Kummatty (1979).In May of this year, Martin Scorsese's The Film Foundation launched its virtual theater, Restoration Screening Room, with a beautiful digital version of I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, which was followed the next month by Federico Fellini's La Strada (1954). Showing next after these mid-century classics of Western cinema is Kummatty by Aravindan Govindan, a selection in keeping with the foundation's World Cinema Project, which endeavors to preserve and restore neglected films from around the world. Nevertheless, the selection is an unusual choice, as the Indian filmmaker, an avant-garde artist at the vanguard of the Parallel Cinema movement in his native state, is relatively unknown outside of Kerala, let alone the country. Tadao Sato, one of Japan's foremost film scholars and critics, saw Kummatty for the first time in 1982 and stated that he had not seen a more beautiful film.Kummatty’s...
- 7/8/2022
- MUBI
As we recently reported, Criterion Collection will release 15 Godzilla films from the Showa era (initially released between 1954–1975) in a Blu-ray box set this October, and we now have a look at a brand new trailer for the release that gives us a tease of the new high-def digital transfers.
"In 1954, an enormous beast clawed its way out of the sea, destroying everything in its path—and changing movies forever. The arresting original Godzilla soon gave rise to an entire monster-movie genre (kaiju eiga), but the King of the Monsters continued to reign supreme: in fourteen fiercely entertaining sequels over the next two decades, Godzilla defended its throne against a host of other formidable creatures, transforming from a terrifying symbol of nuclear annihilation into a benevolent (if still belligerent) Earth protector. Collected here for the first time are all fifteen Godzilla films of Japan’s Showa era, in a landmark set showcasing the technical wizardry,...
"In 1954, an enormous beast clawed its way out of the sea, destroying everything in its path—and changing movies forever. The arresting original Godzilla soon gave rise to an entire monster-movie genre (kaiju eiga), but the King of the Monsters continued to reign supreme: in fourteen fiercely entertaining sequels over the next two decades, Godzilla defended its throne against a host of other formidable creatures, transforming from a terrifying symbol of nuclear annihilation into a benevolent (if still belligerent) Earth protector. Collected here for the first time are all fifteen Godzilla films of Japan’s Showa era, in a landmark set showcasing the technical wizardry,...
- 9/23/2019
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Japanese art filmmaking writ large by director Hiroshi Teshigahara: a strange allegorical fantasy about a man imprisoned in a sand pit, and compelled to make a primitive living with the woman who lives there. Perhaps it's about marriage... Woman in the Dunes Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 394 1964 / B&W / 1:33 full frame / 148 min. / Suna no onna / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date August 23, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Eiji Okada, Kyoko Kishida, Hiroko Ito Production Design Totetsu Hirakawa, Masao Yamazaki Produced by Tadashi Oono, Iichi Ichikawa Cinematography Hiroshi Segawa Film Editor Fuzako Shuzui Original Music Toru Takemitsu Written by Kobo Abe Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
In the 1960s the public interest in art cinema reached out beyond France and Italy, finally giving an opening for more exotic fare from Japan. Director Hiroshi Teshigahara earned his moment in the spotlight with 1964's Woman in the Dunes, an adaptation of a book by Kobo Abe.
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
In the 1960s the public interest in art cinema reached out beyond France and Italy, finally giving an opening for more exotic fare from Japan. Director Hiroshi Teshigahara earned his moment in the spotlight with 1964's Woman in the Dunes, an adaptation of a book by Kobo Abe.
- 8/9/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
By 1967 the dictatorial Nikkatsu studio president Kyusaku Hori had had enough. He approached filmmaking like an auditor going over a company’s finances, there were boxes to be ticked and conventions to be adhered to. His corporation was a factory, mass producing entertainment for the cheaply exploitable youth market. The constant spanner in Hori’s assembly line was Seijun Suzuki. Over the previous twelve years, he had directed thirty-nine films and in that time had developed a canon of hysterical, hallucinatory and heretical works. With each production, the insanity became more liberated, excessive and frenzied. He was the enfant terrible of Japanese cinema and Hori was done with his shit.
As a warning shot, Suzuki’s next film would be given only a shoestring budget with the cautionary note that he was ‘going too far’ and needed to ‘play it straight’. Suzuki responded with Branded to Kill, an expressionist fantasia...
