Playtime Restored

[Jeff Wilson]

Those Tati fans among us will be happy to read this article, which discusses a restoration of Tati's Playtime, which debuted at Cannes this year. It appears to have added 6 minutes of footage to the film, although no details are given. Hopefully it'll get some screenings over here.

Tati For Now

[Cole]

Anyone know of a good web site or other news source where you can find out when/if foreign and classic films are being restored and/or released on DVD? I’m thinking of films like PLAYTIME that Jeff mentions (or other films that come to mind, and which could use a good restoration, are VAMPYR and SUNRISE). I’ve found several sites on the web that list everything coming out on DVD, but it’s a real eyesore to look through all the generic Hollywood films to see if any pearls are scheduled to be released.

Thanks

[Jaime N. Christley]

I reckon wading through "all the generic Hollywood films" is a necessary evil, but I'll get back to you on that if I find one. If you have a specific film in mind, and you know it's out already, you can search DVD-Basen for reviews. It covers all regions, but it doesn't necessarily have all DVDs:

http://www.dvd-basen.dk/uk/home.php3

As for upcoming discs, let me get back to you on that.

Playtime is already available on a very nice Criterion DVD, although what I'm interested in is seeing it in 70-millimeter. Hopefully, thanks to its reception at this year's Festival de Cannes, that will become a reality.

Incidentally, there is a 151-minute print of Playtime, in 70mm, that's rumored (according to Tati's biographer, David Bellos) to be held at the Moscow Film Archive. I'd maim to see that, as I imagine it would be the definitive "director's cut."

[Harvey Chartrand]

Cole: Check out All Day Entertainment at http://www.alldayentertainment.com/cgi-loc....scstore
They restore "movies that slipped through the cracks", such as old Dr. Mabuse flicks and the masterful The Asphyx, starring the late, great Robert Stephens.
No Welles stuff — yet. Maybe they'll do for Welles what they did for Vincent Price in The Sinister Image.
Unfortunately, it seems that All Day only sells its merchandise in bulk to distributors.

[Jeff Wilson]

Actually, All Day tried to release the Franco cut of Don Quixote, and went through the obligatory legal nightmares associated with so many Welles projects. It's off their site now so far as I can tell, but they had a detailed story about what they went through trying to release it, all to no avail.