35:00.001-04:002013-06-30T17:35:12.497-04:00Abus de faiblesse<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSEnvAuPuDIxbMALWv5VbAlSPiC0skx0Vs1B4wQ5jdIvIdE8MJFSuUBOfkIQhH1hqdAs9O4RVpsFUUBt1SBT3QxDNz8aDColb6HBvV89sWfe4w_9yLe2nUGAgq4bw4EH_hGtpZ2FgzU2n/s500/abus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSEnvAuPuDIxbMALWv5VbAlSPiC0skx0Vs1B4wQ5jdIvIdE8MJFSuUBOfkIQhH1hqdAs9O4RVpsFUUBt1SBT3QxDNz8aDColb6HBvV89sWfe4w_9yLe2nUGAgq4bw4EH_hGtpZ2FgzU2n/s200/abus.jpg" width="125" /></a>No, there's no DVD news yet, but Catherine Breillat's latest film, <i>Abus de faiblesse</i> (<i>Abuse of Weakness</i>) has been completed, and will be debuting theatrically in France later this summer. It's an adaptation of her own book (pictured) and stars the great Isabella Hupert and... Kool Shen? Apparently, he's a French rapper. Well, Breillat has shown proven her abilities to get compelling performances out of non-actors, porn stars, etc before, so I'm sure she knows what she's doing. The book is an autobiographical account of Breillat's relationship with a con man who apparently swindled her out of her life's savings after her stroke. Sounds quite compelling to me. Hopefully we'll see start to see limited international theatrical runs soon, which will herald the release of an English-language DVD.Werner von Wallenrodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04102856408266833762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-50024189178207559352012-11-17T03:17:00.001-05:002014-06-15T22:01:04.085-04:00A...Better Bilitis?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlHriuJBBUAYwft4MkUwPfE5NCXhI7dwuC-HS178y0hYkBl4lde5OIQrKSuXAL788o2eXNc6aFf9p_n8t162io6zbPGXrzWbKtEvjnOPR3pqG2X_-8vaeSNnwfmRwgSeYVWld5cpL2gRX/s1600/bilitisausscreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlHriuJBBUAYwft4MkUwPfE5NCXhI7dwuC-HS178y0hYkBl4lde5OIQrKSuXAL788o2eXNc6aFf9p_n8t162io6zbPGXrzWbKtEvjnOPR3pqG2X_-8vaeSNnwfmRwgSeYVWld5cpL2gRX/s400/bilitisausscreen.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
I've talked about different discs of <i>Bilitis </i>on this blog before, <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2008/04/bilitis-1977.html">here</a> and <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-better-bilitis.html">here</a>. But it's time to do it again.<br />
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It has been alleged by a helpful poster in the comments to my last <i>Bilitis </i>post that the Australian disc might still be better than the new Pathfinder disc (and all the others). So I've now got a copy of the Australian disc (from Amsell Entertainment) in hand. And I have to say, he might just be right.<br />
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So, above is a screenshot from the Australian disc of the same screen I took a shot of from the Pathfinder disc. <span style="color: #073763;">[Note: after clicking these images to enlarge them, you can right click these
images and click "View Image" to see them even larger than blogger's
image viewer allows, and see these shots full-size]</span> Of course, the first thing you'll notice is that the image quality stinks, just like it does on all the others. The fact is, it's just a shame Pathfinder were unable to find 35mm masters to do a proper restoration. Casual fans will probably find this comparison academic - they all look poor, so you might as well just buy whichever <i>Bilitis </i>is the cheapest and easiest to obtain depending on where you live But...<br />
