You probably know by now that Twitch loves Mitani Koki, the man behind the lovely THE 有頂天ホテル (The Uchōten Hotel) and 笑の大学 (University of Laughs), so it’s always good news to hear more of his work will get a chance to shine outside Japanese shores. And no, we’re not talking of festival runs or anything, but the news that Japanese DVD and Blu-Ray releases of Mitani’s latest ザ・マジックアワー (The Magic Hour) will indeed feature English subs.

The 2008 comedy stars Tsumabuki Satoshi as a gangster who recruits an actor to play a hitman, after all the hoopla caused by his affair with the boss’ - Nishida Toshiyuki of スキヤキ・ウエスタン ジャンゴ (Sukiyaki Western Django) - wife. Up for release this December, you can find a Special Edition DVD, the cheaper Standard Edition DVD, and the Blu-Ray. All three have English Subs, Dts 6.1 tracks and in the SE’s case another disc of extras.

Ah, Torchwood … the much anticipated and rather frustrating Doctor Who spinoff.  Anticipated because it gave popular support character Captain John Harkness his own series and promised to ramp up the ‘adult’ content.  Frustrating, particularly in Season One, because brilliant support characters often find the transition to lead characters a difficult one.  Though it had some very strong moments Season One ended up being a mash of styles that never quite fit together the way people hoped and then ended in a ridiculously underwhelming finale.

Luckily, Season Two made significant improvements.  They found something interesting to do with the callow Owen.  James Marsters – that’d be Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer - got himself a brilliant recurring support bit.  The tone evened out.  The writers seemed to adopt the nobody-is-safe ethic that drives Joss Whedon’s shows. And, perhaps most importantly, they realized the show needed someone to fill the comic-foil role that Jack himself had filled on Doctor Who and filled that bit with a revitalized Ianto Jones.

Still not perfect but taking huge steps in the right direction Season Two of Torchwood is about to hit DVD from BBC America, who were good enough to pass an advance copy my way.  Video quality is very good – which you’d expect on a brand new show – and well presented with a collection of out takes and deleted scenes added to the mix as well.  The series spans the first four discs of the set with the fifth disc containing the entire run of Torchwood Declassified, a behind the scenes series that aired in the UK throughout the run of the main Torchwood series to provide everything you could possibly want to know about what went into the making of the show.  Interviews with stars, writers and directors plus episodes themed to explore issues and motifs running through the show itself, Declassified is one of the most in-depth treatments of a television show you’re ever likely to come across.  You couldn’t really ask for any more from a DVD release.

Yes, it’s by far the biggest film to come out of Asia this year and it’s already out on DVD.  John Woo’s epic Red Cliff actually released a little while abck in mainland China but that edition came from an unreliable company known for some pretty dodgy releases and so we didn’t say anything about it at the time but it is now also available on DVD from Singapore, where the quality is generally much better.  I’m personally going to wait to see what the Hong Kong releases look like before dropping coin on it anywhere, but if you’re in a hurry the Singapore disc should be a good option.

The original Sex is Zero was a major hit in its native Korea and world wide, a sort of Asian spin on American Pie style gross out sex comedy. And so while the sequel was not received as warmly by the critics there’s certainly a lot of interest out there.  Producers managed to lure most of the original cast back for round two and soon audiences around the world will be able to judge for themselves as it arrives on English subtitled DVD on August 27th.

Changed dates and new additions:

August 26th: The Black House [r1], Brotherhood of the Wolf (DC) [r1], My Sassy Girl [r1], No Blood No Tears [r1], Postal [r1], Redbelt [r1], 29th: Sparrow [r3hk]

September 2nd: Fist of Legend [r1], Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea [r1], The Wolves [r1], 3rd: Hansel and Gretel [r3k], 9th: The Forbidden Kingdom [r1], The Forbidden Kingdom (SE) [r1], 23rd: Far North [r1], The Legend of Red Dragon [r1], Midnight Eagle [r1], Re-Cycle [r1], The Suicide Song [r1], 30th: Iron Man [r1], Iron Man (SE) [r1], The Rebel [r1]

October 7th: Psycho (SE) [r1], Rear Window (SE) [r1], Touch of Evil (SE) [r1], Vertigo (SE) [r1], 14th: Bad Guy / Time [r1], Ten Nights of Dreams [r1], 27th: Big Man Japan (AKA Dai Nipponjin) [r2uk], 28th: Kisarazu Cat’s Eye: The Movie [r1], Sukeban Boy [r1], Woman on the Beach [r1]

November 3rd: Mad Detective [r2uk], 11th: Sukiyaki Western Django [r1], Sukiyaki Western Django [r1], Sukiyaki Western Django [r1], Sukiyaki Western Django [r1], Sukiyaki Western Django [r1], Sukiyaki Western Django [r1], Yo-Yo Sexy Girl Cop [r1], 18th: The Minoru Kawasaki Collection [r1]

Send in your suggestions:

Continue Reading "DVD Release Calendar"...

