The British Film Institute (BFI), a cinematic sanctuary nestled on the banks of the Thames, is more than an institution; it is a guardian of celluloid dreams and a curator of the ever-evolving tapestry of British cinema. Since its inception in 1933, the BFI has been a lighthouse in the mist, illuminating the path to understanding and appreciating the art of film. The BFI takes a discerning approach to its home entertainment releases, often selecting films of historical, cultural, or artistic significance. These carefully curated collections showcase the depth and breadth of British and international cinema, providing cinephiles with an opportunity to explore cinematic gems that might not be readily available elsewhere. Their commitment to releasing films on physical media aligns with its dedication to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of cinema.

Let’s delve into some of the incredible titles in the sale…

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the 400 blows

 

François Truffaut’s directorial debut introduces his enduring alter ego, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud) – a misunderstood 12-year-old, neglected by his parents and mistreated by repressive schoolteachers, who seeks refuge in truancy, petty crime and, above all, cinema.

Truffaut’s most autobiographical film is widely regarded as one of the all-time great coming-of-age movies. A cinematic landmark that heralded the French New Wave, this rebellious, award-winning milestone is presented here on Blu-ray, from a new 4K restoration.

 

• Presented in High Definition from a new 4K restoration

• Audio commentary by Robert Lachenay (2002)

• Audition footage (7 mins): Jean-Pierre Léaud, Patrick Auffay and Richard Kanayan in screen tests for The 400 Blows

• Les Mistons (1957, 18 mins): Truffaut develops his distinctive style in this early short

• Truffaut, Bazin, Renoir: A Love Story (2022, 20 mins): film academic Catherine Wheatley’s illustrated presentation, recorded at ‘François Truffaut’s Cinematic and Literary Influences Study Day’, BFI Southbank

• Images of Paris: documentary gems from the BFI National Archive, including Panorama Around the Eiffel Tower (1900, 1 min), Metropolitan Railway of Paris (1913, 6 mins), and Lunch on the Eiffel Tower (1914, 1 min)

• Original theatrical trailer

• 2022 theatrical trailer

• Stills gallery

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get carter

 

Michael Caine is Jack Carter, the London gangland enforcer who returns to his hometown of Newcastle to investigate his brother’s death. Rarely has the criminal underworld been so realistically portrayed as in this 1971 masterpiece. Shot on location, resulting in a devastatingly authentic snapshot of life in the north east of England, Get Carter remains arguably the grittiest and greatest of all British crime films.

 

• The Sound of Roy Budd (2022)

• Roy Budd Plays ‘Get Carter’ (1971)

• Don’t Trust Boys (2022)

• Klinger on Klinger (2022)

• Mike Hodges (director) in conversation

• Isolated Score

• Introduction by Michael Caine

• BBC Look North location report (1970)

• The Ship Hotel – Tyne Main (1967) – Philip Trevelyan’s short film

• Michael Caine’s message to premiere attendees (1971)

• Script gallery

• Trailers

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la haine

 

Turning the camera away from iconic Paris to the concrete banlieue, Mathieu Kassovitz’s second feature as a director changed the cultural landscape of French cinema when it landed at the Cannes Film Festival in 1995, winning the Best Director prize. The film takes place over 24 hours following the police shooting of a young man from a deprived housing estate, and shows the world through the eyes of three friends – one North African, one Jewish and one black – who are frustrated with politicians, the media and police brutality. Black-and-white visuals, a thumping hip-hop soundtrack and graffiti-daubed streets underscore the urgency and rebellion at the heart of this game-changing classic.

 

• Director approved 4K restoration

• Audio commentary by Mathieu Kassovitz (2004)

• Redefining Rebellion (2020, 5 mins): film critic Kaleem Aftab explores the spirit of revolution in La Haine

• Screen Epiphany: Riz Ahmed introduces La Haine (2020, 14 mins): the award-winning actor talks about his connection to the film

• Interview with Mathieu Kassovitz (2020, 35 mins): interview with the actor, writer and director

• Three short films by Mathieu Kassovitz: Fierrot le pou (1990, 7 mins), Cauchemar Blanc (1991, 10 mins), Assassins (1992, 12 mins)

• 10 Years of La Haine (2005, 84 mins): feature-length documentary marking the 10th anniversary of Mathieu Kassovitz’s award-winning film

• Casting and rehearsals (1995, 19 mins)

• Behind the scenes (1995, 6 mins): Kassovitz, his cast and crew prepare to embark on making La Haine

• Colour deleted and extended scenes (1995, 17 mins): including afterwords by Mathieu Kassovitz on selected scenes

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jules et jim

 

Starting just before the Great War and spanning three decades, François Truffaut’s hugely popular classic depicts one of cinema’s most captivating love triangles, between two best friends – the Austrian Jules (Oskar Werner) and the French Jim (Henri Serre) – and the object of their mutual desire, the enigmatic and alluring Catherine, played with verve and sensitivity by Jeanne Moreau.

Fast, funny and stylish, Jules et Jim is a deeply affecting and engaging testament to love, loyalty and freedom, and remains a highly influential landmark of world cinema.

