New Seven Samurai and more Kurosawa from Criterion? (1 Viewer)

[ChuckDeLa]

Didn't see this mentioned anywhere else, so I'll say it here: according to Digital Bits and DVDFile, Rhapsody in August will be released July 1st.

So here's where we stand on the Kurosawa filmography:

Sugata Sanshiro
The Most Beautiful
Sugata Sanshiro II
They Who Step on the Tiger's Tail
No Regrets For Our Youth
One Wonderful Sunday
Drunken Angel Criterion rumored
The Quiet Duel
Stray Dog Criterion rumored
Scandal
Rashomon released
The Idiot
Ikiru Criterion rumored
Seven Samurai released (possible re-release?)
I Live In Fear/Record of a Living Being Criterion rumored
Throne of Blood coming soon
The Lower Depths
The Hidden Fortress released
The Bad Sleep Well Criterion rumored
Yojimbo released
Sanjuro released
High and Low released
Red Beard released
Dodes'ka-den Criterion rumored (haven't heard anything about this for a while)
Dersu Uzala released (any rumors of new version?)
Kagemusha coming soon
Ran released
Dreams released
Rhapsody in August coming soon
Madadayo released


Almost everything from Rashomon forward is either out already or coming soon. Hopefully someone will tackle the early films too.

 

[Scott Leopold]

I was excited to read that Rhapsody in August is coming 7/1. Hopefully the rumored titles will soon move to "coming soon" status. I'm tempted to pick up Mei Ah versions of some of the earlier films (pre Drunken Angel). I already have 4 Mei Ahs (Stray Dog, Drunken Angel, Throne of Blood & Ikiru), and they serve their purpose for the time being. Still, I'd gladly upgrade on all 4, and any others I may purchase.

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

I couldn't get past the first ten minutes of Mei Ah's Ikiru. A dismal, unwatchable transfer and superlousy Engrish subtitles make it the costliest coaster on my coffee table.

 

[TonyD]

TOB ?

 

[ChuckDeLa]

TOB = Throne of Blood

 

[Douglas Bailey]

(pant) (pant)

Put me down for any further Criterion/Kurosawa releases, including re-issues. (Can't wait for Throne of Blood, either: it was the one Criterion/Kurosawa film I never found on laserdisc, so the DVD will be the first version I've owned.)

(pant) (pant)

 

[Kristoffer]

Okay I just saw Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2 on dvd and the picture looked great !! This film is only ten years newer than Seven Samurai. I know that the print was probably kept better, but would it be possible to restore Seven Samurai to something like this?
I mean get the guys who worked on Citizen Kane 60th anniversary to do it!
I mean it deserves it, it is after all one of the greatest film ever made

 

[Duncan Harvey]

Not wanting to be pedantic - but Seven Samurai wasnt the first Criterion DVD.

This honour goes jointly to "This Is Spinal Tap" and "Silence Of The Lambs"

 

[Kevin M]

According to DVD Journal you are mistaken, Duncan.

 

[Kevin M]

I'm talking about production date, not release date. Seven Samurai's release was legally delayed until 01/99 (and then further) but, as far as I understand, it was their first completed DVD production.

 

[Duncan Harvey]

I remember on the alt.video.dvd many LD'ers wetting themselves with anticipation when Criterion announced their entry into DVD - (spring 98 I think), and indeed the first titles to street were Spinal Tap and Lambs.

Spine numbers mean little!

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

I'm talking about production date, not release date. Seven Samurai's release was legally delayed until 01/99 (and then further) but, as far as I understand, it was their first completed DVD production.

Malarkey!

I bought mine in the early summer of 1998 (Criterion DVDs were the reason I bought a DVD player in the first place!) Seven Samurai was part of Criterion's first batch of DVDs, although it required a second printing due to contractual disputes (restoration demo, Region 0 were taken out). Whether or not it was the very first one to reach retailer shelves is another story...