As a warning shot, Suzuki’s next film would be given only a shoestring budget with the cautionary note that he was ‘going too far’ and needed to ‘play it straight’. Suzuki responded with Branded to Kill, an expressionist fantasia...
- 8/31/2015
- by Jamie Lewis
- SoundOnSight
Chicago – The Criterion Collection attempts to shine a brighter light on a Japanese director once considered a national treasure but too ignored by history in favor of internationally recognized names like Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu — Kenji Mizoguchi, with his accomplished and remarkable “Sansho the Bailiff,” recently upgraded from Criterion DVD to Criterion Blu-ray.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
“Sansho the Bailiff” is a brutal, dark, historical epic with a human tone in the way it reflects the impact of the power of evil on the will of the good. “Sansho” is a story of unspeakable horror and the survival of the human spirit but that might make it sound more sentimental than it is. The film is darker than most of Mizoguchi’s contemporaries, which could be one of the reasons it hasn’t had the same international acclaim over the decades since its release. It’s not an easy film to experience.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
“Sansho the Bailiff” is a brutal, dark, historical epic with a human tone in the way it reflects the impact of the power of evil on the will of the good. “Sansho” is a story of unspeakable horror and the survival of the human spirit but that might make it sound more sentimental than it is. The film is darker than most of Mizoguchi’s contemporaries, which could be one of the reasons it hasn’t had the same international acclaim over the decades since its release. It’s not an easy film to experience.
- 3/18/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
While less known than his equally revered contemporaries Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu, the filmography of Kenji Mizoguchi may arguably be the more successfully varied. Criterion remasters his 1954 title, Sansho the Bailiff for Blu-ray this month, one of the auteur’s most celebrated works, and one that ends his three year succession of winning the top prize at the Venice Film Festival (he also won for The Life of Oharu in 1952 and Ugetsu in 1953). This was his eighty-first feature film, and he would make only five more features due to his death in 1956. While this is considered one of his top works, Mizoguchi apparently didn’t think the same, citing studio interference in not being able to make the film he had set out to create. Despite its powerfully resonant emotional content, there does seem to be an odd struggle at work in regards to the focus of the film,...
- 2/26/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Blu-ray Release Date: Feb. 26, 2013
Price: Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
The 1954 Japanese film Sansho The Bailiff is a classic drama based on a Japanese folk tale crafted by one of the country’s great directors, Kenji Mizoguchi (Ugetsu).
When an idealistic governor Masao Shimiz disobeys the reigning feudal lord, he is cast into exile, his wife (Kinoyu Tanaka) and children (Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa) left to fend for themselves and eventually separated by vicious slave traders. One of them, the villainous Sansho (Eitarô Shindô), is the brutal owner of a slave camp.
Under Mizoguchi’s direction, Sansho is regarded as one of world cinema’s greatest pieces, a monumental, empathetic expression of human resilience in the face of evil.
Criterion previously released a DVD edition of Sansho in 2007, which contained only a booklet as a bonus. The new Blu-ray offers the following bonus features:
· Restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack...
Price: Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
The 1954 Japanese film Sansho The Bailiff is a classic drama based on a Japanese folk tale crafted by one of the country’s great directors, Kenji Mizoguchi (Ugetsu).
When an idealistic governor Masao Shimiz disobeys the reigning feudal lord, he is cast into exile, his wife (Kinoyu Tanaka) and children (Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa) left to fend for themselves and eventually separated by vicious slave traders. One of them, the villainous Sansho (Eitarô Shindô), is the brutal owner of a slave camp.
Under Mizoguchi’s direction, Sansho is regarded as one of world cinema’s greatest pieces, a monumental, empathetic expression of human resilience in the face of evil.
Criterion previously released a DVD edition of Sansho in 2007, which contained only a booklet as a bonus. The new Blu-ray offers the following bonus features:
· Restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack...
- 12/27/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Chicago – In his excellent commentary for “Godzilla, King of the Monsters,” the 1956 reworking of Ishiro Honda’s “Godzilla,” both of which are included in one DVD or Blu-ray set recently released from Criterion, film historian David Kalat claims that these films are looked at skeptically when it comes to critics assessing the art of the form. He’s half right. Any critic worth a damn understands the influence and importance of Honda’s film (and Morse’s reworking of it) but generations of movie goers may consider these movies a joke (in no small part due to the films that would follow, including Roland Emmerich’s awful reboot attempt). This stellar edition, arguably the most interesting release of Criterion’s first quarter of 2012, will hopefully correct that.
