The 'Masters of Cinema' thread

johnny_ultimate

Been meaning to start this for a while, as I think there are no companies out there (Criterion excepted) that are continuing to illustrate the importance of owning a good DVD or BluRay player than Eureka's Master of Cinema label.

For those who don't know them, they're a British company who specialise in releasing neglected classics or hidden gem of world cinema, usually bundling releases with a decent selection of extras and a good solid booklet. But it's the high-quality transfers that make their releases most worthwhile. The prices are usually a little more premium than your standard release, but they're worth it.

Anyway, given the increasing range of their catalogue, thought a thread for recommendations and news about their releases might be a good idea! Particularly provoked by yesterday's announcement that they've made their first contemporary acquisition in a while (was Tokyo Sonata the last?), and it's Andrew Bujalski's (Funny Ha Ha, Mutual Appreciation, Beeswax) Computer Chess, due for a UK cinema release later this year (hopefully here too). I'm a big Bujalski fan, and this is already building up a cult following for its militantly detailed capturing of 1980s computer nerd culture, shot on the low-grade camera tech of the time. Can't wait!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyp4iG3g4cs

Their home line-up for the next few months is also really promising. I'd been looking for a copy of their discontinued previous release of Murnau's Tabu for a while now, so delighted to see it's getting a BluRay upgrade next month. Shindo's Naked Island is also getting the HD treatment (along with his eerie ghost story Kuroneko, and supplementing their recent re-release of Onibaba) - if ever a film demanded a transfer to capture its astonishingly rich cinematography, it's that. Birth of a Nation is also due a release soon.

Anyway: reviews, recommendations, news, whatever - this is the place for it!

Sad Professor

Great company. I have quite a number of their DVDs (Nosferatu being a favourite) but not so many of their Blu-rays yet. The prices aren't too bad. A helluva lot cheaper than Criterion. I recently got the Blu-ray steelbooks of Cleopatra (Claudette Colbert!!!) and The Testament of Dr Mabuse while they were on offer. I also have Sunrise and their two Mizoguchi Blu-rays (I expect The Life of Oharu to be added shortly now that there's a new print).

Mickeroo

The only one I have is Hara-Kiri. Great value for money in that you get both the DVD and Blu-Ray in the box (only £10.99 on Amazon at the moment!). The transfer on the Blu is outstanding, really looks amazing. The film itself is brilliant too, which goes without saying really. Definitely a must own for anyone who likes Samurai films or just cinema in general tbh.

Would love to see them get hold of a few Kurosowa's films, would save me shelling out for the criterion versions whicch I'm pretty sure is going to happen.

johnny_ultimate

Sad Professor wrote: »

I expect The Life of Oharu to be added shortly now that there's a new print.

Hmm, I do hope Artificial Eye's license on that has expired. While AE have a decent back catalogue of releases - it's great to have access to their early Mizoguchi set - they really don't give all that much of a toss about high-quality, properly remastered releases. I know MoC bought up the Floating Weeds rights when they lapsed, so hopefully there's more like on the way. Would also like to see them maybe get access to some Bela Tarr stuff which really needs a proper release (Satantango could really use a full quality BluRay).

Mickeroo wrote:

The only one I have is Hara-Kiri. Great value for money in that you get both the DVD and Blu-Ray in the box (only £10.99 on Amazon at the moment!). The transfer on the Blu is outstanding, really looks amazing. The film itself is brilliant too, which goes without saying really. Definitely a must own for anyone who likes Samurai films or just cinema in general tbh.

Would love to see them get hold of a few Kurosowa's films, would save me shelling out for the criterion versions whicch I'm pretty sure is going to happen.

You should definitely check out more of their Japanese releases, like the epic Kwaidan from the same director as Hara-Kiri. Also have only recently been discovering some of their many Shohei Imamura releases like Profound Desire of the Gods and Ballad of Naramaya - strange, beautiful and fascinating films. Look forward to picking up the rest of his stuff at some point!

Oh, and of course House is probably the most vital of all MoC releases (BluRay please)

Schnitzel Muncher

Damn, thought this was going to be a Seagal appreciation thread.

Renn

Anyone selling some of their MoC blu's?

johnny_ultimate

Watched their release of M last night, which I was surprised at myself for not actually having sat down and watched before. What a fascinating film, still rather unique in the way it tells its story. Part thriller, part social commentary, occasionally even part farce (a very funny film at times) it's an intriguing and technically impressive work still. The climactic courtroom scene - featuring some spectacular acting from Peter Lorre - and an extended heist / witchhunt are as thrilling now as they must have been then.

