It would be interesting to see how Criterion's Vampy fares with the upcoming MOC (they are both rumored to be using the same elements).

Ciao,
Pro-B

Again a set of films I have not heard of (minus High and Low)...which means off to Wikipedia!

Seriously though, they look awesome. Trafic looks like a winner to me.

Trafic, Vampyr AND High & Low for me... should be a decent summer for CC.

Probably just Mon oncle Antoine for me.

Another magnificent month. Though the Vampyr specs are suspiciously meager looking (the film isn't very long itself, and the Jorgen Roos documentary is only a half hour in length), it beats just about anything that *could* have come out this month. Its been over seven years since the previous Dreyer release in the collection. Hopefully, Criterion can put together a nice special edition of Master and the House, too, though the BFI edition is as good as one can expect. The High and Low re-issue is welcome, of course, and much needed, and one of the few Kurosawas available in R1 land that I haven't seen. I've never heard of the Claude Jutra film, so I'm naturally interested. The inclusion of the McLaren film is all the more reason to be interested, and I hope it is only windowboxed to Criterion's usual standard (the Norman McLaren Collection's windowboxing makes Criterion's practice look tame).

I'm pleased as can be that Trafic, considered a minor Tati film by most, is nonetheless getting Criterion's platinum treatment. This bodes well for special editions of his remaining films, Jour de Fete and Parade, the former being due for a multi-disc, multi-version special edition.

I've been wondering this too. Though it didn't sound like MOC's version would even be released this year. Unless some other news had changed.

Edit -> Just read that they will be trying to get this out in July or August because of the announcement. Interesting, I typically like MOC's releases because of their booklets.

High and Low REMASTERED!!!



[Homer Simpson]Woo-Hoo!!![/Homer Simpson]

I've been waiting for this one for a long time. I knew the old DVD was pretty weak visually (poor print/transfer by today's standards - and it was NON-Anamorphic), so I held off on this one - even though I knew this was a title I REALLY wanted to watch.

I know one title I'm buying for sure in July!

The first release of High & Low looks infinitely better than Drunken Angel. I won't by the latter til it is remastered. It needs it BADLY!

Good Luck! As the best surviving print of Drunken Angel is in horrible condition, the Criterion DVD is the best you are going to get unless a miracle happens and a close-to-original negative is discovered or technology that can repair severely damaged film is made.

Yeah, like Maniac Sounds says, you'd better go ahead and buy this disc if you like the film. The film isn't going to look much better for a long, long time.

Respectfully, I disagree. They said the same thing when Seven Samurai was first released. They could clean up that transfer if they wanted to but I believe they rushed it out the consumers rather than take the time & money to find good elememts & do a proper restoration. I wouldn't bet against Criterion revisiting ANOTHER Kurosawa title they hold the rights to any time soon. If you want to be double dipped by them, be my guest!

I wouldn't wait for a double-dip of Drunken Angel. It'll be some time before that happens. I'm just glad High and Low is finally getting the attention it deserves. One of my favorite Kurosawa films.

I'll bet the next Kurosawa remaster will be The Hidden Fortress.

I doubt it. I believe that the Hidden Fortress was the first Kurosawa in the Collection to be released anamorphically. I don't think there is much they would be able to improve upon. Who knows, tho? I'd most likely be there to double dip!

Seven Samurai is an absolute classic - one of the best films of all time, and even IT wasn't preserved all that well. Drunken Angel is 5 or 6 years older, and a minor title historically. There are no better elements to be found. Remember, this is postwar Japan we're talking about. It's amazing that these films still exist at all.

Toho provided Criterion with the best elements THEY had - and they own the film! They're the ones who have ALL of the surviving elements, and they gave the best of what they had to Criterion (for a nice fee, to be sure).

I've got the cheap Bo Ying version of Drunken Angel, and I'll tell you what - I can't wait to upgrade to the Criterion version!

But, more on topic - I can't wait to get the upgraded version of High and Low! Criterion has done a darned good job of upgrading the previously released non-anamorphic titles when they re-release them.

When are they gonna re-release Armageddon in anamorphic?

I can't be more happy that I never bought High & Low. So many times I almost did.

If the extras are markedly different, I'll probably end up purchasing both editions.

DVDBeaver Comparison. MoC all the way. Can't wait for my pre-order to arrive!

Agree with you 100%. Criterion boosted the blacks and there is a substantial amount of detail missing.

Pro-B