Peter Greenaway Blu-ray Box

[McCrutchy]

King Records will release a Blu-ray Box set of Peter Greenaway films on May 13th, 2015.

The films will be Drowning by Numbers (1988), Prospero's Books (1991) and The Baby of Mâcon (1993).

The information provided specified that all the films will be uncensored, which is excellent news, as there is frequent full frontal male and female nudity in these films.

Originally Posted by Amazon.co.jp

[Show spoiler]※ジャケットは仮デザインです。

名匠ピーター・グリーナウェイ全盛期の傑作群
『ベイビー・オブ・マコン』『プロスペローの本』『数に溺れて』を初Blu-ray化!!
全作品≪無修正HDリマスター版≫、音声は高音質リニアPCMを採用!!

監督・脚本:ピーター・グリーナウェイ
(『英国式庭園殺人事件』『ZOO』『建築家の腹』『コックと泥棒、その妻と愛人』『8 1/2の女たち』『レンブラントの夜警』)
製作:キース・カサンダー、デニス・ウィグマン/撮影:サッシャ・ヴィエルニ
※全作品共通

◆Disc-1 『ベイビー・オブ・マコン』 ≪無修正HDリマスター版≫
1993年/英・独・仏 合作/約122分
出演:ジュリア・オーモンド、レイフ・ファインズ、フィリップ・ストーン他
編集:クリス・ワイアット/美術:ベン・ヴァン・オズ、ヤン・ロールフス
衣装デザイン:ディーン・バン・ストラーレン/音楽監修:ダニエル・ロイス

名家メディチ家の末裔が目前で宗教劇の舞台に乱入、虚構(演劇)と現実(観客席)の間を往復す る。
絢爛豪華な美術による様式美・映像美の中で、人間のどす黒いエゴや欲望が渦巻く――。
【物語】
1659年イタリア。町の大劇場で「ベイビー・オブ・マコン」と題された芝居が始まった。
世の中が飢餓に苦しむ時代に、ある一人のグロテスクな妊婦が怪物を孕んでいると予言される。
しかし、生まれてきたのは五体満足の美しい男の赤ん坊で、その子は奇跡の子と崇められるが…。

◆Disc-2 『プロスペローの本』 ≪無修正HDリマスター版≫
1991年/英・仏・伊 合作/約126分
出演:ジョン・ギールグッド、マイケル・クラーク、ミシェル・ブラン他
原作:ウィリアム・シェイクスピア/音楽:マイケル・ナイマン
衣装デザイン:ワダエミ、ディーン・バン・ストラーレン/編集:マリナ・ボドビル

――復讐こそわが魂、魔法の織りなす壮麗なる夢想の宮殿。
シェイクスピア最後の戯曲『テンペスト』を題材とした復讐劇。
【物語】
かつてのミラノ大公プロスペローは、ナポリ王アロンゾーと共謀した弟アントーニオに公国を奪わ れ、
絶海の孤島に幽閉されていた。
その間、彼は友人ゴンザーローから譲り受けた24冊の魔法の本を読み耽り、偉大なる力を身につ けていた。
アロンゾーへの復讐心を片時も忘れることのなかった彼は、壮大な復讐劇の創作を始める…。

◆Disc-3 『数に溺れて』 ≪無修正HDリマスター版≫
1988年/イギリス/約119分 カンヌ国際映画祭 芸術貢献賞受賞
出演:ジュリエット・スティーヴンソン、ジョエリー・リチャードソン、ジョーン・プロウライト 他
音楽:マイケル・ナイマン

それぞれの愛に失望し、夫を溺死させる女たち。
それは数にとり憑かれた、100まで数える死のゲーム。
浮かび上がるは、女たちの魔性――。
【物語】
60歳のシシー・コルピッツ1、娘のシシー・コルピッツ2、シシー1の孫娘で
シシー2の姪にあたるシシー・コルピッツ3は、それぞれの夫やボーイフレンドを次々と溺死させ る。
やがて三人のシシーは被害者の親戚や同情者たちによって追いつめられるが…。

封入解説書 TEXT滝本 誠(評論家)

※ jacket is provisional design.

