BFI: 32 Ozu Films

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#701 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue Apr 16, 2013 7:43 pm

Finally got around to starting the set. The fragments of Straightforward Boy are a hoot. And I knew I loved Walk Cheerfully, but I had forgotten just how MUCH I love this remarkably visually playful (and charming) film.

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AidanKing
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#702 Post by AidanKing » Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:46 am

I think The Gangster Films is an excellent set as usual and would recommend it highly. It has an excellent booklet as expected and I very much enjoyed Michael's contribution.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#703 Post by Michael Kerpan » Mon Apr 22, 2013 12:09 pm

AidanKing wrote:I think The Gangster Films is an excellent set as usual and would recommend it highly. It has an excellent booklet as expected and I very much enjoyed Michael's contribution.
Thanks for the kind words.

This really is a splendid set (even setting aside my minute contribution). The films are wonderful, and they look good enough (despite their sometimes battered state). Having subtitles available at last is really great. ;~}

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#704 Post by AK » Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:07 am

AidanKing wrote:I think The Gangster Films is an excellent set as usual and would recommend it highly. It has an excellent booklet as expected and I very much enjoyed Michael's contribution.
Second that! I haven't gotten around to watching the films yet (!), but Michael's essay is the highlight of the wonderful booklet.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#705 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:12 am

AK wrote:Second that! I haven't gotten around to watching the films yet (!), but Michael's essay is the highlight of the wonderful booklet.
I'm blushing. ;~}

Seriously though, the films are MUCH more fun than any essay about them could possibly be -- not a fair contest at all.

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antnield
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#706 Post by antnield » Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:02 am


Jack Phillips
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#707 Post by Jack Phillips » Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:23 am

Way cool! Clive Bell? Isn't he the bloke on all those Jah Wobble albums?

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mostly asia
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#708 Post by mostly asia » Wed May 22, 2013 12:19 pm

no news about the next Ozu's?.... :/

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#709 Post by MichaelB » Wed May 22, 2013 1:15 pm

The second I hear anything, it'll be posted here.

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mostly asia
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#710 Post by mostly asia » Wed May 22, 2013 4:31 pm

ok :-)

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#711 Post by Michael Kerpan » Wed May 22, 2013 4:57 pm

MichaelB wrote:The second I hear anything, it'll be posted here.
Is it my imagination -- or do people only seem _really_ interested in the releases from this Ozu series while waiting for _next_ releases? (I'm feeling rather let down down by the lack of discussion of the 3 films included in the last set). ;~{

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Matt
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#712 Post by Matt » Wed May 22, 2013 5:11 pm

Michael Kerpan wrote:I'm feeling rather let down down by the lack of discussion of the 3 films included in the last set
I'm waiting for a sale or a price drop on the gangsters set (though I haven't really been that talkative about the previous releases). Ozu is kind of a private pleasure for me. I wouldn't want to have to get into defending or explaining why I love his work.

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AlexHansen
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#713 Post by AlexHansen » Wed May 22, 2013 7:03 pm

It'd be hard for me to defend/explain as well, though I'll include my notes from my Hulu viewing of Walk Cheerfully a while back, perhaps they'll kick start a little something. Ozu's a world I need to dwell in repeatedly before I'd be comfortable trying to put things into (more fleshed out) words. The same goes for something like Straub/Huillet. Something about the purity & complex simplicity of their work makes it hard to grapple with adequately.

Notes on WC: Chalk arrows, ominous guidance, being led somewhere. Discarded broken doll, talk about a loaded image. Toe tapping. Polishing the golf club. Walking like there’s gum on their shoes.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#714 Post by zedz » Wed May 22, 2013 8:12 pm

Michael Kerpan wrote:
MichaelB wrote:The second I hear anything, it'll be posted here.
Is it my imagination -- or do people only seem _really_ interested in the releases from this Ozu series while waiting for _next_ releases? (I'm feeling rather let down down by the lack of discussion of the 3 films included in the last set). ;~{
I think this is a recurring problem all over this forum: people getting far more excited by announcements than by releases. Just look at the dozens and dozens of 'hotly anticipated' Criterion releases which attract practically no comment when they're actually released (but might nevertheless have led to page after page after page of cover art bitching).

