Alain Resnais on DVD

[repeat]

MK2 is apparently releasing a new French Resnais box

Can anyone confirm if "La Guerre" in this box has english subtitles, or is it identical to the separate disc? The MK2 site isn't clear on this, it says anglais for the whole box but I wonder.

[Tutut]

There's a warning from MK2 about the boxset meaning the specs are not for every film in the box.

Attention, ces spécificités ne concernent pas tout le contenu du produit.

La guerre est finie from this set and the single edition are the same, french subs for the hearing impaired only.

[tojoed]

Optimum in the UK are releasing Stavisky (1974) on DVD in April.

[antnield]

Optimum in the UK are releasing Stavisky (1974) on DVD in April.

As with A Double Tour mentioned in another thread, this was previously available as part of their Belmondo boxed-set, so presumably a straightforward stand-alone reissue.

[Aunt Peg]

The latest Alain Resnais film 'You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet' is being released on DVD by Studiocanal in the UK on 7 January 2013.

Odd that it has gone directly to DVD without a cinema release. No UK Blu Ray release that I am aware of though it will be released in France during January on Blu Ray (probably without English subtitles).

[Brad]

I liked this film a lot but it's hard to imagine a cinema release in this day and age. It is much less user-friendly than Resnais' other recent work.

[Dazza]

It got a very limited/"special" cinema release (of about a week) at London's Cine Lumiere just before Christmas, which was obviously just a platform for the DVD release. I received the DVD today and hope to get it watched in the next day or two. It's one I've wanted to see for a while, but I missed it in French cinemas and also at the London Film Festival. I had the French Blu pre-ordered for some time (yep, no English subs) but thought I may as well get the SD for now and may eventually upgrade. I noticed that on the same day (yesterday) StudioCanal also released Partners in Crime on DVD in the UK -- a second sequel, and neither of the previous 2 films have ever been released in the UK? Also interesting to note that it and the Resnais are getting released in the UK a good couple of weeks or so before the French discs.

[joshua]

If you are holding out for Blu-ray, you might want to wait and see what Kino has planned since they hold the US rights.

[Aunt Peg]

For the last couple of issues Film Comment have been including a column titled 'Restoration Row - Coming soon from the front lines of film preservation'.

In the latest edition of Film Comment (Sep/Oct 2013) top of the list is Providence, which is currently being restored by Jupiter Communications.

Hopefully a Blu Ray/DVD release of this Resnais title will emerge sometime in the not too distant future.

[andyli]

The restored version is showing as part of the NYFF next Monday.

[Stefan Andersson]

Jupiter Films, France, has announced their 16:9 DVD release of Providence. English version and dubbed versions. Will be interesting to see if subs are optional.
More info and link to press release PDF in French (includes the DP telling stories about bad original lab work and how he discovered that footage in the last shot had been replaced with internegative materials, the OCN being damaged, maybe lost):
http://www.jupiter-films.com/film-providence,8.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jack Phillips]

We all might as well wait for the inevitable Blu release of the restoration.

[Aunt Peg]

Looks like Je T’aime, Je T’aime may finally be coming to home video for the English speaking market:

http://cinema.wisc.edu/blog/2014/07/31/ ... e-je-taime" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[furbicide]

Two Alain Resnais DVDs I've been trying to get hold of for ages are Je T'Aime, Je T'Aime and Providence. The first has had a recent release from Kino Lorber, while the latter appears to have been released some time back by a French company called Jupiter Films. Does anyone know anything about either release and whether they're worth getting? I'm particularly curious about the latter; is it just a glorified bootleg, or have they put some decent work into it? Any information on either disc would be appreciated.

[artfilmfan]

Je t'aime, Je t'aime was reviewed by blu-ray dot com back in November.

[furbicide]

Thanks, artfilmfan – looks great.

I just found this review of Providence:

http://worldcinemaparadise.com/2014/03/ ... ence-1977/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You have to get through a lot of synopsis to get to the actual review of the DVD, so I'll post the relevant paragraphs here:

Jupiter Communications’ Region 2 PAL DVD of Providence is an acceptable presentation that isn’t quite up to present standards of quality. Apparently Jupiter acquired the rights, recovered the negative from the lab and performed a 2K scan restoration. The director of photography then supervised the timing so that it matched the release prints and early video masters. The colors are good but the image still looks soft, especially in a large screen home theater situation.

Jupiter does make a good effort to be thorough with its extras. Their disc contains video interviews with cameraman Ricardo Aronovitch, actor Pierre Arditi and the designer Jacques Saulnier, and an audio interview with Alain Resnais. American viewers will be happy to know that the disc is encoded with its original English track and a dubbed French track, and a choice of either French or English subtitles.

No screenshots, unfortunately. Jonathan Rosenbaum actually included it as one of his five favourite DVD releases of last year, but I'm not exactly sure whether that means he thought the release was great or he just loves the film.

http://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-sound-magaz ... -rays-2014" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Beware the first pressing of Providence if buying second-hand as it is a web of glitches and sound issues.
Best to get direct from Jupiter, particularly if you want a little strip of 35mm as keepsake.

[furbicide]

Does anyone know why this DVD of Providence is so hard to get posted overseas? There are at least a handful of listings on Amazon.fr and elsewhere, but none of them ship internationally. I tried the Jupiter website but they require a login – a month after registering, I still haven't received a confirmation email.

It's a shame, because I really want to get this film, even at the (honestly pretty exorbitant) price of AU$60+. Not sure why Jupiter haven't made it more widely available. Is there really such a lack of demand, given that the film has never been released on DVD with the original soundtrack*? And after they apparently put so much work into it, too. The whole thing seems rather strange.

*There is a very rare Spanish DVD from years back that apparently only had the French dub with Spanish subtitles.

[furbicide]

Sorry to go on about this, but I really don't understand the situation with this DVD. Have tried to contact Jupiter Films twice and have never heard back from them. If someone who has experience of ordering from them – or just understands how some of these boutique labels work – could give me some advice, it'd be much appreciated!

[Aunt Peg]

Sorry to go on about this, but I really don't understand the situation with this DVD. Have tried to contact Jupiter Films twice and have never heard back from them. If someone who has experience of ordering from them – or just understands how some of these boutique labels work – could give me some advice, it'd be much appreciated!

Try FNAC http://video.fnac.com/a6454651/Providen ... ulti-zones" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That is where I purchased. You'll probably pay more but if you really want to purchase a copy…..