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While the image is much more faded than the Pathfinder disc (who probably just upped the saturation), there appears to be more detail on-hand here. Granted, it can get a little hard to discern the grain/video noise (which there is plenty of on the Amstell disc) from actual detail. But let's look at a part of the shot closer up:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIc581omXEUQH4SYzijEDmnPgjWEBKnIGU3L70p6okb-6QalVClYa6fqqG5aACkzCt55Rq6ofBaIF4IwKaepYmMiZsgQaUZ673EwLunBVLyOENamsNT61Nv95NyFsfIWr9uhqzFZnO9We/s1600/bilitissplitscreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIc581omXEUQH4SYzijEDmnPgjWEBKnIGU3L70p6okb-6QalVClYa6fqqG5aACkzCt55Rq6ofBaIF4IwKaepYmMiZsgQaUZ673EwLunBVLyOENamsNT61Nv95NyFsfIWr9uhqzFZnO9We/s1600/bilitissplitscreen.jpg" /></a></div>
First of all, yuck to both. lol But okay, I definitely can make out vague, blurry facial features on the left (Amstell) that I don't see on the right (Pathfinder). I'm not sure we're talking about a superior image source... I suspect the difference might be that Pathfinder decided to DNR all the grain, thus scrubbing some detail and making everything a bit softer. I suppose there is still open debate about whether a smoothed out, less grainy image is preferable to a noisy image, where solid black backgrounds look like an army of crawling insects - at the cost of detail from the original images - but I think most purists would say (and I'd agree), that the DNR is too destructive.<br />
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I think we need another comparison to get a firmer idea of what's going on here. Pathfinder above, Amstell below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWvchMfnFSDR_D0nM6OCxS9KfNoGd9Ek728s9LDHZTKQOGXa6OG_0wuGdj91Nfs_hopL9aQXJgZsWD3Xbbxa6jziHORShC-uTiMqbQ8VVhv_e6Ftuv8UKxP78cZWTjZmNpkNd7hvv-omZ/s1600/bilitisspyingaus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWvchMfnFSDR_D0nM6OCxS9KfNoGd9Ek728s9LDHZTKQOGXa6OG_0wuGdj91Nfs_hopL9aQXJgZsWD3Xbbxa6jziHORShC-uTiMqbQ8VVhv_e6Ftuv8UKxP78cZWTjZmNpkNd7hvv-omZ/s400/bilitisspyingaus.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
The Pathfinder does have that waxier, smoothed-out look alright. Because the source is so poor, though, I'm not sure if we're actually losing any non-grain detail here. On a high end Blu-Ray transfer taken from a negative or film source, this kind of DNR would be untenable, but here? They may've made the right choice - or not. At this point, I think it boils down to preference. Both discs seem to be using the same source, but Pathfinder played with it some more, and whether they helped it or hurt it - I'll leave that up to you. What's less subjective is that the colors are better on the Path disc, but there's slightly more vertical information on the Amstell (look at the elbow on the left).<br />
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You might ask, why not have a look at the opening shot you used to compare Pathfinder to all those other versions in your last post? Oh I was intending to, but the Amstell disc is<i> missing the opening shot</i>! Amstell throws us in on the close-up, after the shot that pans out from a medium to a wide, showing Bilitis's bedroom, shoes etc. I have to say, I was not expecting that when I popped this disc in.<br />
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How do the discs compare outside of the image comparison? Well, here Pathfinder wins hands down. The Amstell disc has nothing but a simple Play button on the menu. Not only do you not get the extras (the soundtrack album, gallery and Breillat interview), you also don't get the subtitles or the alternate audio. While the English dub seems to use the original actress's voice (well, I'm not sure but our commenter seems confident that it's her), it's still obviously a pretty chintzy dub. The French audio track definitely sounds like the most naturalistic audio of the three, and the optional subs are a definite plus in cases like this. <br />
