The Decade List: Ne touchez pas la hache (2007)

Ne touchez pas la hache [The Duchess of Langeais] – dir. Jacques Rivette

Set in the early 19th century, The Duchess of Langeais begins with the final hours of a man’s widespread quest. Bowlegged French general Armand de Montriveau (the late Guillaume Depardieu, in probably his finest performance) finds his estranged lover Antoinette (Jeanne Balibar), or best known as the Duchess of Langeais, sequestered in a Spanish convent, in an attempt to escape the treacherousness of their doomed affair. From Armand's rediscovery of Antoinette, the film moves back in time to their first meeting as courageous soldier and married duchess at a lavish ball. Following that initial meeting, their relationship unfolds in games of humorless wit and searing manipulation with Jacques Rivette, working from a novel by Honoré de Balzac, never shadowing the lovers' selfishness and despicability.

The Duchess of Langeais, or Don’t Touch the Axe as it’s properly translated, is what I often refer to as the anti-period film. Though, in certain people’s minds, the “period film” (or “costume drama”) exists as a legitimate genre of film, it isn’t. While it’s merely a superficial association, it’s hard to deny that within that set there are films that follow an unwritten set of stylistic and narrative rules (most of which appeal greatly to the voting members of the Academy). The Duchess of Langeais is not one of those films, nor should anyone who recognizes Jacques Rivette’s name suspect that it might be. Instead, The Duchess of Langeais is a rigid, brilliant and trying piece of cinema, something of a “breeze” at 140 minutes (compared to most of the director’s work, excluding his latest 36 vues du Pic Saint-Loup, which is his first to clock in at under two hours). It’s difficult to call Rivette a director who puts every minute of his films to the best use, but I’d never call some of his more laboring moments “filler.” He’s a director that understands the rewards of time and the sort of magic that can only occur after the viewer has fully dedicated himself or herself to the film. For the dedicated viewer, The Duchess of Langeais reaps that sort of reward handsomely.

With: Guillaume Depardieu, Jeanne Balibar, Bulle Ogier, Michel Piccoli, Anne Cantineau, Marc Barbé, Barbet Schroeder
Screenplay: Pascal Bonitzer, Christine Laurent, Jacques Rivette, based on the novel La duchesse de Langeais by Honoré de Balzac
Cinematography: William Lubtchansky
Music: Pierre Allio
Country of Origin: France/Italy
US Distributor: IFC Films

Premiere: 15 February 2007 (Berlin International Film Festival)
US Premiere: October 2007 (Chicago International Film Festival)

Acquisition Update, 17 December: Rivette and Co.

Cinema Guild announced today that they will be handling the US release of Jacques Rivette's latest Around a Small Mountain [36 vues vues du Pic Saint-Loup], which stars Jane Birkin, Sergio Castellitto and Jacques Bonnaffé, set for a spring '10. This marks Cinema Guild's third exciting acquisition in the past month following Maren Ade's Everyone Else and Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor's Sweetgrass.

Film Movement also announced today that they've picked up Phillippe Lioret's Welcome, which stars Vincent Lindon. The film won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 2009 Berlinale, as well as the Best Screenplay prize at the Gijón International Film Festival.

And thanks to Keaton Kail from IFC Films' list on The Auteurs, it looks as though IFC has nabbed a number of films for 2010, aside from the ones we already knew about, like Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank, Marco Bellocchio's Vincere, François Ozon's Ricky and Kim Ji-woon's The Good, the Bad, the Weird. The titles, including Secret Sunshine which has been in distribution limbo for almost three years, are below:

- Bellamy, 2009, d. Claude Chabrol, France, w. Gérard Depardieu, Clovis Cornillac, Jacques Gamblin
- Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee, 2009, d. Shane Meadows, UK, w. Paddy Considine
- Leaving [Partir], 2009, d. Catherine Corsini, France, w. Kristin Scott Thomas, Sergi López
- My Enemy's Enemy, 2007, d. Kevin Macdonald, France/UK (originally a Weinstein title that was canceled shortly after its DVD was announced)
- Secret Sunshine, 2007, d. Lee Chang-dong, South Korea, w. Jeon Do-yeon
- Sounds Like Teen Spirit, 2008, d. Jamie Jay Johnson, UK
- The Time That Remains, 2009, d. Elia Suleiman, France/UK/Italy/Belgium
- Vengeance, 2009, d. Johnnie To, France/Hong Kong, w. Johnny Hallyday, Sylvie Testud, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Simon Yam

The Big Region 2 Update for the UK, July '09-March '10

Instead of picking through which titles I listed last time around, I've simply narrowed this list of upcoming DVDs in the UK to the titles released after 1 July 09. Keep in mind that the release dates may change without notice (or be canceled), and the DVDs that begin with an asterisk are ones that have rolled over from the last update; the ones in bold are still unavailable in the US (or haven't set a firm release date). Some of the more exciting releases for the second half of 2009 include BFI's Blu-ray release of Visconti's The Leopard; Secondrun's release of Pedro Costa's The Blood; Artificial Eye's uncut (or so I've heard) releases of the two Jeanne la Pucelle films from Jacques Rivette; two Satyajit Ray films (Goddess, Two Daughters) from Mr. Bongo Films; Georges Franju's La tête contre les murs from Masters of Cinema; two early films from Sally Potter (London Story and The Gold Diggers with Julie Christie) from BFI; a Blu-ray of The Quay Brothers' Institute Benjamenta from BFI; and Palisades Tartan's first round of DVDs for the UK, including Tom Kalin's Swoon, Park Chan-wook's Thirst and a remastered edition of Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander. Please also note, just because a film doesn't have "also on Blu-ray" mentioned doesn't mean it won't happen; I just didn't find mention of one. The titles are in descending order of release.

