87 Weak Spot

Discuss releases by Radiance and the films on them
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Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

87 Weak Spot

#1 Post by Finch » Wed Oct 09, 2024 6:07 am

Image

Ugo Tognazzi (La grande bouffe) is an innocent playboy holiday rep in Greece who is picked up by two secret agents (Michel Piccoli, Le Mépris and Mario Adorf, The Italian Connection). Suspected of being part of an underground resistance, he is to be transported by the agents to Athens where he will be interrogated by superior officers. Their journey is the start of a cat-and-mouse game that beautifully plays on Tognazzi’s screen persona with the thrilling tension of Costa-Gavras’ Z. Newly restored in 4K by Studio Canal, Peter Fleischmann’s paranoid thriller is made available on Blu-ray for the first time.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

New 4K restoration from the original negative by Studio Canal

Uncompressed mono PCM audio

Audio commentary by critic Travis Woods (2024)

Archival TV interview with Michel Piccoli discussing Weak Spot (1975)

Soundtrack expert Lovely Jon discusses the Ennio Morricone score (2024)

Newly improved English subtitle translation

Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters

Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Kat Ellinger
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

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TMDaines
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:01 pm
Location: Stretford, Manchester

Re: 87 Weak Spot

#2 Post by TMDaines » Wed Oct 09, 2024 6:12 am

A film that has completely past me by, but that is 100% in my wheelhouse. The blurb is complete catnip.

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domino harvey
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Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: 87 Weak Spot

#3 Post by domino harvey » Wed Oct 09, 2024 8:06 am

Hey, I’ve seen this and it’s pretty good! Always nice to wake up in the middle of the Venn diagram between French films I like and Radiance releases

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rapta
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:04 pm
Location: Hants, UK

Re: 87 Weak Spot

#4 Post by rapta » Wed Oct 09, 2024 2:57 pm

Never heard of this, but the artwork, the setting and the premise have me very intrigued. The trailer sells it well.

PS: Also, how many times have Radiance now mentioned Costa-Gavras in their blurbs without announcing one of his films? Hopefully we're a little closer to them doing some actual Greek cinema too.

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domino harvey
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Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: 87 Weak Spot

#5 Post by domino harvey » Wed Oct 09, 2024 3:35 pm

Costa-Gavras’ Compartiment tueurs is such a no-brainer release for any boutique label that I can’t figure out why it hasn’t come from any of them yet. So maybe you’ll get your wish with that one (or as part of a double feature with the almost as stacked and even better Une homme de trop?)

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ryannichols7
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2012 2:26 pm

Re: 87 Weak Spot

#6 Post by ryannichols7 » Wed Oct 09, 2024 5:06 pm

rapta wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2024 2:57 pm
PS: Also, how many times have Radiance now mentioned Costa-Gavras in their blurbs without announcing one of his films? Hopefully we're a little closer to them doing some actual Greek cinema too.
I'm all in for any/all Costa-Gavras and Greek cinema. Greek cinema being so untapped by any anglophone boutique label is something I hope to see change too, there's surely a whole bunch of stuff I don't even know about that I'd love to discover... considering I had another request from my first post about this label fulfilled today, I hope this one soon will be too

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rapta
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:04 pm
Location: Hants, UK

Re: 87 Weak Spot

#7 Post by rapta » Wed Oct 09, 2024 6:36 pm

I'm confident Fran is aware of the blind spots, and someone like Angelopoulos has obviously come up a number of times, but perhaps licensors are harder to deal with than you may think (Angelopoulos was previously with Artificial Eye, so perhaps they're clinging onto them as they so often do). At one point he was trying to assemble a Greek 'Weird Wave' set, presumably of Lanthimos, Tsangari and their ilk, but he couldn't seem to figure it out yet. Hopefully next year? There was an article in the Poor Things issue of Little White Lies which mentioned many Greek films/filmmakers of the past that could be explored. Anyway, I'm sure they're being looked into, and we may get one or two things that work out (seems it sometimes takes a few years to actually pin something down).

Anyway, this European co-production looks fun, and the kind of discovery I want to make when following a label like Radiance. Honestly would have never probably seen this if they hadn't picked it up! Curious if this actually signifies a StudioCanal deal, or whether this was actually licensed through Gaumont (I think they might have the French rights at least). Either way, more of this please; bizarre unexpected gems from all corners of Europe (and beyond)!
domino harvey wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2024 3:35 pm
Costa-Gavras’ Compartiment tueurs is such a no-brainer release for any boutique label that I can’t figure out why it hasn’t come from any of them yet. So maybe you’ll get your wish with that one (or as part of a double feature with the almost as stacked and even better Une homme de trop?)
Coincidentally I had suggested that title a while back - Compartiment tueurs - when Fran had mentioned he had a number of films starring Trintignant, and it felt like the right fit. Might still be happening, as I have found out it has been restored, just not clear who the rights are with. Fingers crossed!

Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: 87 Weak Spot

#8 Post by Calvin » Thu Oct 10, 2024 2:07 am

It was a while ago now, but they tried for Angelopoulos as well as Nikos Koundouros' The Ogre of Athens and apparently received no response whatsoever.

There are new restorations now making some rounds, so hopefully they've checked their inbox in the interim, but Radiance have definitely had interest in releasing Greek cinema since the beginning.

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