NEW ACQUISITIONS ON DVD
FOR NON-THEATRICAL BOOKING
November 2013
BFI Bookings
T: 020 7957 8938
E: [email protected]
For a complete list of DVDs available for nontheatrical hire, please visit our new BFI Film
Distribution website on:
www.bfi.org.uk/distribution
CONTENTS
BOOKING INFORMATION
3
NEW RELEASES FROM THE BFI
4
NEW RELEASES FROM ARTIFICIAL EYE
9
TITLES AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
13
TITLES AVAILABLE FROM EURO LONDON
21
INFORMATION FOR BOOKERS
26
2
BOOKING INFORMATION
We have a superb selection of new DVD releases available for booking over the
next few months and into 2014. Please note that the release dates are approximate
and may change. Please allow time for us to acquire the DVDs and add them to the
library stock.
We handle non-theatrical bookings on behalf of our own BFI DVD Library,
Artificial-Eye Film Company and we have added a selection of film classics from
the Euro-London and Universal libraries which will enable film societies and other
groups to show an even wider selection of films than before.
We hold many other titles in our back catalogue. These are listed on the BFI Film
Distribution website: www.bfi.org.uk/distribution
There is a standard hire fee for all titles: £80 plus VAT. A postage charge of £3.50 is
added in cases where we supply a copy to you by post, and this should be returned
to us by post without delay using the return label provided.
Exhibitors may use their own copies, if desired, but this should be made clear
when you are confirming bookings. Please state also if you would prefer a DVD or a
Blu-ray copy where we hold both versions.
May we point out that BFI DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and also those of the Artificial
Eye Film Company Ltd., and Curzon World must be licenced exclusively by the BFI.
Screenings of these titles are not covered by MPLC or any other licensors.
To hire any of these films or for further information, please contact the Bookings
department:
E: [email protected]
T: 020 7957 8938
F: 020 7580 5830
Bookings Dept
BFI
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
For a full list of DVDs available for non-theatrical hire, visit our new BFI Film
Distribution website: www.bfi.org.uk/distribution
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NEW RELEASES FROM THE BFI
* Titles marked with an asterisk are also available in high definition Blu-ray
THE EPIC OF EVEREST (Available from 20 January) *
Dir. Captain John Noel | UK 1924 | Black & White | 85mins | Cert U
The 1924 Everest expedition culminated in the deaths of two of the finest climbers of their
generation, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, and sparked an ongoing debate over
whether or not they did indeed reach the summit.Filming in brutally harsh conditions with
a specially adapted camera, Captain John Noel captured images of breathtaking beauty and
considerable historic significance.
The restoration by the BFI National Archive has transformed the quality of the surviving
elements of the film and reintroduced the original coloured tints and tones. Revealed by
the restoration, few images in cinema are as epic - or moving - as the final shots of a blood
red sunset over the Himalayas. BFI National Archive experts have gone back to the earliest
surviving elements donated to the BFI in the 1960s. Newly commissioned music score by
Simon Fisher Turner
THE STUART HALL PROJECT (Available from 20 January)
Dir. John Akomfrah | UK 2013 | Colour and Black & White | 103mins | Cert 12A
Highly acclaimed at this year’s Sundance and Sheffield Documentary festivals, the new
film from award-winning documentarian John Akomfrah (The Nine Muses) is a sensitive,
emotionally charged portrait of cultural theorist Stuart Hall.
A founding figure of contemporary cultural studies – and one of the most inspiring voices
of the post-war Left – Stuart Hall’s resounding and ongoing influence on British intellectual
life commenced soon after he emigrated from Jamaica in 1951. Combining extensive
archival imagery – television excerpts, home movies, family photos – with specially filmed
material and a personally mixed Miles Davis soundtrack, Akomfrah’s filmmaking approach
matches the agility of Hall’s intellect, its intimate play with memory, identity and scholarly
impulse traversing the changing historical landscape of the second half of the 20th century.
RIDDLES OF THE SPHINX *
Dirs. Laura Mulvey, Peter Wollen | UK 1977 | Colour | 91mins | Cert U
Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen’s visually accomplished and intellectually rigorous Riddles
of the Sphinx is one of the most important avant-garde films to have emerged from Britain
during the 1970s. The second collaboration between Mulvey and Wollen, both of whom are
recognised as seminal figures in the field of film theory, Riddles of the Sphinx explores issues
of female representation, the place of motherhood within society and the relationship
between mother and daughter. Composed of a number of discrete sections, many of which
are shot as continuous circular pans, the film takes place in a range of domestic and public
spaces, shot in locations which include Malcolm LeGrice’s kitchen and Stephen Dwoskin’s
bedroom. The film’s ground-breaking electronic score, by The Soft Machine’s Mike
Ratledge, was composed on synthesisers which were developed in collaboration with
Denys Irving (the man behind the mysterious and controversial 1970s band Lucifer).
SLEEPWALKER *
Dir. Saxon Logan | UK 1984 | Colour | 50mins | Cert 15
When wealthy couple Richard and Angela visit Marion and Alex in their decaying family
home, their differing social and moral attitudes create uneasy tensions. An inharmonious
evening of drunkenness and sexual rivalry soon turns bloody as the guests fall victim to an
unhinged attacker.
Featuring a rare performance from Bill Douglas (Bill Douglas Trilogy, Comrades), and starring
British screen greats Joanna David and Heather Page (both of whom would went on to work
with Douglas in Comrades), Sleepwalker is an outrageous and incendiary mix of biting satire
and bloody horror that is at once reminiscent of otherwise unlikely bedfellows Lindsay
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Anderson and Dario Argento. The stellar cast also includes Nikolas Grace, and features
cameos by Fulton MacKay, Michael Medwin and Raymond Huntely.
CFF: SCARY STORIES
Dirs. Various | UK 1974/ 1984 & 1985 | Colour | 170mins | Cert PG
For over 30 years the Children's Film Foundation produced quality entertainment for young
audiences, employing the cream of British filmmaking talent. Newly transferred from the
best available elements held in the BFI National Archive, these much-loved and fondly
remembered films finally return to the screen after many years out of distribution in this
specially curated DVD release from the BFI.
The Man from Nowhere is a beautifully told Victorian gothic thriller from acclaimed director
James Hill. Young orphan Alice has been invited by her rich uncle to live in his country
mansion but she soon finds herself persecuted by the visitations of an unsettling stranger.
Who is this 'man from nowhere' and just why is he trying to scare her away?
The events in Haunters of the Deep take place along the dramatic Cornish coastline. Intent
on re-opening a disused tin mine, an American businessman ignores warnings about the
site's grisly past. It's left to his bored daughter and local lad, Josh, to attempt a daring
rescue when history threatens to repeat itself.
In John Krish's Out of the Darkness, a Derbyshire village is haunted by a tragic secret from
the era of the Black Death. When the Neils decide to buy a run-down cottage they are
unaware that it was once inhabited by a plague-stricken family. Soon, the Neil siblings find
themselves in the middle of a thrilling adventure, assisted by their friend, Tom, and a local
folklore expert (played by Michael Carter - The Keep, Return of the Jedi).
THE BARLEY MOW – ARCHIVE FOLK FILM PROGRAMME
Dirs. Various | UK 1912 - 2013 | Colour and Black & White | 65mins
The BFI and the English Folk Dance & Song Society proudly present a programme of rare
and beautiful films from the BFI National Archive and Regional Film Archives showing
some of our rich traditions of folk music, dance, customs and sport. Highlights include the
alcoholic folk musical Here's a Health to the Barley Mow (1955), Doc Rowe’s speedy sword
dancing film and the Padstow Mayday celebration Oss Oss Wee Oss (Alan Lomax/Peter
Kennedy 1953).
The programme provides a taste of the BFI's 6-hour DVD release 'Here's a Health to the
Barley Mow: a Century of Folk Customs and Ancient Rural Games', a rich and wide-ranging
collection of archive films from around the UK.
CAPTURED *
Dir. John Krish | UK 1959 | Black & White | 65mins | Cert 15
Never commercially released before and previously only shown to a highly restricted
audience of top military brass from the Ministry of Defence, Captured is a stunning Prisoner
of War drama and a lost gem of British post-war filmmaking. Directed by cult British
director John Krish, the film was sponsored by the Army Kinematograph Corporation. This
tightly plotted drama shows British POWs enduring brainwashing and torture during the
Korean War, thereby revealing what a soldier could expect if he was ever captured by
enemy forces.The latest release in the BFI's acclaimed Flipside strand, Captured is
accompanied by other rarities from John Krish H.M.P. (a 1978 fly-on-the-wall documentary
about the prison service) and Krish's celebrated 1977 public safety short Finishing Line. All of
these films have been transferred to HD by the BFI from the very best available film
materials.
