Blu-ray disc news, reviews, opinions and deals. Everything that's fit to print about the world's favourite HD format!

Criterion Announces Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Sanjuro Blu-ray Editions – UPDATED!

Criterion Announces Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Sanjuro Blu-ray Editions – UPDATED!

As most film fans know, Criterion is releasing a beautiful boxed set of 25 Akira Kurosawa films on DVD to celebrate the centenary of the director’s birth. As incredible as the set seems, it has only served to depress me on a couple of levels – I already own a lot of the films in the set and they’re not making the 25 films available on Blu-ray. Well, they may not be on Blu anytime soon but the label did announce today via a blog post on their site that they’ve been struggling to create a month of high-def Kurosawa releases. They have, sadly not been entirely successful. Here’s what they had to say…

    “…we had hoped to celebrate the actual centenary, in March, with a Blu-ray edition of Seven Samurai, but weeks of additional restoration have turned into months—yes, it looks really amazing—and the release won’t be until later in 2010. Instead, on March 23, we’ll be releasing Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sanjuro.”

This is fantastic news! Now I can remove Seven Samurai from our list of the Top 10 Criterion DVDs that deserve a Blu-ray upgrade. I wonder what other fantastic treats Criterion has in store for us in 2010…

UPDATE: Criterion has now officially published the details of the Yojimbo and Sanjuro discs, both of which appear to mimic their DVD counterparts in every way. Both films are available individually or as part of a gift pack.

Yojimbo Criterion Blu-ray

YOJIMBO
(March 23, 2010 – MSRP $39.95)
Video: 2.35:1 1080p
Audio: TBA

Special Features:

• All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer
• Optional Dolby Digital 3.0 soundtrack, preserving the original Perspecta simulated-stereo effects
• Audio commentary by film historian and Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
• A 45-minute documentary on the making of Yojimbo, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
• Theatrical trailer and teaser
• Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Alexander Sesonske and notes from Kurosawa and his cast and crew

Sanjuro Criterion Blu-ray

SANJURO
(March 23, 2010 – MSRP $39.95)
Video: 2.35:1 1080p
Audio: TBA

Special Features:

• All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer
• Optional Dolby Digital 3.0 soundtrack, preserving the original Perspecta simulated-stereo effects
• Audio commentary by film historian and Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
• A 35-minute documentary on the making of Sanjuro, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
• Theatrical trailer and teaser
• Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Sragow and notes and statements from Kurosawa and his cast and crew

Yojimbo Sanjuro 2-Disc Criterion Blu-ray Set


Related posts: