Phase IV (Blu-ray Limited Edition) (101 Films Black Label #012) [UK]

[Scraggy]

Release date: April 6, 2020
Purchase links: Zavvi - HMV - 101 Films
Price: £16.99 (Zavvi) - £15.99 (HMV) - £15 (101 Films)

Spoiler

Disc 1

NEW RESTORATION OF THE FILM

• The Original Saul Bass ending (plus optional commentary)
• An Ant's Life: Contextualising Phase IV, a documentary on the film's influences
• Commentary with film historians Allan Bryce and Richard Holliss
• Limited Edition Booklet: includes Phase IV by Deborah Allison, and Adapt or Die: Killer Bug Cinema and Phase IV by Liam Hathaway

Disc 2

• Saul Bass: Short Films
  • The Searching Eye (1964)
  • Why Man Creates (1968)
  • Bass on Titles (1977)
  • Notes on the Popular Arts (1978)
  • The Solar Film (1980)
  • Quest (1984) (new HD restoration)

 

[Scraggy]

Also available from 101 Films Store for £15.00, where they have an offer of 2 Black Label titles for £25.(Free UK shipping)

If you really like your ants, Carlotta Films have a special edition coming out at the same time in France.

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

many thanks, @Scraggy, beat me to it! this is great, for me one of those films like The Andromeda Strain that has enough about it - atmosphere, science and wierdess - to overcome any other aspects that may have dated. it's not a perfect film, but it's certainly an interesting one, will be buying. will go well with the soundtrack release.

for anyone who doesn't know what this is, here's two trailers - the original, trippy, all over the place one, followed by a 'modern' version, which plays better :

 

[Scraggy]

Couldn't agree more @steelmybeatingheart . Watched this as a young 'un on TV, so many years ago, & when the Carlotta edition was announced, was really tempted, but could not justify spending that much on a film which my perspective on would certainly have changed over the years
The new restoration & whole bunch of extras have sold me on this, even with my experience with previous 101 Films regarding picture & audio quality.
Thanks for the trailers

 

[komor]

In France there is also a release in the next time. Additional a collectors book with slipbox is availible for pre order. All editions look very good I think.

 

[Robles]

Only just come across this thread

Definitely another that ill be adding to my collection. 101 have a few good releases coming out

 

[komor]

Here a picture of the french Collectors Edition

Spoiler

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

happy days. i love this sort of release, proving that somewhere out there is a company that is happy to remaster a weird old 70s sci-fi about ants that only me and a few people seem to have heard of. famous Hitchcock poster maker and designer Saul Bass' only feature film as director, it's closest in tone and approach to The Andromeda Strain (1971), and has been given a perfectly fine release from 101 Films.

read on for unboxing... go on, you might like it. and if so, FYI, sold out at zavvi, still available via HMV and 101.

PhaseIV_101_sealedfront.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

the slip is not a hardbox (Arrow style), but it's not too flimsy either. there's no embossing or spot gloss/varnish, just a nice matt print on card, and i think this suits the film and artwork just fine. no rear artwork, just creds. the set also contains a second disc of Saul Bass' short films. here are your front, back and spine shots:

Spoiler

PhaseIV_101_slipfront.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

PhaseIV_101_spine.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

PhaseIV_101_slipback.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

101 lose a few points by having the same amarary and slip backs, and the same amaray and booklet fronts (one of the original posters, when they were trying to seel it as more of a horror/action film than it is). there's lots of weird imagery in this film, so they could have done a bit more alternate artwork, but it's a minor point, here's the fronts and backs of what you get:

Spoiler

PhaseIV_101_fronts.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

PhaseIV_101_backs.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

open up the amaray, and there's no interior art, but the details of the short films disc, and alternate artwork for the discs:

Spoiler

PhaseIV_101_amarayopen.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

PhaseIV_101_amarayinside.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

PhaseIV_101_amaraydiscart.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

as you'd expect from this sort of release, the booklet is good, with some interesting essays and articles. booklet shots under the spoiler:

Spoiler

PhaseIV_101_booklet1.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

PhaseIV_101_booklet2.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

maybe skip this one if you haven't seen the film:

Spoiler

PhaseIV_101_booklet3.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

PhaseIV_101_booklet4.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

PhaseIV_101_booklet5.jpg

• steelmybeatingheart
• May 13, 2020

the remaster doesn't make it look like a film made yesterday, but makes it look like a much cleaned-up 70s film. like the cover, something ultra clean and crisp would seem a bit odd for this film.

this is never going to be a film for everyone, but it you like slow burn old-school thinking sci-fi, maybe give it a go, or a watch first.

 

[komor]

happy days. i love this sort of release, proving that somewhere out there is a company that is happy to remaster a weird old 70s sci-fi about ants that only me and a few people seem to have heard of. famous Hitchcock poster maker and designer Saul Bass' only feature film as director, it's closest in tone and approach to The Andromeda Strain (1971), and has been given a perfectly fine release from 101 Films.

Thanks for the unboxing. Cool cover and no rating logo on the slip. Overall a very nice edition and still the only one with English subs. The US-Amaray has none and the French one has no foreign ones.

If you like creature movies check these DVD-ones out. It are re-releases with these awesome new covers and reversible sleeves without the rating logo.

Spoiler

It are "Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo"
and "Ants!" aka "It Happened at Lakewood Manor"

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

Thanks for the unboxing. Cool cover and no rating logo on the slip. Overall a very nice edition and still the only one with English subs. The US-Amaray has none and the French one has no foreign ones.

If you like creature movies check these DVD-ones out. It are re-releases with these awesome new covers and reversible sleeves without the rating logo.

Spoiler

View attachment 471392View attachment 471394

It are "Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo"
and "Ants!" aka "It Happened at Lakewood Manor"

thanks! agreed, cover would have looked awful with a ratings logo.

thanks for the recommendations, i don't know those ones, but i have essentially a 'creature' films shelf at home, so may add these to it.

 

[komor]

At the time there are very many releases of creature features and horror movies with animals. Here some others from Germany. All of them (except 1+2) have a Blu-Ray release. 4+10 are Mediabook-exclusives, but will probably get an Amaray release in the future.

Spoiler

1-The Savage Bees
2-Terror Out of the Sky
3-Kiss of the Tarantula
4-The Food of the Gods
5-Killerfish
6-Orca-The Killer Whale
7-Tentacoli
8-The Sand
9-Lavalantula
10-The Deadly Bees

 

[Scraggy]

And nary an Asylum release among them
After waiting an age on my Zavvi order, have ordered from HMV & hopefully will have this for the weekend.
Thanks for the pics