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BFI

Region 0 - PAL

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.54 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1

Edition Details:
• BFI Flipside Trailer Reel
• Carousella- A Short Documentary Chronicaling the Life of a Group of Strippers in London (25:16)
• The Spy's Wife- A Short Film About the Duplicity of a Married Couple (26:56)
• Tomorrow Night in London- A Short Highlighting the Active Night Life in London (4:55)
• 12 Page Illustrated Booklet

DVD Release Date: January 25th, 2010
Keep Case

Chapters 9

Kim Newman's work on the history of the British genre films and its various underground productions have led many to rightly label him as one of the country's foremost experts on the subject. That's why it's a bit shocking when he admits at the beginning of his guide to the flipside of British cinema that the BFI's flipside series has introduced him to titles that he was previously unfamiliar with. Yet, such is the depth of this series, plumbing through the UK's cult film archives in search of rare gems that have either been forgotten over time or never given their due. We're now nine months into the flipside line, with nine releases in total, and so far the quality of the output has been spectacular. Now, with spine number 000, Newman gives us his take on the films in the series and the concept of flipside in general. His analysis is both thoughtful and insightful. Since I previously wasn't familiar with much of the underground film scene in Britain, I learned a good deal listening to him, but perhaps more than someone who already had a background on the subject would have gotten out of it. Given that his main focus is on the films released by the BFI, the short acts as a sampler by introducing you to the films in the series. For those who might have been hesitant about testing the waters before, this will be a perfect place to get your first taste.

The disc, like most of the films in the series is region free, and aside from Newman's talking head scenes, is mainly comprised of clips from the films. As such, the video quality is about the same here as it is on the other releases, that is to say everything looks quite good. The Dolby Digital 2.0 track is decent enough and the subtitles are always a welcome addition. What's more, the extras included on this disc of a half hour documentary are outstanding, eclipsing the length of the main feature more than twice over. Included are a series of seven trailers for films in the series that are every bit as entertaining as any American exploitation trailer ever made, as well as three short films. Of these shorts, both "Carousella" and "The Spy's Wife" have popped up on other releases, but the British Tourism Board's "Tomorrow Night in London" is unique to this discs. All three films are wonderful diversions and definitely feel at home on this release. Finally, there's also an illustrated booklet with essays on all three shorts.

As I've already said, if you've been unsure about whether the flipside series is for you, then this is the perfect place to turn. You not only get small samples of all of the films in the series, but you also get an impassioned examination of them by one of their leading advocates. Heck, since its currently less than £2, I'd recommend this to just about anyone! Currently its only available through HMV and can be purchased through the provided link.

 - Brian Montgomery