Raro Video

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Barmy · #51 Post by **Barmy** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:14 pm

I've seen "Love in the City" and have this DVD but haven't watched it yet. I wouldn't call it a must-see unless you are a big fan of at least a couple of the directors represented in the film.

The other two look interesting as well.

Lino · #52 Post by **Lino** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:38 pm

Raro Video are having a sale on their Warhol DVDs.

#53 Post by **zedz** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 11:10 pm

Just in case people haven't caught the other thread in which this is being discussed, it looks as though Raro are also having a 30% off sale at the moment, so the price for this actually comes down to 69E. Considering the cost of buying all six releases individually would be way over 200E, this is fairly mindboggling: don't miss this sale if you're at all interested, and thanks a bunch, Lino, for bringing this to my attention. Merry Christmas to me!

Lino · #54 Post by **Lino** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:25 am

Don't mention it. It only came to my attention via a newsletter so I guess you should sign in too in case something even better happens.

BrightEyes23 · #55 Post by **BrightEyes23** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:16 pm

there's no info on raro's site, but does anyone know if Utamaro and his five Women has english subs? i doubt it does, but ya never know

ptmd · #56 Post by **ptmd** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 1:16 am

I've been wondering that myself, but even though I emailed them about this twice last week, I have yet to receive a response. I'd also like to know if Genroku Chushingura has English subs (it only lists Italian subs, but so does the Oshima set).

Ashirg · #57 Post by **Ashirg** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 1:43 am

According to a few Italian DVD stores I checked, they only list Japanese and Italian for Mizoguchi titles.

#58 Post by **zedz** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:17 pm

As far as I know, all Raro DVDs of non-English films (and I've tried Italian, German and Japanese varieties) include English subs, even on extras. And their subtitling is very good. I'm sure they could confirm by email.

ptmd · #59 Post by **ptmd** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:40 pm

I've tried emailing them twice about this, and haven't received any responses. I guess it couldn't hurt to try again.

Barmy · #60 Post by **Barmy** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:48 pm

Maybe you should email them in Italian?

Telstar · #61 Post by **Telstar** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:32 am

Hmmm... could someone please pass that email address along to me? It may be a lost cause, but I just placed a large order with Raro/Minerva and now I can't even find contact info for them, much less a way to track my order.

vogler · #62 Post by **vogler** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:57 am

zedz wrote:As far as I know, all Raro DVDs of non-English films (and I've tried Italian, German and Japanese varieties) include English subs, even on extras. And their subtitling is very good. I'm sure they could confirm by email.

I originally thought that all Raro dvds had English subs but quite a while ago I emailed them about their dvd of Oshima's Hakuchu no Torima (Violence at Noon) and they told me that it doesn't have English subs. So not all of their dvds have English subs but I think most do. I have also noticed that the subtitle information on their site is sometimes incorrect. There are a number of titles that just say Italian subs that do actually have English. This may have been fixed on their new site although I haven't checked.

Telstar wrote:Hmmm... could someone please pass that email address along to me? It may be a lost cause, but I just placed a large order with Raro/Minerva and now I can't even find contact info for them, much less a way to track my order.

I haven't emailed them for a long time and I can't remember the email address. I also can't find it listed on their new website which is strange. I have ordered a lot of stuff from them in the past though and I have always found them to be very reliable.

sevenarts · #63 Post by **sevenarts** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:07 pm

Could anyone comment on the quality of the Raro releases for Carmelo Bene and Paolo Gioli? I'm on the verge of ordering both, but the reports I've seen of various Raro transfers looking like crap have me hesitating. But then again, their Godards are all gorgeous. So do the Bene & Gioli fall more in the Godard camp or in the crap VHS transfer camp?

Also, as long as I'm ordering, any other recommendations from their DVD catalog would be greatly appreciated -- especially looking for stuff otherwise unavailable elsewhere, and in nice transfers.

Tommaso · #64 Post by **Tommaso** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:35 am

I would definitely recommend Pasolini's "Medea". Probably the best transfer of ANY Pasolini film I've ever seen, Criterion would have been proud of it. Fantastic extras on that one, too, including the otherwise unavailable Paso short "Le mura di Sana'a" from 1970. All with optional English subs.

Zillertal · #65 Post by **Zillertal** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:25 am

sevenarts,

Both of those editions are gorgeous, the Bene is exquisite and full of extras, is really worth purchasing. The Gioli is also very good, they were made with Gioli's prints, if you like i can pm you some links with snapshots...

sevenarts · #66 Post by **sevenarts** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:45 am

Zillertal wrote:sevenarts,

Both of those editions are gorgeous, the Bene is exquisite and full of extras, is really worth purchasing. The Gioli is also very good, they were made with Gioli's prints, if you like i can pm you some links with snapshots...

Thanks, although I ordered already and coincidentally received both sets last night (along with Bertrand Tavernier's Mississippi Blues). All three look great, although I only sampled the Bene and Tavernier so far -- a random sampling of those two looked really good, especially both films in the Bene set, and I'm looking forward to watching those.

I did dive into the Paolo Gioli set, but I'm going to talk about those (amazing) films over in the Avant-Garde thread.

Scharphedin2 · #67 Post by **Scharphedin2** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:26 am

A heads up to fans of classic Italian cinema. There are scattered references throughout this thread to Minerva's -- sister label to Raro -- releases.

So far, as far as I am aware, there have been nine releases in this particular series, and they look absolutely stunning (easily the equal of Criterion's releases). Furthermore, the discs contain copious extras that are always subtitled!! Even the booklets/books that accompany the releases are dual language. These are awesome releases, and they deserve more attention.

Svet Atanasov over at DVDTalk has written excellent reviews on several of the entries in the series. I have linked these reviews below. All of the titles can be purchased through Xploited -- usually for the same price as an upper tier Criterion less discount.

