Camera Obscura: The Walerian Borowczyk Collection [Dual Format Blu-ray + DVD]

From the Arrowfilms Website:

"Synopsis:This groundbreaking collection brings together Walerian Borowczyk’s key films from a twenty-five-year period stretching from 1959 through to 1984.

This unique release includes five of Borowczyk’s provocative feature films: Theatre de M et Mme Kabal, Goto, l’ile d’amour, Blanche, Contes Immoraux and La Bete as well as his groundbreaking short films from this period.

Not only are many of these films available on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time, but also in new digital high definition restorations approved by the director’s widow, Ligia Branice.

In addition to exclusive documentaries featuring cast and crew, an hour long portrait of Borowczyk is to be included, featuring the director’s musings on painting, animation and sex.

Accompanying this seminal release is a book edited by Borowczyk experts Daniel Bird and Michael Brooke featuring newly commissioned essays on Borowczyk’s films and art, as well as an account of the meticulous restoration process involved.

To round off the release is, for the first time, an English translation of Borowczyk’s 1992 collection of short stories, Anatomy of the Devil, translated by the director’s assistant, Michael Levy.

Arrow Academy’s Walerian Borowczyk Collection is a vital addition to anyone interested in either world cinema, animation or experimental film.

LIMITED EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
•Brand new 2K restorations of Borowczyk films
•High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the films and extras.

THE SHORT FILMS & THEATRE OF MR AND MRS KABAL
•Introduction by filmmaker Terry Gilliam
•Film is not a Sausage: Borowczyk’s Short Films – A new interview programme featuring Borowczyk, producer Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin, assistant André Heinrich and composer Bernard Parmegiani
•Blow Ups – A new visual essay by Daniel Bird concerning Borowczyk’s works on paper
•Borowczyk’s commercials

GOTO, ISLE OF LOVE
•Introduction by artist and Turner Prize nominee Craigie Horsfield
•The Concentration Universe: Goto, Isle of Love – A new interview programme featuring actor Jean-Pierre Andréani, co-writer Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin, cameraman Noël Véry and camera assistant Jean-Pierre Platel
•The Profligate Door – A new documentary about Borowczyk’s sound sculptures featuring curator Maurice Corbet

BLANCHE
•Introduction by director Leslie Megahey
•Ballad of Imprisonment: Blanche – A new interview programme featuring producer Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin, assistant director André Heinrich, camera operator Noël Véry and assistant Patrice Leconte
•Obscure Pleasures: A Portrait of Walerian Borowczyk – A newly edited archival interview in which Borowczyk discusses painting, cinema and sex
•Gun Point – A documentary short by Peter Graham produced and edited by Borowczyk

IMMORAL TALES
•Introduction by Borowczyk expert Daniel Bird
•Immoral Tales: L’Age d’Or Cut – featuring a fifth episode, The True Story of the Beast of Gévaudan
•Love Reveals Itself: Immoral Tales – A new interview programme featuring production manager Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin and cinematographer Noël Véry
•Boro Brunch: A reunion meal recorded in February 2014 re-uniting members of Borowczyk’s crew, featuring Philippe D’Argila, Florence Dauman, Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin, Dominique Ruspoli, Noël Véry and Zoe Zurstrassen
•A Private Collection
•A Private Collection: Oberhausen Cut

THE BEAST
•Introduction by critic Peter Bradshaw
•The Making of The Beast: Camera operator Noël Véry provides a commentary on footage shot during the making of The Beast
•Frenzy of Ecstasy – A new visual essay on the evolution of Borowczyk’s beast and the sequel that never was, Motherhood
•Venus on the Half Shell

CAMERA OBSCURA [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
•A generously illustrated book edited by Daniel Bird and Michael Brooke featuring new essays, landmark articles by Raymond Durgnat, Philip Strick, Patrice Leconte, David Thompson and Chris Newby, Boro’s Dictionary, an account of the restoration of Borowczyk films and Anatomy of the Devil, a collection of Borowczyk’s short stories translated from the original French by the filmmaker’s assistant, Michael Levy

LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES

DETAILS:
Region: B/2
Cat No: FCD923
Duration: TBC
Language: TBC
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: TBC
Audio: TBC
Colour: Colour"

arrowfilms and daniel bird are to be congratulated on presenting this fantastic collection of the works of a master of erotic cinema par excellence. from early shorts, to television commercials via a scandalous feature film centered on beastiality and (arguably) petering out towards the end of his life with pure exploitations films, walerian 'boro' borowczyk, has been critically categorized as everything from a 'pretentious hack' to a 'failed pornographer.' finally, a home video company takes the stance that 'boro' and his body of works should be taken seriously and presented as such. the prints for all the films and shorts are remarkably well restored, the documentaries are informative and thought-provoking, and the accompanying book is a luxurious delight. sadly, and proabably due to licensing reasons that defy reason; this box set is cannot bear the title 'the complete walerian borowczk collection', amongst the films absent from the collection is the (relatively well recieved) adaptation of andré pieyre de mandiargues' 'la marge,' and the amazing 'love rites.'