Terence Davies
Moderator: MichaelB
- What A Disgrace
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:34 pm
- Contact:
- What A Disgrace
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:34 pm
- Contact:
Movie Mail has some specs for upcoming BFI discs.
THE LONG DAY CLOSES
- Full Feature commentary Terence Davis and DoP Mick Coulter
- On set interview with production designer Christopher Hobbs
- Behind the scenes footage of Terence Davies directing
- Fully illustrated booklet
THE TERENCE DAVIES TRILOGY
- Interview with director
- Director's commentary
- Fully illustrated booklet with an essay on the film by Derek Jarman.
...while Amazon UK indicates that Les Demoiselles de Rochefort will be coming in July.
...and Play.com has preliminary specs for the Demy film.
* 25th year anniversary documentary
* Interview with Catherine Deneuve (tbc)
* Audio lecture of Gene Kelly
* Audio interview with Jacques Demy (tbc)
Sounds like a two disc set to me; coupled with the higher price tag. I'm in...lest Criterion's new Miramax deal prove fruitful in this regard.
THE LONG DAY CLOSES
- Full Feature commentary Terence Davis and DoP Mick Coulter
- On set interview with production designer Christopher Hobbs
- Behind the scenes footage of Terence Davies directing
- Fully illustrated booklet
THE TERENCE DAVIES TRILOGY
- Interview with director
- Director's commentary
- Fully illustrated booklet with an essay on the film by Derek Jarman.
...while Amazon UK indicates that Les Demoiselles de Rochefort will be coming in July.
...and Play.com has preliminary specs for the Demy film.
* 25th year anniversary documentary
* Interview with Catherine Deneuve (tbc)
* Audio lecture of Gene Kelly
* Audio interview with Jacques Demy (tbc)
Sounds like a two disc set to me; coupled with the higher price tag. I'm in...lest Criterion's new Miramax deal prove fruitful in this regard.
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
I had a sneak preview of the new The Long Day Closes DVD last night.
Absolutely gorgeous transfer - but since it was sourced from the original negative, approved by Terence Davies and cinematographer Mick Coulter, and with the sound presented in uncompressed PCM stereo for good measure (the great advantage of an 82-minute running time!), that's not too surprising.
What was more surprising was how much more powerful the film was than I recall from 1992 (the first and only other time I saw it), almost certainly because my own knowledge of the social history and popular culture that Davies refers to so obsessively has increased dramatically in the meantime, so I found I was drawn much more into Davies' world. Obviously, I'd always appreciated the film's formal virtues (you'd have to be blind and deaf not to), but this time round I found it intensely moving as well - not least because this indisputably great filmmaker has been forced to spend so much time in the wilderness since.
Davies and Coulter perform a double-act on the commentary, which neatly balances the personal and the technical, with lots of terrific anecdotes (both about the filming and Davies' own life) and I think they namecheck every single one of what are apparently 46 quotations from popular films and songs. I also loved their defence of the much-maligned "carpet shot".
Other extras include a fascinating 10-minute study of Davies meticulously staging a single shot, and a shorter interview with designer Christopher Hobbs - both sourced from uncut footage shot for a 1992 South Bank Show on Davies. The booklet has essays by Paul Farley (who wrote the BFI Modern Classic on Distant Voices Still Lives) and two Sight & Sound reprints - an illustrated article on the look of the film, and Raymond Durgnat's original review.
But the most pleasant surprise, because it wasn't mentioned in the press release, was the presumably last-minute addition of a trailer for Of Time and the City, which looks just as enthralling as the ecstatic reviews have hinted.
Absolutely gorgeous transfer - but since it was sourced from the original negative, approved by Terence Davies and cinematographer Mick Coulter, and with the sound presented in uncompressed PCM stereo for good measure (the great advantage of an 82-minute running time!), that's not too surprising.
What was more surprising was how much more powerful the film was than I recall from 1992 (the first and only other time I saw it), almost certainly because my own knowledge of the social history and popular culture that Davies refers to so obsessively has increased dramatically in the meantime, so I found I was drawn much more into Davies' world. Obviously, I'd always appreciated the film's formal virtues (you'd have to be blind and deaf not to), but this time round I found it intensely moving as well - not least because this indisputably great filmmaker has been forced to spend so much time in the wilderness since.
Davies and Coulter perform a double-act on the commentary, which neatly balances the personal and the technical, with lots of terrific anecdotes (both about the filming and Davies' own life) and I think they namecheck every single one of what are apparently 46 quotations from popular films and songs. I also loved their defence of the much-maligned "carpet shot".
Other extras include a fascinating 10-minute study of Davies meticulously staging a single shot, and a shorter interview with designer Christopher Hobbs - both sourced from uncut footage shot for a 1992 South Bank Show on Davies. The booklet has essays by Paul Farley (who wrote the BFI Modern Classic on Distant Voices Still Lives) and two Sight & Sound reprints - an illustrated article on the look of the film, and Raymond Durgnat's original review.
But the most pleasant surprise, because it wasn't mentioned in the press release, was the presumably last-minute addition of a trailer for Of Time and the City, which looks just as enthralling as the ecstatic reviews have hinted.
