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I do not want to make apologies on behalf of the New Yorker label, but I should point out that the only other Rivette DVD issued by New Yorker, "La Belle noiseuse", was quite good. I have the AE version and the New Yorker version, and the differences are minimal. (I believe DVDBeaver preferred the AE version, but to my untrained eyes the difference, if any, was insignificant) It was a vastly superior job to many other DVD's released by this label. Let us hope they maintain that standard for "Celine and Julie Go Boating" as well.

I got a reply from New Yorker today:

Will New Yorker be releasing Jacques Rivette's, "Celine and Julie Go
Boating"
on DVD soon?

Yes, it is scheudled for dvd release in late November, early December.

I think I'll wait for the BFI edition, though. I will say one thing for
New Yorker: they have always replied - and quickly - to my
inquiries. If only folks who created their transfers were so
dedicated.

Did they cancel the release the of Celine and Julie Go Boating? I no longer see it listed on the Upcoming Releases page of New Yorker Films.

I emailed New Yorker Films about Celine and Julie to ask if the release was cancelled and they replied, "No, this film will be released next year, but at this point, we do not have an official date." I was hoping they would say the rights had transferred to Criterion.

About a year ago I started hearing rumors of a R2 France DVD of Jacques Rivette's Out 1, though it was vague on which of the two versions (both?!?) it involved.

Since then -- nothing. Does anyone out there know anything new about it?

Thanks!

NO ENGLISH SUBTITLES!. But then just 49€…

Originaltitel: La belle noiseuse
Produktionsland / Jahr: Frankreich 1991
Darsteller: Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin, Emmanuelle Béart
LONG & SHORT VERSION on 3 DVDs

Originaltitel: La bande des quatre
Produktionsland / Jahr: Frankreich 1988
Darsteller: Bulle Ogier, Benoît Régent, Laurence Côte
1 DVD

Originaltitel: Histoire de Marie et Julien
Produktionsland / Jahr: Frankreich 2003
Darsteller: Emmanuelle Béart, Jerzy Radziwilowicz, Anne Brochet
1 DVD

plus 1 Bonus DVD…

Three films by Rivette R2 UK

BlueBell Films, a relatively new outfit that I have never heard of before will release three Rivette films, Wuthering Heights, Gang of 4 and Love on the Ground on November 12.

£9.99 each at hmv.co.uk

Three films by Rivette R2 UK

oh wow! =D>

domino harvey wrote:

Three films by Rivette R2 UK

oh wow! =D>

Hopefully this will be Rivette's preferred, longer cut of L'Amour par terre, as was released on dvd in France. If it is, this is terrific news.

fred wrote:Hopefully this will be Rivette's preferred, longer cut of L'Amour par terre, as was released on dvd in France. If it is, this is terrific news.

By far! But considering that the longer print wasn't even available for the retrospectives, I have my doubts.

justeleblanc wrote:But considering that the longer print wasn't even available for the retrospectives, I have my doubts.

This doesn't make any sense. One doesn't master dvds from circulating exhibition prints. (Which is why all the speculation about the need for restoration in order to release Out 1 is so much hot air. It may require a new print being struck, but there's no way to know if the film requires restoration based on the print that's been circulating.) The long cut didn't show in New York because AMMI didn't give a damn and there's never been a subtitled print of it, which would have meant more soft-titling (or god forbid striking a subtitled print) when they could just foist the butchered version on people. It actually seems more likely that it would be the long cut, because they could just borrow the existing master from Gaumont, but we won't know for sure until more information surfaces.

Three films by Rivette R2 UK

All three of the films in this set were among those included in the Arte box set -- which included the long version of L'amour par terre.

The long version is something like 169 minutes -- 40 or so minutes more than the prints released when the film was first actually distributed.

Michael Kerpan wrote:All three of the films in this set were among those included in the Arte box set -- which included the long version of L'amour par terre.

The long version is 4 hours. Two discs. The new release and the Arte release were both one disc.

fred wrote:

justeleblanc wrote:But considering that the longer print wasn't even available for the retrospectives, I have my doubts.

This doesn't make any sense. One doesn't master dvds from circulating exhibition prints. (Which is why all the speculation about the need for restoration in order to release Out 1 is so much hot air. It may require a new print being struck, but there's no way to know if the film requires restoration based on the print that's been circulating.) The long cut didn't show in New York because AMMI didn't give a damn and there's never been a subtitled print of it, which would have meant more soft-titling (or god forbid striking a subtitled print) when they could just foist the butchered version on people. It actually seems more likely that it would be the long cut, because they could just borrow the existing master from Gaumont, but we won't know for sure until more information surfaces.

There seems to be many things wrong with your statement.

1) To say that the people behind the retro in Queens last fall didn't give a damn is moronic and based on nothing.

2) While you don't master DVDs from circulating prints, you master from what's available. If the long version wasn't available even as a print with no subtitles, then chances are BlueBell films won't be able to license it either.

3) Note that all three of these films were already released onto DVD in the Rivette box, and it would be easier for BlueBell to to simply re-package the pre-existing DVDs.

4) Gaumont owns the 4 hour version?

5) OUT 1 Restoration "hot air" my balls!

4) Gaumont owns the 4 hour version?

Where do you get the info that there is a 4 hour version? The only two I've heard of are the 125 minute version and the 169 minute one (included in the Arte set). And as far as I could tell, the Arte version was the Rivette-approved one.

Michael Kerpan wrote:Where do you get the info that there is a 4 hour version? The only two I've heard of are the 125 minute version and the 169 minute one (included in the Arte set). And as far as I could tell, the Arte version was the Rivette-approved one.

I'm not sure where that came from, but I was always under the assumption that the original was over 4 hours. But I'll be willing to take your word.

Though I still stand by my "my balls" line when it comes to OUT 1.

I'm not sure where that came from, but I was always under the assumption that the original was over 4 hours.

I note that the Rivette Retrospective in Vienna in 2002 screened the short version of L'amour par terre. Possibly no screen print of the long version has ever be made (could the Arte DVD have simply used an interpositive -- or something of that sort).

justeleblanc wrote:While you don't master DVDs from circulating prints, you master from what's available.

I know people who work at Film Forum and AMMI and whenever I ask them about the possibility of a DVD of (insert title here) based on a "new," "restored" or whatever kind of print that they show, they always tell me that it doesn't necessarily mean that, just because new prints are being struck, DVDs will follow. They are two completely separate animals.

You can have a new print without a forthcoming DVD release or a DVD release without a new circulating print, etc. etc. Take this for what it's worth (probably not much).

justeleblanc wrote:There seems to be many things wrong with your statement.

1) To say that the people behind the retro in Queens last fall didn't give a damn is moronic and based on nothing.

It may be slightly hyperbolic, but it's hardly based on nothing. It's based on my direct personal experience of how they mishandled multiple aspects of their supposedly complete retrospective. Why does this even bother you?

2) While you don't master DVDs from circulating prints, you master from what's available. If the long version wasn't available even as a print with no subtitles, then chances are BlueBell films won't be able to license it either.

But it clearly is available, as there's an existing dvd of this version. I don't get why you keep conflating theatrical distribution with the existence of materials from which to make dvds.

3) Note that all three of these films were already released onto DVD in the Rivette box, and it would be easier for BlueBell to to simply re-package the pre-existing DVDs.

Didn't I already say that?

4) Gaumont owns the 4 hour version?

Sorry, Arte released this; it was distributed by Gaumont. But there never was a 4 hour version as others have pointed out. The long version which has been released on dvd is 169 minutes, with PAL speedup.

5) OUT 1 Restoration "hot air" my balls!

I don't think this merits a response. You need to calm down.

I don't think this merits a response. You need to calm down.

I stand corrected about the length of the long version. I was under the impression that the true length of the film was 4 hours (which I still think it might be), so thus neither the Arte DVD nor the theatrical release were correct. If the long cut is only 169, then yes, the BlueBell will be this version.

