Blue Spring

Starring:Ryuhei Matsuda, Hirofumi Arai, Sousuke Takaoka, Yusuke Oshiba, Yuta Yamazaki, ShÃ»go Oshinari, Takashi Tsukamoto, Eita, Onimaru, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, KyÃ´ko Koizumi, Mame Yamada, Erena (II), Nobuo KyÃ´
Director: Toshiaki Toyoda
Studio: Arts Magic
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
In their graduation year, the disaffected students turn their concrete box of a school into a backdrop against which to create their own version of society. The newly elected boss Kujo (played with cool panache by rising star Ryuhei Matsuda) disdains all the rules, including those that have led to his election. Into this power vacuum, his scandalized friend and lieutenant Aoki (Hirofumi Arai) enters with vicious intent. As graduation looms, the pupils study violence and death.

Amazon.com

A poignant story of a selfish young German girl's search for happiness, Blue Bird is a classic Shirley Temple film with a storybook Hansel and Gretel feel. This restored and remastered 1940 film opens with a purposely grainy, black and white world that reinforces Mytyl's (Shirley Temple) ill-humored attitude toward life. Mytyl consistently complains about everything and fails to see that she and her family are really quite blessed until her father is summoned to war. A dramatic switch to Technicolor, now bright and clear thanks to restoration efforts, marks the fairy Berylone's (Jessie Ralph) nighttime appearance and the beginning of Mytyl's and her brother Tyltyl's (Johnny Russell) quest to find the blue bird of happiness. Lead by "Light" (Helen Ericson), the children and their faithful dog Tylo (Eddie Collins) and scheming cat Tylette (Gale Sondergaard) journey through the lands of the past, future, and luxury only to find a prevailing unhappiness. In the end, it's a journey of self-discovery that leads Mytyl to find true happiness in a most unexpected place. This film marks a departure from the typically sunny and cheerful characters played by Shirley Temple and was, in spite of its lavish scenery and nominations for Academy Awards in both cinematography and special effects, unsuccessful at the box office. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Description

Visually beautiful, full of imaginative sets, and splendidly photographed in rich Technicolor, this enchanting fantasy was Twentieth Century Fox's answer to "The Wizard of Oz". In a rare departure from her usual screen persona, Shirley plays a selfish, spoiled little girl named Mytyl, who doesn't appreciate her loving family. Only after a good fairy sends her and her brother (Johnny Russell) on a journey to find "the bird that means happiness" does she end up discovering happiness right in her own home.

Average customer rating:

The Big Wheel
Starring: Mickey Rooney , Thomas Mitchell , Mary Hatcher , Michael O'Shea , and Spring Byington
Director: Edward Ludwig
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Sports | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Auto Sports | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Winning
Hot Rod Girl
Grand Prix (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Wild Ride
The Last American Hero (AKA Hard Driver)

ASIN: B0006FFR9S
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Great Racing Movies (The Fast And The Furious / The Big Wheel / Hot Rod Girl)

Average customer rating:

Great Racing Movies (The Fast And The Furious / The Big Wheel / Hot Rod Girl)
Starring: Monte Blue , Steve Brodie , Spring Byington , Jack Colin , and Franklyn Farnum
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Born to be Wild - Four High Octane Movies
Funny Car Summer
The Wild Ride
American Hot Rod
Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (Supercharger Edition)

ASIN: B00005N5RY
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Description

3 Great Movies on 1 DVD. Star Power, Exciting Genre with Extras on each DVD.

Average customer rating:

The Big Wheel
Starring: Mickey Rooney , Thomas Mitchell , Mary Hatcher , Michael O'Shea , and Spring Byington
Director: Edward Ludwig
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Sports | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Auto Sports | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Winning
Hot Rod Girl
Grand Prix (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Wild Ride
The Last American Hero (AKA Hard Driver)

ASIN: B00004W194
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Description

Restless and reckless, Mickey Rooney is "The Big Wheel!" All grown up, Rooney stars as Billy Coy, the son of a famous Indianapolis 500 race car driver who died in a fiery crash in the last laps of the race. Always living in the shadow of his father, Billy races his way to the Indy 500 to face his fears and claim his family legacy. Action-packed race car footage filmed at the famed speedway with plenty of dizzy skids and crashes for race fans and action lovers. Spectacular footage, romance and music. Great stars, top notch entertainment!

The Films of Toshiaki Toyoda: Blue Spring/9 Souls

Average customer rating:

The Films of Toshiaki Toyoda: Blue Spring/9 Souls
Starring: Kôji Chihara , Onimaru , Jun Kunimura , Kiyohiko Shibukawa , and Mame Yamada
Director: Toshiaki Toyoda
Manufacturer: Arts Magic
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Lady Vengeance
Jigoku - Criterion Collection
Spirit of the Beehive - Criterion Collection
Seven Samurai - Criterion Collection - 3-Disc Remastered Edition
Solo Con Tu Pareja - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B000FILVI2
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Description

Two films that showcase the talents of one of the most important young directors working in Japan today, Toshiaki Toyoda. These films are as memorable for their stirring soundtracks as they are for the stellar performances from their all-star casts. Blue Spring - In this school, the students run the halls. But when the system breaks down, all that is left is violence and death. 9 Souls - A gang of convicts break out of jail on the trail of a hidden treasure. But as each escapee's past comes back to haunt them, can their sins ever be forgiven?