* Blind Loves [Slepé lásky], 2008, d. Juraj Lehotský, ICA, 6 July
* Bronson, 2009, d. Nicolas Winding Refn, Vertigo Films, also on Blu-ray, 6 July
- Claire Dolan, 1998, d. Lodge H. Kerrigan, Artificial Eye, 6 July
* The Coffin Joe Trilogy [At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul / This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse / Awakening of the Beast], d. José Mojica Marins, Anchor Bay, 6 July
* Dream Boy, 2008, d. James Bolton, Peccadillo Pictures, 6 July
* Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts, 2007, d. Scott Hicks, Drakes Avenue, 6 July
- The Grocer's Son [Le fils de l'épicier], 2007, d. Eric Guirado, ICA, 6 July
- Immortal Love, 1972, d. Chusei Sone, HB Films, 6 July
* The Innocent Sleep, d. Scott Michell, Bluebell, 6 July
* Little Ashes, 2008, d. Paul Morrison, Spirit, 6 July

- Lola Montès, 1955, d. Max Ophüls, Second Sight, 6 July
* Meatball Machine, 2005, d. Yudai Yamaguchi, Jun'ichi Yamamoto, 4Digital Asia, 6 July
- The Red Shoes, 1948, d. Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, ITV, also on Blu-ray, 6 July
* The Scarlet Tunic, 1998, d. Stuart St. Paul, Bluebell, 6 July
* Three Monkeys [Üç maymun], 2008, d. Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Drakes Avenue, 6 July
- A Woman Called Abé Sada, 1975, d. Noboru Tanaka, HB Films, 6 July
* Anti-Clock, 1980, d. Jane Arden, Jack Bond, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 13 July
* Brute Force, 1947, d. Jules Dassin, Arrow Films, 13 July
- Genova, 2008, d. Michael Winterbottom, Metrodome, 13 July
* High Art, 1998, d. Lisa Cholodenko, TLA Releasing, 13 July

* The Other Side of Underneath, 1972, d. Jane Arden, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 13 July
- Panic, 2000, d. Henry Bromell, Arrow, 13 July
* Separation, 1968, d. Jack Bond, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 13 July
* The Young Victoria, 2009, d. Jean-Marc Vallée, Momentum, also on Blu-ray, 13 July
* Diminished Capacity, 2008, d. Terry Kinney, Paramount, 20 July
- Man of Iron [Człowiek z żelaza], 1981, d. Andrzej Wajda, Mr. Bongo, 20 July
- Marlene, 1984, d. Maximilian Schell, Park Circus, 20 July
* Pedro, 2008, d. Nick Oceano, Metrodome, 20 July
- Requiem for Billy the Kid, 2006, d. Anne Feinsilber, Park Circus, 20 July
- Sirens, 1994, d. John Duigan, Arrow, 20 July

- Yellowbeard, 1983, d. Mel Damski, Optimum, 20 July
* Close My Eyes, 1991, d. Stephen Poliakoff, Film4, 27 July
* Comrades, 1986, d. Bill Douglas, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 27 July
* Il divo, 2008, d. Paolo Sorrentino, Artificial Eye, 27 July
* Gerry, 2002, d. Gus Van Sant , Film4, 27 July
* The Hal Hartley Collection [Trust / Henry Fool / The Girl from Monday], d. Hal Hartley, Artificial Eye, 27 July, available individually or as a set
* Hear My Song, 1991, d. Peter Chelsom, Film4, 27 July
* Modern Life [Profils paysans: La vie moderne], 2008, d. Raymond Depardon, Soda, 27 July
* Penny Points to Paradise / Let's Go Crazy, 1951, d. Anthony Young / Alan Cullimore, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 27 July
- House of Cards, 1993, d. Michael Lessac, Arrow, 3 August

- Insomnia, 1997, d. Erik Skjoldbjærg, Arrow, 3 August
* Let the Right One In [Låt den rätte komma in], 2008, d. Tomas Alfredson, Momentum, also on Blu-ray, 3 August
- Gate of Flesh, 1964, d. Seijin Suzuki, HB Films, 10 August
* O' Horten, 2007, d. Bent Hamer, Artificial Eye, 10 August
- Oasis, 2002, d. Lee Chang-dong, Third Window, 10 August
- The Watcher in the Attic, 1976, d. Noboru Tanaka, HB Films, 10 August
- The Fireman's Ball [Hoří, má panenko], 1967, d. Miloš Forman, Arrow, 17 August
- High Heels [Tacones lejanos], 1991, d. Pedro Almodóvar, Optimim, 17 August
- Orders to Kill, 1958, d. Anthony Asquith, Optimum, 17 August
- Pool of London, 1951, d. Basil Dearden, Studio Canal/Optimum, 17 August

