FILM / NOTFILM

Discuss releases by the BFI and the films on them.

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rapta
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FILM / NOTFILM

#1 Post by rapta » Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:22 am

Dual Format Edition coming May 22nd.
In this extensive Kino-Essay, Ross Lipman explores the literary, cinematic and personal history surrounding the production of Samuel Beckett's only screenplay for cinema FILM (1965), starring Buster Keaton.

The picture was deemed a failure by Beckett, and totally mystifying by Keaton, Lipman's energetic and cinephilic curiosity delves deep into the playwright's ideas and their genesis. Citing clips from the work of Buñuel, Vertov, Vigo and Eisenstein, and featuring interviews with cinematographer Haskell Wexler and the film's producer Barney Rosset, NOTFILM examines the project's themes and legacy in an original, creative and dynamic fashion.

Also featured is FILM (1965), directed by Alan Schneider and recently restored by Ross Lipman and the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

Special features TBC

FILM: USA | 1965 | Black and white | 20 mins | Silent
NOTFILM: USA | 2015 | Colour | 130 mins
Last edited by rapta on Tue Feb 14, 2017 1:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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swo17
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#2 Post by swo17 » Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:59 am

Nice! Especially since it seems that Milestone is releasing the two films separately.

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What A Disgrace
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#3 Post by What A Disgrace » Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:02 am

I hope the BFI matches the supplements from the Milestone releases, as they are pretty extensive. Definitely getting this one.

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rapta
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#4 Post by rapta » Tue Feb 14, 2017 12:56 pm

Yes, makes sense for region free collectors to import this rather than get the Milestone releases, especially if they can replicate all the same extras. We'll have to see though - sometimes BFI change the extras a little bit, omitting some and gaining others. They also might try and squeeze everything onto a single BD and/or make certain extras DVD-only.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 1979 Schneider remake of FILM seems to be exclusive the BFI release, so there's already that difference...

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Roger Ryan
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#5 Post by Roger Ryan » Tue Feb 14, 2017 1:00 pm

rapta wrote: ...Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 1979 Schneider remake of FILM seems to be exclusive the BFI release, so there's already that difference...
I don't think there was a remake (re-edit?); the description has been changed to reflect the correct year of the original release date:
Also featured is FILM (1965), directed by Alan Schneider and recently restored by Ross Liman and the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

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rapta
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#6 Post by rapta » Tue Feb 14, 2017 1:32 pm

Roger Ryan wrote:
rapta wrote: ...Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 1979 Schneider remake of FILM seems to be exclusive the BFI release, so there's already that difference...
I don't think there was a remake (re-edit?); the description has been changed to reflect the correct year of the original release date:
Also featured is FILM (1965), directed by Alan Schneider and recently restored by Ross Liman and the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Ah right, yeah I corrected it as I was confused. There was a BFI-produced 'remake' done by a guy called David Rayner Clark, and for some reason I assumed it was that (I will correct it now).

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Roger Ryan
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#7 Post by Roger Ryan » Tue Feb 14, 2017 4:40 pm

rapta wrote:...There was a BFI-produced 'remake' done by a guy called David Rayner Clark, and for some reason I assumed it was that (I will correct it now).
Thanks for alerting me to the remake (starring Max Wall in the Keaton role) which would actually make a pretty interesting extra for the BFI release...just not in lieu of the original 1965 version!

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MichaelB
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#8 Post by MichaelB » Tue Feb 14, 2017 5:35 pm

I'd be very curious to see it. Beckett himself disowned it because it didn't follow his script sufficiently meticulously (in particular, his demand for 99% total silence on the soundtrack - the 1979 version apparently has music), but original authors are never the most reliable judges.

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antnield
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#9 Post by antnield » Thu Feb 16, 2017 12:54 pm

Image

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domino harvey
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#10 Post by domino harvey » Thu Feb 16, 2017 12:57 pm

"Kino-Essay" belongs to the same school of pretentious descriptors as "film psychoanalyst"

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knives
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#11 Post by knives » Thu Feb 16, 2017 2:38 pm

Long used if a little over the top?

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domino harvey
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#12 Post by domino harvey » Thu Feb 16, 2017 2:46 pm

I don't believe it is "long used," it's my understanding the director coined the term in homage to Vertov
L. G. — Could you explain the meaning of “Notfilm” and of “kino-essay”, the expression you use to describe your documentary?

R. L. — “Kino-essay” obviously refers to Dziga Vertov — to his concept of Kino Eye and Kino Ear — because “kino” is the Russian word for “film” or “cinema”. Notfilm is in the essay film tradition, but technically it’s not a film, it’s digital. The word “film” is archaic in this context; it’s no longer accurate for a digital work. So I’m calling attention to our use of language and the long history of essay-documentary that traces back to the 1920’s and Vertov.

