Animeigo announces next batch of releases!!!!

[gonzotheking]

http://www.animeigo.com

April 2010

Tomu Uchida's 5-part Mushashi Miyamoto series with Kinnosuke Nakamura

May 2010

The Blind Menace (Shiranui Kengyo) - starring Shintaro Katsu

June 2010

Sleepy Eyes of Death Volume 2 - Movies 5 thru 8 - starring Raizo Ichikawa


I know a lot of you already have these but I like owning legit dvd's and I am very excited about these releases.

[HAZ]

Very cool! I will pick up Blind Menace for sure!

[KyFi]

Very psyched for Sleepy Eyes of Death vol 2!

What years were those Musashi movies made?

[dionbrother]

I think the Uchida Musashis were made in the late 60s-early 70s. I saw one of them when Video Action released it on VHS in the 80s. Interesting and more intense than the Mifune trilogy. Was hoping Animeigo would release these...great news.

[KyFi]

I think the Uchida Musashis were made in the late 60s-early 70s. I saw one of them when Video Action released it on VHS in the 80s. Interesting and more intense than the Mifune trilogy. Was hoping Animeigo would release these...great news.

Thanks for the info, db. Yep, I'll be looking for these!

[WuxiaFan]

This is just incredible news! I'm a big fan of AnimEigo and I think they do a great job! Can't wait for the next SLEEPY EYES OF DEATH series as well as BLIND MENACE!
:yociexp75:

[KyFi]

Found some reviews of the Musashi movies----I'm really interested in this set! :

http://www.lardbiscuit.com/jidaigeki/uchida.html

[daisho2004]

Great News! Looking forward to picking up some of these titles...

[kungfusamurai]

I'll definitely get the sets, but I'm going to pass on Blind Menace. From what I've read, it's not a chambara. No sword play at all. I wonder if Animeigo knew that before they got the rights to it?

KFS

[WuxiaFan]

I'll definitely get the sets, but I'm going to pass on Blind Menace. From what I've read, it's not a chambara. No sword play at all. I wonder if Animeigo knew that before they got the rights to it?

Not everything AnimEigo releases is samurai. I suspect the reason they picked it up was because it stars Shintaro Katsu in non-samurai role. I'm curious to see it just because of that. :nerd:

[kungfusamurai]

Not everything AnimEigo releases is samurai. I suspect the reason they picked it up was because it stars Shintaro Katsu in non-samurai role. I'm curious to see it just because of that. :nerd:

I just checked out their website, I didn't realize they had branched out into non-action Japanese flicks from that era. I thought they were trying to sell this as an early attempt of a zatoichi flick (i.e. swordfighting action and all).

KFS

[klepto]

I have the Miyamoto Musashi 5 set starring Nakamura Kinnosuke.
It goes into areas of Musashi's life that many movies don't go. The only other Musashi series I liked better was Sorekara no Musashi which started after the big fight with Sasaki Kojiro.

I've never been a big fan of Raizo's portrayal of Nemuri Kyoshiro. I liked Matsukata's and Tamura's better. There isn't much in the way of real swordsmanship in the series. Raizo was much better in Daisatsujin Orochi and other films.

[LeRolls]

If I can find some of these at a decent price I'll probably pick them up. Still have to check out the first box set for Sleepy Eyes of Death which I bought quite a few months ago.

[daisho2004]

I've never been a big fan of Raizo's portrayal of Nemuri Kyoshiro. I liked Matsukata's and Tamura's better.

klepto: I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you on this 110% Raizo portrayal of Nemuri Kyoshiro was the ultimate that roles was made for him. Now Matsukata's did a great job as him as well. But a lot of people might not have ever seen those (2) movies which is #13 & 14 in the series. I wish Matsukata would've continued a few more movies in that series. Because he was really the only one who could fill that part after Raizo's death.
Now Tamura's movies were the TV episode which he did, but he really lacked and charisma in that series.

[kungfusamurai]

I agree with Raizo's swordplay. It's not the strongest when compared to his contemporaries. It's rate him below Mifune and Nakadai. But the character is pretty cool. Occasionally, there is a good fight scene with Raizo, so that's a bonus. I figure, getting a whole bunch of films in one shot for a fairly decent price ain't too bad.

KFS

[daisho2004]

Not to jump off topic but if you want to see Raizo's best Swordsmanship and possibly the best 15minutes of non-stop action see "The Betrayal" Merlin over at SamuraiDVD.com has it, and its a remastered version. This movie is a classic and a must own in anyone's Library collection. I would love to see this get a legit release.

THE BETRAYAL (Daisatsujin Orochi)
This tale of betrayal and revenge features one of the greatest swordfights in motion picture history. It rivals SWORD OF DOOM in its intensity and duration. ICHIKAWA Raizo’s fighting in this film is far and away the best of his career. Betrayed by the elders of his clan, and blamed for a murder he did not commit, his unrelenting fury against those who falsely accused him comes to one of the most exciting conclusions ever filmed!
http://samuraidvd.com/recent4.jpg

[zAPhaTe]

I've watched the five Uchida Musashi films that Animeigo will be releasing and while I don't think any of them are masterpieces they are (IMHO) considerably better and more interesting than the fairly uninteresting Inagaki films.

[Juon 408]

I wish AnimEigo would release some yakuza films. That'd shock people. Ever since Home Vision merged with Image. They've stopped giving us yakuza. I dunno why, but something just draws me to the genre.

[WuxiaFan]

I wish AnimEigo would release some yakuza films. That'd shock people. Ever since Home Vision merged with Image. They've stopped giving us yakuza. I dunno why, but something just draws me to the genre.

