Lies & Deceit / Twisting the Knife: Films by Claude Chabrol

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domino harvey
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Lies & Deceit / Twisting the Knife: Films by Claude Chabrol

#1 Post by domino harvey » Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:45 pm

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Too often overlooked and undervalued, Claude Chabrol was the first of the Cahiers du Cinema critics to release a feature film and would be among the most prolific. The sneaky anarchist of the French New Wave, he embraced genre as a means of lifting the lid on human nature. Nothing is sacred and nothing is certain in the films of Claude Chabrol: anything can be corrupted, and usually will be.

The hidden meaness of provincial life is at the heart of Cop Au Vin (Poulet au vinaigre), as deaths and disappearances intersect around the attempt by a corrupt syndicate of property developers to force a disabled woman and her son from their home. Actor Jean Poiret would prove so compelling as the laconic Detective Inspector Lavardin – good cop/bad cop all in one – that the sequel would be titled after him. Inspector Lavardin sees the titular detective investigating the murder of a wealthy and respected catholic author, renowned for his outspoken views against indecency, whose body was found naked and dead on the beach. In Madame Bovary, Chabrol directs one of his greatest collaborators, actress Isabelle Huppert, in perhaps the definitive depiction of Flaubert’s classic heroine. Meanwhile Betty, adapted from the novel of the same name by Maigret author Georges Simenon, is a scathing attack on the upper-middle classes, featuring an extraordinary performance by Marie Trintignant as a woman spiraling into alcoholism, but fighting to redefine herself. Finally, in Torment (L’enfer) Chabrol picks up a project abandoned by Henri Georges Clouzot, in which a husband’s jealousy and suspicion of his wife drive him to appalling extremes. Francois Cluzet and Emmanuelle Beart give career best performances as the husband and wife tearing each other apart.

With brand new digital restorations, this inaugural Arrow Video collection of Claude Chabrol on Blu-ray brings together a wealth of passionate contributors and archival extras to shed fresh light on the films and the filmmaker. Dark, witty, ruthless, mischievous: if you’ve never seen Chabrol before, you’re in for a treat. If you have, they’ve never looked better.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

– High definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all five films

– New 4K restorations of Madame Bovary, Betty, and Torment (L’enfer)

– Original lossless French PCM mono audio on Cop Au Vin (Poulet au vinaigre), Inspector Lavardin, Madame Bovary, and Betty

– Original lossless French PCM stereo audio on Torment (L’enfer)

– Optional English Subtitles

– Fully illustrated 80-page collector’s booklet of new writing on the films by film critics Martyn Conterio, Kat Ellinger, Philip Kemp, and Sam Wigley plus select archival material

– Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella

DISC ONE – COP AU VIN (POULET AU VINAIGRE)

– Brand new commentary by film critic Ben Sachs

– An Interview with Ian Christie, a brand new interview with film historian Ian Christie about the cinema of Claude Chabrol

– Claude Chabrol at the BFI, Chabrol discusses his career in this hour long archival interview conducted on-stage at the National Film Theatre in 1994

– Claude Chabrol, Jean Poiret & Stephane Audran in conversation, an archival Swiss TV episode in which the director and cast discuss Cop Au Vin (Poulet au vinaigre)

– Archive introduction by film scholar Joël Magny

– Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol

– Theatrical Trailer

– Image Gallery

DISC TWO – INSPECTOR LAVARDIN

– Brand new commentary by film critic Ben Sachs

– Why Chabrol?, a brand new interview with film critic Sam Wigley about why the films of Claude Chabrol remain essential viewing

– Archive introduction by film scholar Joël Magny

– Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol

– Theatrical Trailer

– Image Gallery

DISC THREE – MADAME BOVARY

– Brand new commentary by film critic Kat Ellinger

– Imagining Emma: Madame Bovary on screen, a brand new visual essay by film historian Pamela Hutchinson

– Archive introduction by film scholar Joël Magny

– Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol

– Theatrical Trailer

– Image Gallery

DISC FOUR – BETTY

– Brand new commentary by film critic Kat Ellinger

– Betty, from Simenon to Chabrol, a brand new visual essay by French Cinema historian Ginette Vincendeau

– An Interview with Ros Schwartz, a brand new interview with the English translator of the Georges Simenon novel on which the film is based

