criterionforum.org

Details on the restoration of The Devils: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php? ... tcount=557

Mark Kermode after a screening at Lincoln Center. I particularly like his linking the themes of the film forward to Tommy.

And I do like putting The Devils in a tradition of poetic British cinema in a lineage from Powell & Pressburger. You could see how Derek Jarman would pick up that similar mantle in his own films afterwards too. Though I slightly disagree with Kermode that it should not be underestimated just how big a year 1971 was for powerfully confrontational films - Warner Bros by itself had a provocative year with A Clockwork Orange and John Boorman's Deliverance all presenting material that still remains challenging and relevant to this day. And a lot of that probably had to do with a very specific period between the decline of the studio system in the US, and before the rise of the Blockbusters with Jaws, that were leading to studios taking chances on all sorts of material, allowing the opportunities for such films to get made.

I can’t help but wonder if the “Clockwork” division tried to push this out first because the braindead execs at Paramount () would try to bury it.

Re Ellisons, you can also forget anything vaguely critical of Israel getting made under their leadership.

Mr.DarjeelingLimited wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2026 12:02 am I can’t help but wonder if the “Clockwork” division tried to push this out first because the braindead execs at Paramount () would try to bury it.

Not that Warner Bros. has been any kind of supporter of this film for most of the past five decades...

Given that the re-release was announced in early May, I would think restoration of the film was well underway before Paramount made their bid for WBD at the end of February.

I do think that everyone knowing that Warners would be sold probably motivated some people. Was Netflix going to restore this film?

Lobby standee for The Devils weighs 666 lbs., I'm sure Ken would be amused.

Finch wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2026 12:07 am Re Ellisons, you can also forget anything vaguely critical of Israel getting made under their leadership.

The Devils indeed.