a new sonny chiba dvd collection is coming out, the SONNY CHIBA COLLECTION by ventura entertainment.
this is what i read at newyorktimes.com:
The Sonny Chiba Collection
Sonny Chiba is the Japanese martial arts star who achieved a certain grunting notoriety in American action houses in the 1970’s for his unbelievably brutal “Street Fighter” series. He has made a comeback recently, thanks to his gruffly funny cameo appearance as the aged sword maker in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” films. The independent DVD distributor Ventura has stepped forward with four films starring Mr. Chiba, including the unforgettably titled “Karate Bullfighter” (1975), which features the power-chopping Mr. Chiba punching out a mad bull that is charging through the streets of a Japanese village. The film, directed in a psychedelic swirl of zoom shots by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, was the first in a series of three devoted to the life and times of Mr. Chiba’s karate mentor, the international champion Masutatsu Oyama, whose hardscrabble life had been mythologized in a series of comic books.
The two subsequent Oyama films, “Karate Bear Fighter” (1975) and “Karate for Life” (1977), are also in the Ventura collection, as is Noribumi Suzuki’s more classical and controlled “Killing Machine” (1975), which, oddly enough, tells the story of Oyama’s chief rival for martial arts fame in Japan, Doshin So. (I am indebted to Patrick Macias’s liner notes for this information.) Depicting So as a Japanese soldier whose loyalty to the empire did not end with World War II, “Killing Machine” is a fascinating and disturbingly nationalistic account of the postwar chaos in Japan. It seems to be up to So to defend Japanese womanhood, singlehanded, against several invading armies of ethnically objectionable would-be rapists, and the sequence in which he beats the stuffing out of a pair of American occupation soldiers is not without frightening echoes of the current situation in Iraq. $19.99. Not rated.
if you search at amazon.com you will find 2 or 3 dvds of that name, meaning they will sell those movies individually. amazon.com has currently no picture of the box
just in case someone is interested in the cover artwork:
you can buy them at dvdasian.com for $17 a piece
nice indeed!
i wonder how the box artwork looks like. if there is any
here are the links if you want to buy at amazon.com and support this website:
KILLING MACHINE:
<LINK_TEXT text=“Amazon.com … k_code=as1”>Amazon.com</LINK_TEXT>
KARATE FOR LIFE:
<LINK_TEXT text=“Amazon.com … k_code=as1”>Amazon.com</LINK_TEXT>
KARATE BEARFIGHTER:
<LINK_TEXT text=“Amazon.com … k_code=as1”>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002ZMJ3Y/thequentintar-20?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1</LINK_TEXT>
KARATE BULLFIGHTER:
<LINK_TEXT text=“Amazon.com … k_code=as1”>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002YLDS2/thequentintar-20?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1</LINK_TEXT>
GI SAMURAI:
<LINK_TEXT text=“Amazon.com … k_code=as1”>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002ZYE0K/thequentintar-20?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1</LINK_TEXT>
ALSO IN THE NEW SERIES:
LEGEND OF THE EIGHT SAMURAI (Feb 8th):
<LINK_TEXT text=“Amazon.com … k_code=as1”>Amazon.com</LINK_TEXT>
NINJA WARS (Feb 8th):
<LINK_TEXT text=“Amazon.com … k_code=as1”>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006IINIW/thequentintar-20?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1</LINK_TEXT>
did some research:
http://www.venturadistribution.com/
then you click here: <LINK_TEXT text=“VenturaDistribution.com is for sale | HugeDomains … ura+Select”>VenturaDistribution.com is for sale | HugeDomains</LINK_TEXT>
so the facts: uncut, widescreen, with the original language
Legend of the 8 Samurai:
<LINK_TEXT text=“VenturaDistribution.com is for sale | HugeDomains … kkenden%29”>VenturaDistribution.com is for sale | HugeDomains</LINK_TEXT>
Ninja Wars:
<LINK_TEXT text=“VenturaDistribution.com is for sale | HugeDomains … npo-cho%29”>VenturaDistribution.com is for sale | HugeDomains</LINK_TEXT>
GI Samurai:
<LINK_TEXT text=“VenturaDistribution.com is for sale | HugeDomains … Collection”>VenturaDistribution.com is for sale | HugeDomains</LINK_TEXT>
Karate for life:
<LINK_TEXT text=“VenturaDistribution.com is for sale | HugeDomains … Ichidai%29”>VenturaDistribution.com is for sale | HugeDomains</LINK_TEXT>
The web site lists the entire catalogue of Ventura Distribution. I recommend browsing them! it’s worth it
They need to release these in a nice little box set.
