Shimizu Hiroshi Boxsets

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esl
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:54 pm
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#26 Post by esl » Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:56 am

Michael Kerpan wrote: This is barely scratching the surface of his (surviving) output -- as many (most even) of his best films are not included in these first two sets.
Is there a listing of all his films (even just the surviving ones)? I have searched the net but can find only limited information. IMDB lists about 41 and does not include the following films of his that I am aware of:

The Shiinomi School (Shiinomi gakuen)(1955)
Children and the Great Buddha (Daibutsu-sama to kodomo-tachi)(1952)
Those later children of the Beehive (Sono ato no hachi no su no kodomo)(1951)
A Mother's Love (Bojo) (1949)
Mr. Shosuke Ohara (Ohara Shosuke-san)(1949)
The Introspection Tower (Mikaeri no to)(1941)

Ditto the three cheers for Shochiku.

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Steven H
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#27 Post by Steven H » Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:06 am

Here is Shimizu's JMDB page, which is in all Japanese, but I think it's a pretty healthy listing of his work (166 films directed!)

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Michael Kerpan
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#28 Post by Michael Kerpan » Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:41 am

Last I looked, IMDB also didn't include "Nobuko" (coming in set 2). It also doesn't include the more important (silent) "Eclipse" (which one hopes someone will release -- along with 7 Seas).

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htdm
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#29 Post by htdm » Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:33 pm

Steven H wrote:Here is Shimizu's JMDB page, which is in all Japanese, but I think it's a pretty healthy listing of his work (166 films directed!)
The jmdb is an extremely useful source that's far more accurate than its counterpart here, but it's not without errors. Many inaccuracies are small (release dates) and a few aren't (missing titles, titles he didn't direct). Probably the most definitive source on the director's work available is A Shimizu Hiroshi Reader published by Film Art in Japan. A team of four Shimizu scholars identified 163 films in his filmography. Out of that number, only 47 are still known to exist in various public archives and private collections. The good news is that the vast majority of his existing works have been released by Shochiku on VHS in the past - which would seem to bode well for a future DVD release depending on the sales of these sets.

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#30 Post by cinema4ever » Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:56 pm

If Japanese Girls at the Harbor has a subtitle, I am buying this boxset for sure!!!

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fiddlesticks
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#31 Post by fiddlesticks » Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:07 pm

CDJapan has the boxset at ¥12,000, and the individual titles (not including Japanese Girls at the Harbor) at ¥3,800 apiece. CDJapan co-lists these prices in USD as $113.49 and $35.94, respectively; that seems to be an approximation on their part (as opposed to an option to pay in USD). Shipping methods and rates vary; the cheapest to the US is ¥1200 for the boxset or ¥500 for a single title.

You can knock ¥500 off any one of those prices (or any other purchase totaling ¥3,000 or more) by obtaining a coupon which can be accessed through our good friends at DVDBeaver. Even with this coupon, it's still probably more than I can afford, but I thought some of you might be able to make use of this coupon.

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Steven H
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#32 Post by Steven H » Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:15 pm

htdm wrote:Probably the most definitive source on the director's work available is A Shimizu Hiroshi Reader published by Film Art in Japan.
Excellent information, htdm! Do you have the book? If so, I'd love to hear any interesting snippets or quotes from it, if you have the time/inclination (and read Japanese, of course.)

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sidehacker
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#33 Post by sidehacker » Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:24 pm

I have a barely watchable English-subbed VHS of Japanese Girls at the Harbor that I (or we) can use as a source for custom subtitles.

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Sanjuro
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#34 Post by Sanjuro » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:41 am

That's a great site. Thanks!

That compilation of Terayama Shuji scripts is most tempting.

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Rufus T. Firefly
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#35 Post by Rufus T. Firefly » Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:28 am

My set arrived today and I can confirm that all four films have English subtitles, including Japanese Girls at the Harbour.

The booklet (in Japanese) has what appears to be a complete filmography, with 163 titles as htdm mentioned.

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Steven H
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#36 Post by Steven H » Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:43 am

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:My set arrived today and I can confirm that all four films have English subtitles, including Japanese Girls at the Harbour.
Wow... great news! I'd been holding back about the price, but it's really not a bad deal at all for a box set of three subbed Japanese imports, going for a little over $90 at amazon.co.jp, plus shipping (a four DVD set would usually go for about $160.)

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Michael Kerpan
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#37 Post by Michael Kerpan » Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:54 am

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:My set arrived today and I can confirm that all four films have English subtitles, including Japanese Girls at the Harbour.

The booklet (in Japanese) has what appears to be a complete filmography, with 163 titles as htdm mentioned.
Scooped.

My set is supposed to arrive today.

Great news!

Have you seen any of these film before?

