Camera Obscura: The Walerian Borowczyk Collection

[MichaelB]

Dear Michael,
Are there any plans to release the four episodes of Série Rose directed by Boro? Are there plans for a second box set in the near future?

No and no - sorry!

There may well be individual Borowczyk releases in the future (two are in active development, although nothing has been 100% confirmed yet), but we don't think there's much mileage in a second full-scale box set - the rights and materials situation is much more complicated with the later films, some of them frankly aren't worth restoring (The Art of Love and Emmanuelle 5 spring to mind), and some of the ones that clearly are (The Margin, Dr Jekyll) are the ones currently enmired in the most intractable rights situations.

But I'm reasonably hopeful that Arrow's Borowczyk revival won't be ending here.

[Ron]

Dear Michael,
Are there any plans to release the four episodes of Série Rose directed by Boro? Are there plans for a second box set in the near future?

No and no - sorry!

There may well be individual Borowczyk releases in the future (two are in active development, although nothing has been 100% confirmed yet), but we don't think there's much mileage in a second full-scale box set - the rights and materials situation is much more complicated with the later films, some of them frankly aren't worth restoring (The Art of Love and Emmanuelle 5 spring to mind), and some of the ones that clearly are (The Margin, Dr Jekyll) are the ones currently enmired in the most intractable rights situations.

But I'm reasonably hopeful that Arrow's Borowczyk revival won't be ending here.

In other words: There might be good chances for an individual release of The Story of Sin, Heroines of Evil, Love Rites, Lulu or Behind Convent Walls, right?

[MichaelB]

In other words: There might be good chances for an individual release of The Story of Sin, Heroines of Evil, Love Rites, Lulu or Behind Convent Walls, right?

I'd be very surprised if Arrow ended up releasing all of those! Pleasantly surprised, but surprised.

[MichaelB]

No proper reviews yet that I can see, but the Twitter reaction to the press screeners that went out a few days ago seems reasonably upbeat:

CineOutsider (@CineOutsider): Getting first look at @ArrowFilmsVideo Borowczyk Blu-rays. No exaggeration, the quality of the restoration work and image is staggering.

Stuart Willis (@willis_stu): @ArrowFilmsVideo Three discs into your Borowczyk set (screeners). Wow. Possibly blu-ray's finest ever achievement. I'm in awe.

Paul A J Lewis (@Krycek_Facility): @ArrowFilmsVideo's spectacularly spiffing Borowczyk Blu-rays make them smut peddlers of the highest order, by my estimation. Nice work!

Something tells me that the last one didn't start at the beginning - the smut proper isn't until disc four. Still, he seems to like it, which is all to the good.

[MichaelB]

Arrow has just added packshots to their Tumblr.

[swo17]

Shipping out next week? But I want it now!

[MichaelB]

Shipping out next week? But I want it now!

Kickstarter backers are right at the front of the queue - I've been sending endless annoying emails to Arrow to this effect.

[EddieLarkin]

Arrow has just added packshots to their Tumblr.

I'll be swapping around all my sleeves, they look great!

[fdm]

Are Kickstarter backers getting shipping notices of some sort? I haven't heard anything since responding to the survey with my shipping address on the 26th.

Edit: Apparently they've just arrived, won't be shipped out until early next week.

[Ron]

Arrow has just added packshots to their Tumblr.

The box set looks really amazing. I also like Boro´s original cover artwork of each individual amaray case. Well done!

[What A Disgrace]

Michael, are you able to give us any rundown on the length of the supplementary material in the set? Assuming that doing so won't be terribly time consuming.

[MichaelB]

Michael, are you able to give us any rundown on the length of the supplementary material in the set? Assuming that doing so won't be terribly time consuming.

Disc 1
Theatre of Mr & Mrs Kabal: 1:17:05
12 Short Films: 1:52:29 total
Terry Gilliam intro: 1:04
Film is Not a Sausage: 28:21
Blow-Ups: 4:43
Commercials: 13:35 total
Total: 3:57:17

Disc 2
Goto, Isle of Love: 1:35:03
Craigie Horsfield intro: 8:13
The Concentration Universe: 21:24
The Profligate Door: 13:15
Trailer: 3:46
Total: 2:21:41

Disc 3
Blanche: 1:33:37
Leslie Megahey intro: 3:54
Ballad of Imprisonment: 28:28
Obscure Pleasures: 1:03:15
Gunpoint: 11:04
Peter Graham on Gunpoint: 5:16
Total: 3:25:34