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CFF COLLECTION: VOLUME TWO - THE RACE IS ON
170 mins | Cert PG
The BFI presents three more classic kids’ films from the much loved Children’s Film
Foundation. Including cult favourite Sammy’s Super T-Shirt (1978), Soapbox Derby (1957)
starring a young Michael Crawford, and The Sky-Bike (1967).
CFF COLLECTION: VOLUME 3 - WEIRD ADVENTURE
180mins | Cert U
This volume showcases weird and fantastic adventures, in three remastered films made by
some of the leading figures of British cinema. The Boy Who Turned Yellow (1972) was the
final film produced by the legendary British director/writer/producers Michael Powell and
Emeric Pressburger (A Matter of Life and Death, Red Shoes). In this fantastic story, a young boy
turns yellow and gets the ability to transport himself through the TV. The Monster of
Highgate Ponds (1961) was made by the great director Alberto Cavalcanti (Went the Day
Well?, Dead of Night). Three London children acquire a giant egg which hatches out into a
mild-mannered monster. A Hitch in Time (1978) is an exciting adventure in which an
eccentric professor's new time-machine keeps going wrong.
CHRONICLE OF A SUMMER *
Dir. Jean Rouch | France 1960 | Black & White | 90mins | Cert 12
The first time on DVD or Blu-ray in the UK for this hugely influential and ground-breaking
documentary film from leading French documentarist Jean Rouch. Shot in Paris during
1960, Chronicle of a Summer is a fascinating result of a collaboration between filmmakeranthropologist Jean Rouch and sociologist Edgar Morin. Through a series of interviews with
real-life individuals the filmmakers produce a compelling film that questions the level of
reality and truth in documentary filmmaking, as well as being a fascinating insight into
1960's Parisian society. With its use of handheld cameras and observational techniques,
Chronicle of a Summer was a seminal influence of the cinema-verite movement of the 1960s
and on many filmmakers since.
CRIA CUERVOS *
Dir. Carlos Saura | Spain 1976 | Colour | 110mins | Cert 12
Carlos Saura's touching and thought-provoking 1976 work remains one of the most
important films in Spanish cinema. Released when Spain was just coming out of 40 years of
Fascist rule it was nominated for a Golden Globe, and won the Grand Prize at Cannes in
1977. Cría Cuervos (English translation: Raise Ravens) centres on an amazing performance by
the young actress Ana Torrent as the disturbed eight-year-girl living in Madrid with her two
sisters and mourning the death of her mother, played by an ethereal Geraldine Chaplin,
whom she conjures as a ghost.
FROM THE SEA TO THE LAND BEYOND
Dir. Penny Woolcock | UK 2012 | Colour and Black & White | 73mins | Cert U
From the Sea to the Land Beyond is a unique collaboration between award-winning filmmaker
Penny Woolcock and one of Britain’s best loved bands, British Sea Power. Composed from
over 100 years of footage drawn from the BFI National Film Archive, the film is a portrait of
our unique coastline and the role it plays in our lives - during wartime, on our holidays and
as a hive of activity during the industrial age.
OPENING NIGHT *
Dir. John Cassavetes | USA 1977 | Colour | 144mins | Cert 15
Opening Night stands as one of the great American movies about theatre of the art of
performance. Featuring the great Gena Rowlands in an award-winning role as the
Broadway acting legend Myrtle Gordon. When a young fan dies in an accident while trying
to meet her, Gordon must confront her personal demons in the run-up to the opening of
her latest play. Opening Night also stars John Cassavetes in a rare acting role in one of his
own films, alongside his regular collaborator Ben Gazzara.
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OZU – THE GANGSTER FILMS
Dir. Yasujiro Ozu | Japan 1930/1933 | Black & White | Cert 15
The latest volume in the BFI’s celebrated collection of the works of Japanese master
Yasujiro Ozu (Tokyo Story) focuses on his crime films.
The set includes Walk Cheerfully (1930, 92mins), That Night's Wife (1930, 63mins) and Dragnet
Girl (1933, 96mins). Also included is the only surviving fragment of Ozu’s A Straightforward
Boy (1929, 13mins)
ROLL OUT THE BARREL - THE BRITISH PUB ON FILM
Dirs. Various | UK 1944 - 1979 | Colour and Black & White | 80mins | Cert PG
The BFI is proud to present an intoxicating collection of shorts devoted to that most
traditional of national institutions: the public house. Roll Out The Barrel - The British Pub
on Film is an unique and fascinating collection of films made between 1944 and 1979. From
a wartime documentary to an impressionistic look at a day in the life of a Tyneside pub,
this programme provides the perfect measure of cultural change in Britain from the
perspective of the bar and lounge.
The compilation contains:
Down At The Local (1944, d. Richard Massingham)
The Inn That Crossed The Sea (1950, d. Norman Cobb)
Mining Review 6th Year, No.11 (1953, d. John Krish)
Mining Review 8th Year, No. 2 (1954, d. Leslie Shepard)
Mining Review 11th Year, No.9 (1958, d. unknown)
Mining Review 16th Year, No.5 (1963, d. John Reid)
Ship Hotel – Tyne Main (1967, d. Philip Trevelyan)
New Pubs For Old (1979, d. unknown)
TESS *
Dir. Roman Polanski | France-UK 1979 | Colour | 180mins | Cert 12
Superb restoration of Roman Polanski’s acclaimed 1979 adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s
classic Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Nastassia Kinski stars as Tess, a strong-willed, workingclass girl who discovers that she has title connections by way of her old aristocratic
surname and who is raped by her wealthy cousin, whose right to the family title may not
be as strong as he claims.
THEOREM *
Dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini | Italy 1968 | Colour and Black & White | 94mins | Cert 15
Award-winning and controversial 1968 film starring Terence Stamp and Silvana Mangano,
and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. A handsome, enigmatic stranger (Terence Stamp)
arrives at a middle-class household in Milan and seduces each family member, including
the maid, leaving the family in crisis. Theorem is visually ravishing and features superb
performances from its international cast, and a brilliant soundtrack by Ennio Morricone.
THIS WORKING LIFE: STEEL
Dirs. Various | UK 1901 - 1987 | Colour and Black & White | 348mins
This comprehensive double DVD set features 23 rare documentaries, animations and short
films which span the twentieth century. Highlights include footage of the building of the
New Tyne bridge in 1928 and the rare 1945 film Steel which was shot by award-winning
cameraman Jack Cardiff.
UNDERGROUND *
Dir. Anthony Asquith | UK 1928 | Black & White | 94mins | Cert U
The BFI Archive's acclaimed restoration of Anthony Asquith's subterranean tale of love,
jealousy and murder is finally made available in this stunning Dual Format Edition. This
classic British film from the silent era features Neil Brand's new orchestral score, recorded
live in 2012, which perfectly complements the film's richly detailed evocation of 1920s
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London. From his own screenplay Anthony Asquith balances the light and dark sides of
London life, aided by a superb cast of Brian Aherne and Elissa Landi as the nice young
lovers and Norah Baring and Cyril McLaglen as their unhappy counterparts. More than any
other film from Britain's silent canon, Underground evokes the life of the ordinary Londoner
with its scenes of the bustling underground and the capital's parks, double-decker buses,
pubs and shabby bedsits.
YOU’RE HUMAN LIKE THE REST OF THEM: THE FILMS OF BS JOHNSON
Dirs. Various | UK 1967-1974 | Colour and Black & White | 160mins | Cert 15
Although perhaps best known for groundbreaking novels such as The Unfortunates and
Christy Malry’s Own Double-Entry, B.S. Johnson was also the director of a number of
extraordinary and daring films that have been out of circulation for decades. You’re Human
Like the Rest of Them brings these rare and fascinating works together for the first time,
revealing Johnson to have been as radical and inventive a filmmaker as he was a writer.
The set includes new HD transfers of such films as Paradigm and Fat Man on the Beach,
and also features the newly-rediscovered BBC adaptation of Johnson’s play Not Counting
the Savages (1972), directed by Mike Newell.