DVD Rating: 5.0/5.0
Watching Honda’s “Godzilla” again with the perfect high-definition digital restoration from Criterion one is struck by how much the film...
DVD Rating: 5.0/5.0
Watching Honda’s “Godzilla” again with the perfect high-definition digital restoration from Criterion one is struck by how much the film...
- 2/3/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Back in August of 2011 Criterion hinted they would be adding the classic Japanese monster movie Godzilla (Gojira) to their collection. This immediately sparked online enthusiasm and was shortly thereafter confirmed for release. And not only would we be receiving a new high-definition digital restoration of the 1954 original, but an HD restoration of Terry Morse's 1956 Godzilla, King of the Monsters along with a commentary on both films and a disc full of interviews and featurettes. For me, however, the biggest realization at that time was... I had never seen Godzilla, a fact I remedied only days later. In what served as good preparation for this release, last August I watched both Ishiro Honda's 1954 original as well as Morse's remake from a couple of years later for the first time, the latter of which uses footage from Honda's film and recuts it around a new story featuring Raymond Burr as American journalist Steve Martin who,...
- 1/23/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
By Raymond Benson
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The original 1954 Japanese Kaiju (it means “strange beast”) film, Gojira, is not only a classic monster movie, it’s one of those significant game-changers that is important to pop culture and cinema history. Gojira, known as “Godzilla” in the west, was the first of an onslaught of “strange beasts,” spawning a Kaiju franchise that is still popular today. In fact, Hollywood is remaking Gojira as a reboot at the time of this writing.
The ’54 film, directed by Ishiro Honda and produced by Toho Studios (it’s ironic that it was being made at the same time as Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai from the same studio), was little seen in the West until recent DVD releases appeared. Instead, for over fifty years we’ve had Godzilla, King of the Monsters, an abominably bastardized, re-edited import of Gojira. Joseph E. Levine...
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
The original 1954 Japanese Kaiju (it means “strange beast”) film, Gojira, is not only a classic monster movie, it’s one of those significant game-changers that is important to pop culture and cinema history. Gojira, known as “Godzilla” in the west, was the first of an onslaught of “strange beasts,” spawning a Kaiju franchise that is still popular today. In fact, Hollywood is remaking Gojira as a reboot at the time of this writing.
The ’54 film, directed by Ishiro Honda and produced by Toho Studios (it’s ironic that it was being made at the same time as Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai from the same studio), was little seen in the West until recent DVD releases appeared. Instead, for over fifty years we’ve had Godzilla, King of the Monsters, an abominably bastardized, re-edited import of Gojira. Joseph E. Levine...
- 1/12/2012
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
I have featured posters before for films that were never made, but this is a poster for a film that no longer exists.
Earlier this year that essential blog of Japanese graphic ephemera, Pink Tentacle, posted a startling collection of posters, magazine covers and advertisements from the 1920s and 30s (“a glimpse at some of the prevailing tendencies in a society transformed by the growth of modern industry and technology, the popularity of Western art and culture, and the emergence of leftist political thought.”) The graphics were all taken from the book Modernism on Paper: Japanese Graphic Design of the 1920s-30s which was published in 2003 but is now out of print and hard to find.
All of the graphics are fabulous, but one that really caught my eye was labelled “Young Miss” (Ojo-san) movie poster, 1930. The title didn’t ring any bells, but then the other day I was...
Earlier this year that essential blog of Japanese graphic ephemera, Pink Tentacle, posted a startling collection of posters, magazine covers and advertisements from the 1920s and 30s (“a glimpse at some of the prevailing tendencies in a society transformed by the growth of modern industry and technology, the popularity of Western art and culture, and the emergence of leftist political thought.”) The graphics were all taken from the book Modernism on Paper: Japanese Graphic Design of the 1920s-30s which was published in 2003 but is now out of print and hard to find.
All of the graphics are fabulous, but one that really caught my eye was labelled “Young Miss” (Ojo-san) movie poster, 1930. The title didn’t ring any bells, but then the other day I was...