- Sparrows Can't Sing, 1963, d. Joan Littlewood, Studio Canal/Optimum, 17 August
- All the Right Noises, 1969, d. Gerry O'Hara, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 24 August
- Les amants du Pont Neuf [Lovers on the Bridge], d. Leos Carax, Arrow, 24 August
- Beautiful Losers, 2008, d. Aaron Rose, Joshua Leonard, Revolver, 24 August
* La belle noiseuse / Divertimento, 1991, d. Jacques Rivette, Artificial Eye, 3-Disc Definitive Edition, 24 August
- Blue Eyelids [Párpados azules], 2007, d. Ernesto Contreras, Axiom, 24 August
- The Burning Plain, 2008, d. Guillermo Arriaga, High Fliers, 24 August
- Delta, 2008, d. Kornél Mundruczó, Drakes Avenue, 24 August
* Hannie Caulder, 1971, d. Burt Kennedy, Odeon, 24 August
- Herostratus, 1967, d. Don Levy, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 24 August

- In the Loop, 2009, d. Armando Iannucci, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 24 August
* Jeanne la Pucelle: The Battles [Jeanne la Pucelle 1 - Les batailles], 1994, d. Jacques Rivette, Artificial Eye, 24 August
* Jeanne la Pucelle: The Prisons [Jeanne la Pucelle 2: Les prisons], 1994, d. Jacques Rivette, Artificial Eye, 24 August
* Lisbon Story, 1994, d. Wim Wenders, Axiom, 21 August
- Man in the Chair, 2007, d. Michael Schroeder, High Fliers, 24 August
- Man of Violence/The Big Switch, d. Pete Walker, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 24 August
- Nous ne vieillirons pas ensemble, 1972, d. Maurice Pialat, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, 24 August
- Passe ton bac d'abord, 1979, d. Maurice Pialat, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, 24 August
* Secret défense, 1998, d. Jacques Rivette, Artificial Eye, 24 August
- The Sorrow and the Pity [Le chagrin et la pitié], 1969, d. Marcel Ophüls, Arrow, 24 August

- Footprints [Le orme], 1975, d. Luigi Bazzoni, Mario Fanelli, Shameless, 29 August
- Antarctica, 2008, d. Yair Hochner, Peccadillo Pictures, 31 August
- The Battle of Algiers [La battaglia di Algeri], 1965, d. Gillo Pontecorvo, Argent, 31 August
- The Big Knife, 1955, d. Robert Aldrich, Optimum, 31 August
- Conversations with My Gardener [Dialogue avec mon jardinier], 2007, d. Jean Becker, Cinefile, 31 August
* The Damned United, 2009, d. Tom Hooper, Sony, also on Blu-ray, 31 August
- Dead Snow [Død snø], 2009, d. Tommy Wirkola, E1, 31 August
* Diary for My Children [Napló gyermekeimnek], 1984, d. Márta Mészáros, Secondrun, 20 July
- Good, 2008, d. Vicente Amorim, Lionsgate, 31 August
- Joseph Andrews, 1977, d. Tony Richardson, Optimum, 31 August

- Look Back in Anger, 1958, d. Tony Richardson, Optimum, 31 August
- Mademoiselle, 1966, d. Tony Richardson, Optimum, 31 August
- The Stranger, 1946, d. Orson Welles, Optimum, 31 August
- Werner Herzog: Encounters in the Natural World Box Set [Encounters at the End of the World / Grizzly Man / The White Diamond / La Soufrière / The Flying Doctors of East Africa], d. Werner Herzog, Revolver, also on Blu-ray, 31 August
- Back to Normandy [Retour en Normandie], 2007, d. Nicolas Philibert, Artificial Eye, 7 September
- Butterfly Kiss, 1995, d. Michael Winterbottom, Second Sight, 7 September
- Chan Is Missing, 1982, d. Wayne Wang, Drakes Avenue, 7 September
- Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, 1985, d. Wayne Wang, Drakes Avenue, 7 September
- Fermat's Room [La habitación de Fermat], 2007, d. Luis Piedrahita, Rodrigo Sopeña, Revolver, 7 September
* Fifty Dead Men Walking, 2008, d. Kari Skogland, Metrodome, also on Blu-rau, 7 September

- The Girl Cut in Two [La fille coupée en deux], 2007, d. Claude Chabrol, Artificial Eye, 7 September
- Helen, 2008, d. Joe Lawlor, Christine Molloy, Drakes Avenue, 7 September
- I, Pierre Rivière [Je suis Pierre Rivière], 1976, d. Christine Lipinska, Artificial Eye, 7 September
- The Inner Life of Martin Frost, 2007, d. Paul Auster, Axiom, 7 September
- Maradona by Kusturica [Maradona par Kusturica], 2008, d. Emir Kusturica, Optimum, 7 September
- Nelio's Story [Comédia Infantil], 1998, d. Solveig Nordlund, HB Films, 7 September
- Street of Joy, 1974, d. Tatsumi Kumashiro, HB Films, 7 September
- Time Regained [Le temps retrouvé], 1999, d. Raoul Ruiz, Second Sight, 7 September
- War Photographer, 2001, d. Christian Frei, Artefact, 7 September
- Atlantis, 1991, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September

- Arrested Development, The Complete 3 Seasons, 2003-2006, Fox, 14 September
- La belle captive, 1983, d. Alain Robbe-Grillet, Second Sight, 14 September
- Beyond the Clouds [Al di là delle nuvole], 1995, d. Michelangelo Antonioni, Wim Wenders, Second Sight, 14 September
- The Big Blue [Le grand bleu], 1988, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September
- Is Anybody There?, 2008, d. John Crowley, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September
- The Last Battle [Le dernier combat], 1983, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September
- Murder on a Sunday Morning [Un couple idéal], 2001, d. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Artefact, 15 September
- Nikita [La femme Nikita], 1990, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September
- The Second Wind [Le deuxième souffle], 2007, d. Alain Corneau, Optimum, 14 September
- Sexy Killer [Sexykiller, morirás por ella], 2008, d. Miguel Martí, Momentum, 14 September