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NEW RELEASES FROM ARTIFICIAL EYE
13 ASSASSINS (Available from 25 November)
Dir. Takashi Miike | Japan 2010 | Colour | 126mins | Cert 15
In Shogun-era Japan, the powerful and sadistic Lord Naritsugu threatens to shatter the
country’s fragile peace and plunge it once more into war. Determined to stop him at all
costs, an elite group of renegade samurai – each with their own deadly skill – plot his
downfall. Massively outnumbered, the thirteen fearless warriors must face Naritsugu’s
lethal army in a monumental and bloodily violent showdown. Featuring stunning action
sequences, this epic adventure by cult director Takashi Miike (Audition) is a bravura assault
on the senses that has been compared to the classic samurai films of Akira Kurosawa.
AU HASARD BALTHAZAR (Available from 9 December) *
Dir. Robert Bresson | France-Sweden 1966 | Black & White | 91mins | Cert PG
A profound masterpiece from one of the most revered filmmakers in the history of cinema,
director Robert Bresson's Au Hasard Balthazar follows the donkey Balthazar as he is passed
from owner to owner, some kind and some cruel, but all with motivations beyond his
understanding. Balthazar, whose life parallels that of his first keeper, Marie, is truly a beast
of burden, suffering the sins of man. But despite his powerlessness, he accepts his fate
nobly. Through Bresson's unconventional approach to composition, sound and narrative,
this seemingly simple story becomes a moving parable of purity and transcendence.
BREATHE IN *
Dir. Drake Doremus | USA 2013 | Colour | 98mins | Cert 15
Intimate and intelligent, Drake Doremus’s (Like Crazy) drama unfolds in a sleepy
community in upper New York State. Sophie arrives to stay with a family, taking piano
lessons from Keith and hanging out with his daughter Lauren. However, Sophie’s longing
for excitement, Keith’s growing disenchantment with his life and his wife Megan’s
reluctance to move back to the city threaten their comfortable existence.
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR (Available from 10 March) *
Dir. Abdellatif Kechiche | France-Belgium-Spain 2013 | Colour | 179mins | Cert 18
At 15, Adele doesn't question it: a girl goes out with boys. Her life is turned upside down the
night she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover
desire, to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adele grows, seeks
herself, loses herself, finds herself...
CALL GIRL
Dir. Mikael Marcimain | Sweden 2012 | Colour | 140mins | Cert 18
1970s Stockholm lies at the vanguard of liberalism. Yet beneath this veneer lurks a thriving
sex industry. Only a short distance from the heart of the government are sex clubs, strip
shows and private apartments owned by sex traffickers.
Mikael Marcimain’s taut thriller details the arrival of Iris to the city, her recruitment as a
prostitute and subsequent rise through this world.
DAYS OF GRACE (Available from 24 February)
Dir. Everardo Gout | Mexico 2012 | Colour | 133mins | Cert 15
An adrenaline-driven thriller, Everado Gout’s film interweaves three World Cup
tournaments between 2002 and 2010 and the lives of a cop, a drug-dealer-turnedhenchman, and actor’s wife and her maid. Central to each story is the murky underworld of
Mexico City’s criminal fraternity and how it impacts the lives of ordinary Mexicans. With
its strong palette, throbbing score and breakneck speed, Days of Grace is an impressive
thrill ride.
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FOXFIRE (Available from 11 November)
Dir. Laurent Cantent | France-Sweden 2012 | Colour | 143 mins | Cert 15
Laurent Cantet (The Class) crosses the Atlantic for his account of a girl gang in 1950s
America. Reappropriating a traditionally male genre, the film’s female perspective
highlights the inequality between the sexes during the period, whilst also showing the girls
to be worthy adversaries to their male counterparts. With its lush recreation of the era,
Cantet’s film continues in the vein of such films as Rebel Without A Cause and The Outsiders.
THE GREAT BEAUTY (Available from 13 January) *
Dir. Paolo Sorrentino | Italy 2013 | Colour | 142mins | Cert 15
Paolo Sorrentino's (Il Divo, The Consequencesof Love) deliriously entertaining new film plays
out like a modern La Dolce Vita. Sorrentino regular Toni Servillo – whose entrance in the
film is worth the price of admission alone – plays Jep Gambardella, a once acclaimed
novelist-turned-columnist, through whose world-weary eyes we witness the decadence of
a bankrupt culture consuming itself. The result is a brilliant, stunningly shot satire of life in
Berlusconi's Italy...
GORBACIOF (Available from 25 November)
Dir. Stefano Incerti | Italy 2010 | Colour | 98mins | Cert 15
Marino Pacileo, a prison cashier in Naples, is known to most of his friends and
acquaintances as 'Gorbaciof', thanks to a large red birthmark on his forehead.
A keen card player, Gorbaciof begins frequenting high-stakes poker games staged by the
proprietor of a Chinese restaurant. But he soon finds himself falling for the restaurateur’s
daughter and when her dad runs into financial trouble begins skimming funds from the
cashbox at work, leading him down a treacherous path. Built around a mesmerizing,
commanding and award-winning performance from Toni Servillo (The Great Beauty,
Gomorrah) Gorbaciof is a subtle, stylish and riveting thriller from one of Italy’s most
promising directors.
MISTER JOHN (Available from 13 January)
Dirs. Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor | Ireland-UK-Singapore 2013 | Colour | 95mins | Cert 15
Aidan Gillen plays Gerry who journeys to Singapore following his brother’s sudden death.
As he helps his sister-in-law sort out his brother’s business, Gerry ponders on the
possibility of re-invention, a chance to start over. Echoing Antonioni’s The Passenger and
Lynch’s Lost Highway, Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy’s enigmatic drama features a
stunning location and a riveting performance by Gillen.
MOUCHETTE (Available from 9 December) *
Dir. Robert Bresson | France 1967 | Black & White | 90mins | Cert 15
Mouchette is one of Robert Bresson's greatest cinematic achievements, plumbing immense
emotional depths in a searing, heartbreaking portrait of human frailty. Hemmed in by a
dying mother, an alcoholic father and a baby brother in need of care, the adolescent
Mouchette searches for sanctuary in nature and domestic chores. As the delicate intricacies
of her life are played out, a touching, tender and tragic portrait is painted, making her of
one of cinema’s most memorable tragic heroines. An essential piece of classic French
filmmaking.
MYSTERY (Available from 11 November)
Dir. Lou Ye | China-France 2012 | Colour | 94mins | Cert 18
Lu Jie has no idea her husband is leading a double life until one day she sees him entering a
hotel with a young woman. However, a few hours later her world will truly be turned
upside down when the young woman dies beneath the wheels of a car and the police
refuse to believe her death was an accident.Winner of best film, best screenplay and best
newcomer at the Asian Film Awards, Mystery is an 'intricate and unpredictable whodunit'
(Studio Cine Live) from one of contemporary Chinese cinema's greatest talents.
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THE SELFISH GIANT (Available from 27 January) *
Dir. Clio Barnard | UK 2013 | Colour | 91mins | Cert 15
Clio Barnard's second feature, which premiered to universal acclaim at Cannes, is one of
this year’s key British releases. Set on the outskirts of Bradford, the film follows two young
lads, Arbor (Conner Chapman) and Swifty (Shaun Thomas), and their dealings with a local
scrap dealer. Boldly cinematic and featuring astonishing performances from the two leads,
The Selfish Giant further cements Barnard’s reputation as a visionary filmmaker.
THREE COLOURS BLUE (Available from 9 December) *
Dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski | France 1993 | Colour | 100mins | Cert 15
Krzysztof Kieslowski's 'Three Colours' trilogy, which explores the French Revolutionary
ideals of Freedom, Equality and Brotherhood, is a landmark of world cinema. Three Colours
Blue was an immediate success, winning the top prizes at the 1993 Venice Film Festival and
unanimous praise from critics and audiences the world over.
Julie (Binoche) loses her composer husband and their child in a car crash and, though
devastated, she tries to make a new start, away from her country house and a would-be
lover. But she is haunted by the music that still surrounds her and by some unpleasant
facts that she uncovers about her husband's life. Slowly Julie learns to live again, as music
and the gift to create it prove to be a healing force.
THREE COLOURS WHITE (Available from 9 December) *
Dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski | France-Switerland-Poland 1993 | Colour | 88mins | Cert 15
Three Colours White, a very funny and ironic black comedy, is the second film in Krzysztof
Kieslowski's acclaimed trilogy based on the three ideals of the French Revolution.