- 12/2/2011
- MUBI
DVD Playhouse—November 2011
By Allen Gardner
Tree Of Life (20th Century Fox) Terrence Malick’s latest effort is both the best film of 2011 and the finest work of his (arguably) mixed, but often masterly canon. A series of vignettes, mostly set in 1950s Texas, capture the memory of a man (Sean Penn) in present-day New York who looks back on his life, and his parents’ (Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain) troubled marriage, when word of his younger brother’s suicide reaches him. Almost indescribable beyond that, except to say no other film in history so perfectly evokes the magic and mystery of the human memory, which both crystalizes (and sometimes idealizes) the past. Like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, this is a challenging, polarizing work that you must let wash over you. If you go along for the ride, you’re in for a unique, rewarding cinematic experience. Also available on Blu-ray disc.
By Allen Gardner
Tree Of Life (20th Century Fox) Terrence Malick’s latest effort is both the best film of 2011 and the finest work of his (arguably) mixed, but often masterly canon. A series of vignettes, mostly set in 1950s Texas, capture the memory of a man (Sean Penn) in present-day New York who looks back on his life, and his parents’ (Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain) troubled marriage, when word of his younger brother’s suicide reaches him. Almost indescribable beyond that, except to say no other film in history so perfectly evokes the magic and mystery of the human memory, which both crystalizes (and sometimes idealizes) the past. Like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, this is a challenging, polarizing work that you must let wash over you. If you go along for the ride, you’re in for a unique, rewarding cinematic experience. Also available on Blu-ray disc.
- 11/25/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Chicago – Halloween just isn’t the same without an Onryō. Thanks to America’s tireless remakes of Japanese horror films, the materialization of Onryōs in pop culture has become as much of a seasonal tradition as witches and goblins. They’re often characterized by long black hair, white robes, bodily contortions, tragic backstories and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance beyond the grave.
In short, Onryōs unnervingly embody the old adage that “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…even a dead one.” It’s easy to see how spine-tingling modern classics like “Ringu” and “Ju-on: The Grudge” followed in the ghostly footsteps of Kaneto Shindô’s overlooked 1968 masterwork, “Kuroneko” (“Black Cat”). Though the film is more hypnotic than scary, it still manages to creep under the skin as it spins a tale of real emotional and erotic power.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
As in Shindô’s better-known 1964 classic, “Onibaba,” this film...
In short, Onryōs unnervingly embody the old adage that “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…even a dead one.” It’s easy to see how spine-tingling modern classics like “Ringu” and “Ju-on: The Grudge” followed in the ghostly footsteps of Kaneto Shindô’s overlooked 1968 masterwork, “Kuroneko” (“Black Cat”). Though the film is more hypnotic than scary, it still manages to creep under the skin as it spins a tale of real emotional and erotic power.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
As in Shindô’s better-known 1964 classic, “Onibaba,” this film...
- 10/25/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Release Date: Jan. 24, 2011
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Godzilla stomps across Tokyo in his 1954 movie debut.
Ishiro Honda’s 1954 Godzilla is, was and always will be the roaring granddaddy of all giant monster movies… and it’s more-than-deserving of the Criterion treatment.
It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama film made in Japan at a time when the country was still reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing. Its titular radioactive beast, a rampaging metaphor of an entire population’s fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning more than 20 sequels and spinoffs. This first spectacle continues to be a cult film phenomenon.
This Criterion edition of the classic movie presents the original Japanese version, along with Godzilla: King of the Monsters!, the 1956 American reworking starring Raymond Burr (Rear Window).
The film has a new high-definition digital transfer (on both versions) and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition,...
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Godzilla stomps across Tokyo in his 1954 movie debut.
Ishiro Honda’s 1954 Godzilla is, was and always will be the roaring granddaddy of all giant monster movies… and it’s more-than-deserving of the Criterion treatment.
It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama film made in Japan at a time when the country was still reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing. Its titular radioactive beast, a rampaging metaphor of an entire population’s fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning more than 20 sequels and spinoffs. This first spectacle continues to be a cult film phenomenon.
