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Posted: |
Jan 24, 2014 - 12:37 PM
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johnjohnson
(Member)
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Independent British distributors NetworkDVD have confirmed that they are planning to add three classic titles to their Blu-ray catalog: Lindsay Anderson's This Sporting Life (1963), Basil Dearden's Victim (1961), and Paul Henreid's Ballad in Blue (1964). The three titles are expected to arrive on the UK market in May.
This Sporting Life
Richard Harris gives a career-best performance as the brutally competitive miner, strongly supported by Rachel Roberts as his bitter landlady, both of whom received Oscar nominations, with Roberts winning the BAFTA for Best British Actress. David Storey's compelling script was also BAFTA nominated, while director Lindsay Anderson was nominated for the Golden Palm for his unflinching look at working-class life set in the bleak landscape of Northern England. This Sporting Life is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Miner Frank Machin lodges with a widow, Mrs. Hammond. His competitive nature and powerful physique cause him to join the local rugby team and, as his career progresses, so too his brutal nature distances him from those around him. Success – and perhaps a new sense of insecurity – seems to make Frank harsher and cruder...
STREET DATE: MAY 5TH.
Special Features:
•Original theatrical trailer
•Four image galleries, including extensive promotional and behind-the-scenes shots
•Promotional material PDFs
•Commemorative Booklet PDF by Film Historian David Rolinson
Victim
Banned on its original theatrical release in the United States and highly controversial in Britain, this BAFTA-nominated story of deception, blackmail and revenge stars Dirk Bogarde in a brave, career-best performance as a prosperous young barrister with a dark secret. With powerful direction from Basil Dearden and strong supporting performances from both Sylvia Syms and Dennis Price, Victim is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
The police are after Jack Barrett, who has stolen several thousand pounds and is now on the run. He tries desperately to get in touch with Melville Farr, a prosperous young barrister with a beautiful wife but, cornered and arrested by the police he commits suicide in his prison cell rather than answer their questions.
STREET DATE: MAY 19TH.
Special Features:
•Dirk Bogarde in Conversation - an extensive interview with Bogarde where he talks frankly about his career
•Original theatrical trailer
•Four image galleries, including extensive promotional and behind-the-scenes shots
•Promotional material PDFs
Ballad in Blue
Making his only major film appearance, legendary soul singer, musician and composer Ray Charles helps transform the lives of a blind boy and his widowed mother in this poignant, uplifting film drama set in mid-1960s London. Presented in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio, Ballad in Blue sees Charles – who had lost his sight completely by the age of eight – performing some of his best-loved songs, including I Got a Woman, Hit the Road, Jack and Busted.
During a performance for blind children, global star Ray Charles befriends David, a young boy who has recently lost his sight, and tries to help him come to terms with his condition. Then, during a world tour, Charles finds himself in Paris, where a surgeon is pioneering a radical procedure that could restore David's sight; he sets out not only to convince David's over-protective mother to allow her son to undergo the surgery, but also to reconcile her with her boyfriend, a struggling composer who seeks solace in alcohol.
STREET DATE: MAY 12TH.
Special Features:
•Image Gallery
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=13071
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Posted: |
Jan 24, 2014 - 7:01 PM
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johnjohnson
(Member)
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Independent British distributors Network have confirmed that they will add five additional titles to their Blu-ray catalog: Michael Anderson's The Quiller Memorandum (1966), Zoltan Korda's The Four Feathers (1939), Peter Sasdy's Hands of the Ripper (1971), Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's Black Narcissus (1947), and Brian Desmond Hurst's His and Hers (1961).
The Quiller Memorandum
George Segal gives a bravura performance as an unorthodox secret agent on the run from a neo-Nazi organisation in this stylish espionage thriller directed in West Berlin by Michael Anderson. Tautly scripted by Harold Pinter, this multiple BAFTA-nominated film also features Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow and Senta Berger. The Quiller Memorandum is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Quiller is assigned by the head of Berlin Control to uncover the operations of a neo-Nazi organisation. Sentenced to death by the menacing 'Oktober', Reichsfuhrer of the new Nazis, he finds himself on the run and trapped in a web of intrigue, lies and deceit...
