Amazon JP exclusive Paramount BDs

Amazon Japan often offers exclusive packages of BD/DVDs,
such as steelbooks.

On August 3, 2012, as a tie-in promotion with Paramount Pictures' 100th anniversary,
they will release 12 of Paramount's BD titles in special digipack.

Although they come with some lobby cards and poster cards,
they are just repackagings of previously available titles.
But if you like digipack, and/or tend to be tempted with the words like "limited" and "exclusive", they may be of your interest.

Amazon JP's promotional page is here.

Leon: Integral Version

• 133-min version
• 3 lobby cards (130 x 160mm)
• 1 poster card of the original poster artwork (160 x 130mm)

Saving Private Ryan: Special Collector's Edition

• 2-disc set
• Miniature replica of Japanese theatrical souvenir book (24 pages, 105 x 148mm)
• 1 poster card of the original poster artwork (160 x 130mm)

Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Each has:

• 3 lobby cards (130 x 160mm)
• 1 poster card of the original poster artwork (160 x 130mm)

Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition

• 3 lobby cards (130 x 160mm)
• 1 poster card of the original poster artwork (160 x 130mm)

The Untouchables: Special Collector's Edition

• 3 lobby cards (130 x 160mm)
• 1 poster card of the original poster artwork (160 x 130mm)

The Hunt for Red October: Special Collector's Edition

• 3 lobby cards (130 x 160mm)
• 1 poster card of the original poster artwork (160 x 130mm)

Ghost: Special Collector's Edition

• 3 lobby cards (130 x 160mm)
• 1 poster card of the original poster artwork (160 x 130mm)

Godfather: Parts I-III

Each has:

• 3 lobby cards (130 x 160mm)
• 1 poster card of the original poster artwork (160 x 130mm)

BTW, Paramount itself will release repackaged Godfather trilogy boxset on August 10:

The disc contents are identical to the previous set.

Chicago Live in Japan - a Japanese engineer's recollection

As I wrote before, Warner Music Japan recently re-released
Chicago's "Live in Japan" album (1972) in mini-LP replica style CD.



To promote this release, Warner Music Japan's official YouTube channel
has 2-part interview with Tomoo Suzuki, the recording engineer of the album.
He also supervised the remastering of this reissue.

Part 1.

Part 2.

Since it's in Japanese only and there's no CC available,
I'm afraid it's useless for most foreigners.

However each part has a sample audio from the remastered album near the end,
"Low Down" (Japanese version) (at 6:20 of Part 1) and
"25 or 6 to 2" (at 5:40 of Part 2).

Also, after "25 or 6 to 2", they look at the actual mini-LP and shows what's inside (at 8:16).

FYI, here are some tidbits from the interview:

• When they asked the live recording, Japanese side didn't expect the band would agree, especially after the Carnegie Hall live album.
• The band asked Japanese side to prepare all the equipments, while they would bring American producer and engineer(s) to Japan.
• The recording was done with a pair of 8-track 1/2 inch tape recorders.
• While the tour started in Tokyo, Japanese team deliberately chose Osaka for the recording.
  They expected Tokyo would be a "good rehearsal" for the band, which would make them feel much comfortable in Osaka.
  Also, they figured audience in Osaka would show more excitement and appreciation honestly than those in Tokyo, who often behave too well-mannered and stay calm.
• Japanese-language version of "Low Down" was a complete surprise for Japanese, including the recording crew.
• While many live albums have "fixes" (especially today), it's not possible for this album, simply because the band had returned home.
  Suzuki also said "equipments those days were much simpler, there's less room for manipulations. So you get what the band performed".
• At the time, Suzuki was 25 years old and only one year experience as a recording engineer/mixer, and mostly served as an assistant. He was very surprised when James William Guercio personally told him to do the mixing down.
• After Wayne Tarnowski examined the recording at Roppongi sutdio and gave general directions, he returned home. The rest was up to Japanese crew.
• When mixing down was finished, they sent the result as a laquer disc to America, and it was accepted for the release.
• Some time later Suzuki visited America for study and met Guercio again, who told him it was very good. "I felt very happy," Suzuki said.
• The success of this album led Suzuki to many other "Live in Japan" projects, suh as Beck, Bogart & Appice, Santana, Mountain, Bob Dylan, Cheap Trick.
  "Without this album, my life would have been completely different," Suzuki said.
  