This Criterion edition of the classic movie presents the original Japanese version, along with Godzilla: King of the Monsters!, the 1956 American reworking starring Raymond Burr (Rear Window).
The film has a new high-definition digital transfer (on both versions) and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition,...
- 10/20/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
[1] Fans of monster movies and/or the Criterion Collection probably recall that a couple of months back, rumors began surfacing of a Criterion Collection release of Godzilla -- an unusual, though not unprecedented, pick by a video distributor that generally favors artsy pictures over genre flicks. So today's news won't come as a surprise, but rather a welcome update. Criterion has officially confirmed a January release for their Godzilla Blu-ray/DVD, and has unveiled a list of the special features we can look forward to. More details after the jump. The Criterion release will include both the 1954 Japanese original as well as the 1956 American reworking starring Raymond Burr. Like all Criterion discs, Godzilla will also include a slew of juicy special features. Here's the list, from the Criterion Collection website [2] (via Shock Till You Drop [3]): New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) Audio commentary...
- 10/19/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
My experience with Japanese director Kaneto Shindo was zero before pushing play on Criterion's new Blu-ray presentation of the helmer's 1968 supernatural horror Kuroneko. I was familiar with Shindo only in that I'd heard of his '64 feature, Onibaba, and after reading the synopsis for that film it would seem Kuroneko is something of an even darker version of the helmer's film from four years earlier. Set in war-torn medieval Japan, Kuroneko centers on a mother and her daughter-in-law who are raped and murdered by itinerant samurais. Upon their death they make a deal with the devil to remain on Earth as spirits, luring samurai into their clutches and killing them to make up for the lives they've stolen. The story takes an interesting turn when the son returns home after being forced to join the war. Now a samurai in his own right, he comes back only to find his...
- 10/18/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Your Weekly Source for the Newest Releases to Blu-Ray Tuesday, October 18th, 2011
Attack On Leningrad (2009)
Synopsis: When in 1941 Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, their troops quickly besieged Leningrad. Foreign journalists are evacuated but one of them, Kate Davies, is presumed dead and misses the plane. Alone in the city she is helped by Nina Tsvetnova a young and idealist police officer and together they will fight for their own survival and the survival of the people in the besieged Leningrad. (blu-ray.com)
Special Features: Unknown.
Baaria (2009)
Synopsis: Peppino, the nickname of the boy at the story’s heart, is a tough little kid in the 1930s, used to the rough-and-tumble world of Baaria (local slang for Tornatore’s native Bagheria), a hot and dusty Sicilian village with one main street. His adventures are many and his memories singular: men gambling in the local square, goats eating his schoolbooks, and...
Attack On Leningrad (2009)
Synopsis: When in 1941 Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, their troops quickly besieged Leningrad. Foreign journalists are evacuated but one of them, Kate Davies, is presumed dead and misses the plane. Alone in the city she is helped by Nina Tsvetnova a young and idealist police officer and together they will fight for their own survival and the survival of the people in the besieged Leningrad. (blu-ray.com)
Special Features: Unknown.
Baaria (2009)
Synopsis: Peppino, the nickname of the boy at the story’s heart, is a tough little kid in the 1930s, used to the rough-and-tumble world of Baaria (local slang for Tornatore’s native Bagheria), a hot and dusty Sicilian village with one main street. His adventures are many and his memories singular: men gambling in the local square, goats eating his schoolbooks, and...
- 10/18/2011
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Coming this January, Ishiro Honda’s Godzilla (1954) officially demolishes its way onto Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-ray, solidifying its standing as a true cinema landmark.
“Godzilla is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama made in Japan at a time when the country was still reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population’s fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning more than twenty sequels.”
Aside from bringing us one of the most well-known monsters, the original film also served as an impressive allegory for the destruction caused by the dropping of the H-bomb just a decade earlier. This was lost a bit in the U.S. version when it was released – retitled Godzilla, King Of The Monsters – which had been altered to add in scenes featuring Raymond Burr.
“Godzilla is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama made in Japan at a time when the country was still reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population’s fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning more than twenty sequels.”
Aside from bringing us one of the most well-known monsters, the original film also served as an impressive allegory for the destruction caused by the dropping of the H-bomb just a decade earlier. This was lost a bit in the U.S. version when it was released – retitled Godzilla, King Of The Monsters – which had been altered to add in scenes featuring Raymond Burr.
