Night After Night Is Here!

My copy has just arrived today... Nocturnal Uproar/ Tapage nocturne - here titled Night After Night - is finally available on DVD! That's a screenshot above (click to enlarge it to full size)... As you can see, it's a proper widescreen transfer and it has optional English subtitles. I have to say, I never thought I'd see this one hit DVD, much less in Region 1, so I'm through the roof!

The official box description reads, "Solange is the female version of a womanizing film director who is confident about her conquests and her ability to figure out men. Along comes Bruno, a man she can’t stand. Solange's faith is put to a test. In spite of her better judgment, she is undeniably attracted to Bruno and sleeps with him over and over again. From the director of 'Fat Girl,' 'Romance' and 'The Last Mistress' comes yet another confrontational tale of sexual conquest."

Now, maybe we can talk Pathfinder Pictures into releasing Dirty Like an Angel/ Sale comme un ange, and our collections will be complete! =)

Meanwhile, She's Got a New Movie Out...!

Catherine Breillat has recently completed a new film: La belle endormie, an adaptation of Charles Perrault's The Sleeping Beauty (in line with her recent adaptation of Bluebeard), which is currently touring the festival circuit worldwide. Written and directed by Breillat, it's produced by Jean-Francois Lepetit and Sylvette Frydman and stars Carla Besnainou, Julia Artamonov, Kerian Mayan and David Chausse.

The official description reads, "As with most 'fairytales', 'The Sleeping Beauty' begins with 'Once Upon A Time' but anyone familiar with a Catherine Breillat film knows that a “happy ever after” is no guarantee. In a castle in a far away land in a far away time, a baby girl is born. The child’s name is Anastasia. The fairy Carabosse places a curse upon the child- saying at sixteen the girl will prick her hand and die. Three younger and somewhat scatterbrained fairies alters the curse so that instead of dying, Anastasia will sleep for 100 years. For a century Anastasia will live in the world of dreams." The trailer's already up on Youtube, here.

Strand Releasing are set to distribute this film theatrically in July, and there's every reason to hope they'll then offer a DVD, as they did with Bluebeard.

Update 3/30/11: I've contacted Strand and they've confirmed that they'll be handling a US DVD release, "Look for THE SLEEPING BEAUTY on DVD late fall/early winter 2011." =)

Nocturnal Uproar Coming To US DVD!

There is now an Amazon listing for a film called Night After Night on Amazon... Well, looking at the details (directed by Catherine Breillat, starring Dominique Laffin, etc) this can only be one movie... Nocturnal Uproar! This film's never had a proper US release before, which I gather explains the new title ("nocturnal uproar" isn't exactly a natural, English phrase); but it's got to be this film... and just when I'd given up hope!

It's coming from Pathfinder Home Entertainment (though, so far, they haven't added any Night info to their website). There aren't many details, except they promise anamorphic widescreen, and list a running time of 92 minutes. The release date is set for May 24, so mark your calenders!

Now we just need Dirty Like an Angel...

Update 4/19: adding the DVD cover:

The Book On Breillat

If you've got a little extra money to spare (like, oh say, $65), you might be interested in picking up a copy of what Manchester University Press correctly describes to be, "the first English-language book on controversial female director Catherine Breillat."  Titled simply Catherine Breillat, it's written by Douglas Keesey (a professor of film and lit who's also written a similar books on Peter Greenaway, Paul Verhoeven and others) and clocks in at 224 pages.

The official description reads, "This is the first English-language book on controversial female director Catherine Breillat, whose films include Romance, A ma soeur! (Fat Girl), Anatomy of Hell and most recently, The Last Mistress. Thematic groupings - female coming-of-age films, movies about masculinity in crisis, and films dealing with a woman's sexual odyssey - provide the opportunity to study Breillat's treatment of such issues as female virginity, body image, sisterhood, conformity, desire, shame, masochism and self-empowerment, as well as male gender identity, androgyny and macho violence. This volume explores the director's complex relation to religion and to feminism, and it examines the differences between Breillat's films and patriarchal pornography, engaging in detailed analysis of her intimate scenes between men and women. Keesey also discusses the literature, films, paintings and photos that have influenced Breillat's work, and extends this to show how Breillat's films have influenced other filmmakers and artists in turn. A lively and accessible introduction, this book will appeal to students and researchers, as well as all those with an interest in gender studies, French film and contemporary cinema."

It seems a bit academic, but also pretty thorough.  If you're interested, it's available from Amazon (among other places, of course), here.

Bluebeard Out Now In the US!

Bluebeard (Barbe bleue) is out now on DVD in the US! I decided to wait until I got my copy in hand before posting, just in case; but it's here and available now. I figured I posted the front cover images enough (although it differs slightly from the image in my previous post... the final version has a "Critic's Pick" seal on it), so here's the back. :)

As you'd assume, it's widescreen with English subtitles. The only extras are the original theatrical trailer and some trailers for other Strand releases, but that's hardly surprising. So nothing "special" about this edition, but I'm just happy to finally have this on DVD.

Update 7/1/2010: Read the comments for news of the UK DVD. It comes in November with a Breillat interview. If you can hold out 'till then. ;)