Karol, a Polish hairdresser, is divorced by his beautiful French wife Dominique and thrown
onto the streets of Paris, penniless and with no passport. All seems lost until he meets a
fellow Pole who ingeniously smuggles Karol back to Warsaw in a suitcase. Once there, Karol
is determined to take revenge against his ex-wife. He deals successfully on the black
market, until he has enough money to put his plan into action, but he hasn't counted on
love getting in the way of its perfect execution.
THREE COLOURS RED (Available from 9 December) *
Dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski | France-Switerland-Poland 1994 | Colour | 95 mins | Cert 15
The third and final part of Kieslowski's trilogy has been acclaimed as his masterpiece.
Immaculately played by an extraordinary cast, Red masterfully plays on Kieslowski's
interpretation of brotherhood and destiny. Irene Jacob is stunning as a young model who
meets a retired judge by chance when she rescues his dog from a car accident. Jean-Louis
Trintignant is utterly compelling as the embittered judge who spends his days
eavesdropping on his neighbours' phone conversations. Their initially fiery relationship
mellows into a close friendship which ultimately liberates them both.
A final twist of fate reveals the destinies of the characters from all three parts of the trilogy.
LE WEEK-END (Available from 10 February) *
Dir. Roger Michell | UK 2013 | Colour | 93mins | Cert 15
The third feature collaboration between Roger Michell and writer Hanif Kureishi (after The
Mother and Venus), Le Week-end sees Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan’s couple spend
their wedding anniversary in Paris. However, the romantic city soon becomes a backdrop to
bitter disputes over the state of their lives. Kureishi’s wonderful script and the excellent
performances help balance the tone between comedy and drama, while Michell celebrates
the city’s rich cinematic heritage.
WHAT MAISIE KNEW (Available from 6 January) *
Dirs. Scott McGehee and David Siegel | US 2013 | Colour | 99mins | Cert 15
David Siegel and Scott McGehee’s excellent take on Henry James’ novel shows us life
through the eyes of a young girl who witnesses the implosion of her parents’ marriage, the
fissures that appear in their subsequent relationships and the narcissism that lies at the
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heart of their every decision. Appearing in every scene, Onata Aprile is stunning as the
irrepressible Maisie, as are Steve Coogan and Julianne Moore as her narcissistic parents.
ZATOICHI (Available from 25 November)
Dir. Takeshi Kitano | Japan 2003 | Colour | 115mins | Cert 18
19th Century Japan... Zatoichi is a blind wanderer who makes a living by gambling and
giving massages. But behind his humble facade, Zatoichi is a master swordsman, gifted
with a lightning-fast draw and strokes of breathtaking precision. Zatoichi discovers a
remote mountain town at the mercy of the Ginzo gang.
The ruthless Ginzo dispose of anyone who gets in their way, quicker than ever since they
recruited Hattori, the mighty samurai ronin. In a gambling joint, Zatoichi and his
trustworthy young friend Shinkichi meet up with a couple of geishas. As dangerous as they
are beautiful, Okinu and her sister Osei have come to town to avenge their parents' murder.
With their only clue being the mysterious name Kuchinawa, the geisha sisters have lots of
tricks up their sleeves. Sinister henchmen are soon hunting down Zatoichi. With his
legendary cane sword at his side, Zatoichi's path is destined for many violent showdowns...
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UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TITLES
ALL I DESIRE
Melodrama | Dir. Douglas Sirk | With: Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Carlson, Lyle Bettger | USA 1953 |
Black & White | 79mins | Cert U
In 1990, Naomi Murdock deserted her family for a life as an actress. Ten years later, she
returns home to see her daughter’s high school play. Faced with hostility from
judgemental townsfolk, she must come to terms with her own failings in order to be
accepted into the community.
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Anti-War | Dir. Lewis Milestone | With: Louis Wolheim, Lew Ayres, John Wray | USA 1930 | Black &
White | 130mins | Cert PG
Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, this film follows a group of young German
recruits in the First World War. Originally fired-up to enlist by their jingoistic teacher, the
boys quickly learn about the drudgery and horror of trench warfare. As the word ‘enemy’
begins to lose its meaning, and the lines between right and wrong begin to blur, the soldiers
struggle to hold on to their humanity.
ANIMAL CRACKERS
Comedy, Musical | Dir. Victor Heerman | With: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx | USA 1930 |
Black & White | 97mins | Cert U
In the second Marx brothers outing on the big screen, Animal Crackers sees Captain
Spaulding return from Africa as the guest of honour at Arabella Rittenhouse’s party. When
a valuable oil painting becomes replaced with a pastiche, the thieves set out to blackmail
their victim.
THE BIRDS
Horror | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette | USA 1963 |
119mins | Cert 15
When Melanie Daniels makes the trip from San Francisco to the quiet coastal town of
Bodega Bay, the birds there start acting very strangely. What begins as a single gull
attacking Melanie soon becomes much more perilous, as people are killed and the
townsfolk traumatised by the unprovoked and unexplained attacks of the vicious feathered
flocks.
BLONDE VENUS
Drama | Dir. Josef von Sternburg | With: Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall, Carey Grant | USA
1932 | Black & White | 97mins | Cert PG
When chemist Ned Farady contracts a rare disease, his wife is forced to resume her career
as cabaret performer 'the Blonde Venus' in order to finance his treatment in Germany.
When she falls for wealthy man-about-town Nick Townsend, she finds herself drawn into
the vice and seediness of the clubland and distanced further and further from the man she
re-entered it for.
THE BLUE DAHLIA
Film Noir | Dir. George Marshall | With: Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, William Bendix | USA 1946 |
Black & White | 98mins | Cert PG
When Johnny Morrison returns home from the navy, he finds that his wife has shacked up
with Eddie Harwood, the owner of the Blue Dahlia nightclub. When she shockingly turns
up dead, Johnny is the prime suspect and sets out to clear his name and find the real killer.
BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN
Horror | Dir. James Whale | With: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson | USA 1935 | Black &
White | 85-90mins | Cert PG
13
When Dr. Frankenstein’s wife is kidnapped by disgraced professor Dr. Pretorius, he is
forced once more to turn dead flesh into the living. Although this time he must make a
mate for his monster, a woman.
CAPE FEAR
Psychological Thriller | Dir. J. Lee Thompson | With: Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen |
USA 1962 | Black & White | 106mins | Cert 15
When Max Cady returns from prison, he targets the family of lawyer Sam Bowden – the
man who put him there. Cady’s actions get increasingly more aggressive and when he
begins to fixate on Bowden’s daughter, Nancy, Bowden must find the courage to confront
Cady and end his reign of terror.
THE COUNTRY GIRL
Social Drama | Dir. George Seaton | With: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, William Holden | USA 1954 |
Black & White | 104mins | Cert PG
When director Bernie Dodd offers washed-up actor Frank Elgin a part in his new musical,
he begins to think that the route of Elgin’s insecurities and alcoholism are his wife, Georgie.
As the two face off, Dodd tries to rescue Elgin both from himself, and his wife.
THE COURT JESTER
Comedy | Dir. Melvin Frank, Norman Panama | With: Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Angela Lansbury |
USA 1955 | 101mins | Cert U
Full of witches, wenches and warfare, this medieval adventure follows Hubert Hawkins as
he sets about deposing the evil King Roderick to return the true infant King of England to
the throne. Disguised as the king’s jester, Giocomo, he faces treacherous machinations
from Ravenhurst and must survive the amorous advances of Princess Gwendolyn.
DESTRY RIDES AGAIN
Western | Dir. George Marshall | With: Marlene Dietrich, James Stewart, Misha Auer | USA 1939 |
Black & White | 94mins | Cert PG
When the corrupt mayor of Bottleneck makes drunkard Washington Dimsdale the sheriff,
he doesn’t count on his idealistic deputy, Tom Destry Jr. Using words rather than
weapons, Tom attempts to clean up Bottleneck and bring the mayor’s ally, the evil Kent, to
justice.
DISHONORED
Spy, War | Dir. Josef von Sternburg | With: Marlene Dietrich, Victor McLaglen, Gustav von Seyffertitz
| USA 1931 | Black & White | 91mins | Cert PG
Agent X-27, a German spy in the First World War, uses her feminine wiles to seduce
Russian officers and steal their secrets. However, when she unexpectedly falls for Russian
Agent H-14, she must decide who she loves more; her enemy-lover, or her country.
DOUBLE INDEMNITY
Crime, Film Noir | Dir. Billy Wilder | With: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson
| USA 1944 | Black & White | 107mins | Cert PG
The affair between married woman Phyllis Dietrichson and insurance man Walter Neff
takes a murderous turn when they decide to bump off Mr. Dietrichson to get his lifeinsurance payout.
