Sion Sono Films on Region A Blu-rays - Blu-ray Forum

Leeon0 · 10-14-2012, 11:33 PM

Or a lack thereof. There are only two I know of with English subtitles:

The first is distributed by Olive Films (USA) and the second, Guilty of Romace, by CN Entertainment (HK).

It's a shame Sono's films aren't making their way to US audiences. With so many Japanese titles of lesser quality being churned out by USA distributors, the big question is why aren't titles like Suicide Club, Strange Circus, and Cold Fish being released on Blu-ray in the US?

Hawkguy · 10-14-2012, 11:39 PM

It was mentioned in the recent interview with Olive on here that they will be distributing Guilty of Romance and Himizu in the US.

elite · 10-14-2012, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeon0

With so many Japanese titles of lesser quality being churned out by USA distributors, the big question is why aren't titles like Suicide Club, Strange Circus, and Cold Fish being released on Blu-ray in the US?

The Japanese release of Himizu has English subtitles.

As for why Sono's titles are not seeing releases, I would say his movies are just way too much of a niche market for any company to make a profit. He has scenes of shocking violence and the typical sex scenes which most people are after. However, Sono's movies do not exist just to show as much extreme content as possible, the violence comes from spending time with the characters and developing them and the situations that they are placed in. This can be a bit harder to take in for some people who I believe just want that instant gratification. That's why I think movies like Tokyo Gore Police and Machine Girl are more likely to have blu-ray releases. They deliver on their promise.

rewak · 10-14-2012, 11:51 PM

Because that's all their is on Blu, Love Exposure, Cold Fish, Guilty Of Romance, and Himizu are the only HD Sono movies around. Third Window wanted to do a Blu on the initial Love Exposure release but because a Blu didn't exist in Japan at the time the owners wouldn't let them, so it would seem if it isn't out in Japan it won't happen elsewhere. Himizu and Love Exposure are available on Blu in Japan subbed/region free by the way - http://forums.highdefdigest.com/blu-...-eng-subs.html

Also, you aren't missing much with Cold Fish, it's fine until it completely drops off from the reality of the story its based on, then it goes into crap-o-rama territory. Haven't bothered with Guilty because every cut outside Japan has 30 minutes missing and i'm not putting up with that.

Leeon0 · 10-15-2012, 01:10 AM

These are informative replies, thanks. It's nice that Olive Films is releasing more Sono titles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rewak

Haven't bothered with Guilty because every cut outside Japan has 30 minutes missing and i'm not putting up with that.

I was irked too, but I still think it's worth getting. According to one review--http://diversejapan.com/2011/08/12/f...-by-sion-sono/--the omitted portion concerns itself with Kazuko's murder investigation, which is probably not as interesting as the other two stories involving Izumi and Mitsuko. Of course one would want nothing missing, but for me it's not a deal breaker in this case. Normally, however, I have no tolerance for truncated versions of a film.

black coffee · 10-15-2012, 02:54 AM

I'm a huge fan of Sono's films myself.

My alternative take on Cold Fish is it's awesome~

Love how twisted the story gets, then again I'm a horror junkie. Bummed it only got a DVD release in N/A.

cardiac161 · 10-15-2012, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by black coffee

I'm a huge fan of Sono's films myself.

My alternative take on Cold Fish is it's awesome~

Love how twisted the story gets, then again I'm a horror junkie. Bummed it only got a DVD release in N/A.

Personally love Cold Fish as well. Saw it during a film festival and thought it was quite brilliant, though very twisted.

MurderTechnique · 05-21-2013, 01:22 AM

I love psychologically disturbing movies, especially ones that are considered "art house." I am a huge fan of David Lynch films. I find Sion Sono movies to be quite comparable to Lynch movies. They're surreal, sexy, controversial, and they often play with your head. Though the subject of the film is off putting, I absolutely loved STRANGE CIRCUS. It felt like Twin Peaks and Mullholland Drive combined! What a mind bender! Sadly, only dvd format is currently available. Bummer. STRANGE CIRCUS is such a visual, cinematic film that it really needs a high definition release to do it justice. No word on a Blu Ray release though. I learned that Olive Films will distribute the full length version of GUILTY OF ROMANCE, which will be great, but when I visited Olive's website yesterday it was still unavailable. COLD FISH, LOVE EXPOSURE, & GUILTY OF ROMANCE seem to be the only Sion Sono movies released (or scheduled for release) on region A Blu Ray. I understand that there's only a "niche" market for Sono films but it's really a shame that so much trash out there gets released on Blu Ray while masterpieces by a critically acclaimed director like Sion Sono are left to the way side. SAD, SAD, SAD. I noticed that very few people on these forums mention the movie STRANGE CIRCUS. If any of you Sono fans haven't seen it, you definitely should! It's currently streamable on Netflix, believe it or not, but only in standard definition. There ARE torrents out there that offer HD remasters of it though; needless to say, solutions are definitely out there if you bother to do a little bit of research. Sadly, Sono will continue to miss out on sales from American fans because of the fact that his movies are so poorly marked in the U.S.; even people (like me) who WANT to show him support CAN'T...until region A Blu Ray versions are released!!! In the meantime, the only way English speaking fans can see Sion Sono works in HD is to download torrents that offer HD remasters of his films; complete with English subtitles. Until the day comes when Olive Films, or some other distributor, decides to release STRANGE CIRCUS, GUILTY OF ROMANCE, SUICIDE CLUB, NORIKO'S DINNER TABLE, etc, etc, etc in region A Blu Ray I guess we'll just have to be thankful for the beloved internet. For those feeling my frustration and in need of a current solution I have one word/name that you will probably thank me for. "JUNOON." Of course, you can type any title into TPB for success too. You'll find that Junoon uploads have OUTSTANDING picture quality as well as reliable, English subtitles. For those of you who can follow that train of thought, you're welcome.

On another note, the French director, Gaspar Noe, is another film maker to keep your eyes on; IRREVERSIBLE and ENTER THE VOID are unforgettable movies. I can't wait to see what he does next. Viewers be warned though! You can stream both on Netflix. IRREVERSIBLE still lacks Blu Ray, unfortunately, but ENTER THE VOID does have a Blu Ray release...and it's the full length director's cut, not the shortened one Netflix offers. Enjoy!

manicsounds · 05-21-2013, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elite

The Japanese release of Himizu has English subtitles.

Are you sure about that? I assumed it didn't. The specs don't mention it.

LatemDeeps · 05-21-2013, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manicsounds

Are you sure about that? I assumed it didn't. The specs don't mention it.

According to info posted at the http://www.asianblurayguide.com, it DOES have English subtitles. And just in case you need further proof, click on the link to take you to where the cover photo was taken (the one on abg has been shrunk and the information on the back is illegible), and there's a larger version of the cover that clearly indicates English subtitles (provided one is familiar with the symbol) on the disc.

Dan Average · 05-21-2013, 10:11 AM

I can confirm first-hand the Japanese BD has English subtitles. It's hard to believe because the DVD doesn't, despite being released on the same day by the same distributor. Go figure.

From what I've been told, neither the DVD nor the BD of Land of Hope has English subs.

Leeon0 · 05-29-2013, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MurderTechnique

COLD FISH, LOVE EXPOSURE, & GUILTY OF ROMANCE seem to be the only Sion Sono movies released (or scheduled for release) on region A Blu Ray. )

You rightly point out it's a damn shame Sono's titles haven't caught on in the US. It boggles the mind.

Is Cold Fish available (or will it be) on region A? When and where?

manicsounds · 05-29-2013, 02:09 PM

Cold Fish is out in the US on DVD only.

Mansinthe · 05-29-2013, 08:01 PM

the UK releases are way better compared to the us release of olive films.

and for guilty of romance there is only the shorter international cut avaible with eng subs. (on the hK release too).. but the german release (no eng subs) has the longer japanese cut

Grethiwha · 09-11-2014, 03:28 AM

Watched a couple more Sono films last couple days – Hazard is a straight up masterpiece, his best after Love Exposure IMHO. This man has so many amazing films, it sucks so few are on blu-ray!

Just noticed that Guilty of Romance (both cuts) and Himizu are coming next month from Olive; that's pretty awesome – I'll definitely have to get Guilty of Romance at least. Olive's release of Love Exposure was sadly lacking the special features on the region B version, but it's still one of my favourite blu-rays ever, because it's a release of Love Exposure. So I'm happy to see them doing more.

Why Don't You Play In Hell? is gonna be coming from Drafthouse, this year or probably next. They do some really sweet-looking releases; that'll probably be a blind buy for me. And Tokyo Tribe seems like a good bet for a blu-ray from... someone.

But when are we gonna see Exte, Strange Circus, the Suicide Club movies, a region A Cold Fish, and on and on...? The Shion Sono Collection is a thing that really needs to happen. He's my favourite living director after Werner Herzog, and he has easily enough good material for a boxset of equivalent size to that Herzog set.

DanielMann · 09-11-2014, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by black coffee

I'm a huge fan of Sono's films myself.

My alternative take on Cold Fish is it's awesome~

Love how twisted the story gets, then again I'm a horror junkie. Bummed it only got a DVD release in N/A.

Absolutely love Cold Fish right here.

