“Could there be a greater holiday gift for a true, dyed-in-the-wool cineaste than the films of the late, great Japanese master?” asks the Philadelphia Inquirer in just one of the many ecstatic reviews of Criterion’s new DVD collector’s set AK 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa, which the newspaper also calls “awe-inspiring.” This elegantly designed, linen-bound box, the most complete set of Kurosawa’s works ever released in this country—which also includes an illustrated hardcover book featuring an introduction and notes on each of the films by Stephen Prince and a remembrance by Donald Richie—has become one of the most talked-about items of this shopping season.
The New York Times praises the set’s succession of “flat-out masterpieces”; Glenn Kenny calls the collection “a genuine triumph . . . a work of art in itself”; The Miami Herald’s René Rodriguez says AK 100 is a “true thing of beauty . . . The set is a joy to hold in your hands and an even greater joy to dip into”; and Time’s Richard Corliss calls it nothing less than “the biggest and most rewarding box set of the year.” We’ll leave the last word to Time Out New York’s David Fear: “Criterion’s AK 100 essentially gives you Kurosawa’s entire career in one container. It’s a stunning collection in both quality and quantity . . . Any true appreciation of Japanese cinema begins here.”
More from Dennis Lim in the Los Angeles Times.
21DEC09: AK 100 has been named the best DVD of the year by the Los Angeles Times’s Dennis Lim: “A beautifully packaged testament . . . For historical significance and entertainment value, hands down the boxed set of the year.”
Categories: Press Notes
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