STREET DATE: JUNE 2014
Special Features: •Contemporary interviews recorded on location in Berlin with George Segal, Alec Guinness, Senta Berger, Max Von Sydow, director Michael Anderson and producer Ivan Foxwell
• Music audio track featuring John Barry's score
•Original theatrical trailer
•Textless material
•Four image galleries, including extensive promotional and behind-the-scenes shots
•Promotional material PDFs
The Four Feathers
A classic tale of cowardice and bravery, Alexander Korda's Oscar-nominated adaptation of A.E.W. Mason's iconic novel is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular of the early Technicolor films. With sweeping battle scenes and a tightly constructed script by Oscar-nominated R.C. Sherrif, this is a bold military epic featuring evocative locations and a pounding score by Miklós Rózsa. Showcasing outstanding performances from both John Clements and Ralph Richardson, The Four Feathers is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Harry Faversham, born into a distinguished military family, automatically joins the army with three close childhood friends – Durrance, Willoughby and Burroughs. Quickly feeling that he is unsuited to the army life, and newly-engaged to Ethne, he resigns his commission, only to be accused of cowardice by his friends. Each sends him the traditional white feather in contempt; the fourth is plucked from Ethne's fan. Realising the disgrace he has brought to himself and his family, Harry sets out alone to the distant war to redeem himself...
STREET DATE: MAY 25.
Special Features: •Original theatrical trailer
•Archive 1973 interview with Ralph Richardson
•Image galleries
Hands of the Ripper
A quintessential Hammer Horror from director Peter Sasdy (Taste the Blood of Dracula, Countess Dracula), Hands of the Ripper is a fascinating and terrifying spin on the Jack the Ripper legend, featuring outstanding performances from both Eric Porter, as a doctor investigating a series of grisly murders, and Angharad Rees as the pretty, frail murder suspect. Hands of the Ripper is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
When a fake psychic is gorily murdered, Dr. John Pritchard cannot bring himself to believe that the only suspect - a girl called Anna - is capable of such an awful act. Pritchard takes her into his care but, as further horrific murders take place, can he act in time to stop the trail of slaughter?
STREET DATE: JUNE 9
Special Features: •Audio commentary with Angharad Rees and horror historians Kim Newman and Stephen Jones
•Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery including promotional material
•Commemorative Booklet PDF by Stephen Jones
Black Narcissus
An award-winning, tense, psychological drama, Black Narcissus was written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, two of the most influential and acclaimed film-makers of all time. Sumptuously shot in Technicolor by Oscar-winning cinematographer Jack Cardiff and showcasing a career-defining performance from Deborah Kerr, Black Narcissus is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Sister Clodagh leads a group of Anglican nuns to a remote Himalayan range of mountains, there to set up a mission in an abandoned harem. Her first position of authority, she finds both her physical and spiritual limits being taxed as she tries to maintain order and discipline in a claustrophobically hostile environment. The extremes of climate and the peculiar amorality of the local natives all combine to slowly corrupt the women's faith, pushing them further into jealousy, anger and madness...
STREET DATE: JUNE 16.
Special Features: •Painting with Light: a documentary on Jack Cardiff
•Audio Commentary with Michael Powell and Martin Scorsese
•A Profile of Black Narcissus featurette
•Original theatrical trailer
•Extensive image galleries
•Commemorative booklet and original promotional material PDFs
His and Hers
The incomparable Terry-Thomas heads the cast of this rare 1960 domestic farce directed by Brian Desmond Hurst – best-known for the 1951 box-office triumph Scrooge. Also starring Carry On legends Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims and Kenneth Connor, with early film roles for Oliver Reed and Francesca Annis, His and Hers is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Writer Reggie Blake takes an unorthodox approach to his craft, seeking inspiration in the various adventures suggested by his editor. Blake's latest research trip sees him getting lost in the desert and adopted by a Bedouin tribe; and by the time he finally gets home his personality has been utterly transformed – to the displeasure of his wife, Fran…
STREET DATE: JUNE 23
Special Features: •Image Gallery
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=13076
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We’re thrilled to announce that Network has completed a major new feature film about the work of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, ‘Filmed in Supermarionation’. This is the definitive documentary about the unique puppetry and animation technique developed by Gerry and Sylvia and their team and utilised in all their programmes throughout the 1960s including ‘Stingray’, ‘Captain Scarlet’ and, most famously, ‘Thunderbirds’.
