MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist, and Random Speculation

Message

Martha · #1 Post by **Martha** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 3:52 pm

peerpee wrote:...We'll be having a JAPANESE SUMMER... more details soon...

One of these (list from Annie Mall) will be released:

* Kaneto Shindo's Naked Island

* Sadao Yamanaka's The Million Ryo Pot and Soshun Kochiyama

* Hiroshi Teshigahara's Man without a Map and Summer Soldiers

* Toshio Matsumoto's Funeral Parade of Roses

Mmm... wild guesses.

Steven H · #2 Post by **Steven H** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 4:03 pm

If I had a DVD company I woult put out (other than every Ozu film) Page of Madness, some Shimizu (maybe Arigato San and/or Children of the Beehive... anything, I must see this man's films), maybe some 30s or 50s Mizoguchi, all the Naruse I could find (from Wife be like A Rose! up), Hani, Imamura (specifically A Man Vanishes), and the other two Yamanakas. There's some Japanese for ya! Now I'm all excited.

Of the more recent stuff, I'd like to see Jun Ichikawa's Tokyo Siblings and Dying at a Hospital.

Michael Kerpan · #3 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 4:21 pm

So far, the best of the Shimizu films I've seen have been "Japanese Girls at the Harbor", "Notes of an Itinerant Performer", "Arigato-san" and "Ornamental Hairpin". Of these, I love, the last best -- but all are wonderful -- and worthy of DVD release.

The other two Yamanaka's are both quite good -- but belong to a different company (Nikkatsu).

Naruse's masterpieces start even before "Wife Be Like a Rose" with "Nightly Dreams" and "Apart from You" . There are at least 20 films by Naruse that should be available on DVD.

Imamura's early work is still missing in (subtitled DVD) action -- and should not be. "Pigs and Battlerships", "Insect Woman" and "Intentions of Murder" are all great.

I just saw my first Hani (He and She) and was impressed at its quirky blend of Naruse and French New Wave.

Pinback · #4 Post by **Pinback** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:50 pm

perpee wrote:I can announce that we will be releasing NAKED ISLAND (Shindo).

When? I don't know - but a month or two afterwards, we'll release ONIBABA and KURONEKO back to back.

NAKED ISLAND and ONIBABA will have Shindo commentaries.

So, the following have been eliminated:
Sadao Yamanaka's The Million Ryo Pot and Soshun Kochiyama
Hiroshi Teshigahara's Man without a Map and Summer Soldiers
Toshio Matsumoto's Funeral Parade of Roses

The Shindos have got to comprise at least part of the "Japanese Summer". I'm praying for some Shohei Imamura, which hasn't been denied in the old MoC thread. Of all possible Imamura films, the ones Kerpan mentions would seem to be the most likely. I'm praying for The Insect Woman, at least...

Anonymous · #5 Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:56 pm

peerpee wrote:I can announce that we will be releasing NAKED ISLAND (Shindo).

When? I don't know - but a month or two afterwards, we'll release ONIBABA and KURONEKO back to back.

NAKED ISLAND and ONIBABA will have Shindo commentaries.

Awesome, awesome news.

Speaking of Shindo makes me realize we don't have any Masumura DVDs in R2 (Europe) !
It would be so great to see titles like RED ANGEL, IREZUMI or SEISAKU'S WIFE on DVD...

Jun-Dai · #6 Post by **Jun-Dai** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 6:02 pm

I can see this is really going to be the "amuse peerpee" thread. Anyways, I don't really have any speculation to contribute, except that I'm excited.

Lino · #7 Post by **Lino** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 5:46 am

Please grant me my wish and release Masaki Kobayashi's The Human Condition Trilogy in decent transfers (I refuse to buy the Image discs).

Either that or his own Hara-Kiri would be just fine!

The Digital McGuffin · #8 Post by **The Digital McGuffin** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 5:59 am

Well, for peerpee's amusement, I'll speculate that we'll see a MoC release of Shinoda's Pale Flower seeing as Eureka have been promoting the Wild Japan Festival that is screening it, and Onibaba (one of the other festival titles) already being on the cards.

Lino · #9 Post by **Lino** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 6:10 am

The Digital McGuffin wrote: seeing as Eureka have been promoting the Wild Japan Festival

You're right. In fact I was going to mention this yesterday but somehow forgot. Here's a link:

http://www.wildjapan.co.uk/films.php

Pinback · #10 Post by **Pinback** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 7:13 am

I can only hope that the Wild Japan festival offers an indication of upcoming Japanese titles. Seeing the ultra-rare School of the Holy Beast and Woman with Red Hair on MoC DVD would amazing. I guess Pale Flower is more likely though...

denti alligator · #11 Post by **denti alligator** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:34 am

We really need a DVD of Page of Madness and MoC seem like the folks to to do it right.