  
  

Warner Music Japan's soft rock/fusion mini-LP/SHM-CD reissues

Warner Music Japan is currently doing a promotion entitled "Light Mellow 2012"
which is a series of reissues of adult contemporary/fusion titles from 1970s-80s,
all newly remastered, SHM-CD pressing, packaged in mini-LP papersleeves.
(Some of them were previously available as SHM-CD and/or mini-LP in the past, though.)

March 21

Stuff

• Stuff WPCR-14403
• More Stuff WPCR-14404
• Stuff It WPCR-14405
• Live Stuff WPCR-14406
• Live in New York WPCR-14407

April 25

Christopher Cross

• Christopher Cross WPCR-14438
• Another Page WPCR-14439

Michael Franks

• The Art of Tea WPCR-14428
• Sleeping Gypsy WPCR-14429
• Burchfield Nines WPCR-14430
• Tiger in the Rain WPCR-14431
• One Bad Habit WPCR-14432
• Live (with Crossfire) WPCR-14433
• Objects of Desire WPCR-14434
• Passionfruit WPCR-14435
• Skin Dive WPCR-14436
• The Camera Never Lies WPCR-14437

May 23

Al Jarreau

• We Got By WPCR-14474
• Glow WPCR-14475
• Look to the Rainbow WPCR-14476
• All Fly Home WPCR-14477
• This Time WPCR-14478
• Breakin' Away WPCR-14479
• Jarreau WPCR-14480
• High Crime WPCR-14481

The Manhattan Transfer

• Extensions WPCR-14462
• Mecca for Moderns WPCR-14463
• Bodies and Souls WPCR-14464

[Update Jun. 22, 2012: Added links to the titles below, and corrected release date of RLJ titles]

June 13

George Benson

• Breezin' WPCR-14497
• In Flight WPCR-14498
• Weekend in L.A. WPCR-14499
• Livin' Inside Your Love WPCR-14500
• Give Me the Night WPCR-14501
• In Your Eyes WPCR-14502
• 20/20 WPCR-14503
• Collaboration (with Earl Klugh) WPCR-14504

Cornell Dupree

• Teasin' WPCR-14505

June 27

 

Rickie Lee Jones

• Rickie Lee Jones WPCR-14508
• Pirates WPCR-14509
• The Magazine WPCR-14510

July

TBA (I'll add them when announced)

Fox Japan's Marilyn Monroe BD boxset

On August 3, Fox Japan will release Blu-ray disc boxset of 8 movies featuring Marilyn Monroe,
entitled Marilyn: The Premium Blu-ray Collection.



The set includes:

• The Seven Year Itch *1 *2
• There's No Business Like Show Business *1 *2
• River of No Return *1
• How to Marry a Millionaire *1 *2
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes *1 *2
• Some Like It Hot
• The Misfits
• All About Eve

*1: Not available on BD in the US as of this writing, AFAIK,
and first time on BD in Japan.
They will be also released separately on the same day as the boxset.

*2: Mastered with 4K transfers.

The Package

• Limited to 2,000 copies.
• Packaged in an optical-embossed box.
• Comes with a set of 6 postcards.
• Soundtrack sampler CD with 5 tracks (*3):
  
  • Two Little Girls from Little Rock
  • New York
  • Heat Wave
  • Seven Year Itch Main Title
  • Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

[*3: Added on May 20, 2012]

Discs

The Seven Year Itch

Running time: 105 mins Video: CinemaScope Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (lossless) Subtitles:

• Japanese
• English

Special features:

• Music track
• Marilyn Monroe filmography
• Monroe and Wilder
• Fox Movie Channel :"Fox Legacy"
• Trailers
• Stills gallery

There's No Business Like Show Business

Running time: 118 mins Video: CinemaScope Audio:

• English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (lossless)
• English 4.0 DD

Subtitles:

• Japanese
• English

Special features:

• Trailers
• Trailers of Marilyn Monroe movies

River of No Return

Running time: 91 mins Video: CinemaScope Audio:

• English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (lossless)
• English 4.0 DD
• Japanese 5.1 DTS

Subtitles:

• Japanese
• English

Special features:

• Original trailer
• Trailers of Marilyn Monroe movies

How to Marry a Millionaire

Running time: 96 mins Video: CinemaScope Audio:

• English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (lossless)
• English 4.0 DD

Subtitles:

• Japanese
• English

Special features:

• Movietone News: How to Marry a Millionaire premiere
• Trailers
• Trailers of Marilyn Monroe movies

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Running time: 92 mins Video: 4:3 standard Audio:

• English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (lossless)
• English 1.0 DD

