Crescendo House

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Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Crescendo House

#1 Post by Calvin » Sun May 02, 2021 4:01 pm

Nobuhiko Obayashi's final film, Labyrinth of Cinema, and Julian Radlmaier's Bloodsuckers will be the first two releases from new label Crescendo House
Crescendo House is a new boutique distribution company that aims to reinvigorate the American film landscape with an alternative model for distribution. We aim to elevate the role of multicultural works of art for younger generations and highlight their value in shaping the creativity, empathy, and taste of future generations.

The current, traditional framework often fails those works that defy easy categorization and as such, our nation's diversity is improperly measured by one-sided discourses that present assimilative points of view. International art, regardless of entertainment value, virtue, or even star power, is viewed as "unmarketable" simply and are ignored by larger corporations simply because of the view that subtitles are too "challenging" (and thereby, unprofitable). Despite many exceptions to this condescending attitude making waves at the box office, this line of thought is maintained and there has been little opportunity for the market to develop any further.

The double-edged sword of streaming has also shifted this relationship. More international films are directly accessible online, but unless you know what to look for, they are generally well hidden. Instead, algorithms that track your viewing habits fill your home page with movies that are the most similar to what you have just seen, as if rejecting the sense of curiosity that makes us more unique as individuals.

The big joke is on all of us as a national collective - these works of art may be different or out of sync with cultural norms, but they are not as entangled with class as they are often misrepresented to be. The goal is not to conform your taste with ours, but rather to make these kinds of films more visible in mainstream cultures so that general audiences will at least be familiar of their options when they decide which movie to catch at the cinema.

CrH will initiate the life of a film with a limited edition, collector's home video run. Each carefully curated film will feature unique artwork, packaging, and hours of special features, in an effort to match the value each film contains as a unique and different work of art. This initial run will serve as a new form of patronage; as they sell out, we will be proving to exhibitors that there is in fact an audience for different works of art and solidifying wider, more film-specific theatrical and VOD release strategies.

We hope you connect with each film with the same enjoyment that the experience of watching your favorite films provides but recognize that that is an unreasonable expectation; regardless, we hope you appreciate the chance to see something new and different symbolically. Here is a chance for liberation by way of taste!

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Crescendo House

#2 Post by knives » Sun May 02, 2021 8:05 pm

That makes them sound unpleasant.

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The Elegant Dandy Fop
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:25 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Crescendo House

#3 Post by The Elegant Dandy Fop » Sun May 02, 2021 9:42 pm

I sort of thought the same thing, unfortunately. I get the sentiment, but not sure if a vampire comedy with Marxist ideology is the first film I’d promote after writing a screed like that. They could also use a copy writer!

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domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: Crescendo House

#4 Post by domino harvey » Sun May 02, 2021 10:06 pm

This mission statement sounds like the kind of thing coming from ambitious Kickstarter projects that end up shipping out burned DVD-Rs

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soundchaser
Leave Her to Beaver
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 12:32 am

Re: Crescendo House

#5 Post by soundchaser » Sun May 02, 2021 11:27 pm

The Elegant Dandy Fop wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 9:42 pm
I sort of thought the same thing, unfortunately. I get the sentiment, but not sure if a vampire comedy with Marxist ideology is the first film I’d promote after writing a screed like that. They could also use a copy writer!
Well, it does end with “liberation by way of taste,” which feels very “you have nothing to lose but your chains” in spirit.

And I’m with domino — would be very (pleasantly?) surprised if such lofty ideals translate to more than two or three releases.

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DandyDancing
Joined: Mon Feb 10, 2020 8:27 am

Re: Crescendo House

#6 Post by DandyDancing » Sun May 02, 2021 11:50 pm

Why does the page for the blu ray say the shop is a demo and that no orders will be fulfilled and that you must buy from Amazon? If it is a demo why does it let you check out? Why does the link embedded in the term “Amazon.com” send you to the page you’re already on? Why does the website give you a 404 when you click on the terms you are to agree too? Is this some kind of scam?

pistolwink
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 3:07 am

Re: Crescendo House

#7 Post by pistolwink » Mon May 03, 2021 12:44 pm

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Last edited by pistolwink on Sat Aug 14, 2021 4:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Cash Flagg
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:15 pm

Re: Crescendo House

#8 Post by Cash Flagg » Mon May 03, 2021 12:48 pm

I’m definitely getting Midnight Legacy vibes here!

crescendohouse
Joined: Tue May 04, 2021 7:51 pm

Re: Crescendo House

#9 Post by crescendohouse » Tue May 04, 2021 8:31 pm

Hey guys!

Definitely not a scam -- just a new company that wasn't expecting things to move so quickly! (A good sign for all of us though, right?)

We do appreciate your efforts in bug testing our site and should have everything fixed now! The product pages were an oversight! Thought we had them hidden, but we're a very small team stretched very thin under the circumstances. Regardless! We're planning on selling on our site and select retailers, and uh, yeah hopefully we can put that mention of Amazon in the rearview!

Totally understand the comments on the About Us page -- there was a rationale behind it and it was effective in that regard (sorry to be vague for now, but wouldn't want to spoil any surprises)! Would you guys disagree with any of the points outlined in the statement generally though? I feel like it's fairly accurate, but am open to discuss! Also yeah, gotta say, isn't Bloodsuckers a suitable film to promote in line w/ that context? We were trying to get coverage on Labyrinth earlier but couldn't get anyone to bite, but that seems to be quickly changing!

If it reads like a grad-school application, it's because I spent a fair bit of time in academia and old habits die hard! It was a bit of a rushed transition admittedly, but I felt disillusioned and wanted to try and enact some change so we could preserve the spirit of such films as these and make them more appealing to audiences that would normally not be aware of them. In that same sense, we appreciate the patience; the jump from that ecosystem to distribution, with a new release model at that, is a big one! Hope you guys understand the minor technical scuffles and can overlook the confusion it may have caused. We'll try our best to prove ourselves in the meantime :)

It's hard to live up to the legacy of Criterion and we are neither attempting to encroach nor posture. Similarly, Criterion was not built in a day; there are more films being negotiated -- films that have been long-denied NA distribution -- but we want to make sure our model is effective in getting these different films out there so we can make sure to do right by them!

Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: Crescendo House

#10 Post by Calvin » Thu Aug 19, 2021 5:07 pm

Image

Available for Pre-Order
Filming in his hometown of Onomichi for the first time in 20 years, director Nobuhiko Ôbayashi's new film invites us into an intoxicating cinematic world. Against a backdrop that traces the history of Japan’s wars, Labyrinth of Cinema shapeshifts between styles and genres, drawing influences from silent films, talkies, action flicks, musicals, and more - and creates something triumphantly unique in the process.

Ôbayashi, with a boundless optimism, showcases the raw energy within the medium and the power for cinema to enact real change, as three youths are transported through time into the projected world, fated to cross paths with three heroines through disparate timelines and settings within the silver screen.

Special Features:

HD digital transfer, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.
Notes from the Labyrinth, a 60-minute documentary featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Ôbayashi and the cast during the making of the film.
Video Interview with wife and long-time producer Kyôko Ôbayashi, moderated by independent film programmer Aiko Masubuchi.
Short Video Introduction by Kyôko and daughter Chigumi Ôbayashi.
"Dreaming Together in a Cinematic Labyrinth," Exclusive Essay by award-winning author Eiko Ikegami.
Eight poems by Chuya Nakahara from the film, with new English translations.
Four newly-designed lobby card inserts.
US & Japanese Trailers.
New Cover Art by Jess Fang.

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furbicide
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:52 am

Re: Crescendo House

#11 Post by furbicide » Thu Aug 19, 2021 9:58 pm

Love the cover, very eye-catching!

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