Polish Cinema on Disc

[MichaelB]

I've just been informed by a friend - and this is backed up by their website (though you have to dig into a Polish-language PDF download to find the info!) - that Best Film Co's 50 lat Polskiej Szkoły Filmowej (50 Years of the Polish Film School) series of box sets is English-subtitled throughout.

This is what's in the four boxes to date:

Box I

• Kanal (d. Andrzej Wajda, 1957)
  Lotna (d. Andrzej Wajda, 1959)
  See You Tomorrow (Do widzenia, do jutra, d. Janusz Morgenstern, 1960)
  The Last Day of Summer (Ostatni dzień lata, d. Tadeusz Konwicki, 1958)
  Ashes and Diamonds (Popiól i diament, d. Andrzej Wajda, 1958)

Box II

• Bad Luck (Zezowate szczęście, d. Andrzej Munk, 1959)
  Eroica (d. Andrzej Munk, 1958)
  Night Train (Pociąg, d. Jerzy Kawalerowicz, 1959)
  Cross of Valour (Krzyż walecznych, d. Kazimierz Kutz, 1958)
  No-One Cries Out (Nikt nie woła, d. Kazimierz Kutz, 1960)

Box III

• Birth Certificate (Świadectwo urodzenia, d. Stanisław Różewicz)
  Winter Twilight (Zimowy zmierzch, d. Stanisław Lenartowicz, 1956)
  Eva Wants To Sleep (Ewa chce spać, d. Tadeusz Chmielewski, 1957)
  Pills for Aurelia (Pigułki dla Aurelii, d. Stanisław Lenartowicz, 1958)
  Answer to Violence (Zamach, d. Jerzy Passendorfer, 1958)

Box IV

• Mother Joan of the Angels (Matka Joanna od aniołów, d. Jerzy Kawalerowicz, 1960)
  The Last Battle (Kwiecień, d. Witold Lesiewicz, 1961)
  How To Be Loved (Jak byc kochaną, d. Wojciech J. Has, 1962)
  The Noose (Pętla, d. Wojciech J. Has, 1957)
  Depot of the Dead (Baza ludzi umarłych (d. Czesław Petelski, 1959)

Prices seem to be around 126-132 złotys per set, which equates to approx. £31-32, €39-41 and $61-64, not including postage.

[Perkins Cobb]

Wow - that's pretty amazing. Good prices too -- I paid almost the cost of one box set just for the two Wojciech Has DVDs.

MichaelB, do you happen to know if all those titles are new to DVD (or new on this label) or if some are repackagings of single releases? And, any guesses on how the image quality might be ... closer to the Facets releases of some of these titles, or to the Polish DVD I have of The Noose, which looks pretty good?

[MichaelB]

MichaelB, do you happen to know if all those titles are new to DVD (or new on this label) or if some are repackagings of single releases? And, any guesses on how the image quality might be ... closer to the Facets releases of some of these titles, or to the Polish DVD I have of The Noose, which looks pretty good?

No idea, I'm afraid - I've posted literally everything I know!

My guess, though, is that the three Wajdas are repackagings of the three Polish DVDs I already have, since they were also released by Best Film Co. In which case they're pretty good - decent transfers that have clearly had some digital clean-up, and anamorphically enhanced where necessary. The only frustration is that there are loads of extras, including long interviews - none of which are subtitled!

So on the basis of what I've seen, I'd say Second Run standard rather than Facets. And I can't speak for The Noose - logically, it should be the same transfer (why do another?), but as the single disc is on a different label, it may not be.

[Perkins Cobb]

Thanks, Michael, that's helpful. If you or anybody else gets these in, I hope you'll post more details. May have to bite on at least one of these, as soon as I get done cleaning Xploited out of everything I need from them.

(And to clarify, in my last post, by the two Has DVDs I meant The Noose and One-Room Tenants from the other label, not the two DVDs in this box set.)

Meanwhile, New Yorkers may be interested to know that there's an Andrzej Wajda program scheduled for October 17-November 13 at the Walter Reade. No titles announced yet, but it's bound to be close to a full retro if it's a month long.

[Perkins Cobb]

Just trudged through the purchase path on the Empyk.com website linked in Michael's post above. Cost with shipping to the US for one of the box sets comes out to about $89. Think I'm going to wait until somebody else chimes in with some image quality notes before I pull the trigger.

[Zobalob]

Mr Bongo have announced Wojciech Has's The Hourglass Sanatorium (Sanatorium Pod Klepsydrà) for UK DVD release in November.

I love The Saragossa Manuscript, but it's the only Has film I've seen, so I will be very interested in this.

Great that this looks like it will be released here finally, it was IMO, a major influence on the Quays' "Street of Crocodiles". I hope that there will be extras, i.e. introduction, documentary essay whatever, other than production stills; though I doubt it...still, a great and neglected release. To be applauded.

[JanPB]

Where on earth are the early Skolimowski's Bariera, Walkover and Rysopis?

Ah, excellent question!

Andrzej Zulawski (only films made outside Poland are released on DVD)

Trzecia czesc nocy (The Third Part of the Night) is available on a Second Run DVD.

Mr Bongo have announced Wojciech Has's The Hourglass Sanatorium (Sanatorium Pod Klepsydrà) for UK DVD release in November.

I love The Saragossa Manuscript, but it's the only Has film I've seen, so I will be very interested in this.

Great that this looks like it will be released here finally, it was IMO, a major influence on the Quays' "Street of Crocodiles". I hope that there will be extras, i.e. introduction, documentary essay whatever, other than production stills; though I doubt it...still, a great and neglected release. To be applauded.

From what I hear a restoration of The Hourglass Sanatorium has been completed not too long ago under the guidance of Witold Sobocinski. Hopefully the DVD will use the restored elements. The film in its original state had phenomenal colours and a very detailed CinemaScope look, with great set design. The film itself is not quite as good as the book, it takes Schulz's prose a bit too literally for my taste so certain central ideas — e.g. that of archetypes of childhood memory — become mere illustrations. It is still a very interesting film.

--
Jan

[MichaelB]

Where on earth are the early Skolimowski's Bariera, Walkover and Rysopis?

Ah, excellent question!

...and one which may be answered before too long.

[Zobalob]

From what I hear a restoration of The Hourglass Sanatorium has been completed not too long ago under the guidance of Witold Sobocinski. Hopefully the DVD will use the restored elements. The film in its original state had phenomenal colours and a very detailed CinemaScope look, with great set design. The film itself is not quite as good as the book, it takes Schulz's prose a bit too literally for my taste so certain central ideas — e.g. that of archetypes of childhood memory — become mere illustrations. It is still a very interesting film.

I agree with all of your points, it's not a patch on the book, but it does look absolutely stunning, very atmospheric and dreamlike. It also has elephants! What more could we ask?

I do hope that it's the resto. that they use. Personally, I love it and would like to see it get the full treatment on DVD, i.e. going to the locations where it was shot etc., similar to the Belgian 2 disc release of "Malpertuis", which is an example of how this sort of thing can be done. I think this is a pipe dream though, as Mr. Bongo don't seem to be big on extras, they probably don't have the resources unfortunately...but all power to them for their raison d'etre.

[eltopo]

From what I hear a restoration of The Hourglass Sanatorium has been completed not too long ago under the guidance of Witold Sobocinski.

La clepsydre

Das Sanatorium zur Todesanzeige

[posto]

Merlin has a set of 4 early movies by Agnieszka Holland.
Titles included:
Screen Tests
Provincial Actors
A Lonely Woman
Fever
This is a 4 DVD set and according to specs movies come with english subtitles.
If anybody gets this set can you let us know about quality of transfers.

[MichaelB]

Thanks for the tip-off - I'm waiting for the next PWA documentary set before I place another order with Merlin (I tend to order in bulk to reduce postage to a minimum), but it's definitely on my shopping list.

UPDATE: Duly ordered, and I'll report back when it arrives.

[menthymenthy]

I've recently ordered the new Skolimowski and Agn. Holland sets off Merlin. Will reply with the quality when it arrives. By the look of the sets, they look similar to the fantastic Polish set of Dekalog.

I've also ordered Wojciech Has' film "The Noose" which is available with Eng. Subtitles for about 42zl. His other film "One Room Tenants" is also available for the same price with English subtitles, but I didn't order that one. Has anyone seen it?

I wish I knew about the 50-Year-Polish School pack before I ordered. I would've order Pack #2. Those films I've been dying to see, and the only Eng. subtitled versions were the Facets/Polart releases, and I'm never buying from them ever since Sexmission had a butchered release.

Also, for those who live in Melbourne, Australia. Saragossa Manuscript is going to screen at the ACMI for three nights. This is the Australian premiere.
I can't wait for Mr Bongo to release Hourglass Sanatorium, which has only been released in France without subtitles. The only way to see it, was download it with subtitles.

[Perkins Cobb]

dmk_world, I wish you'd bought the Film World box too, as I'd like to see someone report on the image quality (i.e., better than typical Polart?) before I take the plunge myself. And have the 3rd or 4th boxes become available yet?

One-Room Tenants is a lot like The Noose, both the film and the DVD presentation. They're both impressive films, with a dense, feverish sort of visual style. Very claustrophobic and grim. Usually I'd mean that as a compliment, but I actually found them a bit oppressive (especially back to back). Quite different from The Saragossa Manuscript, obviously.