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You can really make a case for either disc (or perhaps more accurately, a case against either disc!)... Both have advantages over the other. Pathfinder has the French audio, subtitles, extras, and better colors (I'm not listing "less grain" as a plus, all things considered). Amstell has slightly better detail in at least some (I'd say most) shots, and isn't as over-cropped on the bottom edge. Of course, Amstell is also missing the opening shot, which isn't cool. Personally, considering the poverty of the image on all discs, I'll probably just hang onto my Pathfinder. But look at the shots and go for whatever makes you happiest. Hopefully someday a nice 35mm print will surface and we'll all be able to double-dip for a stunning Blu-Ray, anyway.Werner von Wallenrodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04102856408266833762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-20300553420550972822012-10-05T22:06:00.002-04:002012-10-05T22:06:44.219-04:00The Social Corset Doc<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0aQB78wqXAn3cHUdXgSsVaJ1RiCmJjoYiWA44XyIawuZAmPSOqOp9BM0tb6D24Md668MQoom_TrhYsn5sHLmQgcvBbIdnniA5cz3k3A6kOys6cVj-ZiWlIHGwyQpqJrpDzPgzQUtRzGa/s1600/socialcorset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0aQB78wqXAn3cHUdXgSsVaJ1RiCmJjoYiWA44XyIawuZAmPSOqOp9BM0tb6D24Md668MQoom_TrhYsn5sHLmQgcvBbIdnniA5cz3k3A6kOys6cVj-ZiWlIHGwyQpqJrpDzPgzQUtRzGa/s200/socialcorset.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
There's a new, French documentary in town called <i>Images de femmes ou Le corset social</i> (or <i>Images of Women or the Social Corset</i>), which is now available on DVD in France. As you've probably gathered without my specifically stating, Catherine Breillat participates in it. And happily for us, the French DVD has English subtitles. So import away!<br />
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Here's the official description taken from the film's press kit: "A man wonders about the image of women offered to his gaze... A questioning
about the criteria of beauty promulgated - imposed? - by the fashion world and
its models. And little by little the film leads us to think about appearances by
reflecting upon the mirages that fill the social universe, lingering on the
representations that invade our unconscious desires. Fashion designers,
philosophers, feminine magazine editors, advertisers, psychoanalysts, and poets
unravel, for us, the laces of a "social corset" that imprisons women, and from
which it has become difficult to escape."<br />
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The disc appears to be R0 (region free), which is great, but note that it is PAL. I haven't picked this one up myself, since it's focused on the fashion industry and issues of female beauty rather than Breillat and her work; but it has some extras, including additional interviews and a short film; so it could make a nice little pick-up for the Breillat fan who has everything.Werner von Wallenrodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04102856408266833762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-56562146851488394802012-09-02T05:36:00.000-04:002013-06-30T18:18:25.444-04:00A Better Bilitis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pathfinder's <i>Bilitis </i>DVD is here! So, what do you want first? The good news or the bad news? Okay, let's start out with the bad news. You may remember from <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2011/06/dirty-like-angel-coming-to-us-dvd.html">earlier reports on this very blog</a> that Pathfinder was looking for a 35mm print of this film to make a fresh, quality transfer. Well... they didn't find it. Apparently, there are no surviving prints to be found, and in that sense, you could add <i>Bilitis </i>to the tragic list of the world's lost films. And, so, the transfer on hand is just like <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2008/04/bilitis-1977.html">the past discs I've covered</a>: low quality and video sourced (see: above).<br />
