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Likewise their Ray films, which appear to have been "licenced" from Contemporary Films, which as far as I can tell have claimed spurious theatrical rights to many films for decades, and conveniently extrapolate these rights for all media in perpetuity. The head of the Satyajit Ray Foundation said that Contemporary Films own zero home video rights to Satyajit Ray's films.

I know that the rights to L'AVVENTURA are disputed. I was working on getting this title from another party when Mr. Pongo released their edition, putting the muckers on everything.

Are all their films spuriously licenced?

colinr0380 wrote:Anyway peerpee, I thought a few years ago that you were calling for distributors to defy the draconian BBFC! Couldn't this be seen as a good thing if it gets films out that otherwise would be impossible with the classification costs, even if it has to be kept quiet!

You're missing the point. The focus is on whether Mr. Pongo have licenced the films properly from the rightsholder and are paying royalties. If they're not doing this, then they are thieves and their less than stellar releases are dirtying the way for a proper release from someone who does things properly and better.

I agree peerpee - I was being a bit flippant there and hadn't really thought of it from that perspective. I don't know if you are at liberty to say but I suppose that the other party you were going to licence L'Avventura from must have been as surprised by the Mr Bongo release as you were! It's a shame if that prevented the film from joining La Notte in the MoC series.

I've already posted the news in the Polish Cinema thread, but The Saragossa Manuscript and The Hourglass Sanatorium will be out on Blu-ray on the Polish Pro-Motion label later this year - and if their first three releases are any guide, they'll be completely English-friendly, region-free, and absolutely stunning restorations. The trailer for The Hourglass Sanatorium makes it look brand new.

And they probably won't cost that much more than the Mr Bongo discs.

MichaelB wrote:I've already posted the news in the Polish Cinema thread, but The Saragossa Manuscript and The Hourglass Sanatorium will be out on Blu-ray on the Polish Pro-Motion label later this year - and if their first three releases are any guide, they'll be completely English-friendly, region-free, and absolutely stunning restorations. The trailer for The Hourglass Sanatorium makes it look brand new.

And they probably won't cost that much more than the Mr Bongo discs.

Any clue from the trailer as to what aspect ratio we can expect Michael?

The trailer is in 1.85:1, but that's not a reliable guide - trailers often aren't in Scope ratios because of projection logistics. Certainly, the 35mm print struck by the Filmoteka Narodowa in Warsaw last year was 2.35:1.

Michael, the Polish blu-rays cost approximately 14£, which is double the price of Mr. Bongo DVDs.

The RRP of Mr Bongo's Has releases is £12.99. The RRP of the Pro-Motion Blu-rays is £14.62 at the current exchange rate.

Obviously, you're welcome to negotiate a discount with your chosen supplier, but my basic point remains accurate.

BFI blu-rays used to have Criterion level RRPs, but they can be had for much less (see Red Desert). The actual marketplace price is that matters, isn't it?

As I said, you're welcome to strike a deal with your individual supplier.

About the only thing preventing me from buying the UK disc of Earth is the slight possibility that Kino might manage a Blu-ray release in the states.

But I absolutely love Earth. The thought of seeing this film in better condition is such a wonderful one, and I'm susceptible. Someone slap some sense into me?

What A Disgrace wrote:About the only thing preventing me from buying the UK disc of Earth is the slight possibility that Kino might manage a Blu-ray release in the states.

But I absolutely love Earth. The thought of seeing this film in better condition is such a wonderful one, and I'm susceptible. Someone slap some sense into me?

Earth is £5.95 after subtracting VAT at Amazon. Even if Kino were to issue it, it won't be that cheap.

When you don't pay upfront for the rights, or have to pay royalties, or go through the other normal routes forced upon UK publishers (like the BBFC) it *is* possible to have new releases out there in the marketplace for that price. If they had licenced this properly, that current pricepoint it's at would be selling at a loss.

It would be good to hear back from Mr Bongo about all this.

peerpee wrote:When you don't pay upfront for the rights, or have to pay royalties, or go through the other normal routes forced upon UK publishers (like the BBFC) it *is* possible to have new releases out there in the marketplace for that price. If they had licenced this properly, that current pricepoint it's at would be selling at a loss.

It would be good to hear back from Mr Bongo about all this.

I wasn't intending to advocate bootlegging by my post. But circumstantial evidence aside, we still don't *know* if that's the case. Who holds the rights? Could it be PD?

triodelover wrote:Who holds the rights? Could it be PD?

