# Battle Royale on DVD! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323 "2005-01-23T23:57:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/1 "2005-01-23T23:57:46Z")
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? ZJ ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/2 "2005-01-24T00:24:20Z")
[Here’s](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266308/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9YmF0dGxlIHJveWFsZXxodG1sPTF8bm09b24_;fc=1;ft=21;fm=1) the IMDb link. 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. ---
**Author:** ![bookbuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@bookbuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bookbuster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/3 "2005-01-24T00:28:28Z")
[IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266308/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9YmF0dGxlIHJveWFsZXxodG1sPTF8bm09b24_;fc=1;ft=21;fm=1) 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](http://store.edaymovie.com/barodcut2d.html) 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. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/4 "2005-01-24T02:34:43Z")
This movie was recommended in [_The Long Walk_](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=298185) 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](http://dvd.ign.com/articles/449/449222p1.html) the bonus disc is entirely in Japanese with no English subtitles, so whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/5 "2005-01-25T08:20:58Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Hope I get it, these cult movies tend to go on the wait list very fast on Netflix. 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. ZJ ---
**Author:** ![Rainbowthief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Rainbowthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbowthief)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/6 "2005-01-25T10:48:50Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/7 "2005-01-25T16:07:19Z")
LOVED this movie. It’s great. Skip BR 2. Seriously. If you go to your local Anime shop, you may be able to find it to purchase there. ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/8 "2005-01-25T19:54:20Z")
> [@Rainbowthief](#): > > 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. The Tartan Uk edition has been out for years has it not? I enjoyed the movie. Good concept. I’m sure I heard rumours of an American remake, or maybe I was dreaming. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/9 "2005-01-25T22:49:21Z")
> [@Zjestika](#): > > You might luck out. CRAP!!! Wait list. ☹ Guess I’ll see it in a few months… ---
**Author:** ![RealTronic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RealTronic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealTronic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/10 "2005-01-26T01:25:54Z")
Well, it seems you all need this link: [Happy Hunter](http://www.happyhunter.com) 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! ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/11 "2005-01-26T07:29:32Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Mombi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df788c/32.png) [@Princess\_Mombi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Mombi)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battle-royale-on-dvd/286323/12 "2005-01-26T08:18:15Z")
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: