Salò or The 120 Days of Sodom (UK BD) in September
03-07-2008 11:57 | 9686 views | Dave Foster | Show Backlinks
BFI have announced the UK Region B Blu-ray Disc release of Salò or The 120 Days of Sodom on 29th September 2008 priced at £24.99. Pier Paolo Pasolini’s final and most controversial film has been banned, censored and reviled the world over since its first release in 1975. It did not receive UK certification until late 2000, when it was passed uncut.
The film is a brutal allegory based on the novel 120 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade.
A two-disc set, features are detailed below…
Disc 1: Main Feature
Disc 2: Extra Features - A standard definition PAL DVD with the following content:
Fully illustrated booklet
The film is a brutal allegory based on the novel 120 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade.
A two-disc set, features are detailed below…
Disc 1: Main Feature
- Fully Complete & Uncut, telecined from original Italian restoration negatives
- 1.85:1 (1080p, 24fps) / BD25 / PCM mono / Region B
- Original Italian language version (with optional English subtitles)
- Original English language version (with optional HoH subtitles)
- Original Italian trailer (with optional English subtitles)
- Coil - Ostia (the Death of Pasolini) The original 1987 track from Coil's celebrated second album, Horse Rotorvator, with a newly created video accompaniment, shot especially for this release, by Peter Christopherson. (1.77:1/1080p,24fps)
Disc 2: Extra Features - A standard definition PAL DVD with the following content:
- Open Your Eyes! (2008, 21mins) Newly created on-set documentary using full colour footage shot in 1974 by acclaimed film journalist and Pasolini expert Gideon Bachmann.
- Walking with Pasolini (2008, 21mins) New documentary exploring the meaning and impact of Pasolini's film, with Neil Bartlett, David Forgacs, Noam Chomsky and Craig Lapper (Chief Examiner, BBFC).
- Whoever Says the Truth Shall Die (1981, 58m) Philo Bregstein's classic documentary on the life and death of Pier Paolo Pasolini.
- Fade to Black (2001, 25m) – documentary with Mark Kermode exploring the ongoing relevance and power of Pasolini's controversial masterpiece, with Bernardo Bertolucci and other leading directors.
- Ostia (1991, 25m, with optional director commentary track) – Julian Cole's short film about the last days of Pasolini, starring Derek Jarman.
Fully illustrated booklet
- Newly commissioned essay by Sam Rohdie (Italian film scholar and author on Pasolini)
- Sight & Sound article by Gideon Bachmann incorporating his on-set diary
- 1979 review of the film by Gilbert Adair
- James Ferman letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions
- Cast and credits for the film
- Pasolini biography by Italian film specialist Geoffrey Nowell-Smith
- Photographs of Pasolini at work on set
Comments
Member
Posts: 133
Anyone for a chocolate biscuit?
Grieve for the Skies
Posts: 276
Oh wow... that cover art is something else.
Blu-ray.com
Posts: 189
As I noted elsewhere this is a great, great way for BFI to enter BR. And for what is worth this is easily the best coverwork they have come up with in a VERY long time.
Excellent set of supplemental material as well!
Pro-B
Member
Posts: 32
Jezies... out of all the films I least expected to see on HD... :eek:
Cover looks nice, but I think I prefer the plain white cover of the original R2 SD release - gives no clue as to the horrors within :)
A.
Member
Posts: 34
Not one to watch with the Vicar!
Member
Posts: 10
Fantastic cover! Should also be the poster for America's Got Talent.
I know people hate it when you say "THIS is the reason to go Blu-ray" but it really is. Kudos to the BFI and looking forward to that rumoured Antonioni release along with the Tati.
Member
Posts: 155
their previous dvd was rather ropey looking - hopefully a new, nice looking print will be used this time - all that poo eating just wouldn't be the same if it's not in nice clear HD (!)
Member
Posts: 637
Originally Posted by gareth young:
their previous dvd was rather ropey looking - hopefully a new, nice looking print will be used this time
Actually, they've gone one better and sourced the new transfer directly from the negative.
So if it looks anything like the previous BFI edition (a very early release before the BFI really found its DVD-producing feet), something will have gone very badly wrong at the encoding stage!
Member
Posts: 402
I have seen this once. Its got artist merit I'll give it that. The shit eating is worth getting this bd for alone its that over the top.
Thankfully a lot of whats in the novel was changed. That Marquis de Sade had it in for kids far too much for my liking.
Pier Paolo Pasolini was an interesting fella however.
Member
Posts: 51
Originally Posted by AL89:
Anyone for a chocolate biscuit?
Lol - that actually made me laugh out loud.
Member
Posts: 144
Originally Posted by Aretak:
Oh wow... that cover art is something else.
Yeah...if some U.S. company tried that, they'd be crucified.
Originally Posted by AL89:
Anyone for a chocolate biscuit?
If I don't get it, then I probably don't want to.
Administrator
Posts: 2301
Updated with revised info (tech specs on the Disc 1 extra & new extras on Disc 2).
Member
Posts: 134
Did we get any confirmation on the HD audio formats? (Trying to update it in DVD Profiler!)
Administrator
Posts: 2301
Not much point when it's Mono.
Member
Posts: 637
I'm in the unhappy position of being able to confirm that it's 100% definitely Region B - contractual issues, I'm afraid.
Administrator
Posts: 2301
Is that a recent change then? Obviously you're in a better position to know than us, but we were told it was All-Regions (back when it was first announced).
Member
Posts: 637
My understanding is that the intention was to make it all-region, and this was still true at the time the original press release went out a couple of months ago, but contractual issues subsequently intervened.
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I wouldn't post this if I wasn't completely sure! (If you think about it, what possible motive would I have for misleading people?)
Administrator
Posts: 2301
I'm not doubting you, I just wanted to clarify. I've updated the information in the news piece.
Member
Posts: 637
On a happier note, I've now watched the Blu-Ray in full, and it's a superb transfer - albeit a very weird experience seeing such a pristine picture of a film so indelibly associated with mangled repertory prints, dodgy bootleg videos and indeed less than wonderful previous DVDs.
Purists will be pleased that it hasn't been DNRed - the picture grain is more visible than it is on the SD-DVD version. But that's inherent in the original negative, and so it's hardly a complaint.
I can also confirm that both the BFI editions (the DVD is identical to the Blu-Ray in every respect aside from high-definition images) include the scene after the "wedding" where the Gottfried Benn poem is read - though it had to be added from a different source (albeit still 35mm), so there's a slight shift in image contrast at that point.
Contributor
Posts: 1651
Originally posted by Michael Brooke
On a happier note, I've now watched the Blu-Ray in full, and it's a superb transfer - albeit a very weird experience seeing such a pristine picture of a film so indelibly associated with mangled repertory prints, dodgy bootleg videos and indeed less than wonderful previous DVDs.Purists will be pleased that it hasn't been DNRed - the picture grain is more visible than it is on the SD-DVD version. But that's inherent in the original negative, and so it's hardly a complaint.
Michael, the screen captures present in this review (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare/salo.htm) seem to tell a very different story. They exhibit ample evidence of excessive noise reduction, resulting in a very waxy, undetailed and synthetic-looking image.
Member
Posts: 134
Amazon now stating this as 2nd October - anyone confirm?