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But wait; I did say there was good news, right? Disappointing as the above is (and it really is, especially to a film like this, where lush visuals and... a good look at the actresses... are a key part of the film's appeal), Pathfinder has put in the work to make this the best <i>Bilitis </i>disc yet. They've included the original French audio (with English subs, of course), which puts it a good length ahead of most of the other <i>Bilitis </i>discs out there, which only include the English dub. And that English dub is on here, too, if you want it... as well as even a German dub, which is perhaps getting carried away; but hey, I'll take it.<br />
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They've also included the <i>Bilitis </i>soundtrack album as a feature in the extras... for a long time, the soundtrack was easier to find than an actual DVD of the film. Now they're both on here. There's also a brief slide-show of what I'm guessing are publicity photos, and some bonus trailers of other Pathfinder releases. And most excitingly, especially for us <i>Breillat.blogspotters</i>, is a new video interview with Catherine Breillat about the film. It's a bit short, but very frank and forthcoming, and answers some questions a lot of us surely have about her involvement with the film.<br />
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It also appears to be the uncut version. On many discs (I think all of them except the PAL Australian disc), towards the end of the film where Melissa dances with Lucas and Bilitis runs off through a doorway, we cut back to them dancing. In this version, we first see Bilitis accidentally stumble upon two other characters' intense love scene, and run back out in disgust. Also, many versions have a truncated ending, cutting out the final, silent shots of the film. This one has the full ending.<br />
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And while this image is disappointing, it looks better than I've seen it elsewhere... It's close to its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio (though so was the PAL Australian disc). And there's some screenshots comparisons I've made with it, one of the full-screen discs, and even a 1.66 TV print I found online (#3... you'll note the hint of a watermark mostly out of frame in the top left corner). Certainly the colors and details are best on the Pathfinder disc (#4, the last one at the bottom), and has much more visual information on the left and right sides of the screen. It does look like it's been a teensy bit over-cropped vertically (it's the only one that crops out the bottom of her shoes); but it's very slight, and definitely the strongest image over-all. Click them and then select "view image" to see them full-size:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJWA2-Pu2e_TOhYwjrFubkbIb_QL_Xjuqmd2T1BcdPKQqXp_TVdYVx2Wcwpzizs6RQQo9EoL9NtAkkY0A5cJaH_mktYHuwtVjbaR8uGFnk6mv319eG6fvvsxfrplq04rEmenjB7QzIxtb/s1600/bilss4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJWA2-Pu2e_TOhYwjrFubkbIb_QL_Xjuqmd2T1BcdPKQqXp_TVdYVx2Wcwpzizs6RQQo9EoL9NtAkkY0A5cJaH_mktYHuwtVjbaR8uGFnk6mv319eG6fvvsxfrplq04rEmenjB7QzIxtb/s320/bilss4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So, I'm calling it: this is the best of all the <i>Bilitis </i>discs, and barring a 35mm discovery, the best we're apt to ever get. So, if you already have an older disc, it may or may not be worth an upgrade; but if you don't, this is certainly the one to get, and conveniently, the easiest to find. Werner von Wallenrodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04102856408266833762noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623164555280943420.post-27534016009947741752012-08-17T08:56:00.000-04:002012-08-19T00:11:38.311-04:00Marie-Hélène Breillat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIO48DLGDej6TAHxaPNp6wyXlzIANGpMf-KOdiZUe5lneeLqdENdz_P-kSzZPsC4kMpAPdIuz2VDQKaX7MGXgcdoVGTdTFX75I9Wnv-BZ-a6x42b7wEmFZETxZBASdpbgjqW-ljcNU8EoM/s1600/claudine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIO48DLGDej6TAHxaPNp6wyXlzIANGpMf-KOdiZUe5lneeLqdENdz_P-kSzZPsC4kMpAPdIuz2VDQKaX7MGXgcdoVGTdTFX75I9Wnv-BZ-a6x42b7wEmFZETxZBASdpbgjqW-ljcNU8EoM/s320/claudine.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
