SEVEN SAMURAI!!!

[tomandshell]

Criterion has finally announced their updated release of "Seven Samurai" this fall. It will now be a 3 disc set:

INFO

SPECIAL EDITION THREE-DISC SET FEATURES

All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer

Two audio commentaries: one by film scholars David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns, and Donald Richie; the other by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck

A 50-minute documentary on the making of Seven Samurai, part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create

My Life in Cinema, a two-hour video conversation between Akira Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima produced by the Directors Guild of Japan

Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences, a new documentary lookimg at the samurai traditions and films that impacted Kurosawa's masterpiece

Theatrical trailers and teaser

Gallery of rare posters and behind-the scenes and production stills

New and improved English subtitle translation

PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by Peter Cowie, Philip Kemp, Peggy Chiao, Alain Silver, Kenneth Turan, Stuart Galbraith, Arthur Penn, and Sindey Lumet and an interview with Toshiro Mifune

More!

Now they just need to make good on their promise to re-release Yojimbo and Sanjuro in 16x9... (And don't forget "High and Low" while you're at it.)




(Also, the already great 3 disc set of Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" is being re-released in 16x9, in both 3 disc and single disc versions. Good news for Gilliam fans with widescreen displays...)




And also... Board member Amarcord will be happy to know that they are also re-releasing a 2 disc 16x9 set of Fellini's "Amarcord."

 

[DarthRamuk]

This is great news for all Akira Kurosawa fans. Just wondering, are Rashomon & The Hidden Fortress available in DVD format?

 

[Batty]

Seven Samurai is one of my favorite movies of all times. Criterion is to DVDs what Sideshow is to collectibles. They're always taking my money and I think I have every Kurosawa movie they've released. The Brazil set is also a must own.

 

[Batty]

This is great news for all Akira Kurosawa fans. Just wondering, are Rashomon & The Hidden Fortress available in DVD format?

Both are available on Criterion. They may cost more, but they're worth it.

 

[DarthRamuk]

Both are available on Criterion.

Thanks Batty for the info!

 

[hairlesswookiee]

awesome!! i've been holding off on the purchase of seven samurai on dvd since i heard this version was coming out.

 

[TOE]

oh man, another Kurosawa dvd collection. I've spent more money buying Kurosawa stuff than buying figures.

 

[carbo-fation]

Sweet news!! I'll definetely be getting this. :chew :chew

 

[TolkienCollector]

This is Good and Bad news Good, because I was told a while ago about the Seven Samurai re-issue, and have been patiently waiting. Bad, however, 'cos I just bought the 3 disc Brazil, and it's also being reissued

Ah well........... new Samurai has ta be good!!!

TC

 

[tomandshell]

The 16x9 Brazil took me by suprise, but an anamorphic transfer is more than worth the upgrade, so it looks like I'll be getting it again. That set is one of Criterion's best, and the only way to improve it would be to give it the 16x9 suppoert it should have had to begin with. I appreciate Criterion releasing it on a film-only disc as well, so that you won't have to purchase the whole thing if you don't want to. (Of course, I will, but I'm a bug sucker.)

However, if you are starting from scratch, pick up the three disc set, which includes the "happy ending" cut of the film that was the end result of the studio taking it away from its director and recutting it according to their own tastes. The studio cut is a very interesting lesson in the power of editing to change a film (and the power of a clueless studio to ruin one).

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

Three discs!!! Bad news for every fan that already has a copy of the film... Kurosawa films aren't exactly cheap (here in EU).

This reminds me that I still have to watch the bonus disk from Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi! Sorry for going off topic: if you haven't seen Shohei Imamura's 'The Ballad of Narayama' (Narayama Bushiko) yet, go see it now!

 

[melvinpelayo]

Wow! This is a great news! I was just watching Seven Samurai last night! (along with Red Beard, Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo and Sanjuro!

 

[melvinpelayo]

Now they just need to make good on their promise to re-release Yojimbo and Sanjuro in 16x9... (And don't forget "High and Low" while you're at it.)

They are in 16x9 right?

 

[tomandshell]

Now they just need to make good on their promise to re-release Yojimbo and Sanjuro in 16x9... (And don't forget "High and Low" while you're at it.)

They are in 16x9 right?

The current Criterion releases of those three films are not in anamorphic widescreen. They are all in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which is bad news for a transfer that is not formatted for 16x9 televisions. I am looking forward to the new transfers of Yojimbo and Sanjuro that they said were coming this year.

 

[melvinpelayo]

Oh I wasnt referring to the Criterion release but the Eastern Eye/Madman (Australia) release. If you want a photo, let me know.

 

[tomandshell]

Oh I wasnt referring to the Criterion release but the Eastern Eye/Madman (Australia) release. If you want a photo, let me know.

I see. I was referring to the Region 1 Criterion releases. This isn't the first time that other regions have received superior DVDs...

 

[tomandshell]

The current Criterion releases of those three films are not in anamorphic widescreen. They are all in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which is bad news for a transfer that is not formatted for 16x9 televisions. I am looking forward to the new transfers of Yojimbo and Sanjuro that they said were coming this year.

For those who are interested, Yojimbo and Sanjuro are being released in anamorphic widescreen in January:

https://www.criterionco.com/asp/connections.asp?id=63

 

[carbo-fation]

Thanks for the link Tom! I will definetely get those!

 

[tomandshell]

I would have been happy just to get them in 16x9 widescreen, but we are also getting audio commentaries and the appropriate installments of the Toho Masterworks documentary series found on the other Kurosawa DVDs from Criterion. Now if they can just redo the non-anamorphic bare bones edition of High and Low...

 

[Batty]

Tom, did you pick up the new Criterion Seven Samurai?