Just want to try something out here that you might have seen in forums one or twice. You might have seen the odd mention or post around here that kind of says 'Where the hell?' (in a way) about a film thats simply disappeared, not been released with English Subtitles, not been clearly licensed and so on. Well, we have been talking behind the scenes about various solutions or attempts to approach these things on a more regular basis, so there will be some things done directly from the minds of the contributors sometime in the (hopefully) near future.
For now, it's worth pointing out that there are many Industry Types that hang around the site, looking for public reactions to coverage of new films. Seems we're particularly known for digging new stuff up, and people look for large comments trails and frequent coverage as indicators that somethings of note - at least, the more obvious and vocal something is, obviously the more it stands out - and you may have thought "I wonder, I read about that on Twitch - now it's here on DVD" : well, it's hard to known for certain, and egotistical to suggest definitively that it's the case, but there is that sense. Logical, to some extent it certainly is. Unfortunately it's also the case that some stunning key moments of the year (2005 was out first full year) passed and haven't shown up with English Subtitles anywhere, simply because (perhaps) they were so obviously of interest people assumed they were certainties to appear Stateside (or elsewhere).
Well, yes I want to encourage every reader to be as vocal as possible at all opportunities, every single day of the year as you read the posts (use the comments section - it's public) even if its a simple "yes please!" typed with your nose as you go about more important daily business with your hands. Every little helps, and this is perhaps the place that can make the kind of influential coverage that leads to you actually getting to see stuff. So, for now, let's have a great big list of comments here, hit us with everything you've ever wanted or hoped for on DVD (or at the cinemas, I suppose) that has so far failed to appear. The more original ground (i.e not already elsewhere with English Subtitles) the better, but everything helps. As much reaction then, after my count : one, two, three.... Go!
Teruo Ishii: Porno Period Drama, Love and Crime, History of the Shogun's Harem, Orgies of Edo
Norifumi Suzuki: Tokugawa Sex Ban, Lusty Shogun's 21 Dolls, Modern Porno Tale - Inherited Sex Mania, Dolls of the Shogun's Harem
Takashi Miike: Agitator (200 minute version), The Man in White, Shangri-La, The Guys From Paradise
Takashi Ishii: Flower and Snake 2
Yukihiko Tsutsumi's EGG
Shion Sono's Strange Circus
Kosuke Suzuki's Stop the Bitch Campaign
Shigeru Izumiya's Death Powder
Akio Jissoji's Prosperity of Vice
Yuuji Makiguchi's Torn Priestess (引き裂かれた尼僧)
Masaru Konuma's Flower and Snake (1974)
Koyu Ohara's Female Leopard
Koyu Ohara's Fairy in a Cage
Masahito Segawa's Beautiful Teacher in Torture Hell
Basically tons and tons of Nikkatsu Pinku Eiga, the more outrageous the better since I don't really care all that much for the slightly sexed up dramas.
Anime: Bondage Game, Ail Maniax, Enzai, Ai no Kusabi, Kaze to Ki no Uta, Elementalors, Angel's Egg
Non-Japanese: Gustavo Mosquera's Moebius, Amir Naderi's A, B, C... Manhattan, András Jeles's The Annunciation, Andrzej Zulawski's The Silver Globe & Boris Godounov
I'm in desperate need of some good Sabu (Tanaka) release. Especially Monday and Blessing Bell would be very welcome.
Also (but I'm afraid even most Twitch readers won't know about this one), a DVD release of Tsuburo No Gara would be awesome. Some independent but extremely well made Japanese cyberpunk movie. There's no distribution whatsoever, and it's only been shown at festivals as far as I know. Not even a poster was made if I got it all right.
There's a new film about Yakuza Wives that's supposed to be very bloody and fun, but doesn't have English subs. I would really like to see that. I'd also like to see a good release of the 200 minute Agitator(I think Pathfinder has been holding on to this for a wire). A non-bootlegged Graveyard of Honor is needed. Also, I'd love to see a remastered-anamorphic Blues Harp. That movie is awesome. A remastered Gonin would also be a treat.