;D Ouuuu Shiny!
I don’t know if this was already covered, but I just got done watching Karate Bullfighter and the movie’s title song is “Champions of Death” (Song that plays in Vol. 1 where Johnny Mo fights and chases Beatrix)
Just wanted to let collector-freaks (Like myself) know this. ;D
OoOoOoOoOo I want i want!
All the Sonny Chiba releases from Adness look amazing. My favorites would be The Killing Machine, Karate Bull Fighter and Karate for Life. They plan on releasing some more Sonny Chiba classics in June.
does someone own one of these new discs? can somebody comment on them?
[quote=“Seb (admin)”]
does someone own one of these new discs? can somebody comment on them?
[/quote]
I’m planning to get some of them. Reviews suggest they feature exellent transfers.
Upcoming releses:
SHOGUN’S SHADOW
July 5, 2005
<LINK_TEXT text=“Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more. … k_code=as1”>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00080EVEI/thequentintar-20?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1</LINK_TEXT>
SHOGUN’S NINJA
August 23, 2005
<LINK_TEXT text=“Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more. … k_code=as1”>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0009IW8BW/thequentintar-20?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1</LINK_TEXT>
[quote=“Seb (admin)”]
does someone own one of these new discs? can somebody comment on them?
[/quote]
I own all of the Sonny Chiba titles that Adness has released to date. What title did you want to know more about?
all of them. can you write little 7-sentences reviews and tell us about picture and sound quality and extras and stuff?
[quote=“Seb (admin)”]
all of them. can you write little 7-sentences reviews and tell us about picture and sound quality and extras and stuff?
[/quote]
I reviewed all the Adness Sonny Chiba titles for my website a while ago and all the info you seek is contained with in these reviews. All my Sonny Chiba reviews can be indexed from this page: http://www.10kbullets.com/features/sonnychiba.htm
differnt release for:
Title: Legend of the Eight Samurai
Region: 2
Starring: Sonny Chiba
Released: 28th June 2005
Further Details
Ventura International are all set for the June 28th release of Legend of the Eight Samurai, starring the legendary Sonny Chiba. The film will be presented in a widescreen format with Japanese audio in Dolby Digital 2.0 and DTS 5.1. Furthermore, English subtitles and over 20 minutes of supplementary materials will be provided. The SRP is £15.99. Read on for a look at the official artwork and press release.
[quote=“Dillon”]
differnt release for:
Title: Legend of the Eight Samurai
Region: 2
Starring: Sonny Chiba
Released: 28th June 2005
Further Details
Ventura International are all set for the June 28th release of Legend of the Eight Samurai, starring the legendary Sonny Chiba. The film will be presented in a widescreen format with Japanese audio in Dolby Digital 2.0 and DTS 5.1. Furthermore, English subtitles and over 20 minutes of supplementary materials will be provided. The SRP is £15.99. Read on for a look at the official artwork and press release.
[/quote]
I just spoke to Ventura International and they told me that they have no extras planned for this release.
Upcoming UK releases by Optimum Asia:
The Killing Machine (29/08/2005)
Yakuza Deka (29/08/2005)
Yakuza Deka: The Assassin (29/08/2005)
Bullet Train (19/09/2005)
Golgo 13 (19/09/2005)
Timeslip (aka G.I. Samurai) (19/09/2005)
all remastered and in original language.