 

• Presented in High Definition from a new 2K restoration

• Audio commentary with Jeanne Moreau in conversation with film critic Serge Toubiana (2000)

• François Truffaut panel discussion (2022, 54 mins): film scholars Pasquale Iannone, Marilyn Mallia, Sonali Joshi, Ginette Vincendeau and Catherine Wheatley discuss key themes and influences in Truffaut’s work

• The John Player Lecture: François Truffaut (53 mins, audio): the director discusses his films

• Jeanne Moreau in Conversation (1982, 83 mins, audio): the Jules et Jim star talks with Don Allen about her life and career

• Screen Epiphanies: John Hurt on Jules et Jim (2010, 8 mins): the actor on his first viewing of the film and the lasting impression it left on him

• Original theatrical trailer

• 2022 theatrical trailer

• Stills gallery

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the wages of fear

 

Based on the 1950 French novel Le Salaire de la peur and critically hailed upon its original release, The Wages of Fear propelled its director Henri-Georges Clouzot (Les Diaboliques) to international fame, and is rightly considered a classic of world cinema.

In a squalid South American village, four desperate men are hired by a US oil company to embark on a treacherous journey, transporting a volatile cargo of nitro-glycerine to a massive oil well fire. Friendships and courage are pushed to the limit in this nail-biting thriller by a director who would go on to be dubbed the ‘French Hitchcock’.

 

• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)

• A Road Trip Out of Hell? Or Into It? – Purgatory and The Wages of Fear (2023, 13 mins): a new video essay by filmmaker and photographer Nic Wassell

• Audio commentary by film critic Adrian Martin (2017)

• Interview with assistant director Michel Romanoff (2005, 23 mins)

• Interview with Clouzot biographer Marc Godin (2005, 10 mins)

• Interview with Professor Lucy Mazdon (2017, 35 mins): an in-depth interview about Henri-Georges Clouzot and The Wages of Fear

• The Guardian Lecture: Yves Montand in conversation with Don Allen (1989, 99 mins, audio only): the star discusses his distinguished career

• Treasures form the BFI National Archive (1920-1960, 6 mins: a selection of archive gems, exploring some of the themes and iconography featured in The Wages of Fear

• Original theatrical trailer

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la belle et la bele

 

 

• Booklet

• Bonus Footage

• Commentary with cultural historian Sir Christopher Frayling

• Deleted Scenes

• Documentaries:

• Dreams of Cocteau: The Adventure of Beauty and the Beast (2013);

• Christian Berard’s and Jean Cocteau, Two Magicians (2013)

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the werner herzog collection

 

The Werner Herzog Collection – an extensive 8-disc Blu-ray box set compiling 18 films from the legendary German director.

The set features digitally remastered presentations of classics such as Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972); The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974); Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) and Fitzcarraldo (1982) plus many of Herzog’s hugely acclaimed short films.

Extras include Jack Bond’s long-unseen South Bank Show episode on Herzog from 1982 and Les Blank’s Burden of Dreams.

 

• All films remastered to High Definition

• Alternative German and English versions of selected titles

• Full-length audio commentaries with Werner Herzog on selected titles

• Optional 5,1 German and English audio on selected titles

• Nosferatu on-set documentary (1979, 13 mins)

• Werner Herzog Eats His shoe (Les Blank, 1980, 21 mins)

• Burden of Dreams (Les Blank, 1982, 95 mins)

• Guardian Lecture with Werner Herzog (1988, 83 mins, audio only)

• The South Bank Show: Werner Herzog (Jack Bond, 1982, 56 mins)

• Original trailer on selected titles

• Stills Galleries on selected titles

• Illustrated booklet with extensive essay by Laurie Johnson; full film credits

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the trial of joan of arc

 

The legendary story of Joan of Arc’s trial and conviction is powerfully retold in Robert Bresson’s minimalist masterpiece. Working from the official transcript of the 15th century trial, Bresson shoots Joan’s ordeal with a serene simplicity that reveals her vulnerability and her resilient faith. A transcendent and moving evocation of human suffering and spiritual liberation, The Trial of Joan of Arc remains a powerful exploration of religious virtue with one of cinema’s most haunting and poignant finales.

 

• Presented in High Definition

• An Introduction to Robert Bresson (2022, 29 mins): film writer and programmer Geoff Andrew discusses Bresson’s oeuvre in this talk presented at BFI Southbank

• Newly recorded audio commentary by filmmaker and writer Kat Ellinger

• Women’s Work in Wartime (1918, 8 mins): a propaganda short looking at the acceptable roles for women at a time of war

• Masculinity in Modes (1931, 1 mins): a cinemagazine item showcasing the more masculine trends in Parisian couture

• The Legend of Joan of Arc ballet (1958, 2 mins, extract): an item from the cinemagazine USSR Today showing a Nikolai Peiko’s ballet performed in Moscow

• Original theatrical trailer

• Stills gallery

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Gregory’s Girl

 

Newly restored from the original camera negative the BFI are excited to announce a new 4K release of Bill Forsyth’s much-loved coming-of-age comedy Gregory’s Girl. 

Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair) and his friends are starting to notice girls – particularly Dorothy (Dee Hepburn), not least because she’s on the football team and is a better player than all the boys. With counselling from his younger sister, Gregory finally asks Dorothy out, but turns up to the date only to discover that the girls at school have other plans for him.  A huge breakout hit on its original release in 1981, Gregory’s Girl was nominated for four Bafta’s, winning for Best Original Screenplay. Bill Forsyth’s classic comedy remains to this day the ultimate depiction of coming-of-age awkwardness and an enduring favourite of Scottish cinema. 