The sound design is particularly worthy of attention - it's initially a bit strange to see a film devoid of music and punctuated by moments of complete silence, but its richly designed. Love the way Lang experimented with match and jump cuts enhanced by sound linking - quite amazing the film came so early in sound's development.

The transfer and packaging are, of course, immaculate, bar a very small amount of scenes taken from a less well preserved but longer print. As ever with early cinema, its amazing those sequences and shots exist at all, especially since at least one extended section of the film is 'lost'.

johnny_ultimate

Watched their new BluRay of Tabu: A Tale of the South Seas last night. Murnau must have been one of the most accomplished, individual directors to have ever lived. Tabu is further evidence of that. There's such a clarity and energy to his filmmaking, a peerless ability to tell stories almost through images alone - even the title cards seamlessly fit in as letters or scrolls in the fiction itself. The way the ending is handled is particularly special - taking advantage of 'distance' when others couldn't possibly have resisted melodramatic close-ups. It's much more powerful as a result.

The cinematography from Lloyd Crosby is still astonishing: the tropical sun taken full advantage of. There's a stunningly vivid soundtrack too (I assume it's the one Murnau signed off on before his death a few days before the premiere). The particularly generous booklet is very welcome, illuminating the strange history of the production and the role of documentarian Robert Flaherty in proceedings.

Another fantastic release.

Sad Professor

Just watched the Naked Island Blu. Looks incredible. I'm still amazed by how good a film shot over 50 years ago can look. The sweat on their faces at the beginning!

I have Birth of a Nation pre-ordered from Eureka. They say it should start shipping on Friday. I've never seen it in its entirety so looking forward to that. But I'm most excited about the forthcoming Nosferatu Blu-ray! Roll on November! I wonder if the restored print will get a showing at the IFI?

I'm of two minds about whether to grab The Life of Oharu (which I've never seen) on Criterion while the B&N sale is still going, or wait for a possible MoC release. Hmmm...

johnny_ultimate

Yeah the Naked Island is a criminally under viewed gem, the visuals are intoxicatingly beautiful and raw. Certainly one of the finest (near) silent films of the post-silent era. I must pick up the BluRay somewhere along the line, just hasn't been too long since I bought the DVD.

As for Birth of a Nation, I only recently tackled Intolerance, so not sure I can subject myself to another mammoth Griffith effort for a while yet :pac: A spectacular craftsman, an oftentimes reprehensible storyteller!

johnny_ultimate

Interesting list of the label's best-selling titles: http://www.theraygun.co.uk/?p=5668

Fascinating to hear it's the enduring popularity of Metropolis that is enabling them to keep fighting the good fight!

johnny_ultimate

Did people see their announcements earlier today? Basically knocked it out of the park. Alongside some interesting standard releases like Red River, the most exciting news was a HD upgrade of their Late Mizoguchi set (eek!) and that they'll be joining up with the Martin Scorcese World Cinema Foundation to release (at least) twice annual boxsets of three or more neglected classics. First set sounds fascinating and particularly generous. My wallet feels the pain already.

Full details here.

Sad Professor

Yeah, pretty awesome line-up, as was Criterion's dual-format and Zatoichi announcement last week.

It wasn't really made clear, but I hope Eureka make the four new Mizoguchi films available to buy separately. I already have Ugetsu and Sansho Dayu. They tweeted individual artwork for them, so I assume they will, though perhaps not immediately.

johnny_ultimate

So haven't bumped this in a while, despite the fact MoC and Eureka continue owning it completely and absolutely.

Computer Chess and Simon Killer show they have just as keen an eye for contemporary work as they do for hidden or neglected classics. Both excellent films, although the former is a particularly smart, inventive and distinctive achievement.

The Late Mizoguchi boxset is, frankly, probably the best Blu-Ray release I've ever had the pleasure of owning. The films are of course exemplary, and the included booklet - thicker than many novels, albeit with a largeish typeset - is incredibly insightful, varied and engaging. It's as suitable a tribute to a true cinematic master as one could imagine - all its missing is a Life of O-Haru disc to make it complete.