– Archive introduction by film scholar Joël Magny

– Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol

– Theatrical Trailer

– Image Gallery

DISC FIVE – TORMENT (L’ENFER)

– Brand new commentary by film critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson

– On Henri Georges Clouzot, an archival interview with Claude Chabrol in which he talks about fellow director Henri Georges Clouzot (Les diaboliques), whose original attempt to make L’enfer was abandoned, and how the project came to Chabrol

– An Interview with Marin Karmitz, an archival interview with Marin Karmitz, Chabrol’s most frequent producer

– Archive introduction by film scholar Joël Magny

– Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol

– Theatrical Trailer

– Image Gallery

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domino harvey
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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#2 Post by domino harvey » Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:51 pm

This is a US/UK release, so I’d be sure to snatch up the Cohen sets now if you don’t already have them as they may be going OOP. The Lavardin set contains the two TV movies Chabrol also directed and they are better than the theatrical films

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#3 Post by Glowingwabbit » Fri Nov 26, 2021 1:27 pm

domino harvey wrote:
Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:51 pm
This is a US/UK release, so I’d be sure to snatch up the Cohen sets now if you don’t already have them as they may be going OOP. The Lavardin set contains the two TV movies Chabrol also directed and they are better than the theatrical films
I believe the Lavardin set is already OOP and going for a lot. Perhaps there will be some people not thinking clearly that sell it off to grab this Arrow set.

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swo17
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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#4 Post by swo17 » Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:22 pm

L'Enfer starts out great but eventually gets to be a bit much. I haven't actually seen any of these other films, which I fear means that no one felt them worthy of mention during our forum's own Chabrol list, because otherwise I feel like I would have given them a shot.
domino harvey wrote:
Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:51 pm
This is a US/UK release, so I’d be sure to snatch up the Cohen sets now if you don’t already have them as they may be going OOP. The Lavardin set contains the two TV movies Chabrol also directed and they are better than the theatrical films
Can't sell off the Cohen set with Betty and L'Enfer either because you'd lose out on the excellent Rien ne va plus.

Gonna buy this anyway to support future Chabrol releases

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domino harvey
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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#5 Post by domino harvey » Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:47 pm

The Lavardin films are all built around the central character (though he’s more of a supporting player in the first one), but he never really works for me— he’s an asshole but not often in an interesting way. The quiz show TV movie is the best one though because Chabrol just leans in as hard as possible into him being a dick and it’s pretty funny (as are the shots at the absurd intelligentsia culture). L’enfer is the only great movie here, though no idea why they’re calling it that as the US releases were all “L’enfer”

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#6 Post by knives » Fri Nov 26, 2021 3:47 pm

Betty is the only one from this set that I love, but for C and B tier films this is a pretty reasonable set.

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#7 Post by Glowingwabbit » Fri Nov 26, 2021 4:07 pm

domino harvey wrote:
Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:47 pm
L’enfer is the only great movie here, though no idea why they’re calling it that as the US releases were all “L’enfer”
It seems like my opinion of this and the rest of the films in the set is identical to you, domino. I also already have the Cohen sets at least.

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#8 Post by vsski » Sat Nov 27, 2021 2:04 am

So here I am a week ago complaining how directors like Chabrol don’t get their due anymore and now Arrow releases a 5 film set. This would be fantastic except that’s not the 5 films I was hoping for.
I really enjoyed L’Enfer when I saw back in the cinema eons ago, and I also bought the old DVD, which wasn’t great quality wise. I always wanted to pick up the Cohen set but for reasons that escape me never got around to it.
Bovary was not my cup of tea and the others are barely stored in my memory bank any longer, which means they must not have made much of an impression.
Oh well, I guess I’ll pick it up anyhow just to support more and hopefully better releases.

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domino harvey
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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#9 Post by domino harvey » Sat Nov 27, 2021 2:28 am

Like others I will be picking this up (for the non-commentary extras and Bovary, which I don’t have a physical release of), but it makes me so sad that Chabrol finally gets a deluxe set like this and it’s just some of his least-essential films

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#10 Post by Calvin » Sat Nov 27, 2021 5:48 am

The annoying thing is that we know that if this doesn't sell well then it will be used to justify no further Chabrol releases, like how poor sales of The Poetic Trilogy put Arrow off releasing any more Iranian cinema whatsoever.

