BFI: 32 Ozu Films

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MichaelB
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#626 Post by MichaelB » Fri Apr 06, 2012 4:28 am

Mondo Digital on The Student Comedies.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#627 Post by MichaelB » Thu May 17, 2012 8:29 am

Full specs announced:
The Ozu Collection
Three Melodramas
By Yasujiro Ozu


Three Melodramas by Yasujiro Ozu, released on 18 June, is the latest addition to the BFI’s DVD strand The Ozu Collection. Melodrama is a word rarely associated with the work of the master Japanese director, whose beautifully constructed films capture the poetry of everyday life. Spanning his career, these three films, Early Spring (1956), Tokyo Twilight (1957) and the rare silent Woman of Tokyo (1933), demonstrate the director’s ability to apply his exquisite style to darker themes.

Disc One

Woman of Tokyo (Tokyo no onna)

Ozu’s silent Woman of Tokyo sees the director experimenting with the cutaways that were to become so associated with his later style. Chikako (Yoshiko Okada) works hard to pay for her brother Ryoichi’s (Ureo Egawa) college fees. When Ryoichi learns the true nature of this work disaster ensues. This tragic tale of misunderstood sacrifice features a new score by Ed Hughes.

Early Spring (Soshun)

Made just after his celebrated Tokyo Story, Ozu’s Early Spring tackles the problems of young salaried workers. Shoji (Ryu Ikebe) and his wife Masako, played by the multitalented Chikage Awashima (Late Spring), struggle to come to terms with a family tragedy. When the office flirt ‘Goldfish’ (Keiko Kishi) starts to interest Shoji, the couple’s fragile peace is severely threatened.

Japan / 1933 + 1957 / black and white / silent with optional score, Japanese intertitles and audio with English subtitles; Japanese, English subtitles / DVD 9 / 45 mins + 139 mins / Dolby digital 320kbps / Original aspect ratio 1.33:1

Disc Two

Tokyo Twilight (Tokyo Boshoku)

Abandoned by their mother when they were young, sisters Akiko (Ineko Arima) and Takako (Setsuko Hara) live with their father Shukichi (played by Ozu’s favourite actor Chishu Ryu). Each nurses her own personal sorrow but when Akiko falls into desperate trouble she turns away from her family. Ozu’s last film in black and white, Tokyo Twilight is a masterpiece of atmospheric chiaroscuro.

Japan / 1957 / black and white / Japanese, English subtitles / DVD 9 / 135 mins / Dolby digital 224kbps / Original aspect ratio 1.33:1

Special features

• Optional score for Woman of Tokyo by Ed Hughes commissioned exclusively for the BFI;
• Illustrated booklet including a newly commissioned essay from Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns and other contributions

Release date: 18 June 2012
RRP: £29.99 / cat. no. BFIVD950 / Cert 12

AK
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#628 Post by AK » Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:39 am

Preordered this in March from Amazon.co.uk and just received an e-mail from them notifying me it's been shipped. Can't wait!

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#629 Post by NABOB OF NOWHERE » Sat Jun 16, 2012 10:03 am

Please let Dragnet Girl be in the next batch. Ozu Hoods anyone?

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#630 Post by Michael Kerpan » Sat Jun 16, 2012 5:56 pm

I wish this new set constituted an _upgrade_ from the Criterion versions of Early Summer and Tokyo Twilight. ;~}

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Anthony
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#631 Post by Anthony » Sun Jun 17, 2012 3:45 pm

NABOB OF NOWHERE wrote:Please let Dragnet Girl be in the next batch. Ozu Hoods anyone?
I hear ya, big time... wink, wink.

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manicsounds
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#632 Post by manicsounds » Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:41 am


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antnield
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#633 Post by antnield » Mon Jun 18, 2012 8:40 am

...as does MovieScope.

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Peacock
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#634 Post by Peacock » Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:15 am

The Digital Fix wrote:There is one issue that separates Early Spring from Tokyo Twilight however, and that is what appears to be some sort of interlacing or de-interlacing “glitch” that mire the Tokyo Twilight transfer at periodic intervals throughout the film. This appears as jagged lines running through the image in a sort of “wave”, and can be quite distracting for brief amount of time it occurs.
Weird... I'm guessing this is the same source that Criterion used then? I didn't think the Tartan disk had this issue. Really kicking myself for selling that...

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#635 Post by MichaelB » Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:39 am

In virtually all cases (I think Good Morning is the only exception), the BFI either used Shochiku's or Criterion's masters.

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antnield
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#636 Post by antnield » Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:06 am

The Gangster Films
The latest volume in the BFI's ongoing releases of the works of Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu focuses on his crime films. These rare, silent works mix the thrills of western filmmaking with compositions that served as a forerunner to his renowned, mature, post-war style. All films are here presented with newly commissioned scores by Ed Hughes.

Titles comprise: Walk Cheerfully, That Night's Wife & Dragnet Girl

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#637 Post by MichaelB » Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:12 am

No great surprise (after the Student Comedies, this box was all but inevitable), but I'm delighted it's definitely on the horizon.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#638 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:25 am

Looks like a must-have set. I guess, though, it should be "Gangster" Films (as these would-be American-style gangsters had very little resemblance to anything in real life).

