Michael Powell - Early Works Blu-Ray

During the early and mid-1930s, director Michael Powell (The Red Shoes, Peeping Tom) honed his craft in a series of modestly budgeted feature films. Many of these titles have been lost, but those that remain reveal a burgeoning talent that quickly established Powell as one of British cinema's leading figures. This new two-disc collection brings together five of Powell's early films, recently remastered by the BFI National Archive, including murder mysteries, sensational thrillers, and a comedic detective caper. Discover the formative works of a film icon, available on Blu-ray for the first time.

The films: Rynox (1931, 47 min), Hotel Splendide (1932, 53 min), The Night of the Party (1934, 63 min), Her Last Affair (1936, 68 min), Behind the Mask (abridged version of The Man Behind the Mask) (1944, 56 min) Bonus material Newly remastered from the original camera material and presented in High Definition Newly recorded audio commentaries by Marc David Jacobs (Rynox, Behind the Mask), Lawrence Napper and Dom Delargy (Hotel Splendide), Dr. Josephine Botting and Vic Pratt (The Night of the Party), and Ian Christie (Her Last Affair)

Riviera Revels - Travelaughs No. 1 and No. 10 (1927, total 26 min): Powell himself appears in these rare short comedies from the silent era, with optional audio commentary by Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI

Inside the Archive: Riviera Revels (2024, 12 min): Bryony Dixon explores the origins of Riviera Revels and Michael Powell's work on them. Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell (2024, 42 min): a new documentary exploring the role of the BFI National Archive in the rediscovery and remastering of Michael Powell's early films

Visions, Dreams and Magic: The Unmade Films of Michael Powell (2023, 41 min): a new documentary exploring some of Michael Powell's unrealized films. In these excerpts from an interview recorded by the British Entertainment History Project, cinematographer Erwin Hillier talks about his work with Michael Powell. The Archers in Argentina (1954, 21 min): Michael Powell and an entourage of international film stars are captured on camera at an Argentine film festival in this home movie recorded by Emeric Pressburger, with optional audio commentary by Marc David Jacobs.FIRST PRINTING ONLY** 44-page booklet with contributions from James Bell, Marc David Jacobs, Lawrence Napper, Pamela Hutchinson, Ian Christie, Bryony Dixon, Dr. Josephine Botting, and Kieron Webb.