Upcoming R2 Japan

[yoshimori]

I'd expect no subs with the Oshima set.

On the other hand Kitano's Achilles and the Tortoise (not quite a "return to form" but certainly getting closer to home than the last four ... or five ... or six abortions did) and Kore-eda's Still Walking (one of his weaker works, but ...) will have english subs.

[Sanjuro]

Still Walking DVD out on Jan 23rd at a relatively reasonable price from Amazon (with English subs, although of course, Amazon doesn't mention them).

[Michael Kerpan]

On the other hand Kitano's Achilles and the Tortoise (not quite a "return to form" but certainly getting closer to home than the last four ... or five ... or six abortions did) ... will have english subs.

I can't agree at all on your assessment of Kitano's recent films. Dolls is one of my favorites -- and Takeshis' is really quite wonderful, while Zatoichi is quite enjoyable. Glory to the Film Maker is a bit erratic, to be sure, but "interesting" and (often) enjoyable. Even Brothers is, at worst, a reasonably noble failure.

But I'm glad the new film (and that of Kore'eda) are coming out with subs....

[htdm]

Still Walking DVD out on Jan 23rd at a relatively reasonable price from Amazon (with English subs, although of course, Amazon doesn't mention them).

It is listed in the product description in that link

日本語・英語字幕付(ON・OFF可)

[Sanjuro]

Ah, yes. You're right. Didn't notice it first time.

[Fan-of-Kurosawa]

According to cdjapan, the live action version of Grave of the Fireflies comes out on the 27th of March with eng subs.
I have seen the trailer at asianmediawiki and it looks interesting. Has anybody seen it at the theater?
(I can't find a review anywhere)

[StevenJ0001]

According to cdjapan, the live action version of Grave of the Fireflies comes out on the 27th of March with eng subs.
I have seen the trailer at asianmediawiki and it looks interesting. Has anybody seen it at the theater?
(I can't find a review anywhere)

Wow, I can't even begin to imagine how this compares with Takahata's sublime film. I'm definitely curious. I'd also love to read an English translation of the book, but not sure if one exists.

[esl]

A Woman's Testament Not an upcoming release as CDJapan shows this available as of last November. No English subs. This 1960 color scope film stars some of the big names in Japanese cinema at that time: Ayako Wakao, Machiko Kyo and Hiroshi Kawaguchi. The few other color films by these three directors from that time that I have seen have been dazzling. This sounds very tempting.

The following is from a write-up from a showing years ago at the Pacific Film Archives at UC Berkeley:

"This rare anthology film brings together Ichikawa with his assistant Yasuzo Masumura. Three stories about "immoral" women and their money: the first (by Masumura) is about a nightclub waitress who cares only for cash but falls in love with a young man on the night before his wedding; the second, Women Who Sell Things at High Prices (Ichikawa), involves a young real estate agent who tricks a novelist into buying a beach house; and the last (Yoshimura) centers on an ex-geisha who inherits a restaurant from her husband and promptly falls in love with a forger. Yukio Mishima admired the "Poe-like sweetness" of Ichikawa's tale. A fascinating entrée to the burgeoning Japanese New Wave with its sexual frankness and irreverent attitude."

[PNeski]

Looks they released another Victor Erice box set,Like the earlier one,and the single dvds
theres no English titles,This is a real shame because nobody seems to want to release "El Sur"

[htdm]

Shochiku just announced 5 more classic titles for a Nov 22 release as part of a promotion of actress Tanaka Kinuyo's centennial.

The Neighbor's Wife and Mine (マダムと女房, 1931, Gosho Heinosuke) on the same disc with Shunkinsho: Okoto to Sasuke (春琴抄 お琴と佐助, 1935, Shimazu Yasujiro)
Aizen Katsura (愛染かつら 総集編, 1938/9, Nomura Hiromasa)
The Army (陸軍, 1944, Kinoshita Keisuke)
A Hen in the Wind (風の中の牝, 1948, Ozu Yasujiro)

No mention yet of any subs on these, but I wouldn't expect any as the last batch from Shochiku had none.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Shochiku is also releasing Jun Ichikawa's last movie, the 47-minute Buy a Suit, on December 23rd. The disc will have English subs for the main feature but not for the extras (notably a half-hour video called "TOKYOレンダリング詞集", which is apparently an experimental "people-watching" thing that might not need subs anyway). A few other new-to-R2J Ichikawas are due out the same day (Memories of You, Tugumi, Tokyo Lullaby and his debut Bu-Su), but no English subs are listed for these -- too bad, since I don't think Bu-Su and Memories of You are on DVD anywhere else. Those who don't mind can pick up all five discs (plus some other stuff) in a memorial box set that'll be released a couple of months earlier.

[htdm]

Shochiku announced a 6th title as part of the aforementioned Tanaka commemorative:
Yotsuya Kaidan & pt. 2 (1949, Kinoshita Keisuke)

[sidehacker]

Janus owns both of these. They were both shown on IFC a couple months ago, so perhaps English subtitles isn't a completely crazy idea.

[Michael Kerpan]

Two 2010 films just out on R2 DVD -- unfortunately neither is subtitled.

Tomoko Furumaya's Bushido Sixteen.

Hitoshi Yazaki's Sweet Little Lies

[Finch]

Sweet Little Lies sounds good but yet again one has to hope for an English-friendly release from Korea/Taiwan/China/HK (it almost feels like the Japanese think any non-samurai/manga films won't appeal to anyone abroad). Thanks for the heads-up Michael.

[Michael Kerpan]

I really can't imagine that Sweet Little Lies will get another release elsewhere. Bushido 16 might get a release in HK, conceivably.