So, I think it's time I tackled the films - and the availability of the films - of Marie-Hélène Breillat. Catherine's sister. I'm motivated by the upcoming (October 3) DVD debut of a complete 4-disc set of the TV miniseries <i>Claudine</i>, based on the series of novels by early 19th century French novelist Colette. Don't get too excited, though - the DVD set is only being released in France with no English language options. But Marie had the starring, titular role of Claudine; that's her on the box.<br />
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Now, Marie has been featured in several of her sister's films; and so of course, you can already find those covered on this blog. <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2008/04/films-she-acts-in.html">This post</a> briefly touches on <i>Claudine</i>, as well as covers <i>Le Dialogue dans le marécage, </i><i>Dracula & Son</i> and <i>Last Tango In Paris</i>, the last two of which she has small roles alongside her sister. And of course she plays a starring role in Catherine's <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/2011/05/night-after-night-is-here.html"><i>Nocturnal Uproar</i></a>, and did some uncredited voice work on <a href="http://breillat.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20Real%20Young%20Girl"><i>A Real Young Girl</i></a>. ...Some of those films have multiple posts, so check the sidebar to find even more on them.<br />
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But now let's look at all of the films I've never tackled because Catherine Breillat didn't happen to work on them.<br />
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Marie had a pretty major role in a 1972 mini-series called <i>L'homme qui revient de loin</i> (<i>The Man Who Returns from Afar</i>), based on the 1916 novel by Gaston Leroux (<i>Phantom Of the Opera</i>). This was released in a nice 2-disc set in France, but alas... no English language options.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85sM2eH0P_8gxx50eQ6FpygZsriS78uWDhIhpOskYRW9XmNxtk2QslrYsuTVyKryv6N4h_ROaSNKLquvDNn5sZQiknoS_JFdmmKYoc7D-mQ4Qg27yRi4JtOI2PGy6xboQXnshDVTuzzyv/s1600/laffaire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85sM2eH0P_8gxx50eQ6FpygZsriS78uWDhIhpOskYRW9XmNxtk2QslrYsuTVyKryv6N4h_ROaSNKLquvDNn5sZQiknoS_JFdmmKYoc7D-mQ4Qg27yRi4JtOI2PGy6xboQXnshDVTuzzyv/s200/laffaire.jpg" width="124" /></a>And rolling with the disappointments (unless you speak French), here's another one with no English subs or dubs, <i>L'affaire Lourdes</i>. This is one of Marie's earliest roles: a TV movie from 1967, based on the life of a 19th century saint named Bernadette Soubirous, who had visions of the Virgin Mary. Her only earlier appearance was in an episode of the French series <i>Allô police</i>, which isn't even available on DVD in France.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Su0_rdASYNOflHwWqX3s_MnTvC0GYd49AQagblt0PNNqe3eOzHkPxPvh07XFXgmmV6xSirVWdVlYiR6NFUhzzlaNz4bRA0SFm5hDeUVBc0aXiCl19F1ICz2agNB9We1DxroVv_TfGqwF/s1600/lessuspects.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Su0_rdASYNOflHwWqX3s_MnTvC0GYd49AQagblt0PNNqe3eOzHkPxPvh07XFXgmmV6xSirVWdVlYiR6NFUhzzlaNz4bRA0SFm5hDeUVBc0aXiCl19F1ICz2agNB9We1DxroVv_TfGqwF/s200/lessuspects.jpg" width="116" /></a>In 1974, she had a smaller role in the mystery thriller, <i>Les Suspects,</i> about an American tourist found murdered in the streets of France, starring Mimsy Farmer. Yes, it was released on DVD only in France, and no, it has no English language options... but this one was at least released on VHS here in the US from Simitar Video (dubbed, I believe) if you're up to tracking that down.