Unlike my February thoughts, I think I'm pretty solid in my picks for their March titles although I'm bound to change my mind at any point, which were announced this afternoon. They announced three new titles this afternoon and two reissues for Blu-Ray. Let's start off with what I won't be buying for reasons ranging from "it doesn't sound interesting" - which is silly given its the freaking Criterion Collection. Everything about it shouldn't be meh or blah. I've changed the format of how I'm going to post these from now on and may go back and forth. It ultimately depends on which is easier for me.
First up The Times of Harvey Milk (Epstein, 1984), which is a documentary about Harvey Milk and later inspired Gus Van Zant's Milk a few years ago. Much like Van Zant's Milk, I'm not interested in this film either. Documentaries rarely do much for me in this regard. Second in the "I'm not going to touch it" category, The Mikado (Schertzinger, 1939). I've never even heard of this and the premise seems slightly uninteresting. I'll likely wait on reviews, but it has a long way to go to get my interest. That does it for titles I'll be passing on, now to more moderate good-bad and good news. The Times of Harvey Milk is out March 22nd and The Mikado is out March 29th on DVD and Blu-ray.
There is only one title in the maybe pile, that is Topsy-Turvy (Leigh, 1999), it looks and sounds interesting and has good ratings on Rotten Tomatos and IMDB. Although I like to try to limit myself to two Criterion releases a month and that quota has been filled by the remaining two titles from Criterion's releases. It's worth noting that Topsy-Turvy's Criterion cover is awesome. Which leads me to this interesting fact: out of the three new titles, only one is a maybe and two are definitive no. A pretty weak month in terms of new stuff. Topsy-Turvy is out on March 29th on DVD and Blu-ray.
The first of two titles I'll be picking from Criterion's March slate is Yi Yi (Yang, 2000). I love coming-of-age tales and Yi Yi looks to be really good in that respect. Having seen the trailers, read reviews and done my homework on the film, it will be a superb addition to my thriving Criterion library. The second title is Au Revoir Les Enfants (Malle, 1987), another coming-of-age tale and judging from reviews, trailers and homework on the film, it looks like yet another amazing piece of cinema. Both are getting released on Blu-ray on March 15th. DVD releases for each already exist and remain in print.
That's all for now.
EDIT: Upon further investigating and study, the only March title from Criterion I will be purchasing is Au Revoir Les Enfants. Thanks.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thoughts: Aniplex USA importing The Garden of Sinners of Blu-Ray to U.S.
... and why I'm more than likely not going to purchase it.
I've been a huge supporter of this series of films and have wanted (re: #2 on my wish list) for some time. However, I have to do a 180 when Aniplex USA announced they would be using RightStuf and later Bandai Store to import and release the Blu-Ray set here almost a week after Japanese release. On top of that, Aniplex USA makes it explicit that its for "U.S. and Canada customers only" on their page for the set, to try and likely prevent that pesky reverse importation myth. Which begs the $400 question: why price it so high when you have regulations in place and who would really go to the trouble of it?
Although the price is only a small reason I'm not buying this. As time has gone on and I began to reflect on this release and details. The glaring point of not buying this is simple. It doesn't come with the OSTs/original soundtracks. Would I sacrifice getting 1080p Garden of Sinners in exchange for OSTs? Yes. I would. I want those OSTs. That is the definitive deal-breaker. You would think at $400, they would have no problem including the OSTs in the set. It's just the one big, glaring weakness of the set.
It's disappointing to be sure, but I can't justify putting $400 on something that is not the "definitive" release. If need be, I'll wait for limited edition DVDs with the soundtracks. As much as it'd pain me to buy a DVD, Aniplex leaves me no real choice in the matter. I simply can't plop $400 on something that is not a complete package. I know I certainly can't be alone in this train of thought. Spending $400 on this would be far more reasonable if the OSTs were included.
