criterionforum.org

To be fair, mfunk's extended comment, re: the MOC print, was even more fruitful:

mfunk9786 wrote:!

There's a story behind that - a story LQ won't let me tell.

So, basically,

mfunk9786 wrote:?

Exactly. Awww fuck it: I'd posted a photo of LQ in her amazingly crafted Hoichi the Earless Halloween costume and she asked that I take it down for reasons still unknown (it was a really great, thorough costume).

And it was too late to delete the post. So.

and I here I was, thinking that they'd announced the Blu :-k

Sometimes I feel like your relationship is also my relationship.

A pity. It would have probably led to some interesting work in the Fake Criterion Cover thread.

(Heh, to be fair mfunk, when it was posted it was a giant photo and I was startled to say the least. I don't see gigantic pictures of any of our esteemed members on other threads, pertinent costumes or not. I'm sorry that your edited post has garnered attention so far after the fact!)

Well, I suppose some credit is due to ezmbmh for getting his comment in under the 1-year anniversary of the original post. Jayzus.

Shhhh!!

Looks like it has been released on Blu-ray in Hong Kong.

YesAsia's page is now almost completely blank (no information except "This product is not available") and no one else appears to have heard of this release. Looks like either a last-minute cancellation or some total screwup on YesAsia's part.

I actually find the Criterion much more dynamic and atmospheric looking than the later UK and Aussie transfers, pity it's cut. Japanese dvd masters supplied by Toho seem to be far too bright with limited blacks and far too soft.

I know, controversial and all...

Orlac wrote:I actually find the Criterion much more dynamic and atmospheric looking than the later UK and Aussie transfers, pity it's cut. Japanese dvd masters supplied by Toho seem to be far too bright with limited blacks and far too soft.

I know, controversial and all...

Not me. "More dynamic"???? It's all washed out and dark! I find Criterion's transfer truly atrocious. It looks so drab and ugly! The print is also full of print damage. It's their worst transfer, IMO. The fact that it's cut (some of the more beautiful looking scenes from Snow Woman are lost) is really sad. Where is the Blu-ray? This masterpiece is one of the most beautiful films ever made. This would sell really well. The Masters of Cinema DVD release wipes the floor with Criterion's...

Has anyone here seen the movie KAIDAN?

It's a full-length version of THE SNOW WITCH (GHOST) segment.

I think it's more gorgeous than KWAIDAN and would love a Criterion BD of it.

I can dream.

I don't know how to ask this without sounding like a dick, but is the longer version less boring than the shorter version that they previously released?

I love all of the Kobayashi that I've seen except for this one. "Hoichi the Earless" is the standout, but the first story puts me into a coma, and the final story feels like an afterthought (although it's fine). It's my understanding that the second story is the section most affected by the difference in length. How do the two versions of that story compare?

The longer version includes an additional story.

"The Black Hair" includes an extended ending, "Snow Woman" has some nudity and additional scenes, "Hoichi" was also longer, I believe the last episode is the only one that was the same length.

The long rumored Masters of Cinema Blu-ray upgrade seems to be beaten by the Criterion. Glad Criterion is upgrading it with extras. The old DVD which I sold off years ago only had a trailer.

By the way,not that anyone cares, this is one of the films listed in that original Amazon poll that Howard's End won so long ago. At this rate we'll get Andrei Rublev sometime next decade.

knives wrote:By the way,not that anyone cares, this is one of the films listed in that original Amazon poll that Howard's End won so long ago. At this rate we'll get Andrei Rublev sometime next decade.

What were the other films in the poll again?

Au Revoir Les Enfants, Down by Law, and Picnic at Hanging Rock are the others not mentioned yet.

Did anyone else find the outcome of that poll to be suspicious? I don't know the exact demographic group at that time regarding their customers on Amazon but out of all those, Howard's End seemed to be odd even being on that list let alone to flat out get the most votes.

Not at all. It was by far the best known film on that list, and the poll was conducted on Amazon, where it got a lot of eyeballs.