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#11 Post by GoodOldNeon » Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:38 am

I only know Chabrol from Les Cousins, Les Bonnes Femmes, and Le Boucher, which I saw a long time ago and don't have a clear memory of. In terms of a reintroduction to his cinema, would this boxset be better or worse than the French boxset that includes L'Enfer, La Cérémonie, Rien ne va plus, Merci pour le chocolat, and La Fleur du mal?

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#12 Post by Glowingwabbit » Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:55 am

GoodOldNeon wrote:
Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:38 am
I only know Chabrol from Les Cousins, Les Bonnes Femmes, and Le Boucher, which I saw a long time ago and don't have a clear memory of. In terms of a reintroduction to his cinema, would this boxset be better or worse than the French boxset that includes L'Enfer, La Cérémonie, Rien ne va plus, Merci pour le chocolat, and La Fleur du mal?
In terms of just the films themselves the Arrow set is definitely worse. As domino mentioned this set was literally the worst case scenario in terms of a lineup.

note: I can't speak to the transfers or special features

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swo17
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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#13 Post by swo17 » Sat Nov 27, 2021 10:16 am

GoodOldNeon wrote:
Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:38 am
L'Enfer, La Cérémonie, Rien ne va plus, Merci pour le chocolat, and La Fleur du mal
These five are about as good of an introduction as can be assembled to his post-'70s work, even if I'd personally switch out a couple titles for something else

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#14 Post by colinr0380 » Sun Nov 28, 2021 11:36 am

I'm still waiting for a deluxe (or any) edition of Dr M [-o<

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#15 Post by pistolwink » Mon Nov 29, 2021 11:37 pm

Several of his key late '60s and '70s films now exist in HD copies on European streaming sites (I can't speak to the technical quality). Yet as far as I can tell, Les Biches, La femme infidèle, Que la bête meure, Le Boucher, La Rupture, Juste avant la nuit, Les Noces rouges, Une partie de plaisir, to name a handful, aren't on Blu-Ray anywhere. Surely if the rights were get-able, indie companies would be all over these.

That said, in the meantime, there is this set available on Amazon.fr whose cover compares favorably with anything Arrow or Criterion have put together:

Image

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#16 Post by Ashirg » Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:08 pm


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domino harvey
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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#17 Post by domino harvey » Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:12 pm

Oh cool, more yellowed French films

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#18 Post by Glowingwabbit » Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:44 pm

domino harvey wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:12 pm
Oh cool, more yellowed French films
Well I guess it's good that if I ever buy this (when it's heavily discounted of course) it will be for the supplements only.

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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#19 Post by Calvin » Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:48 pm

I'm already bracing myself for how Mes petites amoureuses is going to look now that it's finally getting a restoration

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tenia
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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#20 Post by tenia » Wed Jan 26, 2022 5:10 pm

I don't even have to check but the Lavardin were most certainly restored by Eclair, and are not that much yellowed rather than tealed.
The last cap of Lavardin is an Eclair nightmare.
Only Madame Bovary, restored by Hiventy, is balanced in its grading.

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Matt
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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#21 Post by Matt » Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:13 pm

These look so harsh, dark, and unpleasant. Truly disappointing.

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domino harvey
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Re: Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol

#22 Post by domino harvey » Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:19 pm

Thankfully Madame Bovary is the only one I need on Blu, but I feel for anyone stuck with these for multiple reasons now

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Re: Arrow Announcements, Speculation & Wild, Irresponsible Conjecture

#23 Post by swo17 » Thu Jan 27, 2022 5:45 pm

"Twisting the Knife" as in films where that happens, or as in "The Sequel to Our First Boxset: Stabbing You in the Eye"?

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Re: Arrow Announcements, Speculation & Wild, Irresponsible Conjecture

#24 Post by domino harvey » Thu Jan 27, 2022 5:51 pm

What are the titles in the Chabrol box?

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Re: Arrow Announcements, Speculation & Wild, Irresponsible Conjecture

#25 Post by yoloswegmaster » Thu Jan 27, 2022 6:10 pm

domino harvey wrote:
Thu Jan 27, 2022 5:51 pm
What are the titles in the Chabrol box?
The listing on the Baseorg website doesn't specify. Based on the title though, maybe Le Boucher will be a part of it?

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