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHKdPP5wcegKxFZ5bDNgXf2KCw-fDRC1Og6Bv-2QOh82bUbgiV_jP1aUI0uxQZoqG01C9FMtdOy76tQlwC0tTPJnozOCipgtZOLv6XTPC9_LDWc6ddun2dzGRuPRbpx8_88q8qPXuW9kS/s1600/lapitie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHKdPP5wcegKxFZ5bDNgXf2KCw-fDRC1Og6Bv-2QOh82bUbgiV_jP1aUI0uxQZoqG01C9FMtdOy76tQlwC0tTPJnozOCipgtZOLv6XTPC9_LDWc6ddun2dzGRuPRbpx8_88q8qPXuW9kS/s200/lapitie.jpg" width="130" /></a>In 1979, she co-starred in the French television adaptation of Stefan Zweig's novel, <i>La pitié dangereuse</i>, about a soldier who visits a rich man's paralyzed woman out of pity, but can't return her affections when she falls hopelessly in love with him. This Seven7 DVD is full screen and, of course, has no English subtitles. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDcb6tYHaCEiTTUq9bEHXepKboi8gYnjdjeR5cxWcri0b_fzEMWq95UTK20u2kTHShog9Nrl72YCaxKEam-HDfrbmF6mzYtl1wzIHmM8ipbCkDTyVUpEuugQjnsenXhn0HJcS8xjVTAYZ/s1600/mourir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDcb6tYHaCEiTTUq9bEHXepKboi8gYnjdjeR5cxWcri0b_fzEMWq95UTK20u2kTHShog9Nrl72YCaxKEam-HDfrbmF6mzYtl1wzIHmM8ipbCkDTyVUpEuugQjnsenXhn0HJcS8xjVTAYZ/s200/mourir.jpg" width="126" /></a>Marie had a secondary role in a controversial 1971 film called <i>Mourir d'aimer</i>, about the true story of Gabrielle Russier, a female teacher who fell in love with one of her high school-aged students and wound up committing suicide when the law intervened. That sounds like it would be pretty topical in the US today, but it's yet another film only released on DVD in France, with no English subtitles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOlJQ5ZHrZCiqrkAUt59Y-T5oToCsDeVy8CiEkD0JbzcZAQhsmIzup5PN1ynpNRmAkafpTtzuQ2nPofacLE1ch827uuBaxloZF4031aGqCZryp9_1EC3tF5vOyooiy9xAKbBCzNkq5lg7/s1600/mandarine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOlJQ5ZHrZCiqrkAUt59Y-T5oToCsDeVy8CiEkD0JbzcZAQhsmIzup5PN1ynpNRmAkafpTtzuQ2nPofacLE1ch827uuBaxloZF4031aGqCZryp9_1EC3tF5vOyooiy9xAKbBCzNkq5lg7/s200/mandarine.jpg" width="125" /></a>1972 saw the release of <i>La mandarine</i> (<i>Sweet Deception</i>), starring Annie Girardot (Marie has a secondary role). A British stranger arrives at a wealthy family's hotel, causing a rift between the residents. LCJ Editions issued this on DVD, in France only, with no English translation. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVHCO45GPmmyw2hvVNpXX3eeCibCLhYfloODbBfAc3182JthOlrltlxUN2YgqDNTFyD7mxoRBCL2FGPYZwiLHjVtttHP2sGcsHoxmRGuYu6Of4HkGjoAXY0qcnlhL1-7FAVigjboR6LUp/s1600/histoire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVHCO45GPmmyw2hvVNpXX3eeCibCLhYfloODbBfAc3182JthOlrltlxUN2YgqDNTFyD7mxoRBCL2FGPYZwiLHjVtttHP2sGcsHoxmRGuYu6Of4HkGjoAXY0qcnlhL1-7FAVigjboR6LUp/s200/histoire.jpg" width="133" /></a>Hey! Here's something I bet you weren't expecting - A Marie-Hélène Breillat.film only released on DVD in France with no English... Oh, you were expecting it? Well, here's one more.<i> Histoire de rire </i>from 1976, based on the play by Armand Salacrou, about romantic mix-ups and infidelity. <br />
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So, okay, just what IS available in English?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgygKjMfu9ocHQAKtIOV9kq_Rvrp4QIeEbDjDbK5BBHUvWnvJ7OiW6PUsC3p0pqxjJcvEdMkwRwg2XLACkUPXQmjwf8Pcl5fn5BpF0d4RABVFA1d71cI_kCaLyerFW0edksSAHQQFeDgQ/s1600/doktorfaustus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgygKjMfu9ocHQAKtIOV9kq_Rvrp4QIeEbDjDbK5BBHUvWnvJ7OiW6PUsC3p0pqxjJcvEdMkwRwg2XLACkUPXQmjwf8Pcl5fn5BpF0d4RABVFA1d71cI_kCaLyerFW0edksSAHQQFeDgQ/s200/doktorfaustus.jpg" width="140" /></a>How about <i>Doktor Faustus</i>, a 1982 German mini-series based, of course, on the novel by Thomas Mann? This famous tale of a composer who makes a deal with the devil was released here in the United States in 2010 by E1 Entertainment, with English subtitles. You can easily scoop it up on <i>Amazon</i>, rent it from <i>Netflix</i>, or wherever.