Well, AnimEigo does have some yakuza films. They're listed under "Other" on their website. Check out the link here:
http://www.animeigo.com/products/other
:15_002:

[daisho2004]

Juon 408: If you want to see a lot of Yakuza films go to this site: http://www.kurotokagi.com I order from CK all the time and his prices aren't bad either.

[Juon 408]

Well, AnimEigo does have some yakuza films. They're listed under "Other" on their website. Check out the link here:
http://www.animeigo.com/products/other
:15_002:

Crazy, I knew they put out Miike's remake of Graveyard of Honor, but I didn't know about the rest of those films. The Geisha and the Wolves sound good. I just may have to get those.

And to daisho, I've been on kurotokagi for a while now today and found tons of sh-- I wanna see on there.... Are we allowed to say sh-- or do I have to censor it?

[daisho2004]

I think we can say Shit, as long as it done with respect! lol
And yeah CK has a lot of great and rare films on his site!

[Tosh]

How is Miike's Graveyard of Honor? I loved the original, what about The Wolves and Onimasa?

[daisho2004]

I think I have the original Graveyard of Honor. I have to put out a list of my movies, I've ordered the same ones twice before already.

[WuxiaFan]

And to daisho, I've been on kurotokagi for a while now today and found tons of sh-- I wanna see on there.... Are we allowed to say sh-- or do I have to censor it?

Also check out Stuff You Wanted - The Samurai DVD Store:
http://app.vendio.com/storefront?view=ABOUT_US&cid=22952129&sid=737134&mode=1

A lot of the same stuff as kurotokagi, but for a little cheaper. I recently ordered 5 DVDs from them and they shipped quickly and the prints look beautiful. :smile:

[Juon 408]

How is Miike's Graveyard of Honor? I loved the original, what about The Wolves and Onimasa?

I've seen Miike's once. From what I remember of it is that he changed the names of characters so it doesn't really follow the actual story that Fukasaku's did. Which from the liner notes of Fukasaku's film. It was based on the life of a real yakuza. But Miike's is a fine companion piece to Fukasaku's original. I highly recommend it.

I think we can say Shit, as long as it done with respect! lol
And yeah CK has a lot of great and rare films on his site!

My friend order from him before, years ago. Bootlegs of the Juon series and he sent him a shitload of free movies with it including the Makai Tenshou remake, Doberman Cop, Hokuriku Proxy War, Battles Without Honor 2, Iga ninpoucho (which is a very horrible film BTW... on par with Duel to the Death), BR II: Requiem, and I forget the others. He handed me four of them, the majority of the Fukasaku ones. He didn't want 'em so I gladly watched the shit out of them. lol

[KUNG FU BOB]

How is Miike's Graveyard of Honor? I loved the original, what about The Wolves and Onimasa?

I love Miike's GRAVEYARD OF HONOR. As Juon 408 mentioned, it's not a direct remake, but instead an update of the real-life story of a crazy yakuza. Miike changed the time period to make it more relevant to today's audience. The lead guy- Goro-san- is amazing, as is the lead actress, both giving fantastic performances. There's some brutal stuff in it.

THE WOLVES was a cool flick too. I'd recommend it.

Haven't seen ONIMASA.

[Skepparkrans]

After reading alot of good things about Sleepy Eyes of Death im real happy to see that they are releasing Collection 2 soon.. Im still have to get Collection 1.. maybe when i got my next salary in my pocket. :tongue: Or i just have to go up to my boss and say "hey, i need to buy more samurai movies, give me a raise now".

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

After reading alot of good things about Sleepy Eyes of Death im real happy to see that they are releasing Collection 2 soon.. Im still have to get Collection 1.. maybe when i got my next salary in my pocket. :tongue: Or i just have to go up to my boss and say "hey, i need to buy more samurai movies, give me a raise now".

Right on!!! You may really like Sleepy Eyes Of Death. It's its own style. Like the double its. I personally love the series. Wakayama Tomisabura is in two of em'. He's really cool in Sword Of Seduction. I picked up the first set immediately upon its release. As I will with the second set. AnimEigo fixed their audio issues for the first release hopefully that spells the end of their audio issues. They really screwed up on some of their releases.

[bamboo spear]

Wow when did ninjadojo close down? I registered there years ago but stopped posting once I found this site, which seemed to have more posters and more threads.

[daisho2004]

bamboo spear: The NinjaDojo is still up & working, as far as I know. I was just on it and all the post and everything are still there.

[daisho2004]

Skepparkrans: The Sleepy Eyes of Death series is a must own in any collection! The action is very good, but don't go into it thinking its like Lone Wolf & Cub. But this is one of my favorite series.

[gonzotheking]

I'm gonna have to echo the glowing recommendation of the Sleepy Eyes of Death series. I had never heard of it until I got the first box and I have wanted more since I first watched them. I'm really glad Animeigo is continuing to release the series. They did a great job with the first set(apart from the awful commentary from Ric Meyers).

[Skepparkrans]

daisho2004 and vengeanceofhumanlanterns:
You guys are making me even more hyped to get this series :bigsmile:
I dont expect any new Lone Wolf & Cub, that series is one of a kind..
But i seriously need more samurai movies in my life.. have not watched so many but i can say that most i have seen is just great.. Like Zatoichi, both the old ones, Kitano version and new Ichi, and i absolutly adore Yamada Yoji´s samurai movies even if there is hardly no, or little fighting.
If you guys have any more samurai must see recommendation i would be happy for any suggestions.

[daisho2004]

Skepparkrans: WOW I can recommend a lot of movies for you.We have a sticky post at the top of this page for recommendations of older and present films we just need to add onto it, I'll start adding some movies for you.

