Jean Renoir

[Brian C]

Sounds like you just don't like winter - the Siskel is as close to the L as any other movie theater in the city that I can think of, with the Red Line being literally right outside and even the Blue Line being only a block and a half away (and even that can be mitigated by cutting through Block 37 so you only have to cross the street and walk half a block outside). God help you if you ever try to get to Doc Films in the snow!

[whaleallright]

Are you Chicagoshaming me? I was exaggerating the distance of the Siskel from the train (although the Purple Line is a bit farther away IIRC). But there's the walk to the El from where I worked, a long haul if it's -2ºF and you're sick. My point is just that sometimes circumstances lead you to not be in the mood to watch a film you desperately wanted to see.

Also, you can drive to Doc Films! (You can drive to the Film Center too, if you're willing to spend > $20 on parking.)

[Brian C]

Haha, Chicagoshaming. That actually sounds like fun - I don't own a car and rely entirely on the CTA for transit around the city, so I'm well-positioned to Chicagoshame just about anyone. Despite not having a car I can even parallel park if the need arises!

All in good fun, though.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

The Studio Canal blu of Le Crime de Monsieur Lange has english and german subs.

[tenia]

Note however that the restoration was performed in 4K from a counter-type and the result is technically very limited.
Most of the movie is very soft, some shots are just plain blurry, and a couple are even worse than that (there is a shot at the 11th minute which looks overblown, with the action seemingly taking place behind a veil of frozen grain and a crapload of scratches). Others shots look smooth, and the light black level doesn't help.

To sum up : it's complicated.

[dda1996a]

Where can one watch Night at the Crossroads? Can't find it anywhere

[connor]

Where can one watch Night at the Crossroads? Can't find it anywhere

I remember downloading a pretty poor-looking torrent a few years back. A few months later, a DVD was released, I bought it but it seems as if it was actually just a DVD-R of this original, pretty-low quality AVI file.

[Lost Highway]

Where can one watch Night at the Crossroads? Can't find it anywhere

I remember downloading a pretty poor-looking torrent a few years back. A few months later, a DVD was released, I bought it but it seems as if it was actually just a DVD-R of this original, pretty-low quality AVI file.

Copyright karma

[tenia]

The very worst couple of shots you mention are in fact material not previously seen in any earlier copies and are restored (quite possibly) from 16mm.

The issue mostly is that they look extremely digital (and the color-timing is also very different from the rest of the movie), so it's not just a question of using a different source, but how it was conformed to the rest of the movie (IMO).

[tenia]

I haven't, I have only watched the BD.

Here are some caps, the last 4 are from the scene I'm talking about which takes place at the 11th minute.

[andyli]

There is a BD for this?

[connor]

There is a BD for this?

I wasn't aware it was out. Where could I pick it up?

[tenia]

It's out in France but is currently only sold through Fnac.com.

[L.A.]

Does Fnac.com ship overseas?

[tenia]

Does Fnac.com ship overseas?

They do, but it's expensive. What I found for US deliveries is that it's DHL only, 2 days delivery, but 15€ + 1.85€ per article of shipping fees.

[andyli]

Given it's Studio Canal and the fact that English/German subs are present, it's bound to get a wider release later, yes?

[L.A.]

They do, but it's expensive. What I found for US deliveries is that it's DHL only, 2 days delivery, but 15€ + 1.85€ per article of shipping fees.

Thanks for that. Actually I’m located in Finland but probably the delivery here is still expensive as well. Hopefully Amazon.fr stocks it soon.

[Rayon Vert]

There are Spanish blu-rays available of Toni and La Marseillaise - has anyone seen them and can you vouch for their quality?

[GoodOldNeon]

In preparation for the Jean Renoir List Project starting next month, I picked up the French Blu-ray of The Golden Coach, and it is a huge upgrade over the Digital Classics Region 2 DVD I picked up before I knew the French Blu-ray existed. The English-language version on the Blu-ray has French subtitles which one reviewer was able to remove on his machine; I wasn't, but I was able to move the subtitles off the screen by changing the subtitle position, and when I made a backup copy with MakeMKV I was able to drop the subtitles from the file.

[GoodOldNeon]

Given it's Studio Canal and the fact that English/German subs are present, it's bound to get a wider release later, yes?

Coming to the UK on August 6.

I tried to order the French Blu-ray from Fnac but just today had my order cancelled with a message saying their supplier doesn't have the item available.

[Rayon Vert]

There are Spanish blu-rays available of Toni and La Marseillaise - has anyone seen them and can you vouch for their quality?

Even for French speakers (there are no English subs), I wouldn't recommend these. Toni is a BD-R that doesn't look sharp, La Marseillaise is a proper Studio Canal blu but the French audio track forces Spanish subs on you. Ugh.

[Michael Kerpan]

Is MOC's wonderful DVD of Toni now totally unfindable? (It was a crime how under-bought this release was).

[GoodOldNeon]

Is MOC's wonderful DVD of Toni now totally unfindable? (It was a crime how under-bought this release was). :-(

There are several new and used copies available from Amazon UK marketplace sellers for £20-£25. I managed to snag one for £13 a month ago, so the current best price might come down if you're willing to wait.

[Michael Kerpan]

I bought this as soon as MOC released it -- and glad I did (as it is probably my favorite Renoir film).

[hearthesilence]

MoMA screened Le petit théâtre de Jean Renoir tonight - it was a 35mm print from their own collection, and it looked beautiful. The interlude with Jeanne Moreau looked particularly stunning. This is actually the first time I've seen a good, color film projection of anything with Moreau - shot and well-lit on an actual stage, it was an optimal photographic set-up - and it was startling how lifelike she looked when the camera floated into close-up. Utterly charming and personal, it has its champions in critics like Dave Kehr, but it feels undervalued. It may have been very late in the game, and it may have been made for television, but Renoir's abilities as a filmmaker hardly feels diminished here. More importantly, it's through and through a Jean Renoir film - it's difficult picturing anyone else making it. As his last film, it brings to mind something that was said around the time Chabrol, Rohmer and other French filmmaking giants were passing away - it's profoundly sad knowing that there won't be any more films made through that unique voice that's now been silenced.