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfWCT2R_Awp_IGnupBBcxO_PctSHb3eLsTwT921nkPW9D_XJaqA5J8fCHOj9qqzL4eafVRMh_IwSu3j8Mc9Z7lEBeOkN7PMTBOSPtzknb8M4l7mp9_1R-UAJnKJMiSNfSB4CfMh9mJbCE/s1600/fanny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfWCT2R_Awp_IGnupBBcxO_PctSHb3eLsTwT921nkPW9D_XJaqA5J8fCHOj9qqzL4eafVRMh_IwSu3j8Mc9Z7lEBeOkN7PMTBOSPtzknb8M4l7mp9_1R-UAJnKJMiSNfSB4CfMh9mJbCE/s200/fanny.jpg" width="160" /></a>She also has a small (uncredited) part in Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece, <i>Fanny & Alexander</i>. This film has been released by many DVD companies around the world, but you won't do better than The Criterion Collection's recent special edition reissue on Blu-Ray. <br />
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And, finally, what has she acted in that doesn't appear to be available anywhere at all?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsYj36xxQnkxKgdRC-Z77mIplUbFJujd9eLouYkUmjEt5-uiYjc_mSrVHvDyZKGYZo2JiVVn_mdnRqjfjUTyK1FYgtIWhRxGo3SE-kJdX91jfmo7xQOKDWJ9JMv3Lz3rEPR6M8_0Sslio/s1600/mandoline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsYj36xxQnkxKgdRC-Z77mIplUbFJujd9eLouYkUmjEt5-uiYjc_mSrVHvDyZKGYZo2JiVVn_mdnRqjfjUTyK1FYgtIWhRxGo3SE-kJdX91jfmo7xQOKDWJ9JMv3Lz3rEPR6M8_0Sslio/s200/mandoline.jpg" width="200" /></a>She played the lead in the light-hearted romantic comedy <i>Oublie-moi, Mandoline </i>(<i>Forget Me, Mandoline</i>), a 1976 adaptation of the 1974 book by cartoonist Jacques Faizant.<br />
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She starred in one episode of the long running (60 episodes) French series, <i>Les amours romantiques</i> from the mid 80's, an anthology of love stories based on classic novels (Balzac, Dumas, etc). Her episode was <i>La dame aux camélias</i>, based on the novel by Alexander Dumas, about a man who falls in love with a courtesan suffering from tuberculosis.<br />
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In 1974, she starred in <i>L'ironie du sort</i> (<i>The Irony of Chance</i>), based on the novel by Paul Guimard, Two stories of different possibilities happening to the same character... like the US film <i>Sliding Doors</i> (which came later), except it takes place during World War II.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFFaLaBxo3BBfqWFpHWHi2QNyNbFx7F3kPTv0CItLYbXTLnDcSmsXbPWF2l-rzNXiQXqWwyJbv7O4IpCOIUTSyaAliU_yJWiKuzotgGDBlsCnEE5ML9h5SaQm2cOqdtxbxBUHcbq953bI/s1600/bof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFFaLaBxo3BBfqWFpHWHi2QNyNbFx7F3kPTv0CItLYbXTLnDcSmsXbPWF2l-rzNXiQXqWwyJbv7O4IpCOIUTSyaAliU_yJWiKuzotgGDBlsCnEE5ML9h5SaQm2cOqdtxbxBUHcbq953bI/s200/bof.jpg" width="149" /></a>In 1970, she starred in a Claude Feraldo comedy called <i>Bof... Anatomie d'un livreur</i> (<i>Who Cares... Anatomy of a Delivery Boy</i>). It's the story of a delivery man who decides to quit his job... much to the chagrin of his wife.<br />
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In 1973, she had a major role in <i>Le dialogue dans le marécage</i>, an adaptation of a collection of playlets by Marguerite Yourcenar, based on Greek mythology.<br />
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In 1970, she starred in the Jean-Claude Sée<i> L'apocalypse</i>, based upon the novel by Christiane Rochefort.<br />
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She played Antigone in the French TV adaptation of the Sophocles play <i>Antigone </i>in 1974. Are you noticing a trend here? She tends to act in very literary works.<br />
