Bit strange they list LV as being released last year and "back in stock in 7 days". I know this was listed in other places but I never knew it was released (or not).
2 definite buys for me but not at £18. £10 will do me fine.
LV was never released in the UK period, and insider Hugh has stated there were some complications with the rights. I will inquire with him as to if this is true, or what this is about.
As for SFMV, I wonder if this is true as well...
Last edited by AnimeOnBlu; 09-17-2009 at 02:15 AM.
A preliminary release date for Park Chan-wook's Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance has been set: November 2. An HMV exclusive. Courtesy of Palisades Tartan.
Variety:
Quote:
A child kidnapping goes horribly wrong, with escalating consequences on both sides, in "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," a gripping psychodrama, marbled with blackly ironic humor, that establishes director Park Chan-wook among the top ranks of Asian filmers. Stunningly composed in widescreen, with an elliptical, off-kilter feel that makes pic play as a kind of Asian Greek tragedy, this looks set for major fest kudos in the West prior to specialized distribution in upscale venues. In South Korea, this fourth feature by the helmer of B.O. super-hit "Joint Security Area," went out March 29 as another strong entry in a banner year artistically for local production.
Aside from its use of widescreen as well as two of the same actors, "Sympathy" bears little resemblance to the more commercial "JSA," a taut mystery-drama set among North and South Korean guards on the DMZ. Film is more similar to Park's second feature, "Trio" (1997), with its theme of social outsiders challenging Korea's rigid status quo. But with its controlled, stylized look and heavy dose of claustrophobic Korean fatalism, "Sympathy" is a quantum leap over the anarchic antics of "Trio."
Opening 45 minutes is a tour de force of direction, with a foreboding atmosphere built under the main titles as a radio announcer reads a message from a deaf-mute man that prefigures events to come. The words are by Ryu (Shin Ha-gyun), an intense weirdo with dyed hair who works in a smelting factory and inhabits his own silent world, oblivious to the din both at work and in his downscale apartment building.
Ryu idolizes his sister (Im Ji-eun), who urgently needs a kidney transplant, and when he's laid off and then tricked out of his savings by organ traffickers, his wacko girlfriend, Yeong-mi (Bae Du-na, from "Take Care of My Cat"), suggests kidnapping his former boss's daughter to pay for his sister's operation. Yeong-mi sees it as social revenge; Ryu, initially scared of the consequences, finally agrees after seeing another laid-off worker attempt hara-kiri outside the boss's home.
In one of pic's many narrative jumps, we never witness the actual kidnapping: The young girl, Yu-sun (Han Bo-bae), is led to think she's just spending some time with friends of her father. However, while Ryu is out collecting the ransom -- in a sequence that shows helmer's commercial smarts -- his sister discovers the reason for Yu-sun being at their apartment and takes an irreversible step that makes the whole plan start to unravel.
Though slowly paced, the giant first act makes compulsive viewing, but is only a taster for what is to come. After Yu-sun is accidentally killed, the cops are called in and the dramatic focus shifts to Yu-sun's father, Park Dong-jin (Song Kang-ho, the lead in "JSA"). A wealthy industrialist whose wife left him when the economy went sour, he sees himself as honorable and doesn't understand why he's been targeted for a kidnapping.
Park initially suspects the worker who tried to commit hara-kiri but soon stumbles on the truth. At the 90-minute point, the movie's repressed violence starts to come to the surface, as Ryu takes revenge on the organ traffickers and Park takes terrible vengeance on both Ryu and his g.f.
Some auds may find the bloody third act hard to accept after the highly controlled opening and more reflective central section. But aside from being one level removed from reality, it's very typical of Korean drama as a whole and -- as the pic's final twist underlines -- is always handled in a kind of bleakly humorous way. In terms of script construction, the series of coincidences that lead Park to Yeong-mi and Ryu seem more of a stretch.
Compared with his roles in "JSA" and "The Foul King," Song is in restrained mode here, easing into the character of the aggrieved victim in small increments of rage. Shin, also from "JSA" and "Foul King," makes Ryu an almost childlike, tragic figure, reining back the character's potentially comic side and -- especially with Bae, as his trashy, loud-mouthed girlfriend -- showing him more as a pawn, squeezed between economic necessity and misguided affection. Supporting roles, such as Lee Dae-yeon's cop, are succinctly etched.
The look of the film is always interesting, with d.p. Kim Byung-il's setups full of incidental detail but never overcrowded; production design in interiors (Ryu and Yeong-mi's apartments, the organ trafficker's basement) is equally rich. Pic could take some minor trimming in the second half, but otherwise plays OK.