You probably wouldn't believe me, but last year when I was in Japan I happened to meet the screenwriter of that film at a Bar in the Golden Gai near Kabukicho. Very nice guy too and, of course, a big horror fan.

cardiac161 · 09-11-2014, 07:49 AM

God, do I love Cold Fish and was quite disappointed that this film is only available in DVD in the US.

I have seen Why Don't You Play in Hell and I can personally vouch that it is one of the best, outrageous films I've seen. I hope this gets a Bluray treatment.

Grethiwha · 09-11-2014, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardiac161

I have seen Why Don't You Play in Hell and I can personally vouch that it is one of the best, outrageous films I've seen. I hope this gets a Bluray treatment.

Why Don't You Play In Hell is #26 in the Drafthouse catalogue. They release all their films in some small theatrical run in the states, and then on blu-ray, in really sleek editions with lots of extras. Their last one on blu-ray was #20; Why Don't You Play In Hell is supposed to hit theatres sometime this year, and then I'm guessing they'll release it on blu sometime next year.

http://drafthousefilms.com/film/why-...u-play-in-hell

manicsounds · 09-11-2014, 01:58 PM

Tokyo Tribe was such a blast. Will have the get the region B UK disc when it's released next year.

simaya-san · 09-12-2014, 09:30 AM

Do you know which publisher will release this in UK?

10-14-2012, 11:33 PM	#1
Leeon0 Banned Member since:Jan 2012	Sion Sono Films on Region A Blu-rays Or a lack thereof. There are only two I know of with English subtitles: The first is distributed by Olive Films (USA) and the second, Guilty of Romace, by CN Entertainment (HK). It's a shame Sono's films aren't making their way to US audiences. With so many Japanese titles of lesser quality being churned out by USA distributors, the big question is why aren't titles like Suicide Club, Strange Circus, and Cold Fish being released on Blu-ray in the US?

05-21-2013, 01:22 AM	#8
MurderTechnique New Member Member since:May 2013	Need Sion Sono region A blu rays! I love psychologically disturbing movies, especially ones that are considered "art house." I am a huge fan of David Lynch films. I find Sion Sono movies to be quite comparable to Lynch movies. They're surreal, sexy, controversial, and they often play with your head. Though the subject of the film is off putting, I absolutely loved STRANGE CIRCUS. It felt like Twin Peaks and Mullholland Drive combined! What a mind bender! Sadly, only dvd format is currently available. Bummer. STRANGE CIRCUS is such a visual, cinematic film that it really needs a high definition release to do it justice. No word on a Blu Ray release though. I learned that Olive Films will distribute the full length version of GUILTY OF ROMANCE, which will be great, but when I visited Olive's website yesterday it was still unavailable. COLD FISH, LOVE EXPOSURE, & GUILTY OF ROMANCE seem to be the only Sion Sono movies released (or scheduled for release) on region A Blu Ray. I understand that there's only a "niche" market for Sono films but it's really a shame that so much trash out there gets released on Blu Ray while masterpieces by a critically acclaimed director like Sion Sono are left to the way side. SAD, SAD, SAD. I noticed that very few people on these forums mention the movie STRANGE CIRCUS. If any of you Sono fans haven't seen it, you definitely should! It's currently streamable on Netflix, believe it or not, but only in standard definition. There ARE torrents out there that offer HD remasters of it though; needless to say, solutions are definitely out there if you bother to do a little bit of research. Sadly, Sono will continue to miss out on sales from American fans because of the fact that his movies are so poorly marked in the U.S.; even people (like me) who WANT to show him support CAN'T...until region A Blu Ray versions are released!!! In the meantime, the only way English speaking fans can see Sion Sono works in HD is to download torrents that offer HD remasters of his films; complete with English subtitles. Until the day comes when Olive Films, or some other distributor, decides to release STRANGE CIRCUS, GUILTY OF ROMANCE, SUICIDE CLUB, NORIKO'S DINNER TABLE, etc, etc, etc in region A Blu Ray I guess we'll just have to be thankful for the beloved internet. For those feeling my frustration and in need of a current solution I have one word/name that you will probably thank me for. "JUNOON." Of course, you can type any title into TPB for success too. You'll find that Junoon uploads have OUTSTANDING picture quality as well as reliable, English subtitles. For those of you who can follow that train of thought, you're welcome. On another note, the French director, Gaspar Noe, is another film maker to keep your eyes on; IRREVERSIBLE and ENTER THE VOID are unforgettable movies. I can't wait to see what he does next. Viewers be warned though! You can stream both on Netflix. IRREVERSIBLE still lacks Blu Ray, unfortunately, but ENTER THE VOID does have a Blu Ray release...and it's the full length director's cut, not the shortened one Netflix offers. Enjoy!

