Good news for Takeshi Kitano fans in this part of the world … The Digital Bits is reporting that Miramax will release DVD editions of Kitano’s Zatoichi and Sonatine on November 9th. Zatoichi will feature a behind the scenes feature and interviews with various cast and crew while Sonatine will feature an introduction by the over-exposed Quentin Tarantino and an interview with Kitano himself. Both films will include both the original Japanese soundtrack and an English language dub.
For my money Sonatine is the quintessential Kitano film, the perfect blending of static beauty, quietly absurd humor and cold-hearted, graphic violence. Kitano’s performance as the weary, betrayed yakuza is the stuff legends are made of and I will never understand why Miramax has sat on this film as long as they have. No word yet if the films will be presented uncut – though I’d be surprised if they altered Zatoichi at all after putting it into theaters unmolested – but if Miramax does one of their standard hack and slash jobs on Sonatine I’m gonna be pissed.