Master craftsman Peter Greenaway masterpiece group of heyday
"Baby Of Macon," "Prospero of this" is the first Blu-ray of to "drowning in number" !!
Oeuvre «uncensored HD Remastered», voice adopted !! high quality linear PCM

Director, Screenplay: Peter Greenaway
("English Garden murder", "ZOO", "architect of the belly," "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover," "8 1/2 of women", "Rembrandt of watchman")
Production: Keith Kasanda, Denis Wigman / Photography: Sacha Vierny
※ oeuvre common

◆ Disc-1 "Baby Of Macon" «uncensored HD Remastered»
1993 / UK, Germany and France cooperation / about 122 minutes
Cast: Julia Ormond, Ralph Fiennes, Philip Stone other
EDIT: Chris Wyatt / Art: Ben van Oz, Jan Rohlfs
Costume Design: Dean Van Sutoraren / Music Supervisor: Daniel Royce

Dynasty stormed the stage of the Medici family of descendants in the verge religious drama, I back and forth between the fictional (theater) and reality (the audience).
Among the gorgeous beauty of form and video beauty by art, swirling man's Dosuguroi ego and desires -.
[Story]
1659 Italy. Is play, entitled "Baby Of Macon" began with a large theater of town.
At a time when the world is suffering from hunger, grotesque pregnant women of a certain one person is predicted that is fraught with monster.
However, was born in the beautiful man of baby of five-body satisfaction, but the child is revered as the miracle of child ....

◆ "book of Prospero" Disc-2 «uncensored HD Remastered»
1991 / English, French, Italian Cooperation / about 126 minutes
Cast: John Gielgud, Michael Clarke, Michel Blanc other
Original: William Shakespeare / Music: Michael Nyman
Costume Design: Wadaemi, Dean Van Sutoraren / EDIT: Marina Bodobiru

- My soul what revenge, magnificent Naru dream palace weaves the magic.
Revenge drama that was theme of Shakespeare last play "The Tempest".
[Story]
Former Milan Grand Duke Prospero is deprived of the principality to his brother Antonio that you conspired with King of Naples Aronzo,
It had been imprisoned in the island of distant sea.
In the meantime, he Yomifukeri a book of 24 books of magic that was handed from a friend Gonzaro, was wearing a great power.
The revenge to Aronzo moment also did not of that forget he is, start the creation of spectacular revenge ....

◆ Disc-3 "is drowning in number" «uncensored HD Remastered»
1988 / United Kingdom / about 119 minutes Cannes Film Festival Artistic Contribution Award
Cast: Juliet Stevenson, Joely Richardson, Joan Plowright other
Music: Michael Nyman

Disappointed in each of love, a woman who is drowning her husband.
It was obsessed with number, death game of counting up to 100.
Emerges, the women of evil -.
[Story]
60-year-old Sissy Colpitts 1, daughter of Sissy Colpitts 2, in the granddaughter of Sissy 1
Sissy Colpitts 3 falls niece of Cissy 2, to one after another drowning their husband or boyfriend.
But eventually three people Sissy is cornered by relatives and compassion who of victims ....

Inclusion Reference TEXT Makoto Takimoto (critic)

[Dubstar]

Prospero's Books -

... and eh, I'll take 'Drowning by Numbers' as well.

for some of us who already own 'The Baby of Macon' on blu - thankfully each title is also sold separately as well.

so who's gonna release The Tulse Luper Suitcases trilogy now?

[Lutz]

Great news!

Also. Does anyone have the Japanese blu ray of Draughtsman's Contract? Worth a buy? Comments?

[Dubstar]

RE: 'Prospero's Books'

I remember reading a story that the early video hi-def prototype filmed segments (done by Japanese production company NHK) there was strict conditions on who could see and watch the original dailies and footage that involved and depicted frontal nudity

[McCrutchy]

The specs have finally been updated at the King Records site, and unfortunately, these will all be BD-25 discs, though they will have only English: LPCM 2.0 audio and Japanese subtitles. No video extras will be provided, though it looks like King Records will provide a booklet with Japanese essays on the films.

With this confirmation, and given that only Prospero's Books is still unaccounted for (with the announcement of Mediumrare's forthcoming UK BD of Drowning by Numbers) and given that this release still costs almost US $100 at the current Amazon.co.jp price of ¥10,224, I do not think I will be importing this set.

[Dubstar]

I'm kind of livid, I just got the 'Drowning' / 'Prospero' in the mail, and I know for a fact that I did not order (or want) the DVD editions, but that's what I got ... did King Records make the blurays exclusive to the Box set at the last minute?

well, I have no idea or inclination to return this, since I gather it will be expensive ... damn it, damn it, damn it...

the DVD's are Region 2 NTSC

from King Records website: (I missed this bit of news)

(Google translation)

"There is no release of the single item cell Blu-ray. Blu-ray products will be only BOX.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

I'm kind of livid, I just got the 'Drowning' / 'Prospero' in the mail, and I know for a fact that I did not order (or want) the DVD editions, but that's what I got ... did King Records make the blurays exclusive to the Box set at the last minute?

well, I have no idea or inclination to return this, since I gather it will be expensive ... damn it, damn it, damn it...

the DVD's are Region 2 NTSC

from King Records website: (I missed this bit of news)

(Google translation)

"There is no release of the single item cell Blu-ray. Blu-ray products will be only BOX.