DRACULA
Horror | Dir. Tod Browning | With: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners | USA 1931 | Black &
White | 84mins | Cert PG
When Dracula and his slave, Renfield, travel from Eastern Europe to Carfax Abbey in
Whitby, he soon turns his attention to Mina Seward. When Van Helsing is called in to
diagnose Mina’s malady, he must prepare her father and fiancé John Harker for the worst;
Mina will soon become one of the undead unless, that is, they can get to Dracula first.
14
DRACULA'S DAUGHTER
Horror | Dir. Lambert Hillyer | With: Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, Marguerite Churchill | USA 1936 |
Black & White | 70mins | Cert PG
When the titular countess arrives to cremate her father’s remains, Van Helsing is off the
hook for ‘murdering’ Dracula. But the ritual burning is not enough to rid Countess Zaleska
of the desire for human blood, so she goes to Psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Garth for help, willing
to do anything to remove her terrible curse.
DUCK SOUP
Comedy | Dir. Leo McCarey | With: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx | USA 1933 | Black &
White | 68mins | Cert U
At the behest of Gloria Teasdale, Rufus T. Firefly agrees to become the president of the
bankrupt country, Fredonia, but his ridiculous and dictatorial policies upset his
countrymen. When his neighbour from Sylvania takes a liking to Gloria, Firefly takes
offence and goes to war to win her honour.
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS
Romance, War | Dir. Sam Wood | With: Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, Akim Tamiroff | USA 1943 |
168mins | Cert PG
While looking for excitement during the Spanish Civil War, Robert Jordan is tasked with an
important mission; he must blow up a bridge to deny the enemy a strategic link. Holed up
inside a cave awaiting the opportune moment, he falls for peasant girl Maria and forgets
that the fate of the war rests on his shoulders.
FRANKENSTEIN
Horror | Dir. James Whale | With: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles | USA 1931 | Black & White |
71mins | Cert PG
As part of a nefarious experiment, Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster out of dead flesh.
When it tries to learn how to be human, it perpetrates a shockingly inhuman act, bringing
the wrath of the superstitious town folk down on its insane creator. This is the iconic first
screen adaptation of Mark Shelly’s novel.
FRENZY
Crime | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: John Finch, Alec McCowen, Barry Foster | USA 1972 | 116mins |
Cert 18
As London is terrorised by the ‘necktie murderer’, Richard Blaney soon comes under
suspicion when his wife is found dead strangled with a necktie. He is forced to go on the
run to try and prove his innocence.
FUNNY FACE
Musical | Dir. Stanley Donen | With: Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson | USA 1956 |
103mins | Cert U
When Jo Stockton appears in the background of one of fashion photographer Dick Avery’s
shots, she soon finds herself snapped up by fashion magazine editor Maggie Prescott. Over
time, she begins to enjoy her new job as a model, and even starts to take notice of her
handsome photographer.
THE GLASS KEY
Film Noir | Dir. Stuart Heisler | With: Brian Donlevy, Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd | USA 1942 | Black &
White | 85mins | Cert PG
Politician Paul Madvig discovers that it’s more difficult than he thought to go straight when
he decides to run for re-election. After distancing himself from his former ally, gangster
Nick Varna, he soon finds himself positioning Nick as the prime suspect in a murder
investigation.
15
THE GLENN MILLER STORY
Biopic, Music Film | Dir. Anthony Mann | With: James Stewart, June Allyson, Harry Morgan | USA
1953 | 116mins | Cert U
Following the life of trombonist and big band leader Glenn Miller up to his disappearance
over the Atlantic, this film features the inspirational moments which led to many of his
most famous songs.
HARVEY
Comedy | Dir. Henry Koster | With: James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Peggy Dow | USA 1950 | 104mins |
Cert U
Amiable drunk Elwood P Dowd has a friend named Harvey – a six foot imaginary rabbit.
Elwood’s sister sees this misapprehension as a definite problem and tries to get him
certified. However, Stewart lends his character, and the film as a whole, such charm and
naivety that we see the phantasm for the amusing and harmless flight of fancy that it
really is.
THE HEIRESS
Melodrama | Dir. William Wyler | With: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson |
USA 1949 | Black & White | 115mins | Cert U
Catherine’s doctor father has never forgiven her for lacking the wit and loveliness of her
mother. Believing that no man could ever be attracted to her alone, he does everything in
his power to prevent the poor Morris Townsend from marrying his daughter and standing
to share the considerable fortune she is set to inherit. Who will win; her father or her
lover?
HORSE FEATHERS
Comedy | Dir. Norman z. McLeod | With: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx | USA 1931 | Black
& White | 68mins | Cert U
In their second Paramount screen original, the Marx brothers go to college. As president of
Huxley College, Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff is determined for the school to be
football champions, but in mistaking two average Joe’s for star players, he finds himself
having to arrange the kidnap of the real pros before his rivals, Darwin College, can get to
them first.
IMITATION OF LIFE
Melodrama | Dir. Douglas Sirk | With: Lana Turner, John Gavin, Sandra Dee | USA 1959 | 124mins |
Cert 12
When two single mothers decide to get an apartment together, they find themselves
growing further and further apart from their children. Lora, a white aspiring model, spends
increasingly more time out at photoshoots, and Annie, a black woman craving security for
her daughter, feels betrayed as her daughter starts passing herself off as white.
THE INVISIBLE MAN
Science Fiction | Dir. James Whale | With: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan | USA 1933 |
Black & White | 71mins | Cert PG
When Dr. Jack Griffin discovers the secret of invisibility, his sweetheart Flora becomes
troubled and asks her father, Dr. Cranley, for help. In fact, Griffin is living in a rented room,
swathed in bandages to give him a form. But he soon discovers that this power is far too
much for him and while his megalomaniac tendencies take over, he slowly begins to go
insane.
THE LADY EVE
Comedy, Romance | Dir. Preston Sturges | With: Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn |
USA 1941 | Black & White | 97mins | Cert U
Amiable millionaire Charles Pike and Jean Harrington meet on a transatlantic liner and fall
in love. When Charles discovers that Jean and her father are card-sharps, conning the rich
16
out of their money, he wants nothing more to do with her. Wounded and angry, Jean sets
out to get revenge on Charles.
THE LOST WEEKEND
Social Drama | Dir. Billy Wilder | With: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Phillip Terry | USA 1945 | Black &
White | 101mins | Cert PG
When writer and recovering alcoholic Don Birnam is left alone for the weekend, he finds
himself penniless and searching for alcohol on the streets of New York. As he attempts
several different schemes to get the drink he needs, we see flashbacks of his previous life
as an alcoholic. Will this weekend end the same way, or worse?
MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION
Melodrama | Dir. Douglas Sirk | With: Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead | USA 1954 |
108mins | Cert U
When a lack of hospital equipment means that drunken playboy Bob Merrick’s life is saved
rather than that of a famous surgeon, he finds himself attempting to immitate the selfless
life of the surgeon. After he suffers a further tragedy, Merrick is inspired to change his life
and further emulate the man he owes his life to.
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
Spy Thriller | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda De Banzie | USA 1956 |
120mins | Cert PG
While holidaying in Morocco, Dr. Ben McKenna and his wife, Jo, witness a political murder.
Before Louis Bernard dies, he manages to pass on information about a further assassination
to the couple. However, things take a turn for the worse when the plotter kidnaps the
McKenna’s son, forcing Ben to take matters in to his own hands and attempt to foil the evil
scheme.
MARNIE
Crime, Psychological | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery, Diane Baker | USA
1964 | 130mins | Cert 15
Marnie Edgar has made her living out of robbing companies from the inside, but when she
attempts to steal from Mark Rutland’s firm, she is caught red handed. After forcing her to
marry him, Rutland delves into Marnie’s past and attempts to cure her.
MONKEY BUSINESS
Comedy | Dir. Norman z. McLeod | With: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx | USA 1931 |
77mins | Cert U
Daft one-liners and absurd slapstick manoeuvres abound in this first Marx Brothers screen
original. The foursome get up to their comedy antics as stowaways on a cruise liner,
annoying the other passengers who are beset by their typical lunacy. Blagging their way
through customs, they go on to crash a snooty society party in Long Island and apprehend
some gangland criminals along the way.