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

daisho2004 and vengeanceofhumanlanterns:
You guys are making me even more hyped to get this series :bigsmile:
I dont expect any new Lone Wolf & Cub, that series is one of a kind..
But i seriously need more samurai movies in my life.. have not watched so many but i can say that most i have seen is just great.. Like Zatoichi, both the old ones, Kitano version and new Ichi, and i absolutly adore Yamada Yoji´s samurai movies even if there is hardly no, or little fighting.
If you guys have any more samurai must see recommendation i would be happy for any suggestions.


Brother check out Classic Japanese films sticky at the top of this thrread.

[daisho2004]

Brother check out Classic Japanese films sticky at the top of this thrread.

vengeance: We haven't update that post in awhile, we need to post some more movies and reviews on there.

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

vengeance: We haven't update that post in awhile, we need to post some more movies and reviews on there.

I totally agree. I just don't have the energy to review films in detail anymore. Though, it was started as a reference thread for anyone interested in posting their fave flicks in detail.

[daisho2004]

vengeance: I know its tiring to review of a lot of films but maybe just post some of our faves, and give a brief synopsis of them will help jump start it and help everyone out.

[gonzotheking]

The Musashi Miyamoto Five Film Set is available on the animeigo website. Woohoo!

http://www.animeigo.com/products/samurai/miyamoto-musashi

They have also announced that they have licensed:

Samurai Vendetta with Raizo Ichikawa and Katsu Shintaro

and

Shinsengumi Chronicles: I Want to Die a Samurai starring Tomisaburo Wakayama and Raizo Ichikawa.

Animeigo is really putting out some great stuff lately. Every time they make an announcement I am immensely pleased by it.

[daisho2004]

Gotta love AnimEigo!

[GwaiLoMoFo]

I have them all but Ive always found the Sleepy Eyes Of Death films to be just a little bit above average. I too find Raizo to be weak in the action dept, but understand the films are more than action. Probably wont upgrade to the Animeigo Boxset. Not gonna shell out a couple hundered dollars for films I dont care much for. But havent seen those newer Musashi films...might pick up that boxset

[daisho2004]

GwaiLoMoFo: Did you see Raizo in "The BETRAYAL"? Great Movie, I hope AnimEigo gets to do that one.

[GwaiLoMoFo]

Yeah, I have "The Betrayal".... very good film

[kungfusamurai]

I just looked at the specs for some of their samurai DVDs. They've been putting out DVD-5?! I never really checked them because I assumed they would have gone for the highest quality DVD and bitrate, considering the prices they were charging. Even that first Sleepy Eyes of Death set was DVD-5, and that came out a year or two ago. That's not cool.

KFS

[gonzotheking]

I just looked at the specs for some of their samurai DVDs. They've been putting out DVD-5?! I never really checked them because I assumed they would have gone for the highest quality DVD and bitrate, considering the prices they were charging. Even that first Sleepy Eyes of Death set was DVD-5, and that came out a year or two ago. That's not cool.

KFS

That's weird. I never noticed that before. It looks like the new Mushashi Miyamoto set is DVD-9 and looking through my collection it seems that some of them are DVD-9 and some are DVD-5. Judging by my observation of my own discs, and this is purely speculation on my part, it may have something to do with the length of film. The shorter films seem to be on DVD-5 and the longer films are on DVD-9.

[kungfusamurai]

That's weird. I never noticed that before. It looks like the new Mushashi Miyamoto set is DVD-9 and looking through my collection it seems that some of them are DVD-9 and some are DVD-5. Judging by my observation of my own discs, and this is purely speculation on my part, it may have something to do with the length of film. The shorter films seem to be on DVD-5 and the longer films are on DVD-9.

That makes sense. I didn't check the Lone Wolf & Cub specs (are they listed on the back?), but when watching Sword of Vengeance on a 42 inch screen, it looked okay. I imagine it's only a DVD-5 since it's less than 1 1/2hrs. I don't know if they had boosted the bitrate for a DVD-9 if the image would have improved much considering the age of the film.

Are the english dubbed versions of the LW&C films in DVD-5 too?

KFS

[gonzotheking]

That makes sense. I didn't check the Lone Wolf & Cub specs (are they listed on the back?), but when watching Sword of Vengeance on a 42 inch screen, it looked okay. I imagine it's only a DVD-5 since it's less than 1 1/2hrs. I don't know if they had boosted the bitrate for a DVD-9 if the image would have improved much considering the age of the film.

Are the english dubbed versions of the LW&C films in DVD-5 too?

KFS

The original LW&C discs seem to be DVD-5 (it's written on the back at the very bottom underneath the DVD logo) I don't know about the shogun assassin discs as I don't have them.:xd:

I wonder if/when they will put out the rest of the Shinobi no Mono movies.

[kungfusamurai]

The original LW&C discs seem to be DVD-5 (it's written on the back at the very bottom underneath the DVD logo) I don't know about the shogun assassin discs as I don't have them.:xd:

I wonder if/when they will put out the rest of the Shinobi no Mono movies.

I don't know about that. I guess they're re-thinking things if the movies are selling better as sets than singles like the Nemuri Kyoshiro sets.

KFS

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

Sleepy Eyes Of Death vol.2 5 - 8 June 2010, ya!!! Oh man this is so sick! I cannot wait to pick up this release.

[Pressure]

I wish AnimEigo would release some yakuza films. That'd shock people. Ever since Home Vision merged with Image. They've stopped giving us yakuza. I dunno why, but something just draws me to the genre.

I'm with you on that, I have no idea why more 70's yakuza films aren't being released. It's still an untapped market for the most part.