 

• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)

• Limited edition (4,000 copies) including booklet and slipcase

• The Strathclyde Tapes: Bill Forsyth (1992): the writer and director discusses his career and film craft with an audience of schoolchildren. He talks about the filmmaking process, themes and representations in his films and the prospect of Scotland attaining its own ‘film industry’

• Newly recorded audio commentary with Robert Buchanan, Douglas Sannachan and Caroline Guthrie

• Audio commentary with Bill Forsyth and Mark Kermode (2014)

• Bill Forsyth: The Early Years – an interview with the director (2014, 20 mins)

• Gregory’s Girl Memories – an interview with Clare Grogan (2014, 11 mins)

• Dee Hepburn, Clare Grogan and John Gordon Sinclair in Conversation (2015, 31 mins): the stars of Gregory’s Girl are interviewed on stage by Sue Harris to mark the film’s 25th anniversary

• Original trailer

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beautiful thing

 

During a long hot summer in south London Jamie is bunking off school more than usual, scurrying back to the TV and the flat in the Thamesmead estate where he lives with his mother Sandra. Whilst his neighbour Leah,who’s been kicked out of school, spends her days listening to Mama Cass records.

In the same block is Jamie’s sporty classmate Ste, whose home life is punctuated by the regular beatings he receives from both his father and brother. One night, in a bid to escape the violence, Ste takes refuge in Sandra’s flat and sleeps head to toe with Jamie. As Sandra struggles with a job promotion and her relationship with her hippy boyfriend Tony, Jamie and Ste gradually discover their affection for each other.

 

• Presented in High Definition

• Newly recorded audio commentary with director Hettie Macdonald, writer Jonathan Harvey and assistant director Susie Liggat

• Beautiful Thing Q&A (2023, 32mins): a post-screening Q&A with Jonathan Harvey, Hettie Macdonald, Susie Liggat and cast member Glen Berry

• Living at Thamesmead (1974, 25 mins): a short film produced and directed by Charmian and Jack Saward showing the architecture and landscaping of Thamesmead and everyday lives of the residents

• Crashing Waves (2018, 4 mins): a short film in which two young men connect, set against the backdrop of a high-rise housing estate

• Beautiful Thing Rainbow Plaque Unveiling (2023, 1 min): London LGBTQ+ Forums’ Network rainbow plaque unveiling at The Greenwich Tavern (formerly The Gloucester)

• Theatrical trailer

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Billy Connolly: Big Banana Feet

 

Billy Connolly is at the peak of his powers in this newly restored and rediscovered film. Capturing ‘The Big Yin’ on and off stage during his 1975 tour of Ireland, Big Banana Feet is a captivating record of Connolly on the cusp of international stardom.

Inspired by the fly-on-the-wall style of DA Pennebaker’s Bob Dylan documentary Dont Look Back, director Murray Grigor and cinematographer David Peat present Connolly at his beguiling best, using humour and charm to successfully navigate the political tensions of 1970s Dublin and Belfast.

Featuring iconic stand-up material alongside fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpses, this previously elusive milestone of British comedy is now newly restored in 2K (from original 16mm materials), reaffirming the genius that has endeared Connolly to generations of fans.

 

• Newly restored by the BFI and presented on Blu-ray and DVD

• Murray Grigor and Billy Johnson in Conversation (2024, 18 mins): the director of Big Banana Feet and the road manager on  Connolly’s tour of Ireland, Billy Johnson, are interviewed after the film’s premiere at the Glasgow  Film Festival 

• Clydescope (1974, 31 mins): a panorama of the Clyde, from Biggar to Brodick, with Billy Connolly as your guide

• BLAST (1975, 24 mins): made for the Arts Council of Great Britain, Murray Grigor’s award-winning short film explores Vorticism, a radical art movement of the early 20th century

• Restoration demo (2023, 2 mins): a before and after look at the restoration of Big Banana Feet

• Rerelease trailer (2024)

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Scala!!!

 

Archive footage, eye-popping movie clips, acid-crazed animation and some famous names collide to tell the story of London’s infamous, influential Scala cinema. With its cracked marble floors, resident cats and mysterious, extrasensory rumblings, the Scala was magic and a refuge from the violence of Thatcher’s Britain. Hilarious, irreverent, and ultimately heartbreaking with a fabulous original score by Barry Adamson, SCALA!!! is more than mere nostalgia, it’s an X-rated love letter and a universal shout-out to the power of cinemas to inspire impressionable young minds and create a sense of community for outsiders. A place where everyone is welcome.