MOROCCO
Drama | Dir. Josef von Sternburg | With: Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, Adophe Menjou, USA 1930 |
Black & White | 97mins | Cert U
When Cabaret performer Amy Jolly takes a one-way ticket to Morocco, she soon finds
herself falling for Foreign Legion officer Tom Brown. Is her life of teasing and section over?
Has she found true love?
MY LITTLE CHICKADEE
Western, Comedy | Dir. Eddie Cline | With: Mae West, W.C. Fields, Joseph Calleia | USA 1940 | Black
& White | 83mins | Cert PG
Run out of town after a dalliance with a mysterious masked bandit, Flowerbelle Lee dupes
conman Cuthbert J Twillie into a hasty sham marriage in a bid to appear more respectable.
17
In Greasewood city, the pair find out more than they bargained for about each other, but
just who is the masked bandit? And will their ‘marriage’ hold up against the strain?
NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK (AKA WHAT A MAN)
Comedy | Dir. Eddie Cline | With: W.C. Fields, Gloria Jean, Leon Errol | USA 1941 | Black & White |
70mins | Cert U
In W.C. Fields’ last starring role, he attempts to sell a script to Esoteric studios while a
number of misfortunes befall him along the way; he gets bullied by kids, attacked after
eyeing up a woman, and chastised by a waitress. He even falls out of a plane on the way to
Mexico, landing on a voracious Mrs Hemogloben. Naturally, the great man sets his sights
on wooing her.
THE PALM BEACH STORY
Comedy | Dir. Preston Sturges | With Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor | USA 1942 | Black
& White | 88mins | Cert U
In an attempt to help her engineer husband raise the money for his latest project, Gerry
Jeffers runs away to Palm Beach and befriends an eccentric millionaire. But as Tom
pretends to be Catain McGlew, he opens himself up to the voracious appetite of the
millionaire’s man-hungry sister Maud. Can Tom avoid Maud’s advances and get Gerry
back?
PSYCHO
Horror | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin | USA 1960 | Black &
White | 109mins | Cert 15
After running off with $40,000 of her employer’s money, Marion Crane stops for the night at
the Bates Motel. After a week, her boyfriend and sister realise that she is missing and go
looking for her. The sinister Norman Bates at the motel is no help, barely answering their
questions as the silhouette of his mother keeps watch from the house. Soon, Sam and Lila’s
investigation arrives at a shocking revelation.
REAR WINDOW
Thriller | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey | USA 1954 |
112mins | Cert PG
L.B. Jefferies, a celebrated photographer, is confined to his apartment by a broken leg. With
little to do but watch the comings-and-goings of his neighbours out of his window, he spies
on them with his telescope and camera. When he believes that he has witnessed a murder,
he enlists the help of his maid and his girlfriend, who act as his eyes and ears on the
ground, as he tries to get to the bottom of the mystery.
ROPE
Crime, Psychological | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger | USA
1948 | 80mins | Cert PG
When Brandon and Philip murder their friend David and hide his body in a chest, they
begin to grow mad with power. As they hold a dinner party and serve the food from the
chest containing the corpse, one of their houseguests begins to question Philip’s suspicious
behaviour.
SABOTEUR
Spy, War | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: Priscilla Lane, Robert Cummings, Otto Kruger | USA 1942 |
Black & White | 108mins | Cert PG
When Barry Kane is falsely accused of sabotaging an LA Aircraft Factory, he goes on the run
to clear his name. He must hunt down the true saboteur, Frank Fry, by chasing him across
the USA to New York. With the help of Pat Martin, Kane manages to uncover an even
greater plot, and must try to put a stop to it before the unthinkable happens.
18
SCARFACE
Crime, Drama, Gangster | Dir. Howard Hawks | With: Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak, Karen Morley | USA
1932 | Black & White | 83/93mins | Cert 15
Set in Chicago during Prohibition, Scarface sees Tony Camonte rise from the streets to
become a feared and respected gangster. Based on the life of Al Capone, the film’s gritty
violence and themes of corruption and incest provided film censors with many contentious
issues, requiring the cutting and addition of several scenes. The original open ending was
replaced with a dramatic final shootout which ensures that Camonte’s name will live in
infamy.
SCARLET EMPRESS
Historical, Biopic | Dir. Josef von Sternburg | With: Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe | USA
1934 | Black & White | 109mins | Cert 12
Charting the story of Princess Sophia’s rise to Catherine the Great, this biopic tracks her life
from her beginnings as a young and naïve woman, to the birth of her son and her rise to
the throne.
SHADOW OF A DOUBT
Psychological | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, MacDonald Carey | USA
1943 | Black & White | 108mins | Cert PG
Bored of her small town life, Charlie Newton finally thinks that things are looking up when
her Uncle Charlie comes to stay. Little does she know is that warm and friendly Uncle
Charlie is also the cold and calculating ‘Merry Widow’ – a serial killer on the run from the
police. Will the young Charlie work out what the old Charlie is up to before it’s too late?
SHANGHAI EXPRESS
Drama, | Dir. Josef von Sternburg | With: Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong | USA 1932
| Black & White | 84mins | Cert PG
The Shanghai Express leaves Peking in the midst of a civil war. While Shanghai Lily, a
prostitute with a heart of gold, and her former lover Captain Harvey try to rekindle their
romance, the train gets hi-jacked by bandits. When Harvey is kidnapped, Lily must rescue
him. Will he once more long for the time they shared together?
SHE DONE HIM WRONG
Comedy | Dir. Lowell Sherman | With: Mae West, Cary Grant, Owen Moore | USA 1933 | Black &
White | 65mins | Cert PG
When Captain Cummings begins to investigate Lady Lou’s saloon for signs of corruption, he
ends up protecting her from an over-enthusiastic escaped criminal. Lou finds herself
falling in love with the Captain, but will he ever return the feeling?
SON OF FRANKENSTEIN
Horror | Dir. Rowland V. Lee | With: Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi | USA 1939 | Black &
White | 99mins | Cert PG
Henry Frankenstein’s son, Wolf Frankenstein, returns to his family home with his wife and
young son. Attempting to revive the comatose monster at the behest of blacksmith Igor, he
believes that he has failed. But the townsfolk know that the string of grisly murders that
soon follow can only be the work of Frankenstein’s creation. As Wolf tries to track down
the monster and kill it, it seems the monster knows more than a little about revenge.
THE SONG OF SONGS
Romance | Dir. Rouben Mamoulian | With: Marlene Dietrich, Brian Aherne, Lionel Atwell | USA 1933 |
Black & White | 89mins | Cert U
Despite her love for a poor but talented sculptor, country girl Lily Czepanek ends up
marrying the wealthy and lecherous Baron von Merzbach. When the Baron commissions a
sculpture of her, Lily is reunited with her first love and decides to exact revenge on her
egregious husband.
19
SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS
Comedy | Dir. Preston Sturges | With: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake, Robert Warwick | USA 1941 |
90mins | Cert PG
Hollywood director John Lloyd Sullivan doesn’t want to make light-hearted comedies
anymore. Desperate to be an art-house director, he goes out into the streets with just a
dime in his pocket, determined to find out what it means to be poor. Accompanied only by
an aspiring actress, will a run in with the law make him regret his decision?
SUNSET BOULEVARD
Drama | Dir. Billy Wilder | With: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim | USA 1950 |
Black & White | 110mins | Cert PG
Just as failing Hollywood scriptwriter Joe Gillis contemplates giving up and going home, he
meets aging silent-movie star Norma Desmond. Norma is mentally unstable and deluded;
she is certain that she can revive her career in the era of the ‘talkies’ and hires Gillis to
write her comeback script. As their professional relationship breaks down in more ways
than one, Gillis comes to realise his mistake in stopping at the house on Sunset Blvd.
THE TARNISHED ANGELS
Aviation, Historical 20th Century | Dir. Douglas Sirk | With: Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, Dorothy
Malone | USA 1957 | Black & White | 91mins | Cert U
Reporter Burke Devlin is fascinated by a troupe of former First World War fighter aces, led
by Roger Schumann, now relegated to performing on the aerial stunt circuit. He is shocked
that Schumann’s pursuit of the thrill of flying leaves his family living in poverty. As Devlin
attempts to put together enough for a newspaper feature, each character attempts to
deceive the others, and ultimately themselves.
THIS GUN FOR HIRE
Crime | Dir. Frank Tuttle | With: Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, Laird Cregar | USA 1942 | Black &
White | 80mins | Cert PG
Philip Raven is a cold-blooded hitman. His employer, traitorous chemical company
manager and nightclub owner Willard Gates, pays him for his latest job in marked bills.