Directed and co-produced by Stephen La Riviere and hosted by Lady Penelope and Parker themselves, ‘Filmed in Supermarionation’ is a screen adaptation of his book of the same name and features a wealth of previously unseen archive footage, brand new interviews with the surviving casts and crews and clips from the shows themselves. A highlight of the film are ingenious and accurate recreations of the pioneering techniques used in the productions.
The film will premiere at the BFI later in the year ahead of general release but fans can see a sneak preview of selected scenes together with a Q&A with the creative team behind it at Andercon on 19 April.
http://networkonair.com/features/2014/04/03/stand-by-for-action/
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Posted: |
Apr 12, 2014 - 3:42 PM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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Independent British distributors Network have confirmed that they will five titles to their Blu-ray catalog between July and August: William A. Fraker's The Legend of the Lone Ranger, Sidney J. Furie's The Ipcress File, Caspar Wrede's Ransom, Nicolas Roeg's Bad Timing, Laurence Olivier's Richard III, and Roy Ward Baker's The Monster Club
Bad Timing
Theresa Russell and Art Garfunkel bring a fearless intensity to their roles in this dark psycho-sexual drama from multi-award-winning director Nicolas Roeg.
Unflinchingly tracing the volatile relationship between two young Americans in late '70s Vienna, Bad Timing proved highly controversial on its release in 1980, and remains one of Roeg's most divisive films. It is presented here in a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Vienna-based psychoanalyst Alex Linden is involved in a passionate affair with Milena Flaherty, a hedonistic, sexually impulsive and clearly troubled young woman. When Milena is brought into a hospital emergency room after apparently overdosing, detectives investigate the possibility of foul play on Alex's part. As he recounts the events to the investigating officer, Alex is forced to confront his own motives and detectives must decide whether her condition is the result of a suicide attempt, or something more sinister...
Special Features:
Original theatrical and teaser trailer
Deleted scenes
Image gallery
Promotional material PDF
STREET DATE: AUGUST 18TH.
Richard III
Directed and produced by, and starring, Laurence Olivier, this iconic 1955 feature is for many the definitive film adaptation of Shakespeare's famous history play – a damning characterisation of the last Plantagenet king that has resonated through the centuries. Earning Olivier an Oscar nomination and BAFTAs for Best British Actor and Best British Film among numerous other awards, this star-studded adaptation features towering performances from his co-stars including John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Cedric Hardwicke, Claire Bloom, Esmond Knight and Stanley Baker. Richard III is presented in a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Soon after Edward IV is crowned, his brother, Richard, a hunchback whose disfigured body houses a twisted soul, begins scheming for the throne of England. He woos and wins the Lady Anne, then poisons Edward's mind against their brother, Clarence, later securing his death. But even after his coronation, Richard continues with his villainous campaign to secure his position as king...
Special Features:
Original Theatrical and TV Trailers
Restoration Demonstration
Four Image Galleries
The Trial of Richard III
STREET DATE: AUGUST 25TH.
The Monster Club
Screen legends Vincent Price, John Carradine and Donald Pleasence are just three of the stars of this darkly humorous cult horror gem. Earning Hammer Films veteran Roy Ward Baker the Audience Award at Rome's Fantafestival in 1981 and featuring music by The Pretty Things, UB40 and B.A. Robertson, The Monster Club is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Pausing to admire a window display of his own books, distinguished horror writer Ronald Chetwynd-Hayes is attacked by a desperate vampire, Eramus, faint from lack of sustenance. Assuring the startled victim that the neck bite was not deep enough to bring him into the fold, the grateful vampire takes him to the Monster Club, where all his friends foregather. The rich selection of vampires, werewolves, snake-men, wasp-women, ghouls and other weird creatures enjoying themselves to the happy beat of pop music offers plenty of new material for the author. In addition, Eramus explains to Ronald the hierarchy and basic rules of Monsterdom, and illustrates his theme with three tales of toe-curling terror...
