Radiance Films General Discussion & Wishlist

[rapta]

If you look on the lists on Radiance's Letterboxd, there's one called 'Raro Video UK via Radiance Films', and The She Beast is listed on there. So it'll be a hosted label title from Raro Video (as with The Night of the Devils, Gang War in Milan and Murder Obsession).

Before that though, according to that list we'll be getting three titles from Fernando Di Leo; The Boss, The Italian Connection, and Shoot First, Die Later. I'm personally more likely to buy more poliziotteschi sooner than gothic horror (I suppose that depends though; I did pre-order The Horrible Dr Hichcock, and the recent Bava tease has my attention).

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka is likely going to be a Radiance title though. Fran was likely involved in bringing several of Miike's titles over to Arrow (Audition, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Black Society Trilogy, Dead or Alive Trilogy, Blade of the Immortal, Terra Formars, One Missed Call Trilogy, Graveyard of Honor, The Great Yokai War) and I believe Visitor Q was one of his dream titles for Radiance (not sure if he got it or not), so I'm not that surprised to see something like this on its way. I'm lukewarm on Miike myself but occasionally he shines (Audition is a favourite, and his straight yakuza stuff is usually more bearable).

[colinr0380]

The She Beast was directed by Michael Reeves of Witchfinder General, I assume that's the reason they'd release it.

Starring Ian Ogilvy who was a big collaborator with Reeves, starring in all his features as well as the short films Intrusion and Carrion (if they get the short films on there, that would be a great selling point!) as well as Barbara Steele who was contracted to work for one day only on the film but which 'day' apparently got stretched to last for 25 hours!

It is a very rough and ready film but I quite enjoy it. It has a lot of elements that look ahead to Witchfinder General (notably the witch execution at the beginning, although the film is likely just as much alluding backwards to Barbara Steele's role in classic Italian gothic horrors such as The Mask of Satan or Nightmare Castle) but its played as a kind of horror-comedy, which is very different to the much more deadly serious films which followed.

[MichaelB]

Specs for The End of Civilization: Three Films by Piotr Szulkin have been updated, with one substantial new extra per disc - see the dedicated thread for more details.

[What A Disgrace]

Any chance of following up the Piotr Szulkin set with one dedicated to Konstantin Lopushanskiy? His films Dead Man's Letters, Visitor of a Museum, and Russian Symphony have been on my radar for a long time, and the films keep popping up when I look up information on Szulkin in anticipation of these releases.

[yoloswegmaster]

Would the current sanctions placed on Russia by the U.S. and U.K. allow labels to sign deals with Russian companies at the moment? I know that the guy who runs Deaf Crocodile said that the deal with Mosfilm was signed before the war and that they aren't allowed to give them any royalty payments.

[yoloswegmaster]

Three new releases announced for January: Goodbye & Amen, The Sting of Death, and I, the Executioner (as well as a book by Tom Mes on Tai Kato). The latter 2 releases indicates a deal with Shochiku. It would be cool to see some of the Kinoshita titles or Koreeda's Hana get releases, though we could also see a release for Suzuki's Pistol Opera.

Hints for next month's releases is that both titles are from 1966

[Ribs]

I thought I, The Executioner was marvelous - how exciting and surprising to have a disc of it!

[rapta]

Three new releases announced for January: Goodbye & Amen, The Sting of Death, and I, the Executioner (as well as a book by Tom Mes on Tai Kato). The latter 2 releases indicates a deal with Shochiku. It would be cool to see some of the Kinoshita titles or Koreeda's Hana get releases, though we could also see a release for Suzuki's Pistol Opera.

Hints for next month's releases is that both titles are from 1966

Great to see these, really hyped for the Japanese titles especially (and was hoping for Kato's The Ondekoza, so maybe that's actually realistic now there's a Shochiku deal)! Lots of great possibilities, including Oshima, Kobayashi, Gosha, Nomura (and of course the greats like Ozu, Kurosawa, Kinoshita etc, though maybe BFI or Eureka are a better bet for some of those). I'd be surprised if they didn't do Suzuki's Pistol Opera (and maybe Princess Raccoon) and also Fukasaku's Black Lizard!