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#38 Post by cinema4ever » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:11 pm

Is there any chance that Criterion will come out with their own boxset of Shimizu films???

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Michael Kerpan
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#39 Post by Michael Kerpan » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:15 pm

We'll have to see how much Shochiku has cleaned these films up. I suspect that most of his films have the same problems as early Ozu -- which means images good enough only for Eclipse releases. I bet MOC would be more apt to give his work proper treatment -- but right now, there is very little published (in English) about Shimizu.

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Steven H
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#40 Post by Steven H » Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:28 pm

If anyone wants a little material in english on Shimizu (that isn't linked from his wikipedia page) a Keiko McDonald essay on his children films is available in Word and Image in Japanese Cinema, edited by Dennis Washburn. However, if you don't feel like paying about a hundred bucks (or your local library clearly hates Japanese cinema by not having everything written on the subject), you can read the whole thing online by flipping back and forth between Google Books and Amazon.com's Look Inside feature (both of which black out differnet pages here and there).

Professor McDonald is also working on a book about the director titled "The World of Hiroshi Shimizu: a Forgotten Veteran of Japanese Cinema".

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Michael Kerpan
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#41 Post by Michael Kerpan » Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:43 pm

Actually KM's bio now says she has finished her Shimizu book and has started on one about Japanese women directors. Speaking of which, I just got an unsubbed copy of Tanaka's Wandering Princess. Other than the fact that this is about some noblewoman who was married off to the brother of the last emperor of China -- I can't find out anything about this. (So -- yet another KM book to wait on).

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Sanjuro
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#42 Post by Sanjuro » Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:07 pm

cinema4ever wrote:Is there any chance that Criterion will come out with their own boxset of Shimizu films???
On the 'Comments from Overseas' section over at Shikoku.co.jp there's actually a quote from "The Criterion Collection"
We really enjoyed Ornamental Hairpin. It's a very charming and sincere film, yet totally light hearted and endearing at the same time.

― The Criterion Collection

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Michael Kerpan
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#43 Post by Michael Kerpan » Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:12 pm

I just took my first peek at this set. The subtitling seems pretty decent -- and these look considerably better than the copies I'm used to seeing. No digital repairs that I can notice (lots of visible damage) -- it seems like a straightforward transfer of the materials Shochiku has in its possession.

No score for Japanese Girls at the Harbor -- as expected. The sound on the others its on a par with the visuals. The packaging is quite lovely and sturdy.

Some might be disappointed with the lack of extensive restoration. I am delighted to get what was issued, however.

dekalog
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#44 Post by dekalog » Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:04 pm

There is also a booklet called "Shimizu Hiroshi, 101st Anniversary" published in conjunction with a retrospectives held in the 2004 HK Int'l Film Festival.

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jguitar
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#45 Post by jguitar » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:04 pm

Well, I've done my bit and ordered this set. If Shochiku don't include English subtitles on every subsequent release as a consequence of my purchase, I'll take it as a personal affront.

But seriously, this is so unexpected a pleasure--and thanks to Michael, Steven H, et al. for the great info.

Tomas
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#46 Post by Tomas » Sat May 03, 2008 4:20 pm

I also ordered this set. I can't wait to see some Shimizu films.

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Michael Kerpan
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#47 Post by Michael Kerpan » Sat May 03, 2008 4:30 pm

Shimizu trivia:

The DVD of "Amma to onna" (The Masseur(s) and the Woman) has a trailer for a soon-to-be-released re-make by Katsuhito Ishii (Taste of Tea / Funky Forest), called "Yama no anata". It looks like a pretty straightforward re-make, judging by what one sees -- and the dialog one hears -- in the trailer.

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manicsounds
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#48 Post by manicsounds » Tue May 06, 2008 12:44 am

The remake is a shot-for-shot remake, like Van Sant's Psycho, I watched some side-by-side comparisons on TV last night. Looks disappointing that they would do this, but it is a way for younger Japanese to get into older films possibly.

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Michael Kerpan
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#49 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue May 06, 2008 8:29 am

manicsounds wrote:The remake is a shot-for-shot remake, like Van Sant's Psycho, I watched some side-by-side comparisons on TV last night. Looks disappointing that they would do this, but it is a way for younger Japanese to get into older films possibly.
Who on earth is the lead actress in this (Maiko) -- and how could anyone imagine she would be an adequate substitute for (the unjustifiably neglected) Mieko Takamine?

Evem a shot by shot remake would not replicate Shimizu's work -- as his films were so intimately tied to the time at which they were made -- and this would seem to be an antiquarian project. ;~}

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htdm
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#50 Post by htdm » Mon May 12, 2008 10:04 pm

According to the evening edition of Thursday's Asahi Shinbun (a leading national newspaper), Shochiku is planning to release 5 Shimizu sets - no details on the contents however.

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