Special Features:
Original theatrical trailer
Stills gallery
STREET DATE: AUGUST 11TH.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=13712
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Posted: |
Apr 15, 2014 - 6:42 AM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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Independent British distributors Network have added up three more titles to their Blu-ray catalog: Xavier Dolan's latest film Tom à la ferme a.k.a. Tom at the Farm (2013), Peter Hyams' Capricorn One (1977), and Fred Schepisi's Plenty (1985).
Plenty
Meryl Streep delivers one of her greatest performances in David Hare's adaptation of his own stage play, which spans two decades in the life of a French Resistance operative who struggles to build a new life amid the apathy of post-war England. Featuring a stellar support cast and winning a brace of awards and nominations in 1985, this masterly feature is presented here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
At the end of World War Two, Susan Traherne, a young Englishwoman who has worked as a courier in Nazi-occupied France, returns home full of hope for a golden future. Yet peacetime brings its own difficulties for Sarah; she finds her marriage to a Foreign Office diplomat arid and unfulfilling, and the seemingly trivial concerns of others leave her cold. As the danger and intensity – and undeniable excitement – of her wartime days give way to a new, mundane life, her fragile mental and emotional stability begins to crumble…Starring Meryl Streep, Sting, Sam Neill, Charles Dance, Tracey Ullman, and Ian McKellen.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
•Image Gallery
•Promotional material PDF
STREET DATE: JULY 21.
Capricorn One
As the whole world watches the first manned flight to Mars, its three astronauts are plunged into a nightmarish battle for survival...
Minutes before the launch of their mission, the Capricorn One crew are told to exit their capsule and are secretly taken to an abandoned desert hangar. For the sake of the nation's morale and the future of NASA funding, they are coerced into taking part in an elaborate charade but when the captive astronauts learn their capsule burned up on re-entry and the world believes them dead, they know their very existence now poses a threat to national security. The three men escape, hoping that one of them will live to expose the sensational cover-up…Starring Elliot Gould, James Brolin, Sam Waterston, Brenda Vaccaro, O.J. Simpson and Telly Savalas.
Special Features:
•Original Theatrical Trailer
•What If…? The Making Of "Capricorn One"
•On Set With Capricorn One: Desert Filming
•Image gallery
STREET DATE: AUGUST 4TH.
Tom at the Farm
Adapted from the original play by acclaimed Quebecois author Michel Marc Bouchard, Tom at the Farm is the fourth film by multi-award-winning young director Xavier Dolan, who also takes the central role. Set in Quebec's rural panorama, this taut psychological thriller centres on the ever-growing gap between city and country and the often oppositional nature of men who live there. Stockholm syndrome, deception, grief and secretive savageries pervade this brief and brutal pilgrimage through the warped and ugly truth.
Tom, a young advertising copywriter, travels to the country for the funeral of his lover. There, he's shocked to find that no one knows who he is, nor who he was to the deceased man, whose menacing brother soon sets the rules of a twisted game. In order to protect the family's name and grieving mother, Tom must now deny his own sexuality, while playing the peacekeeper in an isolated household whose obscure past bodes even greater darkness for his "trip" to the farm... Starring Xavier Dolan, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Lise Roy, and Evelyne Brochu.
Special Features: TBA.
STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 15TH.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=13726
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Posted: |
Apr 18, 2014 - 7:43 AM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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Independent British distributors Network have confirmed that they will add three more titles to their Blu-ray catalog: Nicolas Roeg's Insignificance (1985), Jack Gold's The Medusa Touch (1978), and John Dahl's The Last Seduction (1994).
Insignificance
A unique film from multi-award-winning director Nicolas Roeg, Insignificance has garnered increasing attention and acclaim in the decades since its initial release. It is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements, in its theatrically-exhibited aspect ratio.