I am beginning to worry that Tokyo Inn might not be included in BFI's release plans -- maybe they consider the source too damaged?
Last edited by Michael Kerpan on Tue Jul 10, 2012 11:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Cash Flagg
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#639 Post by Cash Flagg » Tue Jul 10, 2012 9:06 am

According to that Play.com link, the one extra is 'The only surviving fragment of A Straightforward Boy'.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#640 Post by reno dakota » Tue Jul 10, 2012 9:36 am

Michael Kerpan wrote:I am beginning to worry that Tokyo Inn might not be included in BFI's release plans -- maybe they consider the source to damaged?
I've heard folks refer to Tokyo Inn, Passing Fancy, and A Story of Floating Weeds as the 'Kihachi trilogy.' I wonder if those three might be released together at some point (assuming, of course, that the BFI does not have the rights to Floating Weeds).

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#641 Post by NABOB OF NOWHERE » Tue Jul 10, 2012 10:21 am

NABOB OF NOWHERE wrote:Please let Dragnet Girl be in the next batch. Ozu Hoods anyone?
This is the luckiest I've ever been I think it might be time to try the lottery.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#642 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue Jul 10, 2012 11:50 am

reno dakota wrote:I've heard folks refer to Tokyo Inn, Passing Fancy, and A Story of Floating Weeds as the 'Kihachi trilogy.' I wonder if those three might be released together at some point (assuming, of course, that the BFI does not have the rights to Floating Weeds).
Story of Floating Weeds seems (to me) to be in good enough shape to justify a Blu-Ray release (unlike almost all the other silents).

The films featuring Takeshi Sakamoto as Kihachi are no more a "trilogy" than the films starring Setsuko Hara as Noriko. I guess it's okay a pure marketing gimmick... ;~}

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#643 Post by MichaelB » Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:40 am

reno dakota wrote:
Michael Kerpan wrote:I am beginning to worry that Tokyo Inn might not be included in BFI's release plans -- maybe they consider the source to damaged?
I've heard folks refer to Tokyo Inn, Passing Fancy, and A Story of Floating Weeds as the 'Kihachi trilogy.' I wonder if those three might be released together at some point (assuming, of course, that the BFI does not have the rights to Floating Weeds).
It's just been confirmed that the BFI doesn't have the rights to Floating Weeds...

...because it's coming out as a dual-format release in December, courtesy of Masters of Cinema.

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effigy105
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#644 Post by effigy105 » Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:54 pm

Amazon.co.uk currently claim the Gangster set is being released April 29th, 2013. I'm kind of hoping Play.com's December release date is a little more on the mark as I've already got all excited about this.

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feckless boy
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#645 Post by feckless boy » Sat Jul 21, 2012 2:12 am

MichaelB wrote:
reno dakota wrote:
Michael Kerpan wrote:I am beginning to worry that Tokyo Inn might not be included in BFI's release plans -- maybe they consider the source to damaged?
I've heard folks refer to Tokyo Inn, Passing Fancy, and A Story of Floating Weeds as the 'Kihachi trilogy.' I wonder if those three might be released together at some point (assuming, of course, that the BFI does not have the rights to Floating Weeds).
It's just been confirmed that the BFI doesn't have the rights to Floating Weeds...
...because it's coming out as a dual-format release in December, courtesy of Masters of Cinema.
Floating Weeds (1959) and A Story of Floating Weeds (1934) are of course two different films...The latter is also a Shochiku production like the rest of the Ozu films that BFI has released so far. So unless MoC has acquired the rights for A Story of Floating Weeds I don't see why it wouldn't end up being released by BFI.

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zedz
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#646 Post by zedz » Sun Jul 22, 2012 4:39 pm

How does that contradict what Michael posted?

Nobody's suggesting that the BFI doesn't have the rights to A Story of Floating Weeds.

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feckless boy
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#647 Post by feckless boy » Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:23 am

zedz wrote:How does that contradict what Michael posted?

Nobody's suggesting that the BFI doesn't have the rights to A Story of Floating Weeds.
As you can see I'm quoting more than one poster, and I thought that reno and MichaelBs post were potentially confusing to anyone not familiar with Ozu's filmography. If my post in any way muddied the water further, I apologize to all involved.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#648 Post by tim180 » Sun Jul 29, 2012 11:44 am

Is anyone keeping track of the remaining films to be released? By my count, excluding December's release, the following titles are still candidates:

Tokyo Chorus
An Inn in Tokyo
A Story of Floating Weeds
Record of a Tenant Gentleman
The Munekata Sisters
The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice
Floating Weeds
End of Summer

Three of these are already available through Criterion, but it would be so nice to see BFI cover all the remaining titles. Did I miss anything?

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Askew
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#649 Post by Askew » Sun Jul 29, 2012 12:32 pm

Floating Weeds will be released by Masters of Cinema.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#650 Post by MichaelB » Sun Jul 29, 2012 3:04 pm

The BFI originally promised 32 titles, and we already know the identity of 25 of them (i.e. 22 released, three announced). If we assume that The End of Summer is the other one that the BFI doesn't have (because, like Floating Weeds, it was also licensed by Artificial Eye at the time the BFI struck a deal with Shochiku), that leaves these as the most likely candidates:

Tokyo Chorus
An Inn in Tokyo
A Story of Floating Weeds
Record of a Tenant Gentleman
The Munekata Sisters
The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice

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