The score definitely isn't PD - the sound quality indicates that it's a relatively recent recording.

Also, while I definitely think a fast one is being pulled regarding the BBFC (it's simply not believable that this film would get an 18, or anywhere close), I've seen no evidence of any other improprieties, so I won't be going along with the "bootleg" accusation without much more background.

MichaelB wrote:

triodelover wrote:Who holds the rights? Could it be PD?

The score definitely isn't PD - the sound quality indicates that it's a relatively recent recording.

Also, while I definitely think a fast one is being pulled regarding the BBFC (it's simply not believable that this film would get an 18, or anywhere close), I've seen no evidence of any other improprieties, so I won't be going along with the "bootleg" accusation without much more background.

Michael,

Isn't selling the DVD through retailers like Amazon et al just asking to get busted if there is a rights violation? And if it's not going to get an 18 (and I agree), why do the end run? (I'm trying not to feel guilty that I have it on preorder with the two June MoC releases and the Blu of The Dam Busters.)

I've seen no evidence that there has been a rights violation. There's certainly evidence to suggest a Video Recordings Act violation, but that's a separate issue.

In September, Luis Bunuel's "Susana" and "El Bruto"on DVD.

Mentioned on the previous page.

Looking at the Mr Bongo website, they offer a theatrical hire service.
I have to admit I know nothing about the rules of screening prints, DIGIBETA or DVD. My question is, once you own a good print of a film can you charge people to hire it from you? Or would you have to own some sort of rights first?

The following films are available for theatrical hire:

Antonio Das Mortes by Glauber Rocha [35mm / DIGIBETA SP / DVD]
Black God White Devil by Glauber Rocha [DIGIBETA SP / DVD]
Boccacio 70 by De Sica /Fellini / Visconti / Monicelli [DIGIBETA SP/ DVD]
Casanova 70 by Mario Monicelli [DIGIBETA SP/ DVD]
Identification Of A Woman by Michelangelo Antonioni [DIGIBETA SP/ DVD]
L’Avventura by Michelangelo Antonioni [35mm/ DigiBeta / DVD]
Lucia by Humberto Solas [DIGIBETA SP / DVD]
Marriage Italian Style by Vittorio De Sica [DIGIBETA SP/ DVD]
Memories Of Underdevelopment by Tomas Gutierrez Alea [DIGIBETA SP / DVD]
Saragossa Manuscript by Wojciech Jerzy Has [35mm/ DigiBeta / DVD]
Siberian Mammoth (The Making Of Soy Cuba) by Vicente Ferraz [DIGIBETA SP/ DVD]
I Am Cuba (Soy Cuba) by Mikhail Kalatozov [35mm/ DigiBeta / DVD]
Story of Love Affair by Michelangelo Antonioni [DVD]
Strawberry & Chocolate by Tomas Gutierrez Alea [DIGIBETA SP / DVD]
Terra Em Transe by Glauber Rocha [35mm / DigiBeta / DVD]
The Hour Glass Sanatorium by Wojciech Jerzy Has [35mm/DIGIBETA SP/ DVD]
Earth by Dovzhenko [DVD]

Duncan Hopper wrote:Looking at the Mr Bongo website, they offer a theatrical hire service.
I have to admit I know nothing about the rules of screening prints, DIGIBETA or DVD. My question is, once you own a good print of a film can you charge people to hire it from you? Or would you have to own some sort of rights first?

Unless the film is genuinely in the public domain (which is highly unlikely if you're based in the EU), you certainly do have to have some claim to the rights - otherwise the film's actual rightsholder will be reaching for the lawyers.

"Some claim to the rights" means anything from owning the film outright to licensing it for a one-off screening. In practice, distributors generally license the rights for their territory for a certain period of time (five to seven years being typical), often with an option to renew if the film does well for them.

Now what the devil is this about? Mr. Bongo's website doesn't mention it as of yet.

They are releasing Jacques Demy's Lola in August. They must have found a good print for cheap and squeezed it before the already announced September Bunuel titles

Numero Trois wrote:Now what the devil is this about? Mr. Bongo's website doesn't mention it as of yet.

BBFC rating TBC eh, any chance this might turn up as an 18? I really hope this isn't a collection of shorts.

That Amazon link isn't working anymore. On the Mr. Bongo site they left this simple announcement:

Scorcese DVD boxset

Due to reasons beyond our control we will no longer be releasing this title.