Once upon a time… a very poor woodcutter lived in a tiny cottage in the forest with his two children, Hansel and Gretel. His second wife often ill-treated the children and was forever nagging the woodcutter. “There is not enough food in the house for us all. There are too many mouths to feed! We must get rid of the two brats,” she declared. Or maybe they could just buy the DVD and keep ‘em busy, while they’d eat all that’s left. Hell, I’d buy it.

Two things sort of define director Im Pil-Sung. He’s… big boned, enough that his friend Bong Joon-Ho gave him a role called Ddung (fat) Guevara in 괴물 (The Host), and he’s pretty much the most insanely talented new director of the post-new wave (so, anyone who debuted around 2005?), His 2005 debut 남극일기 (Antarctic Journal) has its detractors, but personally I love it to tiny icy bits, from the monster performances of the “theater all star” cast to the impressive gloom that surrounds it all. While waiting for 인류멸망보고서 (Doomsday Book), Im shot a Korean retelling of the Brothers Grimm classic, and after eight long months of waiting, it will finally hit DVD shelves this early September. If the awesome trailer below the break isn’t enough, the film stars some of the most promising young actors in the industry: Shim Eun-Kyung from 황진이 (Hwang Jin-Yi), last seen in 태양의 여자 (Women in the Sun); Jin Ji-Hee of 연애시대 (Alone in Love), who seems to be born for horror films, Eun Won-Jae of 패션 70s (Fashion Seventies), and finally Cheon Jung-Myung of 굿바이 솔로 (Goodbye Solo), who is just a big hit away from making it huge (too bad he’s got a nice, free 2 years vacation from the government coming up).

Are we going to review this? Yep, sounds pretty possible, particularly as Im Pil-Sung’s short 모빌 (Mobile) with Park Hae-Il is part of the package. Trailer below the break, and you can preorder this hot baby right here.

Continue Reading "Now You Can Scream: 헨젤과 그레텔 (Hansel and Gretel) out on DVD"...

It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest martial arts films ever made.  It is certainly a high point in the careers of both star Jet Li and legendary fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping.  It is Fist of Legend and it has never existed for purchase in any decent - by which I mean proper ratio, non-dubbed, decent transfer - edition.  But that changes September 2nd with the arrival of Dragon Dynasty’s two disc release.  It’s available for order now.  And you really should.

You’ll be forgiven if you were one of those who despaired of ever seeing North American releases of any of the Asian action titles languishing in the Miramax vaults for years thanks to the Weinstein Brothers’ ‘buy and bury’ habits.  Sure, some of those titles left Miramax with the brothers and have been arriving on disc via their new Dragon Dynasty label but they left a LOT of other titles behind and the company has been silent on their plans for them.  Well, no more.  DVD label BCI have just announced they have purchased twenty five of those sought after titles from Miramax, including Ringo Lam’s Prison on Fire films, Tiger on Beat, Wing Chun, The Touch and My Wife Is A Gangster.  DVDs should start rolling out in early 2009.

Well, well. I certainly didn’t expect this to come so fast.  We first got word of the upcoming Ghost in the Shell 2.0 - a re-animated version of Mamoru Oshii’s classic scifi anime - back in June and while it will certainly be released here in North America in due course fans aren’t going to have to wait very long at all to lay their hands on an English friendly version.  Regular reader and Oshii expert Brian Ruh just dropped a not pointing out that Japanese DVD and Blu-Ray editions have already been announced for release in December and that it will include an English language audio track.  These will go nicely with the just released Japanese Blu Ray discs of the Stand Alone Complex movies and the upcoming Blu Ray of Innocence, all of which are also English friendly.  Nice.

** UPDATE **

No English on the 2.0 release after all.  Apparently there will be a Blu-Ray release that includes both the 2.0 and original versions of the film and the English dub will be included only on the original.

This one’s for our North American brothers and sisters. We’re aware that there are those in our community who shake their angry fists at the sky whenever we announce a DVD release and it is region coded for somewhere off our shores. Rather than scold you for not having that all important all-region DVD player we do keep a watchful eye out for domestic releases as well so one day you too can join in on the water cooler conversations about international cinema.

Immensely popular in its home Japan and on the festival circuit both Death Note films and the spinoff L: Change the World have enjoyed large success. VIZ Media announced that they will be bringing the first film to Region 1 DVD this September 16.

The DVD will include the uncut 126 minute-long film in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the original Japanese audio track, a brand-new English language dub, and removable English subtitles. Bonus features include an interview with director Shusuke Kaneko. Additional extras TBA. The suggested retail price is $24.98.

