"Ichi the Miller" WorldWide Cinema (NL) - Region 2,4 - PAL vs. Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters - Region 0

(aka "Ichi the Killer" or "Koroshiya 1" or "Koroshiya ichi")

directed by Takashi Miike
Japan / Hong Kong / South Korea 2001

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 14th, 2001 - Canada (Toronto Film Festival)

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

WorldWide Cinema (NL) - Region 2,4 - PAL vs. Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Ole Kofoed and Gregory Meshman for the Screen Caps!

(WorldWide Cinema (NL) - Region 2,4 - PAL - LEFT vs. Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	WorldWide Cinema (NL) Region 2,4 - PAL	Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	2:03:20 (4% PAL speedup)	2:08:28
Video	1.78:1 Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.54 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.78:1 Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.22 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
Bitrate: WorldWide Cinema (NL) NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters
Audio	Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dubbed DD 4.0	Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 & 2.0 and English Dubbed DD 5.1
Subtitles	English, French, Dutch or none.	English or none
Features	Release Information: Studio: WorldWide Cinema (NL) Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • Interview with Takashi Miike (English Subtitles) (32:24). • Interview with Tadanobu Asano (English Subtitles)(9:39). • Interview with Alien Sun (In English)(14:46). • Interview with Shinya Tsukamoto (English Subtitles)(14:05). • 7 Behind the scenes featurettes (No subs) (Total 15:51). • Theatrical Trailer (1:42). • European Campain Trailer (1:29). • Electronic Press Kit (Some from the Miike Interview (6:02), Behind the Scenes / Outtakes (14:59)). • Photo Gallery (total of 51 - Production Stills / Behind the Scenes / Campaign Artwork). • 2-DVD Set DVD Release Date: April 4, 2003 Keep Case in Slip-Case Chapters 32	Release Information: Studio: Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • Audio Commentary with Takashi Miike and Hideo Yamamoto in Japanese with optional English subtitles • Photo Gallery (total of 28 - Production Stills / Behind the Scenes) • Theatrical Trailers for other Tokyo Shock releases (Samurai Fiction, Pistol Opera, Versus, Visitor Q DVD Release Date: November 18, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 20
Comments:	The WorldWide Cinema release appears to be much sharper and the colors seem truer than the Tokyo Shock edition. The Tokyo Shock is washed out and boosted which has really made the image hazy in comparison to the WorldWide Cinema. The Tokyo Shock image is slightly cropped on both edges. Both releases have strong Extra Features with the Tokyo Shock having a director commentary. The WorldWide Cinema DVD has an extensive interview with Miike (30:00), with 3 other cast/crew interviews, 7 'Behind the Scenes' featurettes and more. Both have original Japanese 5.1 audio and both offer and English DUB track. the WorldWide has more subtitle options, but they both offer removable English. The WorldWide release is the way to go, but fans may also want the Tokyo Shock for the commentary. -Gary Tooze NOTE: (From Phil Quail) I have both versions, and I just wanted to point out something interesting (to me, anyway!) about the English audio tracks: on the Dutch R2 the voiceover actors have Dutch accents, but on the American R1 the accents all sound British! I'd love to know where the tracks originated. Either way, you're best off with the Japanese audio of course.

Recommended Reading in Chinese/Hong Kong/Taiwanese Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy by Zhen Ni, Chris Berry, Ni Zhen	Zhang Yimou: Interviews (Conversations With Filmmakers) by Frances Gateward	Chinese Films in Focus: 25 New Takes by Chris Berry	Wong Kar-Wai: Auteur of Time (Bfi World Directors) by Stephen Teo	China into Film: Frames of Reference in Contemporary Chinese Cinema (Envisioning Asia) by Jerome Silbergeld	New Chinese Cinemas by Nick Browne	Once Upon a Time in China : A Guide to Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and Mainland Chinese Cinema by Jeff Yang	Chinese Film Theory by George S. Semsel	Women Through the Lens: Gender and Nation in a Century of Chinese Cinema by Shuqin Cui	Tsai Ming-Liang by Tsai Ming-Liang

Check out more in "The Library"

DVD Menus

(WorldWide Cinema (NL) - Region 2,4 - PAL - LEFT vs. Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)