Joseph Losey on DVD

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Gordon · #1 Post by **Gordon** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:02 am

http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=ti ... =72&pa=rcs

A Paramount release. No specs yet.

If they are releasing this McDowell film, where the heck is If...?

yoshimori · #2 Post by **yoshimori** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:48 pm

Didn't think I should start a new thread for this bit of news. It may, however, be of interest to Losey fans.

I received my copy of The Romantic Englishwoman today and can report that, contrary to info on Amazon.co.uk, sendit.com, and the dvd box itself, the movie is letterboxed. For me, it's a fine film -- Glenda Jackson, Michael Caine, Helmut Berger; Tom Stoppard; Joseph Losey in semi-Resnais mode.

Gordon · #3 Post by **Gordon** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 9:25 am

That dark blue text is VERY hard to read. Is it necessary?

I have not seen The Romantic Englishwoman. I was not even aware it was available in the UK. Tom Stoppard wrote the screenplay. I feel that Losey is very much unappreciated these days. He was a very interesting filmmaker, who made many fine films.

Here are what I consider Losey's most important films. In the brackets is who owns the DVD rights, although some of which I cannot ascertain.

The Lawless (1950, Paramount)
I have never seen it, but it sounds interesting.

The Prowler (1951, MGM/Sony)
Fine Noir with Van Heflin. Never been on home video.

M (1951, Columbia)
Totally underappreciated remake of Lang's masterpiece.

The Big Night (1951, MGM/Sony)
Excellent Hamletian 'coming-of-age' Noir.

The Sleeping Tiger (1954, ???)
Brilliant, beautifully shot psychological thriller.
Why is this not on DVD? Who owns the rights?

Time Without Pity (1957, on DVD from HVE)
Intricate murder-mystery. Solid direction from Losey.

The Gypsy and the Gentleman (1958, ???)
Custume drama pre-cursor to The Servant.

Blind Date (1959)
Visually impressive mystery-thriller. Practically forgotten today.

The Criminal (1960, on DVD from Anchor Bay)
Raw, exilirating crime drawa with superb performances
from Stanley Baker and Sam Wanamaker.

Eva (1962, on DVD from Kino)
Neglected for years, it was finally released on DVD in 2000 by Kino.
While interesting and soildly directed, it isn't one of Losey's best.

The Damned (1963, Columbia)
Why is this not on DVD? Very frustrating. Quintessential British 60s sci-fi.

Servant (1963, on DVD from Anchor Bay / Canal in UK)
Dark, disturbing examination of social status from Losey. Beautifully shot.

King & Country (1964, on DVD from VCI / BHE in UK)
Brilliant anti-war drama set in First World War.

Accident (1967, on DVD from Anchor Bay / Canal in the UK)
Slow, meditative, absorbing study in hubris and
middle-aged dissatisfaction. Great performances.

Figures in a Landscape (1970, coming soon from Paramount)
Massively underrated, almost-forgotten allegorical masterpiece from Losey.
Strange, sweaty atmosphere. I am so glad it is coming to DVD,
as I'll finally been able to see the Panavision framing.

The Go-Between (1970, Columbia)
Excellent adaptation. Sorely needed on DVD.

The Romantic Englishwoman (1975, on DVD in the UK from Odyssey Video)
As I say, I have not seen it, but I will.

Monsieur Klein (1976, on DVD from HVE)
Awesome study in identity with a terrifying reversal of fortune for Alain Delon.
Beautiful production design and shot in contrasting styles of decadence and despair.
Great film. Should have been upgraded to a Criterion, I feel.

La Truite (1982, on DVD from HVE)
I haven't seen this one - is it good?

There are definitely a few films there that sorely need a DVD edition.

solent · #4 Post by **solent** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 8:50 pm

THE GO-BETWEEN on DVD almost seems to be an impossibility and in the light of the many released classic US & UK 60s-70s films on DVD - good and bad - I am surprised it hasn't cropped up anywhere by now. This film ranks second, after ACCIDENT, as my favourite Losey.

