Well, at least according to Netflix. Netflix has it listed as being released on Jan. 25, but neither Amazon nor IMDB have any information. That’s weird.
So, if you have Netflix, queue this movie! It’s this great Japanese movie about, um, middle school kids killing each other. (It’s nowhere near as gory as, say Ichi the Killer, I promise), and it has the brilliant Takeshi Kitano in it.
(Maybe some other, more coding-savvy doper could but a link to the movie at IMDB for me.)
I’m vascillating between “Yay, it’s released!” and “Where the hell can I find it for sale?” I mean, isn’t Amazon usually on top of these kinds of things?
I liked the movie, but I don’t understand the gushing praise I’ve heard for both it and the original novel (which I own, and which is better than the movie but still not extraordinary). The premise is certainly…intriguing…but neither work is a masterpiece.
I’m am suprised that this isn’t out on DVD, I thought it has been for years. Amazon confirms what you said, but this store seems to have a two-disc special edition with english subtitles and its not region specific. I swear I have seen this edtion rented from a local video and thought nothing of it.
This movie was recommended in The Long Walk thread. I spent some time searching for reviews and while the premise sounded really cool, all the info said the movie was NOT released in North America and most of the reviewers had VCD copies. I checked Netflix on a lark, and whadda ya know: “Releases on Jan. 25th.” So I bumped Married with Children Season 3 to make room for it.
Hope I get it, these cult movies tend to go on the wait list very fast on Netflix. Oh, and for some reason the 2nd disc is listed but not available…though according to this review the bonus disc is entirely in Japanese with no English subtitles, so whatever.
No Kidding! I don’t think I’m ever gonna get to see Shaun of the Dead!
But, magically, the 2nd season of The Wire was only just released, and discs 1, 2, and 3 are on their way to me. It’s weird what get enormously long waits.
You might luck out.
As far as the quality of Battle Royale, it’s not great, but it’s cool. There’s such a big difference. But do not waste your time on the sequel; it’s a major disappointment.
It’s a very fun movie and Kitano has a ball in it. The Tartan (UK) special edition in the tin is one of the best reasons to own a code free DVD player.
No more wondering about or searching for DVDs!! It’s a global meta-search site for online DVD shops; region-code and ship-to area can be selected to match your own needs! Simply wonderful!
How surreal. I’ve seen maybe five foreign language films at most but on a lark, was going through Netlix last night and was looking at the new releases and clicking everything in the genres I don’t hate (so no anime, horror, etc) and saw this, thought it sounded interesting and put it on my queue with around a dozen other foreign films, including the equally interesting looking 9 Souls.
Then I see this thread and, for once, I see I discovered something on my own instead of being a bandwagon jumper.
I have had this on DVD for awhile and I have an american dvd player. The movie is pretty good, especially if you see the “directors cut” which adds in parts I felt were needed. The book is much better and not as I don’t know campy(?) as the movie. Don’t even try and set foot near the manga, that is an accursed piece of ewok crap. Volume 3 shudder :eek:
