bmwracer wrote:

But if foreign titles are unavailable in the U.S. (or your home country) what does one do?

You have three options:
1) You can download an illeagal copy from internet.
2) You can get an illeagal homemade bootleg copy from ebay.
3) You can buy an official release from some other country.

I honestly don't understand why people don't get official (subtitled) releases. All you need is a region free player (easy to get, even in the US). Instead people are getting illeagal, piece of crap bootlegs, and even pay high prices for them. For example Last Sword, you can get an official, top quality R3 release for 7$, or you can get qet a bootleg for 13$. That's not a hard choice to make.

Eeeek! Didn't mean to be controversial! BMWracer has the right of it, I was merely asking if anyone knew of an official US release of Mibu Gishi Den. The US releases of Japanese films often have the extras subbed in English, whereas if you buy a foreign DVD, that isn't often the case. (I love DVD extra features!)

But thanks for the links, everyone. I may break down and get a foreign release, because I really, really want to see this film!

--Maria

Shurayuki-hime wrote:

You have three options: 1) You can download an illeagal copy from internet. 2) You can get an illeagal homemade bootleg copy from ebay. 3) You can buy an official release from some other country. I honestly don't understand why people don't get official (subtitled) releases. All you need is a region free player (easy to get, even in the US). Instead people are getting illeagal, piece of crap bootlegs, and even pay high prices for them. For example Last Sword, you can get an official, top quality R3 release for 7$, or you can get qet a bootleg for 13$. That's not a hard choice to make.

You option choices are valid, but it's not as clear cut as that: sometimes the official release is more expensive than the bootleg. And there's the other issue of timing.

Case in point is my copy of Gun Crazy: At the time I bought the eBay bootleg ($15USD and the quality was excellent, BTW), the U.S. release wasn't available, and the R2 release was $30USD... The U.S. release came out one year after I bought the bootleg and there was no way I could've known that.

I'm not trying to be argumentative... Just trying to say there's more factors involved with buying (or not buying) a bootleg vs. a official release...

Szabotage wrote:

Eeeek! Didn't mean to be controversial!

No, that was a good thing. We got something interesting to talk about.


Sometime ago I said Takashi Miike has only directed one really bad movie; Ichi the Killer. Well, that just changed. I watched the film again and liked it this time. It's still no masterpiece, but a pretty amusing film nevertheless. I remember how I was quite shocked by the films violence when I saw it for the first time (years ago). But this time it didn't feel so violent anymore (and I'm talking about the uncut version, of course). I was almost disappointed by the lack of rough violence, hahaha.

Shurayuki-hime wrote:

No, that was a good thing. We got something interesting to talk about.

Right. Friendly, lively discussion. No blows thrown.

Quote:

Sometime ago I said Takashi Miike has only directed one really bad movie; Ichi the Killer. Well, that just changed. I watched the film again and liked it this time. It's still no masterpiece, but a pretty amusing film nevertheless. I remember how I was quite shocked by the films violence when I saw it for the first time (years ago). But this time it didn't feel so violent anymore (and I'm talking about the uncut version, of course). I was almost disappointed by the lack of rough violence, hahaha.

But was it an official release or a bootleg?

DVD Beaver review of The Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family: http://www.compare.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews16/brothers_and_sisters_of_the_todo_family_dvd_review.htm

bmwracer wrote:

Right. Friendly, lively discussion. No blows thrown.

Of course.

bmwracer wrote:

But was it an official release or a bootleg?

Thanks a lot BMW, you almost killed me for a laugh attack

Shurayuki-hime wrote:

Thanks a lot BMW, you almost killed me for a laugh attack

That's why I'm here.

Cover art for the upcoming release (November 2005) of Ugetsu Monogatari from Criterion:

Kurutta Kajitsu "Crazed Fruit" 1956 Directed by Nakahira.

This is a pretty low key film. On the surface, it's about two brothers, college students, and how tragic life can be when they both set their sights on one girl.

Look a little deeper and you have a snap shot of a really interesting time. Sounds silly, but I think of this as a coming of age movie... for modern, post war Japan, rather than a character.

It's 1956, and these guys, the brothers and their friends are the sons of the upper middle class. They refer to themselves as the bored generation.

They hear from their professors that they will be the giants of industry, the captains of Japan's future... and it bores them. They'd rather hit night clubs, and drive around in their private speed boats, party. (Funny thing is... this generation really did turn out to be the captains of Japan's future, and the giants of industry.)

This is a generation very comfortable with the west. Western clothing, western diversions, western attitudes about sex. But in this moment, this group -- this very important group -- is just about ready to reassert itself as being Japanese rather than some off shoot of America.

I could go on for about an hour writing about the little scenes, small moments in the movie that caught my eye.

Be warned though... I liked this movie because it fits into a particular interest of mine. I'm fascinated with post war Japan. The rebirth of a Nation if you will.

Two of my absolute favorite movies are Kurosawa's "Drunken Angel" and "Stray Dog". Small movies by most accounts. Some would probably class them as "B" movies. But they both show a picture of what life was like in Japan, just after the war.

Anyway... that's a long discussion, and I don't really enjoy typing while I try to eat.

One other thing. I rewatched Kagemusha and sadly, I wasn't very happy with it. I think the first time I saw it I was sort of swept away by the flash and scope. But watching it again, I found myself asking a lot a questions, and noticing a lot of holes in the plot. And that doesn't happen with a lot of Kurosawa movies.

I don't see myself ever investing the time to watch it for a third time.
_________________

bmwracer wrote:

Cover art for the upcoming release (November 2005) of Ugetsu Monogatari from Criterion:

the greatest film ever!

Has anyone seen this movie "All About My Dog".
If I'm not mistaken, Itoh Masaki is in it.. It's airing at my local cinemas... Been thinking what it's about n whether it's good or not...since im not really a fan of japanese movies..

tInoltin wrote:

Has anyone seen this movie "All About My Dog".

I didn't care for it. It's sort of a few stories rolled into one movie, with a common thread. Beyond the "aww, look at the cute doggy", there's not really much there.

The movie "Quill" about a seeing eye dog was a little bit better.

Geezer wrote:

Saw "Dolls" Save your money. Pull up a still photo of Miho Kanno, and stare at it for 90 minutes.

I finally got my dvd (beautiful R2 jp release by Bandai) and watched the film. It's not perfect, not even Kitanos best film, but I'll be damned if this isn't the most beautiful movie ever made. Sometimes the film is a bit too slow, but it's easy to forgive as most of the time the movie is well above perfection. Just a notch below Hana-Bi. 10/10

New DVD Beaver comparison of Seven Samurai: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare7/sevensamurai.htm

need some recomendation here...
after watching several eps of sekai no chuushin de ai wo sakebu tv series, I got in the mood to watch romance drama themed japanese movies.
I've seen Love Letter and am planning to watch the movie version of Sekai no Chuushin...
Anyway, I was wondering waht other romance drama themed japanese movies do you recommend, aside from teh 2 I mentioned?

thanks in advance...
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Just saw "Tony Takitani" starring Issey Ogata and Rie Miyazawa....very thoughtful portrayals of characters from the very novel of the same name written by famous Japanese author H. Murakami.

The movie was very intelligent in its execution despite its minimalist, almost "undirected" approach. A great film for those who enjoy dramatic Japanese cinema not the drivel that comes out of the anus that is Hollywood. Currently playing in NY and Los Angeles. For fashionistas...the wardrobe of Rie Miyazawa's character, Eiko, is EXTRAordinary....haute couture to the max.

I am a big fan of Rie Miyazawa so this movie was a must see for me....first time I've seen her on the big screen since Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei).

Has anyone else seen this film? Thoughts?

Tu_triky wrote:

Just saw "Tony Takitani" starring Issey Ogata and Rie Miyazawa....very thoughtful portrayals of characters from the very novel of the same name written by famous Japanese author H. Murakami. The movie was very intelligent in its execution despite its minimalist, almost "undirected" approach. A great film for those who enjoy dramatic Japanese cinema not the drivel that comes out of the anus that is Hollywood. Currently playing in NY and Los Angeles. For fashionistas...the wardrobe of Rie Miyazawa's character, Eiko, is EXTRAordinary....haute couture to the max. I am a big fan of Rie Miyazawa so this movie was a must see for me....first time I've seen her on the big screen since Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei). Has anyone else seen this film? Thoughts?

Haven't had the opportunity to see it, but I did see a review in the L.A. Times the other day... Very positive, if I recall.

I'll see if I can dig it up from the Times archives.

arnel98 wrote:

need some recomendation here... after watching several eps of sekai no chuushin de ai wo sakebu tv series, I got in the mood to watch romance drama themed japanese movies. I've seen Love Letter and am planning to watch the movie version of Sekai no Chuushin... Anyway, I was wondering waht other romance drama themed japanese movies do you recommend, aside from teh 2 I mentioned? thanks in advance...

Hi hi !! I am new here. Saw this forum and would like to recommend a really good Japanese romance movie to you. " Be With You" by Shidou Nakamura and Yuko Takeuchi. The story is about widower (Nakamura) lives his quiet life with his six year old son after the death of his beloved wife (Takeuchi). He always remember that his wife promised that she will come back to him when the rainy season comes.Is a very touchy movie. Hope you will like it.

Okay, here's the review on Tony Takitani:

Tony Takitani
Jun Ichikawa stays true to the literary origins of his tale of obsession, shaping visual, musical and narrative elements to the delicate mood.

By Kenneth Turan
Times Staff Writer
August 26, 2005

"Tony Takitani" is an exquisite film, as elegant and precise as an impeccably cut diamond. It's small in scale but wholly mesmerizing, holding us captive as it demonstrates how much enveloping richness can be conveyed with a minimalist style.

"Tony Takitani" is also a deft synthesis of cinema and literature, as filmmaker Jun Ichikawa was determined to do justice to the world of the celebrated Japanese author who wrote the original story. With both writer-director and novelist in complete control of their mediums, what results is a delicate evocation of a very particular environment, one that Ichikawa tellingly describes as "solid, but also floating a few centimeters above reality."

That would be the universe of dreamy realist Haruki Murakami, Japan's most popular writer and a major figure across Asia, a novelist whose latest book, "Kafka on the Shore," sold nearly half a million copies in Japan in its first two months in stores.

Like Murakami's novella, composed after the writer bought a thrift-shop shirt emblazoned with the name "Tony Takitani," Ichikawa's film starts with the creation of an elusive mood of loneliness and alienation. But there is more here, including a parable about the consuming nature of the consumer society, a tale of obsession that echoes "Vertigo," as well as an involving personal drama.

To convey these particular sensations, Ichikawa has consciously adopted a pared-back directing style. He's cut the film's running time down to a spare 75 minutes, commissioned a delicate score from celebrated composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, and even used the same two actors to play the piece's four major roles.

Working with cinematographer Taishi Hirokawa, Ichikawa has also constructed an artful and elegant visual style that complements the story, including slow camera pans to move unobtrusively from time period to time period. No shot seems at all ordinary but nothing is forced for effect.

The words, very close to Murakami's original, are haunting in an extensive voice-over narration that's periodically punctuated by one of the characters suddenly piping up and finishing the narrator's thought in his or her own voice. It's an off-balance conceit that invariably catches us up in pleasant surprise.

"Tony Takitani" starts with a forthright declaration that "Tony Takitani's real name was really that: Tony Takitani." That designation led people to assume that he was "a mixed-blood child," but he was actually "100% genuine Japanese," though with a curious history that the film proceeds to explore.

Tony's father, Shozaburo Takitani (played, as is Tony, by Issey Ogata), was a jazz trombonist who cared about little more than his next gig. His wife died soon after their only son's birth, and he was persuaded by a U.S. Army major he jammed with to name the boy after him.

Feeling cursed by a first name that made other Japanese look at him strangely, Tony grew up as a self-reliant boy, and he kept himself apart from other people even as an adult. He achieved prominence as a meticulous illustrator, someone known to be the best where drawing anything mechanical was called for.

Tony's self-sufficiency is shattered when he meets a young woman the film (she's nameless in the story) calls Eiko Konuma (Miyazawa Rie). He is struck immediately by the way she dresses. "She wore her clothes naturally," the narrator says, "as though enveloped by a special breeze." She tells Tony that she feels "clothes fill up what's missing inside me." That should have been a warning sign, but it wasn't.

For Eiko is a woman who, "in the presence of clothes, is entirely unable to restrain herself." Once she marries Tony and has access to his considerable salary, she begins to buy what Tony reluctantly (because he loves his wife) acknowledges is "an alarming number of clothes." What he decides to do about that and the results of his decision are the crux of this film's dramatic structure.

But "Tony Takitani" is only partly about its slowly unfolding story, which makes its oblique sensibility especially hard to pin down with words. A film that could not be more carefully put together, without a frame or a word out of place, it is elusive, undefinable, one of a kind.

'Tony Takitani'

MPAA rating: Unrated

Distributed by Strand Releasing. Director Jun Ichikawa. Producer Ishida Motoki. Executive producer Yonezawa Keiko. Screenplay Jun Ichikawa, based on a story by Haruki Murakami. Cinematographer Taishi Hirokawa. Editor Sanjyo Tomoo. Music Ryuichi Sakamoto. Decorator Takahashi Shimako. Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes. In Japanese with English subtitles. At Laemmle's Sunset 5, 8000 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 848-3500; and Laemmle's One Colorado, 42 Miller Alley, Pasadena, (626) 744-1224.