- Sounds Like Teen Spirit, 2008, d. Jamie Jay Johnson, Warner, 14 September
- Subway, 1985, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September
- Wonderful Town, 2007, d. Aditya Assarat, Soda, 14 September
- Andy Warhol's Bad, 1977, d. Jed Johnson, Video International, 21 September
- The Art of Being Straight, 2008, d. Jesse Rosen, TLA Releasing, 21 September
- Big Man Japan, 2007, d. Hitoshi Matsumoto, Revolver, 21 September
- The Blood [O Sangue], 1989, d. Pedro Costa, Secondrun, 21 September
- Chéri, 2009, d. Stephen Frears, Pathé, 21 September
- Dynamic: 01, d. David Lynch, Scanbox, 21 September
- A Few Days in September [Quelques jours en septembre], 2006, d. Santiago Amigorena, High Fliers, 21 September

- The French Collection, Volume 3: Isabelle Huppert [The Piano Teacher / Merci pour le chocolat / Gabrielle], d. Michael Haneke / Claude Chabrol / Patrice Chéreau, Artificial Eye, 21 September
- The French Collection, Volume 4: Emmanuelle Béart [La belle noiseuse - Divertimento / Histoire de Marie et Julien / The Witnesses], d. Jacques Rivette, André Téchiné, Artificial Eye, 21 September
* Gimme Shelter, 1970, d. Albert and David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin, Warner, 21 September
- Goddess [Devi], 1960, d. Satyajit Ray, Mr. Bongo, 21 September
- Greek Pete, 2009, d. Andrew Haigh, Peccadillo Pictures, 21 September
- Hatchet for the Honeymoon [Il rosso segno della follia], 1970, d. Mario Bava, Odeon, 21 September
- Lake Tahoe, 2008, d. Fernando Eimbcke, Yume, 21 September
- The Man Without a Past [Mies vailla menneisyyttä], 2002, d. Aki Kaurismäki, ICA, 21 September
- Mark of an Angel [L'empreinte de l'ange], 2008, d. Safy Nebbou, Metrodome, 21 September
- Mørke, 2005, d. Jannik Johansen, HB Films, 21 September

- Rider on the Rain [Le passager de la pluie], 1970, d. René Clément, 1970, Optimum, 21 September
- The September Issue, 2009, d. R.J. Cutler, Momentum, 21 September
- Sleepwalking Land [Terra Sonâmbula], 2007, d. Teresa Prata, HB Films, 21 September
- Sugar, 2008, d. Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Axiom, 21 September
- Sunrise, 1927, d. F.W. Murnau, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, also on Blu-ray, 21 September
- La tête contre les murs, 1959, d. Georges Franju, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, 21 September
- Three Daughters [Teen Kanya], 1961, d. Satyajit Ray, Mr. Bongo, 21 September
- A World Without Thieves, 2004, d. Feng Xiaogang, Palisades Tartan, 21 September
- Amsterdamned, 1988, d. Dick Maas, Nouveaux, 28 September
- Anything for Her [Pour elle], 2008, d. Fred Cavayé, Metrodome, 28 September

- Blood Rain, 2005, d. Kim Dae-seung, Palisades Tartan, 28 September
- Everlasting Moments [Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick], 2008, d. Jan Troell, Icon, 28 September
- The Exiles, 1961, d. Kent MacKenzie, BFI, 28 September
- Fireflies in the Garden, 2008, d. Dennis Lee, Universal, 28 September
* Not Forgotten, 2009, d. Dror Soref, Anchor Bay, also on Blu-ray, 28 September
* Presque rien [Come Undone], 2000, d. Sébastien Lifshitz, Peccadillo Pictures, 28 September
- Rage, 2009, d. Sally Potter, Spirit, 28 September
- Summer Scars, 2007, d. Julian Richards, Soda Pictures, 28 September
- Swoon, 1991, d. Tom Kalin, Palisades Tartan, 28 September
- Tony Manero, 2008, d. Pablo Larraín, Network, 28 September

- Tormented, 2009, d. Jon Wright, Pathé, 28 September
- Fanny & Alexander, 1982, d. Ingmar Bergman, Palisades Tartan, 5 October
- Just Another Love Story [Kærlighed på film], 2007, d. Ole Bornedal, Revolver, 5 October
- The Last Thakur, 2008, d. Sadik Ahmed, Artificial Eye, 5 October
- Piedras [Stones], 2002, d. Ramón Salazar, Arrow Films, 5 October
- Seven Sinners, 1940, d. Tay Garnett, Network, 5 October
- Sex, Party and Lies [Mentiras y gordas], 2009, d. Alfonso Albacete, David Menkes, Momentum, 5 October
- Sleep Furiously, 2008, d. Gideon Koppel, Drakes Avenue, 5 October
- The Uninvited, 2003, d. Lee Soo-youn, Palisades Tartan, 5 October
- The Vampires' Night Orgy [La orgía nocturna de los vampiros], 1973, d. León Klimovsky, HB Films, 5 October

