French DVD/Blu-ray/UHD Recommendations

[rrenault]

Is that new Rimini UHD of Rules of the Game a night-and-day upgrade over the ESC disc, even if one can force the latter into SDR on their system? Is it worth the double dip?

[rrenault]

In the 2 smaller A/B comparisons, left cap is from the BFI BD, right from the Rimini one. When looking at them through the reader, you can read the legend (la-regle-du-jeu-09-uk vs La règle du jeu 09 FR 2025).
I've made the 3 sets of caps (Criterion 2011, BFI 2023, Rimini 2025) so they can be comparable. For instance :
Criterion : https://testsbluray.com/wp-content/uplo ... -10-us.jpg
BFI : https://testsbluray.com/wp-content/uplo ... -10-uk.jpg
Rimini : https://testsbluray.com/wp-content/uplo ... R-2025.jpg

I actually think the BFI blu-ray looks preferable to the Rimini UHD here.

[tenia]

I think it remains interesting in that it manages in a fairly natural fashion to give the picture the grain structure of a OCN-based restoration for a movie whose OCN is lost. In several shots, it works quite well, but in others, the sharpening is visible.
Obviously though, YMMV in such cases. I myself am bothered because if one can't assess visually what's going on, it's going to be complicated.

[rrenault]

Is there any consensus on whether the Criterion UHD or the 2022 ESC UHD when forced into SDR is the superior presentation?

[tenia]

I don't think they have been compared directly. They should be fairly equivalent though, but I don't know how ESC's encode fares.

[Stefan Andersson]

Upcoming from Tamasa Films:
La kermesse héroïque, Feyder
Pension Mimosas, Feyder; probably the restoration shown at Ritrovato 2025
Une femme est passée, J. A. Bardem
https://www.dvdclassik.com/forum/viewto ... start=1080

Chronicle of the Years of Embers, Algeria 1975, 4K restoration from The Film Foundation, theatrical re-release (=upcoming bluray?):
https://www.acaciasfilms.com/film/chron ... de-braise/

[Stefan Andersson]

There was a bluray box set from Arte in 2020, with mainly the UA /MGM Truffaut titles, all in 1080i except La chambre verte in 1080p. Are these the same masters now with Radiance?

[Calvin]

There was a bluray box set from Arte in 2020, with mainly the UA /MGM Truffaut titles, all in 1080i except La chambre verte in 1080p. Are these the same masters now with Radiance?

Radiance are encoded in 1080p, but they are the same masters

[Stefan Andersson]

There was a bluray box set from Arte in 2020, with mainly the UA /MGM Truffaut titles, all in 1080i except La chambre verte in 1080p. Are these the same masters now with Radiance?

Radiance are encoded in 1080p, but they are the same masters

OK, thanks for the update!

[Stefan Andersson]

Extralucid Films plans a bluray box with the complete features and shorts by Hungarian director Judit Elek:
https://www.facebook.com/ExtralucidFilm ... 676113357/
https://www.liberation.fr/culture/resso ... V6OGJ37WA/

[Stefan Andersson]

Chabrol 7-film box set, Nov. 2025:
https://www.tamasa-cinema.com/wp-conten ... ital-2.pdf

Re-release trailer:
https://www.tamasa-cinema.com/film/clau ... ere-vague/

[kekid]

Chabrol 7-film box set, Nov. 2025:
https://www.tamasa-cinema.com/wp-conten ... ital-2.pdf

Re-release trailer:
https://www.tamasa-cinema.com/film/clau ... ere-vague/

At last!
Which will be the most likely label to pick this up for English-speaking audience?

[domino harvey]

Pray Criterion stays away

[Matt]

Pray Criterion stays away

Yes. Even if some label has to skip over Les cousins and Le beau Serge because of Criterion's still-in-print editions, let them not languish in the Criterion Back Closet.

[Stefan Andersson]

Chabrol 7-film box set, Nov. 2025:
https://www.tamasa-cinema.com/wp-conten ... ital-2.pdf

Re-release trailer:
https://www.tamasa-cinema.com/film/clau ... ere-vague/

Update:

mysteriously, no mention of restorations in the press kit and trailer linked to above, though the trailer material looks restored. And "copies restaurées" were mentioned when the whole 12-film Chabrol retrospective was shown at the 2025 La Rochelle film festival, so they should all be restored:
https://festival-larochelle.org/retrosp ... e-chabrol/

Press kit linked to above lists all 12 films but does not specify the 7 titles in the box set, this info should appear here:
https://www.tamasa-cinema.com/boutique/ ... /coffrets/

[tenia]

The first 7 will be the 7. The other ones are from Gaumont, have been restored 10+ years ago, and have been released on BD too.

[domino harvey]

Did Les Godelureaux get a Blu?

[domino harvey]

Pray Criterion stays away

Yes. Even if some label has to skip over Les cousins and Le beau Serge because of Criterion's still-in-print editions, let them not languish in the Criterion Back Closet.

Hear me out: I think a label like Severin would be a great fit. These are all murder thrillers, so not far from stuff they already put out, and they’d just throw them all in one big box with a lot of extras. I get the sense that the Chabrol boxes didn’t sell well for Arrow (which were doomed anyways because most of them were rereleases that fans likely already had on Blu), so it may be a better fit for a label with smaller volume anyways

[Finch]

Fun City might be a good fit, too.

[Stefan Andersson]

The first 7 will be the 7. The other ones are from Gaumont, have been restored 10+ years ago, and have been released on BD too.

Ok, thanks!

[Stefan Andersson]

Don´t know if this has been mentioned before --
Gremillon´s Le ciel est à vous, restored in 4K, upcoming on blu:
https://www.coindemirecinema.com/produc ... us-copie-1
French HOH subs only.

[tenia]

Did Les Godelureaux get a Blu?

My bad, this one didn't (my memory was telling me it was an extra on a Gaumont BD).

[andyli]

Don´t know if this has been mentioned before --
Gremillon´s Le ciel est à vous, restored in 4K, upcoming on blu:
https://www.coindemirecinema.com/produc ... us-copie-1
French HOH subs only.

The upcoming edition is just a re-release of the limited edition back in Oct. 2022, sans the DVD and booklet.

[Lowry_Sam]

Speaking of Gremillon (in case it passed you by), there is a North American release (Grasshopper Films) of the 4k restoration of Gueule d'Amour aka Lady Killer & the blu-ray features L'étrange Monsieur Victor (The Strange Monsieur Victor) as a bonus. It's probably my favorite of his & I highly recommend it.

[Stefan Andersson]

Don´t know if this has been mentioned before --
Gremillon´s Le ciel est à vous, restored in 4K, upcoming on blu:
https://www.coindemirecinema.com/produc ... us-copie-1
French HOH subs only.

The upcoming edition is just a re-release of the limited edition back in Oct. 2022, sans the DVD and booklet.

OK, thanks for this info!