 

• Presented in High Definition

• Audio commentary by directors Jane Giles and Ali Catterall

• Scala Interviews (2022, 60 mins): a selection of previously unseen footage shot for the film, chosen by the directors

• Scala (1990, 35 mins): a portrait of the cinema, originally made to be shown on the Cable London television channel, directed by Michael Clifford

• ScalaCinema (1992, 4 mins): a short student film, shot at the Scala cinema, directed by Ali Peck and Victor de Jesus

• London Film Festival introduction (2023, 13 mins): an introduction to the screening of the film, featuring the directors, the cast, the crew and audience participation, recorded at the London Film Festival in 2023

• Animations by Osbert Parker (2022-23, 4 mins total): artist Osbert Parker’s animations, made for the film

• Shorts Shown at the Scala(1989-91): a selection of short films seen at the cinema – Relax (Christopher Newby, 1991, 23 mins), Flames of Passion (Richard Kwietniowski, 1989, 18 mins)

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The Eternal Daughter

 

This beautifully composed drama centres on a middle-aged filmmaker and her mother, who spend a few nights in an old country hotel that holds meaning for them both. Featuring a towering, deeply moving performance by Tilda Swinton, The Eternal Daughter is an intricately layered piece about motherhood, memory and loss, dressed up as a gothic chiller. 

Swirling mist, looming shadows, a ghostly presence half-glanced in a window… embracing some of the heightened stylistic flourishes seen in The Souvenir Part II,The Eternal Daughter takes Hogg into exciting new territory, while retaining her distinctive naturalistic signature. The film exists entirely as its own deeply enthralling and moving drama, but fans of the filmmaker’s recent work will also find it a puzzle box of metatextual delights.

• Presented in High Definition

• Audio commentary by Joanna Hogg and production designer Stéphane Collonge

• Présages (2023, 11 mins): a short film by Joanna Hogg produced in 2023 for  the Centre Pompidou’s ‘Où en êtes-vous?’ collection

• Joanna Hogg in conversation (2023, 76 mins): the acclaimed filmmaker discusses her career so far with Jason Wood. Recorded at BFI Southbank as part of the season, Internal Reflections: The Films of Joanna Hogg.

• Q&A with Joanna Hogg and Tilda Swinton (2023, 35 mins): the writer-director and star of The Eternal Daughter talk to Francine Stock about their latest collaboration

• Original UK trailer

• Audio description for the blind and visually impaired

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chocolat

 

A young woman named France (Mireille Perrier) returns to Cameroon to visit the former colonial outpost she grew up in during the last days of French rule. Upon arrival, she recalls her childhood in Mindif. The only child of a sole white family, the Dalens, France forms a strong connection with their ‘houseboy’ Protée (Isaach de Bankolé). A quiet and observant child but still too innocent to fully understand the simmering sexual and racial tensions in the adults around her, France finds her idyl shattered when a plane full of strangers makes an emergency landing nearby.

Claire Denis’ quasi-autobiographical exploration of the colonial power struggle in Cameroon is the first in a series of her films exploring French colonialism and racism in West Africa. A Palme D’Or nominee, Chocolat is a remarkably assured directorial debut featuring all the tension, subtlety and sophistication that characterise Claire Denis’ films, brought to life in a dazzling new 4K restoration.

 

• Newly restored and approved by director Claire Denis

• Audio commentary by film scholar and critic Kate Rennebohm

• Claire Denis à propos de Chocolat (2023, 18 mins): Claire Denis discusses Chocolat and its new restoration

• Claire Denis in Conversation (2019, 49 mins): the filmmaker looks back over her career

• Childhood Memories(Mary Martins, 2018, 4 mins): a multilayered autobiographical animation exploring memories of a childhood visit to Lagos, Nigeria

• Original theatrical trailer

• 2023 trailer

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hidden city

 

After establishing a fine reputation in British television drama, Stephen Poliakoff directed his first feature film in 1987. A mystery wrapped in conspiracy and secrets, Hidden City tells the story of James Richards (Charles Dance), a writer sucked into a search for a lost piece of film by Sharon Newton (Cassie Stewart), a video librarian. What they stumble upon are cover-ups, tense searches, and possible danger. 

With the help of Witold Stoks’ excellentcinematography, Poliakoff has crafted a rich look into London’s dark history, with disusedtram-tunnelsand long-forgotten subterranean chambers serving as the backdrop toexplore the depths ofthe British pre-occupation with secrecy. Featuring a sensational cast of stellar British talent including Richard E. Grant and Bill Paterson, Stephen Poliakoff’s rarely seendirectorial debut is a stylish thriller ripe for rediscovery.

 

• Presented in High Definition

• Newly recorded audio commentary with writer and director Stephen Poliakoff and film critic Michael Brooke

• Treasures from the BFI National Archive (1903-1947, 58 mins): a selection of archive gems, exploring some of the themes featured in Hidden City. The films: Cheese Mites (1903), Barging Through London (1924), Hop Gardens of Kent (1933), The City (1939) and Shown by Request (1947)

• Inside the BFI National Archive (2023, 1 min): a behind-the-scenes look at the work of the BFI National Archive

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mary, queen of scots

 

The historical rivalry between two of Britain’s most fascinating monarchs is brought brilliantly to life in this thrilling period drama.

When the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots (Vanessa Redgrave) returns to her homeland to claim her throne, the court of her cousin, the Protestant Elizabeth I (Glenda Jackson) in neighbouring England, is thrown into turmoil, as the question of succession becomes an ever-pressing concern to the ‘Virgin Queen’. Political machinations and intrigue abound as the competing camps jostle for dominance, with the threat of the executioner’s axe looming large.

Stunning performances by Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson are supported by a stellar ensemble cast including Trevor Howard, Ian Holm and Timothy Dalton.