[kungfusamurai]

Sleepy Eyes Of Death vol.2 5 - 8 June 2010, ya!!! Oh man this is so sick! I cannot wait to pick up this release.

I hope they do them as DVD9s. I mean, they charge enough for each one, they might as well make them dual layered.

KFS

[WuxiaFan]

Sleepy Eyes Of Death vol.2 5 - 8 June 2010

That's awesome news. I hope they keep it going and complete the series with 9 - 14. :smile:

[daisho2004]

I have a feeling they won't do the rest of the series 9-14. But I hope they do because the entire series is great!

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

Well. It's June. Where is Sleepy Eyes Of Death vol. 2 ??? Amazon isn't showing any signs of life.

[venom10463]

Well. It's June. Where is Sleepy Eyes Of Death vol. 2 ??? Amazon isn't showing any signs of life.

It's been push back until winter 2010.

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

YAAA!!! More good news. Oh well. It's off to work and the everyday hum drum.

[daisho2004]

That sucks! Why was it pushed back? :cry:

[gonzotheking]

That sucks! Why was it pushed back? :cry:

I emailed them and they wouldn't tell me. I hope it's because they got some new special features material or better audio/video sources or something.

Anyways, they softened the blow a little by announcing:

Samurai Vendetta is releasing in August
and
Shinsengumi Chronicles is releasing in September

Can't wait to see what they have up their sleeve next.

[KyFi]

Cool, Samurai Vendetta sounds AWESOME:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Vendetta

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

Cool, Samurai Vendetta sounds AWESOME:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Vendetta



It's a decent movie. Builds a little slow, but still then, it's great seeing Katsu and Raizo on screen together.

[KyFi]

It's a decent movie. Builds a little slow, but still then, it's great seeing Katsu and Raizo on screen together.


That's fine, I don't mind slow. From the production values, to the cinematography, to the music, acting and action---I just love everything about chanbarra movies from this era. Just watched a trailer for Shinsengumi Chronicles, too, and that looks nice as well.

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

Cool, Samurai Vendetta sounds AWESOME:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Vendetta



I just watched this release last weekend. It's a little overly polite and a bit cutesy early in the story, but the ending starts too pick up. It's definitely worth owning.

Now, what I'm really anticipating is the Sleepy Eyes Of Death vol. 2 release this winter. Sooner than later please.

[gonzotheking]

Figured I might as well re-use this old thread since I started it under similar circumstances...anyways....

Animeigo finally announced something!!!!!!!!!

I had been getting worried...but not anymore!!!!

Sword of Desperation for Christmas!!!!!

And promises of the final Sleepy Eyes of Death Box (films 9-12) TBD 2012!!!!

I get really excited because they are pretty much the only DVD company putting out samurai movies and I loooooooves me some samurai movies.

Anyways, just thought I'd let everyone know.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Hells yeah, can't wait till December!!!

[daisho2004]

Excellent News! Only wish they had them on Blu-Ray!

[waywardsage]

Finally some news. I check their site once or twice a week hopping for new releases! I just wish they really got with the times and had a facebook page where they announced stuff and communicated with their audience.

Oh, and had a website that looked like it wasn't from 1997.

[gonzotheking]

Hot diggity damn! more news!!

Complete Shogun Assassin on blu-ray which I'm pretty meh on...I prefer the originals.

but also....

Eiichi Kudo's Samurai Revolution Trilogy, consisting of 13 Assassins (1963, aka The Thirteen Assassins -- recently remade by Takashi Miike), The Great Killing (1964, aka The Great Duel) and Eleven Samurai (1967).

Woohoo

2012 is gonna be awesome...except for the whole end of the world thing, but otherwise...awesome.

[waywardsage]

Hot diggity damn! more news!!

Complete Shogun Assassin on blu-ray which I'm pretty meh on...I prefer the originals.

but also....

Eiichi Kudo's Samurai Revolution Trilogy, consisting of 13 Assassins (1963, aka The Thirteen Assassins -- recently remade by Takashi Miike), The Great Killing (1964, aka The Great Duel) and Eleven Samurai (1967).

Woohoo

2012 is gonna be awesome...except for the whole end of the world thing, but otherwise...awesome.

I am SERIOUSLY stoked about the release of Kudo's Samurai Revolution Trilogy! Finally Animeigo is getting some stuff done. I wonder when we'll be able to see these?

[whitesnake]

What must AnimEigo do to survive? Has it come to this? Not anime, not samurai films, not war films. Announced for March 2012 release is Growing Up With Hello Kitty DVD #1: Hello Kitty Eats Her Vegetables. "Hello Kitty and her twin sister Mimmy learn to share, eat their vegetables, sleeping by themselves, answer the phone, use proper table manners, and much more." DVD #2: Hello Kitty Learns to Share.

[John]

I took a look at Animeigo's Shinsengumi release recently. It was one of the worst discs I've seen in recent memory. This, The Battle of Okinawa, some moments in Sleepy Eyes of Death, and The Secret of the Urn have left me very disappointed in this company's output. I don't understand how some of these even make it to market, where's the quality control?

[KUNG FU BOB]

I took a look at Animeigo's Shinsengumi release recently. It was one of the worst discs I've seen in recent memory. This, The Battle of Okinawa, some moments in Sleepy Eyes of Death, and The Secret of the Urn have left me very disappointed in this company's output. I don't understand how some of these even make it to market, where's the quality control?

Oh no... what's wrong with the The Secret of the Urn DVD? :squigglemouth: I was looking forward to picking this disc up soon. Please give me the rundown on it's problems.

[waywardsage]

I took a look at Animeigo's Shinsengumi release recently. It was one of the worst discs I've seen in recent memory. This, The Battle of Okinawa, some moments in Sleepy Eyes of Death, and The Secret of the Urn have left me very disappointed in this company's output. I don't understand how some of these even make it to market, where's the quality control?

Apparently you haven't seen their release of Samurai Assassin! The transfer looked like they pointed a camera at an old tube TV and pushed record.

[John]

Oh no... what's wrong with the The Secret of the Urn DVD? :squigglemouth: I was looking forward to picking this disc up soon. Please give me the rundown on it's problems.

The opening credits reveal pixelated clouds in different shades of grey/greyish black; my guess is slipshod compression. Otherwise, things are decent but lackluster. Shinsengumi wasn't just a tragic story - Mifune is about the only thing that film really has going for it - but Urn is a flipping GOSHA film! It's absolutely worth a watch and worth owning, which further mystifies the mediocre release.

As a general policy I like to look into the quality of a release before I purchase, and discs like these are exactly why. I thought I could trust Animeigo after they demonstrated with Lone Wolf and Cub that they could do the no-brain thing to do and simply port the Japanese master for a region one price. But when they betray that trust by presenting a truly poor source, fudging the encoding, or amateurishly tinkering with materials my money ends up going to something that deserves it. What a waste.

@waywardsage: That disc has a reputation alright! I have yet to see Samurai "Assassin" (&*%$ marketing...), but when I do it'll probably be that lovely Japanese disc with an HD transfer!

[Vegeta84]

Wow, calm down there.

The Secret Of The Urn DVD release is honestly as beautiful as you can get a film from 1965 to look. The picture quality is much better their Lone Wolf and Cub releases.

While I will agree that they have screwed up on a few releases (Samurai Assassin), I will admit that they have made amends with releases since then. These aren't blu-rays and I'm not sure what you're smoking, but the Sleepy Eyes of Death series leaves nothing to be desired. The quality is top notch as is The Secret of the Urn.

These are pristine in presentation and look great.

[John]

Wow, calm down there.

The Secret Of The Urn DVD release is honestly as beautiful as you can get a film from 1965 to look. The picture quality is much better their Lone Wolf and Cub releases.

While I will agree that they have screwed up on a few releases (Samurai Assassin), I will admit that they have made amends with releases since then. These aren't blu-rays and I'm not sure what you're smoking, but the Sleepy Eyes of Death series leaves nothing to be desired. The quality is top notch as is The Secret of the Urn.

These are pristine in presentation and look great.

Egad. Obviously we disagree, and yet your response is to be plainly contrarian and talk down to me. That's a little defensive, wouldn't you say?

I've noticed that whenever there is an issue with quality control, be it food or service or home video, people tend to polarize. Some are not sensitive at all to hiccups in quality and it takes a Samurai Assassin to make them uncomfortable. Others lean towards the hypersensitive, and they will notice the tiniest flies in their ointment; this is the source of many arguments.

I believe that I am talking about problems that you haven't noticed for whatever reason. If it's not a problem for you, then congratulations; I hear ignorance is bliss. However, just because you are unaware or uninterested in what to you are 'small beans', that does not change the fact that:

-There is tremendously blocky encoding visible in the opening dark scenes and IIRC other dark scenes in Urn; I have seen similar blockiness on some MiB Shaw discs and earlier DVDs. This is quite rare among DVDs today and in my view reflects poorly on whoever is authoring the disc.

-I find Sleepy Eyes mostly decent to good throughout throughout, but there is some artifacing occasionally. I didn't notice any instances of artifacing in any Lone Wolf and Cub discs.

-Tangeant: If you think Urn is the best a 60s era film can look, you've been missing out. For example, if you're into Suzuki, Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill have a wonderful new release that handily outclasses these discs on DVD (e.g. there is virtually no print damage) to say nothing of the Blu-rays.

It's clear that Urn, Sleepy Eyes, and Lone Wolf all come from good sources, however when there is video artifacing such as the 'blocky effect' and 'aliasing' if that's the right term, this points to problems at the encoding process. If you will continue to insist that these are faeries that only occupy the brains of madmen, please articulate your position beyond 'beautiful as you can get' and 'much better'.

Also, I don't see how Animeigo makes 'amends' for tremendous errors like 'Assassin or The Battle of Okinawa by doing better on future releases. People have already paid for such discs with expectations based on prior purchases. Doing better next time doesn't fix those discs. Criterion, on the other hand, has a good history of making amends; complaints about their early Blu-ray packaging resulted in a new plastic case for BDs and a concurrent trade-in program.

[KUNG FU BOB]

Hey guys, thanks for your views. But please Vegeta84, as John said, there's no need to be critical of other members if you have a different viewpoint. I'll (and everyone else, will)hear both opinions regardless. So let's treat others as we'd like to be treated. Yes? :smile: Please? :bigsmile: Cool. :angel:

John, I have seen, and absolutely love SECRET OF THE URN, so I agree it deserves a top-notch release. As for SAMURAI ASSASSIN, I'm embarrassed to say- though I've owned it for years (since it's US release on VHS in fact), I still haven't watched it yet. :tongue:

As for my tolerance of technical defects on discs... Everyone has a different criteria. Personally, if it's uncut, letterboxed, original language, I'm happy. Sure, I'd like (and should be able to expect) a great job, but I know that's not always the case. So even though I wish each release would have a perfect image, include an original English dub if it's available (in case I'm ever in the mood for that), proper poster artwork on the case, a ton of extras, and an anamorphic picture, the lack of these things is not a deal breaker for me. Honestly, after my many early years of watching 7th generation VHS bootlegs, the fact that I'm seeing anything like this stuff on DVD and BD is a complete thrill! The things that really annoy me most are audio problems- out-of-sync, bad hiss, etc. But that's just me. :wink:

[John]

Yeah I'd hate to put you off Urn if it'll be an upgrade (issues nonewithstanding) KFB. As I said, the source is evidently high quality so for brighter scenes it's much smoother sailing.

