Forthcoming Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol. 5

[rrenault]

I noticed the North American DVD release of La Dolce Vita went OOP. Any chance Criterion would try to get their hands on that?

not only is there a chance, but I'm pretty positive it will happen. Paramount doesn't really do foreign titles on Bluray themselves, and they know they wouldn't have the resources or care that Criterion has. they know they could make far more money off Criterion selling it than they could themselves, much like they did with Rosemary's Baby, Harold and Maude, and surely an upcoming edition of Nashville. i would maybe even bet on it being a 2 Bluray/3 DVD november title next year. that new restoration (which looks gorgeous) should be ready to go.

Then why not The Conformist, as well...not that it's necessarily a personal favorite, but I like the whole idea of CC going for canon completion like Penguin does in literature, although they share the fruits with Vintage.

Oh, and Don't Look Now...

But it's interesting. I would have assumed Rosemary's Baby had Godfather/Apocalypse Now/Chinatown status.

[MrGregoryArkadin]

Then why not The Conformist, as well...not that it's necessarily a personal favorite, but I like the whole idea of CC going for canon completion like Penguin does in literature, although they share the fruits with Vintage.

Raro US has the distribution rights to Bertolucci's The Conformist, which if its anything compared to the Italian version we might be in trouble.

[Le Samouraï]

What's the status on Man Bites Dog?

I just realized it was released on Blu i Germany in the spring by Arthaus/ Studiocanal. Do Criterion have the US rights in perpetuity, or will Studiocanal take this away some day?

I wonder if we will ever see a BD upgrade of this. It was very controversial and the talk of the town when it came out, but not many seem to know or care about it today (perhaps because found-footage horror is so prevalent now).

[Vegeta84]

I think "Tenchu" establishes the significance of Katsu's talent in just a single film. Not to belittle the Zatoichi movies, but just to point out that if you like Katsu at all, "Tenchu" is really worth your time.

Speaking of which, Criterion should really release "Tenchu." And other Gosha movies. On blu-ray.

You speak nothing but the truth.

[dwk]

Ricardo Venâncio tweeted out the following

Take two on Zatoichi. Into a very long night… #Drawing #Pencils #BlindSwordsman #Jidaigeki #ShintaruKatsu

[Finch]

I'd buy a Blu-Ray of Tenchu in a heartbeat.

[feihong]

Actually, I saw Bandit vs. Samurai Squadron in a 35mm print at the Japan America Theatre in Little Tokyo a few years ago, and the print made the film look exceptionally exquisite. The DVD is very good, but it makes the film look pretty grungy. A good blu-ray would recapture the image of this movie for what it was in the theatre: gorgeously polished and elegant.

I know they had 3 Outlaw Samurai all ready with this big publicity push behind it, and so that was the Gosha blu-ray, but what about the other Gosha pictures? 3 Outlaw Samurai is for my money the least interesting Gosha picture until after Fireflies of the North. And everything through The Hunter in the Dark is big-budget, elegant and gorgeous. I wish someone would put blu rays of these films together.

Tenchu would be especially incredible because the available dvd looks so terrible to begin with. The presumed improvement of the blu could be relevatory.

[pmunger]

I've been watching Claude Miller's Garde à vue over the weekend. I found it just terrific and thought this is the kind of film Criterion should be going for since it doesn't seem to be available in any format in the US. Anyone have any idea what is the status of this?

[Vegeta84]

I know they had 3 Outlaw Samurai all ready with this big publicity push behind it, and so that was the Gosha blu-ray, but what about the other Gosha pictures? 3 Outlaw Samurai is for my money the least interesting Gosha picture until after Fireflies of the North. And everything through The Hunter in the Dark is big-budget, elegant and gorgeous. I wish someone would put blu rays of these films together.

I've been saying this for years. They have an HD source for Hunter in the Dark (is personally my favorite Gosha film) so why not give it a proper release?

At this point Criterion has 6 Gosha films they haven't released on any physical format. They need to start moving. Especially on Hunter in the Dark.

I'm sure it would be a great seller for Criterion. The fact that it has Sonny Chiba VS Tatsuya Nakadai already makes it legendary.

[feihong]

Hunter is such a gorgeous movie. The cutaways to dream or flashback Gosha uses in this film are really evocative and perfectly done. And it's use of that tricky actor, Yoshio Harada, is one of the most effective in the movies.

I wonder if the commercial and trashy elements of Gosha bothers people at Criterion, and holds up the release of the film? When I invited friends to Bandit vs. Samurai Squadron, a lot of them objected to the cheeky nudity and body doubling, and the noisy blood spurting, and those elements seemed to limit the effectiveness of the rest of the movie for them. The mix of trash asides and high production values and elegant performances in Gosha films is probably an odd experience for some western audiences. I wonder if they feel as if it's too hard to process? Gosha doesn't have the natural pop-art hook that Seijun Suzuki does, and he's not as serious in his chambara ambitions as Kurosawa was. Is this what stops Gosha movies from being more accessible in the west? The films are brilliant entertainments, with very refreshing cynicism, magnificent production values, and tense, suspenseful battles. Why is it that only his most generic movie (3 Outlaw Samurai) is widely available here?