Similarly, the first volume of The World Cinema Project releases is gorgeous and very welcome indeed. I've only gotten around to watching Trances, but it lives up to its name. A hypnotic Moroccan music documentary, that manages to beautifully contrast the powerful performances with cultural / social insight and character / historical work through smart, articulate associative editing. It's easy to see how Scorsese, himself an active participant in the 'music film' realm, was so smitten with it all those years ago. I look forward to digging into the next two films.

Also really enjoyed both their recent Douglas Sirk releases. These are actually the first two films of his I've seen, but they're both smart and provocative in very unique ways that clearly separate them from their contemporaries.

Looking forward to their recently announced early '14 line-up. Particularly excited about Wings (which I've never seen, but have always wanted to) and Nashville (which has been disgracefully unavailable on Region 2. I only watched it recently it's such a dizzying achievement).

Oh, and there's a day left of offers in their Black Friday deals too Hopefully there'll be some nice surprises tomorrow!

upstairs for coffee

What attributes are needed to be considered a Master of Cinema?

johnny_ultimate

upstairs for coffee wrote: »

What attributes are needed to be considered a Master of Cinema?

Get one of your acclaimed films released by Eureka under the Masters of Cinema label :pac: It's just a 'curated' selection of film releases, like Criterion in the US.

upstairs for coffee

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Get one of your acclaimed films released by Eureka under the Masters of Cinema label :pac: It's just a 'curated' selection of film releases, like Criterion in the US.

Oops

Sad Professor

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is getting on Blu-ray and theatrical re-release later this summer.

shazzerman

I have quite a nice collection of these. I count 12 blus and 10 DVDs. The pride of my collection is probably The Passion of Joan of Arc blu-ray I got myself for Christmas. I'd also recommend Jean Epstein's Coeur fidele, which is a silent masterpiece I had never heard of but bought on the strength of Epstein's reputation: it's a superbly stylish film - the camerawork during the fairground scene is stunning - and I am now eagerly awaiting the release of Epstein's The Fall of the House of Usher. I got Antonioni's La Notte recently (blu-ray) but haven't watched it yet.

johnny_ultimate

They have also announced Murnau's Faust for BluRay, to be released in August

The most recent MOC BluRay I've picked up is White Dog, which is a fascinating, deeply eccentric little film - the kind that really benefits from the fresh attention a release by MoC or Criterion brings its way. The release of Ace in the Hole completely passed me by, so must order a copy of that!

Really looking forward to seeing the Nashville release. I'm still baffled that's gone for so long without a decent UK release, given that it's one of the key films in 1970s American cinema.

vidor

The Passion of Joan of Arc is incredible. I'd definitely pick up the MOC release of that. Double Indemnity is highly recommended from their collection if you haven't grabbed it already.

Didn't warm to Ace in the Hole when I saw it some years back but nobody has a bad word to say about it. Might give it a second gander sometime.

shazzerman

I have Double Indemnity - faultless blu-ray. Also like to strongly recommend the MOC Touch of Evil blu-ray: it contains both 1.37:1 and 1.85:1 aspect ratio versions (haven't watched the "academy ratio" version yet, but I hear very good things about it). Any film that contains the line "I don't go to church - kneeling bags my nylons" (Ace in the Hole) is, in the words of Altman's Marlowe, okay with me.

Mickeroo

I see they just released a nice package for Harold & Maude. I think the exras are much the same as the Criterin one but I'm not sure.

johnny_ultimate

Heads up that Eureka have a new online store - and searchable store along with it

More pressingly, they're having a 15% off sale on everything, so a good chance to pick up some of the more expensive releases! Deductions in cart, in case you're wondering.

Sadly, Paypal is no longer supported, at least temporarily.

http://eurekavideo.co.uk/

vidor

That is one poorly designed storefront!

Fysh

Well, that's £20 well-spent Probably would have been more if they'd had the new remaster of Cabinet of Dr Caligari available, but as it is I opted for Dreyer's Vampyr and Murnau's Faust.

Fysh

Must say I'm fairly impressed, I placed my order late last night (for some reason I didn't actually complete the order process until over an hour after I posted...) and I've already had an email today telling me the order's been dispatched

johnny_ultimate

Yeah they're really good with delivery. It's free postage to Ireland, so given it's already quite a bit cheaper than most third party sites (Amazon seem to have become very expensive indeed these days!) I almost always order direct from Eureka.

Mickeroo

My girlfriend gave me Onibaba for Christmas. I've not seen it before, should I be excited?

johnny_ultimate

It's a good one alright, and nothing says Christmas like a heavily eroticised arthouse Japanese horror film