"Savage Nights" (Les Nuits Fauves)-Cyril Collard
"Berlin Alexanderplatz"-Fassbinder
"Eyes of Dawn"- Korean TV drama
Hear, hear on the Andy Richter Controls the Universe. Brilliant show that needs to be on DVD.
I'd really want Toyohisa Araki's 'Take the A Train Someday' which stars Chiaki Kuriyama. The Japanese DVD has no subs and its really expensive. No idea what its about but I'm a Chiaki completist!
'TRICK 1'
'TRICK 2'
'TRICK 3'
TRICK THE MOVIE
(Yukie Nakama and Hiroshi Abe)
There's not that much of it and it's all good.
'Eko Eko Azurak' tv
'Ultra Q' tv
ULTRA Q THE MOVIE
'Ultra Q Dark Fantasy' tv
'Makai Knight Garo' tv
'Mr Vampire' tv
'Real Kung Fu' tv (tvb)
More classic tvb wuxia series
NIGHTMARE MAN
'Ace of Wands'
'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'
'Adam Adamant Lives!'
'The Girl From Tomorrow'
'Ocean Girl'
'Hex'
'Sea of Souls'
'Spaced'
'My Date With a Vampire' series 1, 2, 3
'Densha Otoko'
SWING GIRLS
I've mentioned these on other forums but films I've been waiting for like forever(hopefully region 1) are:
Abashiri Prison
Black Lizard
Black Rain..dir.Shohei Imamura
Bloodshed
Crazy Family
Crazy Thunder Road
Crimson Bat series
Destiny's Son
Female Neo Ninjas
Fried Dragon Fish
Funeral Procession of Roses
All Hideo Gosha films
Insect Woman
Last Frankenstein
My Soul is Slashed
Picnic
SwallowTail Butterfly
Sweet Home
Under the Cherry Blossoms
War of the Gargantuas
Woman in the Dunes...dvd is OOP
This is just my Asian list I've also got a European list.Its filled mostly with Euro crime and western flicks but gets smaller each month.
more Sogo Ishii films please! I beg!!!!!! Media Blasters or Diskotek media, pretty please with a cherry on top.
"Early K. Kurosawa and lots of it. How about a subbed BARREN ILLUSION, too?"
^^ PLEASE!!!
And Saminjo by Park Chan-wook!
House (Hausu, 1977 by Nobuhiko Obayashi)
I'll have to second Hakuchi, more by Sabu, more by Sogo Ishii(he is working on a remastered japanese DVD boxset of his early films, a subtitled port of it or even just parts of it would be wonderful)
nitty: An UK R2 disc of Funeral Procession of Roses will come out sometime this year by Eureka / Masters of Cinema.
Have the original television versions of Ju-On 1 & 2 been released, possibly in a set. I always liked them better than any of the movie versions, and would like to see them again and buy a nice version.
NOW HEAR THIS...
"The Berne Act",
http://www.superhappyfun.com/
Most of the Sabu stuff is available @ superhappyfun.com with English Subs. I never really completely gauged the attitude here at Twitch, but this (SHF) is a tape "trading" site... so if your beliefs don't match do not enter. However, I'd suggest it because they have a ton of hard-to-find stuff.
I'd suggest joining the Yahoo! Group as well, you may just find some things easier that way [Hint--Passwords--Hint].
I've ordered many interesting things through SHF; for example, Shunji Iwai's Swallowtail Butterfly,
Higuchinsky's Long Dream and Tokyo Eleven,
Various Peter Watkins films,
Geoff Murphy's The Quiet Earth,
etc...