[Vegeta84]

Hunter is such a gorgeous movie. The cutaways to dream or flashback Gosha uses in this film are really evocative and perfectly done. And it's use of that tricky actor, Yoshio Harada, is one of the most effective in the movies.

I wonder if the commercial and trashy elements of Gosha bothers people at Criterion, and holds up the release of the film? When I invited friends to Bandit vs. Samurai Squadron, a lot of them objected to the cheeky nudity and body doubling, and the noisy blood spurting, and those elements seemed to limit the effectiveness of the rest of the movie for them. The mix of trash asides and high production values and elegant performances in Gosha films is probably an odd experience for some western audiences. I wonder if they feel as if it's too hard to process? Gosha doesn't have the natural pop-art hook that Seijun Suzuki does, and he's not as serious in his chambara ambitions as Kurosawa was. Is this what stops Gosha movies from being more accessible in the west? The films are brilliant entertainments, with very refreshing cynicism, magnificent production values, and tense, suspenseful battles. Why is it that only his most generic movie (3 Outlaw Samurai) is widely available here?

A very well written assessment on possible reasons why Gosha films are not readily available in the R1 market. I don’t think anyone could write something more eloquent on what makes Hunter in the Dark such a great film.

I don’t think most of Gosha’s films are any less commercial than many of the films Criterion has released. In fact I can easily see Hunter in the Dark and Bandits VS Samurai Squadron being best sellers. While I do enjoy 3 Outlaw Samurai, it is one of his most boring films. I personally see Gosha’s films as those that would work with most western cinema buffs. (which is the audience Criterion caters to) His films are straight forward, but packed so many emotions along with quick bursts of violence. Which is a reason Kinji Fukasaku has a cult following here. While most of his films are easily accessible in the west, getting a hold of Gosha’s films is a bit trickier.

In a nutshell, I’ve waited years for someone to release a proper Hunter in the Dark. It was good/bad news when I found out Criterion/Janus had the rights. Good news is that when it’s released it will probably be done properly. (Would love Nakadai/Chiba interviews) Bad news is that it could be years before Criterion releases it. I guess that they have the HD transfer up on Amazon is a possible good sign.

[Ibnezra]

I would love a blu-ray of "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman" (1988) Katsu brings a lot of charm to his portrayal and direction, even if the plot winds up extremely disjointed.

[knives]

Why is it that only his most generic movie (3 Outlaw Samurai) is widely available here?

This is not true fortunately. Animego (bless their hearts) have released a decent number of his films including one of my favorites The Wolves. It seems if there is an issue it is only with the titles Criterion owns and considering the wide array of titles they have the rights to that they've gotten two out on disc is fantastic in itself.

[feihong]

True, there's The Wolves and Goyokin available, and A Geisha and the two Criterions. But the fact remains that Gosha is a very underground figure in the west, and hardly appreciated by fans of Japanese cinema here. And I don't get that, because to me he is, especially in his rich period in the 70s, the director who most clearly carried on in the direction Kurosawa's chambara films were heading at the close of the 60s. But it seems to me that there's something about the films that a lot of people find off-putting. Or maybe Gosha is just too unknown?

Of course, Kurosawa wouldn't have thrown in all the nudity, or reveled at the bloodletting the way Gosha seems to. But I think Kurosawa was miserable when he felt pessimism coming on, and with Gosha that pessimism is a natural starting position--albeit a sardonic one--from which he is poised and ready to make his best movies. So maybe Kurosawa plays so well because he so often hopes aloud in his films for a better world than the one he presents. Gosha, by contrast, knows we have always been weak, cruel and, more than anything, desperate for survival.

As far as the issue releasing the films, that is really Criterion's own position here. But I wonder what that position is? Do they think the movies won't sell? I don't know, maybe they won't? But it seems to me there are so many built-in selling-points for these pictures. It's not like they're slow or heavy with intellectual content. They're fast-moving and action-oriented. They have a dark sense of humor and a lot of stylistic bravura. There must be so many ways to present them as appealing.

It also just frustrates me that 3 Outlaw Samurai is the one that gets all the love now. I do feel it's the least representative of his filmmaking style and the depth of his ability. It plays almost like a Kurosawa or an Okamoto picture of its era. For myself I find it considerably less fun than any of the later pictures. Whereas Bandit and Hunter in the Dark are these rich, lustrous tapestries, with intricate storytelling and rapturous artistic values, all loaded with the particular personality of Gosha more than 3 Outlaw Samurai is. I wonder if 3 Outlaw Samurai's performance on blu-ray has hampered the later films chances somewhat?