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knives
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#13 Post by knives » Thu Feb 16, 2017 3:01 pm

I've heard it before. Obviously cine-essay is the more common form, but kino in place of cinema isn't the most uncommon thing.

drdoros
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#14 Post by drdoros » Wed Mar 22, 2017 9:21 pm

The only feature we couldn't give the BFI was the telefilm of WAITING FOR GODOT. It's not PD outside the States and the ownership is impossibly convoluted.

Dennis
Milestone Film & Video

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antnield
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#15 Post by antnield » Wed Mar 29, 2017 6:39 am

More info on the contents, courtesy of the Amazon listing:
Film (Alan Schneider, 1965, 22 mins) is the Nobel Prize winner Samuel Beckett s only screenplay, starring the legendary Buster Keaton. Made in 1965 this short has been recently restored by Ross Lipman and the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

In his extensive Kino-Essay, Notfilm (2015, 129 mins), Ross Lipman explores the literary, cinematic and personal history surrounding the production. Citing clips from the work of Buñuel, Vertov, Vigo and Eisenstein, and featuring interviews with cinematographer Haskell Wexler, Billie Whitelaw and the film's producer Barney Rossey, Notfilm examines the project's themes and legacy in an original, creative and dynamic fashion.

Also included is the rare 1979 British remake of Film starring comedian Max Wall.

Special features:

- The Street Scene (6 mins): A lost scene reconstruction from the film outtakes
- The Dog and Cat Takes (9 mins): Outtakes from the 1965 version of Film
- 'What if E's Eyes Were Closed?' (7 mins): Audio recordings of Beckett, Kaufman and Schneider (7 mins, with hard-of-hearing subtitles)
- Buster Keaton and Film: James Karen in Conversation (42 mins)
- Memories of Samuel Beckett: An Afternoon with James Knowlson (8 mins)
- Jeanette Seaver: Beckett and Godot (4 mins)
- Stills and Photo Gallery (TBC)
- Photographing Beckett (7 mins)
- The Music of NOTFILM: Downloadable MP3 recording by Mihály Víg (DVD only)
- Illustrated booklet with new writings by Ross Lipman, Michael Brooke and Vic Pratt

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MichaelB
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FILM / NOTFILM

#16 Post by MichaelB » Fri May 05, 2017 6:28 am

Full specs announced:
Film / Notfilm
A Film by Samuel Beckett and a Kino-Essay by Ross Lipman


3-Disc Dual Format Edition (DVD/Blu-ray) release on 22 May 2017

Film (1965), Nobel Prize winner Samuel Beckett’s lone work for projected cinema, is a beguiling experimental short film in which a probing camera pursues a character named “O”, played by silent screen legend Buster Keaton.

In his Kino-Essay, Notfilm (2015), Ross Lipman explores the history surrounding the production of Film. Citing the work of Buñuel, Vertov, Vigo and Eisenstein, and featuring interviews with cinematographer Haskell Wexler, Billie Whitelaw, producer Barney Rosset and others, Notfilm examines Film's genesis, production, themes, and philosophical implications.

Special features
• New restoration of Film (1965) by Ross Lipman and the UCLA Film and Television Archive;
Film (David Rayner Clark, 1979, 26 mins): rare British remake starring comedian Max Wall;
The Street Scene (6 mins): a lost scene reconstruction from the Film outtakes;
The Dog and Cat Takes (8 mins): outtakes from the 1965 version of Film;
'What if E's Eyes Were Closed?' (7 mins): audio recordings of Beckett, Kaufman and Schneider;
Buster Keaton and Film: James Karen in Conversation (42 mins);
Memories of Samuel Beckett: An Afternoon with James Knowlson (8 mins);
Jean Schneider: Memories of Alan Schneider (11 mins);
Jeanette Seaver: Beckett and Godot (4 mins);
• Photos Galleries;
Photographing Beckett (7 mins);
Notfilm trailer;
The Music of Notfilm: downloadable MP3 recording by Mihály Víg (DVD only);
• Illustrated booklet with new writings by Ross Lipman, Michael Brooke and Vic Pratt

Product details
RRP: £19.99/ Cat. no. BFIB1235 / Cert PG
Film/Notfilm: USA / 1965 + 2015 / black and white / 22 mins and 129 mins / English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles / original aspect ratio 1.37:1 // BD50: 1080p, 24fps, Film: PCM 2.0 mono (48kHz/24-bit) Notfilm: 5.1 DTS-HD master audio (48kHz/24-bit) DVD9 x 2: PAL, 25fps, Film: Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (224kbps) Notfilm: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (224kbps)
...and here's the trailer for Notfilm.

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StevenJ0001
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Re: FILM / NOTFILM

#17 Post by StevenJ0001 » Sun Aug 20, 2017 12:24 pm

Does anyone have either this or the Milestone versions? Given that the Milestone has the Godot production, which seems like a pretty attractive extra, is there any compelling reason to go for the BFI instead (disregarding cost and the convenience of one set vs. two individual releases)?

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