The French comic filmmaker Pierre Etaix, whose work spanned the decade of the ’60s only to vanish for 40 years before being rediscovered and restored in 2010, has died at the age of 87.
Discovery and loss: Pierre Etaix 1928-2016
Tag: Restored Films
Criterion Blu-ray review: Orson Welles’ The Immortal Story (1968)
The Immortal Story (1968), Orson Welles’ last completed fiction feature, adapted from an Isak Dinesen story, gets a gorgeous Blu-ray release from Criterion with a collection of substantial supplements providing background and context for the director’s first colour feature, which is also the most erotic film he made.
Criterion Blu-ray review: Wim Wenders’ The Road Trilogy (1974-76)
In The Road Trilogy, one of their finest releases in some time, Criterion showcase three key early works by Wim Wenders, one of the finest filmmakers of the New German Cinema.
The revival of Flipside
After a two year hiatus, the BFI has revived the Flipside series with three notable releases: Val Guest’s musical satire Expresso Bongo, Edmond T. Greville’s juvenile delinquent exploitation movie Beat Girl, and Jose Ramon Larraz’s “lost” horror film Symptoms.
The art of silent film: Anthony Asquith’s Shooting Stars (1928)
It’s remarkable that it’s still possible to discover a previously unknown yet major film from the silent era, but the BFI’s new release of Anthony Asquith’s first feature, Shooting Stars (1928) is a revelation; a fresh, self-aware film about filmmaking and the intersection of real and imaginary lives.
Recent discoveries on disk
Three fascinating rediscovered movies suggest once again that the demise of DVD and Blu-ray isn’t happening anytime soon, even if the major distributors are shying away from the format; passionate smaller boutique companies are keeping it alive for those of us who who still care.
Criterion Blu-ray review: Edward Yang’s A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
Criterion make available Edward Yang’s legendary, little-seen masterpiece of the New Taiwanese Cinema, A Bright Summer Day, in a superb 2-disk extras-rich Blu-ray edition.
Philip Ridley’s The Reflecting Skin (1990)
A new Blu-ray makes Philip Ridley’s elusive feature The Reflecting Skin available in a beautifully restored edition which includes several excellent supplements, including an illuminating commentary, a lengthy making-of documentary, and both if Ridley’s early short films.
Criterion Blu-ray review: Ettore Scola’s A Special Day (1977)
Ettore Scola’s A Special Day (1977) is a subtle, emotionally resonant chamber film featuring Sofia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni in two of their finest roles as people struggling against socially-imposed roles in fascist Italy.
Criterion Blu-ray review: Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Blind Chance (1981)
Criterion have released an impressive Blu-ray edition of Blind Chance, a key transitional film for Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski as he moved from documentary realism towards the more abstract and philosophical films he became best known for.
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