Keaton · #12 Post by **Keaton** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 8:45 am

Hi,

According to the MoC site:

The Idiot [Hakuchi]
(Kurosawa, 1951) Eureka/MoC R2 UK

Naked Island
(Shindo, 1960) Eureka/MoC R2 UK

Vengeance is Mine
(Imamura, 1979) Eureka/MoC R2 UK

All listed for June.

Regards,

Dennis

Pinback · #13 Post by **Pinback** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 9:08 am

Keaton wrote:Vengeance is Mine
(Imamura, 1979) Eureka/MoC R2 UK

Bingo! Well spotted....can't wait to see the extras they have lined up for these titles...especially Vengeance is Mine...

I wonder if there's any chance of the following:
Imamura commentary.
An English-subtitled version of Shohei Imamura - Le libre penseur, the 60 minute French TV documentary by Portuguese director Paulo Rocha.
A liner notes contribution by Takashi Miike (in many respects Imamura's protege).

peerpee · #14 Post by **peerpee** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:02 pm

JUNE
MoC #12 - NAKED ISLAND (Shindo, 1960)
MoC #16 - THE IDIOT (Kurosawa, 1951)
MoC #17 - VENGEANCE IS MINE (Imamura, 1979)

More to come in July, August, and September.

denti alligator · #15 Post by **denti alligator** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:10 pm

More

More Japanese?

Michael Kerpan · #16 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:14 pm

I hope that Shochiku lets MOC use the newest and nicest restored versions -- because the Panorama versions of "Idiot" and "Vengeance" (welcome as they were) clearly were not based on the highest quality sources.

Anonymous · #17 Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:16 pm

denti alligator wrote:
More
More Japanese?

I hope so !

June would be too short a summer !

Pinback · #18 Post by **Pinback** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:18 pm

denti alligator wrote:
More
More Japanese?

We can expect Onibaba and Kuroneko in August/September, for sure...

Steven H · #19 Post by **Steven H** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:41 pm

Is The Idiot going to be the 265min original version? Is that even possible? I'm not sure if prints of this exist or not (not up to snuff on my Kurosawa knowledge). Great slate though... Vengence is Mine is easily one my personal favorite films and a world classic (can't wait to see the cover).

Michael Kerpan · #20 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 1:13 pm

I don't think Shochiku saved any of the material it chopped out of Kurosawa's original version of "the Idiot". Maybe one of the Abes pulled the thrown away bits out of the trash? ;~}

MEK

Lino · #21 Post by **Lino** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 1:19 pm

On a side note, it's a pity MoC wasn't able to include this wonderful documentary on any of the two Teshigahara titles:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110601/

It would have made perfect sense. What happened peerpee?

I think this qualifies as Random Speculation but it's also very likely that we'll see some of these titles added to the series in the coming months and years.

http://www.murnau-stiftung.de/de/03-01- ... ion-1.html

Pinback · #22 Post by **Pinback** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 3:03 pm

Annie Mall wrote:I think this qualifies as Random Speculation but it's also very likely that we'll see some of these titles added to the series in the coming months and years.

http://www.murnau-stiftung.de/de/03-01- ... ion-1.html

Don't forget that the MoC site has confirmed some from that list already:

Also look out for MoC Series reissues of von Sternberg's The Blue Angel, Murnau's Sunrise and The Last Laugh, Lang's M, and others throughout 2005.

Steven H · #23 Post by **Steven H** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:23 pm

I wonder where this leaves Murnau's City Girl/Our Daily Bread? Only later Murnau not on DVD, I think (and I'm sure I read somewhere last year that it had been restored). According to imdb.com there're 77min. (short talkie?), 90min., and 120min versions (silent?). MoC or Criterion, this needs a release.

peerpee · #24 Post by **peerpee** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:48 pm

Annie Mall wrote:On a side note, it's a pity MoC wasn't able to include this wonderful documentary on any of the two Teshigahara titles:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110601/

It would have made perfect sense. What happened peerpee?

Annie, the projects were halfway through when we chased this up, and we didn't receive any response to our enquiries. We shall continue pursuing it though.

Pinback · #25 Post by **Pinback** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 5:43 pm

peerpee wrote:
Annie Mall wrote:On a side note, it's a pity MoC wasn't able to include this wonderful documentary on any of the two Teshigahara titles:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110601/

It would have made perfect sense. What happened peerpee?
Annie, the projects were halfway through when we chased this up, and we didn't receive any response to our enquiries. We shall continue pursuing it though.

I'm not fishing for hints of future releases, but I'm assuming there's a good chance you'll be releasing another film with a score by Toru Takemitsu at some point in the future. The documentary is not tied to the Teshigahara releases as the only possible films on which it could be an extra...right?