Film Movement

[pointless]

Hana-Bi a.k.a. Fireworks (Takeshi Kitano, 1997)

September 19th release

Special Feature and Technical Specs:

• BRAND NEW REMASTER of the film
  Audio Commentary by David Fear, film writer for Rolling Stone magazine
  Making-of featurette
  Illustrated collector's booklet featuring essay by film writer Jasper Sharp, cast and crew credits, and production stills
  Optional English subtitles for the main feature

[Costa]

At last a date for Sissi:
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=22041" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But something is not right with the description.
It says about The Story of Vickie/Victoria in Dover being an English dubbed version while the original press notes said about

Also included is an English-language dubbed film called Forver My Love which was edited from the previous three Sissi films and released by Paramount Pictures in the U.S. in 1962 with a newly-written title song by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

along with Victoria in Dover.

Great that they present both aspect ratios!!
Also, i wonder, by "NEW 2K restorations" do they mean the ones that were done at least 6 years ago?
I am always confused with this use of the word in descriptions.
I think it's always misused.
If it's the same it should read: "NEW to USA"

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

I had seen the Third Window Blu-Ray release of Hana-Bi a little over a year ago. I appreciated it being far beyond the quality of the old New Yorker DVD I saw in the mid-2000s, but it wasn't without its flaws. I don't have the copy to directly compare the two, but the new Film Movement release is absolutely gorgeous. The shots of the artwork are so colorful, clear and detailed that you can make out each stroke of the marker. I doubt that this will be a big seller for them (is it me or is Japanese cinema not so popular at the moment?), but I was beyond excited for this release and hopefully more Takeshi Kitano keeps coming.

[dwk]

They've picked up the US rights to The Great Silence

[Big Ben]

Great news. My absolute favorite Spaghetti Western. I hope rapta sees this!

[L.A.]

They've picked up the US rights to The Great Silence

That Arturo Ripstein debut Time to Die (1966) caught my attention.

[L.A.]

That Arturo Ripstein debut Time to Die (1966) caught my attention.

DVD Compare reviews.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Film Movement prepping theatrical and video reissues of Jarman's Edward II

[dda1996a]

Happy for theatrical reissue but for everyone in Europe this will be included in the upcoming BFI release (correct me if I'm wrong Michael)

[L.A.]

They've picked up the US rights to The Great Silence

Blu-ray available on June 5th.

[Big Ben]

They've picked up the US rights to The Great Silence

Blu-ray available on June 5th.

Interesting that they state that they have two alternative endings. I'm quite certain I've seen one but I wasn't aware there was another. This film is certainly the antithesis of the films John Wayne would make. The only other film I've seen made within the same time frame that even approaches this films ghoulishness is High Plains Drifter. I want to make it clear that that isn't a criticism as much as it is an encapsulation of what kind of world Corbucci has crafted here. Highly recommended!

[Adam X]

Then you’ve not seen Cut Throats Nine, I take it.

[Big Ben]

Then you’ve not seen Cut Throats Nine, I take it.

I have not. The descriptions I read make it sound more like an exploitation film though.

[Adam X]

Well, it's maybe a bit more gorey on occasions than westerns tend to be, but I wouldn't really say it's any more an exploitation film (as I take you to mean it) than any other spaghetti western (though in this case it's from Spain). But personally, I tend to find the majority of Eastwood's post-Leone westerns fairly light weight, so our tastes may vary some.

[Big Ben]

Eastwood's stuff (Both acting and directing) shook up the formula a great deal and at the time of their release they were pretty shocking. In comparison to a lot of other things I'll agree with you wholeheartedly that they're actually rather tame by today's standards. The Great Silence I consider a bit of an anomaly because it lacks a lot of things that make other Westerns more palatable (Although this was was still right at the beginning of the Revisionist Western period.) which is what I should have stressed in the first place.

[oldsheperd]

Can anyone recommend The Quiet Earth? The premise has me somewhat intrigued.

[zedz]

Can anyone recommend The Quiet Earth? The premise has me somewhat intrigued.

It's okay, but the first half-hour or so with just Bruno Lawrence wandering around being Bruno Lawrence is much better than when (spoiler!) other characters arrive and the plot kicks in.

[L.A.]

DVD Compare reviews The Great Silence.

[domino harvey]

Lang's the Tiger of Eschnapur and the Indian Tomb coming to Blu-ray later this year

[Glowingwabbit]

Lang's the Tiger of Eschnapur and the Indian Tomb coming to Blu-ray later this year

Finally!!! I've been putting off getting the MoC DVDs for years. I hope they look good.

[tenia]

It's old HD masters so not especially.

[dwk]

Film Movement has picked up North American rights to seven movies for its classics label, including John Woo’s first contemporary action film Heroes Shed No Tears (1984) and Viggo Mortensen starrer The Reflecting Skin (1990) by Philip Ridley (U.S. rights only).

Also new to the label are King Hu’s martial arts film The Fate Of Lee Khan (1973); Stanley Kwan’s Hong Kong New Wave drama Center Stage (1991), starring Maggie Cheung; biopic Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Mask (1995) about the charismatic and influential anti-colonial writer and theorist; Véra Belmont’s baroque dramedy Marquise (1997), featuring Sophie Marceau in one of her first starring roles; and Gérard Corbiau’s Oscar-nominated lavish costume drama, Farinelli (1994)

[knives]

Those are some truly amazing films and it is exciting to have them in the US. The Hu especially is one of his best and Kwan's is possibly the best Chinese film of the '90s.

[Big Ben]

I've heard stuff about The Reflecting Skin very infrequently but whenever it is brought up people seem to be quite fond of it. I'm wondering why it's only really getting a proper release now (Although I see a very cheap looking DVD on Amazon.). Has anyone here seen it?

[knives]

Yes, it's great on every level.