Does anyone know anything about the 4 hour cut? Does this even exist or was I thinking of another film entirely?

Does anyone know anything about the 4 hour cut? Does this even exist or was I thinking of another film entirely?

I think you are getting this confused with La belle noiseuse, which does have a 4 hour long version and 2 hour short one.

Michael Kerpan wrote:La belle noiseuse, which does have a 4 hour long version and 2 hour short one.

Both of which cuts were made and sanctioned by Rivette, more along the lines of Out 1 and Spectre (as opposed to Jeanne la Pucelle and L'Amour par terre). Sadly the short version (Divertimento) seems to be well on the way to becoming a footnote. It is out on dvd in Hong Kong though.

fred wrote:Both of which cuts were made and sanctioned by Rivette, more along the lines of Out 1 and Spectre (as opposed to Jeanne la Pucelle and L'Amour par terre). .

The shortened US version of Paris nous appartient wasn't really approved by Rivette was it? The short version of LpT WAS approved by Rivette -- albeit under duress (and I think Rivette supervised the shortening -- albeit in distress).

fred wrote:Sadly the short version (Divertimento) seems to be well on the way to becoming a footnote. It is out on dvd in Hong Kong though.

I have to say I saw Divertimento first (courtesy of the HK DVD), but the long version superseded this as soon as I first saw it.

I have to say I saw Divertimento first (courtesy of the HK DVD), but the long version superseded this as soon as I first saw it.

Is this the Divertimento DVD of which you speak? I want to make sure before I purchase it.

Costas wrote:Is this the Divertimento DVD of which you speak? I want to make sure before I purchase it.

It's the one I have. It's actually pretty decent -- though not as nice looking as Arte's version of the long version (which is utterly gorgeous).

Michael Kerpan wrote:The shortened US version of Paris nous appartient wasn't really approved by Rivette was it?

I'm pretty sure not, but to my knowledge it also no longer exists.

The short version of LpT WAS approved by Rivette -- albeit under duress (and I think Rivette supervised the shortening -- albeit in distress).

But he has clearly indicated a preference for the longer version and the shorter one, in addition to being compromised, clearly doesn't have the kind of independent weight that Spectre and Divertimento have. So in this case, I think the earlier approval can be attributed more to the difficulty he had getting his previous four films released rather than any actual creative impulse on his part.

I have to say I saw Divertimento first (courtesy of the HK DVD), but the long version superseded this as soon as I first saw it.

I wouldn't argue for the superiority of Divertimento, but it's a fascinating work which deserves not to be consigned to oblivion in the mania for longer director's cuts. It's a very different film.

fred wrote:

Michael Kerpan wrote:The shortened US version of Paris nous appartient wasn't really approved by Rivette was it?

I'm pretty sure not, but to my knowledge it also no longer exists.

When the Harvard Film Archive showed this film several years back they had to borrow a print from the UK -- as all the prints available in the US were of the cut version -- also the o/p US video :immortalized" the cut version.

fred wrote:

Michael Kerpan wrote:The short version of LpT WAS approved by Rivette -- albeit under duress (and I think Rivette supervised the shortening -- albeit in distress).

But he has clearly indicated a preference for the longer version and the shorter one, in addition to being compromised, clearly doesn't have the kind of independent weight that Spectre and Divertimento have. So in this case, I think the earlier approval can be attributed more to the difficulty he had getting his previous four films released rather than any actual creative impulse on his part.

Yes - the short version of this was only approved because Rivette had no real choice. It was a short version or nothing. He never liked having to concoct the short version of L'amour par terre.[/quote]

fred wrote:I wouldn't argue for the superiority of Divertimento, but it's a fascinating work which deserves not to be consigned to oblivion in the mania for longer director's cuts. It's a very different film.

Definitely a separate work --- as it (supposedly) often uses alternate takes of even the scenes the two versions have in common.