- 10/18/2011
- by Barrett
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Now you can not only see a man in a giant rubber lizard suit in a new digital transfer, but you’ll be able to experience all of the unique special features that are usually accompanied with Criterion’s discs. The original 1954 radiation fueled monster that attacked Japan, Godzilla, will terrorize Blu-ray on January 24, 2012. Cirterion is known for releasing discs packed to the gills with interviews, featurettes, and booklets with excerpts from film historians. Yet, for completists, this new package will not only have the original 1954 version but also the heavily edited 1956 version released in America. America’s version of the film utilized original footage from the 1954 film, but forced in an unnecessary American reporter that covered the devastation of the giant monster. Now, fans will have both versions in one complete package. See the official synopsis from the Criterion Collection’s website below, along with the striking cover-art from the upcoming disc.
- 10/17/2011
- by Michael Haffner
- Destroy the Brain
Beyond the best transfer of Godzilla to disc yet, the Criterion version will include the following extras: *New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) *Audio commentary by David Kalat (A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series) * New high-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse’s 1956 reworking of the original, starring Raymond Burr * Audio commentary for Godzilla, King of the Monsters by Kalat * New interviews with actor Akira Takarada (Hideto Ogata), Godzilla performer Haruo Nakajima, and effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai * Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube * Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic effects * New interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato * The Unluckiest Dragon, an illustrated audio essay featuring historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the tragic fate of the fishing vessel Daigo fukuryu maru, a real-life event that inspired Godzilla * Theatrical trailers...
- 10/16/2011
- ComicBookMovie.com
We reported back in August that Criterion was prepping a Blu-ray release for the original Godzilla, but more information has now been released, including cover art and bonus features. According to Fangoria, Criterion will be releasing both Blu-ray and DVD editions of Godzilla on January 24th.
The new release will include the original Godzilla (1954) as well as the Us version, titled Godzilla, King of the Monsters. Here are technical details and the list of bonus features:
-Both versions feature fresh high-definition digital restorations, presented at 1.37:1 (with uncompressed monoaural sound on the Blu-ray).
-Audio commentary on both versions by kaiju historian David Kalat
-New interviews with actor Akira Takarada (Hideto Ogata), Godzilla performer Haruo Nakajima and FX technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai
-Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube
-Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic FX
-New interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato
-“The Unluckiest Dragon,” an illustrated...
The new release will include the original Godzilla (1954) as well as the Us version, titled Godzilla, King of the Monsters. Here are technical details and the list of bonus features:
-Both versions feature fresh high-definition digital restorations, presented at 1.37:1 (with uncompressed monoaural sound on the Blu-ray).
-Audio commentary on both versions by kaiju historian David Kalat
-New interviews with actor Akira Takarada (Hideto Ogata), Godzilla performer Haruo Nakajima and FX technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai
-Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube
-Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic FX
-New interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato
-“The Unluckiest Dragon,” an illustrated...
- 10/15/2011
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Ever since it was announced that the original 1954 version of Godzilla is being released onto Criterion Blu-ray and DVD, we've been salivating at the possibilities. And now ... we have all of the details for you right here!
Look for the flick to hit home on January 24th, 2012!
Special Features
New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) Audio commentary by David Kalat (A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series) New high-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse’s 1956 reworking of the original, starring Raymond Burr Audio commentary for Godzilla, King of the Monsters by Kalat New interviews with actor Akira Takarada (Hideto Ogata), Godzilla performer Haruo Nakajima, and effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic effects New interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato The Unluckiest Dragon,...
Look for the flick to hit home on January 24th, 2012!
Special Features
New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) Audio commentary by David Kalat (A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series) New high-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse’s 1956 reworking of the original, starring Raymond Burr Audio commentary for Godzilla, King of the Monsters by Kalat New interviews with actor Akira Takarada (Hideto Ogata), Godzilla performer Haruo Nakajima, and effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic effects New interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato The Unluckiest Dragon,...
- 10/14/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
It was rumored a couple of months ago that Criterion would be re-releasing Ishiro Honda’s masterpiece Gojira on Blu-ray. Shock Til You Drop is now confirming the film will be coming back to Blu-ray on January 14th, 2012.
