where buy Japanese DVD on the web ?

[Martin Beck]

Kevin Alan Martin schrieb:
> On Mon, 16 Aug 1999,  Stuart Galbraith IV  wrote:
>
> > On a related note, have >any< of the DVDs that have been released in
> > Japan thus far (e.g., some of the "Tora-san" films) have English
> > subtitles and/or are not region encoded?
>
> Not many.  The two recent Iwai Shunji discs (not sure of the title, "Fried
> Dragon Fish" or something like that and another TV special) have subtitles
> and are not region coded.  "Bounce" has no region coding, but doesn't have
> English subs.


The other Shunji Iwai film is GHOST SOUP. There's also a DVD of APRIL STORY but 
contrary to some internet rumors it's not English subtitled. BOUNCE by the way 
has NO English subtitles. The only other subtitled release I know of (besides 
SAMURAI FICTION) is HANA-BI.


> The new Pony Canyon DVD for "Samurai Fiction" has no region coding and
> English subtitles plus English menus.  It's supposedly a spectacular DVD.
> Any opinions on the film?  It sounds very interesting.


Yes, the film is interesting but also quite dissapointing. On a technical 
level there's lots to enjoy: the camerawork is outstanding, the music (by Hotei) 
is quite effective and the editing sometimes resembles a John Woo film. But the 
story is sooo thin, there's not too much going on. It all starts out as a 
very fresh approach to film making but not later than by the middle settles down 
to a plotless mess resembling some kind of bizarre pop video.


That's just my opinion, I know of many people who like it all the way. Not long 
ago it got a cinema release in Germany but not too many people bothered to go 
see it.


Cheers,

Martin Beck
www.adrenafilm.de