- Finch
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
Thanks for the heads-up re THE LONG DAY CLOSES, Michael. I had the film on preorder for weeks and it sounds like a marvellous package. I already have the BFI's great DVD of DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES and am looking forward to seeing THE LONG DAY CLOSES for the first time. Davies is one of a kind and I hope the enthusiastic reception of Of Time and The City will enable him to develop a new feature film.
As an aside, any chances of the BFI releasing more Naruse?
As an aside, any chances of the BFI releasing more Naruse?
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
I understand that this is indeed the outcome, and that he might well be shooting another feature before too long.Mr Finch wrote:Davies is one of a kind and I hope the enthusiastic reception of Of Time and The City will enable him to develop a new feature film.
No idea, I'm afraid - and I can't comment on unannounced releases even if I did know!As an aside, any chances of the BFI releasing more Naruse?
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- Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2006 1:33 pm
- Finch
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
Just finished watching The Long Day Closes: what a wonderful film. As in Distant Voices, Still Lives, there are images in this film that are breathtakingly beautiful: I particularly liked the sequence scored to Debbie Reynolds singing Tammy is in Love with successive overhead shots of Bud by the family house's entrance, the community praying in church and the boys finishing their school lessons, while on the soundtrack you hear snippets of film dialogue (Kind Hearts and Coronets). Again, as with the previous film, I find it very striking how endlessly evocative Davies' work is and how authentic and complete it feels just because he doesn't follow a conventional narrative and focuses on the small, seemingly unimportant details. The cast, again, is uniformly excellent and the film is refreshingly unsentimental, lighter in tone than Distant Voices, Still Lives but still retains the earlier film's bittersweet, melancholy mood.
Kudos to the BFI for bringing this film to DVD and with a top-notch transfer: the picture looked lovely on my 50 inch plasma and the sound was crystal clear. I haven't watched the extras yet but the footage of Davies directing looks very intriguing. This is a must-buy and one of the finest releases of the year.
=D>
Kudos to the BFI for bringing this film to DVD and with a top-notch transfer: the picture looked lovely on my 50 inch plasma and the sound was crystal clear. I haven't watched the extras yet but the footage of Davies directing looks very intriguing. This is a must-buy and one of the finest releases of the year.
=D>
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- Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 9:47 am
- Red Screamer
- Joined: Tue Jul 16, 2013 12:34 pm
- Location: Tativille, IA
Re: Terence Davies
Davies is now an honorary doctor of literature. The picture of him in cap and gown is priceless
- hearthesilence
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
- Location: NYC
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- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 5:48 pm
Re: Terence Davies
Is there any rumours regrading upcoming Blu-ray's for Terence Davies trilogy or "Distant Voices, Still Lives"?
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
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Re: Terence Davies
If anyone puts it out, it'll be the BFI, but I'm not aware of any plans.
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
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Re: Terence Davies
The BFI’s Ben Stoddart has confirmed an October release of a new 4K restoration in the current Home Cinema Choice.
- Mr. Deltoid
- Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:32 am
Re: Terence Davies
For Distant Voices . . ? If so, that's great news and another title to cross off my HD Wish List!MichaelB wrote:The BFI’s Ben Stoddart has confirmed an October release of a new 4K restoration in the current Home Cinema Choice.
- hearthesilence
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
- Location: NYC
Re: Terence Davies
I hope it is, been waiting forever (as one can probably see from my past posts).Mr. Deltoid wrote:For Distant Voices . . ? If so, that's great news and another title to cross off my HD Wish List!MichaelB wrote:The BFI’s Ben Stoddart has confirmed an October release of a new 4K restoration in the current Home Cinema Choice.
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
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Re: Terence Davies
It is - sorry: I didn't register that this was a general Terence Davies thread.
(I was on my phone, and clicked on Distant Voices Still Lives in the master list.)
(I was on my phone, and clicked on Distant Voices Still Lives in the master list.)
- FrauBlucher
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
- Location: Greenwich Village
Re: Terence Davies
Put me in that camp as well. One of my most wanted films to get a bluray release. I was hoping Criterion was releasing this after they released After a Long Day Closes. But a 4k resto release from BFI is just as good. It’s just doggone outstanding if so.
- dda1996a
- Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2015 6:14 am
Re: Terence Davies
Count for me in for sure. I still need to watch all his fiction films after Long Day Closes, but I consider both LDC and DVSL some of my favorite films
- Oedipax
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:48 am
- Location: Atlanta
Re: Terence Davies
That is just fantastic news. My favorite Davies and one of my favorites period.
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- Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am
Re: Terence Davies
Venues are still to be confirmed but the BFI will be releasing their new 4K restoration of Distant Voices, Still Lives in UK cinemas from August 31st.
I'm guessing that we would have heard if they'd also restored any of Davies' other films, but I wonder if they'll upgrade their DVD box set as a whole? I think they were all HD masters (excluding Of Time and the City, for obvious reasons) with The Long Day Closes since being restored for Criterion.
I'm guessing that we would have heard if they'd also restored any of Davies' other films, but I wonder if they'll upgrade their DVD box set as a whole? I think they were all HD masters (excluding Of Time and the City, for obvious reasons) with The Long Day Closes since being restored for Criterion.
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
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Re: Terence Davies
The restored Blu-ray of Distant Voices Still Lives has been confirmed for a 22 October release.