Tweet
'Flipside is not just a dynamite DVD label, but a goldmine of great British cinema.'
Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising)
On 17 January the critically acclaimed BFI Flipside label presents another selection of rare and little-seen features from the hidden history of British cinema - all newly mastered from film materials preserved by the BFI National Archive.
Made available in the BFI's trademark Dual Format Editions (which include DVD and Blu-ray in the same box, for the same price as a DVD) are Barney Platts-Mills' follow-up to Bronco Bullfrog, Private Road (1971), starring Bruce Robinson and Susan Penhaligon, and a double bill of mind-blowing films from Joseph Despins and William Dumaresq, Duffer (1971) and The Moon Over the Alley (1975).
Private Road
Barney Platts-Mills' stylish and compelling follow-up to Bronco Bullfrog (released by BFI Flipside in September) relocates the youthful struggle for social and personal freedom to 1970s Boho London, suburban Surrey and rural Scotland.
When Peter, a handsome author pausing from finishing his first novel (and played by Bruce Robinson who would go on to write and direct Withnail & I) shacks up with sugar-sweet receptionist Ann (Susan Penhaligon), sex, drugs, and some rigorous rural living ensue, to the dismay of Ann's well-to-do parents. Soon, however, they are forced to choose between domestic conformity and individual fulfilment.
Special features
-Two never-before-released extras, sourced from the BFI National Archive:
-St Christopher (1967, 48 mins): Barney Platts-Mills' affecting observational documentary about the education of mentally handicapped youngsters
-The Last Chapter (David Tringham, 1974, 29 mins): dark tale in which a successful middle-aged writer (Denholm Elliot) is unbalanced by an assured young fan (Private Road's Susan Penhaligon)
Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
Illustrated booklet with newly commissioned essays and reviews
Duffer and The Moon Over the Alley
An intense and bizarre study of obsession that is by turns lyrical and disconcerting, Duffer tells the deranged story of a teenage boy torn between the womanly charms of a kindly prostitute, and the relentless, sadistic attentions of an older man.
The Moon Over the Alley, from the writer-director team behind Duffer, explores the problems of the multicultural residents in a Notting Hill boarding house. Dark and disturbing, yet dreamlike and tender, this astonishing film includes surreal musical numbers by the award-winning composer of Hair, Galt MacDermot. It was unequivocally praised by the late Alexander Walker, legendary Evening Standard film critic, who proclaimed that 'it deserves immense popularity' when it was originally released.
These unique, rarely-seen films are newly mastered from prints held in the BFI National Archive and released here for the very first time.
Special features
-Both films presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
-Illustrated booklet with newly commissioned essays by Stephen Thrower and Rob Young, and Joseph Despins' personal recollections of making the two films
-The RRP for BFI Dual Format Edition titles is £19.99. The next Flipside releases, in April 2011, will be Lunch Hour (1961) by James Hill and Joanna (1968) by Mike Sarne.
Technical details
Private Road (Flipside 014) Cat no: BFIB1065 / UK / 1971 / Cert 15 / colour / English language (optional hard-of-hearing subtitles) / 89 mins / Original aspect ratio 1.85:1 // Disc 1: BD50 / 1080p / 24fps / PCM mono audio (48k/24-bit) Region 0 // Disc 2: DVD9 / PAL / PCM mono audio (48k/16-bit) (Extras Dolby Digital 320kbps) / Region 0
Duffer and The Moon Over the Alley (Flipside 015) Cat no: BFIB1083 / UK / 1971 + 1975 / Cert 15 / black and white / English language (optional hard-of-hearing subtitles) / 75 mins + 108 mins / Original aspect ratio 1.33:1 // Disc 1: BD50 / 1080p / 24fps / PCM mono audio (48k/24-bit) / Region 0 // Disc 2: DVD9 / PAL / PCM mono audio (320kbps) / Region 0
About BFI Flipside
Developed from its popular monthly screening slot at BFI Southbank, the BFI's Flipside series is designed to revisit and reappraise British films that have slipped through the cracks of cinema history - films that were overlooked, marginalised, or undervalued at the original time of release, or which sit outside the established canon of recognised classics.
BFI Flipside titles are all newly mastered to High Definition from original film elements, and are presented with rare and fascinating special features, including previously unavailable short films, documentaries and archival interviews, many of which are preserved in the BFI National Archive. Each title comes in collectable numbered packaging and is accompanied by an extensive illustrated booklet with insightful contributions from special guest writers, often including the filmmakers themselves.
About the BFI
The BFI is the nation's cultural organisation for film, keeping the breadth of voices in moving image culture alive and known. Through its venues, festivals, film releases and online, the BFI inspires people to understand and enjoy film culture, ensuring that everyone in the UK can see the broadest range and choice of films, otherwise not provided by commercial cinema. The BFI reaches an audience of over 7.5 million in the UK every year.