149 The System

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domino harvey
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149 The System

#1 Post by domino harvey » Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:58 am

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THE SYSTEM
(Michael Winner, 1964)
Release date: 23 September 2019
Limited Edition Blu-ray (World Blu-ray premiere)

The first of six collaborations between two of British cinemas most infamous figures – Oliver Reed (The Damned, The Triple Echo) and Michael Winner (Death Wish) – The System finds both at their creative peak.

Reed is leader of a gang of youths, who spend a hot summer season in Devon in pursuit of women – including Jane Merrow (The Appointment) and Barbara Ferris (A Nice Girl Like You).

Filmed on location, and shot by the great Nicolas Roeg before he turned his attentions to directing, The System boasts a fine supporting cast, including Julia Foster (Alfie), Harry Andrews (The Deadly Affair), and David Hemmings (Fragment of Fear).

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with film historians Thirza Wakefield and Melanie Williams (2019)
• Interview with actor Jane Merrow (2019)
• Haunted England (1961): a short film by director Michael Winner exploring some of the haunted castles of England
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with new essays by Andy Miller and Vic Pratt, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
• World premiere on Blu-ray
• Limited edition of 3,000 copies
• All extras subject to change
#PHILTD149
BBFC cert: 12
REGION FREE
EAN: 5037899071977

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Re: 149 The System

#2 Post by MichaelB » Fri Aug 16, 2019 9:26 am

Full specs confirmed:

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Re: 149 The System

#3 Post by MichaelB » Wed Sep 18, 2019 4:35 pm


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Re: 149 The System

#4 Post by MichaelB » Tue Oct 01, 2019 2:59 pm


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Re: 149 The System

#5 Post by MichaelB » Thu Oct 03, 2019 4:21 pm


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Re: 149 The System

#6 Post by MichaelB » Sun Oct 06, 2019 3:57 am


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therewillbeblus
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Re: 149 The System

#7 Post by therewillbeblus » Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:32 pm

I thought this was a very beautiful and involving take on an unoriginal tale. Many films have bypassed the difficulty in actually dissecting toxic reserved masculinity by inserting a cure vis an extrinsic force of the ‘right’ woman to challenge one’s identity and reveal a sensitive, warm gooey center. This isn’t much different but there’s enough filler in style and offbeat glimpses of natural action divorced from the plot to make this film feel alive in ways many British new wave movies don’t to me. Smaller blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments like a woman pressing her face against the glass watching a man she loves speak to a crowd has nothing to do with our main story but feels as authentic and akin to the actions captured in the nouvelle vague. Roeg manipulating the camera probably explains a lot of why each frame feels like a fresh set of eyes are seeing the same routine. None of the main characters were particularly appealing, but props go to the smaller parts, specifically that same woman who pressed her face to the glass - Suzy - who gets an absolutely heartbreaking and genuine scene towards the end that really cuts to the bone of the vulnerable youthful angst the film is aiming for. This isn’t likely something I’ll be in a rush to watch again anytime soon, but I can’t deny that every shot carried a calculated creative energy making the film an enjoyable experience in the moment even if not particularly memorable with further distance from the viewing.

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