A Zed and Two Noughts

[MichaelB]

A Zed and Two Noughts



A car collides with a swan outside a zoo. Two women passengers die but the driver, Alba Bewick survives with a leg amputation. Obsessed with the accident, the zoologist husbands of the dead women - twins Oliver and Oswald, become fascinated by the processes of decay and embark on an affair with the amputee.

As dead animals decompose to the playful rhythms of Michael Nyman, symmetry is elevated beyond obsession, and Sascha Vierny's cinematography pays homage to Vermeer. Full of surprises and magnificent conundrums, Peter Greenaway's third feature is as perversely comic and teasing as it is shocking.

Blu-ray extras:
- Full feature commentary with director Peter Greenaway
- Video introduction by Peter Greenaway (7 minutes)
- Extracts from ?O, Zoo! (Philip Hoffman, 1986, 7 minutes)
- Original theatrical trailer (3 Minutes)
- The Sea in Their Blood (Peter Greenaway, 1983, 28 minutes). Rarely seen COI film exploring Britains coastline. With music by Michael Nyman
- A fully illustrated booklet featuring film notes, biography, review and interview

DVD extras:
- Filmed introduction by Peter Greenaway
- Feature commentary by Peter Greenaway
- Behind-the-scenes footage
- Theatrical trailers for A Zed & Two Noughts and The Draughtsman's Contract
- Hidden features
- Optional subtitles in French and Dutch
- Menus in English and French

[colinr0380]

Peter Greenaway's third feature (and the first to be shot on 35mm by the late great Sacha Vierny) is now confirmed as a Blu-ray release on 23 August.

I'll confirm specs when they've been made available.

Yay! As an extra enticement to anyone thinking about picking this up Greenaway in his commentary on the DVD stated that one of the things that he and Vierny wanted to do was to have have every single scene filmed in a different way - so outdoors at different times of day, fluorescents, strobing of camera flashes, white bathroom tiles that turn slightly red when the woman in the red dress enters, by sparks from cutting equipment, flicker from a projector, and so on. All leading to the attempt to film by the light of a rainbow in the final scene!

So a Blu-Ray edition should only help to emphasise this aspect of the film!

[ola t]

Play.com says the Blu-Ray will include Greenaway's 1983 documentary The Sea in Their Blood.

[Cash Flagg]

They also say Region O, I hope that turns out to be correct.

[RossyG]

Is this the BFI's first ever Blu Ray only release?

If so, a lovely choice.

EDIT: D'oh! Just remembered. They released this on DVD in the mid-Noughties, didn't they? Silly me!

[MichaelB]

Is this the BFI's first ever Blu Ray only release?

If so, a lovely choice.

EDIT: D'oh! Just remembered. They released this on DVD in the mid-Noughties, didn't they? Silly me!

They did indeed. The BFI currently has no plans to go Blu-ray only, but a selected number of high-profile titles from its DVD back catalogue are being reissued on Blu - another one being The Edge of the World.

[Jeff]

a selected number of high-profile titles from its DVD back catalogue are being reissued on Blu - another one being The Edge of the World.

Anxiously awaiting the region coding info on Zed and Edge.

[MichaelB]

A Zed and Two Noughts is definitely region-free - the BFI Production Board backed it in the first place, so that was always a pretty safe bet.

The region status of The Edge of the World has yet to be confirmed - I'll let you know as soon as I find out myself.

[MichaelB]

Full specs announced:

A Zed & Two Noughts
A film by Peter Greenaway

Peter Greenaway followed his international arthouse hit The Draughtsman’s Contract with this extraordinary tale of obsession. Released by the BFI in a new High Definition transfer on Blu-ray, it includes a full feature commentary with the director.

A car collides with a swan outside a zoo. Two women passengers die but the driver, Alba Bewick (Andréa Ferréol), survives with a leg amputation. Obsessed with the accident, the zoologist husbands of the dead women – twins Oliver and Oswald (Eric and Brian Deacon) – become fascinated by the processes of decay and embark on an affair with the amputee.

As dead animals decompose to the playful rhythms of Michael Nyman, symmetry is elevated beyond obsession, and Sascha Vierny’s cinematography pays homage to Vermeer.

Full of surprises and magnificent conundrums, Peter Greenaway’s third feature is as perversely comic and teasing as it is shocking.

This Blu-ray release also includes a Peter Greenaway short, The Sea in Their Blood (1983), a rarely seen COI film exploring Britain’s coastline, with music by Michael Nyman.

