Re: Foreign Films that are MIA on DVD (1 Viewer)

[ChrisBEA]

Anybody know any websites that keep track of foreign films (mainly asian) that are released on DVD cut up and censored?

Link Removed is pretty good, I've used them a few times, they compare the disk from different regions and let you know which has any cuts.

 

[Andrew_K]

> THE MAD ADVENTURES OF RABBI JACOB gets DVD release in
> Canada, but not in the States.

I am a big fan of Louis de Funes, so I have checked all Canadian DVD online stores, but any of them is listing this DVD.

Are you sure that it gets Canadian DVD release?

 

[Dick]

Andrew, I may have been wrong, but I could swear a Canadian site offered it, and for about twenty-five bucks. In any case, here is a US site that does offer imports including RABBI JACOB (but very expensive): http://www.francevision.com/Catalog/...t=Item&ID=5095

Lloyd: This site does good reviews and comparisons with huge screenshots: http://www.new.dvdbeaver.com/

 

[Brook K]

You all should get region free players. A bunch of the titles you've mentioned are available in Japan, HK, or the UK.

Persona has been out for months in the UK as has The Virgin Spring, Weekend is getting released next month. I've had Fanny & Alexander for a year or more and it's the full length TV cut, not the hours shortened US theatrical version that MGM would likely release if they ever put out their Bergman titles.

Le Samorai and La Dolce Vita are out in R2, as is Charulata and I believe The Music Room. Viridiana is available in R2 without subtitles. Hou's A Time to Live and A Time to Die is available in a 4 disc limited edition box set from HK or Taiwan with English subs. The Leopard is available in UK and Italian flavors. And The 49th Parallel has already been released here by Kino 2 years or more ago. (could be OOP I guess, but it was listed in the last Kino catalogue I receied.

 

[richardWI]

Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't most of the region 2 discs pan and scan?

 

[Brian PB]

Brook K: a few comments on your non-R1 recommendations:

The French release of Melville's Le Samourai (TF1/René Chateau) appears to be OOP (it's no longer listed on the René Chateau website, and 0 out of 4 French etailers had it in stock). Machiavel.com states on their website that they'll be getting more in.

Satyajit Ray's Charulata does not appear to have been released in R2 (at least not in the UK, Frnace, Italy, or Spain)--but correct me if I'm wrong. The Music Room is available in a weak transfer from films sans frontières in France.

Buñuel's Viridiana is also available from films sans frontières, but only in Spanish with French subtitles (which doesn't help the vast majority of us).

Visconti's The Leopard/Il Gattopardo has not yet been released in the UK, but a release is planned in the future (1/05/04) by the bfi. It is available from Medusa in Italy.

I don't find any listings for Michael Powell's The 49th Parallel on DVD in R1 (checking Kino's website, Amazon.com DVD Price Search, or the Big DVD List at Michael's Movie Mayhem). It is available on VHS.

I agree that there are a world of riches beyond R1, but foreign classics can be hard to come by even in their country of origin, let alone with English subs (witness the dearth the world over of DVDs of Bresson, Ozu, Mizoguchi, Naruse, Kaurismaki, Tati, Hou, Renoir, Ichikawa, Imamura, Angelopoulos--Pascal's comments notwithstanding, et al.). I have a region-free player, but there are still significant gaps in DVD availability for many of the titles listed in this thread.

 

[Matthew^Johnson]

Lots of titles lack of DVD representation has prevented me from seeing on this list. Here's one I'll probably be waiting a long time to see:

Fukasaku's Battle Royale

 

[Brian PB]

Of course, it is available in a nice R0 PAL, 2-disc release from Tartan (UK), if that helps you at all (I don't think this film ever had a wide release in this country, which may explain its absence on DVD. If Fukasaki's recent follow-up, Battle Royale II gets distribution here, we could see both coming to DVD).

 

[Jay E]

Since I'm a foreign film lover, it was a no-brainer for me to purchase a multi-region player. I really feel that all of you who don't have one, should look into getting one.

Brian, The 49th Parrallel is out on DVD in region 2 UK but I've never seen it available in region 1 either. Any Michale Powell fans should think about getting a region-free player as quite a few of his films not available here are available in region 2 (including A Matter of Life & Death)

Delicatessen is available in Region 2 UK.