Collect Questions

Hi, I posted this in the Rewind comparison forum but I thought that it might be I good idea to post it here too until the rewind comparison is updated.
Here’s a complete comparison of Kurosawa’s most important work on DVD. If you have any questions about particular disks don’t hesitate to ask, as I own many of these releases.
“Stray Dog” aka “Nora inu”
R2 - BFI
English subtitles
4:3 non-anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 1.0 mono Japanese
Amaray Case
Winner: R2, but a R1 Criterion release is rumoured for 2003
“Ikiru”
Not available on DVD
Rumoured to be released on R1 By Criterion sometime in 2003.
“Rashomon”
R1 - Criterion
Theatrical Trailer
Commentary by Japanese-film historian Donald Richie
Introduction by Robert Altman
Excerpts from the documentary “World of Kazuo Miyagawa”
28-page Booklet containing Reprints of “In a Grove” and “Rashomon”
English subtitles (removable)
4:3 non-anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 1.0 mono Japanese
Amaray Case
R2 - BFI
Film Biographies
Film Poster
English subtitles
4:3 non-anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 1.0 mono Japanese
Amaray Case
Winner: R1
“Seven Samurai” aka “Shichinin no samurai”
R0 – Criterion OOP
Theatrical Trailer
Full length Commentary by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck
Restoration demo
English subtitles
4:3 non-anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 1.0 mono Japanese
Amaray Case
R1 - Criterion (re-release)
Theatrical Trailer
Full length Commentary by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck
English subtitles
4:3 non-anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 1.0 mono Japanese
Amaray Case
R2- BFI
Partial Commentary by film historian Philip Kemp
English subtitles (non removable)
4:3 non-anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 1.0 mono Japanese
Amaray Case
Note: audio tracks are not remote-selectable.
Winner: The Criterion edition is the winner for having a longer commentary, removable subtitles and remote-selectable audio track.
“Throne Of Blood” aka “Kumonosu jo”
R2 - BFI
Trailer for Seven Samurai
Kurosawa/Mifune biographies
Printed essay
English subtitles (non removable)
4:3 non-anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 1.0 mono Japanese
Amaray Case.
R0-Mei Ah (Hong Kong)
Akira Kurosawa Filmography
English, Cantonese, Mandarin Subtitles
4:3 non-anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 1.0 mono Japanese
Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanese remix
Amaray Case.
Winner: The R0 seems to bee a rehash of the flawed Criterion LD. But the BFI transfer does also have its fair share of problems. Call this a draw.
“Hidden fortress” aka “ Kakushi toride no san akunin”
R1 - Criterion
Theatrical Trailer
"Lucas on Kurosawa" Interview
English subtitles
2.35:1 anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 1.0 Japanese
Dolby Digital 3.0 Japanese
Amaray Case
R2 - BFI
Theatrical Trailer
English subtitles
2.35:1 anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 1.0 Japanese
Amaray Case
Winner: R1
“Red Beard“ aka “Akahige“
R1 - Criterion
Audio Commentary by Kurosawa Scholar Stephen Prince
Theatrical Trailer
Liner Notes by Film Historian Donald Richie
English subtitles
2.35:1 anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 4.0 Japanese
Amaray Case
R2 - Spain
Production notes
Kurosawa filmography
Spanish subtitles
2.1:1 non anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 1.0 Japanese
Amaray Case
Winner: R1
“Yojimbo”
R2 - BFI
Audio Commentary by film historian Philip Kemp
On-screen biographies of Kurosawa and Mifune.
Stillgallery
English subtitles
2.35:1 non-anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 2.0 Japanese
Amaray Case
R2 – Opening (France)
Kurosawa biography
Introduction by Jean Douchet
French subtitles
2.35:1 anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 2.0 Japanese
Amaray Case
R1 - Criterion
Theatrical Trailer
English subtitles
2.35:1 non-anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 1.0 Japanese
Amaray Case
Winner: UK R2 for the commentary, Although if you read French the anamorphic French release is the way to go
“High and Low” aka “Tengoku to jigoku”
R1 - Criterion
Theatrical Trailer
English subtitles
2.35:1 non-anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 1.0 Japanese
Amaray Case
R0 - Mei Ah (Hong Kong)
Theatrical Trailer
English and traditional Chinese subtitles
2.46:1 non-anamorphic NTSC (horizontally cropped from original aspect ratio)
Dolby Digital 1.0 Japanese
Snapper Case
Winner: R1 as the R0 has a horrible, cropped transfer with poor contrast and grammatically incorrect subtitles.
“Sanjuro” aka “Tsubaki Sanjûrô”
R1 - Criterion
Theatrical Trailer
English subtitles
2.35:1 non anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 1.0 Japanese
Amaray Case
Note: those using widescreen TV's will have to adjust their Zoom mode to be able to read the subtitles.
R2 - Arte Video (France)
Theatrical Trailer
50min documentary
1986 BBC interview with Akira Kurosawa.
French subtitles
2.35:1 anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 1.0 Japanese
Amaray Case
Winner: R2, but those who can’t read French are stuck with the non-anamorphic release.
“Dodes'ka-den” aka “Dodesukaden”
Not available on DVD
Will be released on R1 By Criterion sometime in 2003:
“Ran”
R0 – Fox Lorber (USA)
Theatrical trailer(s)
Awards
English subtitles
1.85:1 non-anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Japanese
Amaray Case
R1 – Wellspring (USA)
European and home video trailers
Commentary track by film historian Stephen Prince, author of The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa
Commentary track by filmmaker and Japanese specialist Peter Grilli, producer of Kurosawa
Production notes
Restoration demo
Kurosawa filmography
English subtitles
1.85:1 anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Japanese
Dolby Digital 5.1 surround Japanese
Amaray Case
Note: This is Ran Masterworks Edition, only available as an Amazon.com exclusive limited edition box set (only 5,000 individually numbered units to be produced) Box also contains regular releases of “Madadayo” and “Kurosawa”
However this edition is to be available as an individual single disk release in the beginning of 2003.
Winner: R1
“Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams” aka “Yume”
Will be released on R1 By Warner on March 18th:
R1 - Warner
English subtitles
2.35:1 anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 1.0 mono Japanese
Snapper Case
“Rhapsody In August” aka “Hachigatsu no kyoshikyoku”
R2 - Prism
English subtitles
4:3 non-anamorphic PAL
Dolby Digital 2.0 mono Japanese
Amaray Case
Winner: only available as R2 pan&scan. However hold out for MGM who has announced a R1 release for 2003
“Madadayo”
R0 – Winstar (USA)
Theatrical trailer(s)
Filmographies for Akira Kurosawa, Tatsuo Matsumura, Kyoko Kagawa, and Hisashi Igawa
Akira Kurosawa's storyboard illustrations
English subtitles
1.66:1 non-anamorphic NTSC
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Japanese
Amaray Case
Winner: Only available as R0 (US)