Hrossa · #5 Post by **Hrossa** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 9:51 pm

Hey, Modesty Blaise is out on DVD. Or is everyone just ignoring that one?

Gordon · #6 Post by **Gordon** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:33 am

Hey, Modesty Blaise is out on DVD. Or is everyone just ignoring that one?

Yes. I don't like it. I only listed the Losey films that I like or those that I deem interesting or important.

At least one Losey film should be in the Criterion Collection. They definitely missed the boat with Monsieur Klein. It's a devastating film, featuring Delon's best performance, perhaps.

Billy Liar · #7 Post by **Billy Liar** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 2:57 pm

Picked up an old VHS of Figures In The Landscape(although it was titled The Hunted) and to call it a masterpiece is a little over the top in my humble opinion.

kieslowski_67 · #8 Post by **kieslowski_67** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:56 pm

solent wrote:THE GO-BETWEEN on DVD almost seems to be an impossibility and in the light of the many released classic US & UK 60s-70s films on DVD - good and bad - I am surprised it hasn't cropped up anywhere by now. This film ranks second, after ACCIDENT, as my favourite Losey.

That's my favorite Losey. Did it win the Palm d'Or that year at Cannes?

Lino · #9 Post by **Lino** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 3:38 am

Yes, and it's one of my favorite films and a very faithful adaptation of L. P. Hartley book. I had to read at school (and for once enjoyed it tremendously) and was very curious about the film. Let's just say that I was more than pleased with Christie's and Bate's performances: they were spot on!

Gordon · #10 Post by **Gordon** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 2:48 pm

deleted

tryavna · #11 Post by **tryavna** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 1:27 pm

I've recently rekindled my interest in Losey by finally getting around to watching Mr. Klein -- a gripping and devastating film (if perhaps just a touch too long). I totally agree with Gordon that Criterion missed the boat on this release. Perhaps it would have sparked greater interest in Losey, who sadly seems to have fallen off most people's radars.

Anyway, my real question is about King & Country, which is next on my list. Has anybody compared VCI's release with the Region 2 (from BHE, whatever that stands for)? I'm always a little nervous going with VCI, even though I like to support them for treating PD titles with more respect than usual. But the R2 costs 3x as much as the VCI. Is there a significant difference in A/V quality or extras that justifies going R2 with this one? Or is the VCI worth $7? Any advice would be appreciated.

yoshimori · #12 Post by **yoshimori** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 1:56 pm

Gordon McMurphy wrote:Figures in a Landscape ... is available in Holland:

http://www.12buydvd.com/shop/product_in ... anguage=en

This is an excellent Dutch DVD site.

But they don't seem to ship to the US.

Gordon · #13 Post by **Gordon** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:02 pm

The BBFC passed, Figures in a Landscape on 7 March 2006, with a "15" certificate, for DVD release: Go here

ASDA (!) list a May 29 release date.

Excellent news.

FilmFanSea · #14 Post by **FilmFanSea** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 10:26 pm

It's not on your list of Jospeh Losey's most important films, Gordon, but Universal UK is releasing Secret Ceremony (1968) on May 8th.

Gordon · #15 Post by **Gordon** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:32 pm

Secret Ceremony is... interesting, but isn't even second-tier Losey in my eyes. Great to see a DVD though; I'll rent it when it comes out.

The Assassination of Trotsky is generally awful, with two moments of brilliance. Delon speaking english is always a bad choice (Farewell My, Friend is a fine film, though). Coverage and editing is unexpectedly poor throughout. The bullfight scene is beautifully shot, but confusion reigns in this film. There was a fullscreen UK DVD released in 2000, but it is now OOP.

I have not seen Don Giovanni.

skuhn8 · #16 Post by **skuhn8** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 3:32 am

Gordon McMurphy wrote:Secret Ceremony is... interesting, but isn't even second-tier Losey in my eyes. Great to see a DVD though; I'll rent it when it comes out.