[Vegeta84]

I wonder if 3 Outlaw Samurai's performance on blu-ray has hampered the later films chances somewhat?

The same thing crossed my mind. Not sure how well 3 Outlaw Samurai sold, but I don't think even if it sold horribly that Hunter in the Dark/Bandits VS Samurai Squadron would suffer the same fate. They are better films and have what most chambara films crave by the bucket load.

[dwk]

Just to give a heads up, AnimEigo's Geisha DVD just went OOP and their DVD of The Wolves went OOP last year. They do have two Gosha films still in print, Onimasa and The Secret of the Urn.

As for why Criterion hasn't released more Gosha, who knows. Maybe they are working on more and they'll come out in the next year or two. The only thing fans can do is buy, if they haven't already, the two Gosha films they've released and email them and say that you would like to see more Gosha films on Blu-ray.

[Vegeta84]

Just to give a heads up, AnimEigo's Geisha DVD just went OOP and I their DVD of The Wolves went OOP last year. They do have two Gosha films still in print, Onimasa and The Secret of the Urn.

As for why Criterion hasn't released more Gosha, who knows. Maybe they are working on more and they'll come out in the next year or two. The only thing fans can do is buy, if they haven't already, the two Gosha films they've released and email them and say that you would like to see more Gosha films on Blu-ray.

Yeah, it can't hurt to send Jon an e-mail. [email protected]. The more people that show interest, the more likely they will release something.

It's honestly a shame that there isn't a proper release of Hunter in the Dark yet. Personally, I think it's one of the best films EVER made.

[Vegeta84]

Also REALLY surprised that nobody has picked up Tenchu on the R1 market. It's not only one of the best Japanese film ever made, it's one of the best films period. I'm guessing there is some legal reasons holding that one up.

[zedz]

Not sure how well 3 Outlaw Samurai sold, but I don't think even if it sold horribly that Hunter in the Dark/Bandits VS Samurai Squadron would suffer the same fate. They are better films and have what most chambara films crave by the bucket load.

Here's an interesting question: how much commercial draw do chambara films have nowadays? Judging by Criterion's output, they were a reliable stand-by a decade ago, but they really seem to have dialled them down in recent years. By my rough count, twenty of the first three hundred and fifty Criterions fell more or less into that category. Even more striking: three of their first four 'collector's sets' had the word 'Samurai' in their title! I can only see four in the next three hundred and fifty, and that's including the marginal Empire of Passion.

[EddieLarkin]

I'm still surprised we've seen no upgrades to any of the Rebel Samurai: Sixties Swordplay Classics spines.

[MongooseCmr]

I think Criterion's acquisition of more mainstream titles and rereleasing big films on Bluray has made them less reliant on genre films to make easy profit. I would still think samurai films do well though. They seem to have a lot of faith in Zatoichi

[knives]

Not sure how well 3 Outlaw Samurai sold, but I don't think even if it sold horribly that Hunter in the Dark/Bandits VS Samurai Squadron would suffer the same fate. They are better films and have what most chambara films crave by the bucket load.

Here's an interesting question: how much commercial draw do chambara films have nowadays? Judging by Criterion's output, they were a reliable stand-by a decade ago, but they really seem to have dialled them down in recent years. By my rough count, twenty of the first three hundred and fifty Criterions fell more or less into that category. Even more striking: three of their first four 'collector's sets' had the word 'Samurai' in their title! I can only see four in the next three hundred and fifty, and that's including the marginal Empire of Passion.

At least in America for genre junkies spending a Saturday night watching Samurai flicks and getting drunk with friends is still happening.

[zedz]

I'm definitely intrigued by their Zatoichi plans, since I can't think of any scenario that wouldn't be ridiculously risky in commercial terms. As I see it, they've somehow got to try and convince all the hardcore fans of the films that they need to buy them yet again and at the same time not alienate potential casual buyers, all while running the "why is Criterion devoting all their resources to these films rather than x, y and z" gauntlet that will inevitably be erected by their core audience. Yikes!

[dwk]

I wonder how much of an influence Criterion's producers have on selecting what gets released. Maybe none of their current employees are pushing them to release samurai films.

[hoggle]

Polly Guo: "an unused illustration for a Zatoichi film series boxset for the Criterion Collection"

It does look like each film will receive art by a different artist, and that the artists will be mainly those who work in comics. Eric Skillman works in comics himself and seems to be bringing in more and more cartoonists for Criterion designs. Well, not sure if he was actually the AD on all of the releases, but the collection has had Seth, Jordan Crane, Adrian Tomine, Daniel Clowes and so on, all very recently.