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More recently, in 1982, she appeared in the Italian TV mini-series <i>Progetti di allegria</i> (notice, in the 80's, she took a lot more international roles), based on the novel by Carlo Castellaneta, about a former model who's life changes when her husband wants a separation.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfIKsO3kfmFdxPkPOT5w1NAr7pzkm9xNAqBm-Vhxc3EyI82idN6K8Htk8ImipUP-b6DOUqyT-VdBUGg4BtLgJ-U2vKXL1M_Pmw7VK6QmGbWW5avsiDysxbM6ZFjUljD_wPaCG9uOR1Iku/s1600/maxims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfIKsO3kfmFdxPkPOT5w1NAr7pzkm9xNAqBm-Vhxc3EyI82idN6K8Htk8ImipUP-b6DOUqyT-VdBUGg4BtLgJ-U2vKXL1M_Pmw7VK6QmGbWW5avsiDysxbM6ZFjUljD_wPaCG9uOR1Iku/s200/maxims.jpg" width="142" /></a>In 1973, she had a major role in <i>Le chasseur de chez Maxim's</i> (<i>Maxim's Porter</i>),
a French romantic comedy by Calude Vital, based on the popular play by
Yves Mirande and Gustave Quinson (it's been adapted many times over many
decades).<br />
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In 1976, she was in<i> Dîner de famille</i>, a French TV movie directed by Michael Wyn, who directed several of her aforementioned projects, including Les Suspects, <i>Oublie-moi, Mandoline</i>, and <i>L'homme qui revient de loin</i>. It's a three-act comedy adapted from Jean Bernard-Luc.<br />
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She played Sybil in a 1977 version of Oscar Wilde's <i>Le portrait de Dorian Gray</i> by Pierre Boutron.<br />
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She was Juliette in a French television adaptation of Shakespeare's <i>Mesure pour mesure</i> (<i>Measure for Measure</i>) in 1971.<br />
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In 1979, she played Nina in Anton Chekov's <i>La mouette</i> (<i>The Seagull</i>) for French TV.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduzmNdv7RdWFeU3uqjdEu6gZWSchAWPbetTYzJ_NsBuX0f_n70mgZKSuOnfKIrAxLtrPMUeHayxWIUpUnoUBQm-vhM8M1NaKpRGZE0I9Rzu1hK4PP81K7QFFb9_x4moq-U2bnLAsCpnB3/s1600/foret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduzmNdv7RdWFeU3uqjdEu6gZWSchAWPbetTYzJ_NsBuX0f_n70mgZKSuOnfKIrAxLtrPMUeHayxWIUpUnoUBQm-vhM8M1NaKpRGZE0I9Rzu1hK4PP81K7QFFb9_x4moq-U2bnLAsCpnB3/s200/foret.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
In 1966, she starred in a black and white French TV movie titled <i>La forêt noire</i> (<i>The Black Forest</i>), inspired by the last three years of the life of Robert Schumann.<br />
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She appeared ina single episode of a 1969 television series called <i>En votre âme et conscience</i> (<i>In Your Conscience</i>), a TV show which reenacted court cases. To be fair, you couldn't really expect something like this to turn up on DVD, let alone translated into English.<br />
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She had a smaller role in the French TV series<i> Le miroir 2000</i>, based on the novel by André Maheux, about skiing (the mayor of a small resort decides to open a ski resort). You can actually find episodes of this online, albeit untranslated.<br />
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In 1974, she appeared in an episode of <i>Histoires insolites</i> (<i>Unsual Stories</i>), Her episode, <i>Un jour comme les autres avec des cacahuètes</i>, seems to translate to <i>A Day Like Any Other With Peanuts</i>, which indeed sounds unusual. Based on a short story by American horror writer Shirley Jackson (<i>The Haunting</i>) and directed by Edouard Molinaro.<br />
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...That's a large body of impressive work. And I think you could say pretty seriously under-represented on DVD, especially outside of France. I'd really love to see some of this material get translated into English some day. A lot of these films and series seem pretty compelling even outside of Marie's involvement.<i><br /></i>Werner von Wallenrodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04102856408266833762noreply@blogger.com1