Camera (color, widescreen), Kim Byung-il; editor, Kim Sang-beom; music, Uhuhboo Project; production designer, Choe Jung-hwa; art director, Oh Sang-man; costumes, Shin Seung-heui; sound (Dolby), Kim Seok-weon, Lee Seung-chul. Reviewed on videocassette, London, March 2, 2002. Running time: 129 MIN.
Pro-B
Last edited by pro-bassoonist; 09-17-2009 at 05:50 AM.
Great movie! Sympathy For Lady Vengeance has been out on Blu-ray in Norway/Sweden for quite some time now, and I really look forward to Mr. Vengeance on Blu-ray as well.
Sorry I haven't logged in all week, been working on exactly what you guys are seeing now. So, here's the thing:
a) I'm spending most of my time on production coordination, so I'm as personally involved as I can be in making these Blus happen;
b) We've now hired a well-known PR firm to handle announcements, press releases, and Web 2.0 including social networks and forums, so I'll be in here a lot less;
c) HMV were a leetle early with the pre-orders; actual press releases about the titles will be out early next week. I'll pop back in then and answer any questions not answered by those.
Just thought I'd say, it's been amazing learning about Blu-rays from the inside of the process - but it's also been challenging and very exhausting. I have a lot more respect for all the people who work on releases in this format - it's definitely more complex than DVD manufacture, and the degree of skill used in authoring, particularly as it relates to compression, is something we should all respect a lot more. Like great athletes, one has to be impressed by those who can do, especially when not one of them.
Sorry I haven't logged in all week, been working on exactly what you guys are seeing now. So, here's the thing:
a) I'm spending most of my time on production coordination, so I'm as personally involved as I can be in making these Blus happen;
b) We've now hired a well-known PR firm to handle announcements, press releases, and Web 2.0 including social networks and forums, so I'll be in here a lot less;
c) HMV were a leetle early with the pre-orders; actual press releases about the titles will be out early next week. I'll pop back in then and answer any questions not answered by those.
Just thought I'd say, it's been amazing learning about Blu-rays from the inside of the process - but it's also been challenging and very exhausting. I have a lot more respect for all the people who work on releases in this format - it's definitely more complex than DVD manufacture, and the degree of skill used in authoring, particularly as it relates to compression, is something we should all respect a lot more. Like great athletes, one has to be impressed by those who can do, especially when not one of them.
+1 Thanks for bringing us great movies on Blu-ray!!
Just thought I'd say, it's been amazing learning about Blu-rays from the inside of the process - but it's also been challenging and very exhausting. I have a lot more respect for all the people who work on releases in this format - it's definitely more complex than DVD manufacture, and the degree of skill used in authoring, particularly as it relates to compression, is something we should all respect a lot more. Like great athletes, one has to be impressed by those who can do, especially when not one of them.
I'll totally second what Hugh said here. Producing a Blu-ray is a lot more hard work than it sounds, and the guys that actually author it need a massive pat on the back.
Any word of the region coding of these titles. HMV shipped out my pre-order of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance today, and I realized I forgot to verify this beforehand. I was just so excited about its release I forgot myself.
I'll totally second what Hugh said here. Producing a Blu-ray is a lot more hard work than it sounds, and the guys that actually author it need a massive pat on the back.
Perhaps, but it's all about vision and funding. I bought your excellent Bad Boy Bubby and it's a joy to see such care and attention in bringing that to the market. It's down to a lot of people but I reckon the biggest claim for applause goes to the person who has the vision to sell the film to the most people possible (ie buyers who want special care and time taken). Criterion have gotten it right for over a decade. I wish every small distributor would have that vision (and financing of course).
Small distributors/rights owners have bought and own for a short period an asset which people will want so make it as attractive as possible. I will pay for the vision. If you realese crap it'll end up in a petrol station £3.99 bucket next to CDs by Boy George. I don't see Criterion discs like that.
I don't think Tartan ever made much money but I did like their film (cinema) distribution. Every Tartan DVD I ever owned was rather poor and usually dire. Hopefully things will change with the new owners and the advent of Bluray. If you don't provide good product we'll shop somewhere else.
Good luck with these releases and I'll be first in the queue to buy them if you do a good job.And please -a great annoyance of Bluray fans- let people review your product ie send out review discs or we'll not know = no sale.
2 definite buys for me but not at £18. £10 will do me fine.
I'll just add to that, I happily paid £17 for my 6 -so far- Criterion Blurays and should Tartan cough up similarly high product I shall be happy to pay more than £10. I need to be impressed however.
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Sympathy For Mr Vengeance / Lady Vengeance (HMV Exclusives)
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Blu-ray)
I was just so excited about its release I forgot myself. 
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