Seijun Suzuki's The Taisho Trilogy

[tenia]

Sadly, UK Academy boxsets are very poorly covered (and it seems Arrow PR company doesnt help).

[kekid]

I received this box. I have not had chance yet to look at the films. I wish someone had taken time to review it by now.
One small thing I noted is that in the booklet the title of the first film is mis-spelt on the title page (page 5, where credits for the film are summarized): "Zigeuneurweisen" instead of "Zigeunerweisen" The latter spelling is used everywhere else in the booklet. I don't know which is correct (I suspect the latter), but they should have been consistent.

[Apperson]

I also received this box on Monday, and because Arrow still haven't updated it on their website the More to be announced is:

Tony Rayns on the Taisho Trilogy, a new appreciation of Suzuki's trilogy

I popped in Zigeunerweisen to view the video quality and it looks very healthy so whatever the situation was with the Japanese release was it's not the case here.

[rapta]

I received this box. I have not had chance yet to look at the films. I wish someone had taken time to review it by now.
One small thing I noted is that in the booklet the title of the first film is mis-spelt on the title page (page 5, where credits for the film are summarized): "Zigeuneurweisen" instead of "Zigeunerweisen" The latter spelling is used everywhere else in the booklet. I don't know which is correct (I suspect the latter), but they should have been consistent.

I noticed two or three typos on the back of the box itself (from photos on Twitter). Whoever proofread this one did a lousy job...

Still, definitely going to get it at some point. Looks like a lovely set, even if it's another Japanese collection from Arrow Academy with scant few extras. Decent price at the moment too (£32.99).

[tenia]

Well, I just read the backcover blurb for Re-Animator and it also has 2 typos : wildly should be widely, and a some replaced what should have been a soon.
"Iniatially a little eccentric, it some becomes clear that West..."
I've also read that the Doberman Cop booklet is missing 4 lead actors in the Cast & Crew page (and it does indeed).
The Taisho booklet says QC and proofing was performed by long-time Arrow collaborator Nora Mehenni.

[MichaelB]

The Taisho boolket says QC and proofing was performed by long-time Arrow collaborator Nora Mehenni.

The Taisho what?

[tenia]

Don't know what you're takling about.

[perkizitore]

The Taisho boolket says QC and proofing was performed by long-time Arrow collaborator Nora Mehenni.

Do you mean Moira Nehenn?

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

This thread is becoming like an episode of TV's 'Call my Bluff'

[Michael Kerpan]

This thread is becoming like an episode of TV's 'Call my Bluff'

I was on Call My Bluff -- in 1965...

[jorencain]

One small thing I noted is that in the booklet the title of the first film is mis-spelt on the title page (page 5, where credits for the film are summarized): "Zigeuneurweisen" instead of "Zigeunerweisen" The latter spelling is used everywhere else in the booklet. I don't know which is correct (I suspect the latter)...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zigeunerweisen

[AidanKing]

The latest issue of Sight and Sound contains a review of the set by Alexander Jacoby (in the print edition only, as far as I can tell) which praises the quality of the set and extras, including the video introductions and booklet essays, but is ambivalent about the films themselves: he states that the visuals are extraordinary but that he suspects that there may be less going on under the surface than meets the eye. He does point out that the release is a significant event in making the films available, though.

[Apperson]

blu-ray.com

Am I the only one who thinks that reviewers over there consistently under-rate supplemental features on Arrow releases compared to Criterion and other boutique labels (i.e Chris might give the same rating if he were to review them but it would be much more consistent with his ratings on all other discs).

[Ribs]

They tend to take a bit more of a quantity over quality approach, and ignore written supplements as has been discussed here plenty (at the least it seems to have been given some consideration in bumping up the grade to a 2.0 average from a 1.5 on each individual film). I don't really think it's Arrow, but moreso just that they really, really like Criterion and go out of their way to reward them for their often totally adequate packages.