Subtitles:

• Japanese
• English

Special features:

• Movietone News: Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell on the Walk of Fame
• Original trailer
• Trailers of Marilyn Monroe movies

Some Like It Hot

Running time: 122 mins Video: EuroVista Audio:

• English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (lossless)
• Japanese Mono (hybrid)

Subtitles:

• Japanese
• English

Special features:

• Commentary featuring an interview with Tony Curtis, archived interview with Jack Lemmon
• Commentary by Paul Diamond (son of I.A.L. Diamond) and the screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel
• The Making of Some Like It Hot
• The Legacy of Some Like It Hot
• "Nostalgic Look Back" documentary
• The Band Reunion
• Movie Hall of Fame - Memories
• Original trailer

The Misfits

Running time: 125 mins Video: EuroVista Audio:

• English Mono DTS-HD Master Audio (lossless)
• Japanese Mono DTS

Subtitles:

• Japanese
• English

Special features: Original trailer

All About Eve

Running time: 139 mins Video: 4:3 standard Audio:

• English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (lossless)
• Japanese 5.1 DTS

Subtitles:

• Japanese
• English

Special features:

• Commentary by actor Celeste Holm, Mankiewicz biographer Ken Geist and Christopher Mankiewicz
• Commentary by Sam Staggs (author of "All About All About Eve")
• Backstory of All About Eve
• Interview with Bette Davis
• Interview with Anne Baxter
• Movietone News:
  
  • Academy Awards ceremony (1951)
  • Premiere at the Chinese Theater (1951)
  • Holiday Magazine awards
  • Look awards
• Original trailer

Amazon exclusive set

Also, Amazon Japan has an exclusive set entitled "Marilyn Monroe - Complete Collection." It has all 8 BDs of the "Premium Blu-ray Collection" above, plus 11 additional DVDs below:

• Let's Make Love
• Bus Stop
• Niagara
• Monkey Business
• We're Not Married!
• Don't Bother to Knock
• Love Nest
• Let's Make It Legal *3
• Full House *3
• As Young as You Feel *3
• A Ticket to Tomahawk *3

*3: First time on DVD in Japan, and exclusive to this set.

Fox Japan's "Request Library"

Fox Home Entertainment Japan has a line of DVDs called "Request Library" (RL) since 2009.

Allegedly, they release titles based on the "requests" entered in the form on their website.

The actual titles in RL are relatively obscure ones in Japan.
So I think they actually listen to the customers' voices.

MOST of the RL titles are already available in US and/or UK,
but occasionally you find something not:

• The Incident
  
• Conrack
  
• The Games (1969)
  
• The Salzburg Connection
  
• The Day the Fish Came Out
  
• Boy On A Dolphin
  

(The promotional page for the upcoming 5th wave of RL is here.
Scroll down the page you can see the previously released titles.)

I guess the lack of manufacture-on-demand in Japanese market
(and notable streaming service like Amazon Instant Video)
is one of the reasons for RL.

One can complain about RL for several points.
There's no guarantee that they will release the most requested titles.
Fox doesn't show the statistics of the requests.
They are movie-only in most cases, yet rather expensive.

Nevertheless, I like Fox's attitude to listen to their customers,
and hope other studios do similarly.

(To my knowledge, Toei is the only other Japanese studio
that has a similar "request" form on their website.
But Toei doesn't have a special "line" like RL,
so we don't know what titles are released because of the requests.)

My Bloody Valentine remasters will be Blu-spec CDs in Japan

The Japanese editions of My Bloody Valentine's reissues
remastered by Kevin Shields will be Blu-spec CDs, due May 30.

• Isn't Anything: Mini-LP paper sleeve, limited.
• Loveless (2CD): Mini-LP paper sleeve, limited.
• EP's 1988-1991 (2CD): Digipack for initial press only.

Sony Music Japan doesn't have information on these releases as of this writing.

Fire Walk With Me and The Straight Story on BD in Japan

On July 13, Paramount Japan will release David Lynch's
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and The Straight Story on BD and DVD
as "restored versions," just like
Eraserhead and Lost Highway in April. (see here)

Fire Walk With Me will include making-of, interview(s), and trailer(s).

The Straight Story will include interviews with Lynch and Richard Farnsworth,
Farnsworth's press conference in Japan, and trailer(s).
(I guess these extras are the ones included in the older Japanese DVD.)

[Added July 16, 2012: Both titles have English 5.1 audio (and Japanese dubbs).]