Testicle-Muscle Cycle Complete,
Davidb
P.S.: "'The Berne Act' clearly states: films unreleased in the United States, including original version of films altered and/or edited for release in the United States, are not protected by American copyright; thus, they are considered public domain. The entire purpose of our company is to provide (otherwise unavailable) films to the serious video collector. We do not offer videos owned by American releasing companies. If a film should become available domestically, or if another seller should offer a better copy, we immediately stop offering it to our clients." --from SHF FAQ
in regards to SHF, there are ALOT of titles there that have ORIGINAL R1 Releases by Arts Magic, Tartan, et al. This site needs to be shut down.
david benn : "P.S.: "'The Berne Act' clearly states: films unreleased in the United States, including original version of films altered and/or edited for release in the United States, are not protected by American copyright; thus, they are considered public domain. The entire purpose of our company is to provide (otherwise unavailable) films to the serious video collector. We do not offer videos owned by American releasing companies. If a film should become available domestically, or if another seller should offer a better copy, we immediately stop offering it to our clients." --from SHF FAQ"
the berne act is often quoted by those dealing in dodgy copies. ive read evidene somewhere in the past that contradicts what people quote from supposed legal documents that state its a misnomer and not to be taken in the way it usually is. anyone a copyright specialist around here?
apart from this, thanks to everyone who has contributed so far. shame this isnt the longest selection of comments ever : 20k readers a day and a couple of dozen people have requests... odd. anyway, its always 'more the merrier' but glad to have what we do.
the berne act is quite an interesting cop out, but then again, I took a look at the Korean films he's selling and... no shit, they're the same HK bootlegs popping up on Ebay. Which are nothing but ports of either 1) the Korean rental or 2) the sales version.
Now, if he were selling previously unreleased versions, like classics from the 60s or little gems from the 90s, I'd understand (I buy myself all those grey market Taiwan releases, which have little to no chance of surfacing on 'proper' DVD. I mean, Whale Hunting on DVD!), but this is simply bootlegging hidden under another facade of 'being OK with the law because..."
No sympathy from me.
Whoa.. just noticed a very nice surprise being released in Korea. The 47 ronin, and it includes english subs!
As far as I know, there has only been one release (R1) of this with english subs and it has been out-of-print for ages. The OOP discs seem to be selling for around $75 at the Amazon marketplace.
The Korean releas is extremely cheap, $6.99 at dvdfromkorea, most likely a port of the OoP release but I don't care about that - I love Mizoguchi and this is a must buy for me.
... which reminds me, I'd like to see more Mizoguchi. A better version of Oharu would be lovely, somewhere along the lines of the very nice Ugetsu release from Criterion.
Just noticed another title on a list here -
THE NIGHTMARE MAN has been released in the UK on DVD. Good stuff, too. Very bizarre, with nice atmosphere.
Speaking of MFTV materials, how about any of the scads of wonderful MFTV horror and suspense pics from the '70s and early '80s here in the US? There's some great stuff out there - early Carpenter, early Spielberg, lots of very inventive and genuinely frightening films.
Where to get the films of Edwin Brienen? I read a lot about Terrorama!, bought the Lebenspornografie soundtrack, but never saw one of his films. Anyone information? Thanks.
the first brienen newsletter from december 2005 has the following:
brienen's 5th feature ‘Warum Ulli sich am Weihnachtsabend umbringen wollte’ is released.
postproduction on 'last performance' is underway
'hysteria' starts shooting. this is the first part of an 'apocalypse trilogy' release expected in march and shooting of the second part expected in the summer.
release of Terrorama! on the Salvation DVD label in february (didn't happen, more problems with the UK censors I expect)
Both ends Burning available via edwinbrienen.com (also didn't happen)
musicvideo 'Das Absolut Böse' released by Kommando 6 records (this did happen! you can buy the darkshots dvd via http://www.simulacron.org)
Lebenspornografie soundtrack still available (you knew that already)
the second brienen newsletter from februari of this year has the following:
an interview at
http://www.simulacron.org/mag/2006/01/interview-with-movie-director-edwin.html
new film 'Hysteria' wraps up the shoot
Brienen plays a role in Julie und Celine kentern das Boot’ from director Carl Andersen
next newsletter expected in may. check the website for (not much) further information: http://www.edwinbrienen.com
Hysteria will be released June 15th. For news: http://www.myspace.com/edwinbrienen