Kikujiro and Yi Yi

[Steve_S]

Liked both of these films at the cinema and they're both out on region 1. Anyone got either of these ? Any good ?

[APPRIA40WR]

I had the Region 1 (http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=775) disc and it's the best release of Beat's films in the US (although that's not difficult to beat!). Nice disc.

I wasn't impressed with the movie though.

[Damian Dugdale]

Steve,

The Region 1 'Kikujiro' DVD is excellent, with a spotless anamorphic tranfser and a completely sufficiant (considering the films style) Dolby Surround soundtrack.

The best version of 'Yi-Yi' is the Region 0 DVD, from Hong Kong. The picture is non-anamorphic, but I gather it's no worse (if not, actually better) than the supposedly very poor Region 1 DVD. It's available for $95 HK (approx. £8.35, inc. P+P) from DDDHouse.

Regards,
Damian.

[kuronen]

Originally posted by Damian Dugdale
Steve,

The best version of 'Yi-Yi' is the Region 0 DVD, from Hong Kong. The picture is non-anamorphic, but I gather it's no worse (if not, actually better) than the supposedly very poor Region 1 DVD. It's available for $95 HK (approx. £8.35, inc. P+P) from DDDHouse.

Regards,
Damian.

I can confirm that Fox Lorber Yi Yi is a real travesty. It is anamorphic but still the transfer is the worst I have seen so far (owning more than 1000 DVDs, that is). In my not so humble opinion Fox Lorber has managed to upgrade it total lack of competence to an anamorphic era. The film is marvellous and surely deserves MK2 treatment.

[Noel M]

I didn't find much wrong with the Fox Lorber release of 'Yi-Yi'. It's not the best print you'll ever see, but it is far from the worst and I don't think the cinematography needs a crystal tranfer - it's not that kind of film. There are no marks or scratches on the print, it is anamorphic and it has a director commentary. I'd certainly go for that over a non-anamorphic HK R0.

[samhain]

I agree with Noel M. The quality of the Yi Yi transfer isn't the best I've seen, but it isn't terrible either. The HK release is unlikely to be any better, and the commentary is a worthy addition.
The film's great and worth spending the extra money on.

[Steve_S]

I wasn't impressed with the movie though.

I like Kikujiro a lot. Sure it differs from his previous yakuza films, but it shows more of the 'Beat' side of him than any of his other films.

Looks like it'll be the region 1 for Yi Yi, average transfer and all. I have seen some bad transfers in my time (Tartan's Cyrano de Bergerac springs to mind) and this doesn't sound like one of the worst.

[Noel M]

Originally posted by Steve_S
I have seen some bad transfers in my time (Tartan's Cyrano de Bergerac springs to mind) and this doesn't sound like one of the worst.

I haven't seen the Tartan release of Cyrano de Bergerac, knowing of it's bad reputation, but I recently purchased the new Australian R0 release in the hope that it might be half decent. Now this is one of the worst DVD transfers I have ever seen - non-anamorphic, fixed subtitles, faded, grainy print with brightness down the right hand side of the film. Possibly the same print used by Tartan? Rest assured, the R1 Yi-yi looks better than that.

[Hendrik]

...if you don't mind French subs, there's also this R2 version:

http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=3085

. . . :o . . .

[Steve_S]

I haven't seen the Tartan release of Cyrano de Bergerac, knowing of it's bad reputation, but I recently purchased the new Australian R0 release in the hope that it might be half decent. Now this is one of the worst DVD transfers I have ever seen - non-anamorphic, fixed subtitles, faded, grainy print with brightness down the right hand side of the film. Possibly the same print used by Tartan?

Oh dear, sounds exactly like the Tartan version :(

[Steve_S]

...if you don't mind French subs, there's also this R2 version:

My French isn't that great, so it's got to have english subs.