And as someone else pointed out, Shinoda's Demon Pond seems like a good bet, but I'd also hope for things like Assassination and Samurai Spy (reminder that 'SHIN' was one of the clues on the handwritten list, so at least one of these seems likely).

One of the 1966 titles is almost certainly Yasuharu Hasebe's Black Tight Killers, as someone else mentioned (on the other forum).

[What A Disgrace]

The 1966 films could be Suzuki's Carmen From Kawachi, or Commencini's Incompreso, judging from some of the clues provided.

[rapta]

The 1966 films could be Suzuki's Carmen From Kawachi, or Commencini's Incompreso, judging from some of the clues provided.

Good point, a few possibilities then! I think we can probably narrow it down to films from Japan and Italy though...

[dwk]

Once again, Fran has said that Carmen from Kawachi is with another label.

Aren't there legal issues preventing Fukasaku's Black Lizard from getting released?

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Aren't there legal issues preventing Fukasaku's Black Lizard from getting released?

I've never seen a definitive explanation, but it's clear something is up with this title. Usually its unavailability is chalked up to the Mishima source material. I'm not convinced, as the only other one of Fukasaku's Shochiku films that's similarly MIA is Black Rose Mansion, which had no involvement from Mishima—contrary to what's claimed at the IMDb and numerous sites drawing on it—but did share the same star (Miwa Akihiro). DVDs of both were supposedly announced back in the early aughts (when Japanese labels were falling all over themselves to release Fukasaku's films) and never actually materialized, although there was a U.S. DVD of Black Rose Mansion.

[dwk]

Oddly, the 1962 version of Black Lizard directed by ‎Umetsugu Inoue is available, Criterion has been streaming it since the Hulu days.

[What A Disgrace]

Tai Kato's By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him is being released in the USA at the same time as I, The Executioner, there is a good chance it is one of the 1966 films coming in February.

[M Sanderson]

Got to say, I'm really enthusiastic about further Damiano Damiani films, such as Goodbye & Amen. Day of the Owl has been my favourite so far. Such a controlled film. There is kind of a process of exclusion, characters being killed between scenes, bodies discovered in offscreen spaces (dug up), even a protagonist being replaced before the final scene. (This subtraction of key dramatic moments oddly reminds me of Weird Tales author Thomas Ligotti - I always felt he had written more before editing out, to create uncertainty and unnerve). Loved the local colour and also language ("quaraquara" - the lowest form of humanity) and depiction of hierarchies, from ruthless bosses all the way down to pathetic ass kissers. Damiani's sober approach indicates a huge amount of confidence in his work.

Really hopeful also for the team ups with Raro for other Italian properties of Lenzi and di Leo films. I realise the di Leo film in which Mario Adorf clings onto a van he is chasing and cracks the windscreen with head butts, is one of them (The Italian Connection, apparently - and promisingly - going up against Henry Silva & Woody Strode). Also encouraged by Raro's Indicator level encodes that they will offer slightly better presentations than Raro were able, although it's unlikely we'll see anything quite close to Grindhouse's The Tough Ones (Lenzi) or Arrow's Milano Calibre 9 (di Leo), which came from wonderful restorations.

[yoloswegmaster]

A user on the other forum received their order for Yakuza Graveyard but noticed on the invoice that it had Visitor Q listed instead. Obviously this could be just be an error but I kinda doubt since I can't think of a good reason as to why Visitor Q would be in the invoicing system.

[Finch]

Visitor Q was also one of their early design spines and they're rumored to have at least one Miike coming up.

[yoloswegmaster]

Hints for next month's releases is that both titles are from 1966

The newsletter from Friday provides a new clue for February's releases:

February is definitely one for 'fans!