Special features

* New High Definition transfer

* Full feature commentary with director Peter Greenaway

* Video introduction by Peter Greenaway

* Extracts from ?O, Zoo! (Philip Hoffman, 1986, 7 mins)

* Original theatrical trailer (3 mins)

* The Sea in Their Blood (Peter Greenaway, 1983, 28 mins). Rarely seen COI film exploring Britain’s coastline, with music by Michael Nyman

* Illustrated 26-page booklet featuring film notes, biography, review and interview

Release date: 23 August 2010
RRP: £19.99 / cat. no. BFIB1061 / cert 15
UK, Netherlands / 1985 / colour / English, optional subtitles for the hard-of-hearing /
117 mins / original aspect ratio 1.66:1 / BD50 / 1080p / 24fps /
PCM stereo audio (48k/24-bit) / Region free

[MichaelB]

I watched The Sea in Their Blood last night, and loved it - you can just about discern the original COI brief to make a film about activities around Britain's coastline, but you'd guess the director (and composer) in a matter of seconds.

Much like Patrick Keiller's later essay-films, to which it bears a more than glancing resemblance, especially in its constant use of presumably genuine but mad-sounding statistics, it's a piece that's so gloriously, eccentrically English that it's hard to imagine something similar emerging from another culture. Especially not in the form of a government-funded propaganda documentary.

[Tommaso]

Is that film also known by the simple title "Coastline" (imdb)? If so, I've seen it many years ago on TV and it was another fine example of the typical Greenaway wit.

[MichaelB]

Yup, that's the one. And I'll be posting an extract on YouTube over the next few days - I've just secured the necessary permissions.

[MichaelB]

As promised - four highly representative minutes of The Sea in Their Blood, as a teaser for the full 28-minute version.

[MichaelB]

Mondo Digital:

However, the ultimate edition for both Greenaway fanatics and newcomers is easily the BFI's Blu-Ray edition, which leaps forward considerably on the image quality front with a staggering transfer that reveals levels of detail imperceptible even in theatrical screenings. You can clearly read even the tiniest newsprint in the various clippings throughout the film, clearly see the operation scars on the twins' arms, and make out quirky little details even in the darkest and deepest of the film's complicated, eye-catching compositions. Colors are also extremely naturalistc and impressive, particularly the "lady in a red hat" taken from one of Vermeer's more familiar works.

[bigP]

And Beaver. This looks absolutely stunning.

[MichaelB]

It's probably worth mentioning that this is a new telecine and HD encode that was created specifically for the Blu-ray, so a number of issues with the old DVD transfer have been dealt with. The grading is in accordance with Greenaway's own instructions.

[Finch]

I avoid Greenaway's films like the plague but even I have to concede that this release looks sensational. If you want to show your friends and family what gobsmacking results high definition can achieve with older (colour) films, this is surely going to join the likes of Zulu and The Red Shoes among the top demo discs.

[Tommaso]

Indeed! I always thought that the dvd was a really nice transfer, but this comparison at the Beaver finally convinced me that there certainly IS something about Blu Ray. That doesn't mean I'll switch to the format any time soon (simply can't afford all the necessary investments currently), but if I finally take the plunge, be sure that this disc will be among my very first purchases. It seems to look unbelievably great.

Now, can the BFI please do something for the remaining Greenaway films? First priority would be a decent version of "The Pillow Book", but some of his 80s shorts are also still missing, alongside with later efforts like "Darwin" or "Rosa - A Horse Drama". Always assuming that the Swedish releases of "Prospero" and "Macon" are actually appearing and are well done...

[jsteffe]

I wonder whether Zeitgeist will be putting out a Blu-ray of A Zed and Two Noughts in the U.S. now that the BFI has created this luscious new HD transfer?

[colinr0380]

Unfortunately I don't think the BFI was involved with The Pillow Book (on imdb it says Channel 4/Studio Canal/Eurimages and Kees Kasanders Production company), nor for Prospero's Books (which has similar credits) and Baby of Macon (though this one states Channel 4 and CiBy Films). I think Zed and Two Noughts is the last BFI-related Greenaway film before the move to other producers.

But hopefully some of the earlier films might turn up!

[Tommaso]

You're right, of course. But if the BFI can license films from Shochiku, why not from Kasander?

[tavernier]

I wonder whether Zeitgeist will be putting out a Blu-ray of A Zed and Two Noughts in the U.S. now that the BFI has created this luscious new HD transfer?

I asked, and the response:

Right now – we have no eminent blu-ray plans for this one; but it is something for us to keep in mind for the future

[RossyG]

Right now – we have no eminent blu-ray plans for this one...

Perhaps they have some less distinguished Blu Ray plans for it.

[MichaelB]

The BFI disc should be 100% compatible with all Blu-ray players and the pound is pretty weak right now, so does it really matter?

[tavernier]

You're right, it doesn't matter--especially since Zeitgeist basically said no.