Here’s a list of special features we can expect:
New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
- Audio commentary by David Kalat (A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series)
- New high-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse’s 1956 reworking of the original, starring Raymond Burr
- Audio commentary for Godzilla, King of the Monsters by Kalat
New interviews with actor Akira Takarada (Hideto Ogata), Godzilla performer Haruo Nakajima, and effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai
- Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube
- Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic effects
- New interview with Japanese-film critic...
Here’s a list of special features we can expect:
New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
- Audio commentary by David Kalat (A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series)
- New high-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse’s 1956 reworking of the original, starring Raymond Burr
- Audio commentary for Godzilla, King of the Monsters by Kalat
New interviews with actor Akira Takarada (Hideto Ogata), Godzilla performer Haruo Nakajima, and effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai
- Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube
- Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic effects
- New interview with Japanese-film critic...
- 10/14/2011
- by Matt Keith
- Killer Films
Oh, how we love when a new Criterion Collection Blu-ray release comes our way. Simply put, these discs are the gold standard in home video releases, and two true classics are set to make their debut this October.
First on October 18th we'll see Kaneto Shindo's Kuroneko.
Synopsis
In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn medieval Japan, a malevolent spirit has been ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is sent to dispatch the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with his own personal demons as well. From Kaneto Shindo, director of the terror classic Onibaba, Kuroneko (Black Cat) is a spectacularly eerie twilight tale with a shocking feminist angle, evoked through ghostly special effects and exquisite cinematography.
Special Features
New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) Video interview with director Kaneto Shindo...
First on October 18th we'll see Kaneto Shindo's Kuroneko.
Synopsis
In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn medieval Japan, a malevolent spirit has been ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is sent to dispatch the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with his own personal demons as well. From Kaneto Shindo, director of the terror classic Onibaba, Kuroneko (Black Cat) is a spectacularly eerie twilight tale with a shocking feminist angle, evoked through ghostly special effects and exquisite cinematography.
Special Features
New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) Video interview with director Kaneto Shindo...
- 7/19/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Long before the cinemas of Asian nations had started making waves across the world, when Asian cinema meant largely only Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa, Ozu and Mizoguchi to most, and when Iranian cinema was just about to make its first international splash; one sprightly lady devised out of New Delhi what was perhaps the first magazine globally to fully concentrate on cinema made within the geographic boundaries of the Asian continent.
That sprightly lady was Aruna Vasudev, and the magazine was Cinemaya, which later became the official journal of the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema (Netpac), the highly-respected organization that to a great extent helped establish Asian cinema’s presence across all major film festivals in the world. Cinemaya later led to Cinefan – the Cinemaya Festival of Asian Cinema – which was later taken over by the art auction house Osian’s.
Unfortunately, both the quarterly Cinemaya and the annual Cinefan have ceased to exist,...
That sprightly lady was Aruna Vasudev, and the magazine was Cinemaya, which later became the official journal of the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema (Netpac), the highly-respected organization that to a great extent helped establish Asian cinema’s presence across all major film festivals in the world. Cinemaya later led to Cinefan – the Cinemaya Festival of Asian Cinema – which was later taken over by the art auction house Osian’s.
Unfortunately, both the quarterly Cinemaya and the annual Cinefan have ceased to exist,...
- 2/21/2011
- by Utpal Borpujari
- DearCinema.com
The Criterion Collection has just added two important links in the chain for Western cinephiles seeking more convenient access to the films of Yasujiro Ozu. A new mini-box set containing two films, from 1936 and 1942 respectively, fills part of the gap between A Story of Floating Weeds (1933) and Late Spring (1948.) Previously unavailable in the USA, The Only Son and There Was a Father are two fine additions to Ozu’s justly celebrated series of family-centered dramas spread over nearly five decades of Japanese history.
A recent episode of the CriterionCast featured a guest appearance by Moises Chiullan, who’s nearing completion of an epic series of essays chronicling the full extent of Ozu’s career and surviving films (many of his early silent features are now lost.) You can hear his insightful comments on the episode where Moises, Rudie, Ryan and Travis discussed Floating Weeds and A Story of Floating Weeds.