Ikiru certainly is available on DVD - on R3.
But the subtitles have been very badly translated, by someone who evidently speaks English as a third language (and probably tanslated via the second!)
Edit: Nice work by the way!



Thanks for the input
Although I think I shall hold out for the Criterion release. It is a grate film though.



no mention of Ruscico's 3-Disc 'Deru Uzalen' available on Korean R3 for about a tenner. May be released by Kino in the States



Also, no mention of Kagemusha released in R2UK by 20th Century Fox.
I would personally rate Kagemusha and Dersu Uzala as Kurosawas best colour films, Dersu Uzala maybe the best of all his movies.



Yeah, I agree. I didn't list it because the title is already included in the rewind comparison database http://www.dvdcompare.org.uk/



Nice LD collection by the way :) There are still a lot of films that haven't received definitive DVD releases yet. (Criterions, Trainspotting, Midnight Cowboy and Baron Munchausen springs to mind, along with many others)



Originally posted by erlryd
Nice LD collection by the way :)
Thank you. It's not quite complete; there are 200 or so not entered yet (mainstream-ish titles from R on to Z, BW, some animation, PAL).



I only have about 30 LD's left now. I have replaced the rest with DVD releases. But with a big collection of LD's like yours I can see it would take quite some time to replace them all.
By the way; I was thinking about organizing my collection in DVD profiler but I was wondering if it is possible to input my local Norwegian DVD releases in it, or does DVD profiler simply register them as UK R2? Do you know anything about this?
:)



erlryd - Very useful great work! :thumbs:



The Ruscico <I>Dersu Uzala</I> is only a two-disc set, but is an obvious first choice - far superior to any previous video or DVD release.
I've only dipped into it thus far, but can confirm that it's an excellent anamorphic transfer of a not especially wonderful print - it's in very good physical condition, but the colours fluctuate very noticeably, not just from shot to shot but often within individual shots.
Unfortunately, I suspect this is inherent in the original materials, Soviet colour processes being notoriously unstable - and if Ruscico can't get a better print, I doubt anyone can, since they have direct access to the highest quality mastering materials!



The Spectrum Rusicico port contains both the ruscico version (2-Disc) and a 1-disc version source from the states which is superior to the Ruscico version despite it being non anamorphic.



How about Ran R2 now it is released? How does it compare to the Fox Lorber and the Masterworks edition? :)



OOoo.
Have you seen the screenshots for the new Japanese R2 remastered Seven Samurai - very nice.
i think they are over at www.DVDbeaver.com
EDIT : a quick taster http://207.136.67.23/film/dvdcompare/7sam/7samurai.gif
god damn it, i lost my taping of Dersu Uzala !!i didnt have a chance to watch it. :mad:



if you are interested Region 2 Kagemusha was £7.99 in the HMV sale in Bond St. Was just looking for a thread like this to confirm there wasn't a better R1 version.



Out of Interest has anyone got the R3 HK Kurosawa documentary 'Message From Akira Kurosawa For Beautiful Movies'? and if so any idea how it compares to the documentary produced by Wellspring?



I got Kagemusha R2 from Play for £6.99. It's a decent enough transfer, but the only niggle is that the English subtitles are hard-of-hearing only and include the inevitable "(gunshot)" etc. Fortunately, there are not too many instances, maybe 6, so not bad at the price.



For Ran you say "However this edition is to be available as an individual single disk release in the beginning of 2003". Is this still going to happen ? The new R2 version is only 10gbp at Play with a new date of 07/07/2003 which sounds wrong because it was January.



Ran will be available in France beginning of March. The editor being Studio Canal.
Dunno if it will have English sub. Probably not.
It is rumoured that Chris Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf) is responsible of this edition !