Bertrand Blier’s Buffet froid & Merci la vie and Ken Russell’s French Dressing from Indicator in August
This August, Indicator presents world-premiere 4K UHD editions and UK and US Blu-ray premiere editions of Buffet froid and Merci la vie two of controversial French auteur Bertrand Blier’s most acclaimed films, as well as the world Blu-ray premiere of French Dressing, British enfant terrible Ken Russell’s stylish feature film debut, which sadly will be available in the US only. Full details follow.
BUFFET FROID (France 1979)
Limited Edition 4K UHD | Limited Edition Blu-ray | 17 August 2026 | £24.99 (UHD) | £17.99 (Blu-ray)
Too farcical to be a thriller, yet too surreal to be a farce, Bertrand Blier’s wonderfully absurd Buffet froid follows Alphonse Tram (Gérard Depardieu, Stavisky…), an unemployed man who befriends anyone who will listen to him, before, often, murdering them by mistake.
After Tram’s wife is murdered, he befriends his new neighbour, Inspector Morvandieu (Bernard Blier, the director’s father), and his wife’s killer (Jean Carmet, Black and White in Color) as they hop from misadventure to misadventure, often in bizarrely liminal spaces, leaving behind a trail of accidental victims.
Buffet froid was a financial flop in 1979, but has since gathered a die-hard cult reputation as, per Time Out, ‘a cherishably Buñuelian depiction of the far-from-discreet crimes of the bourgeoisie’.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION UHD / BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- 4K HDR restoration from the original negative
- 4K (2160p) presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) (UHD only)
- 1080p presentation (Blu-ray)
- Original mono audio
- Bertrand Blier on Buffet froid (2019): the writer-director takes an in-depth look back at his cult film
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche: Buffet froid (1979): extract from the French television programme, featuring Blier and cast members Gérard Depardieu, Bernard Blier, and Jean Carmet discussing the film at the time of its release, alongside other guests
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- Script gallery: complete dialogue and continuity script
- New and improved English translation subtitles
- Limited edition exclusive booklet with new writing on the film by Sue Harris, archival interviews with writer-director Bertrand Blier, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- World premiere on 4K UHD
- Limited edition of 6,000 copies (4,000 4K UHDs and 2,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US
All features subject to change.
MERCI LA VIE (France 1991)
Limited Edition 4K UHD | Limited Edition Blu-ray | 17 August 2026 | £24.99 (UHD) | £17.99 (Blu-ray)
Charlotte Gainsbourg (Nymphomaniac) and Anouk Grinberg (The Night of the 12th) take a surreal road trip in Merci la vie, an outrageous, absurdist satire from acclaimed auteur Bertrand Blier (Femmes fatales).
When naïve Camille (Gainsbourg) meets the carefree and promiscuous Joëlle (Grinberg), the pair undertake a journey of self-discovery across time and space, encountering the German wartime occupation, the AIDS crisis, and Camille’s own conception along the way.
With cameos from French screen legends Gérard Depardieu (Police) and Jean-Louis Trintignant (Crime Thief), and an eclectic soundtrack that ranges from David Bryne to Beethoven, Merci la vie is a provocative classic from one of France’s most controversial filmmakers.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION UHD / BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- 4K HDR restoration from the original negative
- 4K (2160p) presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) (UHD only)
- 1080p presentation (Blu-ray)
- Original stereo audio
- Bertrand Blier on Merci la vie (2020): the writer-director takes an in-depth look back at his award-winning film
- Location report (1990): extract from the French television programme 12-13, featuring footage of a night shoot and an interview with Blier
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- Script gallery: complete dialogue and continuity script
- New and improved English translation subtitles
- Limited edition exclusive booklet with new writing on the film by Sue Harris, archival interviews with writer-director Bertrand Blier, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- UK premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 6,000 copies (4,000 4K UHDs and 2,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US
All features subject to change.
FRENCH DRESSING (UK 1964) – US ONLY
Limited Edition Blu-ray | 17 August 2026 | £17.99
Part romantic comedy, part slapstick, and easily the most British film to ever have ‘French’ in its title, cine-maverick Ken Russell’s feature debut sets about mocking the masculine ego and exposing the ‘sex sells’ mantra as it follows the fortunes of deckchair attendant-turned-publicity officer Jim Stephens (James Booth, The Man Who Had Power Over Women).
In an attempt to revive the fortunes of run-down Gormleigh-on-Sea, Stephens sets up a film festival, inviting continental starlet Françoise Fayol (Marisa Mell, Danger: Diabolik) to be its main attraction. Soon, he finds that rivalries with neighbouring seaside towns develop, and realises that his time might be better spent getting acquainted with local journalist Judy (Alita Naughton, Gideon’s Day).
Co-starring the much-loved Roy Kinnear (The Deadly Affair), and featuring dialogue by the legendary Johnny Speight (Till Death Us Do Part), French Dressing features some of the most gorgeous British seaside cinematography ever committed to screen as it takes a reflexive swipe at the film business.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- 4K restoration
- Original mono audio
- Making a Movie (1963): extract from the Herne Bay Newsreel, featuring rare colour footage of Ken Russell at work, as well as glimpses of actors Marisa Mell, James Booth, and Roy Kinnear
- The BEHP Interview with Kenneth Higgins (1991): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring the cinematographer in conversation with Alan Lawson and Sidney Cole
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery: publicity and promotional material
- New English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive booklet with new essay by Melanie Williams, Ken Russell on French Dressing, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- World premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the US