Average customer rating:

Blue Spring: contemporary Japanese cinema at its best
Black Hands
More Japanese films, please!
Violent, melancholy, disturbing, contemplative, and cool.

Blue Spring
Starring: Ryuhei Matsuda , Hirofumi Arai , Sousuke Takaoka , Yusuke Oshiba , and Yuta Yamazaki
Director: Toshiaki Toyoda
Manufacturer: Arts Magic
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

9 Souls
Bounce Ko Gals
Last Life in the Universe
Kamikaze Girls
Ichi the Killer (Unrated Edition)

ASIN: B0002CX134
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Description

In their graduation year, the disaffected students turn their concrete box of a school into a backdrop against which to create their own version of society. The newly elected boss Kujo (played with cool panache by rising star Ryuhei Matsuda) disdains all the rules, including those that have led to his election. Into this power vacuum, his scandalized friend and lieutenant Aoki (Hirofumi Arai) enters with vicious intent. As graduation looms, the pupils study violence and death.

EXTRAS:
Bio/Filmographies
Tom Mes Commentary
2 Interviews With Director Toshiaki Toyoda
Artwork
Scene Selection

Customer Reviews:

Blue Spring: contemporary Japanese cinema at its best.......2005-03-05

Blue Spring is a beautiful example of the power of contemporary Japanese cinema. It is quiet, yet breathtakingly atmospheric with an undertone of violence and savagery. In the rigid society of high school, beneath the surface is a violent feeling of chaos and conflict. Like the director's 9 Souls, this film is obviously a project which was very personal to him. This is not exactly a yakuza film, but some of the characters definitely seem to be headed toward that world, which is an interesting aspect and approach. It is an unconventional and bleak take on the theme of coming of age, yet it is compelling in that it is told honestly and in a deeply personal manner. As well, the quality of this DVD is very good, boasting a great transfer and great sound quality. In addition to sound, the music is also very suiting and powerful, strongly emphasizing and reinforcing the themes presented throughout. Overall, this film is highly recommended.

Black Hands.......2004-07-06

(...)If one pays scant attention to the news in Japan, seen Iwai Shunji's _All About Lily Chou Chou_, or read short stories and novels by Murakami Ryu, one knows that Japan, like other countries, suffers from an escalation of violence in schools. This violence works in three ways: student vs. teacher, teacher vs. student, and, the most common, student vs. student. Although it is still rare, the newspapers and news programs are peppered with stories of bullies beating someone to death or the bullied killing his bulliers. Murakami Ryu and Yu Miri have both focused on these subjects in their literary works. Toyoda Toshiaki, through his film _Blue Spring_ also touches on this controversial subject.

The kids attending the all boys Asahi High School would basically be considered the dregs of Japanese society. The school is rundown and the teachers teach such a drypan, apathetic manner that it is not suprising that the kids could care less. The only teacher who seems to actually care about any of his students is a dwarf who waters the flowers on the school grounds all day.

However, although the teaching might be unstructured, there is a rigid code of hierarchy enforced by the tough kids. A leader is chosen by a suicidal ritual in which a student claps his hands as many times as possible while falling backwards. After he claps a certain amount of times, he grabs the guardrail. Miss the guardrail, instant pancake.

At the beginning of this film, after the "graduation" of the senior class, Kujo, played by the extraordinarily handsome Matsuda Ryuhei, wins the contest. Kujo is a bit indifferent to his new found power, but goes along with it because he has the support of his friends: Aoki, Yukio, Yoshimura, and Kimura.

Although many of the students are not satisfied with the way their lives are shaping, they seem to basically concede that good jobs and college are not in their future and that they are either on the track to become either a menial laborer or a member of the Yakuza.

_Blue Spring_ is an interesting film that depicts individuals who are not on the "normal road of becoming a good Japanese citizen": i.e. Graduation, wor, stable family. It shows the dregs, but the dregs also show that social heirarchy exists from the lowest to the highest.

I think that the film is quite well done. The filming is dark, but it fits the atmosphere of the film. The soundtrack is excellent.

More Japanese films, please!.......2004-06-30

This is a brilliant film. I saw it at he ICA a few years ago and have been waiting ever since to obtain a copy on DVD. I thought I was in luck when I saw it was soon to be released this year , only it is in the wrong format, I need it to play in the UK. PLEASE release for the UK SOON...I've been waiting long enough!

Violent, melancholy, disturbing, contemplative, and cool........2004-06-25

If you're serious about films, you need to see this one. It's guaranteed to please almost anyone (you'll know why after you've seen it) but believe me when I say that this movie is much more than it seems.

It works on many levels, and has obvious as well as underlying themes. Perhaps the most obvious is youth and violence, but be wary, the violence here is powerful, unpredictable, and could inspire hopelessness -- especially if you're accustomed to movies that send a solid right-or-wrong-and-repent message along with their violence. Here, you might feel like you are taking part; living (and failing) life with these characters in their bleak fictional world, rather than watching a story and its 'moral' unfold.

This movie only gives you what you want to take from it. Certainly some viewers will be moved, while others might not feel much of anything. Bottom line is: This movie will entertain you. How it does so just depends upon your own personality. And in any case, you probably won't regret seeing it.

DVD:

DVD

Cuckoo [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: The Good Doctor (Broadway Theatre Archive)

DVD 013