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Maybe around the same time as the Eclipse line? *

* (where laughing emoticons = half-sarcasm [for the impaired])

keeproductions wrote:The new issue of Premiere (Daniel Craig on cover) has a full-page Criterion advert for Seven Samurai and much of their Kurosawa output.

COMING SOON: Glorious new special editions of Kurosawa's Samurai classics Yojimbo and Sanjuro.

think you could scan it and post here or send it to me or hammock through CriterionDungeon.com?

i'd like to see the ad too, if it could be posted here or over at the dungeon.

Sure-

I'll take the ad to work in the morning and see if I can't get a good scan to post here.

Criterion sure is being annoying by allowing all this speculation. Just announce it already

As promised...

Keith

thanks a lot. that'll go on the misc page for sure.

SncDthMnky wrote:thanks a lot. that'll go on the misc page for sure.

You're most welcome. I'll keep my eye out each issue, they usually have at least a small ad from CC.

Keith

ditto: thanks a lot for posting that.

Thanks

These have been pulled from the Criterion website. They must be updating the listings for the expected re-release announcement.

Yojimbo

• All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer
• Optional Dolby Digital 3.0 soundtrack, preserving the original Perspecta simulated-stereo effects
• Audio commentary by film historian and Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
• A 45-minute documentary on the making of Yojimbo, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
• Theatrical trailer and teaser
• Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos
• New and improved English subtitle translation

Sanjuro

• All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer
• Optional Dolby Digital 3.0 soundtrack, preserving the original Perspecta simulated-stereo effects
• Audio commentary by film historian and Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
• A 35-minute documentary on the making of Sanjuro, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
• Theatrical trailer and teaser
• Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Sragow and notes and statements from Kurosawa and his cast and crew

Available separately or in a collector's set.

Matt wrote:Yojimbo

• Audio commentary by film historian and Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince

Sanjuro

• Audio commentary by film historian and Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince

I thought there used to be more people who possessed some degree of expertise on Kurosawa. Don't get me wrong. I like Prince as a commentator, but I also like a little variety.

Nevertheless, I'm happy to see these re-releases finally coming out.

That said, I hope Donald Richie was busy on some Naruse or Mizoguchi commentaries.

Cinephrenic wrote:That said, I hope Donald Richie was busy on some Naruse or Mizoguchi commentaries.

Indeed! That would make the double-helping of Prince (or triple-helping, if you count his presence on the re-release of Seven Samurai) a more than fair trade-off.

Cinephrenic wrote:That said, I hope Donald Richie was busy on some Naruse or Mizoguchi commentaries.

That would be terrific.

Richie or no Richie, I am quite satisfied with the specs of these two though. I have avoided buying the original releases for years and only own the old BFI version of Yojimbo. Haven't even watched Sanjuro.

Has anyone noticed that both the new Yojimbo and Sanjuro are listed as NON-anamorphic?

What gives?

leefarber wrote:Has anyone noticed that both the new Yojimbo and Sanjuro are listed as NON-anamorphic?

What gives?

It's a mistake. It will be corrected. It happens ALL the time. Seriously, like every month.

so these are both going to be single disc releases?

single discs with commentary, hence the 39.95 msrp.

as already stated, you can buy both for 69.95 msrp, which discounted should be just under 50$ for the two of them if you pre-order. very reasonable.

Excellent! I love Sanjuro and will definitely be getting these reissues!

I don't know why Yojimbo doesn't grab me the same way - it is very well made and has great performances but the story has never excited me. However I think Sanjuro is a masterpiece and one of my absolute favourites of all Kurosawa's films, perhaps due in no small part to it being the first Kurosawa film I saw!

It is a strange way to feel since Yojimbo is usually the more celebrated film, but I also felt the same way about A Fistful Of Dollars - I didn't really like that film either but loved the other two films in Leone's trilogy, so perhaps I just don't connect with that particular story. I wouldn't tell others to avoid it though - try them both especially now that they have restored the films!

Does the 3.0 sound potentially make this the definitive release of these titles? I don't remember the BFI Yojimbo having this sound option.

A very good January - it seems somewhat of a 'housecleaning' month in the sense that these films, Mouchette and the Richard Gordon films have been 'Certainties', we just didn't know when! Same with Pandora's Box - all these long touted films are coming out. Now we can get back to badgering Criterion full time over the Eisenstein: Silents boxset!

SncDthMnky wrote:single discs with commentary, hence the 39.95 msrp.

as already stated, you can buy both for 69.95 msrp, which discounted should be just under 50$ for the two of them if you pre-order. very reasonable.

At $45.47 to be exact at DVDPLANET. A must buy for me.

This all bodes well for a re-release of High and Low.

Not especially. While High and Low would be a perfect candidate for a remaster, these releases don't indicate anything in that direction.

Criterion officially announced the remasters of Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and Seven Samurai almost a year ago. Nothing has ever been said about High and Low (though you can count me in among the people that would like it to happen).

I just think High and Low should see a price readjustment in line with its features and quality, which I believe they said they were even considering at one point...

But I'm not displeased with my copy.