Disc 4
Immoral Tales: 1:43:08
Daniel Bird intro: 5:14
Immoral Tales: L'Age d'Or Cut: 2:05:25
Love Reveals Itself: 16:42
Boro Brunch: 7:37
A Private Collection: 12:12
A Private Collection (Oberhausen cut): 14:31
Trailer: 2:30
Total: 4:47:19

Disc 5
The Beast: 1:38:21
Peter Bradshaw intro: 1:45
The Making of The Beast: 57:53
Frenzy of Ecstasy: 4:20
Venus on the Half-Shell: 4:40
Trailer: 3:54
Total: 2:50:53

GRAND TOTAL: 17:22:44

[What A Disgrace]

I'm sure I'm nearly alone in this sort of thing, but I like knowing the run-times of DVD/Blu-ray supplementary materials before release so I can better plan to watch them. So, thank you. It sounds wonderful. Dreamy sigh!

[MichaelB]

SexGoreMutants publishes the first full review:

This, in my opinion, is easily the pinnacle of Arrow's achievements so far, a high benchmark in the history of blu-ray culture, and a sure-fire way to make the likes of Criterion sit up and say "holy fuck, we're being dethroned".

(Honourable mention: House of Mortal Cinema for getting a review of the Immoral Tales disc up slightly earlier.)

[MichaelB]

A massive review (with screengrabs and bibliography) of the individual release of The Beast, courtesy of Rewind's Paul Lewis.

[tenia]

I'm sure I'm nearly alone in this sort of thing, but I like knowing the run-times of DVD/Blu-ray supplementary materials before release so I can better plan to watch them.

You're not. When you have a lot to watch and not so much time, it's very practical to plan your afternoons with runtimes.

[MichaelB]

Arrow has just confirmed some details about shipping on their Facebook page: all boxes are being individually and securely hand packed for maximum protection, and are being shipped via signed-for delivery in the UK and tracked and signed-for services internationally. So fingers crossed that you'll get them both soon and intact.

[tenia]

Meanwhile, I specifically asked Amazon through their chat to ensure this "expensive and already sold out product will be properly secured for transportation because if it arrives damaged, getting a replacement will be impossible".

I have no idea if it will be enough, but they told me they have contacted their warehouse to ensure this will be done.

Hopefully, it will also arrives securely.

[criterion10]

Arrow has just confirmed some details about shipping on their Facebook page: all boxes are being individually and securely hand packed for maximum protection, and are being shipped via signed-for delivery in the UK and tracked and signed-for services internationally. So fingers crossed that you'll get them both soon and intact.

I ordered mine from Amazon and it will be an international delivery to the United States. Does this mean I'll need to be home when the package arrives to sign off for it?

[domino harvey]

It'll be fulfilled by your local post office, so they'll do whatever they normally do for your packages (leave them on the porch, give you a pick-up notice, &c)

[jsteffe]

Arrow has just confirmed some details about shipping on their Facebook page: all boxes are being individually and securely hand packed for maximum protection, and are being shipped via signed-for delivery in the UK and tracked and signed-for services internationally. So fingers crossed that you'll get them both soon and intact.

At least for me, in cases like this the package arrives via Registered mail. That is the only option in the US for international packages with tracking. It requires a signature and photo I.D., and probably I will end up having to go down to the post office to get it. A minor hassle, but at least it is secure. Once I see that pink slip in my mailbox telling me I have a package from the UK, I will be very happy!

[MichaelB]

CineOutsider is going to town on the Boro box this week, and I'll update this post when more parts appear. But for now there's:

• Introduction to Borowczyk
• Walerian Borowczyk: Short Films and Animation

[chatterjees]

I don't mind going down to the post office to pick this box up, but I will be leaving town late Oct for a month. Hopefully, this baby will arrive before that. When are they (Arrow warehouse) going to ship the US packages?

[isakborg]

Chatterjee,

Same situation here and my very question to Arrow, which has so far an exemplary record in customer service response times. I'm away beginning September 26 and packages from overseas seem to take a while to arrive here - here being New Jersey. I've asked a) when are non-kickstarter sets going to be shipped and b) if it seems likely that the date will result in the set arriving when I'm not here to sign, can I arrange at this point for non-standard shipping of some kind (I shudder at the cost, but this is a special occasion). I expect an answer today or tomorrow and will post - we can't be the only two customers in this situation.

[MichaelB]

I hope you're contacting Arrow directly about this instead of expecting some kind of forwarding arrangement - especially since they won't know who you are from your forum pseudonyms.

They're easily reachable via Facebook and Twitter.

Also, as a general rule (this doesn't apply to either of you), please don't PM me about delivery matters - I'm a freelancer who's never so much as set foot in Arrow's offices, so all I'll do is repeat the advice above.