Special Features:
Full Frame Version
Original Theatrical Trailer
Image Gallery
STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 1.
The Medusa Touch
Directed by Jack Gold from a script by Oscar winner John Briley, The Medusa Touch is a star-studded, fast-paced thriller with a spectacular, spine-chilling climax. Starring Richard Burton in what author and critic Kim Newman calls his "best screen work of the 1970s", The Medusa Touch is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Special Features:
Audio commentary with director Jack Gold, Kim Newman and Stephen Jones
Destroying the Abbey: behind the scenes footage
Original Theatrical Trailer
Image Gallery
STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 8.
The Last Seduction
Directed by John Dahl and superbly scripted by Steve Barancik, this classy erotic thriller remains a timeless, exceptionally stylish movie that effortlessly raised the benchmark in sociopathic cool. It is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Special Features:
5.1 mix on main feature
'Director's Cut' option (SD only) with commentary
Alternate ending
The Art of Seduction - making of documentary
Original theatrical trailer
Tomorrow I Die – an episode of Fallen Angels
Commemorative booklet
STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 15.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=13758
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Posted: |
Jun 18, 2014 - 11:19 PM
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johnjohnson
(Member)
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British distributors Network have revealed that they are planning to add six more titles to their Blu-ray catalog: Pang Ho-Cheung's Dream Home (2010), Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) and The Lady Vanishes (1938), Jerzy Skolimowski's The Shout (1978), John Hough's Twins of Evil (1971), and Peter Sasdy's Countess Dracula (1971).
Dream Home
Combining visceral horror and darkly topical satire, Dream Home stars Josie Ho (Naked Ambition) as the murderous Cheng, with Cantopop star Eason Chan (Lady Cop and Papa Crook), Michelle Ye (Vengeance) and Laurence Chou (Forest of Death). Uncompromising, stylish and filled with unexpected twists, Dream Home is a bold departure into the slasher genre for Pang Ho-Cheung, one of Hong Kong's most acclaimed young directors.
As a child, Cheng Lai-Sheung could see Hong Kong's famed Victoria Harbour from her apartment. However, as time passed, the old buildings in front of her home were demolished to make way for the huge residential project that now blocks her cherished view. Cheng vowed to save enough money for a new apartment with a magnifi cent sea view, and now works hard in two full-time jobs. Yet no matter how hard she toils, she cannot earn enough to match the ever-increasing value of Hong Kong's real estate. With her father terminally ill and medical bills rising, she makes a fateful decision: she allows her father to die and cashes in his insurance.
Even this, however, is not enough. It seems Cheng's dream home will remain forever out of reach. Then, suddenly, it dawns on her: to get what she wants, she must take matters into her own hands – even if that means getting them seriously bloody...
Special Features:
Theatrical Trailer
Josie Ho interview
Image Gallery
Booklet by Billy Chainsaw
STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 22.
The Man Who Knew Too Much
One of cinema's greatest auteurs, Alfred Hitchcock's six-decade career generated an unmissable run of suspense-packed thrillers, strongly characterised by macabre plots and twist endings. Starring British screen icon Leslie Banks and featuring the English-speaking debut of Peter Lorre, The Man Who Knew Too Much is one of Hitchcock's most thrilling pre-war British films, and one which he would remake twenty years later in Hollywood. This peerless suspense classic is presented here in a brand-new High Definition transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
While holidaying in Switzerland with their daughter Betty, Jill Lawrence and her husband are accidentally caught up in murder and intrigue when they befriend an undercover secret-service agent, Louis Bernard. When Bernard is fatally wounded by a gunshot, he whispers the whereabouts of a vital message to Lawrence as he lies dying – a message that is overheard by a number of sinister strangers...
Special Features:
Introduction by Charles Barr
Aquarius: Alfred the Great - Hitchcock is interviewed on the 1972 Arts programme
Image Gallery
STREET DATE: NOVEMBER 3.
