A Bigger Splash

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antnield
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A Bigger Splash

#1 Post by antnield » Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:33 pm

A Bigger Splash

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Director Jack Hazan and writer David Mingay (Rude Boy) had access to David Hockney and his circle from 1971 to 1973, a critical period for the internationally-acclaimed artist, during which time they crafted this ground-breaking and enthralling docu-drama, celebrating Hockney’s life, work and milieu.

With appearances by such art-scene icons (and subjects of Hockney’s paintings) as Celia Birtwell, Ossie Clark, Henry Geldzahler and Patrick Proctor, this mesmerising portrait is presented here, along with little-seen archive documentaries on Hockney, for the first time on Blu-ray.

Extras
- Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
- Love’s Presentation (UK, James Scott, 1968, 28 minutes): a short film capturing the creation of Hockney’s Cavafy Etchings.
- Portrait of David Hockney (UK, David Pearce, 1972, 14 minutes): a short portrait of Hockney in his home and studio.
- Interview with Jack Hazan (2006)
- Fully illustrated booklet.

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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#2 Post by MichaelB » Thu Nov 10, 2011 4:12 pm

antnield wrote:Dual format edition of Jack Hazan's doc on David Hockney due 30th January. No further info as yet.
The timing of this release is not a coincidence!

Other than that, I don't know any specifics about this edition - but its technical supervisor told me yesterday that the new HD transfer looks pretty stunning: apparently the original neg was in great condition, and Jack Hazan was on hand to offer advice.

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antnield
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#3 Post by antnield » Mon Nov 21, 2011 7:54 am

Some additional info courtesy of the Amazon product description:
A film by Jack Hazan

Director Jack Hazan and writer David Mingay (Rude Boy) had access to David Hockney and his circle from 1971 to 1973, a critical period for the internationally-acclaimed artist, during which time they crafted this ground-breaking and enthralling docu-drama, celebrating Hockney's life, work and milieu.

With appearances by such art scene icons (and subjects of Hockney's paintings) as Celia Birtwell, Ossie Clark, Henry Geldzahler and Patrick Proctor, this mesmerising portrait is presented here, along with little-seen archive documentaries on Hockney, for the first time on Blu-ray.

Special Features*

- Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
- Love's Presentation (UK, James Scott, 1968, 28 minutes): a short film capturing the creation of Hockney's Cavafy Etchings
- Portrait of David Hockney (UK, David Pearce, 1972, 14 minutes): a short portrait of Hockney in his home and studio
- Fully illustrated booklet

* Special features are subject to change

Disc 1: BD50 / 1080p / 24fps / PCM audio
Disc 2: DVD9 / PAL

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antnield
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#4 Post by antnield » Mon Nov 21, 2011 4:07 pm

Image

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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#5 Post by MichaelB » Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:55 pm

How times change - it got an X certificate back in 1974, and was nearly cut into the bargain.

The moderately graphic gay sex scene is completely unexceptional by today's standards, but according to Jack Hazan the BBFC was very hesitant about passing it.

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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#6 Post by MichaelB » Tue Nov 22, 2011 6:39 am

Confirmed as region-free.

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Re: A Bigger Splash

#7 Post by _shadow_ » Tue Nov 22, 2011 4:29 pm

I would love to see the trailer below included on the extras on this release:

http://tinyurl.com/d82kczn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's such a strange take on the film - adding ominous voiceover ("All he wanted was to be left alone to paint - paintings the art world demanded") and Hermann-esque strings to transform a fairly low key documentary into a noirish thriller.

I don't see this has been available on any prior release -- the First Run Features disc in the US or the earlier UK DVD. There is a French DVD, where I would expect to find it given the subs on the YouTube clip, but it is not listed as a feature on that, either.

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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#8 Post by MichaelB » Wed Nov 23, 2011 6:55 am

I'm delighted to confirm that not only will the trailer be included, but that it's been newly transferred in HD for this very purpose.

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GaryC
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#9 Post by GaryC » Thu Nov 24, 2011 3:31 am

MichaelB wrote:How times change - it got an X certificate back in 1974, and was nearly cut into the bargain.

The moderately graphic gay sex scene is completely unexceptional by today's standards, but according to Jack Hazan the BBFC was very hesitant about passing it.
And not that long (1988) since Channel 4 were forced to cut the scene before they could show the film on TV.

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Re: A Bigger Splash

#10 Post by _shadow_ » Thu Nov 24, 2011 4:28 am

Thanks so much for confirming the trailer, Michael B; this looks to be an essential release.

FYI for fans of the film, the first issue of Little Joe magazine ("A magazine about queers and cinema, mostly") has an in-depth interview with Jack Hazan about the production of the film. He discusses the production of the film and his relationship with Hockney as well as the reception.

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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#11 Post by MichaelB » Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:02 am

Full specs announced:
A Bigger Splash
A film by Jack Hazan featuring David Hockney


From 1971–1973, Jack Hazan gained intimate access to David Hockney and his circle of friends and lovers to create A Bigger Splash. Using a ‘structured reality’ format rather than pure documentary, he crafted a mesmerising film, groundbreaking in style and daring in nature. On 30 January 2012 the BFI will release A Bigger Splash in a Dual Format Edition (on DVD & Blu-ray discs) with two rare films from the BFI National Archive, Love’s Presentation (1966) and Portrait of David Hockney (1972).

A Bigger Splash was made during a critical time in Hockney’s life. A long-term relationship with fellow painter Peter Schlesinger had recently dissolved and during this acutely emotional period he was under pressure to work faster and create new work. Already an internationally successful artist, his famous paintings are magically brought to life through the mood, colours and tones of the film and Hazan and his co-writer and editor David Mingay (who went on to make The Clash: Rude Boy together) brilliantly capture the essence of Hockney the artist and a sense of his fashionable milieu.