09-11-2014, 03:28 AM	#15
Grethiwha Expert Member Top contributor Member since:Nov 2010 Location:Montreal Home Theater Gallery:3 4K collection:152 Blu-ray collection:1088 DVD collection:66 Blu-ray reviews: 11	Watched a couple more Sono films last couple days – Hazard is a straight up masterpiece, his best after Love Exposure IMHO. This man has so many amazing films, it sucks so few are on blu-ray! Just noticed that Guilty of Romance (both cuts) and Himizu are coming next month from Olive; that's pretty awesome – I'll definitely have to get Guilty of Romance at least. Olive's release of Love Exposure was sadly lacking the special features on the region B version, but it's still one of my favourite blu-rays ever, because it's a release of Love Exposure. So I'm happy to see them doing more. Why Don't You Play In Hell? is gonna be coming from Drafthouse, this year or probably next. They do some really sweet-looking releases; that'll probably be a blind buy for me. And Tokyo Tribe seems like a good bet for a blu-ray from... someone. But when are we gonna see Exte, Strange Circus, the Suicide Club movies, a region A Cold Fish, and on and on...? The Shion Sono Collection is a thing that really needs to happen. He's my favourite living director after Werner Herzog, and he has easily enough good material for a boxset of equivalent size to that Herzog set. Last edited by Grethiwha; 01-31-2023 at 02:54 AM.

10-14-2012, 11:39 PM	#2
Hawkguy Blu-ray Champion Top contributor Member since:May 2011 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- Trading Score:37	It was mentioned in the recent interview with Olive on here that they will be distributing Guilty of Romance and Himizu in the US.

10-14-2012, 11:51 PM	#4
rewak Special Member Top contributor Member since:Jun 2012 Location:UK 4K collection:317 Blu-ray collection:1050 Trading Score:4	Because that's all their is on Blu, Love Exposure, Cold Fish, Guilty Of Romance, and Himizu are the only HD Sono movies around. Third Window wanted to do a Blu on the initial Love Exposure release but because a Blu didn't exist in Japan at the time the owners wouldn't let them, so it would seem if it isn't out in Japan it won't happen elsewhere. Himizu and Love Exposure are available on Blu in Japan subbed/region free by the way - http://forums.highdefdigest.com/blu-...-eng-subs.html Also, you aren't missing much with Cold Fish, it's fine until it completely drops off from the reality of the story its based on, then it goes into crap-o-rama territory. Haven't bothered with Guilty because every cut outside Japan has 30 minutes missing and i'm not putting up with that.

10-15-2012, 02:54 AM	#6
black coffee Senior Member Member since:Aug 2011 Location:Firehouse, 2nd Floor 4K collection:1 Blu-ray collection:1259 Trading Score:57	I'm a huge fan of Sono's films myself. My alternative take on Cold Fish is it's awesome~ Love how twisted the story gets, then again I'm a horror junkie. Bummed it only got a DVD release in N/A.

05-21-2013, 10:11 AM	#11
Dan Average Active Member Member since:Jan 2009	I can confirm first-hand the Japanese BD has English subtitles. It's hard to believe because the DVD doesn't, despite being released on the same day by the same distributor. Go figure. From what I've been told, neither the DVD nor the BD of Land of Hope has English subs.

05-29-2013, 02:09 PM	#13
manicsounds Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Oct 2009 Location:Tokyo 4K collection:227 Blu-ray collection:4991 Blu-ray reviews: 99	Cold Fish is out in the US on DVD only.

05-29-2013, 08:01 PM	#14
Mansinthe Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Feb 2013 Location:Germany Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:1197 DVD collection:43 Blu-ray reviews: 37 Trading Score:14	the UK releases are way better compared to the us release of olive films. and for guilty of romance there is only the shorter international cut avaible with eng subs. (on the hK release too).. but the german release (no eng subs) has the longer japanese cut

09-11-2014, 07:49 AM	#17
cardiac161 Senior Member Member since:May 2008	God, do I love Cold Fish and was quite disappointed that this film is only available in DVD in the US. I have seen Why Don't You Play in Hell and I can personally vouch that it is one of the best, outrageous films I've seen. I hope this gets a Bluray treatment.

09-11-2014, 01:58 PM	#19
manicsounds Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Oct 2009 Location:Tokyo 4K collection:227 Blu-ray collection:4991 Blu-ray reviews: 99	Tokyo Tribe was such a blast. Will have the get the region B UK disc when it's released next year.

09-12-2014, 09:30 AM	#20
simaya-san Member Member since:Feb 2014 Location:Germany Blu-ray collection:301 DVD collection:23 Trading Score:2	Do you know which publisher will release this in UK?

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