I'm understanding of material that's seriously compromised or unavailable. This is true of many smaller and obscure works from all over the place. The thing is, a title like Secret of the Urn is the work of a presitigious director and well-looked after and available in high quality...

[Vegeta84]

Here are two simple ways of seeing things.

Two people can eat the same sandwich. One may like it, the other may not.

Two people can look into the sky on a bright cloudless day. One person can say the sky is blue, while the other can say it's dark purple . However, no matter how much the person thinks the sky is dark purple it's still blue.

The Sleepy Eyes Of Death films and Secret of The Urn have a better print than AnimEigo's release of the Lone Wolf and Cub films. Not saying that the Lone Wolf and Cub films have bad print sources, but the other films are superior in nearly every aspect. There is litterally no question of debate as it's not opinion, but simple fact.

It's your prerogative to find the print source to not be to your liking, but to say you're happy with the Lone Wolf and Cub transfers, but to slam a superior print source just simply doesn't make any common sense. No matter how much you want to sky to be purple, it's still blue.

No single company is perfect. Everbody makes mistakes. AnimEigo screwed up Samurai Assassin and Trail Of Blood, and by screw up, I mean they really screwed up.

Some films had bad transfers as well, Incident at Blood Pass springs to mind. However, out of about 80 or so releases about 90% have been great. Onimasa looks amazing, as does The Wolves, Shiniboi No Mono,The Geisha, Bushido, Revenge, etc etc.

If it wasn't for AnimEigo a shit ton of great films would have never seen the light of day in the states and I would have missed out on some great films.

Also, while I wouldn't say that Battle Of Okinawa had transfers as great as Sleepy Eyes of Death or Secret of the Urn, it is in no way a terrible transfer.

[John]

Here are two simple ways of seeing things.

Two people can eat the same sandwich. One may like it, the other may not.

Two people can look into the sky on a bright cloudless day. One person can say the sky is blue, while the other can say it's dark purple . However, no matter how much the person thinks the sky is dark purple it's still blue.

The Sleepy Eyes Of Death films and Secret of The Urn have a better print than AnimEigo's release of the Lone Wolf and Cub films. Not saying that the Lone Wolf and Cub films have bad print sources, but the other films are superior in nearly every aspect. There is litterally no question of debate as it's not opinion, but simple fact.

It's your prerogative to find the print source to not be to your liking, but to say you're happy with the Lone Wolf and Cub transfers, but to slam a superior print source just simply doesn't make any common sense. No matter how much you want to sky to be purple, it's still blue.

No single company is perfect. Everbody makes mistakes. AnimEigo screwed up Samurai Assassin and Trail Of Blood, and by screw up, I mean they really screwed up.

Some films had bad transfers as well, Incident at Blood Pass springs to mind. However, out of about 80 or so releases about 90% have been great. Onimasa looks amazing, as does The Wolves, Shiniboi No Mono,The Geisha, Bushido, Revenge, etc etc.

If it wasn't for AnimEigo a shit ton of great films would have never seen the light of day in the states and I would have missed out on some great films.

Also, while I wouldn't say that Battle Of Okinawa had transfers as great as Sleepy Eyes of Death or Secret of the Urn, it is in no way a terrible transfer.

When I asked you to articulate, I was hoping you might follow my lead and cite some examples to support your claims about quality. Instead, you return to blind assertions. If you are unable to specify and simply opine, well, there's no discussion if you're committed to repeating yourself.

With your second response, the rift between us is becoming all the more clear. My criticism thus far has had nothing to do with print quality. On the contrary, as I mentioned to you and later KFB the source (i.e. master, print, or what have you) is not the issue here. Most everything I've mentioned thus far has to do with video artifacing. As for Okinawa, take it from DVD Talk's Stuart Galbraith IV (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/31329/battle-of-okinawa/?___rd=1):

AnimEigo has been extremely hit or miss with its Toho live action releases. The company's Samurai Assassin (1965), another Okamoto title, was an out-of-focus disaster of a transfer, totally unwatchable. Last spring's Shinsengumi wasn't much better; that transfer suffered from extreme combing-type defects. Battle of Okinawa at least looks great. The 16:9 transfer maintains the original CinemaScope screen shape, and the colors are good and the image impressively sharp. (A high-def transfer was done in Japan and the impressive results aired on NHK's high-def channel.) Oddly, the film retains its original title card but offers no other credits (nor does AnimEigo provide translated ones at the end of the presentation, as is their norm), which wasn't the case in the high-def version.

Unfortunately, the mono sound is appalling. Listening to the film, it brought back memories for this reviewer of 25 years ago when I used to watch Super-8 sound movies (including many features) on my old Canon projector, with the mechanical whirring of that machine dominating the room. The battle scenes almost drown this defect out, but during quiet moments the buzz is almost deafening. It's not clear whether Toho provided AnimEigo with a defective master or if they screwed up in the authoring, but in any case this definitely should not have been released the way it is. It's a problem that demands correction. If anyone at AnimEigo would like to make a comment about this problem and how it happened and what their plans are regarding replacement discs, I'll be happy to report it here.


