Asian Cinema Thread

I got an email from amazon which I assume is about the Erotic Ghost Story delay but for some reason it was listed as 'Story of Ricky' 🤔 potentially an unannounced HKL rescue from 88films that someone's mixed up 🤷‍♂️

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Did I quick check and Mediumrare's version came out in 2015 so license will probably be up by now.
 
I got an email from amazon which I assume is about the Erotic Ghost Story delay but for some reason it was listed as 'Story of Ricky' 🤔 potentially an unannounced HKL rescue from 88films that someone's mixed up 🤷‍♂️

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Did I quick check and Mediumrare's version came out in 2015 so license will probably be up by now.
Yeah not long after I posted the August line-up on the Blu-ray forum, a new listing called The Story of Ricky showed up for the same price as Erotic Ghost Story and Robotrix, so that's now another Category III film incoming.

Oh boy if these films keep the Category III logo on the spine, that would look pretty neat on the shelf.
 
Yeah not long after I posted the August line-up on the Blu-ray forum, a new listing called The Story of Ricky showed up for the same price as Erotic Ghost Story and Robotrix, so that's now another Category III film incoming.

Oh boy if these films keep the Category III logo on the spine, that would look pretty neat on the shelf.
Definitely, and seems they're all deluxe editions going by the £25 price point!
Riki-Oh is easily one of my favourites just for how mental over the top it is, so that'll be an 3asy day one purchase for me.
 
Definitely, and seems they're all deluxe editions going by the £25 price point!
Riki-Oh is easily one of my favourites just for how mental over the top it is, so that'll be an 3asy day one purchase for me.
Indeed. Since 88 Films is planning to expand into the US, if they license the more controversial Category III films (Untold Story would have been a good one but that already has a US release now) then they can take advantage of the US/UK importing scene.
 
Another email from Amazon, Erotic Ghost Story has jumped again to July 27th... I'm just gonna wait for 88 films to announce the date!
 
Third Window Films has confirmed they have a number of Japanese films that are coming to the UK that have yet to receive any form of release elsewhere.

In addition, they have also confirmed plans to release a second Toshiaki Toyoda box set.
 
More Shaw Brother films coming this September from 88 Films with Disciples of Shaolin and The Flag of Iron now listed on Amazon.
 
Looks like Arrow will be releasing a Yokai Monsters box set in the future. Daimajin is also coming which was mentioned before.

They'll also be releasing Shinji Somai's Sailor Suit and Machine Gun. For my money, Somai was the best Japanese director to emerge after the New Wave and it's pretty shocking that none of his films have received a commercial release in the West up until this point. I discovered him via a retrospective at the Edinburgh Film Festival a full decade ago now - Typhoon Club is one of my favourite films of the 1980s and Moving is seems to be both influenced by the Studio Ghibli films that preceded it and an influence on Miyazaki's subsequent output.

Sailor Suit isn't his very best, but it's his most commercial so I'm not surprised to see Arrow test the waters with that one.
 
Arrow's Asian Cinema release for July 2021 is revealed (early on Amazon as per usual).

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Daimajin Collection (Limited Edition Blu-ray)
Release Date: 26th July 2021​

THE ANCIENT GOD DAIMAJIN ARISES! The Daimajin Trilogy saw Daieis Kyoto studios bringing its own iconic movie monster to life in a unique but short-lived series that transplants the Golem legend to Japans Warring States period of the late-16th century.

In Daimajin, directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda (Yokai Monsters, Zatoichi on the Road), the young son and daughter of the benevolent feudal lord Hanabusa flee to the mountains when their parents are slain by the treacherous usurper Odate. Ten years later, when the elderly priestess who has harboured them is also murdered, the rage of the slumbering ancient god that lies beneath the crumbling giant stone idol hidden deep in the forests in the mountains is invoked.

In Return of Daimajin, Kenji Misumi (Tale of Zatoichi, Lone Wolf and Cub) brings his usual stylistic flourish, as the wrathful deity is roused from his new home on an island in the middle of a lake by the violent incursions of a vicious warlord.

In the final film, Wrath of Daimajin, by veteran jidaigeki director Kazuo Mori, four young boys make a perilous trip to elicit the help of the ancient mountain god in freeing their family members who have been enslaved by a tyrannical lord. Remarkably overlooked in the West, these three thrilling tales of feudal oppression and divine retribution meted out by the iconic stone warrior of the title combine lavish period detail with jaw-dropping special effects.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the three Daimajin films
  • Lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio for all films
  • Optional English subtitles
  • Illustrated collectors 100 page book featuring new essays by Jonathan Clements, Keith Aiken, Ed Godziszewski, Raffael Coronelli, Erik Homenick, Robin Gatto and Kevin Derendorf
  • Postcards featuring the original Japanese artwork for all three films
  • Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Frank
DISC ONE DAIMAJIN
  • Brand new audio commentary by Japanese film expert Stuart Galbraith IV
  • Newly filmed introduction by critic Kim Newman
  • Bringing the Avenging God to Life, a brand new exclusive video essay about the special effects of the Daimajin films by Japanese film historian Ed Godziszewski
  • Alternate opening credits for the US release as Majin
  • The Monster of Terror
  • Trailers for the original Japanese and US releases
  • Image gallery
DISC TWO RETURN OF DAIMAJIN
  • Brand new audio commentary by Japanese film experts Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp
  • My Summer Holidays with Daimajin, a newly filmed interview with Professor Yoneo Ota, director of the Toy Film Museum, Kyoto Film Art Culture Research Institute, about the production of the Daimajin films at Daiei Kyoto
  • From Storyboard to Screen: Bringing Return of Daimajin to Life, a comparison of several key scenes in Return of Daimajin with the original storyboards
  • Alternate opening credits for the US release as Return of the Giant Majin
  • Trailers for the original Japanese and US releases
  • Image gallery
DISC THREE WRATH OF DAIMAJIN
  • Brand new audio commentary by Asian historian Jonathan Clements
  • Interview with cinematographer Fujio Morita discussing his career at Daiei and his work on the Daimajin Trilogy
  • Trailers for the original Japanese release
  • Image Gallery
 
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It's the start of May, and that means an update on the Asian Cinema schedule for this forum!

