Comments on: AK Film Club: ‘Drunken Angel’ for June, other films to follow

By: Vili Maunula

Vili Maunula — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:56:07 +0000

I’m still waiting for my copy to arrive. Should be next week. I watched half of the film yesterday with Hong Kong subtitles, but then grew tired of Ching Wing and his associates.

By: sanjuro

sanjuro — Sat, 31 May 2008 20:06:21 +0000

My upgraded version of Drunken Angel has finally arrived - the Criterion edition. Haven’t managed to watch it yet but I am looking forward to watching it for the first time with subtitles I can understand.

By: Store Hadji

Store Hadji — Sat, 24 May 2008 10:44:42 +0000

There are used VHS copies of it for sale on Amazon.com, specifically a few Amazon Marketplace sellers. And there’s an Ebay Store that carries it. That’s the copy I have. It’s widescreen and with English subtitles.

It’s not a Criterion dvd, of course, but was a great boon for folks like me who needed to obtain a copy.

By: Vili Maunula

Vili Maunula — Sat, 24 May 2008 10:33:48 +0000

The schedule for 2009 will be decided around November. Probably with a vote of some kind.

From the films that you mentioned, Dodesukaden is a bit problematic because of its poor availability for the English speaking market. Let’s hope that we’ll get a good release within the next three years!

By: Store Hadji

Store Hadji — Sat, 24 May 2008 10:25:58 +0000

I love all of those.

I’m still perplexed by Yojimbo, that absurdist farce with the 1960s fashion template, but I did enjoy it.

Hmmm, which are the months for Dreams, Dodeskaden, The Idiot and I Live in Fear?

Mr. K has nearly three years’ worth of films to talk about.

By: Jeremy Quintanilla

Jeremy Quintanilla — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:46:31 +0000

I think Red Beard is among the AK best.
Sanjuro, I would say a bit of upgrading is well past due

appears the computers at work show Japaneses text in “???”, so anyways the whole “????” if you see it, was me just trying to be cool with a bit of Japanese

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:38:01 +0000

Looks like a great list to me (count me as one of the admirers of ‘Madadayo,’ by the way). I plan to re-view ‘Rashomon’ early next week and hop in the discussion. I’ll also be a little late to the ‘Drunken Angel’ party, too, as I’ll be on vacation during the first part of June.

By: sanjuro

sanjuro — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:15:23 +0000

It’s a great list and I’m looking forward to all of them. The great relief about this list for me is that it doesn’t include anything relatively obscure so I won’t be breaking out my Mei Ah copies just yet. The only problem is that my Drunken Angel is in Japanese with Greek subtitles and my Greek is pretty bad so I’ll have to invest in the BFI or Criterion in time for June. I may have to upgrade my Ikiru too - my sole copy is actually on VHS and is already looking a bit worse for wear. Multiple pausings will probably kill it off.

Can’t wait for Red Beard especially, as I think it’s such an overlooked masterpiece, and looking forward to watching Madadayo again too (well, I really liked it).

By: Jeremy Quintanilla

Jeremy Quintanilla — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:26:48 +0000

List look great to me, Drunken Angel, Stray Dog, High and Low, and Red Beard I’m excited about. Ikiru is a obvious must, and my most anticipated movie.

Madadayo, I will properly make enemies with that one, perhaps I best avoid it Or maybe I should just say まだ準備ができていないんだ (I think thats right)

The samurai age movies are certainly no easy task, Yojimbo however should be rather fun.