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Maybe the HVE is from a film master and the R2 is from an HD master

To me, this seems very likely to be the case with this transfer.

Home Vision Entertainment presents All About Lily Chou-Chou in Widescreen Anamorphic (1.85.:1). The transfer is incredibly sharp and detailed, boasting the film’s use of bright colors and darkness. The black level is perfect and I noticed no edge enhancement.

For what it is worth this is from a review at dvdtalk (video 5/5). Now I am a bit confused...

Arn777 wrote:

Home Vision Entertainment presents All About Lily Chou-Chou in Widescreen Anamorphic (1.85.:1). The transfer is incredibly sharp and detailed, boasting the film’s use of bright colors and darkness. The black level is perfect and I noticed no edge enhancement.

For what it is worth this is from a review at dvdtalk (video 5/5). Now I am a bit confused...

That's what happens when they dont actually compare to anything. Those pictures linked to above (from a post by Furious on the Asiandvdguide forum) leave no doubt as to the difference in detail of the japanese disc. Whether anyone should care that much is a different question.

I just found something strange...I was thinking about ordering Lucrecia Martel's "La Cienaga", but in Home Vision's site it says that it's in Italian with optional english subtitles. Shouldn't that be in spanish? Is it just a mistake of the site?

Anyone have any thoughts on The Perfect Murder? The fact that it's got Stellan Skarsgard in it caught my eye, but I can't find a damn thing about it online. No reviews @ the IMDb, which I find very odd. From what I can gather, it's based on a novel (play?), is set in India, and stars a bunch of major Bollywood stars. Has anyone even seen it?

I'm also interested in Sympathy for the Underdog, based almost entirely on the fantastic cover image....

I was thinking about ordering Lucrecia Martel's "La Cienaga", but in Home Vision's site it says that it's in Italian with optional english subtitles. Shouldn't that be in spanish? Is it just a mistake of the site?

Purely a mistake. But this one may be a rental if you're not familiar with it. I found it interesting in spots, but overall a tad tedious. On the other hand, the short that comes with this Rey Muerto is fantastic.

Tribe

I'm also interested in Sympathy for the Underdog, based almost entirely on the fantastic cover image....

Martha, if you liked Graveyard of Honor or Street Mobster, you'll certainly like this one. Not as fantastically intricate as the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series, but then again, few movies are.

Tribe

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Where is the cover art for the Hanzo the razor box set, and well the rest of that month?

Martha wrote:I'm also interested in Sympathy for the Underdog, based almost entirely on the fantastic cover image....

I definitely recommend this, Martha. It would be interesting to view this back to back with Kitano's Sonatine to see how the representation of Japan's hinterland of Okinawa change over time in the Yakuza genre.

We always hear on the news and in print about how little ethnic/social diversity there is in Japan but the more films we see like this shatter that image. Decades before Miike, we can find these cinematic gems showcasing a "multiethnic" Japan. By the way, the original title for the film was: Foreign Legion of Gamblers which emphasizes the whole foreign exoticism of the people and place.

Gregory, reading back on my comment regarding La Cienaga, the way I wrote it made me come down harder on it than I actually feel. I found it tedious particularly because I found all these compelling characters who obviously have strong connections between each other....and had me interested in them enough....so I was disappointed that there was no pay-off for me after having invested the time in watching it. Your review is accurate in your characterization of the movie...but other than some thinly veiled critique of the Argentine middle class, the parts of this didn't make up a whole. I don't hate it....it's just a diappointing mixed bag.

Tribe

I can understand that reaction. And I should add that one reason I praised La Cienaga is that it's so accomplished for a debut feature film. I haven't had the opportunity to see her follow-up, The Holy Girl, but I think there's a very good chance Home Vision will release that one, too.

Well...I actually enjoyed a lot La Cienaga. I found it trully engaging despite its slow pace and I would certainly want to watch it again. But I've heard that Holy Girl isn't that good.

filmghost wrote:Well...I actually enjoyed a lot La Cienaga. I found it trully engaging despite its slow pace and I would certainly want to watch it again. But I've heard that Holy Girl isn't that good.

There've been plenty of raves about The Holy Girl (see the latest Sight & Sound, for example).

Hanzo the Razor box art is up as well as each disc's cover. I think they need a major revising. Look at that Lupin the Third font!!

http://www.homevision.com/users/folder. ... &id=RAZ010

spew.

Has anyone seen the HVE release of La Vallée (1972, Barbet Schroeder)?

It was pretty awful and even has a moment where the film seems to do something akin to jumping in the projector at a bad splice and you can see the frame line being adjusted (meaning peoples' feet are at the top of the screen temporarily.) Don't see that on a DVD very often.

The picture was pretty icky and grainy and not sharp. (Also the movie was a big disappointment to me.)

I'm imagining this was one of their earliest releases?
It was certainly watchable and it wasn't like it was cropped badly or anything, but it was just not up to what their more recent releases look like.

The first two Zatoichis I saw of theirs also were okay but not great. Have the Zatoichis improved, and at what point in the series if so?

La Vallee is actually a fairly recent release. Despite being a Bulle Ogier fan, I passed on this -- it just sounded too weird and trippy for me.

MEK

I've seen La Valee and I recall the print damage. They mention it at the start of the dvd and I cannot at the moment remember what the reason for it was but I don't recall it taking away from the film. I remember the print looking okay otherwise and I'm glad they released the film on dvd even if they couldn't afford to fully restore the film.

I remember liking the film and if you go for this sort of thing I would recommend it fully.

g30 wrote:I've seen La Valee and I recall the print damage. They mention it at the start of the dvd and I cannot at the moment remember what the reason for it was but I don't recall it taking away from the film. I remember the print looking okay otherwise and I'm glad they released the film on dvd even if they couldn't afford to fully restore the film.

I remember liking the film and if you go for this sort of thing I would recommend it fully.

I have the DVD and agree with this assessment. As an admirer of Schroeder's work as a whole, I would have purchased the DVD regardless of the relative value of either the film's content or the DVD's transfer. Nevertheless, I found it to be an interesting take on an attitude that had currency at that time with a certain type of person. Most of Schroeder's work looks at people on the fringes of western society with a curious, non-judgemental eye, and that is one of the reasons for my admiration. I think in 1972 I had a more negative appraisal of the thoughtless naivete of the characters Schroeder views in La Vallée, but in retrospect, I think he had it right. Oh, and Michael...Bulle looks stunning in this film, as she does in all the films she appeared in while in her early thirties.

> Oh, and Michael...Bulle looks stunning in this film, as she does in all the
> films she appeared in while in her early thirties.

To my mind, even a lined and aged Bulle is more appealing than any starlet du jour. ;~}

Speaking of the older Bulle, anyone here seen "Seaside" (Bord de mer)?

MEK

Hi,

The "Razor" covers are up....they're terrible, aren't they?

Regards,

Dennis

I don't know about that - I actually love them! Kitschy enough for me, thank you very much!

I think they fit perfectly with the films!

More's cover is up. I was expecting something a little more psychedelic to work with the drugs.

http://www.homevision.com/users/folder. ... &id=MOR080

Looks a little like a catalogue cover for some new spring/summer collection of cotton wear!