 

• Presented in High Definition

• Audio commentary by film historian and critic Sergio Mims (2020)

• Isolated John Barry score with commentary from film historians Nick Redman and Jon Burlingame

• Riding High (2022, 6 mins): actor Frances White recalls a fewof her most memorable experiences on location

• The Guardian Lecture: Glenda Jackson (1982, 77 mins, audio only): the actor interviewed at the National Film Theatre

• Now and Then: Vanessa Redgrave (1968, 30 mins):the actor is interviewed by Bernard Braden for his never broadcast series

• Promotional trailer (1971, 4 mins)

• Image gallery

• Newly created audio description track

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wild strawberries

 

Opening with a starkly symbolic and unsettling dream sequence, Wild Strawberries sets a reflective tone for the journey of Professor Isak Borg, a distinguished yet emotionally detached doctor travelling by car with his daughter-in-law to receive an honorary award from his former university. As they drive, Borg’s memories and daydreams come to life, causing him to confront scenes from his youth and revisit his failures, including an unfulfilled marriage and lost friendships. Through these encounters, he faces his lifelong fears of loneliness and mortality, recognising the emotional coldness that has isolated him from those closest to him.

Ingmar Bergman’s film is an exploration of self-examination, drawing upon surreal, often haunting imagery. He honours cinematic tradition by casting Victor Sjöström, one of Sweden’s most acclaimed silent filmmakers, as Borg. Bergman, however, expands into fresh territory, pioneering a new kind of intellectual cinema that fearlessly delves into the existential questions of life, memory, and redemption.

 

• Presented in High Definition

• Fully illustrated booklet featuring an essay by Geoff Andrew, original review and full film credits

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Nosferatu

 

F W Murnau’s horror classic was the first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. As potent and disturbing now as ever, it paved the way for the future of gothic cinema. Max Schreck’s Count Orlok, bald, bat-eared and rabbit-toothed, is at once terrifying and pitiable, his need for blood, for living warmth is palpable to the point of agony.

Featuring some of the most iconic images in cinema, Murnau’s interpretation of this great vampire tale has been much imitated not least by Werner Herzog, whose Nosferatu the Vampyre is an admiring tribute.

Nosferatu is newly restored and remastered and accompanied by James Bernard’s acclaimed score.

 

• Newly restored and remastered , presented in High Definition

• Christopher Frayling on Nosferatu (Lynne Wake, 2002, 24 mins): video essay on Nosferatu and F W Murnau and Albin Grau’s backgrounds and influences

• Le Vampire (Jean Painlevé, 1945, 9 mins): Painlevé’s study of the South American vampire bat, an allegory for the Nazism that was sweeping throughout Europe at the time

• The Mistletoe Bough (Percy Stow, 1904, 5 mins): the oldest film version of a classic Christmas ghost story recently restored by the BFI, featuring a new score by Saint Eitenne’s Pete Wiggs

• Image Gallery plus a fully illustrated booklet featuring credits and film notes.

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targets

 

Byron Orlok (Boris Karloff) is a retiring horror-star bidding farewell to the limelight. Bobby Thompson (Tim O’Kelly) is an unassuming but disturbed Vietnam veteran who suddenly embarks on a murderous shooting rampage. As Byron makes one final public appearance, the two’s worlds collide as Bobby brings carnage to a suburban Los Angeles drive-in cinema.  Both a comment on the terrors of contemporary America and homage to the horror films of Roger Corman, this thrilling crime drama launched the career of its director Peter Bogdanovich and is rightly hailed as one of the most powerful films of the late 1960s.

 

• New restoration supervised by director Peter Bogdanovich and presented in High Definition

• Audio commentary by Peter Bogdanovich (2003)

• New audio commentary by author and film critic Peter Tonguette

• Targets: An Introduction by Peter Bogdanovich (2003, 14 mins)

• Hitting Targets: Sara Karloff on her Father, Boris (2022, 40 mins): Boris Karloff’s daughter looks back on the life, career and legend of her famous father

• On Target: Boris Karloff in the 1960s (2023, 17 mins): Stephen Jacobs, author of Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster, considers the great man’s final decade

• Gentleman of Horror (2023, 8 mins): a video essay on Boris Karloff by the BFI’s Vic Pratt

• The Guardian Interview: Peter Bogdanovich (1972, 42 mins): the director of Targets recounts tales of films and filmmaking at the National Film Theatre

• The Guardian Interview: Roger Corman (1970, 64 mins): the filmmaking legend who gave Peter Bogdanovich the opportunity to make Targets discusses his work 

• Trailers From Hell: Joe Dante on Targets (2013, 3 mins): filmmaker Joe Dante provides his personal take on Targets

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Three Films By Yasujiro Ozu

 

This year marks the 120th anniversary of Japanese filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu’s birth. From his early silent films to his final features in the 1960s, Ozu perfected a style that stripped away unnecessary plot mechanics and camera movement. In doing so, he produced a cinema whose surface simplicity belies character studies of depth, warmth and on occasion, humour. 