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#715 Post by knives » Wed May 22, 2013 8:26 pm

I think part of the problem there is in regards to excitement. It's easier to get excited enough to do a proper writeup for a new experience, but if it is just a new release of an old favorite the excitement to write up directly in relation to the film is ever so slightly harder. At least that's what I assume the situation is since my lack of writing up 90% of the time is because I'm terrible at it and don't wish to make anyone suffer.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#716 Post by artfilmfan » Wed May 22, 2013 8:53 pm

Michael Kerpan wrote:(I'm feeling rather let down down by the lack of discussion of the 3 films included in the last set). ;~{
The lack of discussions is probably due to the lack of drinks. Ref: your February 18th posting. :)

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#717 Post by Oedipax » Wed May 22, 2013 8:56 pm

As lame as it sounds, and as reasonable from a technical standpoint the decision may have been, I got much less excited about these Ozu releases once they switched to DVD from bluray. But I do plan on getting and viewing them all, eventually.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#718 Post by longstone » Thu May 23, 2013 2:04 am

I'd just like to say that I really appreciate these releases. Prior to the Student comedies set and the Gangster set being released I had not seen any of those films. So to now own seven complete silents, two surviving segments plus Woman of Tokyo from the melodramas set that I had not previously had the chance to enjoy is fantastic. I hope the BFI do complete the set and that the previous titles are selling well enough to justify continuing.
I enjoyed the booklets too.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#719 Post by Jonathan S » Thu May 23, 2013 5:49 am

zedz wrote:
Michael Kerpan wrote:
MichaelB wrote:The second I hear anything, it'll be posted here.
Is it my imagination -- or do people only seem _really_ interested in the releases from this Ozu series while waiting for _next_ releases? (I'm feeling rather let down down by the lack of discussion of the 3 films included in the last set). ;~{
I think this is a recurring problem all over this forum: people getting far more excited by announcements than by releases. Just look at the dozens and dozens of 'hotly anticipated' Criterion releases which attract practically no comment when they're actually released (but might nevertheless have led to page after page after page of cover art bitching).
This mindset is typical of collectors (of anything), and without it there would probably be no home video or recording industry. Irving Berlin said it best.

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John Edmond
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#720 Post by John Edmond » Thu May 23, 2013 6:15 am

This is all true, and I'm as guilty of this as any, but it's also to do with anticipation. Music forums are equally plagued by this. In part it's as much to do with what's easy or novel to talk about. I love the series but that is banal, when I have something new to say about Ozu, I promise I'll pipe up.

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#721 Post by repeat » Thu May 23, 2013 6:20 am

Godard said it well too - can't find the quote now, but the gist was that he didn't believe in home video because it would only end up with people spending more time buying films than actually watching them. (Peter von Bagh has also often lamented this "once you own it, you don't have to watch it" attitude that the DVD market seems to cultivate)

I too have a bunch of those BFI Ozu's still in shrinkwrap since last year (I've seen most of the films though) - constantly intending to rewatch them, but there's this silly compulsion to try and cut down the kevyip by watching something new, even though I know that there's no chance of it being any better than any of these...

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#722 Post by Jonathan S » Thu May 23, 2013 6:28 am

repeat wrote: (Peter von Bagh has also often lamented this "once you own it, you don't have to watch it" attitude that the DVD market seems to cultivate)
Over 30 years ago, there was a similar joke that a VCR was a device that enabled you not to miss TV programmes without actually having to watch them!

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tenia
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#723 Post by tenia » Thu May 23, 2013 10:18 am

repeat wrote:it would only end up with people spending more time buying films than actually watching them.
I'm not sure that's actually the problem, but more buying more stuff than you have time to watch it, no ?

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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#724 Post by swo17 » Thu May 23, 2013 10:18 am

At least we're able to have a healthy discussion about why we're not having a healthy discussion about films.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: BFI: 32 Ozu Films

#725 Post by Michael Kerpan » Thu May 23, 2013 12:18 pm

Well, I hope to see more discussion of these films in the future -- as they are (to me, at least) often visually surprising AND lots of fun to watch. ;~}

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