- Vinyan, 2008, d. Fabrice Du Welz, Revolver, also on Blu-ray, 5 October
- Cherry Blossoms [Kirschblüten - Hanami], 2008, d. Doris Dörie, Dogwoof Pictures, 12 October
- Eddie Murphy: Delirious, 1983, d. Bruce Gowers, Anchor Bay, 25th Anniversary, 12 October
- Looking for Eric, 2009, d. Ken Loach, Icon, also on Blu-ray, 12 October
- Momma's Man, 2008, d. Azazel Jacobs, Diffusion, 12 October
- Poltergay, 2006, d. Eric Lavaine, Peccadillo Pictures, 12 October
- Synecdoche, New York, 2008, d. Charlie Kaufman, Revolver, also on Blu-ray, 12 October
- 10 Films from Michael Haneke [Caché / Time of the Wolf / The Piano Teacher / Funny Games / Funny Games U.S. / Code Unknown / The Seventh Continent / Benny's Video / 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance / The Castle], d. Michael Haneke, Artificial Eye, 19 October
- 35 Shots of Rum [35 rhums], 2008, d. Claire Denis, Drakes Avanue, 19 October
- The Agnès Varda Collection, Volume 1 [La pointe-courte / Cléo from 5 to 7 / Vagabond / La glaneurs et la glaneuse], d. Agnès Varda, Artificial Eye, 19 October

- Amos & Andrew, 1993, d. E. Max Frye, Arrow Films, 19 October
- Blood on Satan's Claw, 1971, d. Piers Haggard, Odeon, 19 October
- Die Screaming, Marianne, 1971, d. Pete Walker, Odeon, 19 October
- Frozen River, 2008, d. Courtney Hunt, Axiom, 19 October
- Johnny Stecchino, 1991, d. Roberto Benigni, Arrow, 19 October
- Katyn, 2007, d. Andrzej Wajda, Artificial Eye, 19 October
- The Pleasure Girls, 1965, d. Gerry O'Hara, Odeon, 19 October
- Rudo & Cursi, 2008, d. Carlos Cuarón, Optimum, 19 October
- Skin, 2008, d. Anthony Fabian, ICA, 19 October
- Before I Forget [Avant que j'oublie], 2007, d. Jacques Nolot, Peccadillo Pictures, 26 October

- District 13: Ultimatum [Banlieue 13: Ultimatum], 2009, d. Patrick Alessandrin, Momentum, also on Blu-ray, 26 October
- Drag Me to Hell, 2009, d. Sam Raimi, Lionsgate, also on Blu-ray, 26 October
* Ip Man, 2008, d. Wilson Yip, Shadowbox, also on Blu-ray, 26 October
- Jiang hû [Blood Brothers], 2004, d. Wong Ching-Po, Palisades Tartan, 26 October
- Mad, Sad & Bad, 2009, d. Avie Luthra, Soda, 26 October
- Public Enemies, 2009, d. Michael Mann, Universal, also on Blu-ray, 26 October
- Three Blind Mice, 2008, d. Matthew Newton, Soda Picutres, 26 October
- True Blood, Season 1, 2008, Warner, also on Blu-ray, 26 October
- Boogie, 2008, d. Radu Muntean, Dogwoof Pictures, 2 November
- Christiane F., 1981, d. Uli Edel, Arrow Films, 2 November

- I Sell the Dead, 2008, d. Glenn McQuaid, Anchor Bay, also on Blu-ray, 2 November
- Shank, 2009, d. Simon Pearce, TLA Releasing, 2 November
- The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, 2009, d. Rebecca Miller, Icon, 2 November
- Arranged, 2007, d. Diane Crespo, Stefan C. Schaefer, Soda Pictures, 9 November
- The Gold Diggers, 1983, d. Sally Potter, BFI, 9 November
- Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life, 1995, d. The Quay Brothers, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 9 November
- London Story, 1980, d. Sally Potter, BFI, 9 November
- Playing Away, 1987, d. Horace Ové, BFI, 9 November
- La vallée, 1972, d. Barbet Schroeder, BFI, 9 November
- Young Soul Rebels, 1991, d. Isaac Julien, BFI, 9 November

- Burma VJ, 2008, d. Anders Østergaard, Dogwoof, 16 November
- For All Mankind, 1989, d. Al Reinert, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, also on Blu-ray, 16 November
- Soul Power, 2008, d. Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, also on Blu-ray, 16 November
- Antichrist, 2009, d. Lars von Trier, Artificial Eye, also on Blu-ray, 23 November
- Coco Before Chanel [Coco avant Chanel], 2009, d. Anne Fontaine, Optimum Releasing, also on Blu-ray, 23 November
- Indochine, 1992, d. Régis Wargnier, Arrow Films, 23 November
- Orphan, 2009, d. Jaume Collet-Serra, Optimum Releasing, also on Blu-ray, 30 November
- All Over Me, 1997, d. Alex Sichel, Peccadillo Pictures, 7 December
- Thirst, 2009, d. Park Chan-wook, Palisades Tartan, 28 December
- The Hurt Locker, 2008, d. Kathryn Bigelow, Lionsgate, also on Blu-ray, 28 December

- Mesrine: Killer Instinct [L'instinct de la mort], 2008, d. Jean-François Richet, Momentum, also on Blu-ray, 28 December
- The Burmese Harp, 1956, d. Kon Ichikawa, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, 18 January 2010
- Cloud 9 [Wolke 9], 2008, d. Andreas Dresen, Soda Pictures, 25 January 2010
- À nos amours, 1983, d. Maurice Pialat, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, 15 February 2010
- Home, 2008, d. Ursula Meier, Soda Pictures, 29 March 2010
- Soi Cowboy, 2008, d. Thomas Clay, Network, 31 March 2010

