whynotsmile

I'm planing on picking up the Kurosawa box set in the near future. I also want the other films cirterion put out of his. Before I buy Ikuru and Rashamon, do you think there is any point in waiting for a box set?

Current box set includes:

Seven Samurai Kurosawa, Akira Japan 1954 2

Yojimbo Kurosawa, Akira Japan 1961 52

Sanjuro Kurosawa, Akira Japan 1962 53

The Hidden Fortress Kurosawa, Akira Japan 1958 116


think another box set featuring these titles will be released?:

High and Low

Rashomon

Throne of Blood

Ikiru

Red Beard

markdclark43016

Jon Mulvaney at Criterion has stated that the CC DOES plan to release more "gift sets" like the Kurosawa and Hitchcock collections. But he's given no indication what those sets might be.

Given the popularity of the Kurosawa box, a second Kurosawa set would seem likely, but they could elect to go in a different direction, especially since RASHOMON, THRONE OF BLOOD and IKIRU are relatively recent releases. They could elect to issue boxed sets of Fellini, Lean or Bunuel films and get to Kurosawa later, or release some completely different sort of set (like a "French New Wave" set or something).

With the CC, you just never know...

ScottReynolds

I was thinking the same thing, had a copy of Ikiru in my hands last night.

Oh well, I put it down for now. I have a lot of stuff I still need to watch. Another Kurosawa box set would be awesome though.

steebo777

A Fellini boxset would be sweet

jough

I just wish they'd stop putting spine numbers on the re-released boxed sets of films they sell individually. It makes it hard to be a completeist that way.

Not that I own anywhere NEAR the entire CC.

Yakuza Bengoshi

The titles in the Hitch and Kurosawa boxsets have the same spine numbers as the individual releases, so I don't understand what you mean. Could you elaborate on your comment?

jough

When Criterion releases a boxed set of films that they have released individually, the box itself gets a spine number, in addition to the films in it.

majorjoe23

Yeah, there are no numbers on the boxes themselves, and the discs have the same numbers as the original releases. Brazil has one number for its box, with .1, .2, .3 for the individual DVDs inside, but since they don't sell those discs seperatly, it's hardly a big deal.

Yakuza Bengoshi

The Hitch and Kurosawa boxs aren't numbered. The only title I'm aware of that Criterion has re-released in a numbered box is The 400 Blows. Am I missing any?

mordecai

Plus, in the case of the Antoine set, if you're trying to be a completist, you'd be buying that box because it's the only way you can get all the other films included with The 400 Blows.

lesterlong

You are correct. Criterion takes their spine numbers very seriously. And I really hope they release David Lean set. He's one of the few directors I don't have any of in the Collection. Well him and Bergman.

HistoryProf

Yeah....the Hitchcock and Kurosawa boxes are intended as throwaways for the most part...they aren't sturdy at all. I fretted about it for a bit, but just decided it didn't really matter....there was a thread a few months back about someone who converted their box so that the spines could be seen from the shelf (the boxes are only open at the bottom)....but i prefer them in numerical order

jough

Ah, yes, some of the other boxed sets *do* have numbers given to the boxes as well as the individual discs, but in those cases the other discs are not available separately.

That's why Criterion makes a point to call the Kurosawa and Hitchcock collections "gift sets" rather than "boxed sets."

Well, bring on the gift sets if they're going to be cheaper ways to collect more of the films from directors. I'd pick up a Bergman gift set since I don't have any of the Criterion Bergman films.

The others, well, I'd probably have at least one disc from each.

garolo

I'd rather see some "new to dvd" Kurosawa from Criterion. How about a crime and punishment box, a Wrong Men and Notorious Women box set in Japan:
High and Low
The Bad Sleep Well
Stray Dog
Drunken Angel

Now wouldn't that be sweet. I can dream, can't I?

Or even "Kurosawa does Shakespeare" set":
Throne of Blood
Ran (if Criterion could only get the rights)
Bad Sleep Well

mljones99

I still need to get the first one

jough

For those of you looking to pick up the Kurosawa box, keep in mind that Criterion is planning to release a 2-disc Seven Samurai with a new transfer... eventually. 2004? 2005? We'll have to wait and see.

Cameron

I keep seeing this 2 disc seven samurai mentioned but nothing has come of it yet. I am thorougly impressed with M re-release and would love to see it happen this year. It would also be nice if the restoration from the first pressing was on the disc... More Kurosawa Box sets are needed as not to cut into my wallet anymore....

Has criterion announced any re-release box sets for 2005?

pro-bassoonist

Absolutely

Regards,
Pro-B

CriterionReview

Ran already has a great Masterworks release, and the possibility of it getting a Criterion treatment are slim to none.

The Seven Samurai 2-disc release was strongly rumored for late 2004, so it can't be too far away now. Spine number 300 will hit by mid-year, so maybe they're saving it for around that anniversary milestone.

Reissues of High & Low, Yojimbo and Sanjuro were speculated, but I'm of the opinion that they should hold off on those until the next format. To be honest, a Seven Samurai reissue could probably wait until then too. The current release is very solid.

Should be a great year for Criterion. Their 2005 line-up has been stellar so far.

DrGerbil

Call me crazy, but I smell a Seijun Suzuki box set coming in the next year or two.

Cameron

what next format...i doubt a movie from the 50's is going to look much better in HD...don't get me wrong, I'm all for the new format, but It seems that older films do not benifet from this as much as new. That said, i will buy it either way.

CriterionReview

True -- but I'm thinking from a purely convenient point of view. Not a question of superficial quality.

Criterion is a small company with not a lot of cash to throw around. It's not in their best interest to re-release those Kurosawa's now, then have to release them again in a few years when HD-DVD/Blu-Ray takes off.

They should be pumping their dollars into new titles for the Criterion catalogue and negotiating better rights for the next format that allow them access to more recent gems.

Then again, I'd buy Seven Samurai on everything from 16mm reel to Interactive-Hologram 40 years from now. ;-)

animatedude

do u know what would be really cool?....Kurosawa complete collection!

djtoell

I don't. 35mm film, even from the 1950s, has more visual information than what can be presented in standard definition. HD transfers of 50s films will look better than current DVDs. Why do you think Criterion bothers to do HD transfers of such films in the first place (to pick one at random, the transfer on Criterion's disc of Throne of Blood, from 1957, was downconverted from an HD master)? If it didn't look any better, they would save a good deal of money by just doing SD transfers instead.

I have no idea from where people get this misguided notion that older films can't benefit from HD transfers, but I see it repeated all the time. Maybe people think that films somehow only started looking good when they started watching them in the 80s?

DJ

pigmode

We need new titles before we need re-releases (both would be better). "Sanshiro Sugata" and "The Men Who Tread On The Tigers Tail" are important titles in Kurosawa's filmography.