88 Films:
Date:Name:Director, Year, Language:Format:
May 3rdSnake in the Eagle’s ShadowYuen Woo-ping
1978 - Cantonese
First Print Blu-ray
June 21stErotic Ghost StoryLam Ngai Kai
1990 - Cantonese
LE Blu-ray
[Category III]
June 21stForbidden City CopVincent Kok, Stephen Chow
1996 - Cantonese
First Print Blu-ray
July 26thRobotrixJamie Luk Kin-ming
1991 - Cantonese
LE Blu-ray
[Category III]
August 16thRiki-Oh: The Story of RickyLam Nai-choi
1991 - Cantonese
LE Blu-ray
[Category III]
August 30thThe Chinese BoxerJimmy Wang
1970 - Cantonese/Mandarin
Blu-ray
[Shaw Bros]
September 20thDisciples of ShaolinChang Cheh
1975 - Cantonese/Mandarin
Blu-ray
[Shaw Bros]
September 20thThe Flag of IronChang Cheh
1980 - Cantonese/Mandarin
Blu-ray
[Shaw Bros]
TBCArmour of GodJackie Chan, Eric Tsang
1986 - Cantonese
--
TBCHalf a Loaf of Kung FuChen Chi-hwa
1978 - Cantonese
--

Arrow Video:
Date:Name:Director, Year, Language:Format:
May 10thGiants and ToysYasuzo Masumura
1958 - Japanese
Blu-ray
June 21stIrezumiYasuzo Masumura
1966 - Japanese
Blu-ray
July 26thThe Daimajin TrilogyKimiyoshi Yasuda, Kenji Misumi, Kazuo Mori
1966 - Japanese
LE Blu-ray
TBCThe 36th Chamber of ShaolinLau Kar-leung
1978 - Cantonese/Mandarin
--
TBCSailor Suit and Machine GunShinji Sōmai
1981 - Japanese
--
TBCThe Yokai Monsters TrilogyKimiyoshi Yasuda
1968-1969 - Japanese
--

Cine Asia:
Date:Name:Director, Year, Language:Format:
May 3rdThe SwordsmanChoi Jae-hoon
2020 - Korean
Blu-ray
June 7thShockwave - Destruction Hong KongHerman Yau
2020 - Cantonese
Blu-ray

Criterion:
Date:Name:Director, Year, Language:Format:
May 31stWorld of Wong Kar Wai

As Tears Go By
Days of Being Wild
Chungking Express
Fallen Angels
Happy Together
In the Mood for Love

2046
Wong Kar Wai
1988-2004 - Cantonese
Blu-ray
June 14thFlowers Of ShanghaiHou Hsiao-hsien
1998 - Cantonese
Blu-ray

Eureka Entertainment:
Date:Name:Director, Year, Language:Format:
May 24thOne Armed BoxerJimmy Wang Yu
1971 - Mandarin
First Print Blu-ray
May 24thTime and TideTsui Hark
2000 - Cantonese/Mandarin
First Print Blu-ray
June 21stEncounter of the Spooky KindSammo Hung
1980 - Cantonese
First Print Blu-ray
June 21stPTUJohnnie To
2003 - Cantonese
First Print Blu-ray
[Masters of Cinema]
July 19thWild SearchRingo Lam
1989 - Cantonese
First Print Blu-ray
July 26thThe Millionaires’ ExpressSammo Hung
1986 - Cantonese
LE Blu-ray

Third Window Films:
Date:Name:Director, Year, Language:Format:
May 31stOne Cut of the Dead: Hollywood EditionShin’ichirô Ueda
2017-2019 - Japanese
LE Blu-ray
June 28thTezuka's BarbaraMacoto Tezka
2019 - Japanese
Blu-ray & DVD
TBCFunky Forest: The First Contact & The Warped ForestHajime Ishimine, Katsuhito Ishii, Shunichiro Miki
2005-2011 - Japanese
--
TBCToshiaki Toyoda Box Set 2Toshiaki Toyoda
???-??? - Japanese
--
 
It'll be interesting to see whether Arrow are 'only' releasing the original three Yokai Monsters films or do what they did with Graveyard of Honor and also include Miike's follow-up. Miike's got a sequel to his follow-up coming out this year actually
 
It'll be interesting to see whether Arrow are 'only' releasing the original three Yokai Monsters films or do what they did with Graveyard of Honor and also include Miike's follow-up. Miike's got a sequel to his follow-up coming out this year actually
Yeah I was thinking the same. I reckon they might keep it separate to avoid some form of confusion, especially considering from what I have read the Miike film is more referencing/inspired by the second film than the first.
 
Got confirmation that One Cut of the Dead in Hollywood will be exclusive to the upcoming Hollywood Edition release, with no plans for a standalone option.
 
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