The Blu-rays were always only available in the box set, I'm afraid.

You could contact Amazon.co.jp customer service here and see what they can do for you.

[Tiberius]

I got the box a few days ago. It's actually a slipless digi with a semi-wraparound paper. So far I have only watched Prospero's Books. Prepare for plenty of grain, bordering on digital noise. There is a higher than usual amount of print damage, too. But at least they got the aspect ratio right.

I will watch Drowning By Numbers tomorrow.

[easydreamer]

I also got the box set and watched all of them. The Baby of Mâcon is probably the best looking of the bunch, and it looks like it used the same master for the Scandinavian Blu-ray (which I also have). This and Drowning by Numbers have the same logo before the film starts, so they might have got the master from the same company.

Prospero's Books looks quite soft at times, especially in the long shot. This may be due to the film shot using the analog hi vision camera and transferred to the film (not sure if all of them were shot on video, tho). Maybe this is the best it could look.

[Tiberius]

Drowning By Numbers looks much the same as Prospero's Books, although detail is better in brighter scenes.

[asmodeux21]

I thought "The Baby of Macon" and "Drowning by Numbers" looked quite beautiful. As I expected, "Prospero's Books" looked much softer than the other two titles in the package. This is because of the shooting style/technique. Nice texture on all the films. Unless all of the movies are re-transferred in 4k, this is as good as it gets.

[easydreamer]

All of them are reviewed at Mondo Digital, if interested.
Basically they are high on the transfers.

[mydudeness]

Being a passionate fan of Greenaway and impatiently waiting for the Prospero's Books' release on Blu-ray, I wonder if anyone who happens to be a happy owner of this box set would be prepared to sell Prospero's Books or make it otherwise available to me. I would very much appreciate your help in ending my search...
Many thanks in advance!
PS. I live in Austria

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by mydudeness

Being a passionate fan of Greenaway and impatiently waiting for the Prospero's Books' release on Blu-ray, I wonder if anyone who happens to be a happy owner of this box set would be prepared to sell Prospero's Books or make it otherwise available to me. I would very much appreciate your help in ending my search...
Many thanks in advance!
PS. I live in Austria

King Records has made several Blu-rays available in priced-down editions, including some that were in box sets, so I think here, it's just a matter of time before the discs become available individually for $20-$30 or so each, by which time they should sell many copies of Prospero's Books, unless a US/UK BD shows up in between.

[ghidorah]

Anyone know if this is actually out of print now? I tried ordering this four times from Ebay sellers and each time the order was cancelled. There's a couple for a ridiculous price on Ebay and no joy with either Amazon JP CDJAPAN or YesAsia.

[ghidorah]

Anyone?

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by ghidorah

Anyone know if this is actually out of print now? I tried ordering this four times from Ebay sellers and each time the order was cancelled. There's a couple for a ridiculous price on Ebay and no joy with either Amazon JP CDJAPAN or YesAsia.

The Amazon listing currently says it's available in 7-9 days, but the King Records shop and HMV have no more stock. If you want a copy, I'd order it now, as it probably has sold out, and I assume all stock is either sold or with retailers.

[ghidorah]

Thanks but i only see marketplace sellers that want about £200 for it!!

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by ghidorah

Thanks but i only see marketplace sellers that want about £200 for it!!

Yes, that seems to be the case today. Perhaps it will come back in stock, but I suspect it is gone. Your best option now is probably to use one of the Japanese auction sites in conjunction with a forwarding service.

[ghidorah]

I know interest won't be stellar with this one but just in case a fan is thinking of trying for it..beware. I ended up trying to buy this from about 4 different Japanese Ebay sellers and each time, after keeping me waiting, my order was cancelled. That was when it was advertised for about £130. It now seems to having sellers wanting £230 and up!! I'm just waiting to see if one of the sellers that cancelled my order suddenly relists it at the higher price.
Shame..but far too much money for just 3 films (even at the first price!) and it was really mostly just PROSPERO'S BOOKS that I wanted. Ended up just getting the Japanese DVd so hoping the quality won't be too much different.