With the police alerted, Raven sets out for revenge on Gates with the help of undercover
agent Ellen Graham. Unfortunately, this puts Raven even further on the wrong side of the
law, as Ellen’s boyfriend is the police officer out to bring him to justice.
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY
Comedy | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred Natwick | USA 1954 |
99mins | Cert PG
Albert Wiles thinks he has killed Harry Worp whilst out shooting. The trouble is, so does
everyone else. Mum Jennifer Rogers and spinster Ivy Gravely also believe they are in the
frame for murder, with all parties personally worried about unforeseen repercussions. So
each conspires to dispose of the body, one after another. As Harry is buried and reburied in
an attempt to conceal the awful truth(s), Hitchcock’s black humour leads us closer and
closer to the root of all this trouble.
VERTIGO
Psychological | Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | With: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes | USA
1958 | 128mins | Cert PG
John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson leaves the police force after a harrowing roof-top chase that leaves
him with acrophobia. Months later, he is hired to investigate the bizarre behaviour of his
friend’s wife who believes that she is possessed by the spirit of her ancestor, Carlotte
Valdes. After rescuing Madeleine from drowning, Ferguson begins to fall for her and is
determined to solve the mystery. However, a surprise is in store for him when they visit the
Mission San Juan Bautista.
20
WINCHESTER '73
Western | Dir. Anthony Mann | With: James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea | USA 1951 |
Black & White | 92mins | Cert U
Charting the story of the eponymous rifle as it changes hands and lives in the Old West, we
see it awarded to Lin McAdam, stolen by Dutch Henry Brown, and fought over in a final
shoot-out.
WRITTEN ON THE WIND
Melodrama | Dir. Douglas Sirk | With: Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack | USA 1956 | 99mins
| Cert PG
Mitch Wayne is friends with Kyle and Marylee Hadley, the rich, playboy children of an oil
tycoon. When he meets, and secretly falls in love with, Lucy Moore, he makes the
catastrophic mistake of introducing her to Kyle who woos and marries her. Whilst Kyle's
father welcomes Lucy and supports the marriage, his sister attempts to undermine the
relationship.
EURO LONDON TITLES
BLACK ORPHEUS (ORFEU NEGRO)
Drama | Dir. Marcel Camus | With: Cast: Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn | France/Italy/Brazil 1958 |
Colour | 10 mins | Cert PG
In recreating the Orpheus legend in Rio de Janeiro with an all-black cast, Camus celebrates
both the universality of the story and the exoticism and poetry of Brazil. Here, the doomed
lovers weave their way through a carnival-mad Rio amidst the relentless onslaught of
colour, noise, and frenetic movement which climaxes in the visual splendour of the
poignant ending.
BLACK BEAUTY
Drama | Dir. James Hill | With: Mark Lester, Walter Slezak | UK 1971 | Colour | 101mins | Cert PG
Based on the classic book of the same name, this film follows the adventures of the life of
Black Beauty. A new foal on the Evans' farm, it is the prized possession of their young son
Joe. However, when the local squire calls in his loan on the farm, Beauty is transferred and
undergoes a series of adventures after the squire is killed. Eventually Black Beauty is
rescued by Anna Sewell and Joe, who recognises his old horse.
THE BROWNING VERSION
Drama | Dir. Anthony Asquith | With: Michael Redgrave, Jean Kent | UK 1951 | Black & White |
86mins | Cert U
Based on the Terence Rattigan play of the same name, The Browning Version follows an
aging public school teacher in the last days in his job before retirement. During this time,
he comes to terms with his sense of failure as a teacher, a sense of weakness exacerbated
by his wife's infidelity and the realization that he is despised by both pupils and staff of the
school. However, an unexpected parting gift by a pupil marks an emotional turning-point.
THE CLOUDED YELLOW
Crime | Dir. Ralph Thomas | With: Jean Simmons, Trevor Howard | UK 1950 | Black & White | 81mins
| Cert PG
In this excellent, taut chase thriller, a secret service agent, dismissed from the service
having failed on a mission, obtains work in a country house. A series of sinister events
occur which culminate in a murder hunt over large areas of the north of England. The
Clouded Yellow is not merely a melodramatically efficient action piece, but it also resonates
with that post-war malaise (especially in Trevor Howard's ex-SIS agent) which gives
shading to so many British films of the time.
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CUL-DE-SAC
Black Comedy | Dir. Roman Polanski | With: Donald Pleasence, Françoise Dorléac, Lionel Stander | UK
1966 | Black & White | 107mins | Cert 12
Roman Polanski's second British feature was made on the back of the success of Repulsion
(1965), which granted him a bigger budget and significantly more creative freedom. An
eccentric married couple, living in a castle on an island off the coast of Northumberland,
are terrorised by two wounded gangsters. The film won a Golden Bear at the 16th Berlin
International Film Festival.
HANGMEN ALSO DIE!
War | Dir. Fritz Lang | With: Hans Heinrich Von Twardowski, Brian Donlevy | USA 1943 | Black &
White | 134mins | Cert PG
Hangmen Also Die! is loosely based on the 1942 assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, ‘The
Hangman of Prague’, who was the Nazi Reich Protector of German-occupied Prague,
number-two man in the SS and a chief architect of the Holocaust. His assassination is
played out in the only script Bertolt Brecht wrote for a Hollywood film.
THE HONEYMOON KILLERS
Crime | Dir. Leonard Kastle | With: Shirley Stoler, Tony Lo Bianco | USA 1969 | Colour | 103mins | Cert
18
A timeless love story with a body count, The Honeymoon Killers tells the story of Martha Beck
and Raymond Fernandez and their roles in the 1940’s “lonely hearts” murder case. Inspired
by true events.
THE HORSES’ MOUTH
Comedy | Dir. Ronald Neame | With: Alec Guinness, Kay Walsh | UK 1958 | Colour | 91mins | Cert PG
Coming out of jail, an impoverished artist tries various means of getting money and
eventually finds himself painting an enormous mural on a chapel, which gets demolished.
Undefeated, the artist sails on to new adventures. This film’s Oscar nominated screenplay
was written by its star, Alec Guinness.
JUBILEE
Cult | Dir. Derek Jarman | With: Jenny Runacre, Nell Campbell | UK 1978 | Colour | 100mins | Cert 18
This episodic cult classic follows Queen Elizabeth I as she finds herself transported through
time to the 1970s and is faced with the chaos and anarchy of the punk era. The depressing
landscape that the punk generation is forced to grow up in soon leads the disenchanted
youths, and Elizabeth, to act out their rage through murder.
KNIFE IN THE WATER
Thriller | Dir. Roman Polanski | With: Leon Niemczyk, Jolanta Umecka | Poland 1962 | Black & White |
94mins | Cert PG
Roman Polanski’s Oscar-nominated first feature, Knife in the Water, is a masterful study of
sexual tension and paranoia. The story is simplicity itself; a married couple, setting forth
on a yachting weekend, gives a lift to an attractive young hitch-hiker. During what was
intended to be a relaxing break, competition builds between the two men as they vie for the
attentions of the alluring young wife.
LORD OF THE FLIES
Drama | Dir. Peter Brook | With: James Aubrey, Tom Chapin | UK 1963 | Black & White | 87mins |
Cert PG
Based on the classic novel of the same name, this film explores Freudian notions of what
evils can lie within our subconscious as a group of boys abandoned on an island slowly
begin to destroy each other. Director Peter Brook was nominated for The Golden Palm at
the 1963 Cannes Film Festival for this acclaimed adaptation.
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MAJOR BARBARA
Drama | Dir. Gabriel Pascal | With: Wendy Hiller, Rex Harrison | UK 1941 | Black & White |
115mins | Cert PG
In this comedic social satire, the moral conflict of a Salvation Army girl is demonstrated
when she becomes tempted by her millionaire father’s own approach to saving souls. From
the play by G. Bernard Shaw, this adaptation was a huge critical and commercial success
upon its initial release.
PARADE
Comedy | Dir. Jacques Tati | With: Jacques Tati, Karl Kossmayer, Pierre Bramma | France/Sweden
1974 | Colour | 89mins | Cert U
The legendary French comic auteur Jacque Tati's last film, Parade, was shot on video for
Swedish television. The semi-documentary presents a joyful look at the circus as well as
the behind-the-scenes antics that go into its production. With Tati himself contributing
several of his own subtly outrageous mime routines, the film bounces back and forth
between the appreciative audience and the various expert performers. Parade stands as
Tati's earnest homage to the circus, displaying his reverence for film as a form of pure
entertainment.
