Barbe Bleue

It looks like Barbe Bleue (Bluebeard, an adaptation of the famous tale by Charles Perault) wasn't shelved after all; it was completed! Apparently, she filmed it for the Franco-German TV network Arte (Association Relative à la Télévision Européenne), a channel focused on the European arts.

It's produced by Sylvette Frydman and Jean-François Lepetit (written and directed by Breillat, of course), and stars Lola Creton as Marie-Catherine, Daphné Baïwir as Anne and Dominique Thomas as Bluebeard himself.

There's virtually no info about this film in English, so here's a Google translation of the press kit's plot description, so at least you can get the gist: "Often fairy tales take as central a kind of serial killer Child: So is there Ogres. But Bluebeard is the emblematic figure. It is also in the 50-55 years storytelling girls preferred models. This is the case of Catherine, she loves to scare his sister Marie-Anne read him stubbornly the story until she cries. At the same time Catherine planned in the story, she became Princess Marie-Catherine, the last woman Bluebeard, which does not reach women who hanged predecessors. Because it is the virgin princess that Ogre can not bring himself to kill. This hesitation would be fatal. Thus the virgin gets the head of Giant."

Unfortunately, since it's made for television, we may be waiting a very long time for an English translation; but at least we know it exists so there's a chance.

Spanish Dirty Like an Angel DVD

I've just found a Region 4 DVD for Breillat's Dirty Like an Angel (see my original post on the film here), under the Spanish title: Sucia Como un Angel. It's from the DVD company Film House, and apparently has a nice, widescreen print. Unfortunately, however, most reports say they have only added Spanish language options.

At least one website (http://www.mixup.com.mx/) does claim it also has English subtitles, however. I'm trying to find out (I've just sent an e-mail to Film House), but if anybody knows or can beat me to the punch in finding out, please let me know!

Update 11/28/08: No word back from Film House, but I talked to someone who sells these discs online and he assures me there are no English subs. Oh well. :(

Bad Love

Catherine Breillat has been giving interviews about her upcoming film, titled Bad Love, based on her recent novel of the same title (pictured right... it has yet to be translated into English). It's set to be produced by Jean-François Lepetit (who also did The Last Mistress), and star Naomi Campbell and Christophe Rocancourt.

The story is about Vivian Parker, a glamorous film actress who meets Louis at a film festival. On a whim, she gives him her phone number and they wind up in a passioniate and destructive love affair.

In one interview, with Brightlightsfilm.com (click the link to read the whole thing), she explains that the film is "going to be in English, but not like the French directors who want to make an American film... I'm going to make the film in France. Only the beginning will be set in Toronto. I want Niagara Falls. But otherwise, I want to be in my country, in my home, to make a film. Artisanal again." She also talks about the film in this interview with Telegraph.co.uk.

They're looking for a 2009 release. ...Meanwhile, I guess Barbe Bleue has been shelved? (Actually, it was completed; see this post.)

UPDATE #2: Last Mistress

For those holding out for a region 1 NTSC edition of The Last Mistress, it will be coming out on November 18th from Mongrel Media in Canada. There's no definitive word on the extras yet, but it will apparently be uncut, and English subtitle options are confirmed.

There's still been no announcement of a US DVD release date; but now... who cares? ;)

Update 12/18/08: According to this review at exclaim.ca, this DVD has "no extras to speak of," so you're definitely best off with the region 2 disc at this point. That's possibly just as well, since this version seems to be a bit hard to find...

By the way, Asia Argento is amazing in this. She's really grown as an actress since her early roles.

New English Police DVD

Just as our copies of Artificial Eye's Last Mistress DVDs are dropping into our mailboxes (in case you forgot, it's out now), Eureka Entertainment announces their upcoming DVD of Police (written by Catherine Breillat, directed by Maurice Pialat... see my previous Police post for more on the film). This special, 2-disc edition is due out in just a few weeks - September 22nd.

It's PAL, region 2, boasts of a "gorgeous new anamorphic transfer of the film in its original aspect ratio" (that's 1.66:1) with "New and improved English subtitle translations." What more could you ask for? Well, how about the extras ported over from France's G.C.T.H.V. edition? They've done that, too! The second disc will feature a 2003 video interview with Pialat and, yes, Breillat. The 35 minute documentary is also included, as well as screen-tests with Maurice Pialat and C. Galmiche, an excerpt from a 1985 episode of Cinéma Cinémas focussing on the production of Police, an interview with the editor, the theatrical trailer, and a 40-page(!) booklet. It seems like the only thing they've left out are the deleted scenes, but it's hard to complain about a DVD presentation like this.