A recent episode of the CriterionCast featured a guest appearance by Moises Chiullan, who’s nearing completion of an epic series of essays chronicling the full extent of Ozu’s career and surviving films (many of his early silent features are now lost.) You can hear his insightful comments on the episode where Moises, Rudie, Ryan and Travis discussed Floating Weeds and A Story of Floating Weeds.
- 7/13/2010
- by David Blakeslee
- CriterionCast
Here we are, another 15th of the month, another group of amazing releases from the Criterion Collection announced on schedule. Being so obsessively attached to rumors and gossip on Twitter and forums and the like, many of these titles have been hinted at in one form or another.
Way back in March, we got a somewhat obvious clue in the monthly Criterion Collection e-mail newsletter, in the form of a thin, red lion, and after some back and forth as to which movie it was referring to, many came to the conclusion it was in fact Terrance Malick’s The Thin Red Line. Criterion’s recent Blu-ray release of Malick’s Days of Heaven was an incredible production, with a transfer that cannot be beaten. The Thin Red Line was also teased at in a twitter picture post that Criterion sent out back in March, giving further proof to the...
Way back in March, we got a somewhat obvious clue in the monthly Criterion Collection e-mail newsletter, in the form of a thin, red lion, and after some back and forth as to which movie it was referring to, many came to the conclusion it was in fact Terrance Malick’s The Thin Red Line. Criterion’s recent Blu-ray release of Malick’s Days of Heaven was an incredible production, with a transfer that cannot be beaten. The Thin Red Line was also teased at in a twitter picture post that Criterion sent out back in March, giving further proof to the...
- 6/16/2010
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Well all you lucky tax-payers, you have all new Criterion Collection releases to spend that hard earned tax return on. It feels like only yesterday we were posting the June 2010 new releases from Criterion, and here we are with July’s!
First up, we’re getting two Powell and Pressburger films that have been long rumored: The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus. The Red Shoes restored print that has been making it’s way around the country has been of much talk on our podcast over the last several months, and has even found it’s way onto Netflix’s Watch Instantly feature. Soon to be available on DVD and Blu-ray, these are two titles that are clearly worth a revisiting. The restored print of The Red Shoes screened last December in Austin at Butt-Numb-a-Thon, and our own James McCormick joined us on this early bonus episode, to discuss his thoughts on the screening.
First up, we’re getting two Powell and Pressburger films that have been long rumored: The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus. The Red Shoes restored print that has been making it’s way around the country has been of much talk on our podcast over the last several months, and has even found it’s way onto Netflix’s Watch Instantly feature. Soon to be available on DVD and Blu-ray, these are two titles that are clearly worth a revisiting. The restored print of The Red Shoes screened last December in Austin at Butt-Numb-a-Thon, and our own James McCormick joined us on this early bonus episode, to discuss his thoughts on the screening.
- 4/15/2010
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
DVD Playhouse—May 2009
Paramount Centennial Collection Paramount Studios releases two more classic titles from its library on special edition DVD: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is John Ford’s last masterpiece (although he would go on to direct two more very good films) from 1962: about an Eastern lawyer (James Stewart) who travels west only to find primal brutality in the form of sadistic bandit Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin, great as always) and pragmatic brutality in local rancher Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), each two sides of a coin that represent a way of life slowly dying out as Stewart’s modern brand of civilization tames the West. A perfect film, period. Howard Hawks’ El Dorado is essentially a remake of his earlier classic Rio Bravo, with John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and a young James Caan as lawmen joining forces against corrupt cattle barons. Great fun. Two disc sets.
Paramount Centennial Collection Paramount Studios releases two more classic titles from its library on special edition DVD: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is John Ford’s last masterpiece (although he would go on to direct two more very good films) from 1962: about an Eastern lawyer (James Stewart) who travels west only to find primal brutality in the form of sadistic bandit Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin, great as always) and pragmatic brutality in local rancher Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), each two sides of a coin that represent a way of life slowly dying out as Stewart’s modern brand of civilization tames the West. A perfect film, period. Howard Hawks’ El Dorado is essentially a remake of his earlier classic Rio Bravo, with John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and a young James Caan as lawmen joining forces against corrupt cattle barons. Great fun. Two disc sets.
- 5/12/2009
- by Allen Gardner
- The Hollywood Interview
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