This new set features three newly restored films, all presented on Blu-ray in the UK for the first time:

Dragnet Girl (1933, 101 mins)
Sweet-faced Tokiko is an ordinary typist by day, but come nightfall she’s a fun-loving gangster’s moll. When her  boyfriend strays, Tokiko is forced to reassess her life. Hugely popular when it was released, Ozu’s Dragnet Girlremains one of his most enduring silent films. Featuring a score by Ed Hughes.

Record of a Tenement Gentleman (1947, 71 mins)
Kohei, a boy who has been abandoned by his father, develops a relationship with a widow, Tane. Although she initially  resists the child, the pair begin to develop a bond amid the turbulence of post-war Tokyo.

A Hen in the Wind (1948, 84 mins)
In a Japan recently devastated by war, a devoted, near-destitute mother turns to prostitution to pay for her son’s  medical care after he falls dangerously ill.

 

• All three films newly restored and presented in High Definition

• New audio commentary on Dragnet Girl by Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns

• New audio commentary on Record of a Tenement Gentleman by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp

• New audio commentary on A Hen in the Wind by film critic Adrian Martin

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Pretty Red Dress

 

Travis has just been released from prison and it quickly becomes apparent that everything has changed while he’s been gone. While girlfriend Candice is on the up and auditioning to star in a musical, teenage daughter Kenisha is struggling in school and her relationship with her mum is tense. When Travis buys Candice her dream dress for an audition, rather than smoothing over the family’s problems, it ends up creating even more… As secrets and desires left unsaid threaten to spill out, Travis is forced to re- examine who he is and how he wants to be perceived in the world.

A debut feature from writer and director Dionne Edwards, Pretty Red Dress features breakthrough performances from Natey Jones  and newcomer Temilola Olatunbosun, as well as the chart-topping singer and West End actor Alexandra Burke in her first film role.

 

• Presented in High Definition 

• Audio commentary by writer and director Dionne Edwards and producer Georgia Goggin 

• Pretty Red Dress Q&A (2023, 23 mins): Dionne Edwards, Georgia Goggin and cast members Temilola Olatunbosun, Natey Jones and Alexandra Burke discuss Pretty Red Dress with Caleb Femi 

• Dressing Up(2023, 14 mins): Dionne Edwards looks back on Pretty Red Dress discussing some of its themes and influences

• Picking Up the Thread (2023, 27 mins): Georgia Goggin recounts the production history of Pretty Red Dress

• Starting a Conversation (2022, 3 mins): choreographer and movement director Johannes Radebe discusses his role on the film 

• Sundance Directors Lab scenes (2019, 8 mins): during the Sundance Directors Lab Dionne Edwards shot scenes from Pretty Red Dress with actors Eric Kofi Abrefa, Riann Steele and Aria Harrell taking the lead roles 

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I am Weekender

 

Initially banned on its release, Weekender –the film of Flowered Up’s classic acid house cri de cœur –is today hailed as one of the most innovative music films ever made. Now WIZ’s pioneering meditation on the British rave experience is celebrated in I Am Weekender, Chloé Raunet’s documentary about the film’s making, impact and legacy, with contributions from Irvine Welsh, Jeremy Deller, Lynne Ramsay, Bobby Gillespie, Clive Langer, Mark Moore, Róisín Murphy, Annie Nightingale, Shaun Ryder, David Holmes, Roy the Roach and more. Once described as ‘the Citizen Kane of acid house’, Weekender, the film that started it all, is also included here in a brand new 2K restoration. 

 

• Weekender (1992, 19 mins): the film itself, remastered from the original camera negative and presented in a new 2K restoration

• New audio commentary by director WIZ, recorded and produced by Adam Dunlop

• Take It (1991, 4 mins): Flowered Up promotional video directed by WIZ

• Phobia (1990, 4 mins): Flowered Uppromotional video directed by Paul Cannell

• It’s On (1990, 4 mins): Flowered Up promotional video directed by Pinko

• Raise (1990, 4 mins): Bocca Juniors promotional video directed by WIZ and featuring Anna Haigh

• Nish (1991, 4 mins): a short film about early acid house culture by WIZ

• Turn It Up (2023, 27 mins):Chloé Raunet discusses the making of her documentary in this newly recorded interview

• Rushes Revisited (Adam Dunlop, 2023, 9 mins): four sketches made from unseen rushes featuring previously unheard isolated tracks from the original recordings

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Enys Men

 

From visionary filmmaker Mark Jenkin, the Bafta award-winning director of Bait. Enys Men is a mind-bending Cornish folk horror set in 1973 that unfolds on an uninhabited island off the Cornish coast. A wildlife volunteer’s (Mary Woodvine) daily observations of a rare flower take a dark turn into the strange and metaphysical, forcing both her and viewers to question what is real and what is nightmare. Is the landscape not only alive but sentient? Shot by Jenkin on grainy 16mm colour film stock and with his trademark post-synched sound, the form feels both innovative and authentic to the period. Filmed on location around the disused tin mines of West Penwith, it is also an ode to Cornwall’s rich folklore and natural beauty.