I've been a huge supporter of this series of films and have wanted (re: #2 on my wish list) for some time. However, I have to do a 180 when Aniplex USA announced they would be using RightStuf and later Bandai Store to import and release the Blu-Ray set here almost a week after Japanese release. On top of that, Aniplex USA makes it explicit that its for "U.S. and Canada customers only" on their page for the set, to try and likely prevent that pesky reverse importation myth. Which begs the $400 question: why price it so high when you have regulations in place and who would really go to the trouble of it?
Although the price is only a small reason I'm not buying this. As time has gone on and I began to reflect on this release and details. The glaring point of not buying this is simple. It doesn't come with the OSTs/original soundtracks. Would I sacrifice getting 1080p Garden of Sinners in exchange for OSTs? Yes. I would. I want those OSTs. That is the definitive deal-breaker. You would think at $400, they would have no problem including the OSTs in the set. It's just the one big, glaring weakness of the set.
It's disappointing to be sure, but I can't justify putting $400 on something that is not the "definitive" release. If need be, I'll wait for limited edition DVDs with the soundtracks. As much as it'd pain me to buy a DVD, Aniplex leaves me no real choice in the matter. I simply can't plop $400 on something that is not a complete package. I know I certainly can't be alone in this train of thought. Spending $400 on this would be far more reasonable if the OSTs were included.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Winter 2011 Anime - The Golden Waste's Picks.
Fractale (top left)
A-1 Pictures & Ordet
Synopsis via Anime News Network;
The story takes place in an island, where a "Fractale System" is beginning to collapse. One day, Crane finds an injured girl called Phryne under a cliff. She disappears leaving a pendant. Crane sets out for a journey with the girl-shaped avatar Nessa to look for Phryne and discovers the secret of the Fractale System.Yutaka Yamamoto's latest project, after his recent crappy Black Rock Shooter OVA, I had dismissed the guy as a pretty mediocre director who really doesn't know how to put a serious plot or any real story into his works. The series, which is animated by Aniplex's A-1 Pictures and Yamamoto's Ordet, looks pretty from the artwork and the promos. I'm skeptical about this being good, but at least its on noitaminA which means it should be good. They've never let me down before after all. Althought there is a first time for everything.
Wandering Son (top right)
AIC Classic
Synopsis via Anime News Network;
Shuicihi Nitori appears to be a shy and quiet preteen boy, when he transfers to a new school he quickly makes friends with the tomboyish Yoshino Takatsuki who sits next to him. It soon becomes apparent that both Shucihi and Yoshino are more than simply a sensitive boy and masculine girl, they both are transgendered. Together they decide to take the first steps toward becoming the people they want to be.
This is the series to watch for me. It's the other noitaminA series airing this particular season. I fully expect it to be a real masterpiece. I've been hyped up about it since it was announced. This has not changed. With every promo video and picture, the hype grows and grows. The series is directed by Ei Aoki, who is known for directing Ga-Rei Zero and Girls Bravo. While I felt both were pretty mediocre and gimmicky, they weren't on noitaminA. As a huge fan of the manga, I am hopeful and expect this anime will do the series justice. This is one not to be missed.
Gosick (bottom left)
BONES
Synopsis via Anime News Network;
GOSICK takes place in 1924 in a small, made-up European country of Sauville. The story centers on Kazuya Kujo, the third son of a Japanese Imperial soldier, who is a transfer student to St. Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are all the rage. There he meets Victorique, a mysterious yet beautiful and brilliant girl who never comes to class and spends her days reading the entire content of the library or solving mysteries that even detectives can't solve.
I'm really uncertain on BONES to be honest. They are an amazing studio, don't get me wrong. Although their last few series have been lackluster to say the least. I enjoyed Heroman and what I saw of Star Driver, but neither really had screamed quality story or plot to me. That's where my concern comes in, the guy who directed Heroman, Hitoshi Nanba, is directing Gosick. The novels are spectacular and raise a high bar in story. I'm cautiously optimistic, to be honest. Anyways, it has a loli with pipe.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (bottom right)
SHAFT
Synopsis via Anime News Network;
No synopsis available.
There's nothing yet to be said about the series except its a SHAFT original anime, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, a magical girl series and it has Ume Aoki (Hidamari Sketch) character designs. All these developments intrigue me and thus, out of curiousity, I will catch a few episodes of this series. I am always in support of more original anime and with Shinbo at the helm, this should no doubt be unique and well done. I'm hopeful this will be the surprise show of the season.
Anyways, those are my picks for Winter 2011's anime season. How about you?
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Best North American Anime Release of 2010
Aria the Origination + Arietta Complete Collection (Nozomi Entertainment)Official Aria the Anime Website
This year has been interesting in terms of releases and the numerous series being piled on-top of us like no tomorrow. Although no matter how hard I try, I always go back to this one in particular. It was absolutely no contest for me as to my favorite release of the year and easily my favorite series released this year. From its humble beginnings in Animation, where the characters and their personalities and goals are beautifully set up and begin to explore the world of Neo Venezia. To Natural, where they continue to flush out the intricacies of Neo Venezia. We then come to Origination and Arietta, where it all begins and must end. It's a journey I will never forget and one I will always cherish.
On top of being a magical and beautiful anime experience, Nozomi Entertainment has put together superb packaging and extras for this series and truly does it justice that is rightfully deserved. From superb boxes to excellent informational booklets, to not putting six or seven episodes on one disc like everyone else. You really can't get any better than this. That's why I've named it, out of over a hundred releases this year, my pick for "Best North American Anime Release of 2010." Do yourself a favor and pick up this beautiful and wonderful anime series in its entirety.
Pick up all of Aria today at RightStuf.com;
Aria the Animation (Season 1) Complete Collection
Aria the Natural (Season 2), Part 1
Aria the Natural (Season 2), Part 2
Aria the Origination (Season 3) + Arietta (Prequel OVA) Complete Collection
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thoughts: Criterion's February 2011 Titles
The Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, announced their February 2011 titles this evening with four new titles and two Blu-Ray re-releases. It includes not one, not two but three of my "looking forward to" titles. I am immensely pleased and somewhat terrified of the next Criterion sale at Barnes and Noble.
Let's start off with two re-releases; Federico Fellini's Amarcord (1973) and Krzysztof Kieślowski's The Double Life of Véronique (1991). Neither film really exactly appeals to me. I've heard a lot about Amarcord but I don't know if its worth picking up blindly. The same applies to Double Life of Véronique. Heard some good and some bad about the film, not enough to sway me either way. On top of that, my slate is full with the other titles. I doubt I could pick either up if I wanted them anyways. There is one new title I'm uncertain of, but can be sold on, which is Luchino Visconti's Senso (1954), which aside from Criterion using the words "tragic romance," I am highly interested in but don't know whether or not to pull the eventual trigger on.
Moving onto more new stuff announced, where to start. Ah, the most anticipated release of February for me; Hirokazu Kore-eda's Still Walking (2008). I'm psyched about this movie in particular because of its being constantly compared to Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953), which I'm shamed to admit, I have not seen. Release it on Blu-Ray, Criterion! Please. Back to Still Walking, I'll be picking up the Blu-Ray.
Another title I'll be picking up from Criterion in February is Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank (2009) on Blu-Ray. It's a film that has caught my attention in recent months. I've seen Fish Tank compared to a modern day Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959). That comparison alone is worth me checking out this film. Katie Jarvis, who plays the female lead, is a newcomer and supposedly pretty amazing at that. The movie also has Michael Fassbender, who has become a Criterion favorite it seems in recent years.
The last title I plan to buy Alexander Mackendrick's Sweet Smell of Success (1957), a film noir starring Burt Lancaster and the late Tony Curtis. This film also caught my attention when it aired on Turner Classic Movies several weeks back. I sat down and rather enjoyed it. It should look particularly gorgeous on Criterion Blu-Ray transfer. It's also been compared to Oliver Stone's Wall Street (1987), but its widely considered way better.