[What A Disgrace]

Maybe A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum? Quite a few things to be a fan of from that movie, it is from 1966, an MGM title, and the 101 disc seems to be out of print.

[Peacock]

Forgive me if this has already been posted but Radiance will be releasing Glauber Rocha’s debut blu-ray with BLACK GOD, WHITE DEVIL through its Mawu Films partner line on 18th December in the UK.

Amazing news! I knew Janus had it in the US but this way we get a home video release of the new restoration much sooner. Let’s hope it’s a success and we get the likes of Earth Entranced which has also been restored I understand. The Age of the Earth too please if anyone with the power is reading!
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Black God, White Devil

One of the most acclaimed and influential Brazilian films ever made, Black God, White Devil (Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol) tells the story of Manoel, a young cowherd who murders a wealthy ranch owner and flees to the drought-ridden hinterlands of northern Brazil with his wife Rosa. Now outlawed, they join a religious cult headed by the mystic self-proclaimed saint Sabastião, who condones acts of violence. The couple are plunged into a moral dilemma between embracing religious fanaticism and a life of brutality amongst rural peasant bandits. Meanwhile, the authorities hire a gunman known as Antonio Das Mortes to track them down.

This audacious and fearless award-winning film, celebrated for its fusion of mysticism and folklore and its examination of aspects of religion, violence, and social injustice, was hugely influential in shaping the Cinema Novo movement and has inspired many filmmakers. Mawu Films is proud to present this milestone of Brazilian filmmaking in a brand new 4K restoration of the original 35mm materials preserved by the Cinemateca Brasileira.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

New 4K restoration from original 35mm materials preserved by the Cinemateca Brasileira
Audio commentary by restoration supervisor Lino Meireles
Intimacy & Distance: the political visual style of Black God, White Devil - a visual essay by Manuela Lazic and Alessandro Luchetti (2023, 14 mins)
Labyrinth Glauber The Brazilian - a documentary on the filmmaker by Silvio Tendler featuring interviews with colleagues and collaborators (2003, 98 mins)
Cinema Novo - an award-winning documentary by filmmaker and son of Glauber Rocha, Eryk Rocha on the Brazilian filmmaking movement, featuring interviews with noted figures including Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Joaquim Pedro de Andrade and Rocha himself (2016, 90 mins)
Trailer
Optional English subtitles
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho and critic Rafa Sales Ross
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with limited edition booklet and reversible sleeve

Extras subject to change

[TechnicolorAcid]

Black God White Devil has been one of my most desired Blu-Ray releases for a while, especially compared to the barebones release of the Mr. Bongo disc. I’m just now hoping someone upgrades the rest of Bongo’s catalogue especially their USSR catalogue. Also btw Peacock, I believe this was posted a little while back if not at the very least alluded to.

[swo17]

I thought I remembered there being some excited discussion of that release when it was announced but I'm not seeing it now. In any case, it doesn't get its own thread here because it's not technically a Radiance release

[TechnicolorAcid]

Does Mawu Films have their own thread? I think they're going to need it.

I think this is the closest to any mention of the release.

[swo17]

Just two releases is a little early to be creating a thread for a new label. This is probably the best place to discuss Mawu releases for now. If there is eventually enough discussion to merit a separate thread, we can split this discussion off at that time

[TMDaines]

If you look on the lists on Radiance's Letterboxd, there's one called 'Raro Video UK via Radiance Films', and The She Beast is listed on there. So it'll be a hosted label title from Raro Video (as with The Night of the Devils, Gang War in Milan and Murder Obsession).

Before that though, according to that list we'll be getting three titles from Fernando Di Leo; The Boss, The Italian Connection, and Shoot First, Die Later. I'm personally more likely to buy more poliziotteschi sooner than gothic horror (I suppose that depends though; I did pre-order The Horrible Dr Hichcock, and the recent Bava tease has my attention).

Gutted Uomini contro does not appear there. I thought that would be right up their street.

Suprising how long it has taken Di Leo's to appear in the UK.