The Assassination of Trotsky is generally awful, with two moments of brilliance. Delon speaking english is always a bad choice (Farewell My, Friend is a fine film, though). Coverage and editing is unexpectedly poor throughout. The bullfight scene is beautifully shot, but confusion reigns in this film. There was a fullscreen UK DVD released in 2000, but it is now OOP.

I have not seen Don Giovanni.

In Hungary Mr. Klein just went out of print, but an anamorphic widescreen release of Trotsky is still available...if anyone is interested.

tryavna · #17 Post by **tryavna** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 11:53 am

Gordon McMurphy wrote:I have not seen Don Giovanni.

Gordon, you must check out Losey's adaptation of Don G! Some people complain about the sound quality and the messed-up lip-synching, but it's a beautiful production. And Raimondi is brilliant in the title role. I don't think it's top-drawer Losey, but it's fascinating and rewarding for fans of the director (or the opera).

starmanof51 · #18 Post by **starmanof51** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 8:28 pm

Secret Ceremony is absolutely essential for appreciators of high-camp Liz Taylor train wrecks - right there with Reflections in a Golden Eye and X, Y and Zee.

starmanof51 · #19 Post by **starmanof51** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 4:53 pm

Oh, I'd say nothing against Liz in this, and possibly not even against the direction of her. But it's in service of such a howler! Larry Olivier in Plan 9 From Outer Space would still be...well, even funnier! I love Mitchum's speech about his late wife's boobs, and how Liz resembles a cow, but its ok, because he's fond of cows. And then adds that delightful postscript - "Moo."

Mia Farrow doing her English accent is nearly as inherently smirkworthy as Gwyneth Paltrow.

The Snoop Sister aunts are quite welcome as they walk through, doubtless to the set of a nearby Hammer production.

A must own, but I might hold out for R1.

Barmy · #20 Post by **Barmy** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:35 pm

I see that the Boom! VHS can be purchased at Amazon.ca for just CDN $200 so I guess there is little interest in it.

Both Secret Ceremony and Boom! are beautifully shot films that in my opinion accurately reflect the zeigeist of the late 60's. I like most of Losey's work, but I certainly prefer these over some of his more "serious" work.

We need a Criterion Boom! stat!

Lino · #21 Post by **Lino** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:05 pm

Barmy wrote:We need a Criterion Boom! stat!

Here, here! With a John Waters commentary!

Lino · #22 Post by **Lino** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 11:43 am

So, has anyone bought the UK edition of Secret Ceremony or the dutch one for Figures in a Landscape and would care to comment?

Kay Hoog · #23 Post by **Kay Hoog** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 1:27 pm

Gordon McMurphy wrote:The Sleeping Tiger (1954, ???)
Brilliant, beautifully shot psychological thriller.
Why is this not on DVD? Who owns the rights?

I agree, this definitely needs a DVD edition. Warners had the rights for this VHS edition amazon.co.uk

Gordon · #24 Post by **Gordon** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 10:51 am

I was able to rent the Figures in a Landscape DVD here:
www.lovefilm.com/view_dvd.php?dt_id=33703

But guess what: The transfer is NON-anamorphic. Very strange, with it being a Paramount title. Maybe this is why it has been delayed. The element used is very clean, with good colour saturation. But, due to it being non-anamorphic, presumably, it shimmers in places. The mono audio is excellent, though, for a film of this vintage.

A helluva goof from Paramount; let's hope that they re-transfer the same element anamorphically and get it out ASAP. I still maintain that this is a powerful, masterful film; the scenes up the Andes (actually the Sierra Nevadas in Spain) including Shaw's story about how he met his wife are strange, haunting. Amazing score by the great Richard Rodney Bennett.

Lino · #25 Post by **Lino** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 3:48 am

Beaver review of the UK disc of Secret Ceremony:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview ... review.htm