The Shout
Oscar-nominee Alan Bates turns in one of his most forceful performances as an asylum inmate with supernatural powers in a film that is both highly unsettling and deeply compelling – a perfect companion piece to Nicolas Roeg's '70s masterpiece Don't Look Now. Also featuring strong performances from Susannah York and John Hurt, and employing a distinctive narrative style employed by Palm d'Or-nominated director Jerzy Skolimowski, The Shout is presented here in a High Definition transfer made from the original film elements, in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
During a cricket match at an insane asylum between the inmates and the local villagers, patients Crossley and Graves keep themselves entertained by telling stories. Crossley tells of how he came to possess supernatural powers enabling him to kill with a single shout and although his friend dismisses the tale as an insane fantasy, as the match continues the proceedings take an emphatically sinister turn...
Special Features:
Audio commentary with horror experts Kim Newman and Stephen Jones
Booklet by Kim Newman
Original Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Original Press Material PDFs
STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 15.
The Lady Vanishes
One of cinema's greatest auteurs, Alfred Hitchcock's six-decade career generated an unmissable run of suspense-packed thrillers, strongly characterised by macabre plots and twist endings. Made in 1938, this classic comedy-thriller was arguably his most popular and significant pre-war feature, and one of the films that helped pave his way to Hollywood success. Featuring a whimsically suspenseful script from Launder and Gilliat, The Lady Vanishes boasts one of the all-time great ensemble casts and is featured here in a brand-new High Definition transfer from the original film elements, in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Intrigue and espionage abound when a young woman travelling aboard a transcontinental express train strikes up an acquaintance with a charming elderly English governess, who then disappears without a trace. Is the young woman hallucinating, or is something altogether more sinister afoot..?
Special Features:
Introduction by Charles Barr
Original Theatrical Trailer
Image Gallery
PDF Material
STREET DATE: OCTOBER 3.
Twins of Evil
Directed with characteristic style and energy by cult filmmaker John Hough, Twins of Evil combines the signature Hammer elements of supernatural horror, black humour and fabulously lurid sensuality, Featuring another standout appearance from Peter Cushing, Twins of Evil also stars Kathleen Byron, Isobel Black and Dennis Price, with Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson as the twins. Featuring an all-time classic score by Harry Robinson, Twins of Evil is presented here in a brand-new High Definition transfer from the original film elements, in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Glamorous identical orphaned twins Maria and Frieda move from Vienna to the village of Karnstein to take up a new life with their submissive aunt and grim uncle - a fanatical Puritan and leader of a witch-hunting religious sect who is determined to kill his nemesis, Count Karnstein: a devil-worshipping libertine who has been turned into a vampire...
Special Features:
Original Theatrical Trailer
Deleted Scene
Image Gallery
PDF Material
Commemorative Booklet
STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 8.
Countess Dracula
One of Hammer's most enduringly popular films and a benchmark for 1970s horror, Countess Dracula stars Ingrid Pitt in an iconic, career-defining role as the aged countess who must regularly bathe in virgins' blood to regain her fading youth. Genre stalwart Peter Sasdy directs arguably his best Hammer film, from a script by award-winning writer Jeremy Paul and showcasing a rousing score from composer Harry Robinson. Countess Dracula is featured here in a brand-new High Definition transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
In medieval Hungary, Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy, an embittered, ageing widow, discovers by accident that virgin's blood causes her skin become youthful and smooth. Determined to retain her new youth at all costs, the Countess coerces her lover to abduct a string of young virgins to keep her supplied with the blood she now craves to stay beautiful...
Special Features:
Audio commentary with Ingrid Pitt and horror experts Kim Newman and Stephen Jones
Original Theatrical Trailer
Archive interview with Ingrid Pitt
50 Years of Hammer - news feature
Thriller episode
Conceptions of Murder episode
STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 8.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14278
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British distributors Network have confirmed that they will release on Blu-ray director Anthony Kimmins' thriller Mine Own Executioner (1947), starring Burgess Meredith, Dulcie Gray, Michael Shepley, John Laurie, and Barbara White. The release is set to arrive on the UK market on March 9, 2015.