PYGMALION
Comedy | Dir. Anthony Asquith | With: Leslie Howard, Wendy Hiller | UK 1938 | Black & White |
91mins | Cert U
Based on the play by George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion tells the story of how a professor of
phonetics transforms a Cockney flower girl into a poised and desirable woman. The
screenplay was later adapted into the 1956 theatrical musical My Fair Lady.
REPULSION
Horror | Dir. Roman Polanski | With: Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry, John Fraser | UK 1965 | Black &
White | 105mins | Cert 15
Repulsion follows Carol, a shy young Belgian manicurist played by Catherine Deneuve, who
develops schizophrenia when she has to fend for herself in a London flat. Shot in some of
the best black-and-white cinematography in the entire horror genre, Repulsion was a huge
critical and healthy box-office success.
SCARLET STREET
Film Noir | Dir. Fritz Lang | With: Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett | US 1945 | Black & White |
97min | Cert PG
When the morally ambiguous femme fatal Kitty is attacked, Christopher Cross intervenes.
After Kitty mistakes him for a rich painter, she attempts to seduce him in order to plunder
his fortune in Fritz Lang’s bleak psychological film noir.
SCUM
Drama | Dir. Alan Clark | With: Ray Winstone, Mick Ford | UK 1979 | Colour | 92mins | Cert 18
Upon its release in 1979, Scum caused considerable controversy due to its portrayal of
horrific violence and its unflinching account of life inside the notorious British prison,
Bostal. Scum follows young offender Carlin as he arrives at the institution, and documents
his rise to becoming one of the most feared, violently aggressive inmates in the film.
SEBASTIANE
Drama | Dir. Paul Humfress, Derek Jarman | With: Barney James, Neil Kennedy UK 1976 | Colour |
81mins | Cert 18
This film documents the life of martyr Saint Sebastian, killed during the Roman Empire’s
persecution of Christians. It was considered to be hugely controversial upon release due to
the homoerotic undertones present in the film’s narrative. It is also famous for being the
first film to have its characters speaking entirely in Latin.
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THE SEVENTH VEIL
Drama | Dir. Compton Bennett | With: James Mason, Ann Todd | UK 1945 | Black & White | 89mins |
Cert PG
This British melodrama examines the relationship between a mentally unstable woman
and her second cousin, a sadistic, misogynistic musician. A story of obsessive jealousy with
Freudian undertones, it won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1946 and was the
most successful British release that year.
THE SORCERERS
Horror | Dir. Michael Reeves | With: Boris Karloff, Susan George | UK 1967 | Colour | 81mins | Cert 15
A scientist and his wife discover that they can control the mind of a young man after
experimenting on him. They drive him to crime, with disastrous results.
SUMMER MADNESS (AKA SUMMERTIME)
Drama | Dir. David Lean | With: Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi | USA/UK 1955 | Colour |
100mins | Cert U
Based on the play, The Time of the Cuckoo by Arthur Laurents, Summertime follows the
adventures of a single, middle-aged American woman as she finds love while on holiday in
Venice. Nominated for a BAFTA award for best film, two Oscar nominations for best
director and best actress for Katerine Hepburn’s performance, this film is considered to be
an extremely accomplished adaptation.
THE TEMPEST
Drama | Dir. Derek Jarman | With: Peter Bull, David Meyer, Toyah Wilcox | UK 1979 | Colour |
91mins | Cert 15
An imaginative reworking of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, this adaptation remodels the
original play in a unique and inspiring fashion. Shot on 16mm on a tiny budget, The Tempest
is just as playfully wayward as Jarman’s previous work.
THAT SINKING FEELING
Comedy | Dir. Bill Forsyth | With: Robert Buchanan, John Hughes | UK 1979 | Colour | 87mins | Cert
12
That Sinking Feeling is a comedy thriller about a group of unemployed youths in Glasgow
who steal a van load of stainless steel sinks from a warehouse. The film is set in the
director’s home city, and the young actors in film were members of the Glasgow Youth
Theatre.
TIME WITHOUT PITY
Drama | Dir. Joseph Losey | With: Michael Redgrave, Leo McKern | UK 1957 | Black & White | 88mins |
Cert PG
Time Without Pity shows a father's desperate efforts to atone for years of neglect as he sets
out to prove his son innocent of a murder charge twenty four hours before the time fixed
for his execution.
TOMMY
Drama, Musical | Dir. Ken Russell | With: Oliver Reed, Ann Margret | UK 1975 | Colour | 106mins |
Cert 15
Based on the rock opera album by The Who, Tommy tells the story of Tommy, who becomes
deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing his father's murder. Featuring a star-studded cast
including Roger Daltrey, Elton John and Eric Clapton, it was nominated for a number of
Oscars including best actress for Ann Margret and best score for Pete Townend’s adaptation
of his music to screen.
TUNES OF GLORY
Drama | Dir. Ronald Neame | With: Alec Guinness, John Mills | UK 1960 | Colour | 102mins | Cert PG
Tunes of Glory tells the story of a bitter clash between two senior officers of a famous
Scottish regiment. It is based on the novel by James Kennaway.
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WALKABOUT
Drama | Dir. Nicolas Roeg | With: Jenny Agutter, Luc Roeg | Australia 1970 | Colour | 96mins | Cert 12
This Palme d’Or nominated film follows a teenage girl and her younger brother, lost in the
Australian wilds, after their father has driven them into the outback and committed
suicide. After meeting an aborigine boy on his ‘walkabout’, the film examines their cultural
differences and the language barrier which means that neither can fully understand the
feelings of the other.
WAR REQUIEM
Drama | Dir. Derek Jarman | With: Nathaniel Parker, Tilda Swinton | UK 1989 | Colour | 88mins | Cert
12
Inspired by the music and lyrics of Benjamin Britten’s War requiem, this film relinquishes
spoken dialogue and instead examines Wilfred Owen’s horrifically graphic poems based on
his experiences fighting in the First World War.
THE WATER BABIES
Drama | Dir. Lionel Jeffries | With: James Mason, Billie Whitelaw | UK 1978 | Colour | 90mins | Cert U
In this children’s classic we follow the adventures of a 12-year-old apprentice, wrongly
accused of theft, who dives into a pool to escape his pursuers. Trapped beneath the surface,
he meets a succession of human stereotypes animated as underwater creatures. Based on
the book by Charles Kingsley.
WATERSHIP DOWN
Drama | Dir. Martin Rosen | With: John Hurt, Richard Briers | UK 1978 | Colour | 88mins | Cert U
Based on Richard Adam's novel of the same title, this story about a group of rabbits trying
to escape man’s attempts to destroy their home is told with biblical undertones. The often
violent imagery used in this adaptation highlights the effect of human intervention on the
natural world.
WITCHFINDER GENERAL (AKA THE CONQUEROR WORM)
Horror | Dir. Michael Reeves | With: Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy and Rupert Davies | UK 1968 | Colour |
81mins | Cert 15
In 1645, during the English Civil War, the Ipswich lawyer turned Witchfinder General
Matthew Hopkins and his servant John Stearne tour the country instigating witch-hunts
and extracting confessions through torture. Witchfinder General was considered
controversial upon release due to the particularly violent and sadistic scenes on display,
despite being heavily censored by the BBFC. It has however generated a large cult following
in the years since its release.
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Back Catalogue
For a complete list of DVDs available for non-theatrical hire, please visit our new BFI Film
Distribution website on: www.bfi.org.uk/distribution
Important Guidelines for Booking Films
 Please confirm all telephone bookings in writing, stating essential details such as
correct despatch and invoice addresses, and the correct format of the film
 If you do not receive a booking confirmation from us, the film may not have been
booked.

Please check all your bookings carefully, well in advance of the playdate
 When sending in payment for films, it would be helpful if the original invoice (or a
photocopy) accompanies the cheque
 DVDs should be posted back to the BFI immediately after screening using the return
label enclosed in the parcel
Note to Treasurers
 It would be helpful if the original invoice could accompany payments by cheque as this
helps to reduce errors and ensures that your account is credited correctly and kept up-todate
This DVD list includes all materials available from the BFI and all Artificial Eye releases
since January 2004, the Euro London lists and the new Universal Studio list.
This list has been sent to the Programme Secretary, who should forward it to other
committee members, if necessary, for consideration.
Please note that future release dates are subject to alteration. Please enquire when booking.
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