Sion Sono Films on Region A Blu-rays

[manicsounds]

Originally Posted by simaya-san

Do you know which publisher will release this in UK?

Eureka! will be releasing Tokyo Tribe

[mttmax]

Is the UK bluray of Cold Fish uncut??

[simaya-san]

Yes, it is.

[Grethiwha]

Why Don't You Play in Hell is "In Theatres and On Demand this November" according to the drafthouse site now. Anyway, based on the amount of time between their releases I'm guessing we'll see the blu-ray around March/April. Can't freakin' wait; I've exhausted now every other Sono film that's available on the internet with english subtitles... This will be a blind buy for sure.

And I desperately hope Tokyo Tribe sees a release here. I wanted to watch it in Toronto last month, but I couldn't convince my friend with the car to drive me there (2 and a half hours away). Anyway, that's really cool it's getting a Masters of Cinema release; they're an awesome company. But slim chance it'll be region free, I guess. :\

[Leeon0]

Originally Posted by Grethiwha

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.

So am I. I'm awaiting Guilty to arrive and look forward to seeing it. But for goodness' sake, why must the subtitles be burned in? At that price point, you'd expect removable subs to be a given.

[rewak]

Burned subs and the movie isn't seamlessly branched, they've just put 2 full encodes on the disc.

[Grethiwha]

Removable subs are preferable in principle, but out of curiosity, unless you speak Japanese, why would it really matter to you if the subs are burned in?

As for seamless branching... How's the PQ?; that's all that matters to me.

Anyway, looking forward to this, but no stores around me have gotten it in, so I might wait 'til Christmas.

[cardiac161]

I don't have the best A/V equipment but I think PQ for both Guilty of Romance and Himizu are great. I'm just so glad to have these films available in Blu-ray!

Now I'm hoping Drafthouse would give indication when they'll release "Why Don't You Play in Hell?" in BD soon.

[Leeon0]

Originally Posted by Grethiwha

Removable subs are preferable in principle, but out of curiosity, unless you speak Japanese, why would it really matter to you if the subs are burned in?

There are times I may want to enjoy a scene without letters obscuring them. I may already know what's being said from having watched it before, but I'd like to know I can watch it again without any distractions. You're watching the scene unadulterated. Also, the subs may hide from view an important prop or detail, etc. that appears for a split second. It's nice to have the chance to turn off the subs in these cases. I wonder why Olive doesn't offer that option.

Just got Guilty today. Look forward to see the longer Japanese cut--at last.

[Grethiwha]

Originally Posted by Leeon0

There are times I may want to enjoy a scene without letters obscuring them. I may already know what's being said from having watched it before, but I'd like to know I can watch it again without any distractions. You're watching the scene unadulterated. Also, the subs may hide from view an important prop or detail, etc. that appears for a split second. It's nice to have the chance to turn off the subs in these cases. I wonder why Olive doesn't offer that option.

Yea, I get what you're saying, and it's stupid it's not an option; it just seems like a really minor issue to me though.

Originally Posted by cardiac161

Now I'm hoping Drafthouse would give indication when they'll release "Why Don't You Play in Hell?" in BD soon.

I was about to say I don't think we'll hear about it until about a month before, and point you to my speculation a couple posts back for a March/April release, but HOT DAMN

TODAY'S NEWS: https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=15257

January 27th!

[baboonboy]

Japanese release of Tokyo Tribe, coming out on January 8th 2015.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00NLW6K7G

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by Grethiwha

As for seamless branching... How's the PQ?; that's all that matters to me.

Anyway, looking forward to this, but no stores around me have gotten it in, so I might wait 'til Christmas.

there are plenty of 25 GB disc releases that do look really good. since this release is probably not loaded with bonus features the space should be "enough" for 2 encodes.

but given the running time of over 250 min for both movies , a other solution would have been preferable

[Grethiwha]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

there are plenty of 25 GB disc releases that do look really good. since this release is probably not loaded with bonus features the space should be "enough" for 2 encodes.

There are no bonus features. So they probably determined the space was enough. We can conjecture that the movie could've theoretically looked marginally better if they went for a different solution. But you and me haven't seen the actual presentation (let alone the theoretical Olive films 1-encode presentation); it could look good or bad regardless whether they put two encodes on the same disc, and when I get the disc, and I put it in my player, and it looks good, and I'm happy with it, why would I give a shit how many encodes there are?

I just feel like I'm seeing more people interested in disc specs than the films themselves. Olive aren't the best company around; if I was region indifferent I'd go Third Window over Olive for Love Exposure and Himizu, as the superior editions of these films. But I'm not region-indifferent, so I'll gladly take what Olive's offering – I'm just thrilled these movies are available to me in blu-ray – and in the case of Guilty of Romance, as the only version with both cuts, unless the PQ is substantially weaker than other releases, I'd say I am getting the superior edition this time – imperfect or not, I'm grateful it exists.

[Mansinthe]

well im glad im region free, i have all the UK Sion Sono releases and everything else third window did release on bluray.

i have arrows guilty of romance as well. such a shame they didnt include the longer cut. but the videoquality on that one wasnt outstanding. so i really think 25gb per encode is enough to at least reach that quality level.

but you are wrong, olives 144min cut isnt the only one. there is the japanese and the german bluray as well. both have no eng subs.. (but its possible to add those via htpc or bluray player like oppo)


but you are right, alot of people care much more for covers , booklets , bonus features and discs specs than the movie...
i have some really bad looking arrow releases for example, but i did still enjoy these.. i watch plenty of DVDs and movies on Hulu..

with movies like guitly of romance and himizu etc we should be just glad someone is realeasing these on bluray (or even DVD)

[Grethiwha]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

well im glad im region free, i have all the UK Sion Sono releases and everything else third window did release on bluray.

Heh, jealous of your Third Window collection. (I bought a region-free player, but it's sort of a crap one; it gives everything this weird aliasing effect, so it's not even true blu-ray resolution, and I'm hesitant to import movies I can only play on this stupid thing, even though that was the point.)

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

but you are wrong, olives 144min cut isnt the only one. there is the japanese and the german bluray as well. both have no eng subs.. (but its possible to add those via htpc or bluray player like oppo)

I said Olive's version is the only one that features both cuts. But it might as well be the only version with the Japanese cut, if the others don't have English subtitles, as far as I'm concerned anyway.

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

but you are right, alot of people care much more for covers , booklets , bonus features and discs specs than the movie...
i have some really bad looking arrow releases for example, but i did still enjoy these.. i watch plenty of DVDs and movies on Hulu..

with movies like guitly of romance and himizu etc we should be just glad someone is realeasing these on bluray (or even DVD)

Hell, Sono has feature films like Balloon Club Afterwards, released in 2006, for which english subtitles literally don't exist, to the best of my knowledge.

But yeah, I'm very happy I managed to snag a copy of the OOP Canadian DVD of "Hazard", my second-favourite Sono film. I only still buy DVDs for some of my very favourite movies I really don't see coming to blu-ray though, so... I'll still be holding out for Strange Circus, Exte, the Suicide Club movies on blu... I'll be thrilled with any more Sono blu we can get; it'll be fantastic it's happening, 5-star PQ or not.

[cardiac161]

I really wish more Japanese films are released in Blu-ray in North America. Korean cinema has been getting incredible coverage lately but I'm seen some Japanese movies that are as entertaining and engaging. I've always felt bad these films are not getting the same exposure that they deserve.

[Grethiwha]

Originally Posted by cardiac161

I really wish more Japanese films are released in Blu-ray in North America. Korean cinema has been getting incredible coverage lately but I'm seen some Japanese movies that are as entertaining and engaging. I've always felt bad these films are not getting the same exposure that they deserve.

I've been loving Korean cinema these days, but come to think of it all my favourites are on NA-friendly blu-ray, whereas many of my favourite modern Japanese films are not. Partly this has to do with Korean blu-rays having english subtitles more often than Japanese blu-rays, and partly this has to do with my having seen more modern Japanese cinema than Korean... but still, we could definitely use some companies like Third Window over here.

[shadedpain4]

If anyone was looking at getting the new us releases of guilty of romance and himizu, they are currently $17.97 each at blowitoutahere.com with code "HALLOWEEN2014".

Only thing to remember is the code is only for orders over $25 (so order both!) and there is no free shipping option.

Still the cheapest I've seen.

[Grethiwha]

Got Guilty of Romance and Himizu for Christmas, and watched them again recently. So good. Guilty of Romance especially is such an insane and amazing film, and I think there's pros and cons to both cuts so I'm super happy Olive included both.

Now, I just pre-ordered Why Don't You Play in Hell? from Drafthouse. Oh my god Drafthouse are the best...

Standard edition comes with:

• Press conference with director Sion Sono
• Reversible Sleeve Art
• 11×17-inch fold-out poster by comic artist James Callahan
• 24-page booklet
• Theatrical trailers
• Digital download

However, I went for the Deluxe edition with the 27x40 inch theatrical one-sheet poster, and I also got a grey t-shirt that says "F**K BOMBERS' on it... which is a reference to the film I don't really understand but that makes me so happy...

Champion cinema as a member of Japan's edgiest DIY film group with this official F**K BOMBERS t-shirt!

I normally would hesitate to go this all-out on a film I haven't seen, but... it's so obvious I'm gonna love this film, and Drafthouse is so hype, every release they do is like a celebration of the film, and I'm so happy Sion Sono's getting this treatment. (Now if only they'd pick up Tokyo Tribe or some other Sono films...)

Supposed to ship this Friday, the 23rd. So excited!!!

[p_cqvist]

Originally Posted by Grethiwha

I also got a grey t-shirt that says "F**K BOMBERS' on it... which is a reference to the film I don't really understand but that makes me so happy...

That's the name of their group in the film.

Must say, though, that's quite the package. I really hope someone will release it over here in Europe eventually. Still, nice to have such a good alternative if it turns out to be the only option aside from the Japanese release.