 

[Ben Motley]

Same here Matthew. I was window shopping at Best Buy for a player, not really intending to buy one that day, and on my way out, saw Seven Samurai on the shelf. I immediately picked it up, marched right back to the DVD players, and picked up a shiny new Panasonic A110.

At the time, there were only maybe 3 or 4 other Criterions available. I've always been under the impression that they released the first batch together, the first 4 or 5 titles streeting simultaneously, although I could be completely wrong about that. One thing I do know is that Seven Samurai was out before '99 - I'm looking at my receipt right now, dated 7/01/98 (I knew I held onto that for a reason ).

Grand Illusion, on the other hand, was held up for a very long, unbearable amount of time. It's so funny to see eBay scammers claim it was the first Criterion to be released. :rolleyes

 

[Kevin M]

Yes, in looking up the old info I remembered I ran across a discrepancy regarding Samurai, according to DVD Angle the release dates for Silence & Tap are 07/98 and DVD Angle also states that the original release date for Seven Samurai is 08/98 but four other sites claim it as 01/03/99 which I now assume is the re-release date. Not exactly "Malarkey", I just weighed the odds in favor of 4 to 1...oops.

Irregardless, I have read elsewhere that Samurai is the first production DVD that Criterion actually completed but their site doesn't seem to have that info and apart from DVD Journal I can't find the exact article that stated this. If someone could get in contact with Criterion maybe they could answer this commonly asked question, just what is Criterion's first DVD?

 

[Kevin M]

By the way this is exactly what the DVD Journal article states

Criterion has been so fond of Grand Illusion over the years that they designated it to be their first DVD back in 1997. However, just before they began a new transfer, the original camera negative of Grand Illusion was discovered in Europe, meaning that a brand-new print of the film would be constructed. In light of this, Criterion immediately suspended their Grand Illusion DVD, and their first disc was in fact Seven Samurai, designated as Criterion disc 2.

but bear in mind that this isn't the exact article I read regarding this, the one I remember went into greater detail...however I can't remember who wrote that one & I can't find it anywhere.:b

 

[Damin J Toell]

If someone could get in contact with Criterion maybe they could answer this commonly asked question, just what is Criterion's first DVD?

What do you mean by "first"? First released? These are the release dates for the 3 titles that have been mentioned, as per Image Entertainment's database:

This is Spinal Tap: 7/8/1998
Silence of the Lambs: 7/15/1998
Seven Samurai: 8/5/1998

I guess it would be an interesting bit of triva to know if production on Seven Samurai was completed first, but "first" means "first released" to my mind...

DJ

 

[Jesse Blacklow]

Kind of off-topic, but has anyone seen PBS' Great Performances.Kurosawa? It's a good two hours long, and it looks very interesting. My local PBS affiliate is airing this on their HD channel in a couple weeks, I'm hoping that the program itself is high-def.

 

[Kevin M]

I'm talking about production date, not release date. Seven Samurai's release was legally delayed until 01/99 (and then further) but, as far as I understand, it was their first completed DVD production.

I wasn't entirely correct about the 01/99 date but, nonetheless...what I was trying to say to begin with is that this was, as far as I know, the first DVD they actually made so, although the complaints about the compression may be justified, we should bear in mind that they were still learning DVD like all the other houses.

Just to make things clear..again..when I say first I mean first made.

 

[Ben Motley]

Guys, I wouldn't go by any dates listed by retailers, or even at Image. I'd be seriously, extremely surprised if Silence of the Lambs or Spinal Tap was out when I got Seven Samurai. I remember seeing Amarcord, 400 Blows, and The Lady Vanishes... Silence and Tap simply were not there. Why would Best Buy carry these four (including Seven Samurai) and not carry Silence and Tap? Sure, they could have been out of stock at the time, but I used to hit BB weekly as a ritual, and they just didn't turn up until later.

 

[Kristoffer]

Anyway could it be remastered to the same rate as Citizen Kane or are the print(S) in too bad a condition.
How much can you save if you spend enough money?