Saul Bass Phase IV - Ultra Collector Box Blu-ray + DVD + Book 200 pages
An essential work of science fiction
Ernest Hubbs, an English biologist, observes a disturbance in the behavior of ants in a valley in Arizona. Once-conflicting species are beginning to communicate with each other, while their usual predators are ominously disappearing. The professor recruits the scientist JR Lesko, a specialist in language, to study this curious phenomenon. What they will soon observe on the spot is beyond comprehension...
Released in 1974, Phase IV is the only feature film by the famous American graphic designer Saul Bass, author of the legendary credits of films by Otto Preminger and Alfred Hitchcock. In this dystopian story which evokes as much 2001, a space odyssey as The Birds , the director manages to raise the anxiety with an economy of means, favoring the frame and the staging over special effects. Straddling thriller, documentary and ecological fable, teeming with inventive visual ideas, Phase IV is an extraordinary film object to be discovered for the first time on Blu-ray and DVD in its restored version!
PHASE IV by Saul Bass
(1974 - Colors -83 mn - VOST + VF)
New Master Restored
THE BOX CONTAINS
// THE FILM ON BLU-RAY & DVD (NEW HD RESTORATION)
// SUPPLEMENTS
. AN ANT'S LIFE ** (21 mins)
A work of hybrid science fiction close to experimentation, a precursor to today's cosmic horror films, Phase IV remains inseparable from its production context: the 1970s. An interview with Jasper Sharp and Sean Hogan.
. ORIGINAL ENDING OF SAUL BASS ** (18 mins)
Unpublished, the end of the film as initially imagined by Saul Bass.
. 6 SAUL BASS SHORT FILMS
Unpublished in France, the films of Saul Bass have received many awards, including an Oscar ® for Why Man Creates .
Combining technical and plastic research, they often question the place of man in the world.
THE SEARCHING EYE (1964 – Colors – 18 mins)*
WHY MAN CREATES (1968 – Colors – 25 mins)*
BASS ON TITLES (1977 – Colors – 34 mins)*
NOTES ON THE POPULAR ARTS* (1977 – Colors – 20 mins)*
THE SOLAR FILM (1980 – Colors – 10 mins)
QUEST** (1983 – Colors – 30 mins)*
. ORIGINAL TRAILER
*Blu-ray exclusive
** Extras in HD on the Blu-ray version
// A BOOK OF 200 PAGES (INCLUDED ARCHIVE PHOTOS)
"PHASE IV, ECLIPSE OF HUMANITY" by Frank Lafond
“Why ants? First of all, there are more ants on this planet than there are other living land animals. […] According to a large number of serious scientists, they could well be the heirs of the earth. ‒ Paul B. Radin, film producer
The result of painstaking exploration of Saul Bass's archives and multiple versions of the script, Phase IV, Eclipse of Humanity recounts the evolution of this visual maelstrom masterfully orchestrated by its director: from the conception of the project to its many writing and editing phases, including its shooting in three countries. An unpublished work by Frank Lafond accompanied by numerous archive photos.
Visit Frank Lafond's website at http://frank.lafond.free.fr
// AN EXCLUSIVE VISUAL CREATED BY SCOTT SASLOW
Scott Saslow is a freelance graphic designer based in Van Nuys, California. He specializes in the creation of alternative posters, visuals for cinema and video editions, and other geek and pop objects. His works have been exhibited in Burbank, Austin, London, and he even had fun designing 365 posters in 365 days. He's also worked as a librarian for a film studio, acting, extra and guinea pig for NASA (for real!).
Find all the creations of Scott Saslow on www.scottsaslow.com
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BD 50 • HIGH DEFINITION MASTER • 1080/23.98p • AVC ENCODING
Original Version / French Version DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 • French Subtitles • 1.85 format respected • Colors • Length of Film: 83 mins
DVD 9 • NEW RESTORED MASTER • PAL • MPEG-2 ENCODING • Original Version / French Version Dolby Digital 1.0 • French Subtitles • 1.85 format respected • 16/9 4/3 compatible • Colors • Length of Film: 80 mins
Released April 8, 2020
