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Fopp’s Picks
October 2024
with collector’s edition releases for seven samurai, the haxan and more, october is shaping up to be a great month for film collectors. here’s our picks for october.
Seven Samurai – Limited Edition
release date: 21st october 2024
One of the greatest films of all time, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai has influenced the work of directors from George Lucas to Steven Spielberg, and spawned remakes, most notably John Sturges’ acclaimed The Magnificent Seven. When 16th-century farmers whose village is repeatedly attacked by merciless bandits ask an elderly, masterless samurai (Takashi Shimura) for help, offering nothing but food in return, he hesitantly agrees and assembles a band of warriors to defend and train the villagers. Boasting terrific performances (with Shimura and Toshiro Mifune – as a peasant masquerading as a samurai – particularly memorable), superb camerawork, and expertly mounted battle sequences, Seven Samurai is undoubtedly one of the greatest action movies ever made.
Newly restored by Toho in 4K, the BFI is delighted to release this all-time classic on UHD for the first time. Available as a limited edition 2-disc set with a book, a set of four postcards and a double-sided poster.
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4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
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Newly recorded audio commentary by film critic Adrian Martin
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Philip Kemp selected scenes commentary (1999, 20 mins): film critic and writer Philip Kemp analyses key scenes from the film. Recorded for the BFI’s 1999 DVD release.
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Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create – Seven Samurai (2002, 50 mins)
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And loads more extras!
Béla Tarr – A Curzon Collection – Limited Edition
release date: 14th october 2024
Behold the profound, melancholic works of Hungarian maestro, Béla Tarr, with this comprehensive 8-disc Blu-ray collection of his complete filmography. This limited edition set also features posters, an extensive booklet, and new artwork by Paul West.
This collection will include the following feature films:
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Family Nest (1979)
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The Outsider (1981)
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The Prefab People (1982)
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Autumn Almanac (1984)
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Damnation (1988) – New 4K Restoration
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Sátántangó (1994) – 4K Restoration
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Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) – New 4K Restoration
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The Man From London (2007)
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The Turin Horse (2011)
Trick ‘R Treat – Limited Edition
release date: 28th october 2024
Dive into the sinister and darkly humorous world of Trick ‘r Treat, written and directed by Michael Dougherty (Krampus). This anthology film communes with the spirits of classic horror portmanteaus like Creepshow and Tales from the Crypt, weaving together four chilling tales, all taking place during the same fateful Halloween night. Follow the secretive and disturbing life of a high school principal who leads a double life as a ruthless serial killer; the journey of a young girl (Anna Paquin, X-Men) looking for love who finds something infinitely more macabre; a group of teenagers playing a prank with disastrous consequences; and an old man (Brian Cox, Succession) confronted by Sam, a mischievous trick-or-treater with a terrifying secret.
With its interwoven tales of terror and unforgettable characters, Trick ‘r Treat has cemented itself as a Halloween essential, paying loving homage to the golden age of horror comics and 80s creature features with a slick modern style sure to send shivers down the spine of any fright fiend. Get ready for the scariest Halloween of your life – and remember, always check your candy!
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Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films, approved by writer-director Michael Dougherty
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4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
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Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo audio
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Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
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Brand new audio commentary with writer-director Michael Dougherty moderated by James A. Janisse & Chelsea Rebecca from Dead Meat Podcast
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Archival audio commentary by Michael Dougherty, conceptual artist Breehn Burns, storyboard artist Simeon Wilkins and composer Douglas Pipes
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Becoming Sam, a brand new interview with actor Quinn Lord
Haxan – limited edition
release date: 28th october 2024
A series of eerie vignettes depict images of sorcery and evil on screen, from representations of occultism and religious hypocrisy to a chilling witch hunt in the Middle Ages. Directed by and starring Benjamin Christensen as the Devil, Häxan mixes documentary and fiction forms to create an unsettling brew that prefigures everything from Gothic horror to the found footage film. This legendary horror film was released in numerous edits and this edition collects four such versions of the film for the first time in the UK, including a 2K restoration by the original production company Svensk Filmindustri.
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Witchcraft through the Ages – an alternate cut of the film featuring narration by William S. Burroughs and soundtrack by Jean-Luc Ponty, newly transferred in 2K from a 16mm dupe negative (1968, 77 mins)
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Introduction by director Benjamin Christensen (1941, 8 mins)
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Outtakes – a reel of test footage shot by Benjamin Christensen featuring scenes for Häxan, Hævnens Nat [Night of Revenge] and other work by the filmmaker (1922, 12 mins)
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Recently discovered costume screen test (1922, 2 mins)
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Appreciation by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (2024, 14 mins)
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For Satan: The Convert’s Guide to Häxan – A visual essay by Vito A. Rowlands, author of the BFI Film Classics edition of Häxan (2024, 12 mins)
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Audio commentary by horror experts Guy Adams and A.K. Benedict (2024)
facets of love
release date: 28th october 2024
A costume drama like no other, Facets of Love tells the stories of the Shanghai brothel in the early years of the 20th century: of its devious owners, of the unhappy innocents that have been tricked into toiling there and of the entitled men who visit, the ordinary and the illustrious. A good deal saucier than the martial arts movies that its producers at Shaw Brothers studio are most famous for, Li Hsang-han’s film is a sensual indulgence, with beautiful design and photography. There’s even a small early appearance from Jackie Chan! 88 Films are proud to present the UK Blu-ray premier of this sumptuous, decadent delight.
