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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Alain Delon: 5-Film Collection

 

Diaboliquement vôtre (1967) aka Diabolically Yours
La Piscine (1969) aka The Swimming Pool
La Veuve Couderc (1971) aka The Widow Couderc
Le Gitan (1975) aka The Gypsy
Notre histoire (1984) aka Separate Rooms

NOTE: La Piscine is compared to the Blu-ray HERE

NOTE: The Widow Couderc is reviewed on Blu-ray HERE

 

DIABOLICALLY YOURS: A provocative French thriller places a wealthy man (Delon) at the center of an extraordinary plot after a car crash leaves him unable to remember who he is. With his wife (Senta Berger) convinced he is faking amnesia, he sets out to discover who and why someone wants him to believe he is going crazy and should end his life.

LA PISCINE: This chilling portrait of male rivalry and jealousy reunites real-life lovers Alain Delon and Romy Schneider as a couple on vacation at a villa near St. Tropez. When her ex-love shows up unexpectedly with his beautiful teenage daughter (Jane Birkin), it creates a dangerous love triangle between the grown-ups that leads to deadly consequences.

THE WIDOW COUDERC: In this dark, intricate melodrama that explores the possibility of love between a young man and older woman, Simone Signoret plays a contented widow who allows a handsome stranger (Delon) to move in and work on her farm. Their secret affair and plans for the future take a dramatic turn when he succumbs to her jealous sister-in-law's seductive daughter.

LE GITAN: A long-suffering gypsy (Delon) sets out to steal from the rich to provide sustenance to his fellow gypsies, all of them desperate and treated like trash by French society. Constantly outwitting the authorities as he moves deftly from place to place with the help of accomplices, this king of beggars ultimately cannot break the endless chain of displacement -- his people's sad destiny.

NOTRE HISTOIRE (OUR STORY): Sensual, dark and thought-provoking, this unpredictable tale of obsessive love stars Delon as a middle-aged alcoholic whose life is turned upside down by a train ride. Sitting alone in a compartment as he reflects on the emptiness of his world, a beautiful woman (Nathalie Baye) suddenly enters, makes love to him and just as suddenly leaves the train, compelling him to follow her.


Titles

 

 


 

First, searing suspense abounds in "Diabolically Yours" (1967), about a man who awakens from a near-fatal car wreck to a family and life he can no longer remember. His search to discover the truth will bolt you to your seat. Alain Delon and Senta Berger star. Next, jealousy and sexual desire collide at a French Riviera vacation villa when a woman invites an old flame and his teenage daughter to join her and her current lover at the estate, in "La Piscine" (1970). Delon, Romy Schneider, Maurice Ronet, Jane Birkin star. AKA: "The Swimming Pool," "The Sinners." "The Widow Couderc" (1974) is a sly, witty thriller featuring Simone Signoret as a widow who has the affair of her life when she falls for escaped murderer Delon. "Le Gitan" (1975) follows a Gypsy thief's (Delon) never-ending crusade to steal from the wealthy in order to feed his people. Finally, a random sexual encounter with a woman on a train leaves an alcoholic (Delon) obsessed, believing her to be his last shot at happiness, in "Notre Histoire" (1984). Nathalie Baye co-stars.

Excerpt from Turner Classic Movies located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Releases: Various from 1967 - 1984

  DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Lions Gate - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Distribution Lions Gate - Region 1 - NTSC
Time: over 8.5 hrs. total on five discs
Bitrate: Disc 1

La Piscine (1969) aka The Swimming Pool

Bitrate: Disc 2

Diaboliquement vôtre (1967) and La Veuve Couderc (1971)

Bitrate: Disc 3

Le Gitan (1975) aka The Gypsy and Notre histoire (1984)

Audio French (Dolby Digital)
Subtitles English, Spanish, None - NOTE: On La Piscine the Eng subs are not removable!
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Lions Gate

Aspect Ratio:
Aspect Ratios - 1.66 

Edition Details:

Disc 1 has La Piscine (1969) aka The Swimming Pool

Disc 2 has both Diaboliquement vôtre (1967) aka Diabolically Yours and La Veuve Couderc (1971) aka The Widow Couderc

Disc 3 has Le Gitan (1975) aka The Gypsy and Notre histoire (1984) aka Separate Rooms


DVD Release Date: March 25th, 2008

Double thick keep cases inside a cardboard box
Chapters:
10 in each X 5 = 50

 

 

Comments:
NOTE: La Piscine is compared to the Blu-ray HERE

NOTE: The Widow Couderc is reviewed on Blu-ray HERE

The 5 main features of this Lions Gate boxset are housed in one double thick keep case inside a cardboard box (see image above). They are not sold separately at this time. I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I *believe* these films may be making their DVD debut for English-friendly audiences (NOTE: Eric tells us "...both La Piscine and Diaboliquement vôtre were released in the US with English dubbing". ). There are some inconsistencies which I will mentioned below, first off...

Technical specifications of the discs: All five are coded for region 1 in the NTSC standard and all are anamorphic (in and around the, often, problematic 1.66:1 aspect ratio) and all transfers are progressive. Disc 1 is single layered and has La Piscine (1969). Disc 2 is dual-layered and shares Diaboliquement vôtre (1967) and La Veuve Couderc (1971). Disc 3 is also dual-layered and shares Le Gitan (1975) and Notre histoire (1984). Each offer French audio and English or Spanish subtitles BUT on La Piscine the English are burned-in (you can still access Spanish on the top of the screen). There are no supplements at all. Each starts with the Studio Canal logo (in various carnations) and we can assume that this is the source - probably some form of licensing agreement has ensued.   

Image: Aside from minor moiring and some slight damage these transfers are very acceptable considering the price. Detail is never super-crisp and there is some noise masquerading as grain. Colors look excellent as well especially if you consider that thee are all essentially single-layered transfers. I'm very happy that they are all progressive and anamorphic. I can quibble about some minor details but overall what counts is what you are getting for your dollar value. I think this is wonderful that Lions Gate are continuing this after their Bunuel and Godard sets and I am very hopeful that they produce further foreign language collections. Seeing as there are no extras - these are kind of like Eclipse releases. So you get five very good French thrillers for about $6/each. Deal.   

Gripes? - the font on the burned-in subtitle for La Piscine is quite large. The 1.66:1 ratio wavers a bit (from film to film) but generally seems accurate to me.   

Overall impression: I really enjoyed these films of which I had only seen one previously - provocative, chilling, dark - some might say 'typically French'. I was reminded a lot of Chabrol. Notre histoire and The Widow Couderc were extremely enjoyable. The only one I was so-so on was Le Gitan. Delon has done a ton of films (over 80) and is still working today. These five features capture his prime where he frequently embodies a youthful, handsome man not afraid to deal on the wrong side of the tracks (sometimes compared as the French James Dean). This pragmatic collection is an excellent way to indulge in some of his extensive work. Don't expect a pristine image out of these transfers but they are more than watchable and we fully endorse the reasonably priced, and imperfect, package.         

Gary W. Tooze



DVD Menus


 


Diaboliquement vôtre (1967) aka Diabolically Yours

 

Screen Captures

 

 


La Piscine (1969) aka The Swimming Pool
 

 

Screen Captures

 

 

 



La Veuve Couderc (1971) aka The Widow Couderc
 

 

Screen Captures

 

 



Le Gitan (1975) aka The Gypsy
 

 

Screen Captures

 

 



Notre histoire (1984) aka Separate Rooms

 

 

Screen Captures

 

 

 


 

DVD Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Distribution Lions Gate - Region 1, 2, 3, 4 - NTSC




 

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