Shot in London and California, the film offers a vivid snapshot of the early 70s art scene surrounding Hockney and features appearances by numerous legendary faces; there’s his muse, the iconic fashion and textile designer Celia Birtwell with her husband, fashion designer Ossie Clark; art dealer John Kasmin, curator and art critic Henry Geldzahler and Hockney’s loyal assistant Mo McDermott. Some of the ‘cast’ appear in Hockney’s paintings; Ossie Clark is seen taking his cat to the Tate Gallery to view Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy.

When released in cinemas in 1974, A Bigger Splash surprised audiences with explicit scenes of male lovemaking and nudity and it ran for over a year in London’s West End. This Dual Format Edition brings it to Blu-ray for the first time along with two insightful shorts; Love’s Presentation (1966) which captures the creation of Hockney’s Cavafy Etchings and Portrait of David Hockney (1972), a short portrait of Hockney in his home and studio.

Coinciding with a major new David Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy in 2012, the BFI release of A Bigger Splash, in which Jack Hazan has been personally involved, is a fascinating filmic record of one of Britain’s most recognisable artists.

Special features
• Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition (DVD & Blu-ray)
Love’s Presentation (James Scott, 1966, 28 mins)
Portrait of David Hockney (David Pearce, 1972, 14 mins)
• Interview with Jack Hazan (2006)
• Original film trailer
• Illustrated booklet with essays and film notes

RRP: £19.99 / cat. no. BFIB1137 / Cert 15
UK / 1974 / colour / English language, optional English subtitles / 104 mins /
Original aspect ratio 1.66:1 / Region free

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antnield
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#12 Post by antnield » Fri Dec 09, 2011 1:48 pm

The BFI have just uploaded an extract from Love's Presentation (included as an extra on this set) to their YouTube channel.

EDIT: I've been informed that the quality here is not representative of that which will appear on disc. For the forthcoming release the BFI have gone back to the original negative and carried out work to both clean up and stabilize the image.

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RossyG
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#13 Post by RossyG » Sat Dec 10, 2011 11:08 am

Nice, but I wish the BFI wouldn't stamp their clips with their own logo. Britain's guardian of cinema heritage shouldn't be copying cheap and vulgar tactics from satellite TV.

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TMDaines
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#14 Post by TMDaines » Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:02 pm

I would take exception to it if they did it on their commercial products (have they done it ever?) but I don't think it's a fair criticism when they're just trying to watermark their material that they're displaying for free in a place where it can easily be taken.

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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#15 Post by MichaelB » Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:38 pm

If you want Love's Presentation logo-free (and in HD), this is easy enough to remedy in a few weeks' time.

As TMDaines says, watermarking is the price that you pay for free access - in fact, with some BFI online channels such as Screenonline and InView, it's an upfront contractual condition laid down by the rightsholder to prevent or at least strongly discourage piracy.

It's also a way of protecting the BFI's own material against people nicking it, republishing it themselves and then arguing that it's "public domain" when caught - which may sometimes be true in their territory, but it isn't in Britain or indeed most of Europe. And that scenario, I'm afraid, isn't hypothetical - if I remember rightly, watermarking became general policy on the YouTube channel after just such an incident.

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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#16 Post by MichaelB » Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:53 am

The above-mentioned trailer has just been published on the BFI's YouTube channel.

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antnield
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#17 Post by antnield » Fri Jan 13, 2012 1:05 pm

There's a bit of Flipside crossover with this release thanks to Love's Presentation. Its director, James Scott, previously made The Rocking Horse, which appears as an extra on The Pleasure Girls. He also co-founded Maya Films with Barney Platts-Mills, the production company behind St. Christopher, Bronco Bullfrog and Private Road. Platts-Mills also served as editor on Love's Presentation.

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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#18 Post by MichaelB » Tue Jan 17, 2012 3:44 am

Mondo Digital:
Fortunately the BFI dual-format release finally gets it right with a sparkling new HD transfer, featuring far more impressive colors which give punch to the many compositions intended to mimic Hockey’s paintings. Apart from a few darker scenes shot in very low light that will always look pretty underwhelming, it’s a very impressive, film-like presentation without any distracting digital mucking around to try to make it too pretty.

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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#19 Post by MichaelB » Wed Jan 18, 2012 10:14 am

New Statesman (Ryan Gilbey)

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antnield
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#20 Post by antnield » Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:36 pm


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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#21 Post by MichaelB » Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:30 pm


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MichaelB
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#22 Post by MichaelB » Mon Jan 30, 2012 8:32 am

BBC News:
A Bigger Splash starts with a caption which says 'June 1973, Geneva'. Then comes a scene, apparently in a hotel room, where David Hockney is flirting with a young man called Joe.

The film's director, Jack Hazan, laughs when he thinks about the shoot. "We were never in Switzerland. It was a hotel in London, but David Hockney never even went there; I just did a couple of establishing shots and everything else was his flat. It's a fictionalised replica of the era: it's all artifice, it's not fly on the wall - these things didn't really happen”

Yet today one Hockney biography refers to the Geneva trip as an actual event. "Well, that's the power of film," says Hazan. "People tend to believe what's in front of them. There are date captions throughout the film but they're just a device."

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Matt
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Re: A Bigger Splash

#23 Post by Matt » Mon Jan 30, 2012 12:56 pm

_shadow_ wrote:FYI for fans of the film, the first issue of Little Joe magazine ("A magazine about queers and cinema, mostly") has an in-depth interview with Jack Hazan about the production of the film. He discusses the production of the film and his relationship with Hockney as well as the reception.
I'm a little late to the party, but is this interview available online anywhere? The print edition of that issue is sold out.

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