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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
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Nikkatsu Noir
I Am
Waiting (1957) Rusty
Knife (1958)
Take Aim at the Police Van (1960)
Cruel Gun Story (1964)
A Colt Is My Passport (1967)
I Am Waiting is on Radiance Blu-ray - reviewed / compared HERE
Cruel Gun Story is on Radiance World Noir Vol. 2 Blu-ray compared to this one HERE
From the late 1950s through the sixties, wild, idiosyncratic crime movies were the brutal and boisterous business of Nikkatsu, the oldest film studio in Japan. In an effort to attract youthful audiences growing increasingly accustomed to American and French big-screen imports, Nikkatsu began producing action potboilers (mukokuseki akushun, or “borderless action”) that incorporated elements of the western, comedy, gangster, and teen-rebel genres. This bruised and bloody collection represents a standout cross section of what Nikkatsu had to offer, from such prominent, stylistically daring directors as Seijun Suzuki, Toshio Masuda, and Takashi Nomura. |
Titles
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I Am Waiting |
Posters
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Theatrical Releases: 1957 - 1967
DVD Review: Eclipse Series 17 from the Criterion Collection (5-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC
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DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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Distribution | Eclipse / Criterion Collection - Region 1 - NTSC | |
Time: | Respectively - 1:30:45, 1:30:18, 1:18:57, 1:26:36 and 1:24:33 | |
Bitrate: I Am Waiting |
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Bitrate: Rusty Knife |
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Bitrate: Take Aim at the Police Van |
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Bitrate: Cruel Gun Story |
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Bitrate: A Colt Is My Passport |
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Audio | Japanese (original mono) | |
Subtitles | English, None | |
Features |
Release Information: Edition Details:
• one page (for each film) of liner notes in the
transparent case
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Comments: |
Cruel Gun Story is on Radiance World Noir Vol. 2 Blu-ray compared to this one HERE I Am Waiting is on Radiance Blu-ray - reviewed / compared HERE NOTE: The 5 main features of this boxset are housed in individual slim transparent keep cases (see images above and below) they are not sold separately at this time. These NTSC editions can only be obtained in Criterion's Eclipse Series 17 package at present. All five DVDs are single-layered and only the 1.33:1 I Am Waiting, and to a lesser degree; A Colt Is My Passport (1967), are pictureboxed transferred (see our full description of 'pictureboxing' in our Kind Hearts and Coronets review). Each are coded for Region 1 in the NTSC standard. The transfers are progressive and, aside from I Am Waiting, in the anamorphically enhanced 2.35 aspect ratio. NOTE: For the picture-boxed transfers we have left the black borders in our screen captures to see the extent - around the entire frame for I Am Waiting and the side edges for A Colt Is My Passport. You can see for yourself on the latter transfer it is not extensive, but does exist. The sound is original Japanese mono but dialogue is clear and quite audible - I noted a couple of instances of minor hiss, but overall it is supporting the films well. There are optional English subtitles (font samples below). Bitrates are reasonable ranging from from 5.38 MPS to 6.15 MPS. Aside from one page liner notes for each film (visible on the inner case sleeve through the transparent case cover) or a 4-page leaflet for I Am Waiting, there are no supplements. I don't believe that any of the 5 of these films have been previously available on DVD.
On the image - quality is
surprisingly strong for single-layered transfers with only I Am
Waiting showing light, digitally repaired, vertical
scratches or frame specific speckles. Rusty Knife also
looks a bit faded. There is some minor
flickering contrast but these are all watchable and they improve in
quality the younger the films are with A Colt Is My Passport
looking the best (and probably my favorite of the five) - or it could be
the film's sexy cinematography. Suzuki's Take Aim at the Police
Van can be a bit hazy with some noticeable noise but is
certainly watchable. It's the only film that I thought may have
benefited strongly from dual-layering - but, as you can see, contrast
dramatically improves from the first 2. I would say the Mission Statement
description on the back of the boxset continues to be very accurate in
the case of Nikkatsu Noir: "Eclipse is a
selection of lost, forgotten, or overshadowed classics in simple,
affordable editions. Each series is a brief cinematheque retrospective
for the adventurous home viewer." Personally, I had not seen
any of these films before. Suzuki junkies should be very happy - even
beyond his sole offering. I was very impressed with the package as
a whole and I just LOVED these films. I couldn't wait to get to the next
one. The nebulous noir-moniker could easily be used as there are so many
instances of recognizable obtuse camera conventions with dockside and
small bar locales - crime, fog, prison, molls and late night shadows.
God, I love it.
In fact it is much more 'noirish' link than I was anticipating. This
package is VERY cool and I envy you for being able to partake it in for
the first time. For those keen on Japanese cinema or film noir in
general - this is an essential purchase. It's fabulous and I give it our
highest recommendation. This may be my favorite Eclipse Series boxset to
date!
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DVD Menus
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Slim Transparent Keep Case Cover
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Screen Captures
I Am Waiting (1957) aka Ore wa matteru ze
Directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara
I Am Waiting is on Radiance Blu-ray - reviewed / compared HERE
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Slim Transparent Keep Case Cover
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Screen Captures
Rusty Knife (1958) aka Sabita naifu
Directed by Toshio Masuda
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Slim Transparent Keep Case Cover
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Screen Captures
Take Aim at the Police Van (1960)
aka Jûsangô taihi-sen ori: Sono gôshô o nerae
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Cruel Gun Story (1964) aka Kenju zankoku monogatari
Directed by Takumi Furukawa
Cruel Gun Story is on Radiance World Noir Vol. 2 Blu-ray compared to this one HERE
A Colt Is My Passport (1967) aka Koruto wa ore no pasupoto
Directed by Takashi Nomura
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