[MichaelB]

dmk_world, I wish you'd bought the Film World box too, as I'd like to see someone report on the image quality (i.e., better than typical Polart?) before I take the plunge myself. And have the 3rd or 4th boxes become available yet?

I ordered the second box in my latest Merlin order (I already had everything in the first). I don't think the other two boxes are out yet.

[charal]

For those who still don't believe it here is a [bad] translation of the Skolimowski box set

[bergelson]

Hello,

I have heard that three of Kawalerowicz best films (Mother Joan of Angels, Night Train and Austeria) are available in France in very good editions, far better than the atrocious Second Run and Facets releases.

No English subtitles though. Can anyone confirm it?

Thanks.

[posto]

I have heard that three of Kawalerowicz best films (Mother Joan of Angels, Night Train and Austeria) are available in France in very good editions, far better than the atrocious Second Run and Facets releases.

No English subtitles though. Can anyone confirm it?

While I do not know about the new DVD editions of any of the movies you mention it may interest you that they are being digitally restored and the first public showing of newly restored "Night Train" (Pociag) will take place Sept. 18 in Gdynia during Polish Film Festival. I'd wait as these restored versions will sooner or later be available on DVD or maybe even Bluray. (I wish!)

Here is info(in polish) and bad Google translation:

Television Movie Poland, together with the Film Studio Kadr joined in the reconstruction and produce copies of the digital format 2K of most important films of Jerzy Kawalerowicz: Night Train, Mother Joanna of the Angels and Austeria (The Inn).

The first show of digitally restored Night Train will be held during this year Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, on Thursday 18 September at. 2 PM, in a festival's cinema "Silver Screen" in room number 2. This will be the first screening of the digitally restored film in Polish cinema.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Polart are releasing Kawalerowicz's Shadowin R1 next week.

[MichaelB]

While I do not know about the new DVD editions of any of the movies you mention it may interest you that they are being digitally restored and the first public showing of newly restored "Night Train" (Pociag) will take place Sept. 18 in Gdynia during Polish Film Festival. I'd wait as these restored versions will sooner or later be available on DVD or maybe even Bluray. (I wish!)

Night Train is included in the second Polish Film School box, which I've just ordered. Best Film Co's website devoted to the series suggests that it's been restored.

Anyway, I'll report back when the box arrives (though I probably won't get my hands on it till Tuesday September 30, as I'm out of the office all next week).

[menthymenthy]

Does anyone know which other directors/films are planned for a set from Telewizja Kino Polska, which just released both Skolimowski and A. Holland sets?

I'm interested if they'll release a Kieslowski set with Kieslowski's unreleased-on-DVD TV Movies (The Calm, Short Working Day, Personnel) all which are amazing, even though I had to watch them with someone who could translate what they were saying for me.
If they do release these, I'm hoping English subtitles will be included - but I'm sure they will be.

EDIT:
Also, how much do they charge to watch a film from that Polish school website? And do they include English subtitles?

[eltopo]

50 Years of Polish Film School

Vol. 1
Kanal (1957 / Wajda)
Lotna (1959 / Wajda)
Popiol i diament (1958 / Wajda)
Do widzenia do jutra (1960 / Morgenstern)
Ostatni dzien lata (1958 / Konwicki)

Vol. 2
Eroica (1958 / Munk)
Zezowate szczescie (1960 / Munk)
Krzyz Walecznych (1959 / Kutz)
Nikt nie woła (1960 / Kutz)
Pociąg (1959 / Kawalerowicz)

Vol. 3
Ewa chce spac (1957 / Chmielewski)
Swiadectwo urodzenia (1961 / Rozewicz)
Zimowy zmierzch (1957 / Lenartowicz)
Pigulki dla Aurelii (1958 / Lenartowicz)
Zamach (1959 / Passendorfer)

Vol. 4
Matka Joanna od Aniolow (1961 / Kawalerowicz)
Kwiecien (1961 / Lesiewicz)
Jak byc kochana (1962 / W.J. Has)
Petla (1958 / W.J. Has)
Baza ludzi umarlych (1959 / Petelski)

Box Vol. 2:

[MichaelB]

Umm... why don't people actually read the thread before asking questions that have already been answered?

(And my list, unlike Eltopo's, had English title translations!)

Hopefully I'll get an actual box in my hands within the next week or so (I ordered volume two), so I'll report back on transfer quality then.

[menthymenthy]

why don't people actually read the thread before asking questions that have already been answered?

Was that towards me? If so, none of my questions have been answered.
There was no answer to which is the next in the series, that just released Holland and Skolimowski box sets.

Also, there weren't any posts about the price of watching a film off the 50-Years-Film-School website. Not only that, but it was never mentioned whether the downloaded versions will contain English subtitles.

[MichaelB]

Was that towards me?

Fair enough - I thought your first question was to do with the content of the box sets, given Eltopo's entirely redundant response.