With compelling, sympathetic performances from double Oscar nominee Burgess Meredith and accomplished Irish actor Kieron Moore, this powerful psychological drama shows the almost super-human demands of a profession that ranks amongst the most challenging. Adapted from his own novel by BAFTA-winning author and screenwriter Nigel Balchin, Mine Own Executioner is presented in a brand-new High Definition transfer from the original film elements.
Special Features:
Image Gallery
Promotional Material PDFs
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14403
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The Iprcress File Special Edition Blu Ray.
Release date 28th July.
Featuring a quintessential performance from multiple Oscar-winner Sir Michael Caine and an iconic score from the legendary John Barry, this stylised and compelling Cold War spy movie won multiple awards on its theatrical release - including three BAFTAs. The Ipcress File is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
SPECIAL FEATURES
[] Michael Caine is Harry Palmer - exclusive interview with Sir Michael Caine
[] Exclusive interview with production designer Sir Ken Adam
[] Commentary with director Sidney Furie and film editor Peter Hunt
[] Michael Caine Goes Stella comedy short
[] 1969 documentary: Candid Caine
[] Original theatrical trailer and US radio commercials
[] Stills gallery
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ipcress-File-Blu-ray-Michael-Caine/dp/B00JKNGSDQ/ref=sr_1_21?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1397270547&sr=1-21&keywords=the+ipcress+file
Review.
ITV released The Ipcress File back in 2008 on a Blu-Ray which was criticised by some on account of excessive video noise and some obvious edge enhancement. Although still a vast improvement on any of the SD releases, it seemed that something better could be waiting in the wings - and, six years later, here it finally is. This new Blu-Ray disc looks different to the earlier release which had muted colours and a distinctly drab appearance. The colours are very vivid here, perhaps a little too much for some tastes but to my eye they are just about perfect and suit the film down to the ground. When it comes to clarity and detail, this new disc is a great improvement and while there is a lovely sheen of film grain, there is no obtrusive noise or over-enhancement. Indeed, the overall effect is one of immense satisfaction, as if one was watching the film for the first time.
On the audio front, Network offer us two choices. Both tracks are lossless but the clear winner is the original mono track which is stunning in terms of fidelity and mixed to perfection. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is poor in comparison with dialogue too low in the mix and a definite sense of strain throughout. English subtitles are provided for the feature but not for the extras.
Accompanying the film is an audio commentary from the director, Sidney J. Furie, and the editor, Peter Hunt. This is very gossipy and sometimes verging on the geriatric but always entertaining to listen to.
There are numerous extra features taken from the 2006 special edition release. Interviews with Ken Adam and Sir Michael Caine prove relatively brief but entertaining. The Caine piece is the meatier of the two, running just over twenty minutes, and it provides a fair amount of gossip about the Palmer films and, indeed, Caine's early stardom. Ken Adam is a little more contained but has some interesting things to say about designing a film which was intended to be more realistic and downbeat than the Bond films which had made Adam's fame. There's also a short Phil Cornwell comedy sketch featuring his Caine impression which he exploited to great effect in Stella Street. It's quite amusing but not much more than that.
Candid Caine is a curio from LWT, first shown in 1969 and running 44 minutes. Caine comes across very well and is remarkably unaffected, although he's also a bit awkward. It's interesting for the period details as much as anything else - the truly horrible cravats stand out. As usual for Network, the ad breaks remain intact.
Finally, there are some enjoyable US radio spots, extensive image galleries and the original theatrical trailer.
I love The Ipcress File a great deal and it was a regular TV favourite when I was growing up. It's ironic that a film which was meant to be a more realistic counterpart to the Bond series now looks, thanks to Furie's insane choice of shots, just as way-out and dated as anything else the Swinging Sixties had to offer. But this is, for me, very much part of the film's charm. Add Nigel Green at his most commanding, Guy Doleman at his most dryly funny, John Barry's guitar, and a star-making performance from Michael Caine and you have a classic spy movie. This Network Blu-Ray is the definitive home presentation of the film to date and is highly recommended.
http://film.thedigitalfix.com/content/id/77772/the-ipcress-file.html
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John Barry's guitar??!!
The instument, Barry used for 'The Ipcress File' score is called a cimbalom.