Still want to know what all the fuss has been about? On September 16 you can find out for yourself.

Japanese satirist and cult film director Minoru Kawasaki gets a lot of love around these parts from most of us. Kawasaki delivers a unique brand of satire and comedy to Japanese and international cinema. Just browse our archives and you can see for yourself. Now, those gentlemen with exquisite taste and an eye for unconventional yet damn entertaining cinema over at Synapse Films have announced that on November 18, just in time for the holiday shopping season, they will present The Minoru Kawasaki Collection. Not one, not two, but three Kawasaki films for your viewing pleasure. Executive Koala. Rug Cop. The World Sinks Except Japan.

Once purchasing details are announced you will be updated accordingly… all three covers here.

Thanks Blake for the heads up!

Good news for fans of Yosuke Fujita’s cult hit Fine, Totally Fine.  The winner of the audience award at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival the film will be arriving on English-friendly DVD soon thanks to the UK’s Third Window Films, who have just announced their acquisition of the film. 

Teruo, the eldest son of a used bookstore owner has a dream: to build the world scariest haunted house. About to reach his 30th birthday, Teruo is still idling away his life. One day, through the introduction of childhood friend Hisanobu, an extremely clumsy painter/artist comes to work at the bookstore. Meet Akari. A cute, attractive girl that both Teruo and Hisanobu soon fall for. This small bookstore could be in any town and becomes a refuge for these individuals that have fallen out of the mainstream society. What will become of this gentle, heartfelt love triangle?

Fujita’s film is a surprisingly quiet and heartfelt piece of work, one punctuated by hysterically funny bits of absurd humor delivered flawlessly by a fantastic cast.  You can find the trailer and teaser for the film below the break.

Continue Reading "Japanese Cult Comedy FINE, TOTALLY FINE Finds A Home In The UK"...

It seems to be an obsession for Lee Joon-Ik, the maestro of cinematic pragmatism which brought us gems like 황산벌 (Once Upon a Time in the Battlefield), 왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown) and 라디오 스타 (Radio Star). Giving a voice to those outside the mainstream, a sort of revenge of the losers pulsating at 24 frames per second. Right as his latest 님은 먼 곳에 (Sunny) is continuing Lee’s amazing streak passing the 1 million admissions mark (particularly considering all his films dance with conventions, but they swim upstream for what concerns their message), we’re finally getting the chance to see 즐거운 인생 (The Happy Life), a sort of companion piece to Radio Star.

The film had its fans and detractors, and even lost a little money, uncharacteristic for a post 2003 Lee project, but it always screamed good old fun, with a band of losers flushing their stress and everyday problems down the toilet through the only thing that puts a smile on their faces: music. If last year’s 브라보 마이 라이프 (Bravo My Life) disappointed you despite the top notch cast, this might be the answer. The reason it took so long to surface on DVD goes down to the same reason 색즉시공 2 (Sex is Zero 2) still hasn’t made it past its rental-only status: there was a lawsuit going on between Art Service (the DVD company) and the producers (CJ) because the latter aired the two films on its IPTV platform before the sales DVD was out. It all seems to be solved now, as the film is slated for a release on August 20. Film stars Lee’s “persona” Jung Jin-Young, the great Kim Yoon-Seok, and young up and comer Jang Geun-Seok.

You can preorder the 2-disc Special Edition DVD here, and you’ll find a trailer below the break. It’s very likely this will get a long review after 추격자 (The Chaser), but we’ll see what pops up in between first.

Continue Reading "Lee Joon-Ik’s 즐거운 인생 (The Happy Life) Finally on DVD"...

Wellwellwell.

As one of the people who bought the lovely Korean boxset of the two “Death Note” movies, I was eagerly awaiting the Korean release for the Death Note spin-off “L: Change the World”.
And it arrived in a nice 3-disc edition, but to my dismay without English subtitles. Darn…

But loyal forumer “TheDoug” was kind enough to investigate, risking his own wallet. And he survived to tell us all that this edition does, in fact, have English subs, and showed the screenshots to prove it.
YesAsia has even changed their listing of this title thanks to the remarks he made to them.

Stellar job, thanks “TheDoug”! Most appreciated.

Hong Kong continues rushing along on to the high definition train and those of us here in North America are the lucky benefactors.  Why?  Because we’re in the same Blu-Ray region as Hong Kong and every Hong Kong release that I’ve come across so far has included English subtitles.

What’s coming next?  Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution, for one, which means fans will now have the chance to view Tony Leung’s naughty bits with a frighteningly high degree of clarity.  But if you prefer your action to be more of the punching variety, then may I suggest the upcoming Blu Ray release of SPL (or Sha Po Lang), still one of the best Hong Kong action films of recent years, to my mind.  Nummy.