Blu-ray

* 9 Songs, 2004, d. Michael Winterbottom, Optimum, 20 July
* Brick, 2005, d. Rian Johnson, Optimum, 20 July
* Elephant, 2003, d. Gus Van Sant, Optimum, 20 July
* The Grifters, 1990, d. Stephen Frears, Studio Canal/Optimum, 20 July
* The Pianist, 2002, d. Roman Polanski, Studio Canal/Optimum, 20 July
* Redacted, 2007, d. Brian De Palma, Optimum, 20 July
* Switchblade Romance [Haute tension/High Tension], 2003, d. Alexandre Aja, Optimum, 20 July
* Bill Douglas Trilogy [My Childhood / My Ain Folk / My Way Home], d. Bill Douglas, BFI, 27 July
* Gangster No. 1, 2000, d. Paul McGuigan, Film4, 27 July
- Bad Boy Bubby, 1993, d. Rolf de Heer, Eureka, 3 August

* Blue Thunder, 1983, d. John Badham, Sony, 3 August
- Go, 1999, d. Doug Liman, Sony, 3 August
* Angel Heart, 1987, d. Alan Parker, Studio Canal/Optimum, 17 August
* La haine, 1995, d. Mathieu Kassovitz, Studio Canal/Optimum, 17 August
- Near Dark, 1987, d. Kathryn Bigelow, Studio Canal/Optimum, 17 August
- Labyrinth, 1986, d. Jim Henson, Sony, 31 August
- Withnail and I, 1987, d. Bruce Robinson, Anchor Bay, 31 August
- Punch-Drunk Love, 2002, d. Paul Thomas Anderson, Sony, 7 September
- Finding Nemo, d. Andrew Stanton, Disney, 8 September
- Angel-A, 2005, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, 14 September

- Hero, 2002, d. Zhang Yimou, Miramax, 14 September
- Léon [The Professional], 1994, d. Luc Besson, Studio Canal/Optimum, 14 September
- The Black Shield of Falworth, 1954, d. Rudolph Maté, Eureka, 21 September
- The Dam Busters, 1954, d. Michael Anderson, Studio Canal/Optimum, 21 September
- Dead Man's Shoes, 2004, d. Shane Meadows, in2Film, 21 September
- Shaolin Soccer, 2001, d. Stephen Chow, Optimum, 21 September
* L'année dernière à Marienbad [Last Year at Marienbad], 1961, d. Alain Resnais, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* Belle de jour, 1967, d. Luis Buñuel, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* The Deer Hunter, 1978, d. Michael Cimino, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* The Go-Between, 1970, d. Joseph Losey, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September

* The Ladykillers, 1955, d. Alexander Mackendrick, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum [Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum oder: Wie Gewalt entstehen und wohin sie führen kann], 1975, d. Volker Schlöndorff, Margarethe von Trotta, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* Le mépris [Contempt], 1963, d. Jean-Luc Godard, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* Ran, 1985, d. Akira Kurosawa, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
- Beaufort, 2007, d. Joseph Cedar, Trinity, 5 October
- I'm Not There, 2007, d. Todd Haynes, Paramount, 5 October
- Import/Export, 2007, d. Ulrich Seidl, Trinity, 5 October
- The Long Good Friday, 1980, d. John Mackenzie, Anchor Bay, 5 October
- Cabaret, 1972, d. Bob Fosse, Fremantle, 10 October
- The 39 Steps, 1935, d. Alfred Hitchcock, ITV, 12 October

- All Quiet on the Western Front, 1979, d. Delbert Mann, ITV, 12 October
- Bridget Jones's Diary, 2001, d. Sharon Maguire, Universal, 12 October
- Dances with Wolves, 1990, d. Kevin Costner, Warner, 12 October
- Hamlet, 1948, d. Laurence Olivier, ITV, 12 October
- Henry V, 1944, d. Laurence Olivier, ITV, 12 October
- Grizzly Man, 2005, d. Werner Herzog, Revolver, 19 October
- Night of the Living Dead, 1968, d. George A. Romero, Network, 19 October
- The Red Balloon [Le ballon rouge], 1956, d. Albert Lamorisse, Network, 19 October
- The White Diamond, 2004, d. Werner Herzog, Revolver, 19 October
* Wolf, 1994, d. Mike Nichols, Sont, 19 October

- Dawn of the Dead, 1978, d. George A. Romero, Arrow Films, 26 October
- The Leopard [Il gattopardo], 1963, d. Luchino Visconti, BFI, 9 November
- North by Northwest, 1959, d. Alfred Hitchcock, Warner, 16 November
- Hamburger Hill, 1987, d. John Irvin, Lionsgate, 7 December
- Cinema Paradiso, 1988, d. Giuseppe Tornatore, Arrow, 11 January 2010

New York Film Festival line-up, 2009

Yesterday the New York Film Festival announced their prestigious line-up, all of which only serves to give the high profile international releases of the year their premiere in the States. This year is heavily populated by European auteurs, and only three American films will screen (Life During Wartime, Don Argott's doc The Art of the Steal, Ilisa Barish and Lucien Castaing-Taylor's Sweetgrass and Lee Daniels' Precious, which will have played at nearly every single major festival in 2009 before Lionsgate throws it onto theatres with a giant Oscar push in November). The line-up is listed below:

- 36 Views of Saint-Loup Peak [36 vues du Pic Saint-Loup] - d. Jacques Rivette
- Antichrist - d. Lars von Trier
- The Art of the Steal - d. Don Argott
- Bluebeard [La barbe bleue] - d. Catherine Breillat
- Broken Embraces [Los abrazos rotos] - d. Pedro Almodóvar
- Crossroads of Youth - d. An Jong-hwa (the oldest surviving Korean film)
- Eccentricites of a Blonde [Singularidades de uma Rapariga Loira] - d. Manoel de Oliviera
- Everyone Else [Alle Anderen] - d. Maren Ade
- Ghost Town - d. Zhao Dayong
- Hadewijch - d. Bruno Dumont
- Independencia - d. Raya Martin
- Inferno [L'enfer d'Henri-Georges Clouzot] - d. Serge Bromberg, Ruxandra Medrea
- Kanikosen - d. Sabu
- Lebanon - d. Samuel Maoz
- Life During Wartime - d. Todd Solondz
- Min Yé - d. Souleymane Cissé
- Mother - d. Bong Joon-ho
- Ne change rien - d. Pedro Costa
- Police, Adjective [Politist, adjectiv] - d. Corneliu Porumboiu
- Precious - d. Lee Daniels
- Room and a Half - d. Andrey Khrzhanovsky
- Sweetgrass - d. Ilisa Barish, Lucien Castaing-Taylor
- Sweet Rush [Tatarak] - d. Andrzej Wajda
- To Die Like a Man [Morrer Como Um Homem] - d. João Pedro Rodrigues
- Vincere - d. Marco Bellocchio
- White Material - d. Claire Denis
- The White Ribbon [Das weiße Band] - d. Michael Haneke
- Wild Grass [Les herbes folles] - d. Alain Resnais
- The Wizard of Oz - d. Victor Fleming, 70th Anniversary

8 of the films above are going in with US distribution (I'm not counting The Wizard of Oz, which will receive a special anniversary DVD and Blu-ray release in November): 3 from Sony (Broken Embraces, Wild Grass, The White Ribbon), 3 from IFC (Vincere, Police, Adjective, Antichrist), 1 from Lionsgate (Precious) and 1 from Seagull Films (Room and a Half).

New Denis, Rivette, Ferrara, Chéreau, Akin, Sequels to Repo Man, Tetsuo at Venice 09

The official Venice Film Festival line-up was announced today in Italy with some very exciting prospects, not least of which the latest from Claire Denis and Jacques Rivette. The fest will show their national spirit by opening with (groan) Giuseppe Tornatore's latest Baarìa (in other Tornatore news, did you know Miramax remade Everybody's Fine with Robert De Niro, Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore and Kate Beckinsale? It'll be out later this year). A number of the films announced will also screen at this year's Toronto. I suspect Toronto might have been waiting for Venice's announcement to add the final details to their roster. My long-shot of a hope that Sébastien Lifshitz's Plein sud would premiere there didn't happen (its release has also been moved to December in France), but otherwise, 2009 has been a pretty promising year at the big festivals. If that's only by name and/or prestige, I can't say... But can we at least expect an Abel Ferrara/Werner Herzog showdown in Venice this year?

In Competition

- 36 vues du Pic Saint-Loup - d. Jacques Rivette - w. Jane Birkin, Sergio Castellitto, Jacques Bonnaffé, André Marcon
- Accident - Cheang Pou-Soi (Dog Bite Dog)
- Baarìa, la porta del vento - d. Giuseppe Tornatore - w. Monica Bellucci, Raoul Bova, Ángela Molina
- Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - d. Werner Herzog
- Between Two Worlds - Vimukthi Jayasundara (The Foresaken Land)
- Capitalism: A Love Story - d. Michael Moore
- La doppia ora - d. Giuseppe Capotondi (directorial debut) - w. Filippo Timi
- Il grande sogno - d. Michele Placido (Romanzo criminale) - w. Riccardo Scamarcio, Laura Morante
- Lebanon - d. Samuel Maoz
- Life During Wartime - d. Todd Solondz
- Lourdes - d. Jessica Hausner - w. Sylvie Testud, Bruno Todeschini, Léa Seydoux
- Mr. Nobody - d. Jaco van Dormael (Le huitième jour, Toto le héros) - w. Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Rhys Ifans
- Persécution - d. Patrice Chéreau - w. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Romain Duris, Jean-Hughes Anglade
- Prince of Tears - Yonfan (Bishonen)
- The Road - d. John Hillcoat (The Proposition) - w. Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall, Michael K. Williams, Molly Parker, Garret Dillahunt
- A Single Man - d. Tom Ford (yes, the designer) - w. Julianne Moore, Colin Firth, Matthew Goode, Gennifer Goodwin
- Soul Kitchen - d. Fatih Akin - w. Birol Ünel, Moritz Bleibtreu
- Lo spazio bianco - d. Francesca Comencini (Visions of Europe) - w. Margherita Buy, Salvatore Cantalupo
- Survival of the Dead - d. George A. Romero - w. Kenneth Welsh, Devon Bostick (really, in competition?)
- Tetsuo: The Bullet Man - d. Shinya Tsukamoto
- The Traveller - Ahmed Maher
- White Material - d. Claire Denis - w. Isabelle Huppert, Isaach De Bankolé, Christopher Lambert, Nicolas Duvauchelle
- Women Without Men - d. Shirin Neshat

Out of Competition

- [REC] 2 - d. Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza
- Anni luce - d. Francesco Maselli (L'amore in città)
- Chengdu, I Love You - d. Fruit Chan, Cui Jian
- The Hole - d. Joe Dante (Gremlins, The 'burbs) - w. Bruce Dern, Teri Polo
- The Informant! - d. Steven Soderbergh
- The Men Who Stare at Goats - d. Grant Heslov (HBO's Unscripted) - w. Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Stephen Lang
- Napoli Napoli Napoli - d. Abel Ferrara
- L'oro di Cuba - d. Giuliano Montaldo (Sacco & Vanzetti)
- Prove per una tragedia Siciliana - d. John Turturro, Roman Paska
- Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story - d. Yousry Nasrallah (La porte du soleil)
- South of the Border - d. Oliver Stone
- Yona Yona Penguin - d. Rintaro (Metropolis)

Midnight Movies

- Brooklyn's Finest - d. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) - w. Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Lili Taylor, Ellen Barkin, Will Patton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Brian F. O'Byrne
- Delhi-6 - d. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
- Dev D - d. Anurag Kashyap
- Gulaal - d. Anurag Kashyap
- Valhalla Rising - d. Nicolas Winding Refn (the Pusher series) - w. Mads Mikkelsen, Jamie Sives

Horizons

- 1428 - d. Du Haibin (China)
- Adrift - d. Bui Thac Chuyên (Vietnam)
- Buried Secrets - d. Raja Amari (Satin Rouge, Tunisia)
- Il colore delle parole - d. Marco Simon Puccioni (Riparo, Italy)
- Cow - d. Guan Hu (China)
- Crush - d. Pyotr Buslov, Aleksei German Jr., Boris Khlebnikov, Kirill Serebrennikov, Ivan Vrypayev (Russia)
- Engkwentro - d. Pepe Diokno (Philippines)
- Francesca - d. Bobby Paunescu (Romania) - w. Luminita Gheorghiu
- I Travel Because I Have To, I Come Back Because I Love You - d. Marcelo Gomes (Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus), Karim Ainouz (Brazil)
- Insolacao - d. Daniela Thomas, Felipe Hirsch (Brazil)
- Io sono l'amore [I Am Love] - d. Luca Guadagnino (Melissa P.) - w. Tilda Swinton
- Judge - Liu Jie (China)
- The Man's Woman and Other Stories - d. Amit Dutta (India)
- Once Upon a Time Proletarian: 12 Tales of a Country - d. Guo Xiaolu (China)
- The One All Alone - d. Frank Scheffer (Netherlands)
- One-Zero - d. Kamla Abou Zekry (Egypt)
- Paraiso - d. Héctor Gálvez (Peru)
- Pepperminta - d. Pipilotti Rist (Switzerland) - w. Sabine Timoteo
- Repo Chick - d. Alex Cox (U.S.)
- Tender Parasites [Zarte Parasiten] - d. Christian Becker, Oliver Schwabe (Germany)
- Toto - d. Peter Schreiner (Austria)
- Tris di donne e abiti nunziali - d. Martina Gedeck (Italy)
- Villalobos - d. Romuald Karmakar (Deutschland 09, Germany)

There were a few more events named, including some stuff from Werner Herzog, Aleksandr Sokurov, Tinto Brass and Phillip Haas. There was also a New Italian Cinema Trends side-bar that I didn't post -- but you can get the titles via Variety. I'll post more when I hear of it.

Le mépris, Ran and Others on Blu-ray in the UK This Fall

Despite the bad news that Criterion's planned Blu-rays of Jean-Luc Godard' Contempt [Le mépris] and Akira Kurosawa's Ran were scrapped due to the loss of rights, Optimum Releasing in the UK has both, plus a bunch of other exciting titles, set for a Blu-ray release in September. The other titles include: David Lynch's The Elephant Man, Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad [L'année dernière à Marienbad], Luis Buñuel's Belle de jour, Joseph Losey's The Go-Between (which isn't even out on DVD in the US), Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter, Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta's The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum [Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum oder: Wie Gewalt entstehen und wohin sie führen kann], Luc Besson's Le dernier combat, Angel-A, Léon: The Professional, Le grand bleu [The Big Blue], Atlantis, Subway and Nikita [La femme Nikita].

In August, Optimum will be releasing Blu-rays of Mathieu Kassovitz's La haine, Alan Parker's Angel Heart and Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark; in July, Alexandre Aja's Haute tension (which is called Switchblade Romance in the UK), Roman Polanski's The Pianist, Michael Winterbottom's 9 Songs, Rian Johnson's Brick, Gus Van Sant's Elephant and Stephen Frears' The Grifters. Apparently, the UK is the place for great international cinema in high def.

Also, thanks to Eric for the heads up, Artificial Eye in the UK is releasing a Jacques Rivette box-set, which includes La belle noiseuse, Secret défense and Jeanne la Pucelle I and II. This may be the first official release of the uncut version of Jeanne, but that has yet to be confirmed.

2 Films by Eduardo de Gregorio, DVD Update

Les Films du paradoxe are releasing two films directed by Eduardo de Gregorio, frequent co-screenwriter for Jacques Rivette, on 18 June: Sérail [Surreal Estate] and La mémoire courte [Short Memory]. I mentioned the releases before, but now I have cover artwork for both. I still can't find any specifics of the releases, but I'd expect not to find English subtitles on either one... but then again, you never know. Another notable release from Les Films du paradoxe for 2009 is Werner Schroeter's 1996 documentary Poussières d'amour, in which Isabelle Huppert and Carole Bouquet interview some of the director's favorite opera singers. Check this link for more titles; the links for the two de Gergorio films above include their trailers.