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Posted: |
Aug 15, 2014 - 6:48 AM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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British distributors Network have confirmed that they will add two more titles to their Blu-ray catalog in January: Alfred Hitchcock's Young and Innocent a.k.a. The Girl Was Young (1937), and Miles Mander's Fascination (1931).
Fascination
The age-old tale of the husband who has an affair with another woman after a few years of marriage is given a novel twist when the wronged wife suggests to her husband's mistress that they should share him!
This light-hearted drama is directed by multitalented writer, director and actor Miles Mander, with Madeleine Carroll – Mander's co-star in 1928's The First Born and soon to take a career-defining leading role in Hitchcock's The 39 Steps – heading a distinguished cast. Fascination is presented here in a brand-new High Definition transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. STREET DATE: JANUARY 12.
Young and Innocent
Celebrated for the macabre, tour-de-force plots and sublime twist endings that would come to define the very genre of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock is one of cinema's greatest auteurs, his career spanning six decades and over sixty films.
One of Hitchcock's most significant pre-war thrillers – a series of films that would help pave the way to even greater success in Hollywood – Young and Innocent stars Derrick de Marney as Robert Tisdall, a man who turns fugitive after he finds the body of a young actress washed up on a beach and is promptly accused of her murder; Nova Pilbeam is the beautiful young woman whose help he enlists, and George Curzon features in one of his best-known British film roles as the jealous ex-husband who harbours a terrible secret…
This iconic early feature from the master of suspense is presented here in a High Definition transfer from original film elements, in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Special Features: •Introduction by Charles Barr
•Hitchcock: The Early Years – a 25-minute documentary covering Hitchcock's pre-war career
•Image Gallery
STREET DATE: JANUARY 19TH.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14737
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Posted: |
Aug 29, 2014 - 6:34 PM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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British distributors Network have officially announced and detailed their upcoming Blu-ray releases of John Hough's Twins of Evil (1971) and Peter Sasdy's Countess Dracula (1971). The two releases will be available for purchase on September 8th.
Twins of Evil
Drected with characteristic style and energy by cult filmmaker John Hough (The Legend Of Hell House, The Watcher In The Woods) and starring horror legend Peter Cushing (Horror Of Dracula, The Curse Of Frankenstein), Twins of Evil (15) combines the signature Hammer elements of supernatural horror, black humour and fabulously lurid sensuality.
Featuring an all-time classic score by Harry Robinson, Twins Of Evil also stars Kathleen Byron (Black Narcissus), Isobel Black (The Kiss of the Vampire) and Dennis Price (Kind Hearts and Coronets), with Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson as the twins.
Glamorous identical orphaned twins Maria and Frieda move from Vienna to the village of Karnstein to take up a new life with their submissive aunt and grim uncle - a fanatical Puritan and leader of a witch-hunting religious sect who is determined to kill his nemesis, Count Karnstein: a devil-worshipping libertine who has been turned into a vampire.
Special Features:
Original theatrical trailers and TV spots
Deleted scene
Image gallery
PDF material
Commemorative booklet
Instant play facility
Countess Dracula
One of Hammer's most enduringly popular films and a benchmark for 1970s horror, Countess Dracula stars Ingrid Pitt (The Wicker Man) in an iconic, career-defining role as the aged countess who must regularly bathe in virgins' blood to regain her fading youth.
Genre stalwart Peter Sasdy (Hands of the Ripper) directs arguably his best Hammer film, from a script by award-winning writer Jeremy Paul and showcasing a rousing score from composer Harry Robinson.
In medieval Hungary, Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy, an embittered, ageing widow, discovers by accident that virgin's blood causes her skin become youthful and smooth. Determined to retain her new youth at all costs, the Countess coerces her lover to abduct a string of young virgins to keep her supplied with the blood she now craves to stay beautiful...
Special Features:
Audio commentary with Ingrid Pitt and horror experts Kim Newman and Stephen Jones
Original theatrical trailer
Archive interview with Ingrid Pitt
50 Years of Hammer - news feature
Thriller episode
Conceptions of Murder episode
Instant play facility
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14874
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