Pasolini 'Trilogy of Life' coming to BFI Blu-ray

[CraigJD]

I opened the latest issue of Sight & Sound and a BFI flyer dropped out with some interesting info about forthcoming Blu-Rays.

Most interesting (to me at least) is a three disc set of Pasolini's THE DECAMERON, THE CANTERBURY TALES and ARABIAN NIGHTS, promised to be brand new high definition restorations from the original negatives, due for release in April.

I don't have their Blu-Ray of SALO because I'd already bought the new Criterion, but their Blu-Ray presentation of Antonioni's THE RED DESERT is superb, so I'm really looking forward to this set. The cruddy original BFI discs have been OOP for a while and go for silly prices. Sadly, BFI's policy so far has been to code their discs Region B, so those with Region A players might have to hope that Criterion or whoever follows suit with these titles.

[Marc Morris]

You can expect to see some fascinating extras on these discs too.

BFI 2009 Release Schedule

[Matt Hamer]

I'm glad it's being issued on DVD as well. This is one of the most exciting announcements for '09 yet!

[Vincent Pereira]

Originally Posted by Marc Morris

You can expect to see some fascinating extras on these discs too.

BFI 2009 Release Schedule

Hopefully the extras will include "the actual film-look versions" of the movies on Blu-ray, seeing as how BFI's SALO Blu-ray looks like a lump of digitally manipulated shit. "Does this DNR knob go up any higher? Turn the sharpness knob up all the way now too, okay?"

Vincent

[Paul H]

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=70273

[Sergio B]

I'm not crazy about the cover art choices, but these suckers are mine on DVD as soon as they're out. I've been waiting years for THE ARABIAN NIGHTS to be re-released on DVD with an upgraded transfer. The same goes for CANTERBURY TALES to a certain extent. I already have the MGM re-release of THE DECAMERON, but will probably double dip for the BFI disc.

[GregMolinaro]

I'll hold out for Criterion's.

[Matt Hamer]

Is this set still due on April 27th? Any sites doing pre-orders?

[S. Chivers]

Reviews of these can be found here, here and here.

[Stuart Willis]

Originally Posted by Matt Hamer

Is this set still due on April 27th? Any sites doing pre-orders?

These titles are being released separately now, there's no set anymore from what I can gather. www.amazon.co.uk and www.play.com both have the discs for pre-order.

[Dan B]

Any word of a R1 release?

[John Gargo]

Originally Posted by Dan B

Any word of a R1 release?

There's whispers about Criterion putting these films out... I've heard the year 2012 being thrown around. MGM's DVD of THE DECAMERON just recently went OOP.

[Jonathan D. Cox]

Screenshots for DECAMERON. http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies...ow=screenshots

[Dan B]

Thanks John, at least some hope then for us primitives without region free players. Criterion will do them justice, I think. I wonder why 2012 though, and not sooner.

[Derrick King]

I don't know if the 2012 date is correct, but it seems Criterion works pretty slow (Joe Mantegna said Criterion worked about two years on the House of Games DVD), and they have a ton of stuff they are working on(the list of known titles that they are working on is pretty long)