lubitsch wrote:
And this new transfer is the same as in the 50 Years of Polish cinema box or is it an even better one?
Going from the clips I've seen, it should be a fair bit better - and I'm very familiar with the box set version because that's the one I used when preparing my video intro (since, as you acknowledge, it's a distinct cut above the 2005 Second Run version).
It was unveiled last year as part of a batch of twenty restorations undertaken by the rejuvenated Studio Kadr. It was carried out by the same people that did the restorations in Second Run's Polish Cinema Classics box, but until now it's only been available on an unsubtitled Polish DVD as part of that Gazeta Wyborcza book+DVD promotional tie-in.
Incidentally, just to get the rumour mill cranked up (since I know that Second Run will be putting at least one more out), these were the twenty titles in question. Eight of them have already been picked up by UK distributors - I've highlighted them in bold. Sadly, only
Ashes and Diamonds is out on a UK-label Blu-ray, which probably isn't that surprising - these films are, for the most part,
seriously obscure as far as English-speaking markets are concerned.
•
Eroica (d. Andrzej Munk, 1957) - Second Run DVD•
Ashes and Diamonds (
Popiół i diament, d. Andrzej Wajda, 1958) - Arrow Academy dual-format
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The Last Day of Summer (
Ostatni dzień lata, d. Tadeusz Konwicki, 1958)
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Night Train (
Pociąg, d. Jerzy Kawalerowicz, 1959) - Second Run DVD
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Goodbye, See You Tomorrow (
Do widzenia, do jutra, d. Janusz Morgenstern, 1960) - Second Run DVD
•
Innocent Sorcerers (
Niewinni czarodzieje, d. Wajda, 1960) - Second Run DVD
•
Mother Joan of the Angels (
Matka Joanna od Aniołów, d. Kawalerowicz, 1961) - Second Run DVD
•
Giuseppe in Warsaw (
Giuseppe w Warszawie, d. Stanisław Lenartowicz, 1964)
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The Saragossa Manuscript (
Rękopis znaleziony w Saragossie, d. Wojciech Has, 1965) - Mr Bongo DVD
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Pharaoh (
Faraon, d. Kawalerowicz, 1965)
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Salto (
Jump, d. Konwicki, 1965)
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Jovita (
Jowita, d. Morgenstern, 1967)
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Kill That Love (
Trzeba zabic te milosc, d. Morgenstern, 1972)
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The Wedding (
Wesele, d. Wajda, 1973)
•
The Hourglass Sanatorium (
Sanatorium pod klepsydrą, d. Has, 1973) - Mr Bongo DVD
•
Hit the Bank (
Vabank, d. Juliusz Machulski, 1981)
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Austeria (d. Kawalerowicz, 1982)
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The Big Shark (
Wielki Szu, d. Sylwester Chęciński, 1982)
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Sex Mission (
Seksmisja, d. Machulski, 1984)
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Hit the Bank II (
Vabank II, d. Machulski, 1985)