NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Radiance Films Blu-ray (February 2023): Radiance Films have transferred Alain Cavalier's Fill 'er Up with Super to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "2K restoration of the film from the original negative". It is in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. The 1080P image quality is fairly flawless with stable, balanced, colors, some pleasing textures and is totally blemish free. It's a wonderfully clean authentic transfer (Gaumont sourced) with the modest interior light of low-budget filmmaking.

NOTE: We have added 32 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Radiance Films use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original French language. Fill 'er Up with Super has no demonstrative aggressive sequences aside from verbal conflict, humiliation etc. The score is by Etienne Chicot (Charles in Fill 'er Up with Super) - more notable as an actor (120+ credits) in such films as À l'aventure, Transsiberian, The Da Vinci Code etc. The rare musical interludes are almost non-existent and subtle but supports the moods of the film (thinking of the men together on the train) and all dialogue is clear via the uncompressed transfer. Radiance Films offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Radiance Films Blu-ray offers three 'interview' short films with the cast directed by Cavalier - all made in 2011. My Wife Lives in Fear has Etienne Chicot in conversation, It's Full is with Bernard Crombey and The King of Baby Bottles, spends time with Patrick Bouchitey. A variety of topics are broached - philosophy, growing old etc. all in a casual, honest, fashion. There is an excellent, English-language, appreciation of Fill 'Er Up with Super by Cahiers du Cinema deputy editor Charlotte Garson for shy of 1/2 hour. She talks about Fill 'Er Up with Super's timeless qualities - its initial dark qualities, the melancholy humor she finds in it and the male bonding going on in the story. She talks about Alain Cavalier's career, the director's feelings on the superficiality of modern cinema film forms, the devastating impact of the death of his wife, former Miss France, Irène Tunc, and much more. Lastly, is a 2019 video interview with star Bernard Crombey discussing his work on Fill 'Er Up with Super, his collaborators and his career entitled Friends First and Foremost - running almost 30-minutes. Radiance Films Blu-ray package has a reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters and a 28-page limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film; A World Without Women by Murielle Joudet, The Cavaliers of the Apocalypse* by Evelyne Caron-Lowins and an extract from an interview with Alain Cavalier, photos and film credits.

Alain Cavalier's Fill 'er Up with Super is unconventional, groundbreaking French auteur cinema; free-spirited, under-produced, experimental - focusing on men sharing and confiding with each other about their lives, women, sex and lives with the casualness of amusing humor and a subtle distinction of the characters evolving throughout. There is no extraneous detail put on lighting, dubbing, sound effects, make-up etc. It is often paired with Cavalier's 1979 similarly less-constrained Martin et Léa also with Xavier Saint-Macary. This Blu-ray further announces Radiance Films as the 'real deal' in terms of unique, underexposed cinephilia (check out A Woman Kills and Big Time Gambling Boss.) Their growing niche will not want to miss this, 'well-kept secret', fascinating piece of independent 'guerilla filmmaking'-style cinema - another complete Blu-ray package from Radiance Films. Absolutely recommended!

Gary Tooze