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MichaelB wrote:NTSC is pretty much universal in the world of classical music DVDs. I suspect PAL pitch-shift issues play a part in this, but since the US and Japanese markets are significantly bigger than the European one, that's probably the major factor.

Up to a couple of years ago I worked in a classical music shop and the pitch issue was certainly very important, NTSC even being for European-only releases (though of course it makes it easier to port - or import! - from one region to another). Most classical buffs - more knowledgeable about music than technology - wouldn't buy them if they suffered from a raise in pitch, though I know there are other ways around this.

In the shop we got many complaints or at least queries from customers experiencing difficulties playing NTSC DVDs. Apart from a few who had very old TVs, they could play them but had to make some adjustment. Some poorer quality Scart leads (which many used then) wouldn't carry NTSC, or only one of the TV's Scart sockets would input NTSC. Sometimes the picture would be in black & white only.

Most problems though required some adjustment to the player. My first (Toshiba) player was factory-set to play PAL only and had to be changed to play both - a simple enough adjustment in the set-up menu but many older customers, who were used to tapes, had to be guided through it. My second player (a cheap multi-region Mico) plays everything in PAL - automatically converting NTSC discs (which can be useful!) - unless instructed otherwise every time I switch it on. Even my current Panasonic DVD hard-drive recorder cannot be permanently set to recognise NTSC discs because it of course needs to default to PAL for UK TV broadcasts. It displays an "Incompatible system setting!" warning every time I insert a NTSC disc and I have to go into the set-up menu and change to NTSC; not a problem, but if I forget to revert to PAL (very easy to just switch off after watching the NTSC disc) my TV timer recordings don't work!

MichaelB wrote:

I actually have a DVD that has both PAL and NTSC options, Bjork's Greatest Hits.

On the same disc? I assume it would be technically possible, though I note that Apple's DVD Studio Pro software insists on one or the other for the entire encode.

Yup, on the same disc, but as a flipper, Side A NTSC, Side B PAL, same content

Absolutely fantastic news! Reading up on it in the book of essays edited by James Quandt a little while ago it also sounded like a modern urban/ancient ritualised culture clash (with the attempt to build an airport on the island linking it to the outside world apparently being the catalyst for the action) and a return to a much larger scaled film after the more intimate focus of A Man Vanishes and The Pornographers. Unfortunately, as zedz mentions, the commercial failure of this film appears to be what sent Imamura into documentary work until Vengeance Is Mine (itself at first intended to be another television documentary).

Would Profond Desires be a good start for an Imamura newbie or should I seek out the Criterion set first?

Mr Finch wrote:Would Profond Desires be a good start for an Imamura newbie or should I seek out the Criterion set first?

Since you've got the luxury of seeing (almost*) all of his major sixties films in chronological order, I'd say go for it. But none of the films are inaccessible without the context of the others.

* If you want the full picture - with a significant skewed angle - you'll also need to beg / borrow / steal A Man Vanishes. It's kind of the odd one out, but it's extremely good and extremely important. And don't forget Criterion's Pornographers.

Thanks zedz. I'm going to get the CC set in April (no new releases in that month that interest me).

Nick, is Profound Desires likely to come out in June or July (I think it was the French sci-fi animations on Blu in May)?

Mr Finch wrote:Nick, is Profound Desires likely to come out in June or July (I think it was the French sci-fi animations on Blu in May)?

The twitter post clearly says it is coming in May.

Can't stand Twitter so there..

zedz wrote:* If you want the full picture - with a significant skewed angle - you'll also need to beg / borrow / steal A Man Vanishes. It's kind of the odd one out, but it's extremely good and extremely important. And don't forget Criterion's Pornographers.

As long as you're going forward from the '60s output, I'd add the two AnimEigo discs - Ballad of Narayama and Black Rain.

Anybody know of an online trailer for this film?

daniel p wrote:Anybody know of an online trailer for this film?

No but there's this...

BD only? At least it's getting released, though.

Hopscotch wrote:

daniel p wrote:Anybody know of an online trailer for this film?

No but there's this...

Trailer.

zedz wrote:* If you want the full picture - with a significant skewed angle - you'll also need to beg / borrow / steal A Man Vanishes. It's kind of the odd one out, but it's extremely good and extremely important.

It's also the best. But A Man Vanishes looks forward to Imamura's documentary work in the 70s, so in a way, it almost makes more sense to skip over it and watch Profound Desire first.

Thanks for the youtube links, I couldn't find the trailer, only that music video.

Play.com has the specs.

* Beautiful high-definition transfer, with exclusive digital image restoration
* New video introduction by film scholar Tony Rayns
* Original theatrical trailer
* Extensive booklet with a new essay by Rayns (to accompany his introduction)
* Rare stills
* Reprinted statements by Imamura
* A lengthy 1994 career interview and a transcript of Imamura's introduction and Q&A session at the 1994 Edinburgh International Film Festival's screening of the film

It's only 13£ on HMV!

triodelover wrote:As long as you're going forward from the '60s output, I'd add the two AnimEigo discs - Ballad of Narayama and Black Rain.

Seconded, absolutely wonderful films and I think Narayama is a nice counterpart to this equally brilliant film, can't wait to see it in HD.

A good-quality subbed version of Eejanaika is desperately needed (my number 2 Imamura -- after Pigs).

I posted a BD grab from this on Twitter earlier today.

peerpee wrote:I posted a BD grab from this on Twitter earlier today.

Link!

Glad to see the arsehole shot missing from the Le grand jeu extras found a home after all.

I was really trying to hold off on going region free for Blu-ray but this release makes it very tempting. I love my PS3 for it's Blu-ray playback so I wasn't in a hurry, but I may have to break down, get one, and just have the two players hooked up to the TV. That grab alone somehow makes it harder to resist.

cdnchris wrote:I was really trying to hold off on going region free for Blu-ray but this release makes it very tempting. I love my PS3 for it's Blu-ray playback so I wasn't in a hurry, but I may have to break down, get one, and just have the two players hooked up to the TV. That grab alone somehow makes it harder to resist.

That's the set-up I have, Chris, and it works wonderfully. I have both my PS3 & my Momitsu region-free player hooked up to the LCD in my living room. My tv has four HDMI inputs so it works out well. I say go for it.

CC

med wrote:Glad to see the arsehole shot missing from the Le grand jeu extras found a home after all.

Not to mention it is in full 1080p HD!!!