 

• Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition

• Audio commentary with director Mark Jenkin and film critic Mark Kermode

• Audio Diaries (2020, 106 mins, audio only): Mark Jenkins’s lockdown diaries

• On-stage interview with Mark Jenkin and Mary Woodvine by film critic Mark Kermode at BFI Southbank (2022, 29 mins)

• Film Sounds with Mark Jenkin and Peter Strickland (2022, 86 mins): the director of Enys Men in conversation with filmmaker Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio, Flux Gourmet) as they discuss the subtleties of sound in film

• Recording the Score (2022, 6 mins): a short clip of Mark Jenkin at work

• Haunters of the Deep (1984, 61 mins): a Children’s Film Foundation adventure that shares many of the same West Cornwall locations as Enys Men, and made quite an impression on its director

• The Duchy of Cornwall (1938, 15 mins): a rapid survey of early Cornish history looks at the county’s language, landscape and industries

• Trailer

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La Règle du jeu

 

On the surface, Jean Renoir’s brilliant satire is a series of interlinked romantic intrigues that take place during a weekend shooting party in a country château. But the film is, in fact, a study of the corruption and decay at the top of French society on the eve of the Second World War.

Denigrated by the public, vilified by the critics, re-cut at the insistence of its producers and ultimately banned by the French government as demoralising and unpatriotic, La Règle du jeu is today widely recognised as one of the greatest films ever made.

 

• Restored in 4K in 2021 by La Cinémathèque française and Les Grands Films Classiques and presented on Blu-ray

• Newly commissioned commentary by film writers David Jenkins and Trevor Johnston

• Image par image: La Règle du jeu (1987, 42 mins): Jean Douchet and Pierre Oscar Lévy provide a detailed analysis of La Règle du jeu

• Leslie Caron on La Règle du jeu (2016, 18 mins): the actor introduces Renoir’s classic as part of the Screen Epiphanies series at BFI Southbank

• La Vie est à nous (1936, 64 mins): French Communist Party election film depicting political turmoil and the threat of fascism, with creative input from Jean Renoir and Henri Cartier-Bresson, among others

• Pheasant Shooting (1913, 1 min): newsreel item on the start of the shooting season in a Norfolk game reserve

• Society on the Moors (1921, 1 min): newsreel footage of Lord and Lady Savile’s shooting party on the Yorkshire Moors near Hebden Bridge

• Stills gallery

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Dance Craze

 

The Dance Craze film, shot throughout 1980 and released in cinemas the following year, brilliantly captures the cultural phenomenon that was the 2Tone movement and represents an important social document of the times. Directed by Joe Massot (The Song Remains the Same) and filmed by Bafta award-winning cinematographer Joe Dunton, it showcases the very best of the British Ska phenomenon, with exclusive live performances from The Specials, Madness, The Selecter, The Beat, Bad Manners and The Bodysnatchers. Newly remastered in 4K from original film materials, Dance Craze is presented here by the BFI and Chrysalis Records on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time, more than 40 years on from its theatrical release.

 

• Newly remastered from original 70mm materials and approved by cinematographer Joe Dunton

• Rudies Come Back (1980, 34 mins): in this episode of the long-running BBC series Arena, music journalist Adrian Thrills explores the rise of 2Tone. Featuring interviews with The Specials and The Selecter

• Outtakes (1980, 22 mins): a collection of outtakes and alternative versions features footage that was ultimately left out of the final cut of Dance Craze, but has been recovered from various sources

• Restoration demo (2023, 2 mins): a before and after look at the restoration of Dance Craze

• Original stereo and surround sound mixes by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley remastered for this release, plus a new Dolby Atmos surround sound mix approved by Jerry Dammers

• Newly created English subtitles for the Deaf and partial hearing

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Nil By Mouth

 

Gary Oldman revealed himself as a filmmaker of uncompromising talent with Nil by Mouth, his debut and so far only directorial feature. Set on a council estate in New Cross, south east London (the area where Oldman himself grew up), a dysfunctional family encounters domestic violence, drunkenness, drug addiction and petty crime. Featuring career-best performances from Kathy Burke (winner of Best Actress at Cannes), Ray Winstone and Charlie Creed-Miles, all superbly supported by Laila Morse and Jamie Foreman, Nil by Mouth was awarded Best British Film and Best Original Screenplay at the 1998 Bafta awards.  

This intensely powerful and emotional landmark of British cinema has been remastered in 4K for its 25th anniversary by the BFI National Archive, and this release is the first time on Blu-ray anywhere in the world. 

 

• Newly remastered in 4K by the BFI National Archive

• Newly recorded audio commentary by writer and director Gary Oldman and producer Douglas Urbanski

• Interview with Gary Oldman (2022): the acclaimed actor in conversation with film Geoff Andrew

• Interview with Ray Winstone (2022): the actor discusses his role in the film with Geoff Andrew

• Fearing the Worst: Charlie Creed-Miles on Nil by Mouth (2022, 28 mins): the actor recalls the making of Nil by Mouth

• People Were Queuing For Any Role: Sue Jones on Nil by Mouth (2022, 16 mins): the film’s casting director recalls her work on the film

• 80-page book featuring new writing by Douglas Urbanski, Kat Ellinger, Philip Kemp, and Jason Wood and archive extracts from Time Out and Sight & Sound. Also includes contributions on selected extras by Gary Oldman and never before seen original storyboards from the film

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The Driver’s Seat

 

Elizabeth Taylor stars as a troubled woman who, upon arriving in Rome, finds a city fragmented by autocratic law, leftist violence and her own increasingly unhinged mission to find the most dangerous liaison of all.

