I really enjoyed Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Before We Vanish" which I was happily surprised to see in a theater here in AZ. I had only seen his movies on DVD.
Since you enjoyed "Pistol Opera" you should check out "Princess Raccoon." I really like both of them.
I actually saw Princess Raccoon before I saw Pistol Opera and I have the same basic issues with both - I enjoyed them both from a purely visual standpoint but I felt like there was a lot going over my Western head and both movies had long passages that were pretty tedious. I'd have to say that I preferred Pistol Opera because it had that touchstone of the Assassin Ranking thread, which sort of level set from a narrative perspective when things got particularly weird. I love that these films exist though and that Suzuki is still pushing himself creatively, even at his advanced age. Very inspiring. I will watch anything the man makes or has made at least once.
The Taisho Trilogy is brilliant, but completely different from Suzuki’s other work, or at least the work I’ve seen. Much closer to a European arthouse aesthetic, but underpinned with a classical Japanese ghost story foundation. If you’ve seen the basics, and have an adventurous cinematic nature, it’s the next logical step to take. The Arrow set is OOP, btw, so don’t hang around, @Holerbot6000, if you want a copy.
It’s shame that the trilogy box is OOP. Is A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness on DVD? It is well worth watching.
Again I would like to recommend this great masterpiece of art. I have been deeply impressed by watching his films like Only Yesterday, Princess Kaguya and Graves of the Fireflies these days.
It is, although I don’t have it. According to DVDBeaver, this edition is quite poor: A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Seijun Suzuki There’s a later edition, from 2009, available, also, but I have no idea how that one looks.
The whole episodes of The Story of Perrine seem to be available on Youtube with subs. Other than three programs directed by Isao Takahata for World Masterpiece Theatre,The story of Perrine, which is based on the novel En Famille by Hector Malot, is the most touching, adorable and thrilling entry (though Takahata was involved in some episodes, as well as Yoshiyuki Tomino of Gundom fame). It is genuine fun to watch it. The Story of Perrine is definitely as great as the Takahata’s three works. The Story of Perrine - Wikipedia
Watched these two this weekend. "April Story" by Shinji-Iwai. "Mary and the Witch's Flower" by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. If you liked Spirited Away you'll probably like this too.
I’m not a hardcore anime fan, but I loved Belladonna of Sadness, so couldn’t resist picking up this two-film set today:
Interesting, Belladonna of Sadness is a very unique piece of animation and worth a look for fans of exotic cinema. I've never seen those films. Belladonna of Sadness Blu-ray Review - DoBlu.com
I watched A Thousand and One Nights earlier. It’s lighter in tone than Belladonna, comedic at times, not as experimental, nor as beautifully drawn. Still, for all that, it has its moments, and I’m glad I picked it up. Maybe check out the trailer and see if it’s for you before committing to a purchase.
Picked these two up yesterday. Once again, Arrow continues to deliver deliriously entertaining Japanese crime genre classics.
I will definitely be picking both of those up once a reasonable deal comes around. I first saw DETECTIVE BUREAU 2-3 around 20 years ago, via a nice 35mm print as part of a Suzuki retrospective, and was blown away by it. I think it was the first film I ever saw the great Shishido Jo in. I have the old Kino DVD but I'm sure the Arrow blu will be a huge improvement.
B2F£25 at U.K. brick-and-mortar retailer Fopp. Best price they’re likely to be over here until at least Xmas. I didn’t want to wait that long. Besides, these were my treat to myself for getting a new job.
speaking of the Japanese crime genre, I recommend Gonin (the five) from 1995. Very intense and over the top but a well written story imo.
Criterion has announced their November slate of releases, and among them is Mizoguchi's Chikamatsu Monogatari. I have the Masters of Cinema Blu-ray, but I will no doubt be checking out the Criterion once it's out - it is touted as being sourced from a new 4K digital restoration. Great to see this getting another Blu release , especially as the MoC disc has been out of print for some time now. A Story from Chikamatsu
Chikamatsu is a masterpiece. The new 4K restoration was first shown in Venice, last year, alongside another Mizoguchi restoration, Sansho the Bailiff, so we knew this one was in the pipeline. Hopefully, we’ll see Sansho before too long.