Minerva Classics (linked to reviews at DVDTalk where available):

Brother Sun, Sister Moon (Franco Zeffirelli, 1972)

Conversation Piece (Luchino Visconti, 1974)

Dillinger Is Dead (Marco Ferreri, 1969)

Il Cappotto (Alberto Lattuada, 1952)

Il Generale Della Rovere (Roberto Rossellini, 1959)

L'Amore In Citta (Fellini, Antonioni, Lattuada, and others, 1953)

La Cagna (Marco Ferreri, 1972)

La Visita (Antonioni Pietrangeli, 1963)

Una Vita Violenta (Paolo Heusch & Brunello Rondi, 1962)

Next up (March 23rd) for Minerva will be Lo Scapolo (Antonioni Pietrangeli, 1955)

Don Lope de Aguirre · #68 Post by **Don Lope de Aguirre** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:55 am

All of what you say is true! Maybe they are even worth a thread of their own...

I'm going to Milan tomorrow so I intend on buying at least 3/4 of these releases... I will report back.

Scharphedin2 · #69 Post by **Scharphedin2** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:23 am

Don Lope,

I purchased all of them except Conversation Piece and Brother Sun, and they are beautiful releases, just as Svet points out.

Last week I viewed Love In the City, and it is a really interesting film both with respect to the contributions from key Italian film personalities, and as a document of Italian society at this point in time.

The Rossellini film is probably the most gorgeous effort of them all. It comes packaged with the novel that the film is based on (albeit in Italian only).

Well worth your lunch money, Don Lope!

Don Lope de Aguirre · #70 Post by **Don Lope de Aguirre** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:04 pm

My lunch money is well and truly spent! I all ready own the lush Rossellini boxset but have been heartbroken by the number of his other works released without Engl. subs incl. (but this is another story).

How was the Francesco Maselli section in Love in the City? I saw one of his DVDs called "Gli Sbandati" which was subbed in engl. Might it be worth a blind buy?

And have you heard of "Un Caso D'Inconscienza" by Emidio Greco? Imdb offers no info whatsoever...

(Apologies as this is slightly off topic...)

Scharphedin2 · #71 Post by **Scharphedin2** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:15 pm

I do not know the two films that you refer to, sorry Aguirre. I have not been that adventurous when it comes to Italian releases.

The Maselli segment in Love In the City was co-directed by Zavattini from a script by him. It is the longest segment, and along with Fellini's, it is the one segment that adheres most closely to the idea of a narrative short film. The Antonioni and Lizzani being docu/verite style shorts, and the Risi and Lattuada segments I would describe as vignettes.

The Maselli segment resembles DeSica's films of the late '40s, although it is even more documentary in approach (the film is based on a real incident, and utilizes the real-life woman of said incident as the actress in the short). A very moving little film, if you like this kind of filmmaking.

In general, I found this whole anthology very good. I will post a few more comments in the '50s discussion thread.

EDIT -- In fact, I was thinking of you when viewing the Antonioni short, wondering what you would make of it in the context of Antonioni's other works from the '50s.

pro-bassoonist · #72 Post by **pro-bassoonist** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:37 pm

Don Lope de Aguirre wrote:My lunch money is well and truly spent! I all ready own the lush Rossellini boxset but have been heartbroken by the number of his other works released without Engl. subs incl. (but this is another story).

How was the Francesco Maselli section in Love in the City? I saw one of his DVDs called "Gli Sbandati" which was subbed in engl. Might it be worth a blind buy?

And have you heard of "Un Caso D'Inconscienza" by Emidio Greco? Imdb offers no info whatsoever...

Hi,

Let me chime in quickly...Gli Sbandati is a great addition to the RHV catalog (and as I noted in our review for the new SE 2DVD of La Terra Trema which is both French and English friendly) I will try to run these for TALK-see bottom of review for the other two discs.

Gli Sbandati is a terrific melodrama with some edgy jabs in it. I highly recommend it.

To make a long story short Ripley's new additions are must-haves!

Svet

#73 Post by **zedz** » Thu May 10, 2007 5:02 pm

Latest release, with what looks like one very impressive extra:

raro wrote:Nightmare Detective (Akumu Tantei)
Japan, 2006, 134', colour

Original Japanese version with English subtitles

Director and Screeneplay: Shinya Tsukamoto
Photography: Shida Takayuki, Shinya Tsukamoto
Music: Chu Ishikawa
Editing: Shinya Tsukamoto
Set Decoration: Shinya Tsukamoto

Cast: Ryu-hei Matsuda, Hitomi, Masanobu Ando-, Ren O-sugi, Yoshio Harada e Shinya Tsukamoto

Production: Movie-Eye Entertainment Inc., Kaiju Theater

:: PLOT::

A Japanese detective investigates two mysterious suicides, somehow connected as the two victims dialed "0" on their mobiles moments before their death. The detective comes to learn of a man who has the supposed ability to manipulate people's dreams, and if the case is going to be solved, the detective succumbs to the realization that she must dial the mysterious "0" herself...

:: EXTRAS ::

- Interview with Shinya Tsukamoto

- Commentary by Sogo Ishii

- a videothing by enrico ghezzi

BrightEyes23 · #74 Post by **BrightEyes23** » Fri May 11, 2007 10:48 am

i've been hoping this title would come out somewhere on dvd for some time...this is a must buy for me...where is the best place to order from? direct from raro?
i wonder if the Sogo Ishii commentary will be in japanese with english subs?

sevenarts · #75 Post by **sevenarts** » Fri May 11, 2007 2:46 pm

Might be worth noting that though Raro often includes English subs on everything, some extras are occasionally not subtitled -- I know at least a few of those "video things" they include on discs are in Italian with no subs.