Never before released in the UK, The Driver’s Seat (aka Identikit) remains the most obscure, bizarre and wildly misunderstood film of Taylor’s illustrious career. Adapted froman unnerving novella by Muriel Spark (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie), the film marked a wild step into the unknown for the screen icon, as she cast off the shackles of the US studio system in the shadow of her tumultuous personal life.Co-starring Ian Bannen, Mona Washbourne and Andy Warhol, The Driver’s Seat stunned critics and audiences alike upon its premiere in 1974 but failed to secure a UK release – until now.Directed by Giuseppe PatroniGriffi(‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore) and featuring cinematography by three-time Oscar® winner Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now), this much-sought after cult classic is presented in a new4K restoration by Cineteca di Bologna and Severin Films.

 

• Restored in 4K by Cineteca di Bologna and Severin Films and presented in High Definition

• Introduction By Kier-La Janisse, author of House of Psychotic Women (2022, 6 mins)

• Audio Commentary with curator and programmer Millie De Chirico (2022)

• A Lack of Absence (2022, 22 mins): writer and literary historian Chandra Mayor on Muriel Spark and The Driver’s Seat

• The Driver’s Seat credit sequences (1974, 4 mins)

• Darling, Do You Love Me? (1968, 4 mins) in a hugely entertaining parody of her media persona, Germaine Greer stars as a terrifyingly amorous woman who pursues a man relentlessly

• Waiting For… (1970, 11 mins): a young woman embarks on a filmmaking project when some mysterious men give her a camera and tell her to capture her everyday reality

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• Presented in High Definition

• Audio commentary by director Juliet Bashore, actors Sharon Mitchell, Jon Martin and Howie Gordon, and performance artist Shelly Mars

• Crash (excerpt): In 1990 Juliet Bashore workshopped a 'fictional' version of Kamikaze Hearts through the American Film Institute. This sketch is one of the outcomes from the AFI project.

• Interviews (2022, 173 mins): A selection of newly recorded interviews totalling almost three hours with Juliet Bashore, Sharon Mitchell , Annie Sprinkle & Beth Stephens, Susie Bright, Howie Gordon, Jon Martin

• Original trailer

• 2022 trailer

• English subtitles for the Deaf and partial hearing (feature only)

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The Juniper Tree

 

An unsung talent in her lifetime, director, professor and Fulbright scholar Nietzchka Keene’s stark, stunning debut feature The Juniper Tree is loosely based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name, and stars Björk in her first feature film performance.

Set in medieval Iceland, The Juniper Tree follows Margit (Björk) and her older sister Katla (Bryndis Petra Bragadottir) as they flee for safety after their mother is burned to death for witchcraft. Finding shelter and protection with Johan (Valdimar Orn Flygenring.), and his resentful young son, Jonas (Geirlaug Sunna Thormar), the sisters help form an impromptu family unit that’s soon strained by Katla’s burgeoning sorcery.

Photographed entirely on location in the stunning landscapes of Iceland in spectacular black-and-white by Randy Sellars, The Juniper Tree is a deeply atmospheric film, evocative of Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Day of Wrath and Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring, and filled with indelible waking dream sequences (courtesy of legendary experimental filmmaker Pat O’Neill). A potent allegory for misogyny and its attendant tragedies, The Juniper Tree is a major rediscovery for art house audiences.

 

• Restored in 4K and presented in High Definition

• New feature commentary by Icelandic cultural scholar Dr Guðrún D Whitehead

• Still (1978, 4 mins), Hinterland (1981, 25 mins), Aves (1998, 7 mins): three remastered short films by Nietzchka Keene

• Video interview with cinematographer Randy Sellars (2019, 29 mins)

• Archival video interview with Nietzchka Keene (2002, 15 mins)

• The Witch’s Fiddle (1924, 7 mins): a British folk rarity from the BFI National Archive

• Iceland – The Land of Fire and Ice (1929) little-seen footage of Iceland from the silent cinema era

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EO

 

EO, a grey donkey with melancholic eyes and a curious spirit, begins his life as a circus performer before escaping on a trek across the Polish and Italian countryside. During his travels, he encounters an eclectic cast of characters, including a countess, a young Italian priest and a riotous Polish football team. EO’s journey speaks to the world around us, an equine hero boldly pointing out societal ills and serving as warning to the dangers of neglect and inaction, all while on a quest for freedom.

Directed by the veteran Polish director (Deep End, The Shout), EO won the Jury Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, before being nominated for Best International Feature at the 2023 Academy Awards®. 

 

• Jerzy Skolimowski & Ewa Piaskowska on the making of EO(2022, 27 mins): director Jerzy Skolimowski and co-writer Ewa Piaskowska discuss the making of EO at the New York Film Festival. 

• Skolimowski A to Ż (2023, 53 mins, audio only): an alphabetical journey through the work of Jerzy Skolimowski with writer Michael Brooke

• High Rise Donkey (1980, 56 mins): in this Children’s Film Foundation adventure, three children who live in a high-rise tower block try to save a donkey from two small-time crooks

• The Clown and His Donkey (1910, 4 mins): this rare silhouette animation by Charles Armstrongdepicts a clown doing tricks with his donkey

• UK trailer and assorted teasers

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