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HD Transfer From the Original Negative in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
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High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
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2.0 Mandarin Mono with English Subtitles
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Trailer
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Stills Gallery
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Reversible sleeve featuring new art by Yu-Ming Huang & original Hong Kong poster art
Days/Afternoon: Two Films By Tsai Ming-Liang
Days/Afternoon: Two Films By Tsai Ming-Liang
release date: 21st october 2024
Tsai Ming-Liang, director of the exquisite Goodbye, Dragon Inn, has emerged as one of the most profound voices in world cinema. With a magnificent aesthetic devotion, his films explore human passions and existence, often focusing on themes of isolation and longing. Days (2020), Tsai’s meditation on solitude, unfolds as a series of beautifully composed, delicately hued tableaux. The uneventful lives of two men are quietly revealed, until their paths eventually cross, united by loneliness and the need for intimacy.
Afternoon (2015) offers an intimate glimpse into the deep connection between Tsai and Lee Kang-Sheng—his actor, collaborator, friend, and muse. The film captures a wide-ranging, absorbing conversation where the two reflect on their intertwined lives, careers, friendship, and identity. Lee’s presence has been integral to all of Tsai’s films, and this dialogue offers profound insights into their creative partnership.
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Booklet
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Bonus Footage
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Interviews: Tsai Ming-Liang (director)
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Tsai Ming-Liang and Tony Rayns in conversation at the East Asia Film Festival, Ireland (2019)
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Wandering (2021): Short film reflecting Tsai’s Walker art installation project
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Trailers
The Kung Fu Instructor
The Kung Fu Instructor
release date: 28th october 2024
In this bitterly divided town, there’s no middle ground; you’re either with one side or the other – cross the line and face dire consequences. One clan hires a kung fu master – played by the great Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow) – to break the stalemate, but he’s nobody’s servant and his loyalties can’t be bought so easily… Inspired by Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, The Kung Fu Instructor puts a slightly more cynical spin on traditional codes of honour. Stylishly directed by Sun Chung (Human Lanterns), 88 Films are proud to present the UK Blu-ray premier of this martial arts masterpiece.
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HD Transfer From the Original Negative in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
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High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray Presentation
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2.0 English Mono Dub
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2.0 Mandarin Mono with English Subtitles
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Trailer
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Stills Gallery
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Reversible sleeve featuring original Hong Kong poster artwork
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4 COLLECTOR’S ART CARDS
Daiei Gothic: Japanese Ghost Stories
release date: 28th october 2024
A collection of three of Japan’s most famous ghost stories that have haunted people for centuries. Kenji Misumi (Lone Wolf and Cub) directs The Ghost of Yotsuya, in which a woman returns from the grave as a horribly disfigured phantom to torment her husband and his new bride. In The Snow Woman, directed by Tokuzo Tanaka (Zatoichi), a woodcutter must keep his oath to a vengeful female spirit or pay the ultimate price. The Bride from Hades by Satsuo Yamamoto (Shinobi) sees a handsome samurai so enchanted by a courtesan’s beauty that he fails to realise that is a ghost. These three film versions from the Daiei studio form a pinnacle of atmospheric Japanese horror. Their elegant visuals and ominous shadows rival the best of Terence Fisher or Mario Bava, while their iconic female ghosts would greatly influence Asian genre cinema, from Hong Kong fantasy spectacles such as A Chinese Ghost Story to J-horror.
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New 4K restorations of each film
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Uncompressed mono PCM audio for each film
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Optional English subtitles for all films
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Newly designed box and booklet artwork by Time Tomorrow
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Limited edition 80-page perfect bound book featuring new writing by authors Tom Mes, Zack Davisson and Paul Murray, newly translated archival reviews and ghost stories by Lafcadio Hearn
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Limited Edition of 4,000 copies presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases for each film and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
I Walked With a Zombie/The Seventh Victim: Criterion Collection
release date: 14th october 2024
Terror lives in the shadows in a pair of mesmerisingly moody horror milestones conjured from the imagination of Val Lewton, the visionary producer-auteur who turned our fears of the unseen and the unknown into haunting excursions into existential dread. As head of RKO’s B-horror-movie unit during the 1940s, Lewton, working with directors such as Jacques Tourneur and Mark Robson, brought a new sophistication to the genre by wringing chills not from conventional movie monsters but from brooding atmosphere, suggestion, and psychosexual unease. Suffused with ritual, mysticism, and the occult, the poetically hypnotic I Walked with a Zombie and the shockingly subversive The Seventh Victim are still-tantalizing dreams of death that dare to embrace the darkness.
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New 4K digital restorations of both films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the 4K UHD and Blu-ray editions
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One 4K UHD disc of the films and one Blu-ray with the films and special features
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Audio commentary on I Walked with a Zombie featuring authors Kim Newman and Stephen Jones
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Audio commentary on The Seventh Victim featuring film historian Steve Haberman
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Interview with film critic and historian Imogen Sara Smith
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Trailers
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English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
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PLUS: Essays by critics Chris Fujiwara and Lucy Sante
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New illustration by Katherine Lam
release date: 28th october 2024
Terror lives in the shadows in a pair of mesmerisingly moody horror milestones conjured from the imagination of Val Lewton, the visionary producer-auteur who turned our fears of the unseen and the unknown into haunting excursions into existential dread. As head of RKO’s B-horror-movie unit during the 1940s, Lewton, working with directors such as Jacques Tourneur and Mark Robson, brought a new sophistication to the genre by wringing chills not from conventional movie monsters but from brooding atmosphere, suggestion, and psychosexual unease. Suffused with ritual, mysticism, and the occult, the poetically hypnotic I Walked with a Zombie and the shockingly subversive The Seventh Victim are still-tantalizing dreams of death that dare to embrace the darkness.
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HD Transfer From the Original Negative in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
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High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray Presentation
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2.0 English Mono Dub
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2.0 Cantonese Mono with English Subtitles
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Trailer
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Stills Gallery
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Reversible sleeve featuring original Hong Kong poster artwork
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4 COLLECTOR’S ART CARDS