The Housemaid (Hanyo, 1960)

[Dan8700]

Just noticed this at YesAsia!! Fabulous news, looks like a great, great package (sorry, Criterion, haha ).


YA lists Eng, Jap, Fre and Korean subs. Street date: Dec 16. Day one!
http://www.yesasia.com/global/the-ho...0-en/info.html

[p_cqvist]

Wow, that's quite the release. It also features The Box of Death and I Am a Truck, both of which I don't think has been available on physical media before (or at all?).

[McCrutchy]

From YesAsia's details, it looks like the audio commentary, the short film I am a Truck, and the "Directors" featurette will have English subtitles, but then The Box of Death will have none?

That seems strange...

[Dan8700]

Originally Posted by p_cqvist

Wow, that's quite the release. It also features The Box of Death and I Am a Truck, both of which I don't think has been available on physical media before (or at all?).

They've never been released before methinks! Also, judging from YA, virtually all the extras come subtitled in English, including the commentary with PARK CHAN-WOOK!!

And here's hoping the transfer has been improved, as the Criterion one is very problematic:
https://images.static-bluray.com/rev...7_37_1080p.jpg
https://images2.static-bluray.com/re...7_36_1080p.jpg

- 음성해설
박찬욱(영화감독), 이동진(영화평론가)
Commentary by Park Chan-wook (Film Director), Lee Dong-jin (Film Critic)
자막선택 Subtitles 무자막 None / 한국어 Korean / 영어 English

- 감독들 김기영을 말하다(연출 김홍준) Directors on Kim Ki-young(Directed by kim Hong-joon) (48min.)
자막 Subtitles : 무자막 None / 한국어 Korean / 영어 English / 불어 French 일어 Japanese

- 죽엄의 상자 The Box of Death (79min.)

- 나는 트럭이다 I am a Truck (18min.)
자막 Subtitles : 무자막 None / 한국어 Korean / 영어 English

Lastly, Blue Kino are releasing on the same day a more recent classic, Ha Gil-jong's comedy The March Of Fools (which I haven't seen, but they say it's a masterpiece...)
http://www.yesasia.com/global/the-ma...0-en/info.html

[Dan8700]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

From YesAsia's details, it looks like the audio commentary, the short film I am a Truck, and the "Directors" featurette will have English subtitles, but then The Box of Death will have none?

That seems strange...

I believe/hope that's an error.

[p_cqvist]

Yes, it would surely be odd as they went out of their way to sub everything else.

Great news about The March of Fools! I haven't seen it either but, like you, I've heard nice things about it. This, together with The Housemaid and Aimless Bullet, is usually mentioned when it comes to the best Korean films of all time. But of course, that's always debatable.

[darry]

Are Plain Archive involved in this? If so, should be awesome.

[key714]

Originally Posted by darry

Are Plain Archive involved in this? If so, should be awesome.

Yup

Dear International customers,

We're really excited to announce pre-order information of THE HOUSEMAID(1960, Kim Ki-Young) Blu-ray release. This is the 1st Blu-ray release of Korea Film Archive. We are very proud to be involved in this monumental project.

Client : Korea Film Archive & Blue Kino
BD Authoring & Design : Plain Archive & Propaganda Alternative Graphics

"A consensus pick as one of the top three Korean films of all time, Kim Ki-young's masterpiece The Housemaid occupies a place all its own within Golden Age Korean cinema." (Darcy Paquet)

Pre-order start at 10PM on 29th November 2014 (Korea standard time) - LIMITED STOCK!

http://plainarchive.com/collections/...collection-001

Best regards
PLAIN ARCHIVE

[Mansinthe]

so there is hope more of the KOFA movies might get bluray releases in the future?

[themp3000]

Looks like a pretty great release but since they'll probably be using the WCF transfer, it'll be the same as Criterion's release. I thought the release was beautiful and people go by screen caps too much. The extra content are incredibly nice though but not enough to jump on it.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by themp3000

Looks like a pretty great release but since they'll probably be using the WCF transfer, it'll be the same as Criterion's release. I thought the release was beautiful and people go by screen caps too much. The extra content are incredibly nice though but not enough to jump on it.

might be worth collecting the whole series if they keep releasing these movies.

just wondering if these releases will have decent subs, king of pigs didnt have good subs after all

[darry]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

so there is hope more of the KOFA movies might get bluray releases in the future?

Why would they call it a collection and not release more than two?

These are the top ten films on their site:

TOP10
1. The Housemaid (1960)
1. Aimless Bullet (1961)
1. The March of Fools (1975)
4. Madame Freedom (1956)
5. A Coachman (1961)
6. Heavenly Homecoming to Stars (1974)
7. Good Windy Day (1980)
7. Memories of Murder (2003)
7. Mother and a Guest (2003)
9. Yeong-Ja's Heydays (1975)
9. Declaration of Idiot (1983)
9. Sopyonje (1993)

What is KOFA anyway? do they own the rights to these films?

[Dan8700]

Originally Posted by themp3000

Looks like a pretty great release but since they'll probably be using the WCF transfer, it'll be the same as Criterion's release. I thought the release was beautiful and people go by screen caps too much. The extra content are incredibly nice though but not enough to jump on it.

Their release is fine, certainly not great, quite objectively... the main issue is obviously the resto, not CC's fault. But maybe KOFA had access to the materials and did some additional work on it in the meanwhile, who knows.


Anyway, the booklet is also in English, and... embossed letters!!!!!

[Vertigo2010]

Ordered!

[themp3000]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

might be worth collecting the whole series if they keep releasing these movies.

just wondering if these releases will have decent subs, king of pigs didnt have good subs after all

I'll probably ultimately be passing on this since I've already got the film as I don't like to double dip if I can't help it (not to mention fraud alerts that hit my card). Still a great looking release.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by themp3000

I'll probably ultimately be passing on this since I've already got the film as I don't like to double dip if I can't help it (not to mention fraud alerts that hit my card). Still a great looking release.

decided to do the same. i already own the criterion boxset. and there might be very well more of these movies released in the future. and i dont really like the look of this collection. i would rather prefer a cheaper amaray release....

i doubt the KOFA movies will be limited to these releases anyway.

[Dan8700]

I think I'm going to pre-order through YesAsia tho, as shipping fees on PA are wacky ($12 minimum).

[Mansinthe]

i would very much prefer a collection of the top 10 movies similar to the korean chaplin collection....

[Dan8700]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

i would very much prefer a collection of the top 10 movies similar to the korean chaplin collection....

The majority would disagree.


(top-notch packaging!)

ps. in the end I pre-ordered only Hanyo, coz judging from the 10' minutes I've seen at YT, The March of Fools looks like anything but a great film... maybe I'm gonna place an order later on.

[Mansinthe]

hanyo is pretty good. i saw it on hulu for the first time and own the criterion WCP. i have the remake as well. both movies are very much different movies. but still good.

but yeah.. the time im gonna spend 30-40$ on a single movie is mostly over. alot of these asian movies show up as US release for 10$ later or get a "plain" rerelease for 19$ after a few months...