49-50 Judex & Nuits rouges

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Narshty
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49-50 Judex & Nuits rouges

#1 Post by Narshty » Sun May 25, 2008 7:00 am

Judex + Nuits rouges

Judex

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The magical, rarely seen Judex directed by the great Georges Franju (Eyes Without a Face) was largely unappreciated at the time of its release in 1963. This lyrical and dreamlike picture, a putative "remake" of Louis Feuillade's own 1916 Judex, is as evocative of the silent master's own works as it is the later films of Jean Cocteau and Salvador Dali. A French reviewer wrote in 1963: "The whole of Judex reminds us that film is a privileged medium for the expression of poetic magic".

Starring the magician Channing Pollock, the divine Edith Scob, and the mesmerising Francine Bergé, Judex concerns a wicked banker, his helpless daughter, and a mysterious avenger. It plays like a fairy tale, one in which Franju creates a dazzling clash between good and evil, eschewing interest in the psychological aspects of his characters for unexplained twists and turns in the action. The beautifully controlled imagery, superbly rendered by Marcel Fradetal's black-against-white photography, animates a natural world and the spirits of animals all at war with a host of diabolical forces.

Nuits rouges

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Nuits Rouges [Red Nights] released in the UK as Shadowman was the second Franju Champreux meditation upon the films of Feuillade. It aggressively escalates a pulp atmosphere steeped in shocking turns of events to an even more vertiginous level. Here, the object of pursuit is the fabled treasure of the mythical order of the Knights Templar, which the filmmakers use as the jump-off point for staging a series of fantastic set-pieces. As the Fantômas-esque arch-criminal (known only as "The Man Without a Face", played by Jacques Champreux himself) violently pursues the treasure, the action intensifies amongst a cadre of post '68 bohemians, the Paris police bureau, and a cult of cowled conspirators.

Franju's Judex and Nuits Rouges both paid overt homage to the surreal, silent serial-works of Feuillade. Scripted in collaboration with Feuillade's grandson, Jacques Champreux, these films evince the same poetic magic that made the art of that earlier master a cause célèbre not only for the Surrealist movement, but also for the world renowned Cinémathèque Française. It was the Cinémathèque (co-founded by the legendary Henri Langlois with Franju) that helped resurrect the reputation of Feuillade decades after he'd slipped out of the public consciousness. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Georges Franju's two most mindbending films on DVD in the UK for the first time.

Special Features:

- Gorgeous new transfers in their original aspect ratios
- New and improved English subtitle translations
- Video interviews, for both films, by Franju-collaborator Jacques Champreux
- 40-page booklet containing newly translated interviews with Georges Franju; newly translated writing by Jacques Rivette, and more!

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Awesome Welles
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#2 Post by Awesome Welles » Sun May 25, 2008 7:20 am

I am really looking forward to this release, a look at screengrabs from the Cahiers disc here and both films look great!

With regards to supplements will anything be ported over from the Cahiers disc?

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TheGodfather
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#3 Post by TheGodfather » Sun May 25, 2008 8:00 am

Sounds like an interesting release. Didn`t know the titles but I looked them up and sound worthy of a watch for sure.

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sidehacker
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#4 Post by sidehacker » Sun May 25, 2008 9:39 am

This is the type of out of nowhere but really exciting release that Criterion should be doing on a monthly basis. Great job, Nick and company.

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Tommaso
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#5 Post by Tommaso » Sun May 25, 2008 1:41 pm

Yes, very nice to see "Judex" finally on disc. I never heard about "Nuits rouges", but a quick look at imdb assures me that this is possibly an ideal combination. Has anyone seen that latter film?

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Person
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#6 Post by Person » Sun May 25, 2008 1:45 pm

Glory be! Both films were high on my list. 2008 is shaping up to be a great year for MoC.

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Donald Trampoline
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:39 pm
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#7 Post by Donald Trampoline » Sun May 25, 2008 1:55 pm

Tommaso wrote:Yes, very nice to see "Judex" finally on disc.
Judex has been on DVD from Flicker Alley for quite a long time.

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domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

#8 Post by domino harvey » Sun May 25, 2008 1:57 pm

Donald Trampoline wrote:
Tommaso wrote:Yes, very nice to see "Judex" finally on disc.
Judex has been on DVD from Flicker Alley for quite a long time.
Except, wait for it...

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Tommaso
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#9 Post by Tommaso » Sun May 25, 2008 2:03 pm

Flicker Alley = Feuillade, 1916
MoC= Franju, 1962

But a good reminder that I still have to see the silent version. I hope (nay, I'm sure) MoC will include a nice essay about the relation between the two versions and Franju's motivation and ideas about this hommage to Feuillade.

lachenay
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:38 pm

#10 Post by lachenay » Sun May 25, 2008 3:45 pm

Very good news indeed, but the package is missing two more DVDs to include the 8 x 52' TV mini-series L'HOMME SANS VISAGE, filmed by Franju at the same time as the feature film NUITS ROUGES, using the same actors playing the same characters. I've only seen the feature film (many, many years ago) and would love to see the TV series.

In fact I'd favor a stand-alone for JUDEX (plus JUDEX-related extras) and a 3 or 4 disc box for NUITS ROUGES / L'HOMME SANS VISAGE.

For more info on the TV series, see here (in French)

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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

#11 Post by HerrSchreck » Sun May 25, 2008 9:14 pm

Whoah BABY!

Daswhati'mtawkinbout!

Especially since I missed the Franju circuit at the Anthology.

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Donald Trampoline
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#12 Post by Donald Trampoline » Mon May 26, 2008 1:52 am

Tommaso wrote:Flicker Alley = Feuillade, 1916
MoC= Franju, 1962

But a good reminder that I still have to see the silent version. I hope (nay, I'm sure) MoC will include a nice essay about the relation between the two versions and Franju's motivation and ideas about this hommage to Feuillade.
D'oh! A little voice told me not to comment. I should have listened to it!

Franju is fabulous. I have watched Tete Contre les murs and Sang des betes that I especially liked (along with others), so this is good news. Bringing it all back to Flicker Alley I have to watch Franju's Le Grand Méliès (1952) that is on their Méliès set. I want to wait until I have finished all the actual Méliès and then watch that, but maybe I'm being silly. Anyway, Franju is always fantastic release news!

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MichaelB
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#13 Post by MichaelB » Mon May 26, 2008 3:31 am

Donald Trampoline wrote:Bringing it all back to Flicker Alley I have to watch Franju's Le Grand Méliès (1952) that is on their Méliès set. I want to wait until I have finished all the actual Méliès and then watch that, but maybe I'm being silly.
Well, there must be a reason for Flicker Alley programming Le Grand Méliès so that it's the first thing that you see when you watch the entire set...

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nosy lena
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#14 Post by nosy lena » Mon May 26, 2008 8:32 pm

very exciting!

ptmd
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#15 Post by ptmd » Tue May 27, 2008 4:09 am

Any chance the short Hotel des Invalides is going to get thrown in as well as a bonus feature? It's maybe Franju's best film and there are no other DVD releases upcoming in the foreseeable future.

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NABOB OF NOWHERE
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#16 Post by NABOB OF NOWHERE » Tue May 27, 2008 11:17 am

Carping about artwork aside, this is a magnificent release and here's hoping for a boatload of extras that exceed the Cahiers release. Thanks Nick and co.

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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

#17 Post by HerrSchreck » Tue May 27, 2008 11:27 am

D.I.T.T.O.

I've never seen comments about covert art so completely subvert the ecstasy over a release so sorely needed for so long in the English speaking world. He could package the thing in a brown paper bag or a bukkake grand finale frame and I'd still whoop-de-freak in rampant joy. The English speaking world has one feature and one short by the man (perhaps CC's greatest release) as it stands. Instead of duplicating the CC, Wrigley & Keller et al push out two glorious titles in one trigger pull-- major props to MoC!

And to all who have held back from the Feulliade-- do Flicker Al & yourself a favor and treat yourself to a freaky phantasmatic release. The original superhero!

Perkins Cobb
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:49 pm

#18 Post by Perkins Cobb » Tue May 27, 2008 12:46 pm

Right after I break down and go see that bleary 16mm print at Anthology, of course.

Apart from not anticipating my timing on that, an excellent choice, MOC, and I'm looking forward to finally getting my first exposure to Nuits Rouges.

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jbeall
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#19 Post by jbeall » Tue May 27, 2008 2:40 pm

HerrSchreck wrote:He could package the thing in a brown paper bag or a bukkake grand finale frame and I'd still whoop-de-freak in rampant joy.
As long as I know about the bukkake finale (hey, it rhymes!) in advance, I can hit the "stop" button before my movie-watching club gets a helluva unpleasant surprise!!

So what's the time between announcement and actual street-date for MoC? Is it approx. three months (like Criterion) or usually longer?

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Awesome Welles
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#20 Post by Awesome Welles » Tue May 27, 2008 4:38 pm

The Eureka website lists it as August. So along with Vampyr, a pretty exciting month for MoC to say the least.

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Steven H
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#21 Post by Steven H » Tue May 27, 2008 11:53 pm

A trying month for my wallet! This is a sure buy, along with every other August release. Better start saving now. And *cheers* to Wrigley and team for taking on more Franju! Eyes Without A Face has to be one of my favorite blind buys from Criterion.

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starmanof51
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#22 Post by starmanof51 » Wed May 28, 2008 1:57 am

I think this is the most pleasing announcement yet from MoC for me personally. I love Judex and have never seen a decent presentation of it. Nuits Rouges will be new to me, but it sounds right up my alley.

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What A Disgrace
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#23 Post by What A Disgrace » Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:59 pm

Specs according to MovieMail.

- Gorgeous new transfers in their original aspect ratios
- New and improved English subtitle translations
- Video interviews, for both films, by Franju-collaborator Jacques Champreux
- 40-page booklet containing newly translated interviews with Georges Franju; newly translated writing by Jacques Rivette, and more!

stephan73
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#24 Post by stephan73 » Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:29 pm

It can be preordered from Play.com!

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sevenarts
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#25 Post by sevenarts » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:07 pm

These look totally amazing and I can't think of any DVD release I'm anticipating more (save Naruse Volume Two wink wink nudge nudge).

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