Let's be clear: I'm venting here. I'm not trying to tell you you're not allowed to enjoy your movies, or that Animeigo should be captured and summarily executed, or that the coming apocalypse has some releation to video artifacing. What I am saying is that DVD is a standard well past a decade old and now more than ever the technology exists and the work has been done to pave the way necessary to getting past the facepalm-inducing technical flubs that for reasons unclear Animeigo's releases cannot seem to avail themselves of! You seem to like the food analogies, so let's look at it this way: there's a hair in my soup. Animeigo makes relatively afforable soup, and I don't want to import soup from Japan everytime I'm hungry. I'd really like them to stop putting hair in my soup. Glad the follicles don't phase you, but excuse me if I make a fuss.

...and it's still no consolation to anyone unlucky enough to land one of the poorer releases that well, 90% of the time they're actually pretty good. Although my pain may suggest otherwise, I don't depend of DVDs for survival; they're something of a luxury, and I don't like it when that's taken for granted.

[Vegeta84]

The best articulation that I can give is that I did not notice artifacing on either the Sleepy Eyes of Death films or The Lone Wolf and Cub films. However, the Sleepy Eyes of Death films on DVD come from a superior/newly restored print in comparasion to that of the Lone Wolf and Cub films, thus having more vibrant colors and less print damage. Overall, having being a bit more "pretty" than what we see in the Lone Wolf and Cub films.

I will agree that the Branded To Kill/Tokyo Drifter were better discs, but then again it's Criterion. They do much of their own restoration and are a much bigger company. AnimEigo is much smaller, but for it's worth I think they do a fantastic job.

I don't think they are perfect, but they are far away from being crap as well. There are not many companies left that release Japanese films in the states, so I try not to bad mouth them unless they truly deserve it.

Word of mouth goes a long way and before you know there won't be anyone releasing Japanese films in this troubled market. While this wouldn't kill me, it would be pretty sad knowing that I missed out. Sometimes I wish HVE and Ronin Entertainment had continued on in the last few years as I'm sure that I probably would have seen many more Japanese films than I currently have.

[waywardsage]

I can see the previous posters frustration about some of the poor Animego transfers. Samurai Assassin was appalling! Incident at Blood was as pretty terrible too. I found Secret of the Urn to be okay and the Sleepy Eyes of Death films to look great. The Lone Wolf and Cub films looked okay.

Lets all just be glad that Animego still releases samurai films. They're pretty much the only company left.

It would be cool if they would just list where they got their print from and their mastering process, (if any) like Criterion. It would help alleviate most of the complaints.

[John]

If I've resorted to hyperbole at all, it's because I think most of these are stupid mistakes that don't have to have been made. I agree that it's a good thing this niche interest is still being catered to; and although it would be naive to expect he same level of sophistication Criterion offers from Animeigo, I point to them more as an example of a company that has openly recognized some mistakes and tried to make amends. This commitment to customer service contributes to their image, as I am sure some gesture on the part of Animeigo's would for some of the truly problematic releases.

While as Galbraith mentioned it's possible they have been stubbornly provided with inadequate materials on these occasions, as unfortunate as that may be these instances appear to have no end in sight. Our business-consumer relationship is a two-way street; if they aren't going to perform consistently or at least try to make amends (as practised by even green companies like Well Go USA, who surely realize the value in it), that is what's truly going to scare away the all too thin audience that buys these discs in the first place.

I choose to be vocal about the subject because I abhor the "blame the victim" mentality that seems to arise from the fear of somehow being punished for not applauding even a minimal effort. Hopefully, others will take notice and collective criticism will raise the bar for future releases by Animeigo; they could do with a nudge.

[waywardsage]

If I've resorted to hyperbole at all, it's because I think most of these are stupid mistakes that don't have to have been made. I agree that it's a good thing this niche interest is still being catered to; and although it would be naive to expect he same level of sophistication Criterion offers from Animeigo, I point to them more as an example of a company that has openly recognized some mistakes and tried to make amends. This commitment to customer service contributes to their image, as I am sure some gesture on the part of Animeigo's would for some of the truly problematic releases.

While as Galbraith mentioned it's possible they have been stubbornly provided with inadequate materials on these occasions, as unfortunate as that may be these instances appear to have no end in sight. Our business-consumer relationship is a two-way street; if they aren't going to perform consistently or at least try to make amends (as practised by even green companies like Well Go USA, who surely realize the value in it), that is what's truly going to scare away the all too thin audience that buys these discs in the first place.

I choose to be vocal about the subject because I abhor the "blame the victim" mentality that seems to arise from the fear of somehow being punished for not applauding even a minimal effort. Hopefully, others will take notice and collective criticism will raise the bar for future releases by Animeigo; they could do with a nudge.

I think your concern is what matters. I emailed Animeigo and asked them to join our forum and discuss their releases. I was met with, well, indifference. They said there are "a lot of forums around" and that they basically can't join them all.

That being said, you're right. It's two way street these days. Companies are expected to maintain a conversation with their consumers. Animeigo doesn't seem interested in maintaining a social media presence or participate with its fans. Heck, look at how outdated their site is! And this is all coming from a loving fan who's made multiple large purchases directly from their site!

I really do wish they would open up more and let us in on whats going on behind the scenes. If the only print they can find of a classic isn't that great, well...I'd understand if they just told us instead of leaving it a mystery. Criterion has done this in the past by merely explaining it on the liner notes that the available print was the best they could find.

[John]

Well said. I guess they just don't take us seriously. The feeling is mutual.

EDIT: I don't want to make it sound like Criterion is perfect; The Last Emperor in China had a contentious remaster reminiscent of Kubrick's full frame atrocities. More recently, the release of Seppuku (aka Hara-kiri) drew on an inferior master that similarly to the DVD was window-boxed and cropped the image. The end result isn't something that's unwatchable but I certainly expect more (and although I find price uninfluential, I do not fail to notice that subpar still commands top-dollar...). Fortunately, Eureka!'s disc benefits from a better source and will be the version I eventually encounter. Animeigo once did that for UK fans of Lone Wolf and Cub.