That does it for my thoughts on The Criterion Collection's February 2011 titles. It looks an astounding good month for two of my interests - Criterion and anime releases. Thankfully, I can wait patiently for sales for all this stuff. It will drive me up a wall, however. I'm eager to own these now. Well done, Criterion, well done. Keep it up too.
- tgwIV
EDIT: Changed mind regarding Amarcord, will purchase. Will not be purchasing Fish Tank as a result.
Let's start off with two re-releases; Federico Fellini's Amarcord (1973) and Krzysztof Kieślowski's The Double Life of Véronique (1991). Neither film really exactly appeals to me. I've heard a lot about Amarcord but I don't know if its worth picking up blindly. The same applies to Double Life of Véronique. Heard some good and some bad about the film, not enough to sway me either way. On top of that, my slate is full with the other titles. I doubt I could pick either up if I wanted them anyways. There is one new title I'm uncertain of, but can be sold on, which is Luchino Visconti's Senso (1954), which aside from Criterion using the words "tragic romance," I am highly interested in but don't know whether or not to pull the eventual trigger on.
Moving onto more new stuff announced, where to start. Ah, the most anticipated release of February for me; Hirokazu Kore-eda's Still Walking (2008). I'm psyched about this movie in particular because of its being constantly compared to Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953), which I'm shamed to admit, I have not seen. Release it on Blu-Ray, Criterion! Please. Back to Still Walking, I'll be picking up the Blu-Ray.
Another title I'll be picking up from Criterion in February is Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank (2009) on Blu-Ray. It's a film that has caught my attention in recent months. I've seen Fish Tank compared to a modern day Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959). That comparison alone is worth me checking out this film. Katie Jarvis, who plays the female lead, is a newcomer and supposedly pretty amazing at that. The movie also has Michael Fassbender, who has become a Criterion favorite it seems in recent years.
The last title I plan to buy Alexander Mackendrick's Sweet Smell of Success (1957), a film noir starring Burt Lancaster and the late Tony Curtis. This film also caught my attention when it aired on Turner Classic Movies several weeks back. I sat down and rather enjoyed it. It should look particularly gorgeous on Criterion Blu-Ray transfer. It's also been compared to Oliver Stone's Wall Street (1987), but its widely considered way better.
That does it for my thoughts on The Criterion Collection's February 2011 titles. It looks an astounding good month for two of my interests - Criterion and anime releases. Thankfully, I can wait patiently for sales for all this stuff. It will drive me up a wall, however. I'm eager to own these now. Well done, Criterion, well done. Keep it up too.
- tgwIV
EDIT: Changed mind regarding Amarcord, will purchase. Will not be purchasing Fish Tank as a result.
Thoughts: Funimation's February-March Releases
Funimation recently released their list of releases for February and March of next year. Overall, it looks like a slaughter of epic proportions. I fear for my wallet's safety. It has a high number of high profile and huge properties coming out. For the full list, visit this link (February) and this link (March). That being said, here's what I fully intend to pick up.
It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyways because that's how I roll. I will be purchasing the blu-ray of Mamoru Hosoda's Summer Wars on February 15th. In addition to that, I will be picking up Initial D Stage Two Complete Collection due for release on February 1st. As for potential purchases, I am thinking about the Fooly Cooly/FLCL Blu-Ray Collection on February 8th and the Ga-Rei Zero Complete Collection Blu-Ray on February 22nd, as to which version, depends on what comes with the Limited Edition.
Moving onward to March now, a huge slate of releases and highly unusual as well from Funimation. First off, much like Mamoru Hosoda's Summer Wars, March brings another huge and highly anticipated release. That being Evangelion 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance on Blu-Ray on March 29th. Also being released that day is the fourth and penultimate part to Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Now that is some exciting stuff. In additional to those releases, I will be picking up the Blu-Ray of the first Eden of the East movie, King of Eden on March 22nd. As for potential purchases, I am considering the Yu Yu Hakusho Season One Blu-Ray on March 29th. It pretty much depends on if they are the remastered episodes from Japan or one of Funimation's hack-jobs. Time will tell on this one.
It's going to be a busy couple of months for Funimation and a costly one for myself. It's so totally worth it however, as its knocking out a significant portion of my "looking forward to" list. That's always a good thing. After suffering a Funimation drought for months on end, they finally and really bite my wallet good. At least I'll still have Christmas and then birthday money to pay for all this stuff.
- tgwIV
It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyways because that's how I roll. I will be purchasing the blu-ray of Mamoru Hosoda's Summer Wars on February 15th. In addition to that, I will be picking up Initial D Stage Two Complete Collection due for release on February 1st. As for potential purchases, I am thinking about the Fooly Cooly/FLCL Blu-Ray Collection on February 8th and the Ga-Rei Zero Complete Collection Blu-Ray on February 22nd, as to which version, depends on what comes with the Limited Edition.
Moving onward to March now, a huge slate of releases and highly unusual as well from Funimation. First off, much like Mamoru Hosoda's Summer Wars, March brings another huge and highly anticipated release. That being Evangelion 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance on Blu-Ray on March 29th. Also being released that day is the fourth and penultimate part to Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Now that is some exciting stuff. In additional to those releases, I will be picking up the Blu-Ray of the first Eden of the East movie, King of Eden on March 22nd. As for potential purchases, I am considering the Yu Yu Hakusho Season One Blu-Ray on March 29th. It pretty much depends on if they are the remastered episodes from Japan or one of Funimation's hack-jobs. Time will tell on this one.
It's going to be a busy couple of months for Funimation and a costly one for myself. It's so totally worth it however, as its knocking out a significant portion of my "looking forward to" list. That's always a good thing. After suffering a Funimation drought for months on end, they finally and really bite my wallet good. At least I'll still have Christmas and then birthday money to pay for all this stuff.
- tgwIV
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
New and Improved. Now with 100% more focus!
Welcome to the new and improved The Golden Waste, with more focus on the things I love and want to talk about. My hobbies and interests are anime, manga, the Criterion Collection and silent films. I'll be focusing on each at least once a week in some way, shape or form. Ranging from what news, reviews, predictions to hopes and dreams in each of the hobbies I am actively in.
I had realized with the last three incarnations of this blog, that I was an internet troll hating on pretty much everyone and everyone thing. Those sentiments carried onto the second and third incarnations as well. What else carried was the fact I felt I was forcing myself to do blog posts that I couldn't put my heart into. Some words I do regret, some I don't.
It's been a fun ride with the last three incarnations of this blog, but its time to make this the permanent one. I'll write about what I love and hate, I won't force myself and I'll make strides not to be a total butt. I expect others to do the same and you know who this applies to. This incarnation will not fail, because I believe its going to better than all the rest.
To a new era of The Golden Waste, may it last for many years to come just like my hobbies.
- tgwIVblog
Owner and Founder of The Golden Waste
I had realized with the last three incarnations of this blog, that I was an internet troll hating on pretty much everyone and everyone thing. Those sentiments carried onto the second and third incarnations as well. What else carried was the fact I felt I was forcing myself to do blog posts that I couldn't put my heart into. Some words I do regret, some I don't.
It's been a fun ride with the last three incarnations of this blog, but its time to make this the permanent one. I'll write about what I love and hate, I won't force myself and I'll make strides not to be a total butt. I expect others to do the same and you know who this applies to. This incarnation will not fail, because I believe its going to better than all the rest.
To a new era of The Golden Waste, may it last for many years to come just like my hobbies.
- tgwIVblog
Owner and Founder of The Golden Waste
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