Gaumont French Releases

[david hare]

Not much info on the Vigo integrale but I assume one disc is L’Atalante, a second disc is the sublime 90 minutes of outtakes from it, and disc 3 Zero, Taris and A Propos de Nice. Not cheap at 70 Euros but some things are more important than money.

[JAP]

On a related note, the Cineteca di Bologna edition of the Vigo set (2 BRs+3 DVDs) is already available for €33.00 RRP.

[david hare]

Apparently no subs. Also not clear if it includes Eisenschitz' 90 minute outtakes film. But certinly cheaper than Gaumont's 70 Euros.

[L.A.]

Artificial Eye releases L’Atalante & The Films of Jean Vigo in October. Wonder what this includes.

[Werewolf by Night]

Product Description
L'Atalante (1934)
This intoxicatingly inventive masterpiece is one of the world's great films. A simple and engaging plot is transformed into a kaleidoscope of dazzling digressions and offbeat characterizations complete with tour-de-force scenes that still seem fresh and startling.

À propos de Nice (1930)
What starts off as a conventional travelogue turns into a satirical portrait of the town of Nice on the French Cote d'Azur, especially its wealthy inhabitants.

Taris (1931)
An Inventive short portrait of a swimming champion.

Zero de Conduite (1933)
A radical, delightful tale of boarding-school rebellion that has influenced countless film-makers.

[L.A.]

Regarding the extras I meant. Doing some research I noticed an earlier DVD from AE so maybe it will the same release.

But I still feel enormous interest towards the upcoming French set. Like David said:

...some things are more important than money.

[david hare]

That AE listing does not appear to include the Eisenschitz c ommentary and outtakes feature length documentary which I think is the major part of the package (although L'Atalante is my best film of all time.) I hope the listing is an oversight and it will occupy a third disc as it almost certainly does in the Gaumont set. The outtakes are mostly silent (with continuous commentary from BE) and include an extraordinary sequence in the Parisian cafe where they watch the saleman with the bicycle sing his nonsense song. Vigo and Kaufman film it from three different angles, rtight side inside the stage, outside the stage and through the netting, and from above, in three separate takes and it's one of the few sections of the material to still have sound (recorded direct to camera.) It's electrifying. There are many other glorious, amazing things that never ended up in the finished movie, and there's a plethora of shots with VIgo himself clapping the board for the take. It is indispensible and I am sure Eisenschitz would insist on it being included.

[feckless boy]

So far the forthcoming AE Blu-ray is listed as only a single disc - so probably something similar to the Criterion disc but hopefully using the new restorations.

The Gaumont Prestige - Coffret Jean Vigo Edition with 5 DVD or 2 Blu-ray + 2 DVD, with a book by Bernard Eisenschitz. According to one BD.com-poster this set will use the new 4K restorations and at least the films themselves will be subtitled in English.

The outtakes David Hare is talking about Tournage d’hiver: L’Atalante de Jean Vigo chutes et rushes.

[Costa]

If tenia or anyone else gets this:
https://www.amazon.fr/1492-Conquest-of- ... B07G2D87KH
please let us know if it's remastered, if it's indeed the extended cut and if it includes English subtitles.

I love this film and Vangelis' soundtrack.

[david hare]

What has happened to the October 10 release date for Gaumont’s Vigo coffret. Tapping fingers while very expensive Amazon premium postage ticks by.

[tenia]

Gaumont and Pathé changed their logistics company and it's a nightmare since. Most of their latest releases have been plagued with supplying issues at online suppliers. Hopefully, things will smooth out over time but I guess someone is going to pay some penalties !

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Both Amazon an FNAC are stating 17th October for arrival of stock on all Gaumont October releases and the delayed September Tourneurs

[david hare]

So much for paying "exdpedie" freight charge for quick delivery We will be out of the country from early November for a while. I was hoping to do a a review for it and long appreciation of Eisie's work.

[david hare]

Needless to say thanks to you both. I have the problem fo having to be home for the delivery timeframe becuase the couriers here do not leave in a safe place where the niebors can pick it up, and the bloody thing will go back to PO NZ to be returend to sender. If they have stock by 17th I can reinstate the order if not, nada.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

They have written to say mine will be delivered the 19th from both FNAC and Amazon so the stock situation seems to be pretty solid

[david hare]

Mine arrived. I am drowning in this box but I will only say it’s essential to life. All the titles are from the new 4ks which were done at Ritrovato and are, frankly flawless and beyond criticism. They all look as good here as they did on the big screen at Bologna.

And for folks concerned, although the bulk of extras are not English subbed, the sublime L’Hiver extra on the L’Atalante disc is fully English subbed. Aside from the stagerring now definitive quality of these restos, this 70 minutes of uncut outtakes are one of the greatest pleasures of my film going life. They might be yours too.

[artfilmfan]

I've only watched about 40 minutes of it so far ... L'Atalante on the new Gaumont Blu-ray disc looks fantastic. I set my Blu-ray player to Region A and the disc plays fine.

[Stefan Andersson]

The CNC grants towards restoring French films will be considerably lowered. 2,8 million euros (per year, I assume) for the years 2019-2021, as opposed to 9 million euros in 2018.


The CNC are looking favourably on support from private sources, and have a list of 100 titles to be "adopted" for restoration. Gaumont and other holders of large catalogues are, unsurprisingly, critical of this.


Article in French ("free reading" part only) here:

https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article ... _3234.html

[tenia]

Labels and studios in France are not happy at all about it, and I understood better after reading this article why some labels were saying things were getting "complicated".

[eerik]

Jean Epstein's Finis Terræ & La Femme du bout du monde released next month with English subtitles.

[tenia]

There's a "before / after restoration" featurette on Gaumont's upcoming release of Pierre Richard's Le distrait, and it contains these comparisons (for which I can't find the right adjective), in case anybody was still wondering how these homogeneized gradings happen :


Hard to find any more explicit.

[L.A.]

Jean Epstein's Finis Terræ & La Femme du bout du monde released next month with English subtitles.

It seems the latter is not included on the Potemkine set.

[Aunt Peg]

My Gaumont Danton blu ray is dead. Anybody experienced problems with Gaumont discs? I see on this old blu-ray.com forum thread that some early French blu discs have problems.

I'm gonna have to purchase it again unfortunately.

My Danton is in the process of dying. Plays on my Panasonic machine but not Sony so I'll watch it this week since I haven't seen it since 1982 and only purchased it for a revisit.

I'm afraid my La Nuit de Varennes is dead

I adore the film and now can only hope that a US or UK release is forthcoming. At least I'd watched the disc a couple of years ago and its a film that gets better with each viewing.

I'm now going to check and watch all my French discs (probably about 50 Blu Rays not counting the Rohmer box set). Have already ordered the Artificial Eye Malle set as a backup and will consider buying US/UK releases of other much loved titles.

[Aunt Peg]

I checked my Gaumont of A Man Escaped and it is dead. Have just ordered the Artificial Eye edition to replace it.

[tenia]

Many other titles are concerned, like Le sucre, Cousin cousine, Le rouge est mis and some of the Pialat.