[Calvin]

Marc Walkow, who produced the set, has said that there wasn't a budget for more extras and "that's the direction all [Arrow's] Japanese releases seem to be heading". Which is a shame, as I would've thought they were selling rather well given the sell out/near sell outs of Battles, Stray Cat Rock and Yoshida.

[tenia]

Is the Yoshida near sold out ? I thought it was 60% sold out for months but hasnt sold much since.

[Ribs]

It's been like 85% sold since three months after release and last we heard crept up to 90 but it's been over half a year since we had an Academy stock update (and an additional 3,000 are now made for the US release).

[kuzine]

Copied from the Early Suzuki thread:

Perhaps they meant The Taisho Trilogy, which is gone from their website, but still available from other retailers.

So is this close to selling out? Hadn't seen any mention this was moving fast so was surprised reading this...

[Ribs]

Absolutely no reason to expect so.

[rapta]

Copied from the Early Suzuki thread:

Perhaps they meant The Taisho Trilogy, which is gone from their website, but still available from other retailers.

So is this close to selling out? Hadn't seen any mention this was moving fast so was surprised reading this...

Yes, it seems to have disappeared from the Arrow store; out of stock at HMV.com; and slightly inflated in price at Amazon UK.

Could it be a similar situation as Dekalog, when there was a panic it was going OOP but really they had just run out of it in the Arrow warehouse and were recalling some stock from retailers? Dekalog is still very much available now, and was even on offer in the last two Arrow Store sales.

Another explanation could be that they're correcting the typos on the back of the outer box, but I somehow doubt that they'd go to all that trouble.

[DeprongMori]

If you haven’t picked this set up yet, do. Worth it alone for “Zigeunerweisen”. Still need further viewings of the other two films. This film is astounding for its strange liminal atmosphere, its formal compositions, disjunctive editing, and elusive narrative.

Not sure it’s a good “first Suzuki”. I tbink I took the perfect path to get there: “Branded to Kill”, “Youth of the Beast”, “Tokyo Drifter” then this at the PFA. This is such a change from his Nikkatsu films in subject matter. Knocked my proverbial socks off.

[TonyleStephanois]

Stocks of The Taisho Trilogy are very low, it's not looking likely we'll re-issue this one, we're looking to make it available digitally only I am afraid. Our sales of standard editions of even major films following boxes just aren't selling unfortunately. This will be going for our Early Suzuki, Godard + Gorin, Sacha Guitry, Diamond Guys and Gangster VIP sets. We'll assess feedback and see if there is the right demand rather than just put them through the standard process so this isn't a guarantee that they will never come out but be warned it's unlikely as of writing.

[rapta]

Glad to hear it's selling well though! Will be one of the faster sellers for Arrow Academy, no?

May have to pick up the Gangster VIP one soon too then (and maybe Diamond Guys Vol 2). Not 100% sure about the new Suzuki set; will wait to see reviews first. Guitry and Godard/Gorin are on my radar too. Too many sets to choose from!

UK folk would be wise to grab a copy from their local HMV, where it should still only be £32.99 (or £33 in Fopp, I assume). I picked up a copy on a whim in-store last month after asking a member of staff if it was in stock. Good timing I suppose!

[DeprongMori]

If Arrow ever re-issues the Taisho Trilogy, there’s one egregiously awful subtitle error in “Zigeunerweisen” that needs to be fixed.

At 1:15:08, there is a voiceover as Nakasaga returns home that is translated as he was infected in “the Spanish Fly epidemic” rather than “the Spanish Flu epidemic (i.e., the deadly 1918 flu pandemic). “Spanish Fly” is something else entirely. The bad translation totally ruins a dramatic moment.

[fdm]

Good timing for me also, as I had (about two months back) figured out a way to possibly improve the odds of getting things from the UK to me undamaged (by sending everything from Amazon UK to my house instead of to the PO Box (these being in the US)). Around the time the first couple of undamaged shipments arrived was when I got to Beaver's review of The Taisho Trilogy, and with the comparatively really great (Prime only) price for it at amazon still in play, it ended up being the first box set I tried out to see in what shape it would arrive, with similar success.