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Arrow on Twitter wrote:Although there is no June Academy title you might be interested to know we’ll soon be releasing key works by this man:

i.e. Yoshishige Yoshida.

Get outta here \:D/

I was wondering when we'd hear what 2015's answer to the Boro titles might be. I'm unfamiliar with his work but I imagine Eros + Massacre, Heroic Purgatory and Coup d'Etat would make a great set.

Those are probably givens, but I'd also hope for some earlier films like A Story Written in Water and Impasse.

Ok, that takes the cake - as if there was any atom of doubt left in anyone's mind, Arrow are now officially the most important home video company on the English-language market. (I love how they rolled this massive piece of news out almost like an afterthought after the actual June announcements!)

"Key works" probably refers to Eros/Purgatory/Coup, but the 1960's stuff is essential as well - but honestly, any English-friendly Yoshida at all would already be running for release of the year, not to mention on Blu-ray: it's a dream come true for sure. Thank whatever deity you worship for Arrow Films!

Will the Yoshida films be released in the US?

I guess we don't know for sure but it doesn't sound like it.

If its a boxed set, then we know what the home video event of 2015 is.

Hell yes! Thank you Arrow!

Wow! Hope Terayama is next!

Fantastic news. I was debating importing some unsubbed releases just so I could see his work. Very glad to see I can turn to Arrow for subbed (and likely cheaper) releases.

I hope Arrow realise that they're just going to keep on topping themselves now. Criterion who?

I exclaimed "WHAT!?" loudly enough upon seeing the title of this thread that I'm certain I disturbed multiple neighbors.

Totally agreed that the 60s stuff is essential as well - of those, above all I'd hope for A Story Written With Water (which, incidentally, is the only one associated with Nikkatsu, I believe), but anything and everything is certainly welcome. Yoshida I'm certain will always be best known for the striking imagery of his black and white films, but his color films of that period are gorgeous as well.

Excellent news!

+ 1 vote for Terayama!

This is the most excited I've been about any DVD/Blu release, possibly ever. And I would love to see some Terayama and hopefully a whole raft of ATG stuff, particularly Jissoji's Buddhist Trilogy and Matsumoto's Shura out on Blu. It also makes up for the slightly underwhelming (for me anyway) last few announcements by MoC.

There may be no confirmed titles, specs or release date(s) but this is already the best Blu-Ray announcement of the year and I'm not sure it's even possible to top it.

zedz wrote:I hope Arrow realise that they're just going to keep on topping themselves now. Criterion who?

With their current form, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them release the Out 1 restoration.

Add another vote for Terayama. There's an unsubbed Blu-ray box including Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets, Pastoral: To Die in the Country, and Farewell to the Ark out in Japan; would be great to see that brought over. ATG films have been trickling out on (unsubbed) Blu-ray in Japan in recent years, including some titles by lesser known directors, such as Kazuhiko Hasegawa's The Youth Killer (co-produced by Imamura's company), Kichitaro Negishi's Distant Thunder, and Toshiharu Ikeda's Mermaid Legend. Anything along those lines would be revelatory.

But even if there's nothing else beyond Yoshida, it's enough to send me into the stratosphere. It's going to be a good year.

Like so many I am really over the moon on the Yoshida announcement. This is the most astounding news Arrow has ever announced, and I'll be acquiring each and every title in the intended series or a box set if they go that route. I have had the great fortune through a friend to see the vast majority of his output, and I do agree with some of the titles happily being bandied around here.

However, there is one massively essential title not being mentioned, and I can't urge Arrow strongly enough to include it ion any Yoshida Blu-ray retrospective. The title from 1962 is AKITSU SPRINGS (Akitsu Onsen) a ravishing Sirkian drama starring Hiroyuki Nagato and Mariko Okada. The prestigious Junpo Best Actress prize was won by Ms. Okada for her wrenching performance, while Hikaru Hayashi's exceedingly beautiful score is in fact one of the greatest Japanese scores of all-time.

Tochiro Narushima's magnificent color cinematography caps it all off in picturesque splendor, and the film, based on a novel leaves one shattered.

Please Arrow. Please tell us this will be done.

Sadly no mention of Yoshida yet in the new announcements. Perhaps a box is coming for the holidays?

farfromheaven wrote:Like so many I am really over the moon on the Yoshida announcement. This is the most astounding news Arrow has ever announced, and I'll be acquiring each and every title in the intended series or a box set if they go that route. I have had the great fortune through a friend to see the vast majority of his output, and I do agree with some of the titles happily being bandied around here.

However, there is one massively essential title not being mentioned, and I can't urge Arrow strongly enough to include it ion any Yoshida Blu-ray retrospective. The title from 1962 is AKITSU SPRINGS (Akitsu Onsen) a ravishing Sirkian drama starring Hiroyuki Nagato and Mariko Okada. The prestigious Junpo Best Actress prize was won by Ms. Okada for her wrenching performance, while Hikaru Hayashi's exceedingly beautiful score is in fact one of the greatest Japanese scores of all-time.

Tochiro Narushima's magnificent color cinematography caps it all off in picturesque splendor, and the film, based on a novel leaves one shattered.

Please Arrow. Please tell us this will be done.

I second this call for Akitsu Springs, I think the reasons it hasn't been mentioned so far is because (at least me personally) the big releases would be his ATG and other independent stuff, but of course any Yoshida is most welcome. I think Akitsu is also quite likely as it is Shochiku, who have licensed a range of their titles in the UK and the rights are presumably also in one place, rather than the often more complex situation with the independent films.

I second the very, very slight disappointment that no Yoshidas were announced for August, but we've waited this long, a few more months won't hurt.

Kiju Yoshida: Love + Anarchism - pre-order link

Eros + Massacre [Director’s Cut] (1969) – 200 minutes
Eros + Massacre [Theatrical Cut] (1969) – 169 minutes
Heroic Purgatory (1970) – 118 minutes
Coup D’Etat (1973) – 110 minutes

Restored with supervision by Yoshida himself, this radical trilogy from the Japanese New Wave filmmaker is released for the first time in the English speaking world and now available for early pre-order at a reduced rate.

This collection will feature restored presentations on Blu-ray and DVD over approximately 7 discs and include brand new special features and an extensive booklet.

Strictly limited to 3000 units.

RRP: £74.99
Early bird pre-order price: £44.99
Regular website price: £54.99

"Details of this collection are subject to change and we reserve the right to amend details, including price without notice."



Joke aside, at £45 for 3 movies on BD, I'm fine with the price for content value. No way I'd pay £75 for it though.
Hopefully, the booklet will be 100 pages minimum, and the restorations tremendous. Even more hopefully, there will be further Yoshida titles released (like this or not).

From Twitter: UK only release but the discs will be region free.

From Facebook - "Future Yoshida will wholly depend on the success of this set." I'll likely pre-order this one before release.

Even though the preorder price is below £50, worldwide shipping is still free.