[Takuma]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/HungFist/177434-d1.jpg
- 2012-06-05

[waywardsage]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/HungFist/177434-d1.jpg
- 2012-06-05

Wow! Is this their new cover for their classic 13 Assassins release? Where did you get this?! When is it coming out?!

[Killer Meteor]

One Animego release that annoys me is ZATOICHI MEETS THE ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN. The picture is far superior to the crappy UK disc, but the audio is horribly messed with. The rich music of the UK disc is not a very heavily compressed, ear piercing shriek.

[Takuma]

Wow! Is this their new cover for their classic 13 Assassins release? Where did you get this?! When is it coming out?!

The source is watermarked on the cover. And the date is written below it :wink2:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/HungFist/139988-d1.jpg
2012-07-03

[Takuma]

also sometime this year
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/HungFist/sed3proof150.jpg
- http://www.animeigo.com/

via Al (http://www.avmaniacs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11479&page=11)

[waywardsage]

Just saw this today by randomly checking the Animeigo site. Man, they don't do ANY promotion! I was beginning to think they weren't going to release the last set of the Sleepy Eyes of Death series.

So it seems that we'll be getting that trilogy in the middle of the year, May-July ish? Perhaps the Shogun Assassin series earlier. I'm disappointed it's not the true Japanese Lone Wolf and Cub series. I've never seen the Shogun Assassin edits. Are they worth getting?

[Takuma]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/HungFist/180636-d0.jpg
Release date: 2012-09-25

[Tosh]

Soooo, I'm guessing it's time to buy that BR player:xd:

[KUNG FU BOB]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/HungFist/180636-d0.jpg
Release date: 2012-09-25

The storm clouds parted... and beautiful rays of warm sunlight shone down on the faces of all the people. Then there was a sharp glint of light from a flashing blade, and blood spattered across the upturned faces... and all was as it should be in fandom on that day. :bigsmile: LOL

Soooo, I'm guessing it's time to buy that BR player:xd:

This is like the Gods of Technology poking you with their proverbial katana Tosh. :nerd:

[Tosh]

This is like the Gods of Technology poking you with their proverbial katana Tosh. :nerd:

Yeah and they stuck it right in my wallet, which in my pocket also sticks me directly in my backend:xd:

[waywardsage]

The storm clouds parted... and beautiful rays of warm sunlight shone down on the faces of all the people. Then there was a sharp glint of light from a flashing blade, and blood spattered across the upturned faces... and all was as it should be in fandom on that day. :bigsmile: LOL



This is like the Gods of Technology poking you with their proverbial katana Tosh. :nerd:

Okay, first of all. I went super out of my way to get the DVD boxed set a while back. So, I'm not too sure that LW&C could look any better. I love it to death. But, it's an OLD movie. And it didn't look "remastered" on the DVD.

Hey, I'm happy to have new Samurai films in any medium. I'm just pissed that i'll have to probably re-buy it!

[waywardsage]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/HungFist/180636-d0.jpg
Release date: 2012-09-25

Typical Animeigo. Not a mention on their site! Why do they basically ignore us fans? What site are you getting this intel from!

[daisho2004]

Is this the original versions or the dubbed ones?

[John]

One would guess these are the original films, as they have used "Shogun Assassin" for their English versions exclusively in the past. Also, IIRC LWC is on 35mm; there's no reason a quality telecine wouldn't blow our minds. Being that Blu-ray has been such a long time coming from Animeigo and this is something of a flagship title, it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility that they'd go to the trouble.

[Takuma]

Yes, LW&C ones as
a) there is only 5 Shogun Assassins
b) those are coming out on BD already at an earlier date
c) they're called Shogun Assassin

:tongue:

[David Rees]

Im puzzled. According to Bluray.com these are English dubbed only?!...surely not.:squigglemouth:
Here is a link to the review.

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Shogun-Assassin-Box-Set-Blu-ray/38202/#Review

[Gaijin84]

Im puzzled. According to Bluray.com these are English dubbed only?!...surely not.:squigglemouth:
Here is a link to the review.

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Shogun-Assassin-Box-Set-Blu-ray/38202/#Review

This is a different set I believe. Two Blu-Ray sets coming out - this Shogun Assassin version you linked to and then an original series version.

[Ronin]

Some more info here:

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=197714

[waywardsage]

The just posted 13 Assassins for sale! It seems like an advance of release sale since it's $19. I got hosed on Sword of Desperation last time. So I'm going to wait till it drops down to $13 like last time.

[John]

So, the recent release of the dubbed Shogun Assassin series is on two BDs. It costs about 50 dollars on amazon.com, and 70(!) dollars on amazon.ca. Insert rage about arbitrary inflated prices here.

But more importantly, to me anyway, is the craziness of putting what, four movies, on a single BD50. That's pushing it. If the review on Bluray.com is to be considered, the results are overall pleasant, however not comparable to the presentation of Shogun Assassin on Blu.

Here I was, thinking Animeigo were getting back on the horse with one of their flagship releases, only to encounter new and exciting forms of bullshit. I hope that Animeigo will at least afford three BDs for the coming LW&C set. It's one thing to be gouged for niche films, but the sort of business model where I pay top dollar for "well, it IS better..." really extinguishes the enthusiasm I've had since their first Blu-ray. I mean, sure, if it's better I'll buy it, but I'll be quicker to nab Blu-rays that can justify being expensive.

[mpm74]

The Great Killing (http://www.cityonfire.com/the-great-killing-aka-the-great-duel-dvd-animeigo-eiichi-kudo/) is now available for Pre-order!

=D