Stitch

Could anyone post or send me somewhere with reviews of qualities of the Kurosawa DVD's (not the movies) Mei Ah has put out (the ones sold at DDDHouse).

Thanks!

Hendrik

...my advice: definitely avoid ! ! ! (very iffy, smeary, way-below-par transfers of very iffy, scratchy, speckled copies; flippers, too - e.g. Dodes-ka-den)...

(Stung) !!! !!!

nemein

I have about 1/2 doz of them or so and so far the only flipper I've run across is Hidden Fortress. Considering this is the only way some of them are going to see DVD if you like Kurosawa get them. They aren't of the higest production quality but so far of all the ones I've seen they don't seem to be any worse than a VHS so it's probably damage on the source material that is getting carried over in the xfer.

Sanjuro68

Image and sound quality are very spotty, but worse for me are the subs, which are translated into English from a Chinese translation of the Japanese original. The dialog is almost a complete loss in some places. However, Nemein is right that many of these will simply not be found anywhere else. I'd hold tight on Hidden Fortress, since Criterion will probably get that one out in a year. Maybe Throne of Blood as well. Some of the others, like Sanshiro Sugata, may well never come out on DVD domestically. Since they're only about $10 each, you really can't go too far wrong.

garmonbozia

quote:<HR>Originally posted by nemein:
I have about 1/2 doz of them or so and so far the only flipper I've run across is Hidden Fortress. Considering this is the only way some of them are going to see DVD if you like Kurosawa get them. They aren't of the higest production quality but so far of all the ones I've seen they don't seem to be any worse than a VHS so it's probably damage on the source material that is getting carried over in the xfer.<HR>

Criterion will be releasing Dodes'Ka-den, Hidden Fortress, and Rashomon, so I would definitely wait on those. Personally I am hoping someone will release Dreams.

nemein

quote:<HR>Originally posted by garmonbozia:
Criterion will be releasing Dodes'Ka-den, Hidden Fortress, and Rashomon, so I would definitely wait on those. Personally I am hoping someone will release Dreams.
<HR>

Yep, unfortunately I bought mine a month or two before the announcement. Considering though criterion still doesn't have a release date, and is notorious for missing them anyway, I'm happy for now though I probably will "upgrade" when they finally do release it though.

WRT Dream I completely agree. This is one that deserves the full "criterion" treatment IMHO.

Stitch

Thanks for the input everybody.

This brings up another question I should have asked already: Other than the Criterions, are there any other versions of any of his films available? (I know about Ran from Studio-Winstar, should be on the way from CH)

nemein

The only other one I know of is Dersu Uzala from Image Entertainment: http://www.express.com/consumer/prod...CTNUMBER=19532

Although I see Madadayo is supposedly coming soon from Fox Lorber http://www.express.com/consumer/prod...CTNUMBER=22151

Slumbering Fist

Sanjuro68, i was just wondering why you are saying that certain Kurosawa films wont see another/US DVD release? Isnt that a bit presumptuous?

Sanjuro68

quote:<HR>Originally posted by iaido:
Sanjuro68, i was just wondering why you are saying that certain Kurosawa films wont see another/US DVD release? Isnt that a bit presumptuous?<HR>

I think said "may well never," which may be an exaggeration. I do think we are talking many, many years for something like The Most Beautiful, which isn't even in print right now. The early Kurosawa films are not going to be a high priority with Home Vision (Criterion), who I think owns the rights to many of these. Can anyone tell us if they ever had a domestic laser release? That would give us an indication of their possible laser future. I like Home Vision/Criterion, but they really are dragging their feet. Only three Kurosawa's announced into 2002, so far as I've heard.

Anyway, since this is the fourth year of the format and we still don't have Citizen Kane, King Kong, the Godfathers, the Star Wars, the Indiana Jones, or ET, the studios clearly aren't rushing titles out the door.


[This message has been edited by Sanjuro68 (edited February 05, 2001).]

yangshouwen

Roshomon and Seven Samurai are released by BFI(I think thats right, I'm just plucking off my mind) in Britain, rrp is £19.99 each though with nothing much as to extras (but I think there is a commentary on each though). However they are region 0, so for those desperate enough, you could check them out.

Pants

Last year Home Vision released 3 Kurosawa titles on VHS. They were "I Live in Fear" and two others (I don't remember the titles but they both had Toshiro Mifune and they were all early Kurosawa; ie. pre-1950). (Edited to add: One of the titles was Drunken Angel.

These titles going to Home Vision VHS and not getting treatment on DVD by Criterion surprised me. Does anyone know if Criterion will ever return to these titles?

[Edited by Pants on 02-10-01 at 05:20 PM]

Pants

bump bump